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INTERESTS OF GBEAT BRITAIN. 437terminated in common, the continuance of the existing connexion was in Itself quite natural, but that which was nowderived from family connexions added a new link.Lastly,this war had besides strengthened the connexion withRussia. Maria Theresa had succeeded in winning overRussia to her side and ; Germany was for the first timevisited by a Russian army in the year 1748, in consequenceof a subsidy treaty which had been concluded with Englandand Holland. Nevertheless this first interference of Russiain the affairs of Western Europe, was of short duration ;the"^gs^had not yetarrived when the maintenance of theBalance of power was in her hands.In the years immediately subsequent to the war, especiallyafter definitive arrangements had been entered into with Spain,England was more engrossed with domestic and financialaffairs than with the transactions of foreign countries ;andby the reduction of the interest of the national debt, to threeper cent, Pelham 1erected a more glorious monument to hisministry than anyvictories in the field could have raised.Meanwhile, the consequences of the system established byFrederic II. ,by which the maintenance of the balance in theGerman empire between Austria and Prussia was regardedas the foundation-stone of the balance of Europe, began alsoto develope themselves. It might naturally be expectedthat England would adhere to its ally Austria and it;seemedthe more natural as the occupation of East Friesland, whichhad been evacuated about this time, and the disputes aboutthe Embden East India Company soon after, had produceda great coolness between GeorgeII. and Frederic, But themode of proceeding then adopted by the British cabinet,put arms into the hands of the opposition which they knewhow to wield with great dexterity.Maria Theresa had already conceived the wish of preserving the regal diadem ofRome for her son Joseph, who was yet a minor and ;England not only supportedthis scheme, but also dispensed hersubsidies with a lavish hand among the electors, in order toaccomplish With it.the elector of Bavaria, the Palatinate,Saxony, and Cologne, treaties were either actually concluded1Pelham, and his brother the Duke of Newcastle, next or subordinate tohim, stood at the head of the administration when Carteret went out of office,1 744, till the death of Pelham, 1754.