Page:The Wentworth Papers 1715-1739.djvu/282

 266 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.

��[Peter Wentworth.]

London, February 15, 17 12. Dear Brother,

Yesterday the house of Commons had the Barrier Treaty under consideration. My Lord Townsend's two letters were read, in one of wch he owns he had yeilded up the Dutch a town or two that were not directly in his instruc- tions, and that were not according to the counter project, and justifies himself to Mr. Boil by telling him that the Pentionary told him there was a party in Holland violent for a Peace, and that he cou'd not perswade them to go on with the war without he wou'd sign the Treaty with these towns. Mr. Boil's letter was read wch said the cabinet here was mightily surprised at what he had done. Then Mr. St. John begun to tell the house of what dangerous consequence this treaty was to England, 'twas not only a barrier for the Dutch against

the French but against the Emperour and

[illegible] be a great damage to our Trade. He expaciated very handsomely upon those subjects, and then said other gentlemen that wou'd speak after him wou'd no doubt lay the pernicious consequence more home to them. Author Moor second him and besides what Mr. St. John's had said in other words, desired the house wou'd considere at what time this treaty was made, in whose hands the Treasurry, the Seals, the Admiralty, and the great offices, and at a time when the French were ready to give reasonable concessions for a Peace; and then under a pretence for the security of the Protestant Succession, to give up to our great rivals in trade what must inevitable put us out of a power of ever resenting any injury they wou'd or shou'd off"er us that way. Lord Castle-Comber and lord Harford answer'd for the treaty that 'twas no more then what was in the treaty of Munster and the Grand alliance, but when they were told that the English were not parties to that treaty, they answered by the Grand alliance they had made themselves so. I wish I cou'd re- member all that Mr. Lcchmore and Mr. St. John said ; at

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