LETT E R T 0 A F R I E N D, Giving an Account how the Treaty of Union Has been Received here. A N D • Wherein are contained, Anfwers to the rnoft mate¬ rial Obje&ions againft it, with fome Remarks u- pon what has been written by Mr. M. and Mr. R.. EDI NB URG Ey Printed in the Year. M.. DCCk YE. ( 3 ; S I K, B Ecaufeyou are defirousto know, how the Treaty of Uni- . on was received here; and have fent me fome of thefe Obje&ions, you call the moft material againft it, I ihall endeavour to fatisfieyou, as briefly aspoflibly lean. The Treaty with the Minutes relating thereto,was laid be¬ fore our Parliament at its firft fitting down; and never did anything, that came to be Voted in the Houfe, meet with a more favourable Reception; theQueftion of Proceeding upon it, being carried by a very great Majority, which I hope,, feems' to foretell its Succefsful Event. _ I would not have you conclude by this Vote that palled hr the Houfe; That there are any againft an Union between the: Two Kingdoms: For all are agreed, That nothing, will be ; of more general Advantage to us; but the Divifion that was’ amongft the Members about the Nature of fuch an Union,, 'gave Occafion to the Vote. However I muft averr, That •there never, were lefs Appearances of Party" amongft them' than atprefent; fo that I doubt not, but from their wife and- prudent Deliberations, the Nation will receive Satisfaction.. In the mean time, we muft all wait with Patience and Sub- • " miflion for the Event ; fince the Parliament muft be confider^ ed as the Sacred Oracle of Heaven, in all Civil Matters,, butt, efpecia ly in this weighty and important Affair... But I leave the Parliament to give .you an Account,. How the. Treaty has been received in this City ; and from what I am to tell youy. I make no doubt, but you will conclude,, That never did wilful Ignorance, -Contradictions and Incon- fifteuciesy triumph in cur Streetsat fuch an extravagant Rate; A. 2 . .a® as at this time, by reafon of the Miftakes and Miireprefen- . rations, that have been made about dt.- Some are againft an Incorporating X?«/^,'"becaUfe fliey'dO'not,^norwiihnor under. Stand it, and are for a Federal Union, becaufe it is not to be understood; nor are there any, that can propofe a tolerable . Scheme about it, with refpeft to Scotland and England in their prefent Circumstances. All have a .general Notion of filch a thing; buthpw to apply it, is the difficulty. ButSuppofe it,practicable, yet it is more than probable,that England will never agree to it, the Englijh Comniiffioners ha¬ ving in. Summer la ft given a very flat Denial to it. And if we will take the-Pains to look 190 Years r back, we fhallfind, That the Parliament of Scotland agreed to a Federal Union , when the .Englijh rye&ed it; tho the Scots were Satisfied, That many things of the Produdt of Scotland Should not be carried into' England, fuch as their Black-Cattel, drc. Tor the Parlia¬ ment Q>i England, was of Opinion, That, tho their Country Should not be burdened with the.Produ& of Scotland • yet no folid Peace COu’d be bottomed upon Such National Divisions and Distinctionsbut that if ever they entered into an Union .with Scotland, it Should be upon fuch a Condition chiefly, whereby both Nations Should be under the lame Govern¬ ment and Legislative Power. . About tfie Year 1668, there was a Treaty of Commerce prop.ofed with England , which was rejedted. - And in 1670, the m.oft.part ofqur Commiffioners were for a Federal Union , . which likewife icould not be obtained. So that from thefe Instances you may eafily judge, what we are like to get, if we -refufe the -Union which is c oifered; but Towards the-end of this Letter I Shall. fpeak a little more on this Subject. , Some here exclaim againft the Government,, we have had dm Scotland thefe x00 .Years bygone to this purpofe, That tho we pretend," our Nation is a Sovereign, Free, and Indepen- ... dent dent Kingdom; yet all our Parliaments and Councils have entirely hepa aQied: by EngHJh Influence, and wefubjefted to. their V^illsinevery thing, .'.that feemed for the Intereft of Engl uni-. • ••■ ■ Whether this Accufationbe generally true or falfe, I fhall not examine ;. but fure I am, thefe: People feem to be incon- fiftent with themfelves,. whenwith the fame : Breath they run dowa the Treaty, which muft certainly give a Remedy to what' they complain oh. Here you may. find fe.veral Perfons exalting an Union of Confederacy, and at the fame time exclaiming againft that ‘Article, of the Treaty .eoncerning equal Duties, Cuftoms and : Exeiles in both Kingdoms; as if there could be an Union of Confederacy and a Communication, with,the Englifh in their_ Trade, without equal Burdens. Some extolEngland for a wife Nation, and yet at the fame time are arguing, That a Communication of Trade, might be granted to ns wathout’thefe Burdens; as if the Englijh wou’d make themfelves notorioufly remarkable for Folly and Stupi¬ dity,, Since .it is plain, that in this Cafe they might give over Trading, when underfold by us, and fuch of themfelveSj and Hollanders , who on the account of thefe Advantages would live amongft us. . Others pretend, they know the Sentiments of Scotland about the Succeffion, andafiert, 'That we cannot fetupfora feparate Kjng ; that none but a Proteftant will fucceed to our Crown ; and that upon the lamentable event of the Queer?s Death , the. greateft Part of us will run in to the Englifh Succeffor as the only way to fecure. Peace ; and yet thefe People immediately after talk, That.the Englifh will give m any Perms : As if fuch a wife Nati¬ on fas they confcfe* Engl and is) was not acquainted with the Divifions, Animofities, Circumfiances, and Inclinations' of their nearp,ft,Neighbours, ' , ■ - Some extol the Alteration of our Fundamental Laws in King Charles the id's firft Parliament; andothersapprove very julfly the turning out of the Bijhqps, the third Eftate of Parlia¬ ment at the late Revolution; and yet both Exclaim againft altering Fundamental Laws, and wou’d fain infinuate, That in t[ie Treaty, there’s a total Subverfion of all the Glorious Stru&ure our Predecelfors. have built. Others quarrel, amongft other things, at the Charges the Action will be put to, in fending up \b Peers, and 45 Com¬ mons, to the I?arliament of Great-Britain : And at the fame: time, both in Words and Writings, they cry . out againft that number, as a fmall difhonourable Reprefentation. • Some are regreting the extream Poverty of the Nation, and Scarcity; of Money, yet notwithftanding they exclaim againft. the Union,'as a thing that will ruin us; not confidering, that, our cafe'is fuch, that’tisfcarce conceivable, how any conditi¬ on of Life, we can fall into, can render us more Miserable and Poor, than we are.. For its very, well known; that many of us live with Difficulty, and many Thoufands of our neared Relations, are obligedto leave their Country, for want of Bread and Employment. Some are running down Englijh Padions,Pr.omifes and: Per* formances ; and yet malitioufly infinuating, That the Com- miffionersin the Treaty, and fueh. Members of Parliament,, as incline to the Union, are toget Mighty Things. Asifthefe Noblemen and Gentlemen, wou’d put a.prefent fmall Ad¬ vantage, ora bare Pro.mife, in the Ballance with any thing,, that they thought wbu’d bring Deffiuclion upon the Nation,, and Ruineupon their Pofterity. For with all refped toothers, be it fpoken; thefe have: coafiderable Stakes to hazard upon die bad Succels of an-Union. Some are. eameitly/wiflsiiig; a fudden Revolution, Suecefs- so. the Affiurs. of France^ and Confufion to. the-Presbyterian* ' Go>- V /- J Government ; But no fooner they fall a fpeaking.'ofthe Union, but they regret the Danger of our Church Government, as having no Security; and cry for Falling and Praying, that God may pioteft his Church, and Defend his People. By which they give the greateft evidence of Jtheifim and Pro- - phanity, that Hell it felf can Suggeft. Ina corner of the Street, one may fee. a Presbyterian Mini • Jier , a Popijb Prieft, and an Epifiopal Prelate, all agreeing toge¬ ther in their difcourfe againft the Union; but upon quite dif¬ ferent Views and contradictory Reafons. Til q Minifter, be- caufe he fears,, the Presbyterian Church Government will be ruined,and fo great encouragements will, be given to Popery and Prelacy. The Prieft, becaufe his Darling Hopes will be dif appointed, by the fettling the Succeffion in the Proteftant Line. Jnd the Prelate, becaufe-he knows, the Parliament.will make fuch a..Security for the Presbyterian Church Government, as, that it canhot.bealtered in Scotland, without faping the Fun- dation of the Union, and fhaking the whole Fabrick of the Britiflj Conftitution. But mark here, That tho I bring in a Presbyterian Minifter amongft fuch Company, yet, I would have you to know, that many of them have a very favourable Opinion of the Union ; and I doubt not, but the Parliament willanfwer their Ek- pe&ations as to the Securities, they defire for the Church. Government. Here you might likewife fee, the Dutch and the French en¬ deavouring to whiddle us out of our Senfes, by the plaufible Popular Topics of Liberty,' Property, Sovereignty and Indepen¬ dency. The Dutch, becaufe they run a great Pifque of being Wormed out of their Herring-Fifhing, that moft valuable Branch of their Trade. The French, becaufe of that vaft In- creafe