What I am chiefly to observe to your Excellency at present is, that the king having long since been assured, that the directors of the work at Mardyke, on the part of France, had received a positive order to demolish the Jetties, his Majesty has expected to hear by every post, that they were accordingly employed in that part of the demolition; but having not yet received any account thereof, his Majesty thinks it necessary, that your Excellency should insist strongly on the immediate demolition of the Jetties; and his Majesty hopes that your pressing instances, which have already removed so many difficulties in that great work, will also prove effectual in this particular. As to the complaint of the Regent, mentioned in your Excellency's of the 20th, concerning the packet-boats, I have, by his Majesty's command, acquainted the PostmasterGeneral therewith, in order to have it inquired into and redressed. His Grace the Duke of Roxburgh has put into my hands the following minute, to be transmitted to your Excellency. Major General Gordon stays near to Bourdeaux. He has a sister married to one Gordon, a factor there." 66 I herewith enclose to your Excellency the copy of my letter to Count Gallas, which I promised you I am, with great respect, in my My Lord, your Excellency's Most obedient and most humble servant, last. J. ADDISON. MY LORD, ADDISON TO THE EARL OF STAIR. Whitehall, November 4th, 1717. The occasion of this is, to communicate to your Excellency the joyful news, that on the 2nd instant, between six and seven o'clock in the evening, her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales, was safely delivered of a Prince; and that her Royal Highness and the young Prince are both in good health. I am, &c., MY LORD, ADDISON TO THE EARL OF STAIR. Whitehall, November 5th, 1717. I take this opportunity, upon the return of Chalke the messenger to your Excellency, to acknowledge your letters of the 30th past, and the 3rd, 6th, and 8th instant [N. S.]; all of which I have laid before the king; and, although they do not contain anything that requires his Majesty's commands to your Excellency, yet I am to acquaint you, that his Majesty is highly satisfied with your accounts, and gives them a particular attention. The king is concerned to hear of your indisposition; but I hope I shall in a little time have the pleasure of giving H. M. the agreeable news of your recovery. I have received his Majesty's commands about O'Kelly mentioned in one of your Excellency's letters, acknowledged in my last, and have written to the Duke of Bolton to give him all fitting encouragement and protection. In answer to the complaint made by the French king's officers at Calais against the English masters of packetboats, as carrying on a clandestine trade, and defrauding that Crown of the duties, I enclose to your Excellency a copy of the account sent to the Postmaster-general by Mr. Lovel, their agent at Dover, who was ordered to inquire into the truth of this matter. Your Excellency will find, by his state of the case, that the French affairs at Calais have given rather than received occasion of complaint, and your Excellency will, as you find a proper opportunity, be able to return a satisfactory answer upon this subject to the Regent of France. There is reason to believe that the officers of the marine at Calais are more officious than is necessary, and what strengthens this opinion is, a complaint lately made by them, as set forth in a memorial delivered by Mr. Chamourd Teery to the embassy here, that the English commanders of yachts refuse to take out their powder in the port of Calais; which memorial being referred to the Lords of the Admiralty, their Lordships have reported in favour of the commanders as having done their duty. I enclose the report to your Excellency for your information, to which I must add, that my Lord Berkley told me in conversation upon this subject, viz. that this demand of the French has never been made upon us till of late, that we require no such thing of them in our ports, where there are many more ships, and consequently fear of much greater mischief; and that there is more danger in removing the powder by scattering small quantities of it, than there is in its remaining on board the ships. Thus much I am to communicate to your Excellency; and though the matter does not lie before you at present, your Excellency will, upon occasion, be able to make a proper use of it. His Majesty is glad to find that the French are, in all probability, by this time at work upon the demolition of their jetties. I am, with great respect, J. ADDISON. ADDISON TO THE LORDS OF THE TREASURY. MY LORDS, Whitehall, November 6th, 1717. His Majesty having, upon the humble representation of the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, appointed Captain Woodes Rogers to be governor of the Isle of Providence and the rest of the Bahama Islands, and it being judged expedient, that a fortification should be erected there, and a garrison established for the security of the said islands under the command of the said Captain Rogers; for which service such a quantity of ordnance and stores will be requisite, (as is specified in the list hereunto annexed,) and whereas the officers of his Majesty's ordnance, whose report is herewith enclosed, have represented that there was no money ever allowed by parliament for stores supplied to the West Indies, which has been an extraordinary burden on that office, and the occasion of his Majesty's stores being so low, and his magazines and other buildings so much out of repair, and that as the money given is appropriated to the particular services mentioned in the estimate laid before parliament; they humbly hope his Majesty will be pleased to order monies particularly for these stores, which will enable them to re-supply the same; I am therefore to signify to your Lordships his Majesty's pleasure, that you order the sum of £2003 5s. 10d. according to the computation made for this charge by the officers of his Majesty's ordnance for furnishing the ordnance and stores above-mentioned; his Majesty having thought fit, that the garrison designed for this service, which is to consist of 100 men, should be victualled for the first year at the expense of the Crown; and the said Captain Rogers having proposed to victual the said garrison at the rate of 6d. per head per diem, it is his Majesty's pleasure, that your Lordships cause to be paid to the said Captain Rogers the further sum of £912 10s. Od., being the amount of the charge for victualling 100 men at 6d. per diem for one year; provided your Lordships shall find the same to be a cheap and reasonable proposal for victualling the said forces. I am, my Lords, your Lordships' most obedient J. ADDISON. ADDISON TO THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF TRADE. MY LORDS, Whitehall, November 6th, 1717. Having some time since transmitted to Mr. Bubb, his Majesty's late minister at the court of Spain, a copy of your Lordships' report upon my letter of reference to you of the 20th of June last, concerning the present and new valuations of the English goods in Spain, I have received the said Mr. Bubb's answer to the several queries contained in your said report, and am commanded to transmit to you the enclosed copy of the said answer for your consideration and opinion thereupon. I am, my Lords, your Lordships' most obedient, J. ADDISON. ADDISON TO THE DUCHESS OF ST. ALBANS. MADAM, (Whitehall,) November 8th, 1717. Though I did not receive the honour of your Grace's letter till my return from Hampton Court, which was at ten o'clock last night, the messenger whom I immediately despatched upon that occasion, brought me his Majesty's commands by five this morning to respite the execution of the condemned criminals. I therefore humbly entreat your Grace to acquaint her Royal Highness that the king has been pleased to order a week's reprieve for such as are now in Newgate under sentence of death, and were to have suffered this day. A reprieve of this kind is the first usual step towards a pardon, and I hope will end in such a one as is hoped for, that the universal joy on such an occasion as is that of the young prince's birth may extend even to the persons and families of these miserable men. I am very proud of this opportunity of performing my duty in obeying the commands which her Royal Highness has been pleased to honour me with. I am, &c. J. ADDISON. THE DUKE OF (BOLTON) TO MR. SECRETARY ADDISON. When I had the honour to be in this government formerly and for some time since, the clerks and officers of the two Houses of Parliament here were used to be rewarded for their extraordinary trouble and attendance during the sessions of parliament, upon particular representations from hence in their favour, proposing and allotting the sums to be given them; but the House of Commons have lately fallen into a method of giving rewards to their officers, by inserting the same in the money bills; whereby the officers of the House of Peers are left alone to particular applications as formerly. I do therefore, in behalf of them, recommend the following allowances to be made them for their service and attendance during the last session of parliament, being the like which was given them the preceding sessions: In my letter to you of the 23rd September last I enclosed an address which had been delivered me from the House of Commons |