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The speech of James, earl of Seafield etc., lord high chancellor to the parliament of Scotland, on Thursday the 6th of May 1703.
My lords and gentlemen,
Her majesties accession to the throne of her royal ancestors is the great happiness of all her majesties dominions. She has ever firmly adhered to the Protestant religion, and may justly be called the defender of the Protestant interest in Europe, and all who have had the honour to have more immediat access to her majesties person, or who have duly considered the whole steps of her majesties government, must be convinced that it is her majesties chief design to make all her subjects happy.
You have heard her majesties most gracious letter and his grace my lord commissioner, his speech, and it must certainly give you who are the representatives of this kingdom, conveened by her majesties authority, great satisfaction that her majesty does give you full assurance of her royal resolution to maintain her people in the possession of their religion, of their laws and of their liberties, and has also frequently promised her protection to the government of the church. But if any thing be yet needful for the ease, contentment and satisfaction of her majesties subjects, her majesty has given full instructions, as my lord commissioner has signified, so that nothing is wanting on her part, and nothing is proposed or demanded by her but what is necessary for the security and prosperity of this kingdom.
Her majesty is engaged in a most just and necessary war for the defence of the liberties of Europe against the formidable power of the French king, and as we are to be thankful to God for the success her majesties arms have had, so we ought to give her majesty all the support and assistance in our power, it being so necessary for our own defence; and all that her majesty demands is that you provide for your own security by giving such supplies as may be further necessary for maintaining her majesties forces and repairing and providing for the forts and garisons, the doing of which will be a convincing proof of that intire union and confidence which is betwixt her majesty and her people, and will be the most effectual mean to disappoint the designs of our enemies, and to preserve the peace and tranquillity we now enjoy.
The trade of this kingdom does deserve your particular consideration, the advancing and improvement of it is the only mean to increase the wealth and riches of this nation, and in the doing of which you have full assurance of her majesties concurrence. Our manufactories are very much improved and ought to have all incouragement, but we have almost no forraign trade and all our towns and incorporations are thereby much impoverished. You have now an opportunity of doing what you shall think necessary in this matter, either by amending laws that may be prejudicial to trade or by making new ones or reviving such as are in desuetude.
My lords and gentlemen,
Seeing her majesties chief care is to make all her subjects happy and contented, let us therefore, in complyance with her majesties just demands, cordially and unanimously concur to support her majesties authority and government, to advance religion and true piety, to discourage vice and immorality, to promote and improve trade, and to do every thing that is necessary for the honour, interest and security of this kingdom, that so all may be concluded that comes before you, to the satisfaction of her majesty and the good and welfare of her people.
Finis.