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fame time affure you, that he will have your fervices in res membrance, and that you may expect foon to reap the fruit of his good intentions. I am with great truth, &c.

T. Mortimer, Efq; his majesty's vice-conful C. JENKINSON. for Flanders.

But the following letter, from the fame gentleman, will ferve as a standing proof of the entire approbation of Mr. Mortimer's fervices by the whole board of treafury.'

Sir, London, June 4th 1765. The business of parliament during the laft feffion fo entirely engroffed my time that I was not able to answer the letters with which you favoured me: I did not fail however to lay them before Mr. Grenville and the reft of the lords of the treafury; and I have now the pleasure to acquaint you, that their lordships have ordered a hundred pounds to be paid you at the custom-house, as a reward for the fervices you performed to the advantage of the revenue, by the intelligence you at feveral times have tranfmitted to their lordships. I am with great efteem, &c. C. JENKINSON.

As a further recompenfe for these services, and in consequence of the warm recommendations of his refpectable friend. Sir James Porter, Mr. Grenville and lord Sandwich had engaged Mr. Hatton to make Mr. Mortimer an allowance out of his falary as conful of Flanders. This allowance amounting only to 631. per annum, though obtained by the free confent of Mr. Hatton, as appears by his letters to Mr. Mortimer dated January 5th, and February 14th 1765, did not fail to enrage him; and on the refignation of thofe ministers, his animofity publicly broke forth; and from that hour he affiduously studied every means to fell the confulfhip, or to procure leave to refign it to Mr. Irvine on certain private conditions, in order to exclude Mr. Mortimer from the just expectation he entertained of fucceeding to that office at his death, as a further reward for his fervices to the government.. Mr. Hatton's avarice upon this and all other occafions got the better of every other confideration, and though he now enjoyed the profitable employment (he had fo long expected) in Dover castle, and his half pay as one of the German commiffaries, befides the income of the immenfe fortune he had amaffed by that poft, and though his duty at Dover caftle obliged him to refidence in the neighbourhood, fo that he knew he

kept fecret for the benefit of the fair trader, particulars cannot be given to the public in general. C

Vol. V.

could

could not poffibly officiate at Oftend, it would not permit him to let Mr. Mortimer enjoy the fruits of his unwearied attention to the duties of his office. The confulfhip was hawked about upon the exchange of London, as it had been at Antwerp in the beginning of the year 1763, when it was rated at 1500l. and offered to Mr. Hollier, a gentleman, who, for reafons which it would be ungenteel to mention, was totally incapacitated to bear the king's commiffion, or to execute any office of truft under the British government, yet Mr. Hollier employed Dr. Blackwood, well known for his judgement in pictures, to negociate this affair, and it was to the failure of this contract that Mr. Mortimer ftood indebted for

his appointment. During the year 1765, Mr. Irvine continued fettled at Campvere, and would not listen to Mr. Hatton's terms, and Mr. Mortimer continuing his public fervices, fo ftrengthened his intereft both at home and abroad, that it was not thought prudent to pursue the fcheme of felling the confulfhip to a ftranger.

But in the beginning of the year 1766, affairs took a different turn in Zealand. Mr. Irvine having been unjustly arrefted by the magiftrates of Flushing in Zealand, highly refented this indignity; and having laid his case before Sir Joseph Yorke and the miniftry at home, fatisfaction was demanded of the States-general. But their high mightineffes after a tedious negociation, remaining difpofed rather to justify the conduct of the magiftracy of Flufhing than to grant Mr. Irvine proper fatisfaction; he conceived fuch a disgust to Zealand, that he was determined to refign his employment. And as the foliciting of his fuit, neceffarily brought him to England: Mr. Hatton took this opportunity of tempting him to turn his thoughts once more to the consulfhip of Flanders, in which, unhappily for Mr. Mortimer, and to the eternal difgrace of Mr. Irvine, he fucceeded. Mr. Hatton's motions having been communicated to Mr. Mortimer, he wrote to Mr. Irvine on the fubject, who gave for answer, "That Mr. Hatton had propofed to Mr. Baxter his friend in Londen to refign the confulfhip to Mr. Irvine on his fecuring to him for his life the fum of 100l. which he then drew from it; that Mr. Baxter had wrote to Mr. Irvine advifing him to accept the offer, but that he had no such intention." On the face of this contract it is evident the chief view of Mr. Hatton was the removal of Mr. Mortimer from the confulfhip, unless it can be fuppofed that his predominant paffion avarice prompted him to render the remainder of the falary he enjoyed from the confulfhip fecure for life, by this contract with Mr. Irvine, apprehending that the government might give the whole to Mr. Mortimer.

However

However, in order to guard against all furprife, Mr. Mortimer's friends about this time ftrongly recommended him to that polite, and candid gentleman, the right honourable general Conway, then fecretary of state; and among the rest Mr. Gordon, who fucceeded Sir James Porter as his majesty's minister at Brussels, wrote him the following letter,

(Private)

Sir, Bruffels, July 11, 1766. As merit will always meet with encouragement from your excellency, I moft fincerely recommend the vice-conful at Oftend to your protection-as honeft and faithful a fervant as any his majesty employs abroad in that station, and who has in the post I have the honour of ferving his majesty, been of real service to me by his vigilance and activity-fhould he for want of friends lofe the confulfhip at Oftend, he will be miferable indeed, and his majesty will lofe a very dilligent and active officer. The doing juftice to the character of a man of worth, I hope will ferve as my apology for the liberty I have now taken, and if your excellency can be of any fervice to him, you will oblige him who has the honour to be, &c.

To his Excellency General Conway.