of Power, that will accrefce to Britain, when^United, whereby it will ( with more Juftice, than now when divid- ( 8 ) ed ') be called the.Bulwark of the Liberties of Europe, and Terror of the World. But I Brail make the 1 Grounds of their juft Fears appear a little more plainly,' when I falho fpeak of the Herring Fifhing. Having given you thefe few Remarks* I fhall proceed to An.fwer your Objections and -Difficulties‘a gain ft the Treaty^ in the fame order you have fent them; : ■ Your firft Objection, is, Upon the danger of the Church Go¬ vernment after an Union. As to which, ; I have already given, you fome hints, and. I add further, That this 'Projed of the Union-is not hatched by your Enemies; but by your entire' Friends. In the'next place, fuch a Security, if not greater, can be-given in theParliament of Great Britain, as the Church Government hath at this time. : For- bythebye, you miftake : its Security entirely, ifyou thinkj it is founded on our Claim of Right, in its full Extent, withb-efpeet to its Eeclefiaftick: Judicatures. "For tho- by the Article bftheClaimof RightpE- pi-fcopacy and any Superiority above Presbyters, is declared a ! Grievance, yet the Government of the Church by General Af- femblies,’ Synods and Presbyteries, is only eftablifhed by fub- fequent Ads of Parliament, for no Article in the Claim- of' P^/j/jCanbinderaParliament; our from reducing Presbyters to* what they are in Holland, nor exclude a Toleration'to Epifco- pal-Minifters, in amoft extenftve Senfe-. And befides, fuch Parliaments, we may have,/ which God forbid/ that may overturn our Claim of Right. : If this be the Cafe,Where hath the -Presbyterian Government a greater Security, .than it can- have by'an Ad of. the- Parliament of Great Britain and a; Fundamental Article of the "Union? If it is fecure in the Inch- ■ Hations-af the People, it will be more fo, when joined 1 with the powerful Intereft of the Whig-Party in England, ■•whato Bal- lance the- Incroachmems- of the HighMyerc, , muft and' Will- 1 import it* 'The: Presbyterians have, feveral times- ventured-'' - ' tliek their Lives,, and Eftates, -'for their Principles: What then - fhould move any to attempt an Alteration in our Church Go¬ vernment after the Union, fince what I have mentioned, will render it fo difficult; efpecially when wefhall lie at a great¬ er diftance from the Seat of Government ? Upon the whole Matter,I think there’s noneed for fuchFears, fince thereby wefeem to diftrufttheProvidence of God,and be¬ wray a Diffidence in that Charafter of Excellency, we give to our Church. For il it be the True Church, it may indeed be under an Eclipfe for a while, but its Light can never be ex- tingui/hed, as fome would have us to believe, if fo be we are fo blind as not to difcern our Friends from our Enemies.- Your id: Objection, is upon the imaginary Difcredit we un¬ dergo, in ceafing to be an Ancient Sovereign Kingdom. The Objection is very popular;for Sovereignty and Antiqui¬ ty, are words that found very high, and receive a great Va¬ lue from the Generality of Mankind. We have the Honour indeed to pretend to ChaJlitj , (as fome call it) having ne¬ ver been Conquered ; but this Ihould ferveonly to entice us to imitate the Conduft of a chafte Virgin, who, becaufefhe fears her own Weaknefs, and wantofRefolution to continue long in that Condition, prudently enters into Wedlock; by which fort of Union, fhe acquires indeed the Name of being one Flefh with her Husband, yet at the fame time, fhe re¬ mains that very numerical Honourable Perfon that fhe was before. If one fhould offer this Advice to a poor Sf>am{b Don, that he knew of a honourable Employment for him to follow, which tho it fhould chance to mifs of making him prodigioufly rich,- yet it wou’d afford a plentiful Livelyhood to him and his Po- fterity, iffobehe would lay afide his Idlenefs, ftrutting De¬ portment, and grand Paw, accompanied with mighty Boafts of his Noble Blood, and fplendid Titles; I make no doubt, B but ( - 10 y . but the Don would be ready to cut, his Advifer^s Throat, for offering fuch-an Indignity to his perfon and Family, tho all the World befides, ( every thing confideredj wou’d look u- port it as a very friendly and reafonable Counfel. Ileave you to apply thefe Similes; and if they do not ap. pear fo ferious as the Dignity of this Subject- wou ? d ieem to require, you will as leaft allow, that they contain an Anfwer much of a piece with the Objection, - ' But if there be any thing of rnoment in our Sovereignty and Antiquity, I believe you’ll think, that neither of them are loft in an Incorporating Vnion with England , if.fo be you wilt agree with the Learned Grot ins , dejur: belli & pads, lib: i: cap: y. § 9. which take in his owp words, ■ Quod fi quando uniantar duo Populi non jmittentur jura fed communic'abuntur, ftcut Sabinorum, deinde Albanorum . jus in Ro¬ manos tramfujum eft, & ana facia respublicd , at Livins loqui¬ tur. Idemque cenfendam de Regnis qiu non feedere, aut eo dun- taxat quod regem communem habeant fed vera unit ate junguntur. This is fo plain, that it needs noCommentar, and we have reafon to think, that tho the old' Sabini and Jlbani Incorpo¬ rated with the Romans, yet their Pofterity were"no lefs Re¬ markable for Honour and Antiquity, than they were before; tho they cou’d notad any more, in a feparate way from the Nation they had united with. ' , '. Your jd; Objection is upon the Lofs of our Parliaments; ' which leads me again in, to confider. a Federal Vnion, with refpe&to two Schemes I have heard of it. . The FirII, is that wherein there may be a Continuation of ihe Parliaments in both Kingdoms, inftru&ed with the fame Powers they have at this time. From this fort of Union, there will arife an Equality of all Taxes, Duties, Cuffoms and Excifes, fince a Communicati¬ on of Ttade will neceflarily infer thefe on both Kingdoms, and - from from thence will follow this natural Confequence, That this Union can never be lafting,unlefs theParliament of Scotland fol- low the Hoot heps of the Parliament of England, in every Par¬ ticular relating to Publick Affairs; and tho we Ihould fuppofe each Parliament to have a Negative, yet that will fignifie as little to Scotland , as it does to the feven United-Provinces ; for it is very well known, that the Province of Holland influences all the other , fix at its pleafure, becaufe it pays more than a Half of all the pubiiclcTaxes and Burdens: So’we in Scotland may much more expe& the fame, when England pays near 40 times mere than we. / .The Second Sort of Federal'Union is, That both Kingdoms - retain their Parliaments, but that all things relating.to pub- lick Laws, Taxes, Trade, Peace and War, Leagues and Al¬ liances, (hould be lodged in the hands of Her Majefty and Her Succelfors, affifted.by the Advice and Confent of a certain Number of Perfons, to be equally cholen out of both King¬ doms, under the Name of the Parliament of Great-Brjtain, or -any other we fhall think fit. By this Federal-Union, you fee all the Powers taken from .-the Parliaments in ■ Scotland and England , except thefe of ta¬ king care of the Eftablilhed Church Government, Laws rela¬ tive to private Rights and Appeals; for befides thefe they will have none, if it be not to be fo far fubfervient to'the Par¬ liament of Great-Briuin , as to fee its Laws and Ads put in execution. If you think, that a 3d. Scheme may be made up of both thefe, viz. That both Parliaments Ihould retain their pre- fentPowers, but that a common Reprefentation Ihould be chofen out of both Kingdoms, to -determine in Differences that may happen between the Parliaments. You will run into a thoufand Difficulties about the Management of that Pro- ,je&; which you will.eafily difcover, if you defcend into ail . the Particulars of their feveral Powers, ; Now if .any oi thefe Schemes pleafe you, let qje ask you ■two Queftions. i ft. What Security will the Church Government have in our,-own Parliaments, when the Adminiftration of publick ■Affairs comes to be taken out of our hands, and-that Bijbops can then be but ufelefs Tools, tho they were fitting in our Parliaments, fince.: they were not to give Votes lor burden¬ ing us with Cefs and other Duties, nor confent for exalting the Prerogative, and diminifhing the Liberties of the Sub- •:je£fs ? for its plain by. the firft Scheme, that our Parliaments mull follow the. Meafures of that in ..England, . and by the id. ■Scheme, .the lead:, fhadowof Adminiftration in publick Bufi- ne.fs : comes, to., be .taken away, add devolved upon the com¬ mon Reprefentation oi Great-Britai/i. -; zdly. How can we expeft, that ever Engl/tnd will agree to any of thefe federal V.»iom l Since .by. the firft,its a thouland to one, but the Parliaments divide .and bring the. two Nations intoconfufion; lor the contrary cannot bg luppofed, unlefs at the .fame, time we 'agree, that: our'..Parlia.mgnt. fbajl follow, •whatever Meafures. .the Parliament of .England..R i&Vl take; which.will.be more dilbonourable focus, than.any thing can •be pretended inan Incorporating Vnion... . • . And .the fecond Scheme.of this \EtderdVmon has this infu- perable Difficulty, that the 513 Commoners, who now com- .pofe the Houfe.of’Gdmmonsin £«^/^i,. will never be brought •without. open force, .to .quite with the Adminiftration of ;publick Affairs,, and have their Powers devolved upon any Parliament or Legiflative