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Historical Account of Foreign Affairs.

HOLLAND.

IN the anfwer which the Princess Governante

gave to the memorial of the Merchants, with the fubftance of which we concluded the account of foreign affairs in our laft, fhe intimated,

"That the beheld the state of trade with concern: that she was as much moved at it as any of A the Merchants; that its want of protection was not her fault, but that of the towns of Dort, Harlem, Amfterdam, Tergaw, Rotterdam, and the Brielle; that, had it not been for those towns, the forces of the State, by fea and land, would have been on a better footing; and that he had never ceased to protect trade; a proof of which was the letter of the King her father, wherein B his Majefty fays, The affair of the Dutch is now under confideration; and York will speedily receive the neceffary inftructions for fettling it amicably. Some method fhall be thought of to curb the infolence of the privateers. That fhe was informed, that Mr. York had asked a conference to treat of this matter; and that the hoped the negotiation would be attended with fuccefs.'

The Deputies were afterwards referred by her Royal Highness to M. de la Larrey, who now does the business that was formerly done by M. de Back. The Merchants laboured much to perfuade this Minifter, that the augmentation of the land forces, and the equipment of a fleet were matters quite diftinct from each other, as light is from D darkness; that there was no preffing motive for the augmentation; whereas innumerable reafons rendered the fitting out of a fleet a matter of the moft urgent neceffity. M. de Larrey contented himself with faying, that the want of a fufficient fleet was not owing to her Royal Highness; that opinions differed on this head; and that it was a fettled point at prefent, not to fit out a fleet without augmenting the army.

Whatever may be in this, four days after the fpeech was delivered, her Royal Highness carried it to the Affembly of the States-General, addreffing herself to them in these words :

High and Mighty Lords,

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would be injuftice to that zeal and vigilance for the fafety of the State, of which Your High Mightineffes have long given me convincing proof, to endeavour to excite you now to greater zeal and vigilance: It is from this perfuafion I appear in the Affembly of Your High Mightinesses, to reprefent to you, that, feeing your earnest and repeated efforts to induce the provinces of Holland and Weft Frifeland, of Zeland, and of Frifeland, to agree to the propofed augmentation of the land forces and equipment of a fleet, have been ineffectual, your High Mightineffes will be pleased to confider of a way to put an end to this affair, and the fooner the better, in order, on one hand, to fatisfy the ftrong and well-grounded instances of the provinces of Gueldres, Utrecht, Overyffel, and H Groninguen; and on the other, to comply with the ardent and juft defire of the commercial inhabitants of this country; who, though I had informed them of the negotiation beeween Great Britain and Your High Mightineffes to accommodate the differences that have arifen, and of my

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own affiduity to forward an equitable accommodation, and of the confequences of the steps I thought it my duty to take, have, nevertheless, fent me a deputation for the fourth time to infift on a very confiderable augmentation of the naval forces of the State.

This deputation confifted of Forty Merchants; a number that deferves attention no lefs than the Speech they read to me: of which a great number of copies, printed before hand, were immediately diftributed in all parts. I fhall make no remarks upon that Speech; only that the drift of it did not tend to facilitate the negotiations begun convention, to a rupture, with that Crown. I with England, nor to induce the nation to prefer a fhall enter no farther into this fubject, choofing rather to refer the whole to the found and penetrating judgment of Your High Mightineffes, who may alfo fee by that Speech, that it is more than time to finish the deliberations on the moland, on which I have always infifted with the tion for augmenting our forces both by fea and greatest earnetnefs, as without it, I am convinced in my confcience, the State is, and will always remain, expofed to all forts of misfortune and danger both now and hereafter.

In confequence of this Speech, the States General wrote the fame day, letter to the States of comply with the inftances of the Princess GoverHolland and Weft Frifeland, urging them to nante, and the folicitations of the provinces of Gueldres, Utrecht, Overyffel, and Groninguen; and lay afide their oppofition to the augmentation fo long propofed, and fo neceffary in the prefent critical circumftances of the Republick.

Mr. Yorke having agreeably to instructions from England, afked that commiffioners might be appointed to treat with him about fettling all differences amicably; they met him on the 21st of December; and that Minifter opened the Conferences with a fpeech of which the following is a tranflation.

High and Mighty Lords,

"I had the honour to acquaint you at the conference I obtained of your High Mightineffes on the 7th inftant, that the King my mafter had authorized and inftructed me to enter into a negociation with fuch perfons as your High Mightineffes fhould think proper to nominate for that end; but that, as the affair required a minute the highest pleasure that I this day open our condifcuffion, it would be in poffible to terminate it without fome farther explanations. It is with ferences on this important fubject; and I flatter myfelf that if your High Mightineffès are as defirous of a reconciliation as his Majesty is, it will foon be happily concluded.

