re ys ▁were ▁wealth y ▁to b acco ▁mer ch ants . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁White ' s ▁Club ▁and ▁succeeded ▁his ▁father ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 5 ▁but ▁was ▁a ▁gam ester ▁who ▁soon ▁ran ▁through ▁his ▁fortune . ▁ ▁Jeff re ys ▁cont ested ▁Bre con ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 7 2 7 ▁British ▁general ▁election , ▁but ▁was ▁un success ful . ▁He ▁was ▁returned ▁as ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁for ▁Bre con shire ▁by ▁a ▁small ▁majority ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 7 3 4 ▁British ▁general ▁election . ▁He ▁began ▁his ▁career ▁in ▁opposition , ▁and ▁became ▁an ▁ad her ent ▁of ▁ ▁P ult en ey . ▁He ▁was ▁returned ▁uno pp osed ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 7 4 1 ▁British ▁general ▁election . ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Wal pole ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 2 , ▁P ult en ey ▁ ▁made ▁him ▁J oint ▁Secretary ▁to ▁the ▁Tre as ury , ▁worth ▁about ▁£ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁p . a . ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Hor ace ▁Wal pole ▁described ▁the ▁appointment ▁as ▁White ' s ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁Government . ▁Jeff re ys ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁friend ▁of ▁P ult en ey ▁ ▁who ▁was ▁not ▁turned ▁out ▁of ▁office ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 7 4 4 . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁in efficient ▁and ▁in cap able ▁of ▁carrying ▁on ▁the ▁business ▁of ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁and ▁that ▁almost ▁everybody ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of