perhaps in the fame feffion, find good reason to cenfure.

This caution, my Lords, is, I think, neceffary at all times; but upon the prefent occafion, I think it is more neceffary than it ever was upon any for mer; for we have had nothing yet laid before us, that can give us the leaft glimpse of light into the meafures which the addrefs now propofed feems to approve of. We cannot pretend to have the least parliamentary knowledge of our late tranfactions; and, I believe, there are but few, very few of your Lordships, that can in any capacity pretend to a thorough knowledge of them. We must therefore now judge by appearances only; and if we judge from what is publickly known, I cannot think we have from thence any great reason to run out in encomiums upon our late management. It is publickly known, not only in this kingdom, but through all Europe, which I am forry to fay,that the nation has for fome years been infulted, our negotiators trifled with, and our fellow-fubjects not only plundered, but barbarously used; and can any of your Lordships pretend to fay, from any thing that has been laid before you, or from what has been communicated by our publick gazettes, that proper meatures have been taken for vindicating the honour, repairing the loffes, or fecuring the trade of the nation? Thefe great ends may, for what I know, be all fully anfwered by the Convention, which, as his Majefty has told us, has been lately concluded between him and the crown of Spain: I hope they will appear fo, when that treaty, or rather preliminary, comes to be laid before us. I hope proper care has been taken by that convention, to have condign punishment inflicted upon fuch of the fubjects of Spain, as have plundered or abused the subjects of this nation, contrary to the faith of former treaties; for without fuch punishment, I will be bold to fay, that no reparation can be made for our injured honour, nor any fecurity given for our future dafety. I hope the ftipulated payment, as it is called, will appear to be fuffici

ent for answering fully the loffes of our plundered merchants and feamen; and, I hope, there is a feasible plan laid down for having all our rights acknowledged by a definitive treaty, or at leaft fuch of them as have been lately contested. These things, I fay, my Lords, I hope, are all fully provided for by the coftly convention, which we are foon to have the pleasure of having laid before us; but as I yet know nothing of that convention,and I believe mott of your Lordfhips know as little of it as I do, I cannot, even in the most general terms, approve of our having tamely fubmitted to fo many injuries, for the fake of obtaining a thing called a convention, before I know what it is.

As fpeeches from the throne, my Lords, are always confidered in this houfe as fpeeches from the minifter, fo I cannot but look upon the addreffes made in return to those speeches, as addreffes, in fome measure, made to the minifter; and, when fuch an addrefs contains an approbation of what has been done, tho' couched in the moft general terms, I fhall always look upon it as an approbation of the conduct of the adminiftration. In this light, I must con fider the addrefs now propofed, and therefore, I fhall treat it with the more freedom; because, in this light, his Majefty can be no way concerned, nor can his facred character be in the leaft affected, by any thing I can fay against our late publick tranfactions.

Suppose then, my Lords, that the word minifter, or minifters, were proper ly inferted in all thofe parts of the addrefs, which feem to contain an approbation of our late conduct; fuppofe we were to fay, That among ft the many convincing proofs, which your Majefty's minifters have given of their unwearied care of the rights of your people: would any of your Lordships agree to make fuch a compliment, till fome of thofe convincing proofs had been laid before you? Or can we fay, that we have the firmeft dependence on their zeal and vigilance, for the fecurity and preserva tion of thofe rights, which have been of late fo often invaded by Spain, before

we

we have seen what care they have taken of them, by this laft convention? When we confider what infults the nation has of late met with, and how long, how patiently, those infults have been fubmitted to; can we make any compliments to our minifters upon their forti=tude, till it appears from their negotiations, and from the iffue of thofe nego tiations, that their courage has been reftrained by their prudence and forefight? For, I am fure, if full fatisfaction is not ftipulated by the convention they have accepted, we may applaud their fortitude in patiently suffering infalts and indignities, but we can fay nothing of their fortitude in vindicating and protecting our undoubted privileges of navigation and commerce. Reparation for paft injuries and loffes, and ef. fectual fecurity for the future, are what this nation ought, what we muft infift on: But, can we fay, that these have been the great views of our minifters, before we know a word of the convention, by which that reparation and fecurity ought to have been stipulated? I hope, my Lords, when the convention comes to be laid before us, it will from thence appear, that they well deserve all these compliments; but, till we have feen and examined the convention, I muft think it a little premature to make any fuch.

