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It gives me the most fincere fatisfaction to be authorized to inform you, that notwithstanding the advantages which the enemy poffeffed at the commencement of the last year, and the successes which attended their operations in the former parts of the campaign, the general situation of affairs is on the whole most essentially improved.

The continued and brilliant fuccesses of the Austrian armies upon the Rhine; the important captures of the Cape of Good Hope and of Trincomale by his majesty's forces, and the decided superiority of his fleets, are circumftances of the utmost importance to the common caufe; and their effect is strengthened by the internal distresses, the ruined commerce, and increasing financial embarrassments of the enemy.

The crifis lately depending in France has led to an order of things in that country, such as will induce his majesty to meet any dispofition to negotiation on the part of the enemy with an earnest defire to give it the fullest and speedieft effect, and to conclude a treaty of general peace when it may be effected on just and suitable terms for himself and his allies.

The treaty of commerce between his majesty and the United States of America having been mutually ratified, I have ordered copies of it, by his majesty's command, to be laid before you.

I have the pleasure to announce to you, that her royal highness the princess of Wales has been happily delivered of a princess; an event, which, by giving additional stability to his majesty's august house, cannot fail to afford you the highest fatisfaction.

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Gentlemen of the House of

Commons,

I observe with the fincerest pleasure that notwithstanding the continued pressure of the war, the commerce and revenues of this kingdom have not in any degree fallen from that flourishing state of advancement, which in the last feffion of Parliament was a fubject of fuch just congratulation. This circumstance affords a decifive proof that your profperity is founded on a folid bafis, and leads me to indulge the flattering hope, that whatever additional burthens you may find it necessary to impose, will not be materially felt by the people.

I have ordered the public accounts and estimates for the ensuing year to be laid before you, and have no doubt of your readiness to provide such supplies as a due sense of the exigencies of the kingdom shall suggest, and the wife policy of strengthening his majesty's exertions for procuring a folid and permanent peace shall appear to render necessary.

My Lords and Gentlemen, It is with regret that I feel myself obliged to advert to those fecret and treasonable associations, the dangerous extent and malignity of which have in some degree been disclosed on several trials, and to the disturbances which have taken place in some parts of the kingdom. It has at the same time been a fource of great fatifaction to me to observe the fuccefsful and meritorious exertions of the magiftrates in several parts of the kingdom, and the alacrity which his Majesty's regular and militia forces have universally manifested in aid of the civil power, whenever they have been called upon for the prefervation

fervation of the peace, and support of the laws. It remains for your prudence and wisdom to devise fuch measures as, together with a continuance of those exertions, and the additional powers, which, by the advice of the privy council, I have thought it necessary to establish in different counties, will prevent the return of fimilar exceffes, and restore a proper reverence for the laws of the country.

The fuperior and increasing importance of the agriculture and manufactures, and particularly of the linen manufacture of the kingdom, will command your utmost support. Under the present situation of Europe you cannot fail to attend with peculiar vigilance to the general state of provifions; and if circumstances fhall at any time render your interposition advisable, I have no doubt of your adopting such measures as shall best apply to the exifting neceffity of the times.

I am desirous of pointing your attention to the protestant charter schools, and other institutions of public charity and improvement.

Your unanimity and zeal can never be of more importance than at the present crisis, in order to impress the enemy with a thorough conviction of the resources of his Majesty's kingdoms, and to procure a favourable termination to your honourable efforts. His Majesty has the fullest reliance on your firmness and attachment, and on the fortitude, spirit, and perseverance of his people.

It will be my ambition, as it is my duty, to reprefent your zeal to his Majesty's fervice; and it will be my perfonal and most anxious with to co-operate with your efforts in the common cause in which we

are all equally engaged and inte" rested, and my utmost endeavours shall be used to secure the happiness and profperity of this kingdom, and to protect and maintain its most excellent constitution.

