Lieutenant Governour and Commander in Chief in and over this his Island of Jamaica and other the Territories depending thereon in America and Vice-Admiral of the same A PROCLAMATION WHereas I have received Commands from his Majesty by the Right Honourable James Vernon Esq one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State signifying to me that his Majesty is unacquainted with the Intensions and Designs of the Scots settling at Darien And that it is contrary to the Peace entred into with his Majesty's Allies and therefore has commanded me that no Assistance be given them These are therefore in his Majesty's Name and by Command strictly to command his Majesty's Subjects whatsoever that they do not presume on any pretence whatsoever to hold any Correspondence with the said Scots nor to give them any Assistance of Arms Ammunition Provisions or any other Necessaries whatsoever either by themselves or any other for them or by any of their Vessels or of the English Nation as they will answer the Contempt of his Majesty's Command to the contrary at their utmost peril Given under my Hand and Seal of Arms this 8th day of April 1699. And in the 11th Year of our Soveraign Lord William the Third of England Scotland France and Ireland King and of Jamaica Lord Defender of the Faith c. WILLIAM BEESTON Barbados By his EXCELLENCY A PROCLAMATION WHereas his Majesty has been pleased to signify his pleasure to me by Mr. Secretary Vernon that he hath been advertised that several Ships of Force fitted out of Scotland were arrived at the Island of St. Thomas with an Intention as they declared to settle themselves in some part of America Their Design being unknown to his Majesty and least the same should derogate from the Treaties his Majesty hath entered into with the Crown of Spain or be otherwise prejudicial to any of his Majesty's Colonies in the West-Indies These are therefore in his Majesty's Name by and with the Advice and Consent of the Council strictly to command all his Majesty's Subjects inhabiting within this Island that they forbear holding any Correspondence with or giving any Assistance to any of the said Persons And that no Provisions Arms or other Necessaries whatsoever be carried to them as they shall answer the same at their peril Given under my Hand this 13th of April 1699 and in the Eleventh Year of his Majesty's Reign R. GRAY By his Excellency Richard Earl of Bellomont Captain General and Governour in chief of his Majesty's Province of New-York and Territories depending thereon in America and Vice-Admiral of the same A PROCLAMATION WHEREAS his most excellent Majesty hath received Advice That several Ships of Force fitted out of Scotland were designed to settle themselves in some parts of America and lest the same should derogate from the Treaties his Majesty hath entred into with the Crown of Spain or be otherwise prejudicial to any of his Majesty's Colonies in America his Majesty has been pleased to signify his Royal pleasure to me That I should strictly forbid all his Majesty's Subjects or others inhabiting within the Districts of my Government that they forbear holding any Correspondence with or giving any Assistance to any of the said Persons while they are engaged in the aforesaid Enterprize and that no Provisions Arms Ammunition or other Necessaries whatsoever be carried from hence to them nor be permitted to be carried either in their own Vessels or any other Ship or Vessel for their Use In pursuance of his Majesty 's said Royal Will and Pleasure I have thought fit by and with the Advice of his Majesty's Council of this Province to publish and declare his Majesty's Pleasure and by these presents do strictly charge and command all and every one of his Majesty's Subjects and others within this Province and Territories depending thereon in America That they forbear holding any Correspondence with or giving any Assistance to such Person or Persons who have been fitted out of Scotland in manner aforesaid are said to have settled in a certain place which they have called Caledonia That no Provision Arms Ammunition or other necessaries whatsoever be carried either in their own Vessels or in any other Ship or Vessel for their use from this Province or any part thereof And his Majesty's Collector and Receiver General and all other Officers of his Majesty's Custom-House are hereby required to take notice hereof accordingly And I do further strictly charge command and forbid by and with the consent of his Majesty's Council as aforesaid all his Majesty's said Subjects and others within this Province that they neither by themselves nor by any other Persons authorized by them contrary to his Majesty's Royal Pleasure as aforesaid hold any Correspondence or give any Assistance or enter into any Traffick or Commerce with such persons as are said to be settled in Caledonia aforesaid And if any Person or Persons within this Province by themselves