o had so eagerly
prosecuted the affair, and now protested against the resolution not
without great appearance of reason. The next step of the lords was to
exculpate the earl of Nottingham, as the blame seemed to lie with him on
the supposition that the admirals were innocent. With a view therefore
to transfer this blame to Trenchard, the whiggish secretary, the earl
gave the house to understand that he had received intelligence from
Paris in the beginning of June, containing a list of the enemy's fleet
and the time of their sailing; that this was communicated to a committee
of the council, and particularly imparted to secretary Trenchard,
whose province it was to transmit instructions to the admirals. Two
conferences passed on this subject between the lords and commons.
Trenchard delivered in his defence in writing; and was in his turn
screened by the whole efforts of the ministry, in which the whig
influence now predominated. Thus an inquiry of such national
consequence, which took its rise from the king's own expression of
resentment against the delinquents, was stifled by the arts of the
court, because it was likely to affect one of its creatures; for, though
there was no premeditated treachery in the case, the interest of
the public was certainly sacrificed to the mutual animosity of the
ministers. The charge of lord Falkland being resumed in the house
of commons, he appeared to have begged and received of the king the
remaining two thousand pounds of money which had been paid by Rainsford:
he was therefore declared guilty of a high misdemeanor and breach of
trust, and committed to the Tower; from whence however he was in two
days discharged upon his petition.

VAST SUMS GRANTED FOR THE SERVICES OF THE ENSUING YEAR.

Harley, Foley, and Harcourt, presented to the house a state of the
receipts and issues of the revenue, together with two reports from the
commissioners of accounts concerning sums issued for secret services,
and to members of parliament. This was a discovery of the most
scandalous practices in the mystery of corruption, equally exercised on
the individuals of both parties, in occasional bounties, grants,
places, pensions, equivalents, and additional salaries. The malcontents
therefore justly observed, the house of commons was so managed that the
king could baffle any bill, quash all grievances, stifle accounts,
and rectify the articles of Limerick. When the commons took into
consideration the es