03 



AVALPOLE, SIR ROBERT. 



WALPOLE, SIR ROBERT. 



604 



Burarum ' of Cotes, is entitled ' Analyse cles Meaurea des Rapports et 

 dea Angles, ou Reduction des Integrates aux Logarithincs et aux 

 Arcs do Cercle,' 4to, Paris, 1749; in the same year he published hi* 

 1 Thdorie du Mouveraeut des Apsides," 8vo, and in 1758 the treatise 

 *De Inoequalitatibus Motuum Lunarium,' 4to, Florence. 



Dr. Walmesley was one of the mathematicians employed in regulat- 

 ing the calendar in this country, preparatory to the change of the style, 

 which took place iu 1752, and he wrote several papers on astronomical 

 subjects, which were published in the ' Philosophical Transactions.' 

 As a theological writer he is known only by his commentaries on, and 

 explanations of the Apocalypse, Ezekiel's vision, &c. He died at Bath, 

 in tho seventy-sixth year of his agf. 



WALPOLE, SIR ROBERT, Earl of Orford, was the third son of 

 Robert Walpole, Esq., M.P. for Castle Rising, by Mary his wife, only 

 daughter and heiress of Sir Jeffery Burwell, and was born at Houghton, 

 on the 26th of August 1676. He was educated at a private school at 

 Massingham, and afterwards on the foundation at Eton, and at King's 

 College, Cambridge ; and although he was naturally averse to study, 

 he applied himself with sufficient diligence to become a good classical 

 scholar. On the death of his eldest surviving brother, in 1698, he 

 gave up hia scholarship at King's College, and very shortly withdrew 

 from the university, and resided with his father in the country. On 

 the 30th of July 1700 he married Catherine, daughter of Sir John 

 Shorter, lord mayor of London ; and on the 28th of November 

 following his father died, and left him in possession of the family 

 estate. He immediately entered parliament as member for Castle 

 Rising, and at once engaged in business with -much activity, and joined 

 the Whigs in promoting the Protestant succession. Although his first 

 attempt at oratory does not appear to have been very successful, he 

 was not long in distinguishing himself as an able and practical debater 

 and an acute politician. He attracted the attention of the great leaders 

 of the Whig party ; and in March 1705, when their influence had risen 

 in parliament and in the cabinet, he was appointed one of the council 

 to Prince George of Denmark, then lord high admiral. In this capacity 

 he showed so much prudence and firmness under peculiar difficulties, 

 that he won the esteem and confidence of Godolphin and the Duke of 

 Marlborough. Henceforward he assumed a high position in parliament, 

 and in 1708, on his promotion to the office of secretary-at-war, the 

 management of the House of Commons was intrusted to him by his 

 party. In 1710 he was appointed one of the managers for the 

 impeachment of Sacheverel. He had strongly opposed that proceed- 

 ing in private ; but when it had been determined upon, the duty of 

 conducting it chiefly devolved upon him. He afterwards published a 

 pamphlet, entitled ' Four Letters to a Friend in North Britain upon 

 the publishing the Trial of Dr. Sacheverel.' in which he laboured to 

 identify the party who supported Sacheverel with the Jacobites who 

 were plotting to raise the Pretender to the throne. By the intrigues 

 of Mrs. Masham and the Tories, and by disunion among themselves, 

 the Whig administration was shortly broken up, when Harley thought 

 BO highly of Walpole's talents and influence that he vainly endea- 

 voured to persuade him to accept a place in the new administration, 

 and declared him to be worth half his party. Party spirit was then 

 most virulent, and in order to crush their opponents the Tory govern- 

 ment, under Harley and St. John, charged the ex-ministers with 

 extensive corruption and inaccuracy in the public accounts. The 

 defence of his colleagues was ably conducted by Walpole ; but he was 

 punished for his zeal on their behalf, by a similar accusation directed 

 against himself personally. On the 17th of January 1712, a majority 

 of the House resolved that while secretary-at-war he had been "guilty 

 of a high breach of trust and notorious corruption," and that he 

 should be committed to the Tower and expelled the House of Com- 

 mons. He refused to make any acknowledgment or concession, and 

 remained a prisoner in the Tower until the prorogation. Meanwhile 

 hia friends looked upon him as a martyr to their cause, and flocked to 

 his apartments, which bore, it is said, the appearance of a crowded 

 levde, rather than of a prison. He was re-elected for Lynn; but (in 

 accordance with a doctrine afterwards declared illegal in the case of 

 Wilkes) was declared incapable of sitting in that parliament. He did 

 more for his vindication with his pen while in prison, than he could 

 have done in the face of bis enemies, who had already condemned 

 him. A pamphlet published by him at that time was declared by his 

 party to be a complete refutation of the charges affecting his character. 

 Whether this be so or not, hie expulsion was no obstacle to his future 

 advancement, but rather increased his influence. At the dissolution, 

 in August 1713, he again entered parliament as member for Lynn, and 

 took a distinguished part in all the debates and in the counsels and 

 intrigues of his party. 



