incipal powers of Europe were actually engaged in a war, Great
Britain must be more or less affected with the consequences; and as the
best concerted measures are liable to uncertainty, the nation ought to
be prepared against all events. He therefore expressed his hope, that
his good subjects would not repine at the necessary means of procuring
the blessings of peace and universal tranquillity, or of putting him in
a condition to act that part which it might be necessary and incumbent
upon him to take. The address of thanks produced a dispute as usual,
which ended with an acquiescence in the motion The house, in a grand
committee on the supply, resolved, That thirty thousand seamen should be
employed for the service of the ensuing year; and that the land-forces
should be augmented to the number of twenty-five thousand seven hundred
and forty-four effective men. But these resolutions were not taken
without dispute and division. The minister's opponents not only
reproduced all the reasons which had been formerly advanced against a
standing army, but they opposed this augmentation with extraordinary
ardour, as a huge stride towards the establishment of arbitrary power.
They refuted those fears of eternal broils on which the ministry
pretended to ground the necessity of such an augmentation; and they
exposed the weak conduct of the administration, in having contributed to
destroy the balance of power, by assisting Spain against the emperor in
Italy, so as to aggrandize the house of Bourbon.

DEBATE ON A SUBSIDY TO DENMARK.

Sir William Wyndham moved, that the estimate of the navy for the ensuing
year might be referred to a select committee. He expressed his surprise,
that notwithstanding the vast sums which had been yearly raised, and the
long continuance of the peace, the people had not been quite delivered
of any one tax incurred in the preceding war. He said, he could not
comprehend how it was possible to find pretences for exposing the nation
to such exorbitant charges; and he took notice of some unconsionable
articles in the accounts of the navy-debt that lay upon the table.
He was seconded by Mr. Sandys, and supported by sir J. Jekyll and Mr.
Pulteney; but after some debate, the motion was carried in the negative.
When the new treaty with Denmark fell under consideration in a grand
committee, Mr. H. Walpole moved, that the sum of fifty-six thousand two
hundred and fifty pounds, should be granted to his majesty a