E N G L A N D. 
rtations; and at feven o’clock, wearied with expe&ation, 
he threw out a third fignal, tor each particular (hip of 
the blue divifion to come into her ftation in the line ; but 
all to no purpofe, and the day finally clofed before fir 
Hugh Pallifer rejoined his commander. In the night the 
French made fail for their own coaft, and in the morning 
fcarcely were the rearmoft fliips difcernible from the top- 
maft heads of the Englilh fleet. Admiral Keppei there, 
fore returned to Portfmouth to refit; but his public let- 
ter, containing an "account of this tranfadlion, occafioned 
great fpeculation ; his defire to fcreen the mifcondudt of 
the admiral of the blue, induced him to give fuch a rela¬ 
tion of this engagement, as feemed to imply great impro¬ 
priety of behaviour in the commander himfelf. For no 
reafon whatever was affigned for not renewing the engage¬ 
ment in the afternoon, except the expedition of the ad¬ 
miral, “ that the French would fight it out handfomely 
the next day.” 
It was impoffible that the truth fhould not in fome de¬ 
gree tranfpire ; and a well-written letter appearing fome 
time afterwards in the public prints, feverely reflefting 
on the conduit of fir Hugh Palliier, that officer thought 
proper to require from the commander in chief a formal 
difavowal of the charges it contained, and a public jufti- 
fication of his charaiter. This the commander abfolutely 
and indignantly declining, the vice-admiral immediately 
exhibited articles of accufation againft admiral Keppei, 
for mifconduit and negleit of duty on the 27th of July, 
1778, although he had in the month of October a fecond 
time failed with admiral Keppei, and had never before 
this fo much as whifpered a word to his prejudice. The 
lords of the admiralty,- with apparent alacrity, fixed a 
day for the trial of the commander in chief ; the refult 
of which was in the higheft degree honourable to that 
brave and injured officer, who was not only unanimoufly 
acquitted by the court-martial, but received the thanks 
of both houfes of parliament for his fervices. Sir Hugh 
Pallifer afterwards demanded a court-martial upon him¬ 
felf, which terminated in a flight cenfure only ; but the 
refentment of the public was fo great that it was deemed 
expedient by the minifters to accept his fucceffive refig- 
nations of his place at the board of admiralty, his lieute- 
nant-generalfliip of marines, his government of Scarbo- 
rough-caftle, and to permit him to vacate his feat in the 
houfe of commons. The ready acquiefcence of the board 
of admiralty in the appointment of the court-martial, on 
a charge fo grofsly invidious and unjuft, gave the higheft 
difguft to the officers of the navy. A ftrong memorial 
was prefented to his majefty on the fubjeft by the duke 
of Bolton, figned by twelve admirals, with the venerable 
Hawke at their head, dating to .his majefty, in ftrong co¬ 
lours, the ruinous confequences which the precedent now 
introduced would inevitably bring upon all naval fervice 
and difcipline. “ If, (faid thefe gallant defenders of 
their country,) we had conceived that this board had no 
legal ufe of their reafon in a point of fuch delicacy and 
importance, we Ihould have known on what terms we 
ferved; but we never did imagine it poffible that we were 
to receive orders from, and be accountable to, thofe who 
by law were reduced to become mere paffive inftruments 
to the poffible ignorance, malice, or treachery, of any in¬ 
dividual, who might think fit to difarm his majefty’s 
navy of its belt and higheft officers. We conceive it to 
be difrefpeftful to the laws of our country to fuppofe 
them capable of fuch manifeft injuftice and abfurdity.” 
The only part of admiral Keppel’s conduct really cul¬ 
pable, appears to have proceeded from that excefs of de¬ 
ference and refpeft for fir Hugh Palliier, which prevented 
his adopting thofe daring and decifive meafures the occa- 
fion called for, in order to improve in the moft effectual 
manner an opportunity of which he had little reafon to 
expedt the return. The courage of fir Hugh Pallifer had 
been on many occafions too confpicuous to be queftioned ; 
but that principle of envy, fo powerful in fome minds, 
could not endure that a man whom he regarded in the 
Vol. VI. No. 388. 
