majesty's personal enemies. The confidence of the king was known, also, to be reposed in sir Spencer Compton, who was publicly spoken of as the new minister. Walpole, indeed, was so convinced of the certainty of his removal, that he contemplated resignation. "I shall certainly go out," he said, to sir William Yonge: "but let me recommend you not to go into violent opposition, as we must soon come in again."

The queen, however, had resolved otherwise. She had been a close and silent observer of Walpole's labours, and was capable of appreciating the value of his services. She felt, too, the delicacy with which, even at the risk of office, he declined to pay court to the favourite, Mrs. Howard, and the high respect he always manifested towards herself. Walpole was a profound judge of character. He foresaw that the king would be governed by his wife, and he made his election, which fortunately proved to be a prudent as well as a just one.

When the despatch containing an account of the king's death reached Walpole, he immediately repaired to the palace at Richmond, and presented it to the king, who was at first incredulous. When he had recovered from his surprise, Walpole inquired who his majesty would appoint to draw up the declaration to the privy council. The king abruptly answered "Compton,” and the minister withdrew covered with mortification.

The principal merits by which Compton was distinguished were, great assiduity and regularity in the discharge of business, which strongly recommended him to the favour of the king, and a solemn formality of manner, which passed off for profundity. Being ignorant of the mode of framing the requisite declaration, Walpole drew it up at his request, and Compton, flushed with hope, conveyed it to the king. This very circumstance contributed materially to exclude him from the post to which he aspired. The queen urged upon his majesty the imprudence of placing a man at the head of the ministry who could not draw up a declaration to the privy council-pointed out the imminent danger of a

1727. THE OLD MINISTRY RE-APPOINTED.

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tory cabinet, and especially of recalling Bolingbroke to power-described the difficulties in which the foreign alliances of the country were involved, and dwelt upon the necessity of preserving in office a well-established ministry, who were so familiar with the public affairs, and so competent to manage them. Her good sense prevailed, and the old ministry, with a few slight and unimportant alterations, were re-appointed.*

The only member of the cabinet council displaced by the new arrangement was the earl of Berkley, first lord of the admiralty, who was succeeded by Byng, lord Torrington, a strong adherent of Walpole's. Subordinate offices were filled by a fresh accession of friends; and the strength of the minister was visibly based on stronger foundations than ever it had been before. The opposition was struck with panic. They felt that the re-establishment of Walpole at the head of affairs was fatal to their hopes. They did not hesitate to declare, that his overthrow would be more important to the interests of the chevalier, than the intrigues of Alberoni or the arms of Austria. A fruitless attempt was made, through the interference of Mrs. Howard, to procure an earldom for lord Bathurst; but, failing in that object, they relinquished the contest. Bolingbroke, defeated in every quarter, buried his disgrace in retirement.

Parliament assembled on the 27th June; and, in his speech from the throne, the king declared his approval of all the late measures, and his determination to preserve the constitution in church and state inviolate. The entire produce of the civil list, amounting to about 130,000l. more than the 700,000l. granted to the late king, was settled on his majesty during life on the mo

* A curious illustration of the transitory nature of ministerial friendships, and the hollowness and perfidiousness of courtiers' professions, occurred on this occasion. Walpole, returning in his carriage through St. James's Square, after leaving the queen's closet, where he received the assurance of his re-appointment, while it was yet generally believed that his dismissal had actually taken place, saw the door of sir Spencer Compton's house besieged by persons of all ranks, who crowded to pay their court to the new minister. "Did you observe," cried Walpole to a friend who was with him," how my house is deserted, and how that door is crowded with carriages? To-morrow the scene will be changed; that house will be deserted, and mine will be more frequented than ever."

1728.

tion of Walpole. Shippen resisted the grant, charged the government with prodigality, and proposed to reduce the yearly allowance to 700,000%. His amendment, however, not finding a seconder, was rejected without a division; and a further sum of 100,000l. per annum was settled as a jointure on the queen. On the 17th the parliament was prorogued to August, and soon after dissolved.