their Factors or Agents shall contrary to and against the true intent and meaning of this his Majesty's Royal Will and Pleasure signified unto me as aforesaid hold any Correspondence or give any Assistance or enter into any Traffick or Commerce in manner aforesaid then all such Person or Persons so acting as aforesaid shall incurr such Pains Penalties and Forfeitures as by Law in such Cases are provided And all his Majesty's Subjects and others within this Province are hereby required to take due notice hereof and to observe his Majesty 's said Royal Will and pleasure in all and every of the Premisses as they will answer the contrary at their peril Given at Fort William Henry in New-York the 15th day of May 1699. and in the Eleventh Year of his Majesty's Reign By Order B. Cole Cl. Concilii Bellomont God save the King Printed by W. Bradford Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty in New-York 1699. By his Excellency Richard Earl of Bellamont Captain General and Governour in chief of his Majesty's Provinces of the Massachusetts-Bay New-York c. in America and of the Territories thereon depending and Vice-Admiral of the same A PROCLAMATION WHEREAS his most Excellent Majesty having received Advice that several Ships of Force fitted out in Scotland were arrived at the Island of St. Thomas with an Intention as they declared to settle themselves in some parts of America Lest the same should derogate from the Treaties his Majesty has entred into with the Crown of Spain or be otherwise prejudicial to any of his Majesty's Colonies in the West-Indies his Majesty has been pleased to signify his Royal Pleasure to me That I should strictly forbid all his Majesty's Subjects or others inhabiting within the Districts of my Government that they forbear holding any Correspondence with or giving any Assistance to any of the said Persons while they are engaged in the foresaid Enterprize and that no Provision Arms Ammunition or other Necessaries whatsoever be carried to them from thence nor be carried either in their own Vessels or any
have Written on this Subject It appears to be beyond Controversy That the Company having Settled with the Consent of these Dariens must have the same Right with the same Priviledges and Freedom of Trade which the Dariens had and that both are equally free from all the Spanish Pretensions It is a known Case that an English Man one Sharp having join'd with the Dariens against the Spaniards invaded their Territories he was accused by the Spaniards in England as guilty of Robbery and Piracy but was acquitted because he acted by Commission from one of the Darien Princes which is an undeniable Evidence that this Prince and his Countrey were judged to be independent on the Spaniards The Spaniards may also have wrought Mines of Gold and Silver within the Isthmus but no such possession can support their Complaint The nearest possession of Mines that they can pretend was in Captain Diego's Country on the Gulf of Darien more than 15 Leagues distant from the Company 's Settlement Neither did the Spaniard get these Mines by Conquest or Purchase but by a plain stipulate Permission from Captain Diego and his people which changed not the Property And upon Breach of Conditions the Spaniards were quickly cast out so that when the Company came to settle on the Isthmus it was fully cleared of the Spaniards all their pretences Carthagena Portobello and Panama are adjacent to and do in a manner environ the Isthmus of Darien But that this Vicinity gives to the Spaniards no Claim of Right is evident from many Instances Tangier Cheuta and Mamora ly in the Bosom of the Empire of Moroceo and yet belong to European Princes The English and French have Neighbouring Settlements upon the River Gambo in Africk and all along the Coast of Africk the English and other European Princes have their Settlements intermixed and contiguous where they Trade with all Freedom without any mutual Impeachment The English and French have both Plantations upon the Island of Newfoundland and the Dutch in time of Peace settled upon Long Island and the adjacent Countrey environed on all hands by the English Plantations and yet no War ensued but the Dutch continued their possession till the Exchange was made for Suranam The Spanish Fleets do necessarly pass betwixt the Cape of Florida belonging to the Spaniards and the Bahama Islands yet the English possess themselves of the said Islands and have also several times settled at Port-Royal in the bottom of the Bay of Campiechy in the Gulf of Mexico for cutting of Logwood and have thence removed and settled again at their pleasure The French have also endeavoured to settle in the Bay of Mexico and lately and more closely in the Samblas Islands on the Coast of Darien They likewise settled a Colony in Petitguavis in Hispaniola and in Guiana on the Continent notwithstanding of the Vicinity of the Spaniards The Dutch and Portuguese have