On the accession of George I., Walpole, with his brother-in-law 

 Viscount Townshend, had a principal share in the formation of the 

 Whig administration. He was himself appointed paymaster-general of 

 the forces and of Chelsea Hospital. The dissolution of 1715 having 

 gained a large majority for the Whig ministry, they had an oppor- 

 tunity of avenging themselves for the persecution they had suffered 

 from their predecessors in office. The intrigues of many of the leading 

 Tories in favour of the Pretender during the last four years of the 

 reign of Queen Anne had been notorious ; and, apart from political 

 expediency, it became the duty of the ministers of the first king of 

 the house of Hanover to denounce, and if possible extinguish the 



faction that had nearly succeeded in altering the succession to the 

 throne. Walpole drew up the report on which the impeachments and 

 attainders that followed were founded, and took a leading part in all 

 the prosecutions. The rebellion in favour of the Pretender soon 

 afterwards broke out, in the midst of which Walpole was appointed 

 first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer. The 

 fatigue and anxiety of that alarming time brought on a severe illness. 

 Before his recovery the memorable Septennial Bill, which had been 

 prepared with his concurrence, was passed. It waa perhaps scarcely 

 justifiable on constitutional grounds to prolong the duration of a 

 parliament that had only been chosen for a shorter term ; but the 

 extraordinary circumstances of the country, a threatened invasion, a 

 strong party possibly even a parliamentary majority favourable to 

 the claims of the Pretender, rendered a dissolution at that time highly 

 dangerous to the public peace and to the safety of the crown. Dis- 

 union in the cabinet and the constant intrigues of the Hanoverian 

 courtiers and the king's mistresses broke up this administration, which 

 would otherwise have had a fair chance of stability ; and in April 

 1717 Walpole delivered up his seals to tha king, in spite of his 

 majesty's earnest solicitations that he would retain them in connection 

 with a new ministry. Before hia resignation Walpole bad submitted 

 to parliament a plan for reducing the interest of the national debt, 

 and for establishing a sinking-fund. The resolutions had already been 

 agreed to, but the bill for giving effect to them was left to his succes- 

 sors to carry through. (See 5 Geo. I., c. 3.) Walpole remained in 

 opposition until 1720. Meanwhile he distinguished himself by the 

 ability and practical knowledge with which he opposed the measures 

 of government. He exposed the South Sea scheme for liquidating the 

 national debt when first propounded by the government; aud though 

 parliament was deluded by its plausibility and magnificence, and 

 scarcely listened with patience to his arguments, the country had soon 

 reason to remember his remarkable prediction, that " Such will be the 

 delusive consequences, that the public will conceive it a dream." 



In June 1720 he consented to take office, and was appointed pay- 

 master-general of the forces, while Lord Townshend was made presi- 

 dent of the council ; but he did not cordially support the administra- 

 tion or engage much in business until the ruinous panic caused by the 

 failure of the South Sea speculations had verified his prediction. He 

 was then unanimously called upon to devise measures for the restora- 

 tion of public credit. No minister was ever placed in a more difficult 

 position. The terror and phrenzy of the public, the indignation of 

 parliament, the helplessness of his colleagues, and the equivocal con- 

 nection of some of them with the scheme, were obstacles to the proper 

 consideration of so pressing a subject. It was indeed impossible to 

 repair the mischief already done, or to indemnify parties for the losses 

 they had sustained, but he succeeded in restoring public credit; and 

 he undoubtedly showed both firmness and moderation in the punish- 

 ment of those who had been guilty of participation in the frauds of 

 the company. Lord Sunderland had been accused of receiving 

 fictitious stock, but by the exertions of Walpole he was acquitted. 

 He was not however sufficiently clear in public estimation to retain 

 his office of first lord of the treasury, and on his resignation, in April 

 1721, Walpole was appointed in his place, with an administration 

 highly favourable to his interests. 



Having settled for a time the financial affairs of the country, Wal- 

 pole immediately turned his attention to commerce. He found heavy 

 taxes and restrictions upon the imports and exports of many of the 

 most important articles of commerce, and, with a spirit far in advance 

 of his age, he removed them. One hundred and six articles of British 

 manufacture were allowed to be exported, and thirty-eight articles of 

 raw materials to be imported, duty free. In June 1723 the king 

 created Walpole's son a peer, by the title of Baron Walpole of Wal- 

 pole, in the county of Norfolk. Walpole had declined this honour 

 himself, from the fear of losing his influence over the House of Com- 

 mons if removed to the Upper House, but other marks of royal favour 

 were not wanting. In 1724 he was created a Knight of the Bath, and 

 in 1726 was installed a Knight of the Garter. But though strung in 

 parliament, and standing well with the king, Walpole was continually 

 in danger from the intrigues of the court. On the accession of 

 George II. however Walpole was so fortunate as to find a protector iu 

 Queen Caroline, whose influence over the king enabled her to maintain ' 

 Walpole in office, although a change had been determined upon, and 

 afterwards to support him against the persevering machinations of all 

 parties. 



To follow Sir Robert Walpole through the events of his long 

 administration would require little less than a history of his times. 

 There were no important debates in parliament, no deliberations in 

 the cabinet, no negociatious with foreign states, in which he did not 

 bear the most conspicuous part as the first statesman of his day. The 

 most remarkable measure proposed by him, and that which is perhaps 

 the most creditable to his talents as the minister of a commercial 

 country, was his Excise scheme, brought forward by him in 1733. 

 The object of this measure was to convert the Customs' duties payable 

 upon certain articles of import immediately on their arrival in port 

 into Excise duties payable on taking them out of warehouses tor home 

 consumption. He also proposed to confine the taxed commodities to 

 a few articles of general consumption, and to exempt from taxation 

 the principal necessaries of life and all the raw materials of rnanu- 



