pointment
of the expedition against Toulon; that the earl of Peterborough, during
his command in Spain, had performed many great and eminent services;
and if his opinion had been followed, it might have prevented the
misfortunes that ensued. Then the duke of Buckingham moved, that the
thanks of the house should be given to the earl for his remarkable and
eminent services; and these he actually received from the mouth of the
lord-keeper Harcourt, who took this opportunity to drop some oblique
reflections upon the mercenary disposition of the duke of Marlborough.
The house, proceeding in the inquiry, passed another vote, importing,
that the late ministry had been negligent in managing the Spanish war,
to the great prejudice of the nation. Finding that the Portuguese troops
were posted on the right of the English at the battle of Almanza, they
re solved, that the earl of Galway, in yielding this point, had acted
contrary to the honour of the imperial crown of Great Britain. These
resolutions they included in an address to the queen, who had been
present during the debates, which were extremely violent; and to
every separate vote was attached a severe protest. These were not the
proceedings of candour and national justice, but the ebullitions of
party zeal and rancorous animosity.

While the lords were employed in this inquiry, the commons examined
certain abuses which had crept into the management of the navy; and some
censures were passed upon certain persons concerned in contracts
for victualling the seamen. The inhabitants of St. Olave's and other
parishes presented a petition, complaining that a great number of
Palatines, inhabiting one house, might produce among them a contagious
distemper; and in time become a charge to the public, as they were
destitute of all visible means of subsistence. This petition had been
procured by the tories, that the house of commons might have another
handle for attacking the late ministry. A committee was appointed to
inquire upon what invitation or encouragement those Palatines had come
to England. The papers relating to this affair being laid before them
by the queen's order, and perused, the house resolved, that the inviting
and bringing over the poor Palatines of all religions, at the public
expense, was an extravagant and unreasonable charge to the kingdom, and
a scandalous misapplication of the public money, tending to the
increase and oppression of the poor, and of dangerous cons