able to promote in parliament, rather to return to your own country than to live at Constantinople. For this reason, they have thoughts of relieving you by Mr. Stanyan, who is now at the Imperial court, and of joining Sir Robert Sutton with him in the mediation of a peace between the Emperor and the Turks. I need not suggest to you that Mr. Stanyan is in great favour at Vienna, and how necessary it is to humour that court in the present juncture. Besides, as it would have. been for your honour to have acted as sole mediator in such a negotiation, perhaps it would not have been so agreeable to you to act only in commission. This was suggested to me the other day by one of our first ministers, who told me that he believed Sir R. Sutton's being joined in a mediation which was carried on by my Lord Paget singly, would be shocking to you, but that they could be more free with a person of Mr. Stanyan's quality. I find by his Majesty's way of speaking of you, that you are much in his favour and esteem, and I fancy you would find your ease and advantage more in being nearer his person than at the distance you are from him at present. I omit no opportunity of doing you justice where I think it is for your service, and wish I could know your mind as to these several particulars, by a more speedy and certain conveyance, that I might act accordingly to the utmost of my power. Madame Kilmansech and my Lady Hervey desire me to forward the enclosed to my Lady Mary Wortley, to whom I beg you will deliver them with my most humble respects. I am ever, sir, your most obedient Mr. Chevalier tells me, since the writing of this, that he has stated to you Mr. Benson's and your own case, who, I find, is better acquainted with it than I am, that affair having been transacted by my Lord Sunderland during my illness. MY LORD, ADDISON TO THE EARL OF STAIR. Whitehall, October 3rd, 1717. I have the honour of your Excellency's letter of the 5th instant, by which I was very much concerned to hear of your late indisposition; but I hope you are by this time perfectly recovered of it. Upon his Majesty's reading that article of your Excellency's letter, which relates to my Lord Peterborough, he was pleased to take very particular notice of it, and to express a great indignation both as to the fact itself of seizing an English Peer in that manner,1 and likewise as to the pretences which have been made use of for the doing of it, which seem to carry a high reflection upon his Majesty himself. As to the reports which are so industriously spread about Paris, his Majesty thinks your Excellency is very much in the right not to treat them seriously, being such as will naturally be confuted by every post which comes from England. His Majesty is, at the same time, very sensible of the justness of your Excellency's reasoning upon what gives occasion for these reports, and hopes that the conduct of the malcontents in France, as well of those in England, will have that good effect it ought to have upon the Regent. Your Excellency's of the 9th instant, which came to my hands last night, was immediately forwarded to his Majesty at Newmarket. I am, &c., J. ADDISON. ADDISON TO THE LORDS OF THE TREASURY. MY LORDS, Whitehall, October 5th, 1717. Having received from his Grace the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland a report of the board of ordnance of that kingdom, concerning the state of the ten thousand arms, sent thither from Holland, in the time of the late Rebellion; which said report being grounded upon his Majesty's letter, directing payment for the said arms, I am commanded to transmit the enclosed copy thereof to your Lordships for your information in that matter; together with an extract of his Grace's letter to me upon that subject. I am, my Lords, Your Lordships' most obedient and most humble servant, 1 See note, page 446. J. ADDISON. REPORT OF THE STATE OF THE 10,000 ARMS SENT FROM HOLLAND DURING THE LATE REBELLION. Dublin, Office of Ordnance, Aug. 6th, 1717. May it please your Excellencies, In obedience to your Excellencies' order of the 3rd instant to us directed, requiring us to lay before your Excellencies a true state of the condition of the ten thousand arms received from Holland, at the time of the late Rebellion in Great Britain, also which of the said arms have been employed, and which have been found unfit for service; and also an account of the quantity of ammunition sent from the Tower of London at that time; together with an estimate of the charge thereof; we humbly represent to your Excellencies that, in the time of his Grace the Duke of Grafton, and the Earl of Galway's government we were directed by their Excellencies to prove six of the said arms; and accordingly six muskets were taken out of six several chests by a French gunsmith, sent down to this office by the Lord Galway, to see them proved; of which two burst in proving, two the breeches flew out, and two stood proof; that the said gunsmith, together with the Comptroller of