The Naval Hiftory of GREAT BRITAIN from the acceffion of king George II. to the end of the war in the year 1763.

K

ING GEORGE II. afcended the throne of Great A. D. Britain in the year 1727, and in the forty-fourth year 1727. of his age. All the European powers were now at peace; nevertheless, fome of them were fo little fatisfied with the terms to which neceffity had compelled them to accede, that a future war was easily forefeen. The late king had engaged in an unnatural alliance with France, and, under a pretence of adjusting the balance of power, had burdened the nation with fubfidies to Sweden and the landgrave of Heffe-Caffel. The emperor Charles VI. for whom we had fo lately wrefted Sicily. from the Spaniards, was now leagued with the court of Madrid, and the political scheme of our miniftry, fome time before the death of George L was to humble this very emperor, in VOL. IV.

A

whofe

A. D. whofe caufe we had fo lately expended fuch fums of British 1727. treasure.

Before I proceed to the occurrences which are the immediate objects of a naval hiftory, it seems neceffary to bring the reader acquainted with the men in power at the beginning of this reign. Lord Townsend and the duke of Newcastle were generally fuppofed to conduct the important concern of foreign negociations. The first of thefe is allowed to have poffeffed knowledge and talents equal to the task. As to the latter, he was certainly not a man of great abilities; but he had distinguished himself as a fteady and indefatigable friend to the houfe of Hanover, and his parliamentary intereft was very confiderable. Lord Carteret, though not oftenfibly in the adminiftration, was frequently confulted, and his advice generally followed. He was a man of fome genius and learning, and, having been much abroad, was fuppofed to be well acquainted with the general system of Europe. The interior government of the kingdom was principally conducted by Sir Robert Walpole, who was at the head of the treasury, and leader of the Whigs in the houfe of commons. He was well verfed in the mystery of financing, funding, and in the effectual application of money, as a powerful engine of government. He fpoke in parliament, though not elegantly, yet with eafe, fluency, and perfuafion. He knew mankind, and on that knowledge he is faid to have laid the foundation of that uniform plan of influence, fo very agreeable to fubfequent parliaments, and fo indifpenfibly useful to future minifters. The principal fpeakers in the oppofition were Sir William Wyndham, Mr. Shippen, Mr. Hungerford, and Mr. Pultney.

The reader has feen, in the laft page of the preceding volume, that the navy of England was, at this period, exceedingly formidable. Our chief naval commanders who were at this time employed, were Sir Charles Wager, Sir John Norris, and adiniral Holier: the firft commanded a fleet in the Mediterranean, the fecond in the Baltic, and the third in the Weft Indies, where he died, about two months after the king's acceffion. Sir Charles Wager had been fent to fecure Gibraltar, then beeged by the Spaniards. He afterwards continued upon the coaft of Spain, in order to perfuade that nation, by the ultima ratio

regum,

regum, if neceffary, to acquiefce in the general plan of peace A. D. to which the other confiderable powers had already acceded. 1727. Sir John Norris had been fent with a fleet into the Baltic, with a defign to protect Sweden from the Czarina, who threatened that country with an invafion. And admiral Hofier had failed in April 1726, to the Weft Indies, in order to block up the Spanish galleons, and thereby prevent that treasure from being brought to Europe, without which, it was imagined, the courts of Vienna and Madrid could not profecute the war.

Such was the fituation of the British navy at the acceffion of George II. who, as I have before obferved, found his kingdom at peace with all the world. No immediate change was made, either of minifters or measures; but, before the expiration of the year, lord Torrington was placed at the head of the admiralty, and the earl of Westmoreland made first lord of trade".

A new parliament was called. The two houfes met on the 1728. twenty-third day of January. The commons unanimously chofe for their speaker Arthur Onflow, Efq; member for the county of Surrey; a man whose abilities and integrity rendered him fingularly qualified for that important office. The king, in his fpeech from the throne, informed his parliament, that the difficulties, which had hitherto prevented the execution of the preliminaries to the establishment of a general peace, were now removed, and that a congrefs would foon be opened for that purpose, in which he hoped the peace of Europe would be effectually secured; but that nevertheless, in order to prevent the poffibility of an open rupture, it was neceffary to continue the preparations for war. He wished that fome fcheme might be formed for the increase and fecurity of feamen, that they might rather be invited than compelled into the fervice. He promised economy as soon as the public fafety would permit, and concluded his fpeech, as ufual, with recommending unanimity and dispatch. The two houfes prefented moft dutiful addreffes on the occafion. They voted 22,955 men for guards and garrifons, and 15,000 feamen, for the fervice of the year. They granted 231,000 1. for the maintenance of 12,000 Heffians; a fubfidy

a Smollet's hift. 3d edition, vol. vii. p. 172.

