tiations he may now have upon the Carpet? Could he affure any of those Powers, who now may be willing to join with him, that he would feafonably and vigourously support him? If his Majefty could give no fuch Affurance, can you expect, that any of thofe Powers, who are exposed to an immediate Attack, would precipitate their own Ruin, by fruitlessly endeavouring to prevent that of their Neighbours? The Dutch have but juft come in to your Meafures: The B States of Holland have juft refolved to aflift the Queen of Hungary with 20,000 Men; but if they fhould hear of this Motion's being agreed to, it would difcourage them from proceeding in that Refolution, and as it is not yet agreed to by the other Provinces, it would certainly be laid afide. The King of Sardinia, whose chief Dependence is upon the Af fiftance he may expect from this Nation, would, from that Moment, defpair of getting any farther Affiftance, and would, confequently, accept of the best Terms he could get from France and Spain. Even the Queen of Hungary, upon feeing herfelf de-. ferted by you, and in courfe by all the rest of Europe, would refolve to fubmit to the Terms offered by France; and thus, for as trifling as this Motion may seem to fome of your Lordships, yet upon the Fate of it may depend the Fate and the Liberties of Europe. C Time or Inquiry would produce any new Objections to this Bill, or ftrengthen thofe that have already been made; but because of the dan gerous and ticklish Situation we are in with regard to foreign Affairs. If it were not for this, I should be for A your taking as much Time to confider, and as many Methods to get Informations, as any Lord could defire; because, I am convinced, the more you confider, and the better you are informed, the more you will approve of the Bill now before you. But, my Lords, in the prefent Situation of the Affairs of Europe, when its Liberties are in fo much Danger; when all the Courts in Europe, that are concerned for their Preservation, are looking ftedfastly upon this; when even the Enemies of publick Liberty are looking ftedfaftly upon our Proceedings; the former in Doubt, whether they fhall tamely submit to their impending Fate, or firmly and bravely unite in oppofing it; the latter in Doubt, whether they fhall dare to proceed in the ambitious Schemes D they have formed, or restore the Tranquillity of Europe upon fuch Terms as will put an End to them: In fuch Circumftances, I fay, the leaft Delay in a Bill upon which a great Part of the Supplies for the enfuing Year depend, would be of the most dangerous Confequence, efpecially if from that Delay People fhould have Reafon to conclude, that the Bill itself would be loft, and his Majefty's Refolutions, as well as his Preparations, put to a full Stop for a Month or two at least, which would be the Confequence of the Delay now propofed. E F From fuch a Delay, my Lords, his Majefty could not but fuppofe, that his Parliament was againit, or at leaft very indifferent about his concerting any Meafures for preferv- G ing the Balance of Power; and upon fuch a Suppofition, could his Majetty proceed in any of thofe Nego Let us confider, my Lords, how near the Time for Action approaches. If we are refolved to have any Share in the Operations of next Campaign, it is high Time for his Majefty to be refolved, and to begin to prepare; but he can neither refolve,. nor begin to prepare, till this Bill, or fome fuch Bill as this be paffled. If any of the other Powers of Europe think of taking a Share with us in the Operations of the next Campaign, it is high Time for them to refolve, and to begin to prepare ; but but they can neither refolve, nor be gin to prepare, till his Majefty's Refolutions, are known. How dangerous then muft it be for us at this Seafon of the Year, to delay a Bill of this Nature? How much more dangerous, to do any Thing by which the Bill would certainly be loft? At another Time, the Lofs might perhaps be repaired by another Bill for the fame Purpofe; but upon this Occafion, and at this critical Seafon of the Year, it will be impoffible to repair the Lofs, becaufe before any new Bill can be paffed, foreign Pow. ers will have taken their Refolutions, as to their Conduct for next Campaign at leaft: We cannot then make them alter their Refolutions; and before the End of next Campaign, the Liberties of Europe may be paft Redemption: A B C D E I hope, I have as great a Concern for the Lives of my fellow Subjects as any Lord in this Houfe, or as any Man can have; I have as great a Concern for their Lives as I have for my own; but as I have a greater Concern for my own Liberty than I have for my Life, fo I have a greater Concern for the Liberties of the People of England than I have for their Lives; and shall never give myself any Trouble about preferving the Life of fany Man, who, I think, does not prefer his Liberty to his Life. If the Liberties of