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<DATE>2013-12-20</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B131117.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B06622">
<STC T="W">W2422</STC>
<STC T="C">R186683</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">53299354</BIBNO>
<VID>180075</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="speech">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>His Maje&s;ties MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH To both Hou&s;es of PARLIAMENT On <HI>Thur&s;day</HI> the Sixteenth Day of <HI>November,</HI> 1699.</HEAD>
<P>I Hope you will not think I have called you out of your Countreys too &s;oon, if you con&s;ider that Our Common Securitie requires a farther Provi&s;ion &s;hould be made for the Safety of the Kingdom by Sea and Land, before We are at the end of what <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> Granted for that Purpo&s;e the la&s;t Se&s;&s;ion. And when you enter upon this Bu&s;ine&s;s I believe you will think it Nece&s;&s;ary to take Care of the Repairs of the Ships, and of the Fortifications, without which Our Fleet cannot be Safe when it is in Harbour.</P>
<P>I cannot Omit to put you in mind of another Matter, in which &s;o great a Number of My Subjects is concerned and wherein the Honour of the King|dom and the Faith of Parliaments is &s;o far Engaged, that Our future Securi|ty &s;eems to Depend upon it; I Mean, the making good the Deficiencies of the Fonds, and the Di&s;charging the Debts contracted by rea&s;on of the War. And till We may be &s;o happy to &s;ee the publick Debts paid, I &s;hall Hope, that no Se&s;&s;ion will end without &s;omething done towards Le&s;&s;ening them. While I am &s;peaking to you on this Head, I think My Self oblidged to Mention, with a very particular Concern, a Debt which is Owing to the Prince of <HI>Denmark,</HI> the State whereof I have Ordered to be laid before you.</P>
<P><HI>Gentlemen of the Hou&s;e of Commons,</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e things are of &s;uch Importance, that I mu&s;t earne&s;tly Recommend them to your Con&s;ideration, and De&s;ire you to Provide the Nece&s;&s;ary Sup|plies.</P>
<P><HI>My Lords and Gentlemen,</HI></P>
<P>There is nothing I &s;hould more Rejoyce in, than that I were not under the Nece&s;&s;ity of &s;o often Asking Aids of My People; but as the rea&s;on of it is
<PB REF="2">evident, becau&s;e the Fonds formerly applyed to Defray the publick Expen&s;e, are now anticipated for Payment of the Debts of the Kingdom; &s;o it is my Satisfaction that you all &s;ee, that nothing of what is Demanded is for any Per|&s;onal U&s;e of Mine. And I do faithfully A&s;&s;ure you, that no Part of what is given &s;hall be diverted from any Purpo&s;e for which it is de&s;igned.</P>
<P>I believe the Nation is already &s;en&s;ible of the good Effects of Peace, by the manife&s;t Increa&s;e of Trade, which I &s;hall make it My Bu&s;ine&s;s to Incourage by all means in My Power. Probably it might receive an Advantage, if &s;ome good Bill were prepared for the more effectual Preventing and Puni&s;hing Un|lawfull and Clande&s;tine Trading; which does not only tend to Defraud the Publick, but Prejudices the fair Merchant, and Di&s;courages Our Manufactures</P>
<P>The Increa&s;e of the Poor is become a Burden to the Kingdom, and their loo&s;e and idle Life does in &s;ome mea&s;ure contribute to the Depravation of Manners, which is complained of, (I fear with too much Rea&s;on) whether the Ground of this Evil be from Defects in the Laws already made, or in the Execution of them, de&s;erves your Con&s;ideration. Is it is an indi&s;pen&s;able Duty, that the Poor, who are not able to help them&s;elves, &s;hould be main|tain'd, &s;o I cannot but think it extremly De&s;irable, that &s;uch as are able and willing &s;hould not want Imployment, and &s;uch as are ob&s;tinate and unwilling &s;hould be compell'd to Labour.</P>
<P><HI>My Lords and Gentlemen,</HI></P>
<P>I have a full A&s;&s;urance of the Good Affections of My People, which I &s;hall endeavour to Pre&s;erve by a con&s;tant Care of their ju&s;t Rights and Liberties; by Maintaining the E&s;tabli&s;hed Religion; by &s;eing the Cour&s;e of Ju&s;tice kept &s;teady and equal; the Countenancing Virtue and Di&s;couraging Vice; and by Declining no Difficulties or Dangers where their Welfare and Pro&s;perity may be concerned.</P>
<P>The&s;e are my Re&s;olutions, and I am per&s;waded that you are come together with Purpo&s;es on your Part &s;uitable to the&s;e on Mine. Since then our Aims are only for the General Good, let Us Act with Confidence in one another, which will not fail, by Gods Ble&s;&s;ing, to make Me a Happy King, and you a Great and Flouri&s;hing People.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>Edinburgh,</HI> Re-printed by the Heirs and Succe&s;&s;ors of <HI>Andrew Ander&s;on,</HI> Prin|ter to the Kings mo&s;t Excellent Maje&s;ty, <HI>anno Dom.</HI> 1699.</P>
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