Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Second, Volume 1 (of 3)Walpole, Horace
History
Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Second, Volume 1 (of 3)
Walpole, Horace
Great Britain -- History -- George II, 1727-1760
solemnly declared in the House of Commons, that he would retire
from business as soon as the rebellion should be extinguished. When
the Duke of Grafton was told of this vow, he said, “God, I hope
my friend will see the rebellion twinkle a good while yet in the
Highlands!”
22d.--Sir Hugh Dalrymple moved for Mr. Golding (apothecary to the
Prince of Wales) to have leave to attend Murray, being used to
bleed him, which, as his veins laid low, was difficult for any
other person to do. Mr. Pelham observed on the impropriety of
this, as the doctor and apothecary were to appear on Monday. Mr.
Fox said, he had heard that they would report he was very well,
and proposed that the House should name a surgeon. It was at last
agreed that Golding should go to bleed him, but should not be
called for any account of his health.
Mr. Pelham, in the committee, opened the subsidy of forty thousand
pounds a year to be paid to Bavaria for six years, twenty by
England, and ten each by the Empress-queen and Holland. Martin
made a speech of great wit against it, Lyttleton a learned one,
and Murray, Solicitor-General, a very masterly one for it. It was
obvious that the latter, not Mr. Pelham, had been instructed in
the true secret of this negotiation by his friend Stone, secretary
to the Duke of Newcastle. They had been bred at Christ Church
together, and had tasted of the politics of Oxford as well as of
its erudition. Sir Robert Walpole, on quitting the Ministry, had
cautioned Mr. Pelham against Stone, having touched upon the scent
of some of his intrigues, as he was hunting after Jacobite cabals.
Mr. Pelham neglected the advice, as he had before rejected the
offer of having Sir Robert’s clue of secret intelligence put into
his hands. He would scarce have found either Stone’s or Murray’s
name there from this time; they were converted by their own
interest,[56] a conviction preferable to all detection. Lord Egmont
spoke ill, and owned it was rather a right than a wrong measure;
and was answered by Pitt in a good but too general a speech.
Between seven and eight the House divided, but the majority for
the subsidy appearing very great, it was given up without telling.
This treaty with some others was calculated to purchase a majority
of votes to choose the Archduke King of the Romans, but France and
Prussia defeated the scheme: our Ministry could not buy off their
opposition, as they bought off opponents at home, and they knew no
other art of baffling an enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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