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84*] ANNUAL REGISTER

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parent causes of the most important and extraordinary business that came on in the course of the ensuing session. The event which we allude to, was the marriage of his royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, with Mrs. Horton, a widow lady, and daughter to Lord Irnham. As this transaction gave great offence at court, the celebrated royal marriage act, which excited so much discussion both within-doors and without, supposed in a great measure to have originated from it. The marriage of his royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, with the Countess Dowager of Waldegrave, was not then acknowledged; but it is supposed had been long understood. This affair indeed for a time revived the spirits and forces of opposition.
 As there seemed to be no urgent business that demanded an early attendance, the parliament did not meet till after the holidays. In the speech from the throne, much satisfaction is expressed, that neither the foreign nor domestic situation of affairs, required their earlier attendance; and that now they would be at liberty to give their whole attention, to the establishment of wise and useful regulations of law, and to the extension of our commercial advantages. They were informed, that the performance of the King of Spain's engagement, in the restitution of Port Egmont and Falkland's Island, and the repeated assurances that had been received of the pacific disposition of that court, as well as of other powers, promised the continuance of peace; which was with the greater confidence to be hoped for, as there was no reason to apprehend that we should become involved in the troubles, which still unhappily prevailed in one part of Europe.
 No doubt was (notwithstanding) made, but they would see the propriety, of maintaining a respectable establishment of the naval forces; they were, however, informed, that no extraordinary aid would be required at this time. It concluded by observing, that the concerns of this country are so various and extensive, as to require the most vigilant and active attention; and that some of them, from remoteness of place, and other circumstances, are so peculiarly liable to abuses, and exposed to danger, that the interposition of the legislature, for their protection, might become necessary. That if in any such instances, either for supplying defects or remedying abuses, they should find it necessary to provide any new laws, they might depend upon the readiest concurrence of the crown, in whatever might best contribute to the attainment of those salutary ends.
 The addresses were passed in the usual form. The speech was very cautiously worded in what related to domestic matters, and as peace was announced from abroad, there was no great room for debate. As the latter part of it, evidently alluded to the affairs of the East India company, though they were not mentioned, it was understood accordingly; and the gentleman who seconded the motions for the address in the House of Commons, expatiated upon that subject, and hinted that new laws and regulations were necessary to be made for the use of the company; that at present they had

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For the YEAR 1772.   [*85

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had not sufficient powers in their hands to controul their servants, who made enormous fortunes at the expence of their masters, and were guilty of such exorbitances in other respects, as might hazard the total loss of their valuable possessions in that part of the world.
 the first public business of any moment that came on, was in consequence of a motion made on the side of administration, that 25,000 seamen should be voted for the service of the current year. [["Jan. 29th." wrapped within the text]] It was urged in support of this motion, that the French having sent a considerable fleet to the East Indies, we were obliged upon that account to support a more considerable naval force there, than would have been otherwise requisite, and than we had done at some other particular times; and that the propriety, if not the necessity, of our being always superior to them in that part of the world, was so evident as not to admit of an argument. That a larger squadron was now employed for the protection of Jamaica and our other West India Islands, than in former years of peace; that the apprehension for the safety of those islands, which had operated so powerfully and generally upon the minds of men, and had given so great an alarm to those who had a particular interest in them, at the time of the late expected rupture with Spain, would have been alone sufficient to have made this measure in some degree necessary: but that exclusive of those considerations, the importance of our valuable possessions in that quarter, the probability of the Spaniards making their first attempts upon them in case of a war, and the considerable fleet which they kept in those seas, scarcely left it a matter of choice. that the war between the Russians and Turks, made it also necessary to employ a greater number of ships for the protection of our commerce in the Mediterranean and Archipelago, than had been customary in times of general peace.
 The principal stress was however laid, upon the great reform with respect to the guard ships, it being acknowledged, that the conduct with regard to them had been so shameful, that for many years past, they had been considered merely as jobbs; and that at the time of the late expected war, there were neither ships nor men fit for service; but that things were now so much altered for the better, that twenty of the best ships in the navy were kept upon that duty; and were in such compleat condition, and so nearly manned, that a flight press would at any time enable them in a very few days to proceed to sea. That the rest of the fleet was also in good condition. and that in about a year, we should have near eighty ships of the line fit for service. besides those that were upon foreign duty.
 On the other side it was said, that if this motion was complied with, there was no reason for hoping that this enormous peace establishment would ever be lessened, as the same, or similar arguments, with those now made use of, could be applied with equal propriety in every future year, as in the present; that bending, as the nation was, under the weight of an overgrown and monstrous public debt, instead of taking any measures to lighten the burdens of the people, our peace-establishment

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