Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/427

A.D. 1728.] voted during the late king's reign; that the highest sum granted to George I. was seven hundred thoasand pounds, and it had been hoped that considerable retrenchments would be made, especially in the items of journeys to Hanover. No voice, however, was raised to support him, and the whole eight hundred and thirty thousand pounds were voted, as well as the one hundred thousand pounds for the queen's jointure, without remonstrance.

The course of events on the succession of George II. was a great blow to the cause of the pretender. Instead of any trouble, as they hoped, they found the spirit of loyalty towards the new dynasty greatly on the increase. The pretender was at Bologna when he heard of the king's death. The dispute with his wife had continued, and he had resisted many representations from his friends, of the impolicy of their keeping before the world their disunions on account of the titular earl of Inverness. Matters had lately, however, been somewhat accommodated. He had agreed, though with every sign of reluctance, to dismiss Inverness, and Clementina, thus mollified, had quitted her convent and agreed to set out to join her husband. Both she and the pretender were on the way to meet, when the news of the death of George I. reached them. The pretender turned quickly and hastened towards Lorraine. He dispatched letters from Nancy to Atterbury in Paris, to lord Orrery in Loudon, and sent Allan Cameron, one of his most trusty servants, to confer with Lockhart of Carnwath, at Liege. James, spite of the little prospect of aid from abroad, or preparation at home in his favour, was eager to repair to the Highlands and make another essay. This foolish design was encouraged by Inverness, but both Lockhart and Clephane declared that the attempt would be sheer madness, and the answers from Atterbury and from Londou were as decisively against it. They declared that no attempt without a powerful army and general aid from abroad would be of any use.

Whilst suffering this disappointment, the pretender was not allowed even to remain quiet on the continent. The English court demanded that he should be ordered to quit Lorraine, and the duke dared not disobey the injunction of France on that head. By the advice of Atterbury, he retired to Avignon; but he was not permitted to continue even there. France obtained his removal, and the next spring he returned to Rome and joined his wife, where they continued to live for some years in apparent harmony. Those who saw Clementina during that period, describe her as of graceful and kindly manners, and equally distinguished for her quiet good sense and benevolence. Inverness, though still greatly regarded by the pretender, was kept at a distance, in compliance with her wishes. He generally lived at Avignon, but the earl of Dunbar, James's other favourite, retained his influence in their little court.

In England the Hanoverian dynasty and the Walpole ministry made rapid strides in popularity, and carried all before them. The new parliament met in January, 1728, and Walpole's party had in the house four hundred and twenty-seven members, all stanch in his support. Sir Spencer Compton being raised to the peerage, Mr. Arthur Onslow was elected speaker, and continued to exercise that office with unexampled éclat for three-and-thirty years. So strong waa the party in power, that several measures were carried which at other times would raise much discontent. It was proposed by Horace Walpole that two hundred and thirty thousand pounds should be voted for maintaining twelve thousand Hesseans in the king's service. For this shameless proposal there was no possible excuse in the aspect of affairs either at home or abroad, which all tended to peace. It was palpable that the object was to guard Hanover and not to serve England; yet the proposal passed by two hundred and eighty votes against only eighty-four! The duke of Brunswick was by treaty to be paid twenty-five thousand pounds a year for four years, for the maintenance of five thousand more troops.

These things did not pass without remark by the opposition. Pulteney and Bolingbroke discussed them with much vigour and acrimony in the "Craftsman." It was asserted in the house that the public burthens had increased instead of diminished since 1716; but Walpole contended that there had been a reduction of the debts to the amount of two million five hundred thousand pounds; and his statement was supported by a large majority, and it was laid before the king. The opposition then demanded an explanation of the expenditure of two hundred and fifty thousand pounds for secret service money. Pulteney asserted that this money had been spent in such a manner to foster corruption that ministers dare not bring it to the light. It was well understood that Walpole had used the greater part of it in buying up that triumphant majority which enabled him to carry the most obnoxious measures. The king had made a great merit, on coming to the throne, of dismissing the shoals of Germans which followed his father; yet here had parliament voted, by overwhelming majorities, the employment of no fewer than seventeen thousand Germans as soldiers. The demands of the opposition were so vehement, and the abuse was so glaring, that even Walpole was embarrassed how to get rid of the question. He could only recur to the old plea, that the money had been spent on services highly advantageous to the state, but which could not properly be made public. Suddenly events lifted him out of his difficulty. News arrived that the king of Spain, who declined to ratify the preliminaries of peace entered into at Vienna, on hearing of the death of George I., hoping for a revolution, had now given way, and had issued what was called the act of Pardo, ratifying the preliminaries, and referring all remaining difficulties to be settled at a congress to be held at Soissons.

Walpole read the dispatch to the house, and announced that now he could tell them without any difficulty how the money had been spent—it was to procure this peace. Such was the manner in which Walpole carried his measures by the most daring audacity and the force of his huge majority. The excuse was accepted with a clamour of approbation. The question was instantly called for and carried without a division. The ministerial party continued increasing, and the son of the triumphant minister remarked that "a good majority, like a good sum of money, soon makes itself bigger."

At the congress which commenced in June, William Stanhope, Horace Walpole, and Poyntz appeared on behalf of England. At Paris lord Waldegrave supplied the place of Horace Walpole; and at the Hague the earl of Chesterfield ably managed the national interests. But the congress