Power above them. ■.: If you.confxder the Difficulties, in .thefe Queftions, and roa- -ny .others :that. will, eafily occurr,; you may .foon determine your felf, as to what fort ef Union will be moft for the Ho- noer flour of Scotland, and the Intereft of the whole Iffand of Great-Britain. There is indeed lets difficulty about continuing our Parlia¬ ments to change any thing necelfary in the Laws relating to private Rights, and to determine in Appeals; but every body may fee,even in that Cafe,that our Parliament muff be fubjecu to the Parliament of Great-Britain ; and in the next place, when publick Bufinefs is taken out of our hands, the Mem¬ bers of fuch a Parliament will not think it worth while to Meet; neither can any. Penalties, put upon them who will not meet, fignify any thing, fince the Executive Power will be lodged in Her Majefty and Her Sacceffors, whopoflibly'will take care'they fhould meet very.. feldom, to avoid giving any Occafion of Differences that may happen between our Parliament and that of Great-Britain, upon'imaginary Abu- fes, Encroachments, and Violations of the - Articles, of the Treaty. Your Fourth Objection is, That the Treaty impingesupon bur Ancient Laws, Fundamental Conftitutions, and particu¬ larly the Claim of Right. No body can expect, That our Laws will meet with a bet¬ ter Fate than the Scriptures, which are ordinarly wrefted in¬ to a hundred different fenfes, to fupport as many various O- pinions. I know the ftrength of the Objection lyes, againfl: taking away of our Parliament, and devolving its Power: upon a Parliament of Great Britain ; and I yield, that the en¬ deavouring to take away any of the Three Eftates isTreafon by our Law ;. but I challenge any Man to fliow me aLaw a- gain ft dimiftifhing the number of the Reprefentatives that compofe each State; or any Actagainft adding the Three E- ftates fo diminifhed in -their - numbers, - to the Parliament of England,, and ."fo to- compofe the. Parliament off GreatBritain z For as there’s no La w. againft encreafingthe /Vumbers of each; ( H ) State, fo there’s none againftdiminifhing them; noranyhin- derance, why .the dumber.of the Peers that Sit in Parliament may not be reduced to 16, and the Barons and Burrows to 45. And as for joining our Parliament to that of England, it feems confonant to the very Opinion of thefe Learned Law¬ yers, whofe Sentiments have fo induftrioufly been handed about feme Weeks ago, to the Conviction of none, but thefe who were as much byaffed as we may fuppofe the Advocates "of Kings to be, when their Sovereign’s great Maxim of State runs upon the old Rule, Divide & mpera. - By which,they muft endeavour to keep Kingdoms feparate, forattaining to the finishing Stroke of Empire; I mean Ar¬ bitrary and Defpotick Powerj whereby they make one Mti- on rub upon another; till they crumble both into Duft. Your 5 thi Objection is, That our Reprefentation will be fo fmallin the Houfe of Commons of the Parliament of Great- Britain , that the Englijb may Out-v.ote . us,, to the difeourage- ment of every thing that is the Product of this Kingdom, as of our Linnen, Black.Catt el , and Hemng-Fijhings. This, is founded upon a bare Suppofition without the leaft fhadow of a Probability; and tho we had feme Grounds for thefe Jealoufies, yet greater Probabilities on the other fide muft alwifeballance our Determinations. Allow me to make but one Suppofition, that is, That the ancient Rules of Reprefenting in the Englijb Parliament were laid afide, in order to deliberate upon new ones; I fuppofe thefe of the Shire of Middlesex , wherein are contained the Ci¬ ties. of London and Weftminfter, might juftly pretend to a greater Number than Cornwal now reprefented by 44, be- eaufe of bearing a much greater Proportion of thepublick Burdens of England-, and yet it is not probable, that fucha Reafon wou’d obtain, fince England l'uffers very little by thefe unequalReprefentations in the Parliament. The The fame Parity of Reafon will hold in the Conftitution of the Parliament of Great.-Britain ; for the. Shire .of Middlesex will have far greater, reafon to Complain than Scotland, fince it contains near as many Inhabitants, is vaftly Richer, and will'pay at lead ten times more of the publick Burdens of Great-Britain, and yet in the Parliament it will be Reprefent- ed only by 8 ; whereas Scotland will be reprefented by 45. Butfuppofe the whole Parliament of Scotlandwas affumed in its full xMembers, yet our Barons and Burrows wou’d make up. little more than a Fourth part of the Houfeof Commons of Great-Britain-,.So that you fee,let us put our Reprefeotation in what fhape wepleafe, yet if England will violate the facred .Ties of an Union, and join to opprefs us, it will be. impoflible to prevent it; bnt this lad is no more to befuppofed, than that the English will ruineand deftroy themfelves, by the Fa¬ ctions and Divifions that muft inevitably happen upon a Breach between the Two Nations. . The Cafe being, that we cannot fignifie much tho the Par¬ liaments were joined in their full Numbers, I cannot fee why we fliouid delire it, fince it is certain, that our Reprefenta- tives wou’d carry at lead One hundred thoufand Pounds der- ling yearly out of the. Kingdom,- befides giving great Difcon- ragements in our Manufactures and Inland Confumpt by their :abfence, which by no., means pou’d be ballanced with any Advantages we cou’d reap, by our full Reprefentation; ana for that very . Reafon' I am: afraid, that we have alrea¬ dy too many, and am of Opinion, that the.more we are dif- - couraged from coming up to Court,, the greater Advantage, will redound to Scotland . As for your Fears of difcouragingour Linen Manufactures* Black-Cattel, and’Herring Fishings, I know they are occafi- oned by fome of our \ax.t Authors,. who pretend, that,there may be fome interfiering Intereds on.tllepart of England, to' difo ( I< ) difcourage thefe Branches of our ProduCt, as that the Matters of the Woollen Manufactures will endeavour to bring in the Cuftom amongft us of burying in Woollen, to the difcourage- ment of our Linen; and that the Breeders of Black-Cartel in England, will endeavour to difcourage the importing of ours, and that thefe concerned in the Pitchard Herring Fifhings, will, oppofe the fetting up of Fifhings for white Herrings in this Kingdom. As to the firft I am of Opinion, That tho the Cuftom of burying in Woollen were introduced amongft us, it wou’d rather tend to our Advantage than to our Lofs; for by the Vnion there will be a Foreign Mercat opened up to us in the Weft.Indies, which will take off a great deal more Linen than we now beftow on the Dead \ fo that our Linen Manufactures can fuffer no prejudice: And the Burying in Woollen will go a great length to confume the fuperfluous Wool in the King¬ dom; for'after the Vnion, it will be much better to Export the Linen which we now bury under Ground, than let our Wool rote, becaufe it can. neither be Manufactured nor Exported. That Suppofition about the Difcouragement of our Black- Cattel, proceeds (I believe) from.a Miftake in point of Fact ’."for it has.not been out of Kindnefs ,to this Nation, nor from any liking to Scots Beef, that the Engliftx have hitherto taken of our Black-Cattel; but the true Reafon was for the the Improvement of their Grounds, fince our Cattel thrive and grow fat upon the Refufeof their Grafs, which neither, thefe of England or Ireland will tafte j fo that upon this head, there never can be any interfiering. • As for the Difcouragement of our Herring Filheries for en¬ couraging their Pilchards, there’s far lefs-probability; for it is not what the Englijh pleafes to Encourage or Difcourage, that will be the Rule of Choice in Foreign Mercats, there being no comparifon between thefe. two Sorts of Herrings; fo that there there will be alwife greater Demands for ours, andconfe- quently not the lea ft lhadow of Reafon, todilcourage a Scots Product of that nature, which will tend more to the enriching the IJland of Britain, than all the Bast and Weft India Planta¬ tions. . Your 6 tk Objection is, That the Union will o'ccafion great Devaluations in Scotland, and particularly in Edinburgh ; for: that great Numbers of our Nobility and Gentry will refide in England, which will occafion the finking of our Rents both in City and Country, and tend to the Difcouragementpf Trades¬ men and Labourers. This I confefs is a heavy Charge againft an Vnion ; but if things be narrowly confidered, the contrary will with grea¬ ter probability appear; for if an Vnion bring us Trade and Bufinefs, which I have many Reafons to beiievej then there muft certainly -follow a proportionable increafe of our Inha¬ bitants. For inftance, if Shipping increafe in the Firth of Forth, then mulf the City of Edinburgh profper and never till then; efpecially fince it is to continue the Seat of our Ecclefmjlick and Civil Judicatures. I wou’d not have you think, tha t Edinburgh- will go to ruine by the want of our Parliament; for Experience may tell us, that it never was in betterCircumll:ances,than when ourPar- liaments met but once in 5 or 6 Years, and never in worfe, but fince they met fo frequently ; for it is well known to ma¬ ny of the Burghers, that a Sefiion is of more general Advan¬ tage, both to the City and the Country about, than a Parli¬ ament. And pray, what Reafon have you to think, that more of our People will live in England after ; the Vnion, than at this time; for that can never be, unlefs we fhall fuppofe, there will be lefs Trade and Employment in S tot land alter the Union C than thanat thistime;fortho’it may happen thatffeveralsdpw, living m'S cot land may. go oftner, to England,yet in their,place feveraf thoufands ofour Countr,y*men now living England, veov?