their Respective Plantations on the Coast of Brasil to which the Spaniards pretend Right as well as to the Isthmus of Darien such as the Islands of Curasao and Bowane near to Carthagena on the East and Suranam and others upon the Continent and yet never quarrelled It is granted that the Spaniards in their excessive Jealousie and upon the Pretext that by Treaties none were to Trade in their Ports or Harbours such as Carthagena and Porto-bello without their Licence have seized and made prize of the Ships that they have found upon the Coast betwixt the said Places But first they did this upon pretext of the said Treaties Secondly Injury and Violence make no Right And thirdly it is most certain when the Spaniards have been overcomeand beat off in such Attempts and forced to suffer both Dutch and English to cut Logwood on that Coast yet the Spaniards did never complain of any Violation of Right as knowing perfectly they had none as may be seen in Dampier Water and other writers The Spaniards at first endeavoured to amuse the World with the Popes Gift of the West-Indies and after the King of Spain's becoming King of Portugal and in the Right of that Crown claiming the Benefit of the Popes Gift of the East-Indies he assumed the Magnifick Title of Indiarum Rex Yet he was never able to make good his Right or exclude others by these empty Names but in all Competitions the Pretentions of Spain did either resolve in Occupation of what was void or surrendered or conquest of what was possess'd by Natives and that Title was never much regarded either by Spain Portugal or any other Prince Popish or Protestant The second Head which may be pleaded for the Spaniard is the Treaties that have been betwixt the Crowns of England and Spain But 1mo Granting that the Kingdom of Scotland will never disown any Treaty betwixt their King whom GOD long preserve and prosper may be concerned where are these Treaties that exclude either the Scots or English from possessing Darien if not inhabited or where Inhabited with consent of the Inhabitants If the Spaniard propone upon these Treaties they must produce them 2do All to be found in the latter Treaties betwixt the said Crowns such as the Treatie 1667 and the Treatie 1670 which may be understood to be the only Regulating Treaties in this Matter is that in the former The King of Spain obliges himself not to molest the King of England or his Subjects in their Plantations in America these particulars enumerated not by way of Exception but because some of them had been contraverted And that in the other Treaty 1670 It is agreed in the 7th Article That the King of Great Brittain and His Heirs and Successors shall have hold and possess with full Right of Empire Property and Possession all Lands Regions Isles Colonies and Lordships situated in the West-Indies or any part of America which his said Majesty or his Subjects did then hold or possess So that no contraversie on any pretence was thereafter to be moved on that Subject And in the eight Article That the Subjects of the said King should abstain from all Commerce and Navigation in the Ports and Places having Forts Castles or Staples for Merchandise possessed by either of them To wit That the Subjects of Great Brittain should not Trade nor Sail to the Ports nor Places which the King of Spain hath in the VVest-Indies nor the Subjects of the King of Spain Trade nor Sail to the Places which the King of Great Brittain there possesses without Licence given hincinde in the Terms therein set down By which it plainly appears that all agreed to was and is That the Kings and their Subjects respectively should forbear Injuries as likewise to Trade and Navigate without Licence in the Ports Castles and Staples to either of them belonging which can no ways exclude the King of Great Brittain and his Subjects from Trading or making new Plantations in to such Places in America as either are not inhabited or where the King of Spain hath no Right
His Majesty doth further Ordain Letters Patent to be expede hereupon containing the whole Premisses under the great Seal of this Kingdom for doing whereof Per Saltum Thir presents shall be sufficient warrand both to the Director and chancellor or Keeper of the Great Seal as use is 〈◊〉 like cases Extracted furth of the Records of Parliament by TARBAT Cls. Regist THE HUMBLE ADDRESS OF THE Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament Assembled Die Veneris 13. Decembris 1695. WE the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament Assembled having taken into our Consideration the State of the Trade of this Kingdom Do find That besides many other Disadvantages and Difficulties it now lies under An Act of Parliament that hath lately Received Your Majesty's Royal Assent in Your Kingdom of Scotland for Erecting a Company Trading to Africa and the Indies is likely to bring many great Prejudices and Mischiefs to all Your Majesty's Subjects that