By the two Refolutions of Sept. 12, and Sept. 25, which were delivered to me the day following, your High Mightinefles thought proper to make fome difficulty of receiving the Declaration which I had the honour to prefent to you, in the King's name, against the trade carried on by your fubjects to the French Colonies in America, for the account of thofe yery Colonies. If his Majesty, on being informed thereof, commanded me to declare that he could not depart from his preceding

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Declaration, it was because he thought this claim had no foundation in the treaties fubfifting between him and Republick. Befides, fhould the perfons concerned in this trade even be able to wreft the sense of treaties fo as to deceive their friends, and make the obftructing of it by England pass for a grievance; ftill his Majesty is perfuaded that their High Mightineffes will fee with pleasure that his Majefty fets afide the difcuffion of that treaty, which is connected with so many others, and fets himself wholly to do the subjects of his ancient Allies all the fervice, and to grant them every favour that fhall not notably prejudice the welfare and safety of his people. It is in this light that his Majefty confiders the trade, directly or indirectly, to the French colonies in America.

molestation, a great number of Dutch ships pass by bis harbours, fince the commencement of the war, laden with all forts of materials for building and repairing the enemy's fleets. His Majefty afks that certain articles of naval ftores may be comprehended in the clafs of Contraband: But he will fo fettle it with your High Mightineffes, as A that the inoffenfive trade of your fubjects to the North of Europe (if I may use that term) fhall not be involved in this article. Your High Mightineffes, who are yourselves a Maritime Power, and know how to contend for and defend your prerogatives as fuch, must always allow, that in the prefent war against France, it is both the King's intereft, and his duty, not only to hinder the marine of his enemy from becoming too formidable, but alfo to employ all means to weaken it. Can it be difputed that naval ftores are not, in this view, as prejudicial as balls and gunpowder?

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His Majefty is at war with the Moft Chriftian King: he cannot hope to get out of it with fafety, or obtain a speedy and lafting Peace, which is his Majefty's fole aim, if the Princes who have declared themselves neuter, inftead of contenting themselves with trading as ufual, without any risk, affume a right of carrying on that trade of C the King's enemies, whlch is not allowed them in time of Peace. The injuftice of this proceed-, ing is too apparent to require more to be faid on it: One may venture to appeal to your High Mightineffes own conduct in the like cafe. A trade of this nature was never fuffered by you; and it hath been oppofed by the Salus Populi in all countries, in like circumstances.

Let France be without fhips, and her warlike ftores will never make England uneafy. The importance of this article is fo evident, that the King ventures to refer it to the judgment of your High Mightineffes. Thefe, my Lords, are my inftructions with regard to the fatisfaction which the King would think himself entitled to require from the friendship and juftice of the Republick, if he had no other foundation for his claim. But

DI have already informed you, that it is his Majefty's fincere defire to unite his own fafety with the convenience of your High Mightineffes; which makes it unneceffary for me to enlarge on this head.

His Majefty fees with pleasure the trade of his neighbours flourish, and would behold its increase with fatisfaction, if its profperity were not repugnant to this primary law. But he likewife perfuades himself, that never, for the fake of fome tranfient profit to individuals, will his ancient Allies be the first to injure England in this effential E part. Confidering the thing in this light, I cannot doubt but that your High Mighfineffes will give the King the pleasure to hear that they, for their fubjects, have honestly abandoned it, and that this ftumbling-block is for ever removed. In fettling this point, his Majefty commands me to include in it the change, commonly called Overfcheepen, which is made of a French veffel into a Dutch F veffel, when the former dares not continue her courfe, and endeavours to fave herself by carrying neutral colours, in order to avoid feizure at fea by the King's fhips. Your High Mightineffes, while you acknowledge the juftice of my first demand, cannot refufe the fecond; fince that would be to declare, that you treat with good faith, whilft, at the fame time, a more dangerous door would be left for fraud. Such a conduct is unworthy of the equity of your High Mightineffes, especially in the prefent cafe, when the question is the prevention of any object of future dispute, and the restoration of harmony and good neighbourhood between the two Powers.

The last point of my instructions, which relates H to the amicable demand made by his Majesty to your High Mightineffes, requires a more minute confideration. I cannot enter upon that fubject yet; but referve it till afterwards. I muft, neverthelefs, obferve to you, that the King has feen, not without pain, yet without giving them any

In this reprefentation of the points on which I have orders to infift with your High Mightineffes, I have endeavoured to follow the method which you yourfelves have begun to put in practice; that is to fay, firft to ftate the claim, and afterwards propofe the expedients.

I come now to the articles of your refolutions of the 25th of September last.