If I were entirely ignorant, my Lords, not only of our late negotiations, but of all our negotiations and treaties for these 17 or 18 years paft, I might, perhaps, put a little confidence in what our miRifters and their friends have been pleafed to tell us privately of this laft convention; I might, perhaps, believe, that we have obtained all we can with or defire, as has been confidently reported by fome perfons without doors: but tho' I am ignorant of our late negotiations, and of the terms of the treaty or convention in which they have terminated; yet, I am not entirely ignorant of our preceding negotiations and treaties, nor of the fuccefs with which they have been attended: and, the knowledge I have of them is fo far from furnishing me with any argument for blindly ap.

proving of what has been lately done, that it renders me fufpicious both of the convention, and of the measures that were taken for bringing it to a conclu→ fion. I can hardly believe that the conduct of those who have been fo long a mufed with negotiations, and fo often bamboozled with treaties, will appear to be without a flaw in this laft step, which they are pleased to represent as the mafter-piece of their politicks.

Let us, my Lords, but take a view of the many negotiations we have carried on, and the many treaties we have concluded, within these laft 20 years; and, from them, I believe, we fhall find but little encouragement to expect any great matters from what has been lately done. In the year 1721, we put an end to our war with Spain, by a treaty of peace, in which we acted a most generous part: We gave up to them all the advantages we had made by the war, I mean, the few fhips we had taken from them; and that without being obliged fo to do, by any fort of bad fuccefs in the war: And tho' Spain had, upon the war's breaking out, feized Britifh fhips and effects in her dominions, to a great value, contrary to the faith of former treaties, by which the fubjects of both kingdoms respectively were, in cafe of a war, to have had fix months to retire with their effects; yet we con→ tented ourselves with ftipulating only a fimple reftitution. Thefe were terms extremely favourable for Spain; and. yet, it is well known, they never made: good the reftitution they had promised, nor did they obferve the former tréa ties, which, by that treaty, were confirmed and ratified; but continued, un-› der various pretences, to infeft our trade in the bay of Campeachy, and other: parts of the American feas, as they had done for fome time before: and tho' we had it always in our power, to enforce the performance as well as obfervance of treaties, yet we trufted entirely to negotiation, and negotiated at the court of Spain for a free enjoyment of our rights in America, and for full fatisfa&tion to our S. S. company, and other injured merchants, for four years, with

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out any fuccefs; for, as we had a minifter there, I must suppose he had inftructions to take fome care of our mer chants, and of our trade and navigation: and our bad fuccefs in these negotiations was the more inexcufable, because, if we had accepted of the fole mediation of all the differences then fubfifting between the Emperor and Spain, which was offered us during that interval, we might have eafily accommodated all our differences with the court of Spain, and might have established the affairs of Europe upon fuch a footing, as would have greatly contributed to the fecurity of the balance of power in Europe, and to the intereft and gloFy of this nation.

About four years afterwards, my Lords, our ministers got by chance an account of a treaty concluded at Vienna between the Emperor and Spain; and tho' a conjunction and firm friendship between these two powers, is what this nation ought to defire and cultivate as much as poffible, yet I do not know by what information, or rather by what fatality, our minifters took it into their heads that this treaty was defigned a gainst us; which induced them to enter into that most extraordinary treaty or alliance concluded at Hanover in the year 1725 and tho' that treaty appears to be only a defenfive alliance, yet we immediately took from thence an occafion to fit out powerful fquadrons, and to fend them in a hostile manner, tho', as has fince appeared, with peaceful inftructions, to the coafts of Spain, both in Europe and America, before they had made the least attempt against us, or any of our allies. As Spain was ftill owing great fums to our S. S. company and other merchants, by virtue of the treaty I have mention'd in 1721, and as they had been for feveral years contefting fome of our most valuable rights and privileges in America, one might have expected that thefe fquadrons, fince we had fitted them out, would have been made ufe of for compelling the court of Spain to make full fatisfaction to our merchants, and to acknowledge our rights in America: but thefe, it seems,