&: come down to us, if they, but faw. a Poffibility of getting Bread. If we. wou’d'reafon juftly upon/this -Head, we ought.to refleft on the Condition of Ireland-;: For tlio. their unhappy: Circumftances in.Point of Trade makes a fcarcity of Money - among them, and tho by reafon , of their Subjection and en-i tireDependance on,England, they have many Oecafions for, attending the Court ; yet notwithftanding of. thefe Difcou- ragenients, that Nation inoreafes daily in : People, and I am credibly informed, that its Capital City Dublin has almofl doubled its Buildings and Inhabitants within thefe 50 Years. Tbetrue Reafon of all this is partly, becaufe Ireland is a plen¬ tiful Country,.'and: partly because, of their Trade , and. Ship-? -ping, which tho’much bounded and reftri&ed" by England yet is vaftly greater than ours... * 'You fay, What Encouragement will Trades.men .have here, when aiter.thejy«io» nothingbu.t what. is.Englijh will pleafe us ? But I am much perfwaded, that the Vnion will have a quite contrary effort / For. with .greater; probabi. lity it may be thought, that ; the foolifh unreafonabie.Edge of defiring Foreign Things, will fall between us and England , fjnce after-the ;Vnion we come tovhe one Kingdom and one People, and- by confequence will have all forts, of things made aswell amongft. ourdelves!as at London So that in..thafCafe there will be no more difference.made between our Work¬ men and thefe of England, than there is between thefe ofiVeiv- tiijlle and thefo^of London. r - ; > You’ll; never obferve at London., $cots~me#’$Wwk. difcredit- ed beeaufe of theff Countr.y y yet here amongft : our felves fonie think they cando 'nothingright, which - is either an ill ' ground- i *y / grounded OpinioPj; or if true, we.occafion it our Telves by difc'ouragirig them fo much. But * after the ynion f when we, fall into more Bufinefs, there will be an Intercourfe of Work¬ men as well as other things, which will be found to tend botli for the Honour and Improvement of thefe who now live a- mongft us: So that there can never enfue-any Depopulation: On chat account. '• Neither does it hold,, that Countries and Cities lying at. a, diftance from the Seat of Government,. are.’ poorand rnifera- ble; tor if thefe Countries or Cities have a Subject of Trade with the Conveniences of Firths, Bays and Harbours, they muff thrive in fpight of all Dilcouragements; An In dance whereof we.have of theCities of MarfeiUes and Tiw«/ given, will both bring us in Money, and keep a good Me¬ dium in this Country between Scarcity and too great Plenty. ik/ariy other things I cou’d mention, but fhall infift upon our Fifhings, and Ihew you, That an Improvement that way will not depend upon a bare Poftibility and a may'be: but muft as certainly be, as it’s certain a knowing undemanding Mer¬ chant muft follow out that, which is moil for his Advantage. All our Proje&s about Fifhings, have feveral ways Mifcar- ried, but chiefly becaufe we wanted Stocks fufflcient enough to fet about fuch Undertakings; for in Fifhing to any pur- pofefor the Advantage ofour felves, or our Country, we muft be fatisfied with a very fmall Gain, fuch as 5 or 6 per Cent. which can never fucceed well amongft thofe that Fifh with fmall Stocks. For inftance, a Man that has a Stock of 20000 Merks, if he fets about Fifhing, and will be fatisfied with the Dutch Pro* fit, 6 per Cent, then he makes yearly izoo Merks, with which he gets a Subfiftance for his Family; but a Man that has only 10006 Merks, muft by Hook & Crook, as me fay , make 12 per Cent. orelfehe cannot live: This is only tofhow you,That without great Stocks, We can fignify little to let up fuch a Fifhing Trade, as will be of any Advantage to the’ Kingdom ; and fince we have not fuch, we muft feek the Af- fiftance of our Afoghhours, who upon the event ofan Union, both will, and muft fet about it, to fave vaft Sums of A/bney, which at.prefent they yearly are obliged to carry in to Sweden, Demark, and Norway, to purchafe what isnecelfary for them of the Produft of thefe Countries. A 7 ow to demonftrate to you, what Advantages this will be to Scotland, I shall take it at its worflr ViewAnd I do after t, T hat if England t should fet about a Herring Fishing, Scotland should gain extreamly by it, tho’ there was not one. Scots jk/an employed in the undertaking.' • '' m T© ' - , /' Toprove r this,T shallfuppbfe, that fome^E hglish Merch- •antsin London should joinin letting up this Trade, and . for that end should'build 300 Herring Bushes in the Thames, a greater or ielfer Number.; l hefe being Ecjuipt with En¬ glish Sailers, and all MateriaJsOeeeflary for Fishing are fent •down to the Coaft ofiS’w/toW : And after they have taken as -many Laft of Herrings as poffible they can, they carry them to the ufual Merca ts, in Poland, Sweden and Denmark ; and Iiaving Sold them, they purchafe' chiefly Malls, Planks, Dails, and -Iron, with other Materials for Shipping. A'ow, it is certain, that thefe bulky GOods c-an never be returned •to England in any other but Ships of Burden; therefore thefe Pushes cannot go back- to the-Thames again, but mull for e- ver remain in Scotland, For to w’hai purpofe shall we ima¬ gine, that-their Owners will bring them to England, through-all the Hazards of a long Voyage, and fend them back yearly to'the Fishing, when with as -much Safety, lefs Trouble, and perhaps lefs Expenfe, -they may remain conftantly in Scotland ? - Which if they dp, very confiderable Sums will be yearly fent down for their Maihtainance,- befides the building of Harbours,, and perhaps of Villages for their Convenience: Now, if fuch Advantages will accrue to us, tho’ we have no Concernment in that Trade, what will we not gain, when our Merchants and ; Seamen shall be joined with the E»£/AMor promotting fuchaVational Advantage?- There needs be no fuch Obje&ions made here, as, How are m jure the English will help us in our Fishing ? And why did they not do it before, fin ce_ they were both in Liberty and Safety ? For they muft do it, as I told you already, to fave the Export of their Money, and.to make ah eafy Purchafe of all the prOduft of the-Northern Kingdoms. The \ *5 } ■ The-Hollanders Fish yearly upon our .Seas,Herrings to the- value ofaMillionS^r//»gand above,which furnilhes.them with all their Materials foir Shipping, Corns, and other Neceffar ies; fo that for a little Labour, they enjoy what cofts England infi-' nite Sums; wherefore we may eafily fee aiVeceffity for them, to fall into that Trade: And. tho’ the Hollanders have gotten the ftart, and are now in a Condition. toFilh cheap,yet a few > Years will enable, theIlland. of Britain,, to Fifla to better Ad¬ vantage, and fo by degrees.enhanfe that valuable Treafure. .. The Reafonswhy the EnglijJo did not attempt this Herring Filling before,, are very:obvious, lor they know it cou’d ne¬ ver: be done to any Advantage, if they did not join, with the Sfpts.ini.ty fince the 'Hollanders were before hand, with them'; and if they joined with us,, their Stocks wou’d always be in Danger,, fo long.as we continued a feparate People, and un-; der diftind Governments, but a happy "Union muft necef- farly alter the Cafe, and remove all Jealoufies.from among us* . Befidesthis fort, of Fifhing, there • are others which will deferve.Encouragement: As likewile many fmallerBranches of our Produd, which ly now negleded becaufe we wan| Stpcksj-Hearts, and Hands to.fet about; them.. But after, the Uniony we-have all theReafpn inthe .World to. believe,; that fince the.improving of Scotland , will both tend. to. the Honour; and Intereft. of Great Britain, there will not be wanting, what ever fhall be thought Neceffary for that end ; jSo.that, witf* many folid Reafons,we may conclude,That by this Union, the Inhabitants of Scotland will.be entreated;, both ip City .'.and Country, and by confeqnence, there will arife a proportion¬ able improvement of our Rents.