Page:The Wentworth Papers 1715-1739.djvu/196

 I So THE WEXTWORTH PAPERS.

London, February 20, 171 1.

Dear Brother,

This loyal country club is a great disturbance to Mr. Harley, who finds they are past his governing ; their Number is increased to a 150. They are most of them young gentlemen of estates that has never been in Parliament before, and are not very close, but declare to every body what they designe, to have every Whig turn'd out, and not to suffer that the new IMinistry shou'd shake hands as they see they do with old. I was told by two or three of this club last Sunday, that they begin to send the old Fellows among them, but damn they won't be bite so, and that neither their weadles nor threats shall bring them under government, what has once been carried by the majority of their club they will stand to to a man in the house ; they don't care for their telling 'em they will be dissolved for 'tis what they know they dare not do, for they will be all choose again. ]\Ir. Bathurst who is of this club, tells me they talk of examining into the grants, and he ask't me the nature of yours wch I told him, and he said as 'twas a lease there was no danger and he wou'd give me timly notice if there was any occation to make friends about it. I spoke afterward to Lord Windsor about it and he said there was some such talk but it wou'd come to nothing, for the talk was of ordering a committee to inspect into the exobitant Grants, and he did not see that wou'd reach any body but Lord Portland's ; yours was so incon- siderable and judged so by the house when jack How men-

tion'd the exorbitant grants in King W time, that there

wou'd be no accation to make friends about it, if there was he himself would be your Solicitor. *Tis talk now by every body that the Duke of Argile won't go into Spain, that last week he was very plain with persons at the helm, and told them if they did not support him so and so he wou'd not go, for if they designed Spain shou'd be lost by degrees, he had rather any body went then he. They say this has so much offended that the 3000 a year pension that was said to have been granted him is not yet past nor will not pass, but he

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