Napoleon in 1812 - Chapter 82
Chapter 82
13. Golden War – 6
There would be no tax increase, but he did not intend to give up the war. Everyone seemed to be unable to understand.
So what the hell was he going to do? What did he want? Only the members of the Tory party remained calm and looked at Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson. They had had a close meeting the other day and had exchanged long discourse.
There were reasons for not actively suppress the political offensive of Charles Grey, the leader of the Whig party, and not giving measures as if they were being chased by the situation.
‘There is still a long way to go before the general elections and the end of the prime minister’s term. Making lame excuses would be falling into Charles Grey’s trap. Rather than having a dirty mud fight with him, it would be more reasonable to admit the mistake neatly and make an erasable case in the minds of voters.’
Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson and other Tory members were well aware that the people’s memory was not so good.
An issue about a certain event was quickly forgotten in the minds of the public when other topics emerged. This was their real target, and to reach it they had to put down their sincerity and persuade the public.
“After defending against Viking invasions and preserving the Anglo-Saxon identity, this is what Alfred the Great[1] said: ‘The ignorant rejects reality, the ordinary faces reality. But a wise man prepares for the future.’ The Cabinet is always trying to prepare for the future. Please watch over us as always.”
A small boo broke out from the audience at Jenkinson, as he went down after speaking, but he was confident.
They would be criticized for a moment, but if they managed to do what they had prepared, the public would have no choice but to support them and the Cabinet again.
===
A similar thing was happening in the heart of the City of London, as a tumultuous meeting was underway in Westminster.
“Are you really selling all this stuff, boss? No matter how hard I think about it, I don’t understand. Are you trying to sell all the filial bonds that provide regular returns at once?”
“Shares in South African gold mines are especially valuable because they’re not currently available on the market. Now that the war is still going on, there is nothing more guaranteed than this for the future.”
The boss’s decision in the financial sector was absolute. When he gave orders, employees had to obey unconditionally. But now here, inside L.V.C. Financial, there was an act contrary to that.
Despite sensing the surprise, embarrassment and anxiety in their faces, Colin nodded heavily.
“Those who have worked with me will know what I am trying to say… Anyway, time is running out, so I won’t say it again. We sell all bonds and securities except for land and in-kind held by L.V.C Financial. No objections.”
“Sigh!… I see, boss.”
“I hope the boss is right again this time.”
Such decision was contrary to common sense and logic. The boss of a financial firm, one of the best in the City of London, did something following his intuition, and his employees trusted and followed him?
However, a lot of people were accepting this phenomenon at least here in L.V.C. Financial.
Whenever he was ordered to do something from his home country, Colin said that he made his decision with his own senses instead of giving logical explanations.
At first, everyone thought he was a madman, but his decision turned out to be a huge success, and it happened several times.
Logic and process were not important. Finance was the sole result. This was why the employees were puzzled but did not argue or reject Colin’s decision.
“There will be big changes in London’s stock market in the future. Please understand that I can’t explain it to you properly because it’s based on my intuition. However, if that time comes, we will be able to retrieve everything we lost.”
At Colin’s words, the employees felt disappointed but eventually put their securities on the market. The City of London financial traders could not afford to miss out on this opportunity.
Securities and bonds with the L.V.C. mark on the London Stock Exchange began to sell immediately, at a terrifying pace.
“Hahaha! What a late Christmas present!”
“Buy them unconditionally! Buy everything you see!”
“Oh, shit! Someone stole it first!”
There was nothing but joy on their faces as they were buying recklessly. It probably felt like gold rolled into a vine.
Colin looked at it with an understanding look. How were the British economists going to describe the next month? Colin was really looking forward to it.
===
The Palace of Whitehall, in central London, had been the residence of many kings who ruled Britain.
William Shakespeare[2], a great British writer, was honored to host his play ‘The Tempest’ at the Palace of Whitehall, and when he saw the it, he described it as a ‘garden of the Gods, where the sky meets the earth’.
In the past, the Palace of Whitehall was so beautiful and splendid that such praise was not excessive. It had over 1,500 rooms, 19 multipurpose rooms, 5 banquet halls…
It had been the largest and most luxurious palace in Europe before the construction of the Palace of Versailles, which had leisure facilities such as bowling alley, tennis courts, stables, outdoor hunting grounds, and cockfighting square.
A quick-witted person could guess the reason for talking about the ‘past’. A series of fires in 1622 and 1698 burned down most of this beautiful and dignified cultural heritage.
The great palace, which used to be the pride of Britain, disappeared, leaving only one Banqueting House, and only traces of its existence remained nearby. Many British intellectuals were very sorry about that.
It was time for many workers living near London to return to their homes and lay down.
A carriage, decorated with a reddish-brown cross-shaped flagpole, secretly and quietly entered the Banqueting House inside the Palace of Whitehall.