- : .. Your 8 ib. Objedion is upon the Burden of the English Ex* eifes, that fhall take place after the Vnion* I know, there were great. Endeavours,ufed by the. Scots; 'fcommijjiows at Lohdon t .For clearingthis-Matter^ia;^ : ’ Scots ' V / Scots Tippony Me might be reckoned as fmalIBeer,and pay the Excife accordingly, but all to no purpofe. I wilh with ail my Heart, that had been granted; not lb much that I ap¬ prehend it will bee an unfupportable Burden to us: but be- caule it wou’d have calmed our Jealoufies and Fears, and given a more peaceable and cheartul beginning to an Vnion. . However, I doubt not to make it evident, that this .Matter is pot fo terrible as appears to many, who are not acquainted with the EngHjb .Methods of paying. Excife, nor with the Eafes that are given in Collecting it. - The Excife offtrong Bear and Ale in England, is 4 f. & 9 d. fieri-, the Barrel, which confifts of 54 Engtijh Gallons; and this Barrel runs between 94 and 98 Scots Pints, according to the moftexaft Computations that ever were made of it. All Beer and Ale-brown above the value of6/ the Barrel, pays this Excife in England, fo that our Tippony Ale feem's to fall under that Denomination and Regulations. That which is called fmall Beer and Ale in England,and is in my Opinion, as good as our Tippony Ale , pays only 15 Pence the Barrel. I have given you the full extent of the English Exciles, which tho’ their Brewers do not confider as intolerable Ex« a&iohs; yet lor their own eaie and profit they commonly e- lude them.by brewing a fmall Quantity of very ftrong Beer, and mixing it up to a greater Quantity of a fmaller fort,hav- . ing paid the Excife before the Mixture. But I ihali not infill on that Method, tho’ I’m convinced if it was ufed in Scotland, our Ale Ihould fall no dearer after the Vnion than it is at this time. I know fome People have induftrioufly fpread about,That after th q Vnion, our Ale which now gives i fh. Scots the Pint, will then give Six-pence or a Groat at leaft; To ’tis no great Wonder to hear fiich Murmurings amongft People, when they they are milled by Lies and Mifreprefentations. Buttofhow. you how little reafon there is for fuch Out.cries, I {hall take this Excife at its worft View, and demonftrate,That tho the ’English wou’d make us pay the great Excife of 4 j^.and gd. the Barrel for our Two-pence -Ale; yet after the Union it will be fold with all the ordinary Profits to the Brewers and Re- • tailers,. for 2 sh. and 4 d. Scots at moft. In the firft place then you muft know, That by Ad of Par¬ liament there are allowed over all England 2 Barrels in 23, which gives a confiderable eafe, viz. of 9 sh: and 6 d.JlerL in that Quantity; Next, Thowefhould compute 94 Scots Pints only to be in an English Barrel, which is the' loweft Computation that has' been made; yet even in that Cafe, our Pint will be burthen- ed at molt but with 8 Pennies Scots : And from this we may ealily confider, what the price of each Pint will come to. The common Rate of the Pint of Tippony Ale is now computed after this manner ; 1 fh.Sco^ for. the.Malt, 2 pern nies for the Fire, and 2 pennies for the Brewer’s Labour,in all 16 pennies Scots ; and if the Brewer pay the Excife of 3 pen¬ nies on the Pint, as is fettled by our Law, then he is 0- bliged to take from the Retailers about 18 or 20 Pennies for the Pint. This Ale afterwards, by reafon of the Profit the Retailer muft have, comes to be Sold for 22 pennies, or Tippons at moft. . You fee here, that the Brewer values his Ale only at 16 pennies, before he pays the Excife; Now, the Scots Excife falling after the Union, there muft be payed by him the 8 pennies on the Pint, which is the Englifh Excife ; So that he canot afford his Ale to the Retailers under Tippons, and the Retailers, becaufe they muft have fome Profit, cannot fell it under 2/. and 2 d. Scots , or Tippons and a Plack at the D very ........ 7 26 J very outmoft; So that you may obferve, that all the Me¬ lancholy Accounts that have been given of this Affair, come to be very ill Grounded, when the Matter is fully confider- ed. Have we not had Annexed and Additional Excifesupon our Ale to 5 pennies injthe Pint ?and over and above all that, an Allowance of z pennies more to fomeof our chief Burrows; fo that the Excife in thefe Places, amounted to 7 penniesSco/j; Do we then conclude, that the Englijh Excife of 8 pennies will entirely ruin us, when our Tradeand Bufinefs fhall be encreafed,.andconfequently our Money a great deal more plentiful than at this time? Let us likewife confider, that the Exeifes of England are vColle&ed with the fame Eafes as they are in Scotland , and not at-all exa&ed according to the Rigour of the law. As likewife, that their Country Brewers are nor abufed by the Excife-men; for the NeighbourGentlemen who are Juftices of Peace, Judge and Determine in all their Differences, which after the Union, by an exprefs Article in the Treaty, will be done by our own Court of Exchequer, who cannot be fup- jpofed to Treat us with Rigour in a Matter of this kind. Yet notwithftanding of all I have faid, itmuft be acknow¬ ledged,it will be aBurden both upon theHeretors,&theBrewers: but not fo great as was pretended;and the lefs. ftill,that weliope fuchEncouragements will be given by way of Draw-back upon the exporting of our Grains,that they cannot Jy as a' Drugupon our Hands. • However, I am ftill in hopes, that after the Union, all our Tipponie Ale will be computed only as fma 11 Beer, and confequently will pay only 15 Pence the Barrel, which will b,e 1 z Pence cheaper than now. Your 6 th. Gbje&ion is,- That, our being lyable to equal Cuftomswith the Englijbji will bo a heavy Burden to Scot¬ land.. ' In In Anfwer to which, I defire you to take notice, That the Cuftoms affed nothing but Foreign Goods & Luxury, and that all the P.rodud of Britain will be free to the Inhabitants, of any ImpOfition whatfoever; fo that, if we defign to fatif- fy ourfelvesas to our Meat, Drink, Furniture, and Apparel, with fuch things as are of the Produd of Great Britain , then we (hall not be fenfible of what you call a heavy burden; but if there are any amorigft us, w‘ho muft have thefe Foreign Materials of Luxury, I hope they will prove- to be Perfons of confiderable Wealth, and fo ought in Rea fon to pay Dear for their Extravagancies. I grant we want neceffarily fomethings from abroad, for which we muft pay dearer Cuftoms after the Union, than we doatprefent, fuch as , Iron, Lint-feed, Hemp, Sugar, Tobacco Tar, Pitch, Cotton, Copper, Mafis, Dails, Planks, and fome O' ther things perhaps not abfolutely necelfary, but even the Duties of thefe have been moft unfairly reprefented to the Nation, by reafon of grofs Miftakes, as to the Englijh. Rates, which were afterwards acknowledged. . However, we fee a Pamphlet fpread about within thefe two or three Days, making a Comparifon between the Scots and English Cuftoms, wherein, tho’ the Author has aded a better part than many others, yet he is not without Partiali¬ ty in fome of his Accompts •, and in others, efpecially that of. the Equivalent, entirely miftaken. I iliall only take notice here of the Duties he makes of Iron and Lint-teed, as being thefe which make the greateft noife. That of Iron in Scotland, hejjmakes to be io jb. fieri: and 4 d, the Tun, and in England, il.ijfi fieri. I cannot difprove the thing, and yet it needs create very little Trouble. For Firfi, After the Union we may have Iron free of Duty from the Englijh Mines, if we pleafe. And in the next place, ad. mittting we fliould pay 1 /. 6 f. fier. and 8 d. more for the D 2 Tun ( 28 ; Tun of Iron after the Vn'ton than at prefent; yet ’tis certain, this wou’d be no great Burden, Twee all Scotland does not confume yearly above 450 Tuns at 2090 l. Weight the Tun. • The Duty of a Hogshead of Lint feed in 'Scotland, is, if fieri: and 8 d. and in England he makes it 4 f. which by the by, is a Miftake in 2 f. and yet 6 f lower than it was called at firft ; but admitting it was 4/. the Hogshead. I cannot fee-how it-cou’d difcourage our Linnen Manufactures, fince ■after the Vnion they will enjoy what will be of greater Ad¬ vantage to them, than that Duty can be of Lois, viz. The Duties taken off their Linnen,when carried into England. But you cannot expeft that Men will be jufter to: the Na¬ tion, than they are to GOD Almighty for we commonly Repine for what we want, but are feldom or never Thankful for what we have ; nor do we ballance our-Lofles on way by our Profits another. As for the Duties of all the other above-mentioned Foreign neceffkrs, I own that fome oF them will prove greater than now: And’tis very plain, that fome of them will be Cheaper, fuch as Tobacco, Sugar and Tar : But in. fhort, as to all Cuftoms whatfomever,! give you the following:two Particu¬ lars to confider upon, That you may form juft Notions of the Cuftoms in General, before you deibend into particulars. itm That tho’ the Cuftoms in the Engtifb Book of Rates, are valued atthehigheft, yet they are exaded like our own, with very confiderable Eafes to the Merchants, fuch as, par¬ ticularly a Difcount of 10 per Cent, upon all punctual Pay¬ ments and ready Money and 15 per Cent . as a Difcount upon ready payments of the Duties , on Salt. ' 2 do-.- That tho’ the Cuftoms whomever, fo great and ri- goroufly exabled in England, yet. if Scotland defign to Unite with that. Kingdom, either byan Incorporating or Federal V/icn, we muft refclve to pay equally with them all Bur¬ dens that do, or may affect-Trade. For the natural prelimi¬ nary / 29 ) nary of a happy Union, is Equality in all Duties that-may influence Trade ; fo that one Kingdom may notunderfeland ruin another.' And 'tis to.no purpofe to enquire, for what Reafons andCaules thefe Burdens are laid on, ftnee ’tis cer¬ tain they muft be paid equally By all: But I fhall trouble you no more of this, till I fall upon anfwering your DifficuU ties as’ to the Equivalent. Your 9th Obje&ion is upon the Equivalent, wherein . you frame the tollowing Queries and Difficulties, which I fhall anfwer in their order. ... Q ii mo. You ask me, Why are we engaged to pay our part of the Englifh Debts, face that feems to be a piece of Injujlice tp Scotland ? . R. There is an abfolute neceffity for this, hecaufe if we unite, and have a Communication with the Englijh in their Trade, we muft (as I have faid already) pay equal Duties and Cuftoms with them; now many of thefe. :Duties ancl Cuftoms are impofed for Payment of the Engl/jh Debts, whereby the paying of their Debts and the paying of their Cuftoms come to be infeparable; And this. is. fo neceflary, that tho’ a Federal Union werc pra6licable, .and we were to unite in fuch; yet there .wou’d be a. neceffity to pay .our ■Proportion of their Debts by the fame Rule, that we were ,to pay their Cuftoms .; But how. can .