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<DATE>2009-03-03</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B090115.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A96557">
<STC T="W">w2423</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99897099</BIBNO>
<VID>137299</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 49 -->
<P>His Maje&s;ties MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH To both Hou&s;es of PARLIAMENT, On <HI>Tue&s;day</HI> the Eleventh Day of <HI>February,</HI> 1700.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Charles Bill,</HI> and the Executrix of <HI>Thomas Newcomb</HI> deceas'd; Printers to the Kings mo&s;t Excellent Maje&s;ty. 1700.</P>
</DIV1>
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<DIV1 TYPE="speech">
<PB REF="2"><!-- PDF PAGE 50 -->
<PB N="3" REF="2"><!-- PDF PAGE 50 -->
<HEAD>His Maje&s;ties MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH To both Hou&s;es of PARLIAMENT.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lords and Gentlemen,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_OUR great Misfortune in the Lo&s;s of the Duke of <HI>Glouce&s;ter,</HI> hath made it ab&s;olutely Nece&s;&s;ary, that there &s;hould be a further Provi&s;ion for the Succe&s;&s;ion to the Crown in the Prote&s;tant Line after Me and the Prince&s;s. The Happine&s;s of the Na|tion, and the Security of Our Re|ligion, which is Our chiefe&s;t Con|cern, &s;eems &s;o much to depend upon this, that I cannot Doubt but it will meet with a general Concurrence, and I earne&s;tly Recommend it to your early and effectual Con&s;i|deration.</P>
<P>The Death of the late King of <HI>Spain,</HI> with the Declara|tion of his Succe&s;&s;or to that Monarchy, has made &s;o great an Alteration in the Affairs Abroad, That I mu&s;t de&s;ire you very maturely to Con&s;ider their pre&s;ent State; and I make no Doubt but your Re&s;olutions thereupon will be &s;uch, as &s;hall be mo&s;t conducing to the Intere&s;t and Safety of <HI>England,</HI> the Pre&s;ervation of the Prote&s;tant Religion in ge|neral, and the Peace of all <HI>Europe.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e things are of &s;uch Weight, that I have thought them mo&s;t proper for the Con&s;ideration of a new Parlia|ment, to have the more immediate Sen&s;e of the Kingdom in &s;o great a Conjuncture.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="3"><!-- PDF PAGE 51 -->
<P>I mu&s;t De&s;ire of you, <HI>Gentlemen of the Hou&s;e of Com|mons,</HI> &s;uch Supplies as you &s;hall judge nece&s;&s;ary for the Ser|vice of the Current Year, and I mu&s;t particularly put you in mind of the Deficiencies and Publick Debts occa&s;ioned by the late War, that are yet unprovided for.</P>
<P>I am obliged further to Recommend to you, That you would In&s;pect the Condition of the Fleet, and Con&s;ider what Repairs or Augmentations may be requi&s;ite for the Navy, which is the great Bulwark of the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Nation, and ought mo&s;t e&s;pecially in this Conjuncture to be put in a good Condition; and that you would al&s;o Con&s;ider what is proper for the better Security of tho&s;e Places where the Ships are laid up in Winter.</P>
<P>The Regulation and Improvement of Our Trade is of &s;o Publick Concern, that I hope it will ever have your &s;e|rious Thoughts; And if you can find proper Means of &s;etting the Poor at work, you will ea&s;e your &s;elves of a very great Burthen; And at the &s;ame time add &s;o many u&s;eful Hands to be employed in Our Manufactures and o|ther Publick Occa&s;ions.</P>
<DIV2 N="House of Lords" TYPE="address">
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lords and Gentlemen,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I hope there will be &s;uch an Agreement and Vigour in the Re&s;olutions you &s;hall take upon the Important Matters now before you, as may make it appear We are firmly United among Our Selves, and in My Opinion nothing can contribute more to Our &s;afety at Home, or to Our be|ing con&s;iderable Abroad.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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