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The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria cover

The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria

Chapter 244: SPANISH ATTEMPT UPON GIBRALTAR.
By Edward Farr
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The volume traces British political, parliamentary, and military developments from the accession of George III through the early nineteenth century, chronicling changes of ministry and cabinet, debates over colonial taxation and the American conflict, parliamentary controversies involving figures such as Wilkes and Warren Hastings, questions of Catholic relief and slave-trade abolition, and responses to the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, including major naval and continental campaigns, the union with Ireland, and domestic legislation on finance, civil liberties, and parliamentary reform.

SPANISH ATTEMPT UPON GIBRALTAR.

Before the rupture took place between England and Spain, the Spanish ambassador had delicately hinted to our ministers, that, if they would restore the rock of Gibraltar to his monarch, he would consent to remain neutral. This price, however, was deemed too high by our ministers for what must have been, after all, a doubtful neutrality; and hence, after war was declared, the first thoughts of the Spaniards were directed to the siege of that wonderful rock. Before hostilities commenced, indeed, Florida Banca, in order to facilitate this grand object, had entered into a regular treaty with the Emperor of Morocco; he calculating that, by that act, the Moors would be prevented from supplying the garrison of Gibraltar with provisions, as they had hitherto done, and that Ceuta, the other pillar of Hercules on the African coast, belonging to Spain, would be left unmolested by them during the siege. Having done this, a large army was collected at St. Roque, Algeziras, and the Campo near Gibraltar, and immediately after the declaration of war, this force began its laborious operations for the reduction of Gibraltar. But many events demand notice before the results of these operations are recorded, for not a gleam of success attended their operations during this year.