Great Britain could engage and employ. How insolent soever some
few individual generals of that electorate might have been in their
private deportment, certain it is their troops behaved with great
sobriety, discipline, and decorum; and in the day of battle did their
duty with as much courage and alacrity as any body of men ever displayed
on the like occasion. The motion was rejected by the majority; but, when
the term for keeping them in the British pay was nearly expired, and the
estimates for their being continued the ensuing year were laid before
the house, the earl of Sandwich renewed his motion. The lord-chancellor,
as speaker of the house, interposing, declared that by their rules a
question once rejected could not be revived during the same session.
A debate ensued, and the second motion was over-ruled. The Hanoverian
troops were voted in the house of commons; nevertheless, the same
nobleman moved in the tipper house, that the continuing sixteen thousand
Hanoverians in British pay was prejudicial to his majesty's true
interest, useless to the common cause, and dangerous to the welfare and
tranquillity of the nation. He was seconded by the duke of Marlborough,
who had resigned his commission in disgust; and the proposal gave
birth to another warm dispute: but victory declared, as usual, for the
ministry.

In the house of commons they sustained divers attacks. A motion was
made for laying a duty of eight shillings in the pound on all places
and pensions. Mr. Grenville moved for an address, to beseech his majesty
that he would not engage the British nation any further in the war on
the continent, without the concurrence of the states-general on certain
stipulated proportions of force and expense, as in the late war. These
proposals begat vigorous debates, in which the country party were always
foiled by dint of superior number. Such was the credit and influence
of the ministry in parliament, that although the national debt was
increased by above six millions since the commencement of the war,
the commons indulged them with an enormous sum for the expense of the
ensuing year. The grants specified in the votes amounted to six millions
and a half; to this sum were added three millions and a half paid to the
sinking fund in perpetual taxes; so that this year's expense rose to ten
millions. The funds established for the annual charge were the land and
malt taxes; one million paid by the East India company for the renewa