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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
1714-1716.
Accession of George I. - State of Parties. - Ascendency of the Whigs -
German Predilections of the King. - Settlement of the Court and Civil
List.- New Parliament summoned. Coronation Sermon. - Stormy
Discussion on the Peace of Utrecht. Seizure of the Papers of the Ne-
gotiators. Report of the Secret Committee. - Impeachment of Boling-
broke, Oxford, Ormond, and Strafford.-Flight of Bolingbroke and
Ormond to France. - Bills of Attainder found against them. - Oxford
committed to the Tower. -- Tumults in London. - Arrest of Members of
the Commons. Close of the Session. - Deaths of Burnet, Wharton,
and Halifax.-The Earl of Mar's Rebellion.- Demonstrations in the
North. Surrender of Preston. - Battle of Dunblane.- Appearance of
the Pretender in Scotland. His total Discomfiture and Flight. - His
ill Luck contrasted with the good Fortune of the King. Impeachment
and Execution of the Rebel Lords
Page 1
CHAP. II.
1716.
General Discontent in the Country.- Introduction of the Septennial Act
to escape the Risk of an Election.- Debate and Protest in the Lords.-
Energetic Resistance in the Commons.-The Bill carried with unex-
ampled Rapidity. - Special Grounds on which it was attempted to be
justified. - Constitutional Objections to the principle of the Measure. —
And the Pretexts under which it was forced upon the Legislature. Its
Inconsistency with the Declaration of the Bill of Rights. - Its Effect
upon the Privileges of Parliament. Doubts of the Right of Parliament
to prolong its own Existence. - Instances in which Acts of Parliament
would be invalid.—Subsequent Revolution of Opinion amongst the Sup-
porters of the Septennial Act Close of the Session
-
30
CHAP. III.
1716-1717.
The Prince of Wales appointed Lieutenant during the King's Absence. —
Increased Discontent at Home.-Changes in the Ministry.-Treaty of
Friendship with France. - Swedish Conspiracy to invade England. —
Arrest of the principal Confederates.- Secret Correspondence respecting
the Plot laid before Parliament. - Demand for a Supply to reduce the
King of Sweden. - Indignation of the independent Section of the Com-
mons. Silence of Walpole. -The Motion carried by a Majority of Four.
- Dismissal of Townshend.—Walpole resigns. The Administration is
dissolved. A new Cabinet formed, and the Whig Party broken up.-
German Policy of the Sovereign universally censured. — Recrimination
between the Whigs in and the Whigs out of Office. - Fresh Outbreaks
of Jacobitism. Oxford petitions to be brought to Trial.- The Lords
proceed without the Commons. — Oxford acquitted. State of the
Country
Page 51
CHAP. IV.
1717-1719.
Differences between the King and the Prince of Wales. - The Prince
banished from the Palace. - Standing Army reduced. Walpole in vain
endeavours to obtain a farther Reduction. Shippen committed to the
Tower. Standard of Gold Coin fixed. - Project set on foot to assassi-
nate the King. Increase of the Naval Force.- Death of Charles XII.
- Intrigues of Cardinal Alberoni for the Recovery of the Spanish Pro-
vinces dismembered by the Treaty of Utrecht. Relations of the Euro-
pean Powers in these Affairs.-The Spaniards reduce the Island of
Sardinia. Quadruple Alliance. -Spain again sacrificed to the Hano-
verian Policy of the King. - The Spaniards invade Sicily.— An English
Fleet is despatched to the Mediterranean. — Admiral Byng obtains a de-
cisive Victory.-Spain makes Reprisals. -War declared against Spain
by England and France.- Changes in the Administration.-Bill brought
forward for the Relief of the Dissenters.- Hoadley's Sermon on the
Church. Struggle of the Bishops to exclude the Dissenters. - Peerage
Bill moved and withdrawn. - Prorogation of Parliament
67
CHAP. V.
1719-1721.
The King pays a second Visit to Hanover,-Alberoni assists the Pretender
in an Attempt on England. - Failure of the Enterprise. - Spain submits
vii
to the Allies.- English Intrigues to detach Sweden from Russia. - Pro-
visional Treaty to secure Bremen and Verdun. — Opening of Parliament.
-The Peerage Bill resumed and lost. The Dependency of the Irish
Parliament on the appellate Jurisdiction of the Lords established by a
Bill.-Proposals of the South-Sea Company.-Their Privileges increased.
Walpole predicts the Consequences. — The King returns to Germany.
