compliments upon our late conduct, or neral opinion among the people, of the convention lately concluded, and therefore, out of regard to the dignity of this houfe, and to the character we ought carefully to preferve among thofe without doors, we ought to fay nothing in praife of the convention, or of the conduct of thofe who have brought it about, till the people can be undeceived by a perufal. For this reafon, I fhall beg leave to propofe, by way of amendment, to take only the first and last paragraphs of the addrefs moved for by the Noble Duke, and to leave out the four intermediate paragraphs. apon the convention now concluded with Spain, till I am fully convinced, by perufal and enquiry, that it is an honourable, fafe, and advantageous treaty. And even fuppofe it were fo; fuppofe, my Lords, that from fome private information I knew it to be fo; yet I fhould be against our making ufe of any expreffions in our addrefs that might look like an approbation of it, not only becaufe of the bad precedent, but because it has the misfortune to labour under a very bad character without doors. We have had fome pretended articles of it published in our news-papers: I hope they are far from being truly the articles; but whether true or falfe, the world has from thence conceiv'd a moft defpicable opinion of the treaty; and therefore, tho' from fome private information I were convinced that there was no ground for fuch an opinion, yet I fhould be against approving it till the world could have an opportunity of being undeceived, by its being printed and publifh'd at full length: For I fhall never be for our doing any thing that may hurt the character of this houfe in the opinion of the generality of the people without doors. At prefent, moft people think that the payment ftipulated by this convention is not near fufficient for making good the loffes of our merchants; and that even the small fum that is ftipulated, is ftipulated in fuch a way, that it must be all paid by ourfelves. We must pay, they fay, with one hand, and receive with the other; and this, they fay, is all that is ftipulated; for every thing elfe, they fay, is referred to Plenipotentiaries, whofe negotiations, every one fuppofes, will end in nothing, as thofe of our Commiffaries formerly did. From hence, molt men take the liberty to fay, that this convention, this treaty of peace, which has coft the nation fo much money, is nothing but a fcrap of paper, a paper peace, that will be of no fignifiCation, nor put any stop to thofe hoftilities which Spain has been carrying on against us for fo many years. This, my Lords, is at prefent the ge Even the laft paragraph, my Lords, I cannot fay, I entirely approve of; becaufe I think that paragraph in his Majefty's fpeech, to which it relates, might have been as well left out. When I fay fo, my Lords, I confider the fpeech, as fuch ipeeches are always confidered in this houfe. I confider it as the fpeechof the minifter; and I do not think it right in any minifter to recommend to this houfe, or to either house of parliament, not to fuffer any prejudices or animofities to have a fhare in their deliberations; because it may be thought without doors, to bear an ugly infinuation. Some people may from thence con→ clude, that there is fome danger of our allowing prejudices or animofities to have a fhare in our deliberations; which is a conclufion, that no perfon without doors ought to be by any means induced or encouraged to make. It is, indeed, a conclufion that a wicked minifter may be fond of having made; because he will always endeavour to make people believe, that the oppofition that is, or may be made. to any of his meafures, can proceed from nothing but prejudices or animofities: but this is an opinion that is, I am fure, as much against the true intereft of the King to encourage, as it is injurious to either house of parliament. to entertain. For this reafon, I do not know but there has been a time when the answer to fuch a paragraph in the fpeech, would have been an addrefs from both houfes of parliament, to know who advised it. However, I shall at present take no further notice of it, nor oppose, making fuch an answer to it as has been moved for. To this it was answered in fubflance as follows, viz. My Lords, WH on this folemn occafion, in a manner more blunt than has been usual for fo many years. I fhall grant, that his Ma jesty's speech from the throne, is always in this houfe confidered as the fpeech of his minifters; but I cannot admit that Hatever was the method of ad- the address of this house, in return to dreffing in ancient times, or that speech, ought ever to be look'd on whether it was more general, or more as an addrefs to the ministers. If, infuccinct than that now practifed, I do deed, it contained an exprefs approbanot think the dignity of this houfe any tion of all the publick measures tranf way concerned in the question. As long acted during the preceding recefs of par as the addrefs of this houfe, is fuppofed liament, it might be fuppofed to be an to mean no more than a compliment to address drawn up by the minifters, and the King upon his fpeech from