A 2

of

A. D. of 50,000 1. to the king of Sweden, and 25,000l. to the duke 1728. of Brunswick b.

The congrefs, which met at Soiffons to establish peace, having yet determined nothing, the fate of Europe remained suspended. Spain had fecretly fhook hands with France, and was now allied to Portugal by means of a double marriage; the therefore grew indifferent as to peace with England. She continued her depredations on our commerce in the Weft Indies, where our fleet remained inactive and rotting, and our failors perished miserably, infulted and unrevenged.

The parliament of England met, according to their proroga1729. tion, on the 21st of January. They voted 15,000 feamen for the service of the year: the number of land-forces was also continued, as were likewife the fubfidies to foreign princes. The merchants of London, Bristol, and Liverpool presented petitions to the houfe of commons, complaining of the repeated injuries they had fuftained by the depredations of the Spaniards in the Weft Indies; upon which the house ordered the lords of the admiralty to produce every fimilar memorial which they had received; and they addreffed the king, praying, that the inftructions and letters fent to admiral Hofier and his fucceffors in command, might be laid before them. A committee of the whole houfe took this important affair into confideration, and after examining evidence, and amply debating the matter, refolved, that the Spaniards had violated the treaties fubfisting between the two crowns; that they had treated the crews of feveral English fhips with inhumanity; that the inftructions given to admiral Hofier, to feize and detain the Spanish galleons, were juft and neceffary. The houfe of commons then addreffed the king, requesting his majefty to require fatisfaction of Spain; and he answered them by a promife to comply with their requeft.

Meanwhile the houfe of lords deliberated on the positive demand made by the Catholic king, of the restitution of Gibraltar, founded on the contents of a letter written by king George I. to the king of Spain. From an authentic copy of this letter, it appeared, that his late majefty had actually confented to this re

Smollet, vol. vii. p. 173.

c Smollet, p. 180.

ftitution

ftitution. Their lord fhips then refolved, that the houfe did A. D. firmly rely, that his majesty would, in fupport of the honour 1729. and trade of this kingdom, take effectual care to preserve his undoubted right to Gibraltar and Minorca.

The year 1730 produced nothing worthy the attention of a 1730. naval hiftorian. The king, in his fpeech to parliament, which met on the 13th of January, informed them, that the peace of Europe was now established by a treaty concluded at Seville; that the uninterrupted commerce of Great Britain was reftored; and that the nation was to be amply indemnified for the Spanish depredations in the Weft Indies. Nevertheless, I find, that on the 2d of March, 17314, feveral mafters and failors of merchantfhips, who had been taken by the Spanish Guarda Coftas, came to London to give an account to parliament of the cruel treatment they had received from the Spaniards. In 1733 the house of commons addreffed the king, to know what fatisfaction had been made by Spain for the depredations abovementioned and by his majefty's anfwer it appeared, that the commiffioners had not yet made their report. In the fpeech from the throne, which put an end to the preceding feffion of parliament, the nation was told, that all difputes with foreign powers. were settled, and the public tranquillity established. However, twelve fhips of the line were put into commiffion, and prefswarrants were iffued for manning the fleet. Meanwhile rearadmiral Stewart demanded of the governors of Campeachy and the Havannah, reftitution for three fhips plundered by Spanish Guarda Coftas. In confequence of this peremptory demand, one of the Guarda Coftas was fold at St. Jago de Cuba, and the money paid to the South Sea factors. One of the Spanish governors was fent home, and another confined in the caftle of Cuba.

That we may in fome degree preferve the chain of fuch pub- 1733lic events as are connected, though indirectly, with our naval hiftory, it is neceffary to inform the reader, that, in the year 1733, the king of France concluded a treaty with Spain and Sardinia, by which they mutually agreed to declare war against

Gent, Mag. March, 1731.

e Smollet's hift. vol. vii. p. 207.

the