are concerned in the Wealth or Trade of this Nation And therefore in all Duty to Your Majesty and the Care we ought to have of this Kingdom We do humbly Represent to Your Majesty that the said Act does provide That all Ships Vessels Merchandize Goods and other Effects whatsoever belonging to that Company shall be free from all manner of Restraints or Prohibitions and of all Customs Taxes Cesses Supplies or other Duties Imposed or to be Imposed by Act of Parliament or otherways for the space of One and Twenty Years And further That the said Company Whole Members Officers Servants or others belonging thereto shall be free both in their Persons Estates and Goods Employed in the said Stock and Trade from all manner of Taxes Cesses Supplies Excises Quartring of Soldiers Transient or Local or Levying of Soldiers or other Impositions during the space of One and Twenty Years By reason of which great Advantages granted to the Scots East-India Company and the Duties and Difficulties that lie upon that Trade in England a great part of the Stock and Shipping of this Nation will be carried thither and by this Means Scotland be made a free Port for all East-India Commodities and consequently those several Places in Europe which were Supplyed from England will be Furnished from thence much Cheaper than can be done by the English And therefore this Nation will lose the Benefit of Supplying Foreign Parts with those Commodities which hath always been a great Article in the Ballance of our Forreign Trade Moreover the said Commodities will unavoidably be brought by the Scots into England by Stealth both by Sea and Land to the vast Prejudice of the English Trade and Navigation and to the great Detriment of Your Majesty in Your Customs And when once that Nation shall have settled themselves in Plantations in America our Commerce in Tobacco Sugar Cotton Wool Skins Masts c. will be utterly lost because the Priviledges of that Nation granted to them by this Act are such That that Kingdom must be the Magazine for all those Commodities and the English Plantations and the Traffick thereof lost to us and Exportation of our own Manufactures Yearly Decreased Besides these and many other Obstructions that this Act will unavoidably bring to the General Trade of this Nation Another Clause in the said Act whereby your Majesty Promises to Interpose your Authority to have Restitution Reparation and Satisfaction made for any Damage that may be done to any of the Ships Goods Merchandize Persons or other Effects whatsoever belonging to the said Company and that upon the Publick Charge Does seem to Engage your Majesty to Employ the Shipping and Strength at Sea of this Nation to Support this New Company to the great Detriment even of this Kingdom All which great Prejudices Inconveniencies and Mischiefs arising by the said Act We in all Duty and Faithfulness lay before Your Majesty MATTH JOHNSON Cleric ' Parliamentor His Majesty's most Gracious Answer I Have been ill served in Scotland but I hope some Remedies may be found to prevent the Inconveniencies which may arise from this Act. A MEMORIAL Given in to the Senate of the City of Hamburgh in French faithfully Translated into English To their Magnificences the Burgo-Masters and to the Gentlemen-Councellors of this City of Hamburgh WE the Subscribers Ministers of His Majesty The King of Great Britain have upon the Arrival of Commissioners from an Indian-Company in SCOTLAND Represented at two several Times to your Magnificences and Lordships from the King our Master That His Majesty understanding that the said Commissioners Endeavoured to open to themselves a Commerce and Trade in these Parts by making some Convention or Treaty with this City had Commanded us most expresly to Notify to your Magnificences and Lordships That if you enter into such Conventions with privat Men His Subjects who have neither Credential Letters nor are any other ways Authorized by His Majesty That His Majesty would Regard such Proceedings as an Affront to His Royal Authority And that He would not fail to Resent it Your Magnificences and Lordships had the Goodness to Answer us thereto by your Deputy that you would no way enter into Commerce with the afore-mentioned Commissioners nor Encourage them in any sort Notwithstanding whereof We the Subscribers do see with Displeasure That without any Regard to the Remonstrances made by us in the Name of His Majesty the Inhabitants of this City forbear not to make Conventions and Treaties with the said Commissioners who dare even Erect a Publick-Office to receive Subscriptions as appears by the annexed Print And it is not very Credible That Strangers could so openly Enterprize Matters of such Importance without being Supported by this Government Wherefore We make our Just Complaints thereof to your Magnificences and Lordships Beseeching you in the Name of the King our Master to remedy in time that which is begun and to do