the it would be inconfiftent with the dignity throne, and a teftimony of our affecti- of this houfe to agree to it, both because on, duty, and esteem for him, it is but a of the perfons that might be fuppofed matter of mere complaifance; and the to have drawn it up, and because of the form or method of fhewing our com- approbation it contained. But the No plaifance, alters both in publick and pri- ble Duke has, in my opinion, been exvate life, like the fashion of our cloaths, tremely careful in drawing up what he with times, feafons, and countries. In has been pleafed to offer upon this oc all fuch cafes, a man of a genteel edu- cafion. He has, I think, taken particu cation, who has no whimsical turn, will lar care not to infert, in what he has pro exprefs himself in that manner, which pofed, any words or expreffions that can, is most fashionable among thofe of the by any fort of interpretation, be taken better fort. If he exaggerates very much as an approbation of any of the measures in his compliments, and greatly exceeds lately purfued by the administration. the usual method in which men exprefs It contains only general compliments to themselves upon fuch occafions, I fhall his Majefly, upon what he has been plea grant, it is no argument, either of his fed to communicate to us by his fpeech, fincerity, or of his respect for the per- and upon fome of thofe good qualities, fon he compliments in fuch a manner which every Lord in this houfe muft alon the contrary, it may be a token of low his Majefty to be endued with to his contempt; for panegyrick, when car- an eminent degree. Therefore, my ried too high, is fuppofed to be meant in Lords, as his Majefty has made a mofit an ironical way, and then it becomes fa- gracious fpeech from the throne; as he tyr. But on the other hand, if a man has been pleafed to acquaint us, that a fpeaks more bluntly than is ufual in the convention has been concluded between times, or in the country, in which he him and Spain, and to impart to us the lives, I hope it will be granted, that it fubftance of that convention; and as he is an argument, either of the speaker's has been pleafed to tell us, that he will want of breeding, or of his want of re-order the convention itself, and the fespect for the perion he addreffes himself parate articles, to be laid before us; I think we can do no lefs than return him fuch an anfwer, by way of addrefs, as the Noble Duke has been pleased to propofe. to. In this light, my Lords, let us confider the prefent queftion; and if the fafhion has altered within thefe 20 or 30 years, if the form or method of fhewing our complaifance to our Sovereign has altered from what it was in ancient times, do not let us fhew either our want of good manners, or want of refpect for him, by addreffing ourfelves to him up But, my Lords, that your Lordships may the more clearly fee, that there is nothing in the addrefs propofed, which can be understood to mean an approbation of any late publick meafures, I fhall beg leave to go through and exa mine mine it, paragraph by paragraph. As to the first, I need fay nothing to it; and as to the fecond, I do not see how it can be supposed to relate to our minifters, or to any part of their conduct. It is, as it ought to be, wholly addreffed to his Majefty; and, whatever his minifters may have done, it is certain, that he has given many convincing proofs of his paternal and unwearied care of the rights of his people; and, I am confident, no man in the kingdom has a more fincere and affectionate concern for the hardfhips and injuries our traders have foffered in America; no man would or could venture further for redreffing or preventing them. His Majefty has given fo many indubitable teftimonies of his having equally at heart the honour of his crown, and the intereft of his people, as is well known to all thofe who have the honour to be near his perfon, that no man can doubt of his zeal, and his zeal must make him vigilant, for the real fecurity and prefervation both of the one, and of the other. This is all, my Lords, that is in the fecond paragraph. They are properly no compliments; they are declarations of what, I believe, must be the real fentiments of every Lord that hears me: but, fuppofing they were, they are directed to his Majefty only, and cannot be prefumed to be directed or meant to all or any one of his ministers. Then, my Lords, as to the third paragraph, his Majefty has in his fpeech faid, he has a due regard to the advice of his parliament; and here, by way of return, we allow this expreffion to be a great inftance of his royal goodness. Has his minifters any thing to do with this? Can it relate to any part of their conduct? We do not lay, that even his Majefty has had a regard to the refolutions and advice of his parliament; we only say, that his expreffing fuch a regard, is an inftance of his goodness. Can any thing be more generally or more cautiously expreffed? The other part of this paragraph, as it is worded, can be fuppofed to relate only to his Majefty's inclinations; it cannot be fuppofed to relate to any thing that has been done, or that has been left undone. His