Walpole and Methuen join the Administration.. Dismissal of Lord
Stair. Treaty of Alliance with Sweden. - A British Fleet appears in
the Baltic. Progress of the South-Sea Scheme. - The Stock artificially
raised to One Thousand per Cent.- Universal Mania for Bubbles. —
Excitement of the Public Mind. - The King is summoned Home.-
Walpole brings in a Bill to restore the Public Credit. - Secret Committee
appointed. - - Detection of the iniquitous Frauds of the South-Sea Di-
rectors and some of his Majesty's Ministers. — Sunderland is disgraced.
Aislabie is expelled. - Craggs dies suddenly. - Death of Stanhope. —
Knight, the Cashier of the Company, flies-is arrested, and ultimately
pardoned. - Heavy Penalties levied on the Directors
Page 86
CHAP. VI.
1721-1727.
Intolerance of the Church Party. - Blasphemy Bill thrown out by the
Whigs. Quaker's Affirmation Bill.- Efforts to restore the Public
Credit. Walpole introduces a new Commercial Code. - Subsidies
granted to Sweden. - Restoration of Peace in the North of Europe.—
Defensive Alliance entered into with France and Spain. - Dissolution
of Parliament. Deaths of Sunderland and Marlborough. The Elec-
tions terminate in Favour of the Court Party. - Conspiracy to restore
the Pretender discovered.- Universal Alarms. Atterbury and others
arrested. Meeting of Parliament. — Augmentation of the Military.
Sentences upon the Conspirators. - Banishment of Atterbury. Boling-
broke returns to England. - A Levy is made on the Estates of the Ro-
man Catholics.- Walpole's Son is raised to the Peerage. - Close of the
Session. The King goes to Hanover. - Entangled Policies of Europe.
-Bremen and Verdun in Danger. -Short Session of Parliament. In-
trigues in the Ministry. - Wood's Copper Coinage produces Discontents
in Ireland. Cartaret appointed Lord Lieutenant. — Dismissal of Pul-
teney. Impeachment of Lord Macclesfield. - Affairs of Russia, Spain,
and France. — Treaty of Vienna. — Treaty of Hanover. - Preparations
for an European War. - Fall of Ripperda. Breach with Russia.
Prudent Policy of the Government. Negociations for a general Peace.
CHAP. VII.
1727-1731.
Accession of George II.-Struggle for Office.- Walpole's Cabinet re-
tained. — The King adopts the Policy of his Father. - Proceedings of the
Opposition. Scrutiny into the Public Expenditure. Report of the
Select Committee on the Sinking Fund. — Preliminaries of Peace with
Spain. Congress at Soissons. Parliamentary Committee on the Com-
mercial Reprisals of Spain. - Ministerial Difficulties with the King..
Departure for Hanover. - Pacific Policy of Walpole and Fleury. — Dif-
ferences with Austria. Treaty of Seville.- Special Pleading of Boling-
broke and his Friends.-Violent Measures recommended by Townshend.
-Bill for preventing Loans to Foreign Powers. Subsidies voted.- In-
creasing Strength of the Opposition. - Pensions' Bill. Discussion on
the Harbour of Dunkirk. - Renewal of the East India Company's
Charter. -The Craftsman. Resignation of Townshend. — Quarrel
with Walpole. - Newcastle and Harrington at the Foreign Office. -
Foreign Policy of Great Britain. - Comprehensive Views of Walpole.
Protracted Negotiations at Vienna. - Discontent of Spain. - Opposition
to the Address on the Opening of Parliament. - Diplomatic Dilemma of
the Ambassador in Austria. - - Second Treaty of Vienna. - Its Nature
and Consequences.- Popularity of the Administration at the Close of the
Session
Page 141
CHAP. VIII.
1731-1733.
Popularity of Walpole. Angry Controversies in the Recess. - Character
of Pulteney. Quarrel and Duel with Lord Hervey.- New Parliament-
ary Tactics of the Opposition. - Debate on the Standing Army. Wal-
pole revives the Duty on Salt, and diminishes the Land Tax. - Grounds
of that Measure. — Apprehensions of a general Excise. Popular Pre-
judices on that Subject.- Origin and History of the Excise.- Resistance
to the Address in the House of Commons. - Amendments carried, with
the Acquiescence of Ministers.- Debate on the Army Estimates renewed.
-Spanish Depredations on English Trade. Bill for securing the Trade
of the Sugar Colonies. First Tax imposed on America. - Walpole
alienates a Part of the Sinking Fund for the current Expenses of the
State. Flagrant Injustice of the Proceeding.-Reasons for its Popu
larity. Agitation created by Walpole's Scheme of Revenue Reform.-
Strenuous Efforts of the Opposition to defeat it.- Clamour out of Doors.
Introduction of the Excise Bill. Its Nature and Utility explained.
-The false and superficial Doctrines of the Opposition. - The Bill is
carried. Turbulent Demonstrations of universal Discontent.- Walpole
abandons the Measure. - Dismissal of Six Peers. Close of the Session
175