A political progrefs of Britain. May g» 
abstracted five hundred thoysand pounds, and the 
practice having once begun, this’ fund was, in 1736, 
anticipated and mortgaged*. Admitting, as we. must, 
that government was divested of all sense of prin-~ 
ciple and of fhame,’ yet, as the nation was at peace, 
and taxed to the utmost stretch, it is an object of 
surprise what could have become of such immense 
sums of money? and by what means a man of sense 
‘and abilities, like Walpole, fhould have been reduced 
to such detestable and desperate expedients? His 
scheme of an excise on tobacco, as far as | compre- 
‘hend it, was far lefs opprefsive than that introduced 
so much to the satisfaction of all parties by the 
minister of the present day. His motion was 
forced through the House of Commons, which was in- 
stantly blockaded by the citizens of London. The 
partizans of the minister were loaded with insults, 
and Walpole himself was burnt in effigy. He fore- 
saw that his life was in danger, as the nation had 
not then sunk into its present stupidity. The 
plan was therefore laid aside, and five hundred theu- 
sand pounds were obtained’ by the notable resource 
of alottery. On the marriage at this time of the 
princefs royal with the prince of Orange, fhe received 
eighty thousand pounds, and an annuity of fire thou- 
sand pounds for life. ‘There was a terrible debate 
about repealing the septennial act: In which Sir 
William Wyndham, in a very remarkable “speeth, 
quoted verbatim by Smollet, drew the character of 
his majesty as a prince ‘‘ uninformed, ignorant, un- 
* Guthrie’s grammar p.298.. « 
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