The writers and speakers who had taken the greatest liberties went in constant fear of being accosted by fierce-looking captains, and required to make an immediate choice between fighting and being caned.  One gentleman, who had made himself conspicuous by the severity of his language, went about with pistols in his pockets.  Howe, whose courage was not proportionate to his malignity and petulance, was so much frightened, that he retired into the country.  The King, well aware that a single blow given, at that critical conjuncture, by a soldier to a member of Parliament might produce disastrous consequences, ordered the officers of the army to their quarters, and, by the vigorous exertion of his authority and influence, succeeded in preventing all outrage.6

All this time the feeling in favour of a regular force seemed to be growing in the House of Commons.  The resignation of Sunderland had put many honest gentlemen in good humour.  The Whig leaders exerted themselves to rally their followers, held meetings at the “Rose,” and represented strongly the dangers to which the country would be exposed, if defended only by a militia.  The opposition asserted that neither bribes nor promises were spared.  The ministers at length flattered themselves that Harley’s resolution might be rescinded.  On the eighth of January they again tried their strength, and were again defeated, though by a smaller majority than before.  A hundred and sixty-four members divided with them.  A hundred and eighty-eight were for adhering to the vote of the eleventh of December.  It was remarked that on this occasion the naval men, with Rooke at their head, voted against the Government.7

It was necessary to yield.  All that remained was to put on the words of the resolution of the eleventh of December the most favourable sense that they could be made to bear.  They did indeed admit of very different interpretations.  The force which was actually in England in 1680 hardly amounted to five thousand men.  But the garrison of Tangier and the regiments in the pay of the Batavian federation, which, as they were available for the defence of England against a foreign or domestic enemy, might be said to be in some sort part of the English army, amounted to at least five thousand more.  The construction which the ministers put on the resolution of the eleventh of December was, that the army was to consist of ten thousand men; and in this construction the House acquiesced.  It was not held to be necessary that the Parliament should, as in our time, fix the amount of the land force.  The Commons thought that they sufficiently limited the number of soldiers by limiting the sum which was to be expended in maintaining soldiers.  What that sum should be was a question which raised much debate.  Harley was unwilling to give more than three hundred thousand pounds.  Montague struggled for four hundred thousand.  The general sense of the House was that Harley offered too little,