The new house of commons, convened in January, was composed of nearly the same materials as the last. Compton, the former speaker, having been elevated to the Onslow was elected in his place, peerage, - a man who, by the dignified and impartial discharge of his duties, during a period of thirty-seven years, fully justified the cordial unanimity with which he was chosen. The speech from the throne communicated the delays that had taken place in the execution of the preliminaries with Spain, and pointed out the absolute necessity of continuing warlike preparations. The address which, as usual, echoed the sentiments of the speech, passed the lords without opposition; but Shippen moved an amendment in the commons, and took occasion to accuse ministers of want of energy and decision. The feelings of the house, however, were so strongly against him that, although his motion was seconded by Wyndham in a violent harangue, he did not venture to submit to a division. But when the question came before parliament in the substantive shape of a motion for a grant to the amount of 230,9231. for the maintenance of 12,000 Hessians in the British pay, the opposition, headed by the Pulteneys, put out all their vigour. popular objections to the employment of mercenaries were argued with consummate art and great ability; but the economy of foreign troops in comparison with the cost of raising national levies, and the pressing necessity of the case, yielded a sufficient excuse to satisfy the consciences of the ministerial majority, which exhibited the formidable array of 280 votes against 84.

The

It was not found quite so easy, however, to gain over

1728.

REPORT ON THE SINKING FUND.

147

the house to acquiesce in the propriety of inserting large sums in the public expenditure, which were not specifically accounted for. The alliances and intrigues of George I. had led to an exorbitant outlay in channels which the ministers could not very creditably reveal; and there appeared an item of 250,000l. in the national accounts for preserving and restoring the peace of Europe," which provoked so much clamour, that an address was voted to the king, requesting a specific explanation of its disbursement. His majesty's reply was a calm and decisive refusal to comply with the demand, declaring that a specific account of the disbursements could not be given without prejudice to the public, and hoping that they would place the same confidence in him they had reposed in his father. Pulteney burst into a vehement protest against such a loose and vague mode of accounting for the outlay of the public money, which, he asserted, had a tendency to render parliament insignificant and useless, to cover embezzlements, and screen corrupt and rapacious ministers. But his indignation was of no avail. Walpole declared that it would be impossible to carry on the public service if every shilling that was expended was to be made known to the world; and the house of commons affirmed the doctrine, by passing, before the session terminated, a discretionary vote of credit at the requisition of the court.

The investigation of the sinking fund and the national debt occupied a large share of attention throughout the session, and a select committee was appointed to make a report upon the subject. This was exactly what Walpole desired. The opposition had industriously circulated a variety of calculations and representations, to show that the sinking fund had failed to attain the object originally proposed in its adoption, and that the national debt, instead of being diminished by that expedient, had really been increased. The report, drawn up by Walpole on this occasion, was a master-piece of finance, elaborate, lucid, and minute. He clearly proved, in a form so simple as to be intelligible to the meanest

capacity, that the sinking fund had been raised from 400,000l. to 1,200,000l.; and that between Christmas 1716 and Lady-day 1728, a sum of no less than 6,648,7627. had been applied to the discharge of the national debt. The opposition to this document was violent but feeble. The weight of evidence was wholly on Walpole's side, and the report was carried by a majority of 243 against 77. Great stress continued to be laid on the refusal to account for the money expended in secret service; and Walpole, in the midst of his reply, receiving intelligence from lord Townshend that the preliminaries with Spain were ratified at the Prado *, availed himself of the information, and acquainted the house with the news, observing, that "the nation would be now relieved from the burthen of the late expenses, and that he could assure the members who called so loudly for a specification of the secret service money, that it had been expended in obtaining the conclusion of that peace, the preliminaries of which were now signed." The intelligence diffused universal satisfaction through the house, and gave increased éclat to the ministerial victory.

The session terminated on the 28th May, to the undisguised delight of the king, who thanked the commons for the effectual supplies they had voted for the service of the year, and congratulated both houses on the zeal and unanimity with which they had despatched the public business. †

In consequence of the ratification of the preliminaries of peace with Spain, a congress was held at Soissons, where the plenipotentiaries of the various powers were assembled. Nothing material was transacted; but the skilful diplomacy of Fleury gradually produced a friendly understanding between the courts of Versailles and Madrid; while the refusal of the emperor to give an ex

A palace near Madrid.

+ During this session, the standing order for the exclusion of strangers was so strictly enforced in the house of lords, that no report of their proceedings remains upon record.