King: But let what will be their Reaſons, it was carried againſt them by a Majority of 37, the Affirmatives being 185, and the Negatives 148. I will not here take Notice of what ſome People have ſaid, viz. That of the 148 who were for recommitting the Vote, 116 had Places, becauſe I doubt the fact; nor do I believe their Places would biaſs them.
This was a thorow Victory, and required great Skill and addreſs to retrieve. The fears of France were again multiplied; 'twas ſaid there was a private Article that King James was the leave France, which the French refuſed to perform; that Boufflers and the Earl of Portland had given one another the Life; that ſome of the latter's Retinue had been killed; that the French Ambaſſador was ſtopped, the King of Spain dead, and abundance more to this purpoſe. The Club was ſet up at the R——, great Applications made, the Commiſſion of the Exciſe was declared to be broke (by which nine Commiſſioners Places were to be diſpoſed of, and above 40 Perſons named for them) and many of the Country Gentlemen were gone home. Thus recruited, they were ready for a new Encounter: and ſince by the Rules of the Houſe they could not ſet aſide the former Vote directly, they would try to do it by a ſide Wind; which was by moving, that directions might be given to the Committee of Ways and Means to conſider of a ſupply for Guards and Gariſons: But the other ſide, to obviate this, offered theſe Words as an Amendmeut, viz. According to the Vote of the 11th of December. This matter was much laboured, and the Gentlemen that were againſt the Army explained themſelves, and declared they were not for obliging the King to the Regiments in 80, but that they inſiſted only on the Number, and he might chooſe what Regiments he pleaſed. By this Means they carried it, but not without great oppoſition, (tho' I preſume from none of thoſe Gentlemen who declared in all Places they were for recommitting the former Vote only for the Reaſons before giving) beſides, they were forced to explain themſelves out of a conſiderable part of it, for they allowed the King the Dutch Regiments, and the Tangeriners; which in my Opinion could not be well underſtood by the former Vote, the meaning of which ſeems to be that the
