140 political progre/s of Britain. Sune 6. 
Treland. In contemplating the Spanifh war of 1739, 
the following facts deserve a serious consideration. 
‘The Britifh navy lost forty-eight vefsels. They 
carried ‘thirteen hundred and seventy-six guns. 
By the common calculation, these fhips must 
have been equipped at an expence of about thirteen 
‘hundred and seventy-six thousand pounds. Much has’ 
‘been boasted of the superior value of the vefsels 
‘taken from the French and Spaniards, but “ many 
“* of the most valuable prizes were insured at Lon- 
4¢ pon *;” and about the-close of the war a statute 
was actually pafsed to put anend to such a traffic. 
“The historian adds, that this practice ‘* proved the 
“* sole cause of preventing a total bankruptcy from 
*¢ taking place among their merchants.” Thus, in 
the midst of a bloody contest,.a2 number of Britith 
privateers were actually engaged in thedestruction of 
Britith property ; while the wealth of Britifh mer- 
chants was chearfully employed in supporting the 
last resources of the pretended enemies of Britain. 
The prospect does not brighten by reflecting on the 
motives which reduced us to a situation so mourn- 
fully contemptible. We drew the sword in defence 
of the dregs of mankind, of smugglers, and slave 
stealers. 
“« England,” says Voltaire, *¢ had no interest in 
“‘ this quarrel, but that of a simgle /bip. She lost 
** much blood and treasure, and the affair of that fhip 
“+ yemained, after all, zz the same situation.” ‘* In the 
** treaty of peace,” says Beatson, ‘‘ the grand mat- 
“' ter, which had been the occasion of this bloody. 
* Naval Memoirs, vol. i. p. 361. 
