peace was concluded with France. He taxed the
British ministry with having revived and supported this neutrality, not
by an amicable mediation, but by open violence, and artfully abusing
the confidence and security of the Spaniards. This was the language of
disappointed ambition. Nevertheless it must be owned that the conduct of
England, on this occasion, was irregular, partial, and precipitate.

The parliament meeting on the eleventh day of November, the king in his
speech declared that the court of Spain had rejected all his amicable
proposals, and broke through their most solemn engagements for the
security of the British commerce. To vindicate, therefore, the faith of
his former treaties, as well as to maintain those he had lately made,
and to protect and defend the trade of his subjects, which had in every
branch been violently and unjustly oppressed, it became necessary for
his naval forces to check their progress; that notwithstanding the
success of his arms, that court had lately given orders at all the
ports of Spain and of the West Indies to fit out privateers against the
English. He said he was persuaded that a British parliament would enable
him to resent such treatment; and he assured them that his good brother,
the regent of France, was ready to concur with him in the most vigorous
measures. A strong opposition was made in both houses to the motion
for an address of thanks and congratulation proposed by lord Carteret.
Several peers observed that such an address was, in effect, to approve
a sea-fight, which might be attended with dangerous consequences, and
to give the sanction of that august assembly to measures which, upon
examination, might appear either to clash with the law of nations or
former treaties, or to be prejudicial to the trade of Great Britain;
that they ought to proceed with the utmost caution and maturest
deliberation, in an affair wherein the honour as well as the interest
of the nation were so highly concerned. Lord Strafford moved for an
address, that sir George Byng's instructions might be laid before the
house. Earl Stanhope replied, that there was no occasion for such an
address, since by his majesty's command he had already laid before
the house the treaties of which the late sea-fight was a consequence;
particularly the treaty for a defensive alliance between the emperor and
his majesty, concluded at Westminster on the twenty-fifth day of May,
in the year one thousand seven hundred