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tention, that the subjects of your
High Mightinesses should fully
enjoy all the privileges and im
munities resulting from the treaty
of 1674, so far as the tenor of it is
not derogated from by the present
accommodation.
ation.

"III. As to the third article, as soon as your High Mightinesses shall have agreed with His Majesty on the points which I have men. tioned in his name, it will be easily

settled.

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lution of your High Mightinesses; only adding, that His Majesty will with pleasure agree to any method that shall be proposed to him for authenticatingeschen genuineness of ship papers;inowhich points too many abuses have been committed:* to no Hague Aug.2.g

The Count d'Affry, the French ambassador, presented the following memorial to the States-General, July wţargoy woy doliw bodver

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High and mighty lordsed. "IV. The fourth article contains On the repeated solicitations complaints for which, perhaps, there which M. de Berkenrode hath been is too much foundation, by the ordered to make, and on those violences committed by English which the counsellor pensionary privateers, or vessels pretending to hath often made,particularly of be such. His Majesty is sincerely late, that the King my master would grieved that such disorders should be graciously pleased to grant a have been committed, to the dis. bounty oh herrings taken by the grace of his subjects. The whole Dutch, and imported into France, nation joins with the King in en. His Majesty authorizes me to declare deavouring to suppress those rob. to your High Mightinesses, that he beries. Itake the liberty to com.is disposed to grant to your subjects municate to you the orders issued by the Admiralty of Great Britain against such behaviour; and, for the honour of the merchants of London, I must add the advertise ment published by them, offering a reward for

such bounty; which shall be imme"diately settled at Paris, agreeably to the instructions which your High Mightinesses shall be pleased to send on that head to Mr. Berkenrode your ambassador, diiw ban awal

fenders. His covering the of 9VE The King my master has deter

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fenders. His Majesty entreats your High Mightinesses to assist him on this occasion, by exhorting your subjects to bring to justice the authors of those offences; in which they may depend on the utmost protection and encouragement. As to the rest, the King is astonished, that, after so many applications made here for obtaining proofs of the facts alledged, , not one, notwithstanding the reward offered, is gone over to England to give evidence. A si doraw eimoq "I take the liberty to refer to the contents of my first article for an answer to the fifth reso.

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mined to grant this favour to the republic, from his friendship for her, and his assurance that the republic will never depart from that system of equity and neutrality which she hath adopted with regard to the present wards, Silen omorg

The Count d'Affry, the French ambassador, presented to the StatesGeneral a memorial on Jan. 25, ult. from which we shall give such extracts as are a reply to colonel Yorke's memorial. cóceniaiM

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114Your High Mightinesses were informed in the month of July last, that the King my mastery and the Empress Queen of Hungary and L 2

Bohe

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gues, who commands the King's troops at Ostend and Nieuport, took an oath to the Empress-Queen, before the Count de Cobentzel, her minister plenipotentiary): that the friendship of the King, and the Empress, for your High Mighti nesses, was a full security for their Majesties' constant attention to maintain the best understanding with your republic, and to prevent the regulation in question from do ing it any prejudice, or giving it the least uneasiness.

Bohemia, had agreed to pur French garrisons into Ostend and Nieuport. Their Majesties, in order to give your republic a fresh proof of their friendship and confidence, were pleased, at that time, to command their respective ministers to pom municate to your High Mightinesses, by the president of your assembly, their just reasons for taking this resolution. According ly I waited on him the 18th of July with Baron Reischach, and we de clared to him, that the Empress Queen, being under an absolute "It is by express command of necessity of employing all her forces the King my master, that I declare to defend her hereditary domi- to your High Mightinesses, that nions in Germany, was obliged the introduction of French garrisons to withdraw her troops from Ostend into Ostend and Nieuport had no and Nieuport: that it was of the other motive than what I have just more importance to provide for the mentioned in this memorial: that safety of those two places, as there His Majesty's troops shall remain was great reason to believe that the there only to the end of this present court of London, which sought war; and that they shall even only to spread the war, and perpe- march out sooner, if the Empresstuate it, had formed a design to Queen desire it; and they shall seize them; and as the port of march out that very moment that Ostend was even blocked up by she shall entrust the guard of those several English men of war and two places to her own troops. The frigates that, in these circum- necessity of attending to their pre. stances, the Empress-Queen applied servation is the more indispensible, to the King, as her ally nearest at as your High Mightinesses cannot, hand, to furnish troops, which might doubtless, be ignorant, that if the be substituted in Ostend and Nieu- Low Countries have any thing to port, in the room of the Empress apprehend for their safety and Queen's, there to remain only whilst quiet, it is against England alone it should be judged necessary and that the powers interested therein convenient for their reciprocal in- ought to take precantions. It is terests that the Empress Queen needless to enter into particulars on had reserved to herself, in those this head. It is sufficient to apprize two towns, the free and entire exyour High Mightinesses, that one ercise of all the rights of property of the projects of that crown is to and sovereignty; such as the ad carry the war into the neighbour Iministration of justice, the collect- hood of your republic; and it is ing of the revenue and taxes, and but too probable that the neutrality the disposition even of the artillery and territory of your High Mightiand stores of all sorts (your Highnesses: would perhaps be no more Mightinesses know, that accord-regarded on this occasion, than the ingly the Count de la Mothe d'Hu-law of nations, treaties, and paroles

