Chap, toun went there to him; but meeting with Mr. 'Stuart Mackenzie, he incautiously told him of the

1766. intended meeting, and that gentleman immediately insormed Lord Holland, who seeing Lord Bute a sew moments after, told his Lordship, "That he was going to do a very foolish thing; but as he had gone so sar he must not stop; but give them the meeting, hear what they had to propose, and then leave them."

Lord Temple called upon his brother, just as he had returned from the House of Commons. In a minute or two afterwards, Lord Eglintoun came in; and being rejoiced to fee his Lordship, begged he would stay there ten minutes, while he went home. Lord Temple said he could not stop so long; that he was going to the House of Lords upon particular business, and it was growing late. Lord Eglintoun then desired he would stay only five minutes. This was res used. Lastly, he requested only three minutes; and this was resused also. But in the expostulation it came out, that it was to meet Lord Bute, whom Lord Eglintoun supposed was, by this time, waiting at his own house, and wished to fetch him. At length, pressing the matter very earnestly, Lord Temple answered, by G-d I will not—that was his expression, and immediately stepped into his carriage.

The Duke of Bedford and Mr. Grenville met Lord Bute at Lord Eglintoun s. The conserence was very short. Lord Bute followed Lord Holland's advice—he heard them—and then left them.

He

He afterw ards said to Lord Eglintoun, that he did Chap.

XXX.

not meet the person he wanted to meet (Lord ^ ^ ^

Temple J, but the person he did not want to meet l766.

(the Duke of Bedford.) Some time afterwards,

Mr. Pitt mentioned this meeting in the House of

Commons. Mr. Grenville did not deny it; but

said, " That the single proposition made, or

point spoken of, was relative to the best means

of preventing the intended repeal of the Stamp

Act. No other subject was mentioned."

Notwithstanding the ill success os this project, Amuses

Lord Bute found means, through one of the J"ord

Bute.

Princess's confidantes, to amuse Lord Temple v/hh. assurances, that a Carte-blanche would, in a very little time be offered to him: and this manœuvre was managed so well, he was completely duped by it. He believed the assurances for some time. The design was to engage him warmly in the opposition to the repeal of the Stamp Act ; and he fell into the snare. Having implicitly adopted the American politics of his brother, the American politics of the court became an easy, and almost a natural gradation.

During the progress of the bill for the repeal of the Stamp Act, it was strongly insinuated in Parliament, that the bill was very far srom being agreeable to the King; upon which Lord Rockingham asserted, that his Majesty's approbation of the measure was clear and unequivocal. Next day, Lord Strange maintained the contrary—that Lord his Majesty highly disapproved of the bill. Lord Rockingham was greatly surprised by this explicit

decla

declaration from Lord Strange; and at bis next audience of the King, he-requested the honour 1765, of his Majesty's opinion in writing; which the Lord King resuled to give. This circumstance was an ham's're." indisputable proof, that, notwithstanding the Jate quest. negociation had not succeeded, yet his Majestystill withheld his confidence from his present servants. Another change of ministers was doubtless in contemplation; although no fresh applications for that pu pose were yet made.

However unfortunate these ministers might be in the closet, yet they rendered great and important services to the country. Their proceedings and conduct are well known; they are to be found in the public accounts of the time: but there is one measure of that administration which has been very imperfectly fiated. It is concerning Dunkirk.

Dunkirk. This point of frequent and anxious discussion, seems to have been mistaken by the British ministers, prior and subsequent to Lord Rochngham. From the peace of Utrecht, in the year 1713, to the month of September 1765, all our demands concerning the demolition of Dunkirk, have originated in a wrong principle. We have insisted upon levelling the ramparts, upon filling up the cunette, &c. These were immaterial points to which the French court consented, after some affected hesitation. The fortisications on the land side are of no consequence to England. It was the harbour alone that ought to have engaged our attention.* Lord Rockingham saw this] mistake ; in his administration only was the demolition of the harbour seriously attempted: and had he remained a little longer in office, it must have been accomplished. His demands were directed to the jettees, which protect the channel to the harbour, and without which the harbour becomes totally unserviceable. These jettees are two piers, which project about three quarters of a mile from the harbour into the sea,; and are abc ut twelve feet high from low-water mark: between them is the channel into the harbour. His Lordship ordered a breach to be matle in the Eastern jettee, near the middle, sufficient to admit the sea. All Dunkirk was instantly filled with alarm. They saw the ruin of the harbour was inevitable. A sew tides.made the sact clear. The sand was driven through the breach with such astonishing velocity, it was fully manisest the channel must be entirely choaked in a sew days more. Had this breach been made larger, which was intended; and another made lower down towards the sea, which was also intended; the harbour must have been so effectually rendered useless, that nothing larger than a row boat, or a pilot, could have got into it. 1 he French immediately saw the effect of this small breach, and instantly put a stop to the progress of the workmen. The reader is to observe, that in all the stipulations our Coutt has made with France respecting Dunkirk, a kind of childish delusion has constantly been admitted ;—this was —the French were to employ their own people

to Chap. to execute our demands, and we were to send XXX. our survey0rs to examine and report the state of

over the workmen: and if the French governor at any time chose to put a slop to their labour, we could not oblige them to resume their work. The surveyors might return to England, and upon their report, the British ambassador at Paris was usually instructed to remonstrate; which commonly produced an evasive answer. The surveyors have been sent back, and the same sarce has been played over again. In this manner have the negociations concerning Dunkirk been continued, dropped and revived, from the year 1713. As a proof that Lord Rockingham was right in this matter, we need only observe the conduct of the French in this particular, since the treaty of 1782, by which we surrendered all claim and concern whatever respecting Dunkirk. Instead of repairing the fortifications, on the demolition of which we formerly so strenuously insisted, or opening the cunette, or paying any regard whatever to the land side, their-whole attention has been directed to widening, deepening, and enlarging the harbour. They have made it capacious, safe, and convenient. Those who think Dunkirk a place of no danger to the commerce of London, may find their mistake in a future day.

During this administration Mr. fVilkes returned from France to London ; and there was some communication between the ministers and him. The following is Mr. Humphry Cotes's account of

Our surveyors had no controul