7 61 Ann. Naval Expeditions> &c of the Englilh, Book V*
1702.The Houseof CommonsvotesThanksto the Dukeof Ormondand SirGeorgeRooke.
ly at Figo, being presented to the 1702.Queen, by His Royal Highness, HerMajesty was graciously pleased to con-fer the Honour of Knighthood upon and a Pen-him, and afterwards settled a Pension ofcsionsettUlfive Hundred Pounds a Year on him on htm 'during Life, and a Reversion of threeHundred Pounds yearly on his Lady, inCafe Ihe should survive him. The <pf je p a rl 0]tenth of December, Her Majesty declar- Marlbo-ed She had granted the Title of a Duke r0 ^fof this Kingdom to the Earl of Marlbo- ° a pis onrough , with a Pension of five Thousand granted h^-Pounds per Annum, on the Revenue ofthe Post-Office, during Her naturalLife.
1703.
Annals ofAnn.
Life of g.
Ann.
Burnet-
Burchett.
Br. Emp. in
America.
The tenth of November, the House ofCommons unanimously voted TheirThanks to his Grace the Duke of Or-mond and Sir George Rooke, for the greatand signal Services by them performedfor the Nation, both by Sea and Land;(k) And the twelfth Both Houjes, toge-ther with the Great Officers of State, theJudges, and other Publick Officers at-tended Her Majesty to St. Paul’s, to ce-lebrate the Publick Thanksgiving, ap-pointed by Her Majesty, for the greatSuccess of Her Arms, and those of HerAllies.
The nine and twentieth, Vice-Admi-ral Hopfon, who had behaved so brave-
C H A p, IV.
Naval Expeditions and Tranjaftions of the English, in the Weft- Indies, during
the Tear, 1703.(*)
E F OR E I enter upon the Oc- Near the Conclusion of the firstcurrences of the Year, 1703. at Chapter of this Book, we left Rear-p e LarresiHome, and in other Parts of Eu- Admiral Whets one, cruising about His- Hist- d e f r 'rope, I think it proper to give an paniola j And in the second Chapter, I I ouS L ° ulSAccount what pass’d during this Time gave my Readers an Account, that, on WaLin America. the four and twentieth of September, of ker d eta M,
t-he to the w e" Indies.
were extreamly pleased to see this Commission inhis Hands. Why this Nobleman did not go, tho'the Dutch Admiral Fanderdujfen was actually ar-rived at Spitbead,w ith aSquadron of Men of War,and Land-forces on Board, in Order to have joinedhim; And why the Dutch- Admiral was ordered toreturn Home, and the Expedition wholly laid a-lide, are Questions I shall not pretend to deter-mine ; But what was done with Mr- Graydon ’sSquadron, the Reader will fee in the Sequel.
{k) The Duke of Ormond , at his first Arrivalfrom the Expedition to Cadiz , complained veryBurnet. openly of Rooke ’s Conduct, and seemed resolvedto carry the Matter to a Publick Accusation : Butthe Court found the Party, that prevailed in theHouse of Commons determined to justify Rooke ;So, to comply with this, the Queen made him aPrivy Counsellor, and much Pains were taken onthe Duke of Ormond , to stifle his Resentments.He was in a great Measure softened, yet he hadmade his Complaints to so many Lords, that they. moved the House to examine both his Instructions,and the Journals relating to that Expedition. ACommittee of the House sate long upon the Mat-ter. They examined all the Admirals, and Land-Osheers, as well as Rooke himself, upon thewhole Progress of that Affair, Rooke was so wellsupported by the Court, and by his Party in theHouse os Commons , that he seemed to despise allthat the Lords could do ; Some, who understoodSea Matters, said, that it apeared from everyMotion which he made, during the Expedition,he intended to do nothing but to amuse and makea Shew. They also concluded, from the Protec-tion the Ministry gave him, that they intendedno other. He took much Pains to shew, howimproper a Thing a Descent on Cadiz was, andhow fatal, the Attempt must have provedAnd,
in doing this, he arraigned his Instructions, andthe Design he was sent on, with great Boldness,and shewed little Regard to the Ministers, whotook more Pains to bring him off, than to justifythemselves. The Lords of the Committee pre-pared a Report, which was hard upon Rooke,and laid it before the House; But so strong aParty was made, to oppose every Thing whichreflected on him, that, tho' every Particular inthe Report was well proved, yet it was rejected,and a Vote was carried in his Favour, justifyinghis whole Conduct. The great Employment(Lord Lieutenant of Ireland) given to the Dukeof Ormond , so effectually prevailed on him, thattho' the Enquiry was set on, by his Means, andupon his Suggestion, yet he came not to theHouse,when it was brought to a Conclusion. So Rooke ,being but faintly pushed by him, and most zea-lously supported by his Party, was justified by aVote, tho' universally condemned by more im-partial Judges. The Behaviour of the Ministry,in this Matter, heightened the Jealousies, withwhich many were possessed; For it was inferred,that they were not in Earnest, in this whole Ex-pedition ; Since the Conduct, being so contrary tothe Instructions, their justifying one was plainlycondemning the other.
The thirteenth of Dceember , a Proclamationwas issued for the Discovery and Recovering ofall such Goods, Plate, and other Effects, as, con- .r ftrary to Her Majesty’s, and the Duke of Ormond ’s ffn,express Commands, were plundered or embez- Jbzled, at Port St. Mary's, or from the Gallions ta-ken at Figo , and put on Board Her Majesty’sMen of War, or other Vessels; Her Majestyreserving to Herself the Power of rewarding e-very one who had been in those Services.
(*) The Letter underneath, coming to Handthe Beginning of this Year, I shall give my Rea-ders