A man in a gloomy outfit got off the carriage, opened his coat and removed his fedora (a felt hat). The man’s figure was revealed.
He was Robert Jenkinson, Count of Liverpool, who had been humiliated at last week’s meeting at the Parliament.
“Good evening, Mr. Prime Minister. His Highness is waiting for you.”
At the end of the attendant’s words, Prime Minister Jenkinson gestured to go in quickly. It was the Palace of Whitehall, which was burned down, but it was also a place where people could have a secret conversation.
=
In the multi-purpose room of the Banqueting House, Prince Regent George IV of England was admiring a painting. Prime Minister Jenkinson briefly greeted him and quietly approached him.
“It’s ‘The Marriage Settlement’ by William Hogarth (an 18th-century English painter).”[3]
“Oh, does the Prime Minister know about this painting?”
“That’s right. I’m lacking in knowledge compared to you, but could you give me a chance to explain the work?”
At George IV’s permission, Jenkinson began explaining the painting.
“Fancy clothes, but no family crest. The father of the bride is a merchant with low status but a lot of money. The groom’s father, on the other hand, is a shabby-looking, penniless nobleman, but has a family crest. As you can see, the bride and groom are looking in different directions, showing that they are indifferent to each other even though they are getting married. In fact, the union of these two families can be seen as a contract between adults who only care about the profits they will get from the succession of the families. It’s a scathing satire about the society that has lost its humanity and is only looking for its own interests.”
“Oh, I never imagined it would be a work with such a meaning. I can see the picture differently after listening to the Prime Minister’s words… Coincidentally, it looks similar to the situation in which the kingdom is right now.”
Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson smiled bitterly as if he agreed. After sharing a few more stories, the two soon got to the point.
“There’s a reason why I called the astute Prime Minister at night. Because I felt that the order of the country I was supposed to rule in place of my father was seriously threatened.”
“…”
“The public opinion is unusual, and the Prime Minister, the Royal Family and the Cabinet need to continue to seriously reflect on the current situation.”
George IV was criticizing Prime Minister Jenkinson’s ambiguous attitude and remarks during last week’s meeting.
Jenkinson did not hide his true intentions this time. He brought up before him the truthful stories that he did not tell in the Palace of Westminster.
“The biggest reason why the kingdom’s economy is faltering is that the financial leak has finally come to a limit. So far, the Cabinet and our party members have focused on the war expenses, which are the main financial expenditure of the kingdom. The kingdom spent about £144 million last year alone, much of which was spent on maintenance of naval power and operations.”
“Considering the geopolitical characteristics and strategic objectives of the kingdom, isn’t that a natural result?”
“Do you happen to know the exact trend and proportion?”
George IV shook his head and Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson calmly read the figures. Britain currently owned 114 battleships and 780 vessels. £10.6 million was spent annually on maintaining a naval force of 135,000 men.
In addition, £1.9 million was for the construction and repair costs to recover from the damage caused by storms, reefs, naval battles, aging and ship accidents. The cost of installing, maintaining and repairing numerous docks, ports, and coastal fortifications across Europe, the New World, Africa, and Asia was £4.6 million, and the cost of operating the fleet to block the coasts of France and other enemy countries (which required food supplies, toll, gunpowder, etc.) was about £7.6 million.
In other words, Britain was pouring out £25 million a year just to keep its current naval strength and for the maritime operation blocking all the coasts of France, its allies and satellite countries. At the unbelievable cost, George IV was speechless.
He was the representative of King George III, who was seriously ill, but it was relatively recent that he took over as regent and began to take over the king’s duties in earnest.
Therefore, he had not grasped everything in state affairs and had not received separated reports, particularly in the financial sector. He just thought things were doing well.
It was unimaginable that so much of the kingdom’s funds were being used only for the operation of the Navy.
“Even if I did not ask for an explanation, wasn’t it natural to report on such a major payment? How can you not say a word about how a third of the kingdom’s revenue is being used!”
“I have nothing to say. I’m sorry, Your Highness! But as you know, I also became Prime Minister hastily… Please excuse the stupidity of not being able to double-check what had been done in the first half of last year.”
Jenkinson had become Prime Minister after the assassination of Spencer Perceval.[4]
It was not until the end of last year that Jenkinson noticed the lax investment in military power, as the Navy did not feel the need to re-report what had already been paid by the former prime minister.
In the end, Prime Minister Jenkinson and Prince Regent George IV were being reprimanded for their predecessors’ doings. Feeling sympathy for each other, the two sighed quietly.
TL notes
[1] Alfred the Great
[2] William Shakespeare
[3] Here’s ‘The Marriage Settlement’ painted by William Hogarth:
[4] Spencer Perceval