it so Effectually as to prevent any Consequences it may have capable to disturb the Friendship and good Correspondence which we would Cultivat between England and the City of Hamburgh We wait your Magnificences and Lordships Answer in Writing to be transmitted to His Majesty our Master And we are Done at Hamburgh the 7th of April 1697. Your Magnificences and Lordships most humble Servants CRESSET His Britannick Majesties Envoy Extraordinary at the Courts of Lunenburgh and his Plenipotentiary at the Treaty of Pinenberg The Knight RYCAUT Resident for His Majesty the King of Great-Britain in the City of Hamburgh Which Memorial was immediatly transmitted by the Senate to the Commercii or Body of Merchants of that City who happening to be then met in their own Hall did upon Perusal thereof give the following Answer WE look upon it as a very strange thing That the King of Britain should offer to hinder us who are a Free People to Trade with whom we please But are amazed to think That he would hinder us from Joyning with his own Subjects in Scotland
Right and Possession of the Conquered People may reasonably be reckoned to become the Possession of the Conquerour And therefore a Settlement in Nicaragua or Bay of Campechay might be reckoned a down Right Encroachment upon Spain which cannot be drawn in Consequence to a Settlement upon Darien because the Spaniards can condescend upon no Title or Right beyond their actual Possession for the Dariens were never subdued nor did they ever depend upon Mexico or Peru or any Prince or People subdued by the Spanirds And further whatever be urged from these Cases yet it can be made appear That the Undertaking to settle in Campechay was effectual and the Cart is marked Port-Royal English-Colony and 't is known that the English cutt Logwood at Cape-Catach in Jucatan till the Charge of Carriage render'd it unprofitable and thereafter Settled at Port-Royal for the same Effect where there is plenty of Logwood appropriated to the English It is also acknowledg'd That the Darien-Indians are no powerful People or able by themselves to resist the Impressions of Spain but the point of Right and Property is the same in Rich and Poor Strong and Weak and they might lawfully transfer their Right and assume the Scots or any other Nation to support or maintain the Right and Possession of that Isthmus in as far as it was free from the Spanish Dominions Yet the Dariens were not wholly neglected by the Spaniards as inconsiderable for there have been frequent and almost constant Wars between them and Spain in which the several Captains and Carriques have joyned together and there is a famous Case of Barth Sharp who being accused in England as guilty of Piracy and Robbery committed upon the Indians he defended himself as acting by Commission from Independent Native Indians then at War with Spain and was acquitted The Right of the Scots Colony as flowing from the Native Indians is already sufficiently cleared according to the most Ancient and Authentick Laws of Property acknowledg'd by all Nations And for a further Evidence and Demonstration of what has been asserted and already sufficient-proven the Settlement of the English French Danes Portugueses and Dutch will all be found to be Bottomed on the same Ground The Spanish are the most Ancient Planters and if Spain pretend to any Universal Title either by Occupation of a part or by the Popes Gift or any other Right he thereby excludes the Claim of all Posterior Planters either in the Continent or American Islands which could not be thought to be separate and indifferent Dominions And if Spain recede from any Universal Title to the whole it will not be possible to extend his Claim beyond his proper Possession or the Possessions of these that are Subduced and Conquered by Spain And if this be called in Question it is expected That some other Title will be condescended upon that may clear the Limits and Extent of the Spanish Colonies so as to make a Difference betwixt the Scots Settlement in Darien and the Settlement of other Princes in the American Islands or Continent The Empires of Mexico and Peru are known and may be yielded to Spain but the remainder of that vast Countrey was anciently possess'd by little Princes or rather Captains or Heads of Families or Cariques who have no Dependance upon each other nor upon any Prince or Potentate but by Leagues and Agreement for mutual Defence Thus it is known That the Land of the Amazons was possess'd by the Natives And it is remarkable That upon the Banks of Amazon there are Fifty different Nations So it is in Brasil in Chili Paragua Florida Carolina Virginia and generally over all the Continent as well as in the Islands of America and likewise in Asia and Africa And therefore European Princes have planted promiscuously as they found Conveniency without Injury or Encroachment upon former Planters The English possess the Continent from New-England