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of honour have been hitherto. The King persuades himself, that after a declaration so precise, which His Majesty has been induced to make only by his affection for your ret public, your High Mightinesses will form a just notion of the me thods which the court of London is incessantly employing, to make your High Mightinesses share in the calamities and dangers of a war which His Majesty undertook with regret, and not till he was forced thereto by the most unjust and unexpected aggression; and which he continues only from his fidelity to his engagements, and to fulfil the duty imposed upon him by his quality of guarantee of the laws and liberties of the Germanic body."

Translation of the famous mentio rial presented to the States. General, by two hundred and sixty-nine mer. chants, which is kept very secret in Holland.

"We, the under-signed merchants, insurers, and others, concerned in the commerce and navigation of the state, most humbly represent, that the violences and unjust depreda tions committed by English men of war and privateers on the vessels and effects of the subjects of the state, are not only continued, but daily multiplied; and cruelty and excesses carried to such a height, that the petitioners are forced to implore the assistance of your High Mightinesses, that the commerce and navigation of the republic, which are the two sinews of the state, may suffer no interruption, and be protected in the most effica cious manner, in order that the be ing of the state may be preserved, and that it may be kept frem como plete and final ruiff

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The petitioners shall not insert here a long recital of their ships that have been illegally stopped and seizu ed, nor of the piracies and violences that have been committed for a considerable space of time on the subjects of the republic; nor of the acts of inhumanity with which they were often attended; even so fary that less cruelty might have been ex. pected from a declared enemy, than they have suffered from the subjects of a power with whom the state is connected by the most solemn trea ties of friendship: the whole is pub lic and notorious.

"Nor will the petitioners enlarge on the insults offered to the Dutch flag, in contempt of your High Mightinesses, the natural protectors of the subjects of the republic. The facts are known to your High Migh tinesses.

"But the petitioners beg leave to represent, with all due submis sion, that they cannot forbear to lay their just complaints before your High Mightinesses, who are the protectors of their persons, their estates, their commerce, and navi. gation; and to lay before you the indispensible necessity of putting a stop, as soon as possible, to those depredations and violences. The petitioners offer to contribute each his contingent, and to afm, at their own charge, for the support and protection of their commerce and navigation.

The petitioners flatter themselves that their toils, and the risk to which their effects are exposed on the seas, will have their proper influence on the general body of the state; since the traders of this country, finding themselves left to the discretion of a part of that nas om the státerisimbst

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intimately connected, thousands of tradesmen, and others who are connected with merchants that have hitherto carried on a flourishing trade, will be reduced to distress and poverty those connections, ceasing by the extinction of the estates of merchants, who have al ways approved themselves faithful to their country, these will be forced to abandon it, to their great regret, and seek shelter and protection else where; which will give à mortal blow to the principal members of the state and is (od miqdors

For these just causes, the peti tioners have recourse to your High Mightinesses, most humbly implor. ing them, both in their own names, and in the name of a multitude of unhappy people, who are on the point of being stript of all their effects, of sinking into the utmost distress, and being reduced to beggary, that it may please your High Mightinesses to grant to com, merce and navigation such speedy, vigorous, and effectual protection, that the faithful subjects of this free state may enjoy their possessions in full security, son lekw 3002 og