I. As to the demand contained in the firft article, I muft obferve to your High Might nees," that this very treaty, which you so strongly infift on, prefcribes the manner of proceeding in cafe of feizure or detention; and that you cannot claim the exercife of an extrajudicial power by his Majefty, whofe hands are tied with regard to his own fubjects, by the laws, and with regard to Foreigners by treaties. If there have been any irregular: fentences, either the Judge must have been misled by appearances at the hearing of the cause, or delays were made, of which there was just reason to complain. The Supreme Court, established for: judging in the last resort hath always been ready. to revife and correct abuses, if at any time any could be difcovered in the fentences of the inferior courts. But your High Might ineffes will. give me leave to obferve, that it is very extraordinary, that not one Appeal hath yet been thrown in, notwithstanding the affurances given to your High Mightineffes by many perfons. This is a fact at which every body in England is astonished: And, doubtless, had the Appellants been defirous to be heard, the number of complaints would have been greatly diminished,

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An Historical Account of Foreign Affairs.

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Mean while, to affift and relieve the fubjects of your High Mightinees as much as poflible, and to avoid confounding the innocent with the guilty, his Majefty hath juft now ordered an exact lift to be delivered to him of all the Dutch veffels detained in his harbours, in order to call thofe to an account who may have brought them in on frivolous pretences; to oblige them to release them, and to hasten the finishing of the trials in general. If there remains any thing more to be done for the further facility and fecurity of the navigation of the Republick, it will readily be agreed to by his Majefty. The nation is defirous to fecond the King's good intentions on this head. I flatter myself that these affurances will B be fufficient to diffipate thofe ill-grounded fears which poffefs certain perfons in thefe provinces. A mutual confidence and a defire to avoid any fubject of animofity are highly requifite in treating of matters of fuch importance, and of such a complicated nature.

II. As to the second article of the faid Refo

lution, I almoft dare venture to affure your High C Mightineffes, that if you cordially intereft yourfelves in his Majesty's fituation in the prefent war, and difcover a readiness to grant the points which he thinks he hath a right to require of you, you will receive all poffible fatisfaction and fecurity. It is his Majesty's intention that the fubjects of your High Mightineffes fhould fully D enjoy all the privileges, and immunities refulting from the treaty of 1674, fo far as the tenor of it is not derogated from by the prefent accommodation.

III: As to the third article, as foon as your High Mightineffes fhall have agreed with his Majefty on the points which I have mentioned in his name, it will be easily settled.

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IV. The fourth article contains complaints for which perhaps there is too much foundation, by the violences committed by English privateers, or veffels pretending to be fuch. His Majefty is fincerely grieved that fuch diforders fhould have been committed, to the difgrace of his fubjects. The whole nation joins with the King in endeavouring to fupprefs thofe robberies. I take the liberty to communicate to you the orders iffued by the Admiralty of Great Britain against fuch bebaviour: And, for the honour of the Merchants of London, I must add the advertisement publifhed by them, offering a reward for discovering the offenders. His Majefty intreats your High Mightineffes to affist him on this occafion, by ex- G horting your fubjects to bring to juftice the Authors of thofe offences; in which they may depend on the utmoft protection and encouragement. As to the reft, che King is aftonished, that after fo many applications made here for obtaining proofs of the facts alledged, not one, notwithftanding the reward offared, has gone over to England to give evidence.

VOL. II. January, 1759.

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I take the liberty to refer to the contents of my first article for an answer to the fifth Refolution of your High Mightineffes; only adding, that his Majefty will with pleasure agree to any method that fhall be propofed to him for authenticating the genuincnefs of fhip-paper's, in which point too many abufes have been committed."

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Altho' the ftates general had by nominating commiffaries to treat with Mr. Yorke, fhewn a difpofition for accommodating matters annently, the towns of Holland went to far as to propofe in the affembly of the States of the Province of Holland, that that Province with Zealand they defired with an augmentation of the land fhould, rather than yoke the naval armament quiring the inland provinces to contribute their forces, fit out at their joint expence without requota's, eighteen fhips of war, for the protec tion of their trade. By the conftitution of that affembly, this motion could not be finally agreed to at one fitting; and it is confidently said that it having declared, That as the aft of union by which has been poftponed to a diftant day, Mr. Yorke the feven provinces are confederated together did not authorise partial armaments of a particular province, fuch fhips would be treated as pirates wherever they fhould be met with ; and if the ftates-general fhould vote an augmentation their land forces, it would be confidered as a deof their marine without increafing the number of claration of war.

SILESIA and SAXONY.

Every thing has been very quiet on the frontiers of these two provinces, the out-pofts of both fides having come to a moft humane and wife agreement, not to harraís one another during the winter, by which the lives of many foldiers have been faved, and the country spared.