-we fuffer any more by this than you wou’d do, ifl fhould defire you to pay a hun¬ dred Pounds ofmay Debt, providing I gave y.ou .firft the.Mo- ney to pay it with? 'The Cafe is the fame, with refpeef to .the Equivalent and the Engiijh Debts, fince all the Sums we pay for that end will eh her be advanced to us or repaid. " Q. 2, Why then .is not the Equivalent given .to-.the Merchants and thefe other Perfons- who pay theje Duties ? ■ R . The Equivalent is given to Scotland■, but cannot be. gi¬ ven to thefe who pay the Duties, for that .wou’d be the taking •with .one hand and giving with another, whereby there wou’d ( 3 ° ) wou’d enfue a prodigious Inequality,between the Scots arid Englifb Traders: For Inftance, If a Wine-Merchant in Scot, -land jhould pay Englifb Duty upon 1 the Wine, but immediate¬ ly thereafter have the fame returned back to him again,then ’tis plain, that the Wine-Merchants in Scotland wou’d ruin all thefe in England, and the fame will hold with refped to all other Merchandize. . . . . Q: 3 tio. Why is the Equivalent that is mentioned in the Mi¬ nutes, viz. 398085 lib: iofh.Sterl. [0 muchvalued, ftncewe are to pay it back again for the Debts of England in aTerm of Tears. ■ R. We are to have this Equivalent not as the Price of Sel- ling'our Country, as fome maliciOufly fay, but upon a very juft and honourable Reafon, viz. Becaufe it is to be paid back again in a Term of Years for the Englifb Debts: And we ought to value if, becaufe it is a Loan for fetting us up to Trade, which I doubt extremely could be raifed.upon any Ad of Parliament in Scotland, there being fcarce the third of that Sum in the whole Nation. And, pray tell me, If you were a Merchant, and were a little decayed as to your Stock, wou’d you not think your felf obliged to any Man that wou’d give you Money to fet up with ; and could you take it ill, if ypu was to pay back 1 the Money in the fpace of 15 Years? F believe, every Body would think the Lender did you a kind- nefs, and I think you’ll not difcern any Difparity inthirtwo Cafes. Q:4. How are mfuretoget this Equivalent 1 R-^ Yery fure, fince the Publick Faith of England will be deeper engaged by a folemn Treaty, than by any Ad of Par¬ liament: Now it's certain, tl#t England rnuft be very nice as to its Credit; for if ever it lhould lofe that Reputation, hich.it has gained, that Nation would be ruined for ever ; but we have a fufficient proof of their Publick Faith, lince there‘s never a Man in England but would rather lend his , - ' Money Money to the Publick than to any private Perfons, tho upon ■ the beft Security; no Nation in the World being more juft and punctual in their Payments than they. Q; <$to. Will that Equivalent be fent down to Scotland in fpecie? R Perhaps notin Carts'indeed, tho if we have a mind, we may get it even that way; but fuppofe a part of it fhould be remitted by.Bills, and a part fent down in fpecie-, Yet that will not alter the Cafe: For perhaps fome Merchants here will defire fome part of that Money to be paid to them at London. Q: 6 lo. Will not People who are to get their Shares of that mo- '• ney , be cheated by the Commijjioners , who by the Treaty are to difi pofe of it here ? R. ’Tis very improbable they .{ball, fince it will be‘the Honour and Intereftof the Parliament o f Great-Britain to.fee; , that Money paid horieftly in to thefe who have Right thereto,, .by -reafon of their being concerned in the Scots Publick Debts, . or African Company. . Q. y mo. Will we get no other Recompenfe for engaging in our proportionable Burden of the Englifh Debt, except that Sum of ' 398085 lib. xb fh. Sterl. fince we maychance to pay a greater Pro - portion of thefe Debts, than is calculatedwhen our Cufioms and Excifes jhall encreafe ? . ~ ~ R. "The Equivalent is calculated upon the Proportion we pay of our prefent Cuftoms, and excifes towards the Englifi : Debts; but if thefe triple, as I have good reafon to believe, they will, upon account of our. entering, under the Englifh Cuftoms, then the Equivalent will be in proportion to their Rife, and confequently worth in Value about 1194156. lib.. 1-0 fh, Sterlin ; and when the Salt-Duties take place, or if our Cuftonis and Excifes should be quadrupled or raore,thea the Equivalent would be vaftly greater. Q. Sv<9, Since many of theje Equivalents will falHo be paid a /. fer the V»ion, bow can u>e expeft Jufiice, when the Parliament of Britain will be both Judge and Party ? R. That’s very eafy both in the Conception and in the Practice ; for the Parliament of Britain lias no more to do but to order thefe Equivalents to be fpen't within.. Scotland, for rnaintainingthe Poor, Building of Harbour s and Docks, en¬ couraging of Manufactures and' Ft/Jjings, Building of Towns, Churches , or any other Publick Work's ■ and we may thee'afier conceive this very prafticable, fince the fetting about thefe Publick Works will redound to the Benefit, Intercft and Honour of the whole If and ; but Scotland in particular will reap the Advantage, fince that Money is to be fpent amongfl: our felves, which is all we ought to project, . Q. 9 no. What is the reafon that fome People gave out a few weeks ago, that there were grofs mijtakes in the Calculation of the Equivalent ? R. No Body can be anfwerable for faults in the Printing or Tranfcribingthe Minutes of the Treaty, but when the princi- palCalcul that was adjufted at London, comes to be produced, all Difficulties of that fort will be cleared; Qj io mo. What is the Reafon, that the Scots CommiJJioners for the Union did not forefee, That the Equivalent 0/398088 1 . 1 o fh: Sterlin will be exhau(led in Payments for the Englifh Debts in the /pace of eleven Tears or thereby, as feems to be agreed by two late Pamphlets. ' R. Thefe two Pamphlets run upon a very obvious miftake, for they fuppofe, that we, are to pay Yearly towards the Debts of England 44697 Pounds Sterlin, which wou’d indeed exhauft the Equivalent in eleven Years. But thefe Gentle, men who made that Calcul, did not take notice, that Scot¬ land was to $a.y that Sum : only till September 1710, for after that time we are to pay only about 22716 Pounds; fo that there there will fink *,1:981 ■ Pounds in. Scotland, and in England 982846, thatis fome; more than two Parts of thr'ee.of all the Cuftoms in Britain, in regard that the Debts for which they are appropriated will be paid. But if it fhould happen, that fome.of thefe Debts fhould ftill remain unpaid after September 2710, and that the Parliament of GtQ^Entsdn .fhould be o» bliged by new Ads to continue any of thefe Cuftoms, for compleating their Payment ; in that Cafe Scotland is .to have an Equivalent for. paying their Proportion of thefe Debts, as is exprefly ftipulated by the Treaty. Q; 11. What Advantage, will arife to Scotland from the Equi¬ valents to be, paid after the Vnion,.fince they feem to be but our own Money given back ? .. . . R. I grant that thefe Equivalents are -our own Money, as you fay; but I would have you to confider, that the greateft part of the Money in Scotland, after the Vnion will arife from the Vnion it felf, viz.by a Communication of Trade,and from a Loan ( as yoU call it ) oi 598085; lib: 10 fh: Sterlin , for a Term of Years, which is given chiefly to fet ustoBufinefs. I would have you likeways to confider, that it will be a vaft Advantages Scotland, that w.e are to keep our Money amongft us after.the Vnion, and that it is not all called in to thePublickTreafury ofGre^BrAA^efpecially finceeven with¬ out an Union, it is in tier Majefty’s Power to fend for all; the Money that, arifes from the Cuftoms and Excifes in Scotland , and employ them in England as fhe pleafes; for by our Law both the Cuftoms and the; Excifes of Scotland are annexed to the Crown, and may be difpofed by our Sovereigns at their pleafure. Wherefore thefe Equivalents will be very valuable to us, tho’ they have their Rife from our own Money. : Now I have anfwered all your Queries: But before I leave the Subjed,! lhall give you. the true Anatomy oj the Equivalent E " • to . \ ) to be given to Scotland after the Union; which' in fliort comes to this, That whatever Duties are applied by the English for payment of their Debts, the fame will be applied among us For the Improvement of Scotland :Eoi' tho’ all the Equivalents were fpent upon levelling our Mountains and other as ridicu¬ lous Works, yet being fpent among our felves, they anfwer their chiefDefignyand many thoufands of poor People, Work.men and Trades-me^will thereby get Employments: So that Scotland and England as to this Matter may be com¬ pared to two Men that have confiderable Eftates, but the one far greater than the other; and .let me fuppofethem to have their Rents equally well paid, yet there will be this Difference between the two, that the one who has the great Eftate, has a great deal of Debt, and fo, molt of his Rents will go for payment of his Debts; but the other who has the leffer Eftate, has no Debt, fo that his Rents go to the Im. provement of his Fortune. I fhall not trouble you