our minifters thought were trifles not worth contending for; and as they thought, that our fending fuch fquadrons to the coafts of Spain, was no in fringement of the peace fubfifting be tween us and that nation, they gave no orders to these squadrons, either to begin hoitilities, or to attempt to com. pel the Spaniards to do any thing, for fear of breeding a rupture between the two nations. But Spain looked upon our fending them fuch unwelcome guests in a very different light: They confi dered it as an open rupture; therefore they immediately feized all our mer chants fhips and effects, both in Spain and America, and began hoftilities a gainst us both by fea and land. This, one would have thought, afforded us an excellent opportunity for beginning hoftilities in our turn, by which, if they had been carried on in a vigorous manner, we might foon have forced Spain, then without any one ally that could hurt us, to make full atonement both for the breach of treaty fhe had then committed in feizing our merchants effects, and for the non-performance, as well as non-obfervance of the treaty in 1721. But, tho' we had put ourselves to great expence in procuring the ac ceffion of feveral Princes and States to the treaty of Hanover, and in augmenting our forces both by fea and land; yet, inftead of beginning to fight, we began to negotiate: and, by our dexterity in that way, fome preliminary articles were, in about two years, fettled and agreed on between the Emperor and the allies of Hanover; which begot a new negotiation, in order to obtain the acceffion of Spain; and that negotiation, in about a year more, brought forth the convention between Spain and us, fign'd at the Pardo, in March 1728: This again begot a new negotiation, which, in about a year and a half, ended in the famous treaty of Seville, by which we not only re-united the crowns of France and Spain in a close friendship, but joined with them in a fort of alliance against the Emperor; and all this, without having afked the leaft reimburse ment for the charges we had put our

felves to, and without obtaining any fatisfaction for our merchants, or any explicit acknowledgment of fuch of our rights or privileges in America as had been contested by Spain.

'Tis true, my Lords, by this famous treaty of Seville, all former treaties were renew'd and confirm'd; by which, I remember, it was at the time of that treaty pretended, that all our rights and privileges were acknowledg'd: but from the example of the treaty in 1721, we might have seen how precarious fuch a general acknowledgment would prove: and our experience, fince that time, has confirmed what we had then good reafon to fufpect; for, fince the conclufion of the treaty of Seville, the Spaniards have been more daring in their infults, and more frequent in their depredations, than ever they were before that time; which was, indeed, foreseen by almost every man in the kingdom, except the friends of those who negotiated that wife treaty and I may prophefy that, if ever we make a new treaty, without having the privileges of our navigation and commerce exprefly and particularly declared and acknowledged, our poffeffion of them will become more precarious than ever it was heretofore; nay, I do not know but the Spanish encroachments and depredations may be multiplied in America, and at last ex tended to Europe.

I fhall likewife grant, my Lords, that by this treaty, the effects of the S. S. company, and of our other merchants, which had been feized by the Spaniards in their dominions, when they thought fit to begin hoftilities against us, were ftipulated to be reftor'd; and Commiffa ries were to be appointed for examining and deciding all pretenfions upon either fide: but the treaty in 1721 ought, like wife in this cafe, to have been a warning to us not to truft much to the performance of fuch ftipulations; and experience has fince fhewn, that we ought to have taken that treaty as a warning: for, tho' the Spaniards themselves admit, that there is about 300,000 l. due by them to the S. S. company, and upon a fair account, I have some reason to believe, the com

pany could make it appear to be treble that fum; yet the court of Spain is now, after nine years forbearance, fo far from offering to pay any part of that fum, that, we are told, they infift upon the company's paying a fum of 68,000l. as a debt which they pretend to be due from the company to them. Now, if this be the cafe of our S. S. company, we may easily imagine, how far short our other merchants have come of having thofe effects restor❜d to them which were fo unjustly feiz'd by the Spaniards upon their beginning hoftilities against us in the year 1726, or upon our beginning hoftilities against them in the year 1718. And as to fuch of our mer chants as had been plundered by their guarda coftas in America, before the treaty of Seville, few or none of them can be supposed to have met with any reftitution; fince the Spaniards took care that the Commiffaries fhould never come to any fettlement or decifion with regard to any of the pretenfions that were referred to them.