FRANCONIA and WESTPHALIA.

The badness of the feafon not only prevented prince Ferdinand's defign of making himself mafter of Duffeldorp by a coup de main; but also retarded the progress of the Pruffian troops fent to beat up the quarters of the army of the emSoubife, by collufion with the magiftrates, pire in Thuringia. Mean while, the prince de feized Frankfort on the ad of January, giving orders to the troops for whom he had obtained permiffion to march thro' the town, to halt in. guard and of the gates. Soubife entered the the midft of it, and take poffeffion of the maintown the fame afternoon, and fixed there his head quarters. likwife of the arfenal of the city, with all the The French took poffeffion the artillery and military ftores, telling the magiftrates they would take care of them, in order to employ them in their common defence.

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LFRANCA

FRANCFORT,

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Is fituated on the north of the upper Rhine, in lat. 50. 10. long. 7. 30. It is feated on both fides of the river Main, the city communicating with the fuburb of Saxenhausen on the fouth fide of the river, by a noble ftone bridge of many arches. It is large, populous, and regularly fortified. It is an imperial free city, that is, a fovereign state, with a confiderable territory about it, governed by its own confuls, fenators, and heriffs, chofen by the people. It is conveniently fituated for trade, for the maine receives feveral Imaller rivers, and itself falls into B the Rhine about twenty miles from the town, whereby goods are easily brought to it, efpecially at the two great annual fairs in April and September. The inhabitants are generally Lutherans, the Augbourg confeffion being established here in 1530. But there are alfo a great number of German and French Calvinifts, who are obliged to go to Bockenham, a village about a league from the city to perform divine worship. The Jews have a feparate quarter, which is shut up every night, the Chriftian mob in Germany making a great part of their religion confift in offer ing all kind of infults to the Jews. It is in this city that the election of the emperor is made; and the golden bull (fo called from its having a large gold feal to it) or the original charter of the German conftitution and liberties, introduced by Charles IV. in 1356, is kept in the town house.

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DECEMBER, 17.

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PORTUGAL.

A most dangerous and wicked confpiracy against the life of his Moft Faithful Majefty, having been happily discovered, a confiderable number of perfons have been arrefted by the K ng's order, of whom the following are the Principal, viz.

Duke de Aveiro,

Marquis of Tavora, father,

Marquis of Tavora, fon,

Jofeph Maria, fon of the faid Marquis,
Jofeph Maria, brother of the faid Marquis
The Count de Attouguia,
Manuel de Tavora,
Marquis de Alloria,
Don Manuel de Souza,
Nuno de Tavora,
John de Tavora,
With all their families,

A Placart has been published, in which the King makes known his moft providential escape, on the third of September last, when he was attacked, at eleven o'clock at night, near the Palace, by three of the confpirators, armed with three blunderbuffes, loaded with large fhot. one of the blunderbuffes miffed fire, but the others made two large holes in the back of the carriage the King was in, and wounded him in the arm, of which his Majefty is now happily D recovered, without the leaft hurt remaining.

The fame Placart promises certain honours, and rewards for the difcovery of any of the criminals, with a pardon to any of the accom plices, except the Principals.

His Moft Faithful Majefty has refumed the Government of his kingdom. [Gazette,

Chronicle of Occurrences.

HE treaty with the King of Pruffia was renewed; by which that Prince is to receive the fame subsidy as last year, vìz. 670,000l. TUESDAY, JANUARY 2.

At feven in the evening, a fire happened in the Narrow-street, Ratcliff, and destroyed feveral houfes.

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A filver medal was alfo prefented to Lady Louifa Greville, for the fineft drawing."

About eleven at night a fire broke out at a houfe adjoining to the Logwood Mill, near Whitechapel church; both houfe and mill, with feveral fmall houfes adjoining, were burnt down.

A fingular inftance of the luxuriancy in the vegetation of fome plants this laft wet fummer, is a radish now in the poffeffion of Roger North Efq; of Rougham in Norfolk. The diameter of the fpread of leaves crofs the tuft or top meafure three feet eleven inches; the length of the foot is two feet fix inches and a half; the girt near the top of the root zo inches and half,at the bottom ten inches; and the whole plant when fresh, weighed fixteen pounds four ounces. It grew in the garden of Mr. Davey, of Inglethorp in Norfolk. SATURDAY, 13.

Late last night died at the Hague, her royal highnefs Anne, Princess Royal of England, Princess Dowager of Orange and Naffau, and Governante of the United Provinces, in the minority of the present Stadtholder.

Next morning the States General, and the States of Holland were extraordinarily affembled,

and

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