The History of England - Sir James Mackintosh - Google Books

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CONTENTS.

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

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

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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

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

The King pays a second Visit to Hanover,-Alberoni assists the Pretender

in an Attempt on England. - Failure of the Enterprise. - Spain submits

CONTENTS.

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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

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.

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

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

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