STAT£ PAPERS.
227
reign pen to defend him, we fhall, for a moment, fuppofe the accufa- tion againft him well founded. To come at the end propofed, it will be fufficient to make two remarks, which will wholly expoie the emp- tinefs of the pretence which France has thought proper to make ufe of. Firft, it is notorioufly falfe, that the king as eledlor, or any of the other princes his allies, had taken any part in the differences between the king of Pruffia and the houfe of Auilria, before they were invad- ed by the French. The kinghad, on feverai occafions, declared, that he had no delign to interfere in the war, and that all his views and meafures fhouldonly be to keep out of his pofTeffions and their neigh- bourhood the foreign troops with which they were threatened. No- thing can be more conformable to thefe declarations than the meafures that have been purfued, nor can any thing be alledged to infer the contrary. At the deliberations of the dyet of the 10th of January, the king, and his allies, voted for an amicable accommodation, and did not join in the meafures approved by the majority. But the peace of ■ WQltphalia ftipulates that a-11 mild methods (hall be tried before the guarantees are authorifed to take up arms. It fecures the ftates of the empire an entire liberty of vot- ing, and leaves the decifion of that queftion to the dyet, fo that the majority of voices determines with regard to collections and contribu- tions necefTary for the expences of a war. If then France v>anted to take advantage of her quality of guarantee of the peace of Weft- phalia, flie ought not to have ufed any other means but thofe pre- Icribed by treaty, and propofed by his Britannic majefly ; but fo far
from that, fhe pretends to afTume the right of executing the conclu^ fions of the empire, and ufurps a more extenfive power than the em- peror himfelf in Germany. But in the fecond place, nothing is a ftronger proof of the monltrous abufes which Francehas made of the guaranty of that treaty, than her conduct in the king's territories, when fhe faw herfelf able to fpeak and aft as their rniltrefs. li' there be any one who doubts that fhe had a defign to revenge herfelf upon the king's German dominions for the differences in America, by ipciling, ruining, and deftroying his territo- ries, and thofe of his allies, and by putting it out of their powT to faccour the proteilant religion, and the liberty of Germany, it is fuffi- ciently demonftrated to them hy this conduct. Scarce were the French troops in pofl'efTion of the country, but, not content with raif- ing heavy contributions, fhe took upon her the regulation of the re- venues, and poured in a croud of placemen and commifConers, who followed the army, to whom the adminiftration was entrufted. The country changed its mailer, and ia all the ordinances publifhed in the name of the intendant, or of the p-e- nerals, it was fliled a country of his mod chrillian majefiy; the town of Hamelen was even fummoned to take the oaths of allegiance to the King of France. Nouce was givea to his Britannic majefly's minifters c ^ i^ate, that by virtue of a con- vention iig'Tied between France and the emprefs queen, the revenues and contributions arifing from the eleclorate fhould be divided be- tween the two powers ; even all the conquered countries, and thofe. that fhould be conquered, belong- ing to the king, as eledlor of Ha- 0^2 nover^
