At this period, a royal charter was granted for the fettlement of a new colony to the fouthward of the Carolinas, to which the name of Georgia was given and general Oglethorpe, a man distinguished for the activity and ardor of his benevolence, was appointed governor,* and embarked at Greenwich with a number of families, who founded a town called Savannah on the river of that name. This enterprise excited the jealoufy and apprehenfion of the Spaniards; and as it was difficult, or rather impoffible, to ascertain the precife limits of the English colony of Georgia and the Spanish fettlement of Florida, a foundation of future difpute and contention between the two nations was unavoidably laid. Previous to the final decifion of government respecting this measure, feven chiefs of the Cherokee and other fouthern Indian tribes were conveyed to England; and being introduced to the king, furrendered, by a formal deed, in the name of their countrymen, all right of property and dominion in the lands now about to be occupied by the new colonists. And in amazement at the riches and magnificence of the British court, they are faid to have laid their crowns and enfigns of dignity at the king's feet, requesting to be received in the number of his fubjects. Parliament being convened as ufual, early in the year 1733, a motion was framed and approved for an addrefs. to the king, to know what satisfaction had been made by Spain for the depredations committed on the British merchants-to which the king replied, "that the meetings of the commiffaries of the two crowns had been delayed by unforeseen accidents, and that a perfect account of their proceedings could not as yet be laid before the house of commons." On the motion relative to the army estimates, in the committee of fupply, which differed not materially from those of the last year, a violent debate arofe; and the arguments "One-driven by strong benevolence of foul- POPE arguments formerly urged were again repeated and anew enforced. Mr. Horace Walpole, in reply, hesitated not to affert," that the number of troops then proposed was abfolutely necessary to support his majesty's government, and would be neceffary fo long as the nation enjoyed the happiness of having the prefent illuftrious family on the throne." Mr. Shippen remarked upon this affertion, "that the question feemed at length to have taken a new turnfor, in former debates, the continuance of the army for one year only had been contended for; but now the mask was thrown off, and the house was given to understand that it was intended to be PERPETUAL. This he would not believe could come from his majefty. His majesty KNEW how much the nation was loaded with debts and taxes -and how inconfiftent it was with our conftitution to keep up a Standing army in time of peace." Mr. Shippen, being called vehemently to order for these last words, declared himself "peculiarly unfortunate; for that, in a former parliament, he had incurred the fevere difpleasure and censure of that house, for afferting that the late monarch was unacquainted with the constitution; and he now gave high offence, by declaring that his prefent majefty was not unacquainted with the conftitution." On a divifion, the motion was carried by 239 votes against 171. In deliberating upon the fupplies to be granted for the enfuing year, fir Robert Walpole moved that the fum of 500,000l. fhould be issued out of the finking fund for current fervices. This was the firft open and direct attack upon the finking fund ;* and it produced a most animated and indignant remonftrance from the patriotic party, who warned the minifter, though in vain, that he was drawing down the curfes of pofterity upon his head-and expatiated upon * Between the years 1727 and 1732, various new loans were made, the interefts of which were charged upon different furpluffes, appertaining, conformably to the original plan of redemption, to the finking fund. upon the iniquity of pillaging, in a time of profound peace, this facred depofit, and demonstrated the folly of sacrificing the inestimable advantages arifing from the undisturbed and progreffive operation of this fund, to a little temporary eafe; and conjured him not to demolish with his own hand the fairest monument of his fame. Sir William Wyndham acknowledged, "that he had never been without apprehenfion that violence might be offered to this fund, by an enterprising minister, in cafe of exigency and in a time of war: but to fee attempts made upon it in a feafon of perfect tranquillity, was what he never expected. Is the public expenditure,” exclaimed this patriotic speaker, "never to be leffened? Are the people of England always to groan under the fame heavy and grievous taxes? Surely, if there is any intention of diminishing the prefent enormous debt of the nation, now is the time for doing it. What can be faid in vindication of thofe who are thus loading pofterity? Can they imagine that there will ever be lefs occafion for public