Majefty's tenderness for his people is well known: It is that only which has preserved this nation in peace for fo many years; for, if his Majefty had allowed himself to be directed by his natural courage and fortitude, it is certain, he would have immediately resented, in the highest manner, the very first infult put upon us: and, we only fay, that we never entertained the leaft doubt, but that his Majefty will allow himself to be directed by thefe qualities, as foon as he finds that the interefts of his people can be no other way preferved." As to the fourth paragraph,my Lords, it only repeats what his Majefty has been pleafed to communicate from the throne, and returns our thanks for what he has been pleased so to communicate. This, I think, is the leaft we can fay, by way of return; and, as there is not the leaft word or expression, that can be fuppofed to fignify our approbation of any thing his Majefty has communicated, I can fee no reason why we should not agree to it. Then, as to the fifth, my Lords, his Majefty has told us, in his fpeech, that it hath been his principal care, to make ufe of the confidence repofed in him by parliament, with no other view, but the general and lafting benefit of his kingdoms; and, for this, we here return him our thankful acknowledgments. We do not fay, nor fo much as infinuate, that his ministers have had no other views. If they have had any finifter views, we are at full liberty, upon an enquiry, to cenfure them; notwithftanding any thing propofed to be faid in this paragraph. But, as to his Majefty, I believe, no man will or can fuppofe, that he could have any other view, than what he has been pleafed to declare in his fpeech from the throne; and, if he had, or if it were poffible to fuppofe fuch a thing, it will not be pretended, I am fure, by any Lord in this house, that we have a power to enquire into, or cenfure the views of our Sovereign. And, as to the last paragraph of the addrefspropofed, as the Noble Lord who Y y pre propofed the amendment, was pleafed to admit that the last paragraph should ftand part of our addrefs, I have no occafion to say much about it; but, as to the criticism that has been made upon it, I muft fay, that I can fee no foundation for fuch criticilm. I hope no prejudices or animofities will ever mix themselves with parliamentary deliberations, I believe they feldom or never do; but, it cannot be faid, that the thing is impoffible; and therefore, his Majesty can be thought only to fhew bis regard for the publick good, by recommending to us, not to fuffer any fuch to have a fhare in our deliberations, at this important conjuncture. It is not because there is now greater danger than at other times, of our allowing prejudices and animofities to have a Thare in our deliberations, that his Majefty thought this recommendation neceffary; but, because the prefent conjuncture is of greater importance than molt others. When the nation is upon the brink, perhaps, of a heavy war; when it is in danger of being engaged in war against one at leaft, if not two powerful neighbours, unanimity amongst ourfelves is more neceffary, domeftick prejudices and animofities are more dangerous to the publick, than they can be upon other occafions: and therefore, it is to be hoped, no perfon without doors will draw any wrong conclufions from the prudent and neceffary advice his Majesty has thought fit to give us. Thus, my Lords, I have fhewn, that from what is propofed in the addrefs, we have no occafion to form any judgment at all of the convention just concluded with Spain, or of any of our late measures; because we are now neither to approve nor condemn all or either of them. We have, at prefent, no bufinefs to trouble our heads about the conduct of our publick affairs for thefe 17 or 18 years paft, or for any longer or fhorter term. We are now only to addrefs his Majefty, as has always been customary, by way of return to his moft gracious fpeech from the throne: and, if the addrefs propofed, had been more particular than it is; if it had contained even fome fort of approbation of thofe measures which his Majefty has mentioned in his fpeech, our addreffing in fuch a manner might have been juftified; for, we are to fuppofe every thing to be as mentioned in his Majesty's fpeech, till the contrary appears upon enquiry. By fuch a fuppofition, we are no way precluded from enquiring into the facts afterwards, or from centuring what fhall then appear to be amif; becaufe nothing that is faid in the address, can be made ufe of against the opinion of any Lord, or against any refolution we can come to, upon an enquiry. Nay, my Lords, if the propofition had gone farther, if it had been propofed to congratulate his Majesty upon the concluon of this convention, it would not have been without precedent; for, if I rightly remember, we congratulated his Majefty upon the conclusion of the treaty of Seville, before the treaty, or any thing relating to it was laid before the houfe, except what his Majesty had faid of it in his fpeech at the opening of the feffion. But as no fuch approbation or congratulation is intended, or can be drawn from