Revelations of the Diplomatic History of the 18th Century

[Horace Walpole characterises his epoch by the words — “It was the mode of the times to be paid by one favour for receiving another.”^[29] At all events, it will be seen from the text, that such was the mode of Russia in transacting business with England. The Earl of Sandwich, to whom Sir George Macartney could dare to address the above dispatch, distinguished himself, ten years later, in 1775, as First Lord of the Admiralty, in the North Administration, by the vehement opposition he made to Lord Chatharn’s motion for an equitable adjustment of the American difficulties. “He could not believe it (Chatham’s motion) the production of a British Peer: it appeared to him rather the work of some American.” In 1777, we find Sandwich again blustering; “he would hazard every drop of blood, as well as the last shilling of the national treasure, rather than allow Great Britain to be defied, bullied, and dictated to, by her disobedient and rebellious subjects”. Foremost as the Earl of Sandwich was in entangling England into war with her North American colonies, with France, Spain, and Holland, we behold him constantly accused in Parliament by Fox, Burke, Pitt, &c.; of keeping the naval force inadequate to the defence of the country; of intentionally opposing small English forces where he knew the enemy to have concentrated large ones; of utter mismanagement of the service in all its departments, &c. (See debates of the House of Commons of 11th March, 1778; 31st March, 1778; February, 1779, Fox’s motion of censure on Lord Sandwich; 19th April, 1779, address to the King for the dismissal of Lord Sandwich from his service, on account of misconduct in service; 7th February, 1782, Fox’s motion that there had been gross mismanagement in the administration of naval affairs during the year 1781.) On this occasion Pitt imputed to. Lord Sandwich “all our naval disasters and disgraces”. The ministerial majority against the motion amounted to only 22, in a House of 388. On the 22nd February, 1782, a similar motion against Lord Sandwich was only negatived by a majority of 19 in a House of 453. Such, indeed, was the character of the Earl of Sandwich’s Administration that more than thirty distinguished officers quitted the naval service, or declared they could not act under the existing system. In point of fact, during his whole tenure of office, serious apprehensions were entertained of the consequences of the dissensions then prevalent in the navy. Besides, the Earl of Sandwich was openly accused, and, as far as circumstantial evidence goes, convicted of peculiation. — See debates of the House of Lords, 31st March, 1778; 19th April 1779, and sqq. When the motion for his removal from office was negatived on April 19th 1779, thirty-nine peers entered their protest.

No. 3.-SIR JAMES HARRIS TO LORD GRANTHAM ^[30]

“Petersburg, 16-27 August, 1782

“(Private.)