to Carolina without the Interposition of Colonies belonging to any European Prince yet the Dutch in time of Peace set down upon Long-Island and the Countrey now called New-York betwixt New-England and Pensilvania and continued to possess till the end of the War 1667 At which time New-York was exchanged for Suranam The Spanish Plate-Fleet do necessarly pass betwixt Cape-Florida and the Bahaman-Islands yet the English possess these Islands which the Spaniards did mightily resent and used the English very barbarously upon it yet Spain not being able to justify any unlawful Title the English did maintain their Possession Whatever be alledg'd That the Government did not interpose for establishing a Logwood-Trade yet it 's certain that the English did appropriate the Logwood at Cape-Catch in Jucatan till it was exhausted and they afterwards settled at Port-Royal in the Bay of Campechay for carrying on the same Trade which was never question'd by the Spaniards The French have several times endeavoured to settle in the River de Spiritu Sancto in the Bay of Mexico and also the Samballo-Islands upon the Coast of Darien and have actually settled a Colony in Petit-Guavis in Hispaniola the rest of that Island being possest by the Spaniards The French have also a Settlement in Guiana in the Terra-Firma and several Forts upon the Coast of Caribana and above twelve or thirteen American Islands The Dutch have also the City of Coro in the North of Terra-Firma and Suranam and certain Forts upon the Coast of Guiana and Curasao and several American Islands The Portuguese have the Coast of Brasil divided into many Captainships The Interest of Spain was ever opposit to all these Settlements in America and wherever they were strong enough they attempted to expel the Planters without regard to Peace or War whereof the Scots did formerly feel the Effects in their Plantation at Carolina holden of the Crown of England from whence they were expelled These things were done by way of Fact but it is the first time that ever Spain did openly pretend a Right beyond actual Possession which was never sustained by any European Prince And it is desired and expected that there may be a further Condescendance of the Right and Title of Spain to exclude other Planters by the Consent of the Natives where Spain hath no actual Possession or Exercise of any Jurisdiction It is further alledged for Spain That all the Business in America was settled by the Pacification 1670 betwixt the Kings of Brittain and Spain which did confirm all the Plantations possess'd by English Colonies and left the Remainder of America to Spain and whatever happened before that General Treaty could be no Rule thereafter because there was almost perpetual War with Spain in America which were never settled or composed till the Treaty 1670 which did presuppose and establish the Right of Spain to all that was not possessed by the King of Brittain's Subjects As to the Instance of Sharp it is not denyed that he was acquitted and amongst others did propone that Defence That he Acted by Commission from an
and Government the welfare of this Realm both as to its Religious and Civil Interest and to the full quieting the Minds of all your Majesty's good People This Address was presented to His Majesty at Hampton-Court the 16th day of November 1700. By the Right Honourable the Lord Yester Sir John Pringle of Stitchell and Sir Peter Wedderburn of Gosford Baronets Commissioners appointed for that end And upon presenting thereof the Lord Yester in Name of the rest Address'd the King thus Sir We are come here to present an Address to your Majesty Sign'd by a great Number of your Majesty's Loyal Subjects in Scotland who have no other design in it but your Majesty's true Honour and the welfare of their Native Countrey which we desire your Majesty would be pleased to hear read His Majesty after having heard the Address read was Graciously pleased to give the following Answer Gentlemen I Can not take further notice of this Address seing the Parliament is now met and I have made a Declaration of my Mind for the good of my People wherewith I hope all my faithfull Subjects will be satisfied Here I must beg pardon for having omitted the late Address of the House of Lords in England concerning the Endeavours of the Scots for having settled a Colony at Darien and His Majesty's Answer thereunto both which ought according to order of time to have been placed at Page 105 but rather than rob the Reader of having the benefit thereof it was thought fit to insert them here and they are as followeth The Humble Address of the Lords c. presented to His Majesty the 12th day of February 1700. VVE the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled being according to our duty solicitous for the preservation Encrease of the Trade of this Kingdom on which the Support of your Majesties Greatness and Honour so much depends as well as the Security and