reaty which had been concluded,
and endeavour to remedy its imperfections by subsequent conventions,
amicably opened among those powers between whom any cause of dispute
remained. With respect to the vote of both houses, mentioned by sir John
Hinde Cotton, he declared that he had never approved of that step, when
it was first taken; or if he had, times and circumstances, which could
not be foreseen, would have justified his deviating from it in the
re-establishment of peace. He reminded them that a parliament of Great
Britain had once voted "no peace while any part of the West Indies
should remain in possession of the Spanish king;" yet a train of
incidents, which they could not possibly foresee, afterwards rendered it
expedient to adopt a peace without insisting upon the accomplishment of
that condition. In a word, we must own, that, in the majority of debates
excited in the course of this session, the ministry derived their
triumphs from the force of reason, as well as from the weight of
influence. We shall always, however, except the efforts that were
made for reducing the number of land-forces to fifteen thousand, and
maintaining a greater number of seamen than the ministry proposed. On
these constitutional points the earl of Egmont, and the other chiefs
of the opposition, expatiated with all the energy of eloquence; which
however was frustrated by the power of superior numbers. Ten thousand
seamen were voted for the service of the ensuing year, notwithstanding
his majesty's injunction to maintain a considerable navy; and the number
of land-forces was continued at eighteen thousand eight hundred and
fifty-seven. The sums granted for making good his majesty's engagements
with the electors of Bavaria and Mentz, and the duke of Brunswick
Wolfenbuttle, amounted to fifty-three thousand two hundred and
twenty-five pounds sterling. The services done by the colonies in North
America, during the war, were gratified with the sum of one hundred
and twenty-two thousand two hundred and forty-six pounds. The expense
incurred by the new colony of Nova-Scotia exceeded seventy-six thousand
pounds. A small sum was voted for the improvement of Georgia; and ten
thousand pounds were granted towards the support of the British forts
and settlements on the coast of Africa.. The sum total granted in this
session arose to four millions one hundred and forty-one thousand six
hundred and sixty-one pounds, nine shillings and eleven pence halfpenn