1710.

1711.

1712.

1713.

1714.

Dr. Sacheverell is impeached (a) by the Whigs, but escapes with
a light sentence, and the trial creates a great Tory reaction.
A conference is held between France and the allies at Gertruyden-
berg, but comes to nothing (b).

Douay is captured by the allies. Stanhope wins the battles of
Almenara and Saragossa over the French and Spaniards.
Aug. The Whig ministry is dismissed, and is replaced by
a Tory administration led by Harley and St. John (c).
The Property Qualification Bill for members of the House of
Commons is passed (see 1858).

Guiscard attempts to assassinate Harley in the Privy Council.
Marlborough takes Bouchain in France.

The Duchess of Marlborough, through the intrigues of Harley and
Mrs. Masham, is dismissed from all her offices.

Marlborough is accused of peculation and is dismissed.

Robert Walpole is accused of peculation and sent to the Tower.
The South Sea Company is formed to trade in the South Seas.
An Act is passed against occasional conformity, dispossessing
many dissenters of the offices which they held (d).

To get a majority in the Lords, twelve new peers are created.
Ormond (a Jacobite) is made commander-in-chief.

An Act of this year restores, in opposition to the feeling of the
Scottish Church, the ancient rights of patronage, and thus
leads ultimately to the great secession of 1843.

The first stamp duty is imposed for the purpose of repressing libels. It lessens the circulation of cheap papers.

Negotiations are pending since January 1712 between England and France, which result in the Treaty of Utrecht, 13th March (e).

Oxford (formerly Harley) and St. John intrigue to secure the succession of the Pretender, and make Ormond warden of the Cinque Ports.

The Electoral Prince of Hanover (afterwards George II.) is invited
to England, and application is made for his writ as Duke of
Cambridge.

The Schism Act (f) is passed. Thirty-three peers protest.
A quarrel arises between Bolingbroke (formerly St. John) and
Oxford (formerly Harley), who is dismissed from his office.
In a cabinet council, by arrangement of the Dukes of Shrewsbury,
Argyll, and Somerset, Shrewsbury is raised to the office of
Lord Treasurer, vacant by the dismissal of Oxford, and the
Hanoverian succession is secured.

Aug. 1. Death of Anne.

GEORGE I., 1714-1727 (13 YEARS).

Born 1660; Married, 1682, Sophia of Brunswick.

Till the arrival of the new king the government is carried on by the seven great officers of State and eighteen "Lords Justices" nominated by the king, and including, with the exception of Marlborough, the leaders of the Whig party.

Sept. George arrives in England.

129

1714.

1715.

1716.

1717.

1718.

1719.

1720.

1721.

Townshend, Stanhope, and Walpole become the heads of a new Whig administration (a).

Jan. Parliament, which has continued six months after the
late queen's death, is dissolved.

The new Parliament, with a large Whig majority, meets, March,
Bolingbroke and Ormond retire to France to avoid prosecution,
but are attainted. Oxford is impeached and committed to the
Tower.

The Riot Act (b) is passed in consequence of serious riots in the
Midland counties and elsewhere.

The Earl of Mar in Scotland, Forster and Derwentwater
in England, raise rebellions. The leading English

Jacobites are arrested.

Nov. Forster is defeated and taken at Preston, and Mar fights the indecisive battle of Sheriff Muir against Argyll.

The Pretender comes over, but soon withdraws with Mar.
Derwentwater and others are executed. Forster escapes from
prison.

The Septennial Act, prolonging the duration of Parliament to
seven years, but not longer, is passed. Thirty-one peers protest.
Ministerial crisis. Townshend having lost favour by opposing the
king's Hanoverian schemes, is removed to the lord-lieutenancy
of Ireland, and Stanhope becomes chief minister.
The Triple Alliance is made between England, France, and Holland
to guarantee the Hanoverian succession.

Townshend, Walpole, and Pulteney are obliged to resign
their offices for opposing Stanhope (c).

Oxford is tried and acquitted.

A comprehensive Act of Grace is passed, and many political prisoners are released.

Convocation, after the prorogation of this year, continues to be
prorogued without doing business till 1850.

Admiral Byng defeats the Spanish fleet off Cape Passaro in
Sicily.

The Occasional Conformity and Schism Acts are repealed.

England, France, Austria, and Holland form the Quadruple
Alliance.

The Spaniards invade Scotland and are joined by some High-
landers, but are defeated at Glenshiel.

The Peerage Bill passes the Lords, but is rejected by the Commons (d)
by 269 to 177.

[A statute is passed this year to enable the English Parliament to
legislate for Ireland. This was repealed in 1782.]
Peace made with Spain.
The South Sea Company purchase from the Government part
of the national debt. The shares of the company rise to
£1000 each, and then fall rapidly to £135. Great ruin ensues.
Walpole, who with Townshend had just rejoined the Government,
restores public credit.

The directors are prosecuted, and Stanhope dies (Feb. 1722).
Sunderland has to resign, and dies in April 1722. Aislabie,
Chancellor of Exchequer, is expelled the House.

PRIME MINISTERS.
WALPOLE
(March 1721).
1722.

1723.

1724.

1725.

1727.

1728.

1729.
1730.

1731.

1733.

1734.

1736.

1737.

Walpole_becomes First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister (a).

A Jacobite conspiracy is discovered, and Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester, is sent to the Tower. Atterbury is banished. Bolingbroke is allowed to return; he makes overtures to Walpole, which are rejected. Carteret, not agreeing with Walpole, is sent to Ireland as Lord-Lieutenant. Henry Pelham becomes Secretary at War. Newcastle becomes Secretary of State.

At Glasgow riots occur because the malt tax had been changed into a tax on beer (b).

Austria and Spain having concluded a treaty at Vienna against England, a counter-treaty is made at Hanover between England, France, and Prussia, and hostilities go on during the next two years.

Pulteney joins the Opposition.

June 10. Death of George I.

GEORGE II., 1727-1760 (33 YEARS).

Born 1683; Married, 1705, Caroline of Anspach.
Sir Spencer Compton is proposed as Prime Minister, but
Walpole keeps his place, and increases the civil list.
The Spaniards besiege Gibraltar without success.
The first Annual Bill of Indemnity for not observing
the Test and Corporation Acts is passed.

The publication of Parliamentary debates is declared to
be a breach of privilege (now and in 1738).
Peace with Spain is made at Seville.
Lord Townshend has to withdraw, and leaves Walpole's
ascendancy complete.

[About this time John and Charles Wesley form their
society at Oxford, which is joined later by Whitfield.]
By the second treaty of Vienna England guarantees the
Pragmatic Sanction by which Maria Theresa is to
succeed to the hereditary dominions of her father,
Charles VI.

Use of Latin in the courts of law is abolished.
Carteret joins the Opposition.

Walpole brings in his excise scheme (c) and meets with
violent opposition, in deference to which he aban-
dons the measure (d).

Meeting of a new Parliament. Walpole's majority is somewhat reduced. Bolingbroke soon withdraws

to France.

Porteous riots in Edinburgh. Captain Porteous is hanged by the mob.

The Prince of Wales becomes the centre of the opposition to Walpole (e).