Page images
PDF
EPUB

31094

Bessie Hincks feed.

820.3

30 1.4

MISCELLANIES.

FROM THE

PUBLIC PRINT S, etc.

Obfervations on the Papers relative to the Rupture with Spain, laid before both Houfes of Parliament, on Friday the 29th Day of January 1762, by his Majesty's Command, in a Letter from John Wilkes, Efq; late Member for Aylesbury, to a Friend in the Country:

Quis ferae

I

Bellum curet Iberiae?

DEAR SIR,

HOR,

March 9, 1762.

MUCH regret that it is not yet in my power fully to gratify the curiofity you exprefs of feeing all the papers relative to the rupAppend. VOL. II,

A

ture

ture with Spain. The fubject is so very interefting, that I am not furprized at your impatience. My concern is, that fo much is withheld from the public, and that a person, uninformed as I am, cannot pretend with clearness to unravel the thread of a negotiation, defignedly kept intricate and embarraffed. I fear. you will find fome things rather obscure; but

will endeavour to pour all the light I can on the subject, and to diffipate every cloud of obfcurity which is meant to cover it. Had the public been gratified with the fight of the memorials and papers relating to the demand of liberty to the Spanish nation to fish on the banks of Newfoundland (a matter held facred *) and

to

* You will again on this occafion, let M. Wall clearly underftand, That this is a matter held facred; and that no conceffion on the part of his Majefty, fo deftructive to this true and capital intereft of Great Britain, will be yielded to Spain, however abetted and fupported. Mr. Pitt's letter. With regard to the Newfoundland fishery, M. Wall urged, What had principally given offence here as to that article, was my being fo frequently ordered to declare, and the Conde de Fuentes having been as often told, that England would never hear of that inadmissible pretenfion. Lord Briftol's letter to the earl of Egremont.

The declaration of the Count de Fuentes, that Mr. Pitt's ordinary and last answer was, "That he would not relax in any "thing, till the Tower of London was taken fword in hand,' is undoubtedly a grofs mifreprefentation. That expreffion muft have been confined to the Spanish claim of fishing on the banks of Newfoundland; for it is apparent from these papers, that Mr. Pitt was ready to make greater conceffions to preserve the friendfhip of Spain, than any former minifter had ventured to offer; witnefs the paragraph in lord Bristol's letter, of August 31.

Laftly,

« PreviousContinue »