5 T A T E PAPERS,
151.
efficacious rr.eafures taken by the republic to caufe herneutrality to be refpedled, and to hinder her terri- tories from being made the theatre of war. The good faith of the Dutch is well known; and from the aflurances already given, thole powers will rell fatisfied, that the Dutch had no bad intencion, and that their defign is not to take part in the preient troubles, but wholly to keep the war at a dif- tance, and prevent their country from being the feat thereof.
Agreeable, therefore, to the re- queft of the provinces of Guelders and Overyflel, I join my felicitation to theirs, that your high mighti- nefies would take this affair into ferious confideration, and that in regard to the crifis in which the republic is at prefent, this augmen- tation may take place.
I conclude thefe reprefentatlons with praying the God of ;^ll under- itanding to prefide in your delibe- rations, and that he would infpire you with vigorous refolutions pro- portioned to the dangers that threaten the ftate, and conformable to my defires and wifhes."
In the anfwer which thefrincefs Regent gave, on the 7th of Decem- ber, to the fourth deputation of the merchants, fHe faid, among other things, < That (he beheld the ftate
- of trade with concern ; that (he
' was as much moved at it as any
- of the merchants; that its want
« 6f proteftion was not her fiult,
- but that of the towns of Dort,
- Harlem, Amfterdam, Tergaw^
' Rotterdam, and the Brielle; that ' had it not been for thofe townsj, « the forces of the ftate, by fea
- and land, would have been on a
- better footing ; and that (he had
- never ceafe<;i to protect trade; a
- proof of which was t^he letter of
- the king her father, wherein his
- majefty fays. The affair of the.
' Dutch is Jisiv UK 'er conjideraticn i,^ ' and Tcrke nvill fpeediJy receiyi'^ ' ' the neceJJ'ary inJiruBions for fettling ,
- it amicably. Some method Jhall be
- thought of to curb the infolence of
' the privateers. That fhe was in- ' formed that Mr. Yorke had ^ aliced a conference to treat of ' this matter, and that flie hoped
' the negociation would be at-..
- tended with fuccefs.'
The deputies were afterwards referred by her royal highnefs to M. de la Larrey, who now does . the bufinefs that was formerly done by M. de Beck. The mer- chants laboured much to perfuade this minifter, that the augmenta- tion of the land forces, and the equipment of a fleet, were matters quite diftincl from each other, as light is from darknefs ; that there was no prelling motive for the augmentation; whereas innume- rable reafohs rendered the fitting out of a fleet a matter of the moft urgent necelFity.
' M. de Lairey.contented himfelf with faying, that' the want of a. fufiicient fleet was not owing to, her royal highnefs ; that opinions differed on this head ; and that it was a fettled point at prefent, not to fit out a fleet without augment?., ing the army.
Whatever may be in this, four days after the fpeech was delivered, her royal highnefs carried it to the afl'embly of the States General^ addreffmglierfelf to them in thefe v/ords ; . ,
" High and Mighty Lords, ,,
/« It would be injuftice to that zeal and vigilance for the fafety of the ftate, of which your high migh- tineffes have long given me convin- cing proof, to endeavour to excite L4 yoa
