Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/428

414 made little progress; there was a frequent exchange of memorials and counter-memorials, but no accomplishment of real business. The only things which became apparent were that France and Spain were every day becoming more reconciled, and that the league betwixt Spain and the emperor was as fast dissolving.

The opening of the year 1729 was distinguished by the arrival of Frederick prince of Wales from Hanover. During the reign of George I. this young man had never been allowed to visit England, and there were now great rejoicings on his advent. He was a youth of popular manners, and great hopes were built upon him. But to his father his coming must have been anything but agreeable, for he commenced a system of opposition to the paternal authority precisely like what his father had practised towards his father, George I. He was now just twenty-one years of age. The only measure of any importance in parliament during this session of a domestic nature was the barefaced voting by a large majority the grant of one hundred and fifteen thousand pounds to make up a pretended deficiency in the civil list. "Walpole is said to have done all in his power to dissuade the king from this disgraceful measure, for no such deficiency existed, but George wanted the money. The reluctance with which Walpole conducted this affair through, parliament was rendered the more galling by the determined opposition to it in the house of lords; and when it was forced upon it, as if it were a transaction to be buried in the deepest oblivion, the house would allow no report of its proceedings. In fact, no report of the peers' proceedings during this or the previous session remains. To make the matter the more scandalous—for it showed that the court was very conscious of its dishonest character—a vague clause was introduced into the act stipulating for the repayment of the sum at his majesty's death. It was never likely to be repaid at all; but even the semblance of a hope of repayment was postponed beyond his majesty's time.



The great difficulties of the government at this time were the settlement of the questions with Spain of the right to cut logwood in the bay of Campechy, and the retention of Gibraltar. The Spaniards had frequently resisted the cutting of logwood in the bay of Campechy by the English; and in 1717 the marquis of Montelcone had presented a memorial against it, but the board of trade contended that the practice was of old standing, and amounted to a right. This representation was now laid before the house of commons, and was backed by many petitions from the merchants of London and other places, complaining of the