A General View of England (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1766 edition. Excerpt: ... voured to infuse into it. Many were by no means sorry, that the colonies should have some thing to tear from us, looking upon this fear, as some kind of security not only for the mother country, but for all Europe also. The merchants who had insolently clamoured for the former war, now held their tongues, or at least did not venture to speak out; the creditors of the state could not fail to fee, that a war would fink the value of the old funds, and make the credit of them less secure; landed gentlemen shuddered at the thoughts of a rupture which could not but increase their burthen, and Mr. William Pitt at their head, though possessed of a very small landed property, exclaimed violently against the measures, that the court had entered into, upon the continent, and against those also that it might further enter into. He.principally insisted upon procuring a neutrality tuoith Spain. This new triumvirate would undoubtedly have failed in their scheme, if one of them had not proposed driving the nation into the war, by an open breach of the law of nations, by making it act the infamous part of pirates against us, a measure however, which would not have succeeded, if it had not been assisted by the concurrence at that time, of a great many continental circumstances. The triumvirate carried their point ac last, war was openly declared, and here follows an account not only of what England has paid abroad, but also, of what further debts she has incurred, and also of what her trade has cost her between the ist January, 1751, and the 31st of December, 1761. According According to the abstract I have already made, out, and laid before you v England's exterior expences during thirty two years of war, from 168s, to the 31st December 1750, these...