Speech of the Lord Lieutenant of Ire land to both Houses of Parliament, April 15, 1796.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

IN releasing you from farther attendance in parliament, I am peculiarly commanded by his majefty to thank you for that confpicuous zeal and unanimity, fo honourable to yourselves and so impreffive on our enemies, which have marked your conduct through the whole session, in promoting by your energy and temper the interefts of your country, and in supporting by your spirit and liberality the common cause of the empire.

His majesty has taken the steps which appeared most proper for setting on foot a negotiation for general peace, if the enemy should be disposed to enter into such negotiation on grounds consistent with the safety, honour and interest of his majesty's kingdoms and of his allies.

If his majesty's views in this respect should fail, he has no doubt that the valour of his fubjects, the resources of his kingdoms, and the / exertions of the powers engaged with him, will ultimately produce this defirable end.

Gentlemen of the House of
Commons,

I am to thank you, in his majefty's name, for the cheerfulness and liberality with which you have provided for the current services of

the year, and it affords me the highest fatisfaction to reflect that these objects have been attained by burthens, so judiciously imposed, that they can scarcely affect the lower orders of the people. It is equally fatisfactory to observe that your strength and prosperity remain undiminished, notwithstanding the preffure of the war, and it will be my endeavour to cherish your refources, and apply your liberality with economy and prudence.

My Lords and Gentlemen, The inquiries I had ordered to be made with regard to the produce of the last harvest, and the measures taken by you to prevent the export of grain, muft relieve the public mind from an apprehenfion of fcarcity. If any illicit means should be attempted, to evade the provifions of the laws, which have been enacted upon this important fubject, I shall not be inattentive in exercising those powers with which I am entrusted.

The vigorous measures you have adopted for the fuppreffion of infurrection and outrage, and the wife provifions you have made for preventing the extenfion of fimilar offences, must have the most falutary effects.

and regular attention of his majer ty's judges to the civil and criminal business that will remain to be done on the circuits.

These measures cannot but demonftrate to the people at large the firmness and the temper of parliament, which, whilft it is determined to repress the excesses of licentiousness and outrage, is at the same time anxious to ensure to the country those permanent advantages of security, peace and good order, which are to be derived from a prompt and upright adminiftration of juftice.

I cannot too strongly recommend it to you to give effect to these benefits by your example and prefence, and I am confident, that when you are relieved from your duty in parliament, all ranks and defcriptions of his majesty's faithful fubjects will feel themselves protected by your exertions and authority in your different counties.

Your kind declarations in favour of my administration make the deepest impreffions upon my feelings. If I have any claim to your confidence and good opinion, it arifes from the fidelity with which I have represented to his majesty your loyalty and zeal, and from the fincere defire I feel to conforn my conduct to your fentiments.-Great Britain and Ireland form one empire; they are inseparably connect

The new regulation of licences under the fuperintendence of magiftrates, will tend to promote tranquillity and fobriety. The esta-ed; they must stand or fall to

blishment of more frequent feffions of the peace will afford an easy and expeditious administration of justice in the different districts throughout the kingdom. The liberal increase of the falaries of the judges, and the alteration of the civil bill jurisdiction, for the convenience of the lower ranks of the people, will ensure the constant

gether; and we are all equally engaged, because we are all equally interefted in the common cause of defending and upholding our religion, our laws, and our conftitution.

Speech of Earl Gamden Lord Lieut. of Ireland to both Houses of Parliament, October 13, 1796.

My

My Lords and Gentlemen, I have his majesty's commands to acquaint you, that he has thought it necessary to require your attendance in parliament at this early period, and to resort to your deliberative wisdom at a time when the ambitious projects of our enemies have threatened to interrupt the happiness and profperity of his people, by making a defcent on this kingdom and Great Britain, And although his majesty looks forward with the utmost confidence to the spirit, loyalty, and ability of his faithful people of Ireland to repel such an attack, it will yet become your wisdom to neglect no precautions which may preclude the attempt, or secure the speediest means of turning it to the confufion of the enemy.