the ordnance and the king's armourers, examined the condition of the said ten thousand arms, and reported them to be but old musket-barrels new mounted, and not to be depended upon in service. That there have not been any of the said arms employed or issued out of the stores to the army, by reason several of the Colonels of the regiment who viewed them, objected against them, as unfit for his Majesty's service. That, at the same time the said arms were brought over, there came four hundred ninety-six barrels of gunpowder, and two and twenty tons six hundred weight of musketball, the charge of which we cannot ascertain, the accounts thereof having been transmitted to the then government by the board of ordnance in Great Britain, as we are informed, and not to this board. H. PAIN. CHARLES HAMILTON, Deputy Comptroller. JAMES WIBAULT, BRONT. SMITH, Late Lords Justices. Extract of a letter from his Grace the Duke of Bolton, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to Mr. Secretary Addison. Dublin Castle, September 28th, 1717. I sent to the House a copy of his Majesty's letter, directing the government here to pay £12,601 10s. to the treasurer and paymaster of the office of Ordnance of Great Britain, for the charge of arms, ammunition, and other stores, sent into this kingdom, during the late Rebellion; together with a copy of a report from the Board of Ordnance here, in relation to the said arms; wherein, upon the proofs that they have made of them, they appeared to be unfit for service; nevertheless I do not find any steps were taken by that government to return them, which I fear will occasion warm debates in the House of Commons, because they say they were promised that they should be forthwith returned. ADDISON TO THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF TRADE. MY LORDS, Whitehall, October 5th, 1717. His Majesty having been pleased to sign the additional instructions to the governors of the several plantations in America, relating to their passing acts which may any ways affect the trade or shipping of this kingdom; I herewith transmit the same to your Lordships, that they may be forwarded to the said respective governors by the first convenient opportunity. I am, my Lords, Your Lordships' most obedient and J. ADDISON. ADDISON TO THE OFFICERS OF THE ORDNANCE. GENTLEMEN, Hampton Court, October 13th, 1717. The happy delivery of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales being daily expected, I am to signify to you his Majesty's pleasure that, when it shall happen, you give order for firing the guns, as usual. I am, &c., J. ADDISON. MY LORD, ADDISON TO THE EARL OF STAIR. Whitehall, 14th October, 1717. I received last Saturday your Excellency's letters of the 16th instant, N. S., which being now before the king, I hope to receive his Majesty's commands upon them in a very little time. In the mean while, I transmit to your Excellency for your private perusal a copy of the answer given by the Court of Madrid to Mr. Bubb's Memorial upon the late Expedition to Sardinia, and shall, by the next post, send you the copy of a letter, which I have written to Count Gallas, by his Majesty's command, on the subject of my Lord Peterborough. I am, &c., J. ADDISON. SIR, ADDISON TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR. Whitehall, October 14th, 1717. The Lords Commissioners of Trade having represented that it would be for his Majesty's service, that a governor should be appointed for the Bahama Islands, and a fortification erected there, and that the said governor should have the command of such a number of soldiers, as should be thought necessary for that service; which representation having been laid before the king and the Lords of the Committee; his Majesty has been pleased to appoint Captain Woodes Rogers to be governor of the said islands, and likewise to direct that he should have the command of an independent Company, which, according to the representation of the said Rogers, ought to consist of a hundred men at least. And, whereas I am ordered to concert with you the most speedy and least expensive method of furnishing him with the above-mentioned number of men, I am to acquaint you that he has represented to me, that the season is too far advanced to procure these forces from any part of America, and proposes that they may be draughted out of the Guards, or any other regiments now on foot, or out of his Majesty's Hospital at Chelsea. I am therefore to desire, that you will please to inform yourself which of these methods will be most proper for this service, and that you will signify to me his Majesty's pleasure thereupon, as soon as conveniently you can, to the end that a Commission for the said Captain Rogers may be prepared accordingly. I am, your most obedient, J. ADDISON. MY LORD, ADDISON TO THE EARL OF STAIR. Whitehall, October 21st, 1717. I have your Excellency's of the 27th only to acknowledge, which came yesterday to my hands, and is now before his Majesty. See note, p. 477. |