much more With the; Equivalents, but do intreat you to confider the Minutes of the Treaty , and the Englijh Ads of Parliaments impofing. the feveral Duties, Cuftom.s and Excifes, Whereby you’ll be in a condition ei¬ ther to anfwer your own Scruples, or upon better Reafons to form other new Difficulties: 'And To I’ll proceed to your .nth Objedion againft the Articles of the Treaty. Your nth Objedion is upon the Duties of Salt. I cannot deny but thefe Duties will fall to be heavier af¬ ter the Union than at this tfme,'tho they will: be very far from producing fuch a Sunias is generally pretended, which we may very eafily guefs at by what thefe Duties produce yearly in England, which is not 190000: Now let us confider, that Scotland contains fcarce a 6th part of the People of Eng¬ land, and that after the Union we (hall not have fuch Fleets of Ships to Yid.ua! with Sait Provifioris^as the English haveat this time ; So confequently we cannot well reckon, that the' Duties of Salt in Scotland, will amount to above a tenth of what is confumed in England at this prefent time, which will fall to be about 19500 Pounds yearly. . But fuppofe our Proportion Ihould be much greater, yet Scotland can fuftain no lofs by thefe Duties, fince they are mofHy appropriated for payment of the Debts of England contra&ed before the Union, and eonfequentiy thatwelhall get an Equivalent for them, or rather retain them ftill in Scotland. I fay, we may retain them ftill in Scotland, and the fame of all other • Duties appropriated for the Debts of England , fince ’tis to no purpofe to think, we fhall after the Union fend up what we are immediately to get returned as the E- quivalenttor it is fufficient that thele Duties be raifed u- pon the People, tho they be not fent away to England , be- caufe that anfwers exactly the defign of paying equal Bur* dens in both Kingdoms, viz. that no Part of Britain may urn derfel another. • But whether the Money be fent.away to come back to us again under the name of an Equivalent, or whether it be ,kept in our Treafury of the Equivalents amongft our felves, is juft one and the fame thing both to us and the Englijb , providing the thing be done. This being the. Cafe, .that moftofall thefe Duties will re¬ main amongft our felves, private Perfons who pay thefe,may be a little burdened, yet Scotland can never fuffer, but on the contrary rather gain, fince the Duties arifing from Salt , as well as all other Duties appropriated for the "Debts of England , will be fpent among us on fome publick Works for the Improvement of Scot land. I would have you likeways toconfider, That fince by the Treaty there is an Exemption given ,to us for 7 years from. E 2 , the : . . . I J the Puties oh Sa]t,^there wUPbe bioth'in’ th-at time and after, gfeafDemandstap©fi that Siibje&j very' much to the Advan¬ tage of the Sait-Mafters, when by a happy Union the Inhabi¬ tants of this Kingdom muft-encreafe If which I have already endeavoured to lhow,as the undoubted.Confequcnce of Trade and Bufinefs. ’ ; ' ■ V; - : V ’Tis true, that after the Vnion -wc are by the Treaty de¬ barred for the fpace of 7 Years, to Visual Ships with Provi- fibns faked with our own Sait j but the , Reafon is evident, becaufe we are exeemed from the Duties on our Salt for that lime y and iffo, then a-Tery ; great Inequality would enfue •between the Ships of both Kingdoms in Point of Trade,fince thereby we might provide all Ships with Salted Meat more than a .half cheaper than the Englijh:, and To be able to un- - derfel them in their Trade. . , : • And tho’ our Saltworks, feem. to lie under.' another Dif- eo’uragement, that by our own A&s of Parliament as well ai by the ; Tm*/j,all Fifh exported muft be .cured with Fo¬ reign Salt ;. yet I hope this. may. tend .to. the Advantage of Scotlandf by the 'Reputatioh otir Fifties will 1 have Abroad And- in the mean time I doubt not but our Salt-Mafters- will,fall upon-methods of improving their Salt, r fince. many. People think it 1 might be : brought to as great. Perfection as. that of. France or Spain ,; which if found out,: woii’d prove an i Additiprial Stock pf Riches to this Kingdom.. V Your i2th Objection is,. That the Duties- upon Malt will' le.-Very ! burdenfometo US), : when theytake : pl..ace in 'Scotland,. ■ : We.are. exeemed.from thefe Duties by. the Treaty, in fo fat,as they a England by any‘Aii of Parliament how- in. forced; Arid itis-'toibe femembred, that thefe Duties- arecdn- tinjued! onlyfroni Year to Year in, England\ and gb : for fup- : ^irtinig bftheWa-r jfarid likoways- that vi^ieh they take place Scotland,,, they, may welLaffeS private; EeifonSj. but can firing no hurt to the Kingdom, fince the Sums arifingfrom thefe Duties, as well as from all others, are to be kept a- mongtt our felves for Seven Years, by an exprefs Agreement in the Treaty ; and in that time, I hope, the War will be over, and that their will never afterwards be any ufe for thefe Duties. Your i ph. Obje&ion is upon the Difficulties and' Scruples which fome A/erchants make on the Treaty, as, that there is not fufficienttime allowed to them to purchafe fuch parts of their Ships that belong to Foreigners: That the Draw¬ back upon Herring, is not fufficient, and that there are no Draw-backs exprefly agreed to for encouraging the Export of ou r rough Bear, Peafe, Oats and Meal. In Anfwer to all this I fhall fay very little, only if when 5 they come to be pifcourfed on in the Parliament, it (hall necef- farly appear, tharthere fhould be any Rectifications or Ad¬ ditional Articles on thefe \ I make no doubt, but all the Mem¬ bers of Parliament will m.oft heartily agree to them : And' tha t the Commiffionors of the Treaty, will befofar from pretend¬ ing to Infallibility, that they will as heartily acknowledge- theirEfcapes, which may the more eafily be forgiven, that they had many things to think on, were ftraitned in time,, lived upon their own Expences, and perhaps were working, ( as fome ot them feared ] to unthankful Matters, in cafe their friendly Endeavours for theirCountry’s Service fhould chance: to be Mifconftru&ed. Your 14?/?. and laft Objection is*. That you fear the Ar¬ ticles will not be kept to Scotland. This Objection feems contrary to all that preceed', for if;’ there be fo many ill things agreed for Scotland, as your former Objections wou’dinfipuate,I tliink.it' 4 wou’d be for oucAflvan¬ tage they were.not', kept,, but. upon a-Supp.ofiiton,t hat all. the; ' A r- Articles of the 1 Treaty, are for Our Advantage : I fay, in all human Probability, they muft be kept for thefeReafons.. imo .Becaufeit will be for the Intereft of both Kingdoms, that thefe Articles fhould be kept. . For ’tis Certain, that the Ifland of Britain can never be fo Rich, Powerful, and Populous, when feparated, as when United. 2 do. The Articles are Calculated upon great Equality, for both, the Nations will Gain, and none of them Suffer. 3 tio. Honour and Reputation, to which I fhall add Fear and Awe muft always keep us united.* for it is meerly impoffible that the two Kingdoms can break, when united and tycd in Allegiance under one Sovereign, without bringing Ruin and Confufxon to both by their Divifions. ' Having Anfweredyour. Difficulties, as to the Treaty, I fhall now give you fome Obfervations upon Mr. H. and Mr. R. writings againftit, for I believe it will not be worth the while to Anfwer their Principal Objections, fince that were only to repeat what I have already laid. Obfervethen in fhort, That moft of all their Argu¬ ments agairift an Incorporating Union, ftrick at the Founda¬ tion of all Unions with England whatsoever. That Mr..H however well he has written againft an In cor. porating Union , yet he has been fo Wife, as never to offer a Scheme of his Federal,for.if he had done it, ’tis ten to one but it fhould^be found either impracticable,or elfefwhich is much the fame thing) that the Englijb will never agree to it. That the fame Author pretends in fome places of his Book, That by the Providence ofGOD, he has found out fome won¬ derful Expedient to . make us happy, even tho’ an Union fhould not take: ’tis lp©ke very like a Quack Doctor on a Stage, and for that Reafon w ill be much alike believed. In In another place he runs down his Friends the Englijh, a» the moft execrable People in the whole Earth, which is fcarce-. ly Civil,’ tho’ done in a Pulpit, but .moft intolerable when done in Print. I believe Mr. Hi to be avety well meaning underftanding Man, but how he comes in his Book to tell us,That all Mem¬ bers of Parliament take the Sacramental Teft, is what paffes my Comprehenfion, for I can fcarce think he was Ignorant of the contrary. But I fhallnot infift further on fuch like Remarks, for per¬ haps I am miftaken in the Author ; therefore I’ll proceed to fhew you, upon what folid Reafons this Project of the "Union is founded; and I hope that without Partiality or perfonaL Prejudices, you will embrace that Opinion that will tend moft to the Intereft of this poor divided Nation. I know, that many of this Kingdom have given Teftimony of their diflike of the "Union, by Addreffes to the Parliament, and I know many of the Subfcribers to be Perfons of great Merit: However, Fm afraid that there has been too little' Time taken to refolve upon a matter of fuch extraordinary Confequence, and that v\ hen this opportunity fhall be. loft, they may Repent atleafure what has been done in hafte, and that our Pofterity will be fo far from admiring and applaud¬ ing the Zeabof their Fathers in this. Affair, that they will Curfe thefe Divifions among, us, that have entailed Poverty and Mlery upon them, at a time when we might have, con¬ vey ed to them all that Happinefs, and thefe Bieflings which =muft attend an entire "Union. The Eftates of Parliament 'in. the mean time) have given a frefh Evidence of their Good-will towards an "Union by.their Vote of the 4 th. of this inftant,which was carried by a confider- able .Majority. This tho’ it makes a eonfidsrable ftep r yet for accomplifhing a happy Union y . there’s, a Neceflity itfhould be . 