[A1704/7/71]¹

[The humble address of the lords spiritual and temporal in parliament assembled, to her majesty, with her majesty's most gracious answer]²

Wednesday, 29 March 1704

We, your majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the lords spiritual and temporal in parliament assembled, humbly beg leave to acquaint your majesty that as soon as all the papers relating to the conspiracy in Scotland were, by your majesty's command, laid before the house, according to our duty, and with that zeal which we have always shown where the safety of your person and the security of your people may be concerned, we applied ourselves to search into the designs of your enemies, as well by a careful perusal and consideration of the papers as by appointing a committee to examine the persons who had been taken into custody upon account of the conspiracy, and others from whom it might be reasonably supposed any light might be gained towards the discovery. And the committee having made their report to the house, upon mature deliberation of the whole matter, we came to this unanimous resolution:

That it did appear to us there has been a dangerous conspiracy carried on for the raising a rebellion in Scotland and invading that kingdom with a French power, in order to the subverting of your majesty's government, both in England and Scotland, and bringing in the pretended prince of Wales.

We do also humbly take leave to offer to your majesty, as our concurrent opinion, that nothing has given so much encouragement to your enemies at home and abroad to enter into this detestable conspiracy as that after your majesty and the heirs of your body the immediate succession of the crown of Scotland is not declared to be in the Princess Sophia and the heirs of her body, being Protestants.

Most gracious sovereign,

We being fully convinced of this important truth, most humbly beseech your majesty, in regard to the safety of your royal person, the quiet of your reign and the present and future happiness and peace of your people, to use your royal endeavours, by all such methods as your majesty in your wisdom shall judge most proper, to have the succession of the crown of Scotland declared to be settled on the Princess Sophia and the heirs of her body, being Protestants. And we do also humbly beseech your majesty to take all other measures which may best and most effectually contribute to disappointing and frustrating the designs of your enemies, and of such of your traitorous subjects as are engaged with them in this dangerous conspiracy against your majesty, for the utter subversion of your government. And we do most heartily and unanimously assure your majesty that when your wise endeavours for the settling the succession in Scotland shall have taken the desired effect, we will do all in our power to promote an entire and complete union between the two kingdoms of England and Scotland, for their mutual security and advantage.

Her majesty's most gracious answer

My lords,

I have some time since declared my intentions of endeavouring the settlement of the Protestant succession in Scotland to my servants of that kingdom as the most effectual means for securing their quiet and our own, and the readiest way to an entire union between both kingdoms, in the perfecting of which it is very desirable no time should be lost.

Here follows the copy of a paragraph of John Dier's letter:

London, 29 June. Yesterday was a great trial in the court of exchequer concerning The Annandale, a Scots ship that was freighted in the River Thames and bound for the East Indies, but seized by our East India Company by a warrant from the admiralty, as being contrary to the act of parliament which establishes them. It went in favour of the company, and it appeared the ship was built at Blackwall, her captain's name was Price, her cargo very rich, and among the rest of her effects aboard was 100,000 pieces of eight, which are all forfeited.