And your petitioners, &c. Memorial which the Princess gouvernante presented to the States, General off the fth of June, relating to the proposed augmentation of their land forces

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High and mighty lords, My quality, my duty, and my inclination, lead me too make thes following representation to your High Mightinesses, I had the honour to represent to you, when the war began to be kindled between France and England, about the limits of their territories in America, that this war would undoubtedly be transfer red from that part of the world to

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Europe, and that prudence required that an augmentation should be made in the land forces of the state, in order to reinforce the garrisons of the frontier towns, and cover the territories of the republic from in vasion.

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"I further foresaw, that Europe, being made the theatre of war, several camps would be formed in Flanders, on Flanders, on the banks of the Rhine, and in the duchy of Cleves. The event having shewn the justness of those conjectures, I again insisted upon the necessity of making this augmentation, that the republic, might be in a condition to cause her neutrality be respected, and to prevent her territories from being made the seat of war.

"The provinces of Guelders and Overyssel, frighted at the danger with which those provinces are threatened by the proximity of two formidable armies, have resolved to demand that the affair of the augmentation of the republic's forces may be taken into serious conside ration by the other provinces, and have requested me to join my soli citations to theirs, that this augmentation may take place; which I do the more readily,, as I am equally sensible with them of the extent of the danger that threatens the republic, especially since the Hanoverian army crossed the Rhine. This caugmentation is the more necessary, as it behoves the state to be able to hinder either army from retiring into the territories of the state, if it should be defeated; for in that case, the conqueror, being authorized to pursue his enemy wherever he can find him, would bring the war into the heart of our country. None of the powers at war could be coffended at the

efficacious measures taken by the
republic to cause her neutrality to be...
respected, and to hinder her terri.
tories from being made the theatre.
of war. The good faith of the
Dutch is well known; and from
the assurances already given, those
powers will rest satisfied that Ithe
Dutch had no bad intention, and
that their design is not to take part
in the present troubles, but wholly
to keep the war at a distance, and
prevent their country from being
the seat thereof.

"Agreeable, therefore, to the request of the provinces of Guelders and Overyssel, I join my solicitation to theirs, that your High Mighti. nesses would take this affair into serious consideration, and that, in regard to the crisis in which the republic is a present, this augmen tation may take place.

"I conclude these representations with praying the God of all understanding to preside in your deliberations, and that he would inspire you with vigorous resolutions, proportioned to the dangers that threaten the state, and conformable to my desires and wishes."

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In the answer which the Princess. regent gave, on the 7th of December, to the fourth deputation of the merchants, she said, among other things, That she beheld the state of trade with concern; that she was as much moved at it as any of the merchants; that its want ⚫ of protection was not her fault, but that of the towns of Dort, Harlem, Amsterdam, Tergaw, • Rotterdam, and the Brielle; that, had it not been for those towns, the forces of the state, by sea and land, would have been on a better footing; and that she had never ceased to protect trade as ' proof of which was the letter of

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theaKing her father; wherein His
Majesty says, The affair of the
Dutch is now under consideration, -
and Yorke silk speedily receive
the necessary instructions for settling.
itramicably. Some method shall be
thought of sta curb the insolence of
the privateers that she was in
formed, that Mr. Yorke had asked
a conference to treat of this mat.
ter; and that she hoped the ne
gotiation would be attended with

success.

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 Beck. The merchants laboured much to persuade this minister that the augmentation of the land forces, and the equipment of a fleet, were matters quite distinct from each other, as light is from darkness; that there was no press ing motive for the augmentation whereas innumerable reasons ren dered the fitting out of a fleet a matter of the most urgent necessity. M. de Larrey contented himself with saying, that the want of a suf ficient fleet was not owing to her Royal Highness; that opinions dif fered on this head; and that it was a settled point at present, not to fit out a fleet without augmenting the army,

Whatever may be in this, four days after the speech was delivered, her Royal Highness carried it to the assembly of the States-General, addressing herself to them in these words end pics

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High and mighty lords,

It would be injustice to that zeal and vigilance for the safety of the state, of which your High Mightinesses have long given, me convincing proof, toe endeavour to excite you now to greater zeal and L4

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