His majesty has been gracioufly pleased to direct an addition to be made to the regular forces in this kingdom, by troops fent from Great Britain, the greater part of which is already arrived; and in pursuance of his majesty's commands, I have also encouraged the loyalty and zealous disposition, which has generally displayed itself, to affociate in arms, under his majesty's authority, for the better security of property, and the preservation of tranquillity and good

order.

In confequence of the steps which his majesty has taken to restore peace to Europe, and secure its future tranquillity, a way has at length been opened for an immediate and direct negotiation; and I am cominanded to acquaint you, that it is his majesty's intention to fend a person to Paris, with full powers to treat for the restoration of general peace.

The apparently hoftile dispofi tions and conduct of the court of Spain has led to discussions, of which I am not able to acquaint you with the final refult; but, whatever may be their issue, they cannot but afford to Europe a further proof of his majesty's moderation and forbearance, and cannot fail to animate your utmost exertions in defending the dignity, rights, and interest of the empire against every aggreffion.

In reviewing the events of this year, it must afford you the greatest fatisfaction to observe, that by the spirit and exertions of his majesty's navy, the commerce of this kingdom has been protected in a degree almost beyond example; and in no part more completely, than by the 1kill, activity, and bravery of the squadron stationed on the coafts of this kingdom.

The fuccess of his majesty's arms in the East and West Indies, has been highly honourable and advantageous to the empire; and evinces, in the strongest manner, the valour and good conduct of his forces both by fea and land.

The steady and dignified conduct of the emperor, and the intrepidity of the Austrian forces under the command of the archduke Charles, have given fo effential a change to the afpect of affairs on the continent, as to inspire a well-grounded confidence that the final refult of the campaign will be fuch as materially to promote his majefty's endeavours to obtain a safe and honourable peace for himself and his allies.

My Lords and Gentlemen, The expediency of the vigorous measures which you have adopted

in the last session of parliament, has been amply proved by the outrages, which they were intended to suppress having in a great meafure fubfided. I am, however, to lament, that in one part of the country good order has not yet been entirely restored, and that in other districts a treasonable system of secret confederation, by the adminiftering of illegal oaths, still continues, although no means with in the reach of government have been left untried to counteract it.

Gentlemen of the House of
Commons,

I have ordered to be laid before you an account of fuch articles of expence as are not included in the estimate of the current year, and which the present circumstances have rendered necessary; and when you confider the great interests for which we are engaged, and the objects for which we are contending, I doubt not that you will grant the supplies which may be requifite for them with your accustomed chearfulness and liberality; and when the ordinary accounts and estimates for the enfuing year shall be laid before you, I trust you will then proceed with the zeal you have always manifested in providing for the exigencies of the ftate, and the honourable fupport of his majesty's government.

You will not fail at a proper time to continue your attention to the manufactures, the agriculture, and the commerce of the country, and to extend your accustomed benevolence to the proteftant charterschools, and the other institutions of education and charity which have been so long fostered by your liberal encouragement.

The profperity and resources of the kingdom, so highly improved by your meritorious care, still remain unimpaired by the pressure of war; and I trust to your unremitting attention for the further advancement of your national profperity.

You have learnt the steps which his majesty has taken to procure the bleffings of general peace upon a folid and permanent bafis. Should these gracious endeavours of his majesty not be followed by the fuccess which he has every reason to expect, he is satisfied that the affections, courage, and prefervance, of his people, will enable him to fruftrate the designs of our enemies, and to maintain the honour and dignity of his crown.

It will afford me the highest fatisfaction to be aided at this important crifis by your advice, and I rely with a confidence you have taught me to indulge, upon your liberal interpretation of my conduct, and upon that fupport I have so amply experienced fince I received his majesty's commands to repair to this country; and it will be peculiarly gratifying to me, if I should have the good fortune, in the adminiftration of the king's government, to impress upon your minds the full extent of his majefty's paternal care of this kingdom, and of my own anxiety to promote, by every means, its interesis, its safety, and its profperity.

A Proclamation by the Lord Lieutenant and Council of Ireland.

Camden,

WHEREAS by an act of parliament paffed in this kingdom, in the 56th year of his majesty's reign, entitled

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