W. GORDON.

About this time Mr. Mortimer having wrote to his excellency for a fhort leave of abfence, which was granted him foon after; he received a letter from Mr. Hatton, who had been informed of his application, as he imagines by one of the clerks in the fecretary of ftate's office, defiring him to ftay at Oftend till he fhould hear from him again, which fhould be in a few days. Mr. Mortimer though prepared for his departure, put it off in expectation of a fecond letter explaining the meaning of this requeft. And on the 22d he received intelligence that Mr. Irvine was arrived at Bruges. the next town to Oftend, but kept his arrival there a profound fecret. As Mr. Irvine had written to Mr. Mortimer a few days before from Campvere, and had not mentioned his intention of vifiting Flanders, which it was customary for him to do, for they were in ftrict amity and kept up a conftant correspondence, he began to fufpect there was fomething extraordinary in agitation, and therefore went to Bruges to Mr. Irvine, to whom he put this question. Do you expect Mr. Hatton at Oftend, you know what has paffed between him and Mr. Baxter at London, about refigning his confulship in your favour, I hope no furprize is meant? His anfwer delivered with the most folemn affeverations, fuch as, by God, &c. was, I believe Mr. Hatton is at Bath, that was the last account I had, I know nothing of him. I am here in expectation of meeting with fome friends from England, C 2

who

who are going to Paris, and as I intended to go back to Campvere immediately after I had furnished them with fome letters of recommendation, I did not purpose going to Oftend, and therefore kept my being here a fecret, that I might not be importuned by my friends at Oftend, to make them a vifit. But as you are come, I will attend you to-morrow. Accordingly Mr. Mortimer and Mr. Irvine came to Oftend the next day, and had not been there half an hour before Mr. Hatton landed from the packet boat, which was just arrived from Dover, being the firft time he had fet his foot in Flanders in the fpace of fifteen years. On Mr. Mortimer's preffing Mr. Irvine to explain the meaning of his fudden appearance; he then confeffed that Mr. Hatton had ordered him to meet him there on pain of his displeasure, and had ftrictly enjoined him fecrecy. At a meeting of the three parties on the 25th, Mr. Hatton with great vehemence told Mr. Mortimer, that he had used him very ill during his refidence at Oftend, as his deputy, particularly by applying to Mr. Grenville and lord Sandwich for part of his falary, in confequence of which that measure was forced down his throat, and he was on the point of lofing the confulfhip for endeavouring to evade it. He added, that Mr. Mortimer had never informed him of any public business of the confulate, but neglected him as a cypher, and therefore he was now determined to refide himfelf. After a volley of other abufe, Mr. Mortimer coolly replied, That the government having been pleased to think his fervices merited encouragement, it was not his place to prefcribe the mode. That fo far from not giving Mr. Hatton information of public bufinefs, he had wrote him a long letter with a state of the British commerce, and of the grievances the British fubjects lay under, dated December 23, 1763, when he had refided at Oftend only 21 days. But that receiving fome time after, a letter from Mr. Hatton on private affairs, he found he took no notice of the said public bufinefs, and as he further on enquiry had received information that Mr. Hatton had not made any application to the miniftry about that public bufinefs, it was natural for him to conclude, that Mr. Hatton did not choose to embarrass himself with the bufinefs of the confular office, after having fixed him in it. Mr. Mortimer was then defired to produce all his public and private papers, copies of letters and correfpondence with the government for Mr. Hatton's infpec→ tion, which he pofitively refused. And for an obvious reafon, Mr. Grenville was then out of his office, and the tran

factions

factions that had paffed between Mr. Mortimer, the treasury, and the custom houfe, were fuch as he did not think proper to truft Mr. Hatton with, of all men living.

A propofal was then made that Mr. Mortimer fhould permit the refignation to pafs quietly, and Mr. Irvine would continue him vice-conful till he could be otherwife provided for. To which he replied, that he would confult his friends in London, and give Mr. Hatton his anfwer there. Mr. Mortimer failed for England the next day, and Mr. Hatton went up the country on a vifit, and then followed him, but did not prefume during his ftay, to officiate as Conful.

The first thing Mr. Mortimer did on his arrival at London, was to write to lord Sandwich and Mr. Grenville, a ftate of the proceedings at Oftend, as he understood that Mr. Hatton had agreed never to moleft him in his office. fequence of this application, he received the following letter from lord Sandwich.

Sir,

In con

Hinchingbrook, August 22, 1766. In answer to your letter defiring me to recollect what paffed at the time when it was fixed that you should receive one hundred a year-(the taxes and deductions on the whole falary were taken from that allowance, which reduced it to 631.)

I am very ready to give you any information which is likely to be of ufe, and to which you are in juftice entitled. I well remember that thofe who had the management of the revenue, when I had the honour of serving the king, were fo well pleased with your diligence, and with the fervices you had done to the revenue, that it was intended to recommend it to his majesty to remove Mr. Hatton, and to put you into his place; and this I believe would certainly have been effected, had it not been for my interpofition, who, as a favour to Mr. Hatton, compromised the matter, and prevailed on him to allow you one hundred a year, and to leave you unmolested in the execution of your office. It is befides my opinion, that if Mr. Hatton had agreed to refide, the then treasury would not have been fatisfied with it, as they had confidence in you, and confidered you as an useful fervant, while they looked upon him in a different light. I am, &c.

SANDWICH.

With this letter, and another from George Rice, Efq; one of the commiffioners of trade and plantations, Mr. Mortimer waited on General Conway, to whom he had likewise been recommended by one of the lords of the new treasury board, who was pleafed on the recital of his cafe, to affure him that no iuch refignation fhould take place in his time: And defired him to tell Mr. Hatton to wait on him, that he

might

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