Cassell's History of England, Vol. 4 (of 8): From the Fall of Marlborough to the Peninsular WarAnonymous
History
Cassell's History of England, Vol. 4 (of 8): From the Fall of Marlborough to the Peninsular War
Anonymous
Great Britain -- History
In this Convention no mention was made of the right of search, and
various other matters were reserved for the consideration of the
plenipotentiaries. When the Convention was announced to Parliament by
the king in his opening speech, there arose a general denunciation of
it both in and out of Parliament. The right of search was declared
to be purposely sacrificed; the limits of Georgia were undefined;
and the Spanish captains in the West Indies were unpunished for all
their cruelties. That sixty thousand pounds should be allowed for
compensation for ships taken by Admiral Byng in 1718 was very justly
declared taxing us for our victories. In fact, Walpole, in this treaty,
seemed ready to give up everything to Spain, knowing, probably, how
hopeless it was to extract money from that country, and glad of an
excuse of any set-off against our claims as to the easiest way of
settling them. But all did not avail him. The more conceding he was to
the Spaniards the more immovable they became, whilst the public at home
were enraged at the tameness displayed by Ministers. Ministers found
their majority continually on the wane. On the division in the Commons
it had dwindled to twenty-eight, namely, two hundred and sixty votes
against two hundred and thirty-two.
But that there should be a majority at all on such a question brought
the Opposition to try an experiment which they had been for some
time planning. This was the absurd scheme of seceding in a body from
the House of Commons, on the plea that a paid and standing majority
rendered all reason and argument nugatory. In the course of his
farewell speech, Wyndham made use of such violent language, that Mr.
Pelham jumped up to move the commitment of the honourable member to
the Tower; but Walpole was too well aware that such a proceeding would
only have served the ends of the Opposition, rendering them martyrs to
their country's cause, and raising a vivid interest in their behalf. He
therefore stopped him, and said that the measures which that gentleman
and his friends might pursue gave him no uneasiness; on the contrary,
the House was much obliged to them for pulling off the mask. Relieved
of their presence, he now carried his measures in unopposed quiet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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