His Majesties MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH To both Houses of PARLIAMENT, On Friday the Ninth Day of December, 1698.

LONDON, Printed by Charles Bill and the Executrix of Thomas Newcomb, deceas'd; Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1698.

His Majesties MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH To both HOUSES of PARLIAMENT.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I Have no Doubt but you are Met together, with Hearts fully disposed to do what is Necessary for the Safety, Honour and Hap­piness of the Kingdom; and that is all I have to Ask of you.

In order to this, Two things seem Prin­cipally to Require your Consideration.

The One is, What Strength ought to be Maintain'd at Sea, and what Force kept up at Land for this Year; all I shall Observe to you upon this Head, is, That the Flou­rishing of Trade, The Supporting of Cre­dit, and the Quiet of Peoples Minds at Home, will Depend upon the Opinion they have of their Security; and to Pre­serve to England the Weight and Influence it has at present on the Councels and Af­fairs Abroad, it will be Requisite, Europe [Page 4] should see, you will not be Wanting to your selves.

The Second thing I shall mention to you as of great Consequence, is the ma­king some further Progress towards Dis­charging the Debts, which the Nation has Contracted by reason of the Long and Expensive War. In this the Publick Inte­rest, as well as Justice is Concerned; and I think an English Parliament can never make such a Mistake, as not to hold Sa­cred all Parliamentary Engagements.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

I do Earnestly Recommend these things to you, that you may Provide such Sup­plies, as you shall Judge Necessary for these several Occasions.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I think it would be Happy, if some ef­fectual Expedient could be found for Employing the Poor, which might tend to the great Increase of Our Manufactures, as well as remove a heavy Burden from the People.

I hope also you will Employ your Thoughts about some good Bills for the Advancement of Trade, and for the fur­ther Discouraging of Vice and Prophane­ness.

The things I have mentioned to you be­ing of common Concern, I cannot but hope for Unanimity and Dispatch.

FINIS.

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