expence-or can they imagine that our defcendants will poffefs greater ability for discharging these incumbrances than ourselves? Surely not-unless far other and wiser measures of government fhould be adopted, than any which have yet originated from the prefent minifters." No impreffion, however, could be made upon the predetermined purpose of the minifter; and the measure received without difficulty the fanction of the house of commons: and though in the house of lords it was again attacked, with the united powers of argument, wit, and eloquence, by the lords Bathurst, Chesterfield, and Carteret, it finally received the royal affent. The compliant disposition of parliament now encouraged the minister to bring forward, in pursuance of the grand plan of revenue reform before mentioned, his famous bill for fubjecting the duties on wine and tobacco to the laws of excife. But probably to the furprise, certainly to the chagrin, of the minifter, on moving his primary refolution, "that "that the duties on tobacco do from the 24th of June, 1733, ccafe and determine," no less than 205 members divided against it—the majority, in a house of 471 members, being only 61. No man, perhaps, at this time, flood higher in public or parliamentary estimation than fir Paul Methuen. His long experience, his extenfive political and commercial knowledge, the high offices he had fucceffively occupied, the refpectability of his private with the moderation and equanimity of his public character, and the dignified candor with which he always opposed, when he deemed it neceffary to oppose, the meafures of administration, though long removed from power by the fuperior afcendancy of WALPOLE, all combined to give the decided part which he took on this occafion, as an opponent of the bill, the greatest weight; and his opinion was supposed materially to have influenced very many of the moft refpectable members who voted in this formidable minority. A prodigious clamor, instigated, without doubt, in a great degree by those persons whofe fraudulent practices this plan was intended to counteract, was artfully and industriously raised against the bill, which was indeed deemed dangerously inimical to the conftitution, by many very intelligent and impartial perfons, to whose judgment much deference is due; though it has in our own times been carried fubftantially into effect without caufing any public alarm, or even exciting any very uncommon fhare of attention-justifying in its operation the ideas and expectations of the minifters with whom it originated. On this occafion, however, the oppofition against the bill might with propriety be styled national; and fir Robert Walpole perfifting to urge this favorite project with a very improper, and with him a very unusual degree of heat and paffion-applying the contumelious expreffion of "sturdy beggars" to the merchants who attended in the lobby of the house of commons with petitions against the bill, the public difcontent was heightened into rage. The avenues to Westminster Hall were occupied by immense crowds of people; and the perfons of those members who voted in favor of the bill were grofsly infulted, and even their lives endangered. At length fir Robert Walpole thought proper to move that the second reading of the bill might be poftponed to a diftant day. The defeat of the scheme was celebrated with general rejoicings; and the minister was burned in effigy and loaded with execrations, though his conduct appears no otherwise cenfurable in this business, than as it exhibits fome fymptoms of pride and obftinacy. It is related, nevertheless, to his praife, that, on the evening previous to the report, a meeting was convened by the minifter, of the members who had fupported this obnoxious measure. Their unanimous opinion was, to perfevere but fir Robert Walpole declared, "that in the present inflamed temper of the people, the act could not be carried into execution without an armed force, and he would not be the minister to enforce any system of taxation at the expense of blood; for, if fupplies were to be raised by the fword, there is an end of British liberty. He was therefore refolved to adjourn the report for fix months; or, fhould his opinion be over-ruled, to make an immediate refignation of his office." The unfortunate Penfion Bill, paffed for the fourth time, in four fucceffive years, by the house of commons, was for the fourth time thrown out by the house of peers; although, as a meafure which folely regarded the purity and integrity of the national representation, these repeated rejections appeared particularly harsh and invidious on the part of the lords. On the 11th of June, 1733, the king clofed the feffion with a speech, in which fevere notice was taken of "the wicked endeavors that had been lately used to inflame the minds of the people, by the most unjust representations." EUROPE was now deftined to be involved in freth troubles. These were occafioned by the death of Auguitus, king |