Defence of your People have been very apprehensive that the steps lately made towards a Settlement of your Subjects of the Kingdom of Scotland at Darien may tend to the great prejudice of this Nation and possibly to the disturbance of that Peace and good Correspondence with the Crown of Spain which we conceive is very Advantagious to us all We have therefore taken the same into our serious consideration as a matter of the greatest Importance and proper to be laid before your Majesty as the common Father of both Countries And as we are truly sensible of great Losses our Neighbour Kingdom hath sustained both by Men and Treasure in their Expeditions to that place which we very heartily lament so we should not endeavour by any Interposition of Ours to defeat the Hopes they may still entertain of recovering these Losses by their further engaging in that design but that we judge such a Prosecution on their parts must end not only in far greater Disappointments to themselves but at the same time prove very inconvenient to the Trade and quiet of this Kingdom On this occasion we humbly presume to put your Majesty in mind of the Address of both Houses of Parliament presented to your Majesty on the 17th of December 1695. In the close of which Address your Majesty will see the Unanimous Sense of this Kingdom in relation to any Settlement the SCOTS might make in the West-Indies by vertue of an Act of Parliament past about that time in the Kingdom of Scotland which was the occasion of the Address And we humbly represent to your Majesty that having received Information of some Orders your Majesty had sent to the Governours of the Plantations on this Subject the House did on the 18th of January last come this Resolution That your Majesty's pleasure signified to the Governours of the Plantations in Relation to the Scots Settlement at DARIEN was agreeable to the Address of both Houses of Parliament presented to your Majesty on the 17th of December 1695. And on the 18th of this instant February this House came to this further Resolution That the Settlement of the Scots Colony at DARIEN is inconsistent with the good of the Plantation Trade of this Kingdom All which we humbly hope your Majesty will take into your Royal Consideration and we are confident that your Majesty cannot be thought too partial to the Address of this House if your Majesty shall in the first place consider the Advantage and Good of the Trade of this Kingdom by the Preservation and Improvement of which both these Kingdoms and all your other Dominions must on all occasions principally be defended It is remarkable that this Address was carried only by Four or Five Votes and that the House of Commons absolutely refused to concur with it and that about Sixteen Peers entred their Protests against it His Majesties most Gracious Answer to the Address was to this effect Viz. HIS Majesty having received a very dutifull Address from the House of Peers in relation to the Endeavours lately used by some of His Majesties Subjects of the Kingdom of Scotland towards making a Settlement at DARIEN in which they humbly represent to him their Opinion That such a Settlement is inconsistent with the good of the Plantation-Trade of this Kingdom Is pleased to let the House know That he will always have a very great regard to their Opinion And to assure them that he will never be wanting by all proper means to promote the Advantage and Good of the Trade of England At the same time His Majesty is pleased to declare that he cannot but have a great Concern and Tenderness for his Kingdom of Scotland and a desire to advance their Well-fare and Prosperity is very sensibly touched with the loss His Subjects of that Kingdom have sustained by their late unhappy Expeditions in order to a Settlement at DARIEN His Majesty does apprehend that Difficulties may too often arise with respect to the different Interest of Trade between his two Kingdoms unless some way be found out to unite them more nearly and compleatly And therefore His Majesty takes this opportunity of putting the House of Peers in mind of what he recommended to his Parliament soon after his Accession to the Throne That they would consider of an Union between the two Kingdoms His Majesty is of opinion That nothing would more contribute to the security and happiness of both Kingdoms and is inclined to hope that after they have lived near 100 years under the same Head some happy Expediment may be found for making them one people in case a Treaty were set on Foot for that purpose And therefore he does very earnestly recommend this Matter to the Consideration of the House It is likeways remarkable that when the House of Lords fram'd and past a Bill of Union pursuant to His Majesty's said Answer The House of Commons rejected the same from Motives which I shall not presume to mention the same being already very well known to all those who know any thing of that Matter To His