CHAP. "His Majesty for preserving his undoubted right "to Gibraltar and Minorca." This resolution was 1729. communicated to the Commons in a conference; in that House also, Lord Malpas obtained the production of the King's letter, and a similar proposal to that of the Lords in opposition was made, but with similar defeat. The minority, however, mustered no less than 111, a larger number than they usually could at that period.* The agitation of the public mind on this question, and the rising clamour against Spanish depredations, rendered it more than ever necessary to come to some conclusion of the long pending ne gotiations. Scarcely, therefore, had the Session closed, and the King set out on his first Royal journey to Hanover, than the Ministers determined to send once more to Spain the former ambassador, Mr. William Stanhope. His diplomatic skill was long tried, he was thoroughly acquainted with the Spanish nation, and his integrity was so highly esteemed by the Spanish monarch, that His Majesty used to say of him, "Stanhope is the only foreign "minister who never deceived me." The am bassador found the Spanish Court no longer at Madrid, nor in the stately palaces around it: their Catholic Majesties had wandered to the delicious plains of Andalusia, and now dwelt amidst the Moorish glories of Seville. The cause of this change was the same which influenced all others * Parliamentary History, vol. viii. pp. 548. and 695. XV. 1729. at that Court the ambition of the Queen. The CHA P. King, her husband, was a prey to hypochondriac maladies, and often desirous of resigning his crown he had effected that wish in 1724, and she had discovered, to her infinite alarm, that a similar scheme was nearly accomplished in 1728. It became, therefore, her great object to withdraw him from the neighbourhood of the Council of Castille, to whom any abdication must be first addressed, and by whose intrigues it might be sometimes promoted.* It was therefore in Andalusia that, on the 9th of November, William Stanhope, after innumerable difficulties, signed the celebrated treaty of Seville. The terms were highly advantageous to his countrymen. It was defensive alliance between England, Spain, and France, to which Holland subsequently acceded. After a confirmation of preceding treaties, and a stipulation of mutual assistance in case of attack, Spain revoked all the privileges granted to Austrian subjects by the treaties of Vienna, re-established the English trade in America on its former footing, and restored all captures, with compensation for the loss sustained. The Asiento was confirmed to the South Sea * Mr. Keene to the Duke of Newcastle, August 1. 1733. According to Duclos : "Sans aucune incommodité apparente "Philippe était quelquefois six mois sans vouloir quitter le lit, "se faire raser, couper les ongles, ni changer de linge..... "Dans des momens il se croyait mort, et demandait pourquoi on "ne l'enterrait pas !" &c. (Mém. vol. ii. p. 386.) CHAP. Company. Commissaries were to be appointed to XV. determine the disputes as to the limits of the 1729. American trade, and as to the claims of Spain for restitution of the ships taken in 1718. Another article stipulated, that to secure the succession of Parma and Tuscany to the Infant Don Carlos, 6000 Spanish troops should be allowed to garrison Leghorn, Porto Ferrajo, Parma, and Placentia, instead of the neutral garrisons provided by the Quadruple Alliance. The question of Gibraltar was passed over in total silence, which, after the noisy pretensions of Spain, was equivalent to a public renunciation. Such, in fact, it was considered by Philip, who now, losing all hope of ever obtaining the fortress, attempted to cut off its communication with the main land, and constructed the strong lines of San Roque, across the isthmus. The Spanish people, however, still continued to look with indignation on the British banners floating from the summit of the inaccessible rock, and for above half a century longer nursed an ardent ambition for its conquest. 1730. For the conclusion of this peace, and for his other services, William Stanhope was immediately - * Mr. Keene was afterwards instructed to remonstrate against these works. But he writes, May 20. 1731 :- "I was assured "if the whole universe should fall upon the King to make him "desist, he would rather let himself be cut to pieces than con"sent....... We might as well pretend to Cadiz as to the spot "where the line is." See Coxe's House of Bourbon, vol. iii. p. 240. XV. created Lord Harrington, and soon afterwards, as CHAP. we shall find, appointed Secretary of State. In proportion to the satisfaction in London was the 1730. rage and resentment at Vienna; and a further mortification to the Emperor ensued in the next Session of Parliament; for, being deprived of his Spanish supplies of money, he attempted to borrow 400,000l. on his credit in London. The ministry immediately brought in and carried through a bill, preventing loans to foreign powers without licence from the King under his Privy Seal. It is quite certain, that had the government allowed the loan, the Opposition would afterwards have loudly inveighed against their supineness. Now, however, as loud a cry was raised against "a Bill of Terrors" "an eternal yoke on our fellow subjects "an advantageous bargain to the Dutch."*"Shall "British merchants," answers Walpole, "be "mitted to lend their money against the British "nation? Shall they arm an enemy with strength, "and assist him with supplies?" وو per The treaty of Seville was followed in a very few months by Lord Townshend's resignation. I have already more than once mentioned the misunderstandings between the brother ministers; and I need scarcely again advert to the jealousy of power in Walpole, to the violence of temper in Townshend. The former would brook no equal, and the latter no superior. Their constant bickerings Speech of Mr. Danvers. Parl. Hist. vol. viii. p. 788. 1730. CHAP. were often appeased by the mediation of Walpole's XV. sister, Lady Townshend, or even of Queen Caroline; but unhappily the former died, and the latter, when she found a breach unavoidable, threw her whole influence into the scale of Wal pole. Besides the general causes of coldness, there were, at this time, particular grounds of dif ference. In foreign affairs Townshend was much incensed against the Emperor, and would have pushed matters to extremity against him if not withheld by his colleague. At home he was disgusted with the timidity and captiousness of the Duke of Newcastle, and wished him to be removed in favour of Chesterfield. Another cause of irritation in the Session of 1730 was the Pension Bill a measure proposed by Mr. Sandys, and supported by the whole Opposition, to disable all persons from sitting in Parliament who had any pension, or any offices held in trust for them, and to require every member to swear that he had not. In the King's private notes this is termed "a " villainous Bill"-which should be "torn to 'pieces in every particular."* But Walpole, though he entertained the same opinion of it, would not run the hazard of unpopularity by taking an active part against it, and he allowed it to pass the House of Commons, knowing that it would be thrown out by the House of Lords. Such, indeed, *The King to Lord Townshend, March, 1730. Coxe's Walpole, vol. ii. p. 537. |