I Am inform'd that thoſe, who in the laſt Meeting of our Parliament appear'd for the Intereſt of the Country, have taken a Reſolution to begin the enſuing Seſſion with an Act declaring the Nations Right to Caledonia; which I preſume to be a very wrong ſtep, and ſuch as will prove of very bad conſequence. I ſuppoſe, the great Argument that has been offer'd for this Method, is, that nothing will more Unite the Members of Parliament, than the ſenſible Injury done to the Nation by the Deſtruction of that Colony. But, I hope, that upon better conſideration Men of Honeſty and good Intentions will not ſuffer themſelves to be led into ſuch a Miſtake. For a Declaration of our right to Caledonia can do no real good to the Nation at this time: But the disbanding of the Army will. If they would be even with thoſe who have ruin'd our Colony, they can never do it any way effectually, but by breaking the Army. They are now to chuſe upon which of theſe two Heads they will again break with the Court; for in my Opinion neither of them will be granted. But if it ſhould be thought convenient to yield to either of theſe Propoſitions, 'twill certainly be to that of disbanding the Army, on Account of the Intereſt the Parliament of England might take in it, and perhaps ſecond it for their own Security. Whereas the declaring our Right to Caledonia will (how unjuſtly ſoever) be attributed to meer pique and humour, becauſe of no preſent Advantage to the Nation; and will ſound ridiculouſly among our Neighbors, where our Weakneſs, and ill Conduct in that Affair has but too much expos'd us. So that the Court can never deſire a fairer pretence to vindicate themſelves both to the Engliſh and Dutch, then to break up our Parliament upon ſuch an Account. And we who are cruſh'd by a Power which we are no way able to reſiſt, ought to have great regard to ſuch things as may engage all Men of good Intentions in thoſe Countries to be our Friends; and not continue to miſtake what is done in both by the Court Party, as proceeding from the Nations themſelves. Beſides, till the Army be disbanded, there is not the leaſt probability of obtaining Money from the publick, for carrying on the Trade of the Company. We muſt have loſt our ſenſes, if we do not ſee that a quarrel with us is induſtriouſly ſought, that a pretence may be found to keep up an Army. And if the Court Party ſhould prevail in the Parliament of England, who knows, how far our inſiſting upon the Buſineſs of Caledonia, without any proſpect of preſent good to the Nation, might be made a handle to excite that Nation againſt us? I cannot but think there's juſt-ground to ſuſpect the Conduct of thoſe who by all means would puſh the Affair of the Colony at ſo unſeaſonable a time. We don't abandon our Rights and Privileges in this point, becauſe we think fit in the firſt place to enter upon another Affair, which threatens us with the utmoſt danger. As long as we have a ſtanding Army, we can have neither Trade nor Liberty. We expell'd King James becauſe he would keep up an Army in time of Peace. We are now ſtrugling with this Government about the ſame thing. And a certain Perſon, tho' he ſtand looking on a Crown at ſuch a diſtance, as amounts to a Viſion, is yet ſo dazled with its brightneſs, as to make it his buſineſs to imploy the preſent Spirit and Vigor of the Nation in any thing rather than in breaking the Army. I value not Proteſtations; they are Nauſeous things; I look only upon what Men do, and cannot forbear to think, that thoſe, who after due conſideration of our preſent Circumſtances, ſhall in the Enſuing Seſſion of Parliament, prefer any other Buſineſs to that of disbanding the Army, are Men ſeeking their own Intereſt, and not the good of their Country.