the People of this Nation fhould be destroyed by the rejecting of this Bill, they will have, but little Reafon to thank thofe who, upon this Occafion, pretend to fhew fuch a Concern for the Prefervation of their Lives; for if ever fuch a fatal Misfortune fhould happen, they only would be happy, who did not live to fee the Thraldom of their Country, or to feel the Fetters of Slavery. Therefore, if there were really fome Ground for apprehend- G ing, that this Bill would encourage the Confumption of Spirituous Li quors, or promote any Excels in the F Ufe of thofe Liquors, as this Inconvenience may be remedy'd the very next Seffion of Parliament, I cannot help fufpecting, and, my Lords, Í will take the Freedom to declare my Sufpicion, that the violent Oppofition to this Bill proceeded originally from fomething else than a Concern either for the Lives, the Healths, or the Morals of the People. But, my Lords, when I confider that, notwithstanding the Law now in Being, all Sorts of Spirituous Li quors are fold at as many Places, as openly, and at as cheap a Rate, as they could be, were this Bill paffed into a Law, I wonder how any Lord in this Houfe can be impofed on by fuch a Pretence. It is well known, that Punch and Drams of all Sorts, even common Gin not excepted, are now fold openly and avowedly at all publick Houses, and many private Shops and By-corners; and it is likewife known, that they are now fold as cheap as they were before the prefent Law was enacted, fo that Retailers of all Kinds either think they run no Rifk, or charge their Cuftomers nothing for that Rifk; therefore it must be admitted, that this Bill, fhould it pafs, can do no Harm. It can neither increase the Number of Retailers, nor diminish the Price; becaufe the Number is now as high as it could be, and the Price as low as the Liquor could be afforded for, were you to repeal the prefent Law without enacting any Thing in its Stead. This Bill cannot therefore increase the Confumption, or promote the Excess; and if the Duties propofed by this Bill do not diminish both the one and the other, they will at leaft have one. good Ef fect, which is that of furnishing the Government with a Fund for carrying on a moft neceñary War. By palling this Bill, therefore, you are, fure of doing fome Good and no Evil: By rejecting, or, which is the fame, amending it, you cannot pro B2 pofe, pofe, for this Year at leaft, to put a Stop to the Confumption of Spirituous Liquors, and next Year you may do it, tho' you now pafs this Bill, with as much Eafe as you can propofe to do, fhould this Bill be rejected. lay very high Duties upon our own home-made Spirits, it will produce the fame Effect. Dutch Gin will then be run in upon you as plenti fully as French Brandy is now; whereby your own Diftillery will be quite A ruined, and many Families reduced to ftarving. But this I mention only for your Confideration against next Year; for I hope, the Bill now before us will pafs without Amendment, and therefore, I hope, the prefent Motion will be difagreed to. B As the Confumption of Spirituous Liquors, and even the Excefs in that Confumption, is not now any Way limited by the Restraint upon the Retail, but depends wholly upon the Inclinations of the People, this Bill may do Service by giving a Turn to their Inclinations. Stolen Waters are fweet, is an Obfervation made by one of the wifeft Men that ever liv'd: This may at prefent heighten the Defires of the People for ftrong Waters, because they think they get them by ftealth; whereas their De- CTF drinking Spirituous Liquors to De-Excels be an Evil, which, I think, D E The next that spoke was T. Quintius, in the Character of the Lord Talbot, whofe Speech was to this Effett. My Lords, fires may become lefs ardent, when they can no longer fuppofe fuch Wa- has been upon all Sides acknowledg'd, ters to be ftolen. So that in every then the Temptation to that Excess Light I view this Bill, I think, it muft be an Evil, and confequently muft do Good, and can do no Harm; whatever tends to increafe that Temptherefore I have no Occafion to exa- tation, must do Harm. Now that this mine, whether the Duties propofed Bill will tend to increase the Tempby it will raife the Price fo high as tation is, I think, without doubt. I to put a Debauch out of the Reach fhall grant, that Spirituous Liquors of the Poor. If they do not, you are now fold at most publick Houfes, may next Year raise them higher; and fold in an open Manner to their but when you come upon that Sub- Cuftomers, and to those that come ject, I hope, your Lordships will have along with known Cuftomers; but fome Regard for the British Distillery, they are not, even at these Houses, which for many Years has been fo fold openly, or at all, to mere Stranmuch encouraged by Parliament, and gers, efpecially if they be fuch as have in which fo many People have, by any Signs of Poverty or Diftrefs about