And now, my Lords, I have mentioned Commiffaries, I muft obferve, that from that very article in the treaty of Seville which regulates the appointing of Commiffaries, it appears to me, that those who drew up that article, either defigned that the Commiffaries fhould never be able to decide any thing, or otherwife that our Commiffaries fhould give up a point which, indeed, feems to be given up by that article; but it is fuch a one as, I hope, no British fubject will ever dare to give up in exprefs terms. In that article it is faid, That the Commiffaries fhall likewife examine and decide, according to the treaties, the respective pretenfions which relate to the abuses that are fuppofed to have been com mitted in commerce, as well in the Indies as in Europe, and all the other refpective pretenfions in America, founded on treaties, (after which follows this remarkable fentence) whether with respect to the limits, or otherwife. Now, my Lords, I do not remember that, ever fince the year 1670, till within these five or fix years, there has been the leaft difpute between the Spaniards and us about li

mits at land in America: and if there was then no difpute between us about limits at land, I am furprifed how our negotiators came to allow fuch a word to be foifted into any treaty; because the Spaniards may from thence pretend, that we have acknowledged the being of fuch a thing at fea, which I hope no British fubject will ever admit of; and yet, if there was at that time no difpute between us about limits at land, I do not know how we could get over this acknowledgment any other way than by faying, that this fentence was fouled into this treaty by the artfulness of the negotiators for Spain, and the ignorance or careleinefs of thofe that were employ'd on the part of England. Thus, my Lords, I have gone thro' feveral of thofe negotiations and treaties we have lately been engaged in or concluded; and, from the few remarks I have curforily made, I believe it will appear, that we have no great reason to approve blindly of any treaty that has been, or can be made by those who had the chief concern in negotiating or concluding any of the treaties I have mentioned. By the treaty in 1721 we made fome conceffions, which, I think, we ought not to have made; and trufted to promifes which ought to have been ftipulated by preliminaries, and which we ought to have feen performed before we concluded a definitive treaty: but, as we had then little or no experience of the conduct of the court of Spain, the confidence we put in their promises was a little excufable; and our conceffions might likewife have been excufed, if we could have thereby restor'da perfect harmony betweenSpain and the Emperor, as well as between Spain and ourselves. But I cannot fay fo much for our future conduct: During the congrefs at Cambray, we let flip, in my opinion, an excellent opportunity for restoring the ancient amity between the Empire and Spain, and for rekindling that animofity and jealousy which fo long fubfifted between Spain and France; by our treaty of Hanover, and the measures we took in confequence of that treaty, we in a manner declared

war, as I ftill think, without the least caufe, against the two powers of Eu rope whofe friendship we ought moft to cultivate; and by the treaty of Seville, without obtaining the leaft advantage for this nation,we reftor'd a close friendfhip between France and Spain, and thereby laid the foundation of that war, which they afterwards, jointly with Sardinia, carried on against the Emperor.

I fhall fay nothing, my Lords, of our behaviour during that war, or of the obligations we lay under by the treaty we concluded at Vienna in the year 1731; but this I will fay, that as we had by our former measures united France and Spain, while that union fubfifted it was in fome measure neceffary for us to keep up a clofe alliance and friendship with the court of Vienna: and if by our inactivity in that war; for I fhail never call making treaties, or augmenting our forces by fea and land, activity; I fay, if by our inactivity in that war, we loft the friendship and confidence of our an cient ally the Emperor, we thereby gave the French and the Spaniards an opportunity of triumphing first over him, that they might afterwards have an oppor tunity of triumphing over us in our turn: fo that if France and Spain are now united against this nation, and we deftitute of every ally, or of fuch an alliance as may make the balance equal, which I hope is not the cafe, it may be alledg'd, that our unlucky fituation is chiefly ow ing to our late treaties and negotiations.

If this be our cafe, can we from hence fuppofe, my Lords, that an implicit faith ought to be plac'd in the conduct of thofe who have treated and negotiated us into fuch circumstances? If we can neither with honour continue in peace, nor with any profpect of fuccefs engage in a war, can we fuppofe that any treaty we make, can be an honourable or an advantageous treaty? I hope, my Lords, we are not as yet reduced to fuch a dilemma: but if we are not, I am convinced it is more owing to the good opinion fome of our neighbours have of our natural ftrength, than to the wisdom of our own conduct; and therefore, I cannot agree to pass any

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