743 
light of a rival, ffiould acquire fuch an addition of fame 
and fuperiority as muft have refulted from a complete 
and decided vidtory. In confequence of this fatal milun- 
derltanding, lord Howe declared in parliament his refolu- 
tion to decline all future fervice, fo long as the prefep.t 
minifters continued in office. A decifive experience had 
taught him, that befides rilking his honour and profef- 
fional charadter in fuch an attempt, he could not, under 
fuch counfels, render any elfential fervice to his country. 
The Howes, impatient of the obloquy now thrown upon 
them by the partifans of the miniftry, earneftly folicited 
a parliamentary enquiry into their conduct in America; 
to which the minifter at length very reluctantly aflented. 
A multitude of papers were in confequence laid upon the 
table ; and the houfe refolving itfelf into a committee of 
enquiry, lord Cornwallis, fir Charles Grey, fir Guy Carle- 
ton, and various other officers of high reputation who 
had ferved in America, were examined at the bar of tire 
houfe ; and the refult of a long and tedious inveftigation 
was, “ That the force fent to America was at no time 
equal to the fubjugation of that continent ; that the 
people of America were almoft unanimous in their en¬ 
mity and refiftance to Great Britain ; that the nature of 
the country was beyond any other difficult and impracti¬ 
cable for military operations ; and that there was no fairer 
profpedt of fuccefs, in any fubfequent attempt at conqueft, 
than in thofe which had been already made.” On the 
29th of June, 1779, the committee was fuddenly dilfolved, 
without coming to a fingle refolution on any part of the 
bufinefs. 
A fiiort time before the prorogation, a royal meflage 
was unexpectedly delivered to both houfes, on a fubjeCt 
of the iaigheft importance, informing them, that a mani- 
fefto had been prefented to his majefty by the count 
d’Almodovar, ambaifador of the king of Spain, contain¬ 
ing a declaration of hoftility on the part of the Catholic 
king, who had in confequence ordered his ambaifador to 
depart without taking leave. The difclofure of this alarm¬ 
ing event, fo long predicted by the minority, called for k 
all their powers of eloquence and inveCtive. The mi¬ 
nifters were reminded of their incredulity on this fubject, 
and of their unfounded declarations, “ that Spain could 
have no intereft in joining our enemies ; Spain had colo¬ 
nies of her own, and would not fet fo bad an .example as 
to afford aid or fuccour to our rebellious colonies. The 
honour, fincerity, and fidelity, of the court of Spain, were 
held up as facred, and thus were parliament and the na¬ 
tion kept in a conftant ftate of delufion, until awakened 
from their dream by impending ruin.” 
On the 3d of July, the king clofed the feffion with a 
fpeech, in which his majefty mentioned it as a happy 
omen of the fifccefs of his arms, that the in’creafe of dif¬ 
ficulties feemed only to augment the courage and con. 
ftancy of the nation. The memorial of count d’Almo- 
dovar, and a long juftificatory manifefto fubfequently pub- 
liflied by the court of Madrid, were filled with heavy 
complaints of the condudt of the Englilh court for feveral 
years paft, though certainly grounded on no folid reafon; 
the king of England truly affirming in his meflage to par¬ 
liament, “ That with regard to Spain he had nothing to 
reproach himfelf with; and that his defire to cultivate 
peace and amity with that power had been uniform and 
lincere.” The court of Madrid pretended, that the in. 
fults and incredible violences offered to the Spanilh tra¬ 
ders by England, from the year 1776 to the beginning of 
the prefent year 1779, .were no lefs than eighty-fix in 
number, fince which other infults and injuries had been 
offered ; fo that the whole amount arofe to the full com¬ 
plement of one hundred. 
During the recefs of parliament, the earl of Stormont, 
late ambaifador at Paris, was made fecretary of ftate in 
the room of the earl of Suffolk, deceafed. The earl of 
Weymouth a fecond time refigned the feals of the fouth¬ 
em department, which were transferred to the earl of 
Hillfborough; and earl Bathur.il, chancellor of Great 
9 ■£ Britain, 