any words in the address now propofed; as it contains nothing, in my opinion, but what ought in common decency to be faid, by way of return to his Majefty's fpeech from the throne, I can fee no reafon for our dif agreeing to any one of the paragraphs propofed. Í should not, I believe, my Lords, have troubled you farther upon the prefent queftion, if fo much had not been faid against the management of our publick affairs, for almost these zo years past; but as it has been found so much fault with, I hope your Lordships will indulge me with the liberty of faying a few words in its vindication. To answer every particular objection, that has been made to the feveral negotiations and treaties we have been engaged in for thefe 17 or 18 years paft, would take up too much of your Lordships time, much more than I think neceffary at prefent, especially as I have already fhewn, that no part of our paft conduct can any way relate to the question now before ed the two objections he made against it. But, I must add, that it was owing to this very treaty, that Spain made us the offer of being fole mediator at the treaty of Cambray, of all differences between her and the Emperor; fo that, if any honour or advantage could have been got by our accepting of that offer, it must have been entirely afcribed to our treaty with Spain, in the year 1721 However, as our accepting of that offer might have involved us in a bloody and expenfive war, in which we could not o therwife have had any concern, and from which we could propofe to reap no advantage; therefore I am ftill of opinion, that it was more prudent in us, to refuse the offer at that time made us by Spain. before us; but as to all of them in general, fo far as I have had any share in them, I can for my own part say, that whatever art may have been wanting in the method of conducting them, they were all undertaken and carried on with a fincere heart, and a strong defire of doing service to my native country; and as to all the other perfons concerned, I have the charity to think, that, if any faults were committed, they were not owing to defign or carelefnefs, but to fuch mistakes and overfights, as the wifeft of men may fometimes be guilty of. With a treaty or negotiation, it is the fame as with a fine poem; it is eafy for a willing or fplenetick mind to criticize, and find fault with the beft that was ever made or carried on. No. Then, my Lords, with regard to the nation can in every treaty get all they can defire: they must get as much as they can, and leave the reft to the next favourable opportunity; therefore, every treaty may be faid to be a good treaty, when upon an impartial examination, it appears to be the beft that the then conjuncture of affairs would admit of. But the misfortune is, that those who want to find fault, generally mifreprefent the then fituation of affairs, and at the fame time they endeavour to extenuate the advantages that were obtained, and to exalt the value of those which were not; even though they themselves were perhaps, the caufe, that fome of thofe advantages could not be obtained. If in this light, my Lords, we examine the treaties now complained of, and the objections made to them, we fhall, I believe, find, that most of the objections are either groundless or frivolous; and all the treaties have this argument in their favour, they were every one approved of by both houfes of parliament; which fhews, that they were all thought to be good treaties at the time they were made, whatever objections may have fince arifen against them, from alterations in the affairs of Europe, which either could not be forefeen, or could not be guarded againft. As for the treaty in 1721, I need not fay much in its favour; because the Noble Lord who found fault with it, has himself answer treaty of Hanover, I know it has been ftrongly infifted on, that no fecret ar ticles were agreed on by the treaty of Vienna, in the year 1725, between the Emperor and Spain, which were any way prejudicial to this kingdom; but we have his late Majefty's exprefs declaration, that there were fome fuch articles in that treaty, which, I think, is a better authority for believing, than any authority we have for difbelieving, that there were fuch articles. But fuppofing there were no fuch articles, the very treaty itself fhews, that it was defigned for fupporting the Oftend EaftIndia company; and as both the Dutch and we were refolved to deftroy that company, it was evident that the Vienna treaty would have produced a war, if we had not prevented it by the treaty of Hanover, and the measures we took in purfuance of that treaty, for preventing the court of Spain's being in a condition to begin a war, or to affift the Emperor, in cafe he fhould. By the fquadrons we fent out to the coafts of Spain, in Europe and America, we prevented the return of their plate-fleets from America, which rendered all the projects of the courts of Vienna and Madrid abortive, and foon after induced the Em peror to give up his favourite Oftend company. But as thofe fquadrons were defigned only to prevent a war, there fore it would have been ridiculous to Y y 2 have |