should be undertaken
by a joint committee of both houses; but all the dependents of the court,
including the whole bench of bishops, except Watson of St. David's, were
marshalled to oppose this motion, which was rejected by a majority of
twelve; and this victory was followed with a protest of the vanquished.
Notwithstanding this defeat, they prosecuted their scheme of giving
advice; and after much wrangling and declamation, the house agreed in an
address of remonstrance, advising and beseeching his majesty, That the
commanding officer of the British forces should be an Englishman; that
English officers might take rank of those in the confederate armies, who
did not belong to crowned heads; that the twenty thousand men to be left
for the defence of the kingdom should be all English, and commanded
by an English general; that the practice of pressing men for the fleet
should be remedied; that such officers as were guilty of this practice
should be cashiered and punished; and, lastly, that no foreigners should
sit at the board of ordnance. This address was presented to the king,
who received it coldly, and said he would take it into consideration.

Then the lords resolved to inquire into the miscarriage of the purposed
descent, and called for all the papers relating to that affair; but
the aim of the majority was not so much to rectify the errors of the
government, as to screen Nottingham, and censure Russel. That nobleman
produced his own book of entries, together with the whole correspondence
between him and the admiral, whom he verbally charged with having
contributed to the miscarriage of the expedition. This affair was
referred to a committee. Sir John Ashby was examined. The house directed
the earl to draw up the substance of his charge; and these papers were
afterwards delivered to a committee of the commons, at a conference
by the lord-president, and the rest of the committee above. They were
offered for the inspection of the commons, as they concerned some
members of that house, by whom they might be informed more fully of
the particulars they contained. At another conference which the commons
demanded, their committee declared, in the name of the house, That they
had read and well considered the papers which their lordships had sent
them, and which they now returned: that finding Mr. Russel, one of
their members, often mentioned in the said papers, they had unanimously
resolved, that admiral Russel, in his command