that Encouragement, been induced to them; therefore if a poor Perlon has inveft their Fortunes and educate their now any Longing for a Dram, he Children. It is now, my Lords, a muft go to fome Houfe where he is Manufacture which fupports great known, which may be at a great Numbers of our People: It is a Ma- Distance; whereas if this Bill fhould nufacture of great Ufe in our Com- pafs, he may have it at the next merce: No Ship can go to Sea with- Alehouse wherever he happens to be, out it; and befides the vaft Saving and confequently will be lefs able to it occafions in the Ufe of foreign refift the Temptation he is laid under Spirits, we now export great Quanti- by his own Appetite; nay, after he ties both to the North and to Africa. G has comply'd with his Appetite at We know what vaft Quantities of one Alehouse, the very next Alehouse French Brandies are run in upon us, he fees will revive it, and every Aleoccafion'd by the high Duties: If you house he paffes by will give him a F new fiew Craving, till he is fluftered, and But this is not the only Way the it is reckoned the Duty of the fu- But, fays a noble Lord, you must E F Thefe, and many more Allurements The great Indifference fhewn by them A them already refolved on; and if we have fuch Plenty of Refources, as a noble Lord fays we have, his Majefty may depend upon it, that the Parlia ment will find Ways and Means to provide for the Supplies they have granted. If money'd Men have been spoke to: If they have agreed to lend Money at 3 per Cent. upon this Fund, the Credit they have promised does not proceed from this Fund, the Produce of which cannot fo much as be gueffed at, but from the collateral Security; and any other Fund, with B the fame collateral Security, will cer tainly procure the fame Credit; therefore, as his Majefty, from what is already done, may know, that he will be fupported by his Parliament, he may, now, proceed in all his Measures, as if the Supplies were all C provided for as well as granted; and, I hope, the Exchequer is not fo bare, or in fuch Difcredit, that it can furnifh no Money, till we give it fome thing to carry to the Pawnbroker's, E But, my Lords, I would not have the Projectors of this Fund boaft fo D much of their raifing the Money at three per Cent. for if I am rightly informed, it is the Jesus who have agreed to lend the Money at this Rate, on Condition of their having a Lottery for 800,000l. upon which they will make at least ten per Cent. Profit; fo that upon the whole Money they are to advance, they will by this Means make a great deal more than three per Cent. Upon their Side therefore, it may be faid, they have made a wife Bargain; but can the like be faid of us, when, in order to F establish a Fund we are to encourage Drunkennefs, and in order to raife Money upon that Fund we are to encourage Gaming? Surely, when Foreigners hear this Account of our Conduct, they will fay, the Nation muft either be mad or reduced to its G laft Shift, and this can be no great Encouragement for a foreign Court to join with us in any defperate Undertaking. " For the Sake therefore of our Credit and Reputation, we ought to reject this Bill; but, my Lords, there is another Reason, which with me is of all others the most prevailing. The paffing of this Bill will put it out of our Power to remedy the Evil complain'd of, and fo univerfally acknowledg'd. The noble Lord who spoke last told us, we cannot remedy the Evil this Year by rejecting the Bill, and we may do it next Year, notwithstanding the Bill's being paffed into a Law. My Lords, I muft differ from him in both, these Pofitions. If we amend this Bill as we ought, I believe, it will on that very Account be dropt in the other Houfe; but from thence the Gentlemen of that Houfe will fee what we intend, and as they likewife are fenfible of the Evil complain'd of, they may, and probably will, immediately, order in a Bill for remedying that Evil, upon the fame Plan with this Bill, after we have amended it as it ought. And a Bill thus brought in, may certainly be paffed into a Law, before the End of this Seffion. But if we pass this Bill as it ftands at prefent, before next Year our Minifters will have got a Tafte of the great Revenue produced by the Encouragement or Indulgence of Gin drink ing, and after they have once tafted the Sweet, I am afraid, they will think it too delicious a Morfel to part with. Can we be fure of getting any Sort of Bill paffed into a Law for putting a Stop to this Evil, when the whole Power of the Admi niftration, fupported by the Intereft, of all the Diftillers and Retailers in the Kingdom, will certainly be againit us? Befides this, my Lords, we fhall, by paffing this Bill, lay ourfelves under another Difficulty: As the Duty, upon Licences is to be directly mort, gaged, in common Juftice, we can then do nothing that may diminish or leffen the Security, without the Con |