'V n" ■ / be concluded faith as riiuchUnaniraity.as is poflible, and that all the Articles be duely underftood and confidered. - v Some People’sEyes are very quick to difcover the Difadvan- 1 tages that the Articles of the Treaty labour under, but are Blind to all the Advantages they bring us. Wherefore, that you may have thefe in your View, allow me briefly -to fum theih up. Firft then, By this Treaty* we come to a Settlement of the Succeflion in the Proteftant Line; but perhaps in the Opinion offome, this is the only Ditadvantage in the whole Articles, .tho’ I hope thefe will be found very tew. zdo. A. Communication of Trade, which we have beeii ftriving for thefe Hundred Years. 3 do. The neceffary requifite to fet up our decayed Trade, 'viz. a Loan (if you pleafe to call it fo ) of .39808 5 /. 10 f. fterk to be repayed, not all at once, or when the Englijb pleale, but in a Term of Years, during which time we may improve the Advantage of having fo great a Stock ariiongft our Hands. /[to. A very eafy Gefs, in regard that in time of Peace we fhall be free of any. ' . 5 to: We have the Advantage of Seven Years Allowance of all that fhall arife out of our Cefs, Cuftoms, or Excifes, to be kept and fpent.amongft our felves, faithin the Limits of ’Scotland ; which Conceflion comes to be far more confider- able than can be difcovered at the firft view: For tho’we pay our Proportion of the Englijb Debts during that time, yet that is only , by a certain FiBio juris, fince we either get per advance theie Sums which are tobe paid that way, or are to get them returned to us, or retain them in our own hands; So that ( properly fpeaking ) we fhall enjoy all the Benefits of Money and Stock for. Seven Years, that Navigation, a Com¬ munication of Trade,- and the Advantage of a Loan, of Money can yield us, befides the Happinefs of being Defended and ( 4i ) Protected by the Armies and Fleets of-South Britain, without, being,put to: the Expenfe of one Sixpence; 6 to. We fhall ( perhaps) be free for ever offome Duties that affedl England, and of others for a Term of Years, for thefe are Allowances that the £^/V/ 7 ^ may grant to us, as new beginners, without, prejudice to their own Trade. 7 mo\ And Lafily , Tho’.there was no Allowance given to the Gommiffioners oftheTreaty to meddle with the Presby¬ terian Church Government; yet by this Union it will have fuch a Security as it never had, nor can ever have, except by being a fundamental. Article of an Union.- _ All thefe Advantages Scotland mayhave, andyetth zVnion is concerted with fo much Juftice and Equality, that the Eng- lifh do not fufler, or at moll, all they can pretend to lofe, is •the Duty upon Scots Linnen , and: the Trouble of lending. 398083/. 10 f. fieri, which upon the event will rather ftrengthen their hands, fince thereby we’ll be put 'in a Con¬ dition to aflift them in all their Great and Glorious .Under¬ takings for the Honour and Intereft of Britain. But if.all thefe Advantages in the Treaty will not. induce us to accept olthe Vnion, becaufe we are afraid to truft our own Judgments in this important Affair, then- let us Confult with all Europe, if we pleafe, and we’ll find many ofltsKingi domsand Eftates in Terror, leaft this Matter fucceed, and at, the very utmoft point of Defpair, if it were not from the hopes they entertain, that it fhall yet Mifcarry. . Are we then tile only Perfons on Earth that are- blind to our own Advantages? Or does our Stubbornefs proceed from any other Secret Springs and Caufes ? I have the Charity to believe otherways; but I wou’d not have us in this Affair to be Wifer than our Predeceffors, for if we’ll Confult the Afts 'ofthe Meeting of Eftates at the late. Revolution,we’ll find,that' that Convention which was efteemed the Voice and ’Soul of F "the : V ) ■ • , , . the Nation; was fo'far-front-thinking this fort' of Vnion ji. Prejudice to Scotland, tint they- ho-fooner 1 had 'reHored' our Conftitution by enaftihg a Claim of Right,'- but as a thing ~ Confonantandagreeable thereto,they giveTeflimony of their Defire for an incorporating entire lfeww, with a Wttnefs, when by their 26 Aft, they named,Gommiflionersfo Treat this 'Onion, and to.that Aft fubjoined a Letter to King William, a Paragraph whereof, I fhall give in their own Words, We are mojl fenfible ofyour Majejlfs Kjndnefs, and Fatherly Care to promote the Vnion, which we hope hath been referved to be accom. plijhed by.you, that as both KJngdoms are united under one Head y jo they may become one Body.Politick, and'one-Nation to be Re- prejented by one. Parliament. And you may - take notice further, That they were fo very fond of promoting an Union of this kind, that' they add in their Letter, And if any Difficulty "happen in this Treaty, we refer the Determination thereof to your Mayefiy. ■ . " { - •• /> ' " ^ " You may obferve here, whether or net ah Incorporating Vnion be contrary to the- Claim of Right, as fome People pretend; and that When its-fenfe and meaning is fo much wrefted contrary to the plain-Defign and Intention ot thofe who enaifted it, what Treatment-may it not expeft in time ? For if you : Will duly confider all the feveral Articles there* of,, you’ll find,-that not with Handing of any Vnion, it muff and always will continue to be the Claim, of Right of the People o/Scotland for ever. • ^ i But if the Sentiments of- the Convention - Of-E Hates will have no weight with yoUj; then-fake : thd trouble to look back' upon the State of this Nation thefe hundred Years' bygone, and yOu’ll eafily difcover. the pitiful Cafe of this Ancient 8r Independent Kingdom. • ; ■ Have we not been Slaves-tb our own FaftiOns and Divifi- ©ns, and may -not - we-juHly - reprefent fome-of the by-paft Cir- Circumftances oi Scotland, in all the horrid fliapes that Con- fufion it felF can fuggeft; And which is worfe, that in all probability they will continue the' fame to the end of the World, in the condition we now live in. And if thefe Reflexions on: fome of our pafl: Misfortunes do not move us,- then we need only, caft our Thoughts’ upon our preient Sufferings.:./ ■; .. ; ' Amongfl: a titoufand other Mifchiefs, do not we fee our nearefl: and dearefl: Relations with tears obliged to part with their Native Country ; through meer Neceflity, and turn . Slaves to Strangers for their Bread; and do.not we fee our: Country-men at the. Price of,their Blood ereXing Trophees of ViXories to Foreigners, and yet Scotland is not allowed the leaft fhare in the Glory. ' '• • ' • ’ • The meannefs of our Circumftances’ hast thefe,too Years! bygone obfcured us from all the World ; fo rliat Scotland is fcarce. known to any except its own Inhabitants; or if it be, it is ftill under the Cover of England, from whence its Sove¬ reignty and Independency call but a very dim Light. What is it then we contend fo much about ? For if we en¬ joyed. theHappinefs..of a fgparateJGng .as well as of being a feparate Kingdom, we might then with greater reafon op- pofean Union with England : But as Matters now ftand, there’s nothing we-fhould defire-fo much,-efpecially feeing England is fatisfied to confolidate. its Sovereignty and Indepen¬ dency with ours, and out-of both to make one Nation, more’ fublimeLy Sovereign and Independent^ -than- wliat either -of ns ; could ever with Juftice pretend to; -By this.Union,'the Englijb will be fo far from pretending to any Dominion over us, that the Rulers of Great-Britain will be chofen indiffe¬ rently from among us,and them, as our Sovereigns fhall think fit, that fo by a full Communication of Privileges all Jealou- fies and Fears, and all the fatal marks of DiftinXion that have been beeti between Scots arid Englijb, will be exeinguifhed- for ever. By this time I fear, I have wearied you with too long a Letter, but by much toolhort for the Subje&: I have many things to add, but (hall trouble you no further, hoping, that ifwhat I have laid,, doth not . entirely bring you over to the Union; yet at leaf! you will be convinced, that there’s no Court-Plot or Trick in it, as has been pretended, but a Pro¬ ject that will abide the Teft of our Pofterity, and get Approi bation when the Zeal of .fome People againft it (hall be con¬ demned, as what had riveted Mifery by way of entail 1 upon bur Pofterity, never again to be retrived. Edinburgh the 6th 1 m Tours, &c.' of November 1706. ERRATA. Pig. 8. I. 11. for- your Enemies, retd, our. p. 10.1.7, Tor as. r. at. p. 15. U 9. for futt Members, r. full Numbers, p. 16. for Matters, r. Matters; and 1. 6 , for Pitchard, r. Pilchard, p. 23.1.11. for know, r. knew. p. 26.1.. 7. for that the Excifcs, r, fo that, &c; Ibid. 1. fcmlt. for 6, r. 9. p. 29,1. li. for 9th. r. 10th. p.37.1.8. for en,r. in. rvi(L