ments after long and careful deliberation on this most important fubject; and he earneftly recommends to this houfe to take all fuch farther fteps as may best tend to the speedy and complete execution of a work fo happily begun, and fo interefting to the fecurity and happiness of his majefty's fubjects, and to the general ftrength and profperity of the British empire. G. R. His Majefty's Speech from the Throne prefs the juft fenfe I entertain of the diligence and perfeverance with which you have applied yourfelves to the various objects of public concern which came under your deliberation. It is with peculiar fatif faction I congratulate you on the fuccefs of the fteps which you have taken for effecting an entire union between my kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. This great meafure, on which my wifhes have been long earneftly bent, I fall ever confider as the happieft event of my reign, being perfuaded that nothing could fo effectually contribute to extend to my Irish fubjects the full participation of the bleffings derived from the British conftitution, and to establish on the moft folid foundation, the ftrength, profperity, and power of the whole empire. I have witneffed with great concern the fevere preffure on my people from the continued fcarcity of the feafon; but I trust that, under the bleffing of Providence, there is example, and are fill in a state of progreffive augmentation. My lords and gentlemen, The courie of the campaign upon the continent has, by a fudden reverle, difappointed the fanguine hopes which the situation of affairs at its commencement appeared fully to juftify, and has unhappily again exposed a confiderable part of Europe to thofe calamities and dangers, from which it had been recently refcued by the brilliant fuccefs of my allies. Much as thefe events are to be regretted, it will always be matter of juft fatisfaction to me to reflect, that, in the course of this important conteft, my efforts, and thofe of my parliament, have been unremitting. ly employed for the maintenance of our own rights and interefts, and for animating and fupporting the exertions of other powers in defending the liberties of Europe. Notwithstanding the viciffitudes of war, your conftancy and firm nels hefs have been productive of the most important and lafting advantages in the general fituation of affairs; and the determination manifefted in your recent declarations and conduct, muft afford me the beft means of promoting, in conjunction with my allies, the general interests, and of providing under every circumftance for the honour of my crown, for the happinefs of my fubjects, and for the fecurity and welfare of every part of the British empire. mer occafions of attention to economy and frugality in the confump tion of corn, is moft likely to contribute to a reduction in the present high price, and to infure, at the fame time, the means of meeting the demands for the neceffary confumption of the year. alfo, I am perfuaded, render the The prefent circumftances, will ftate of the laws refpecting the commerce in the various articles of provifion the object of your ferious deliberation. If on the refult of that deliberation it fhall appear to you that the, Speech of his Majesty, on opening the evil neceffarily arifing from unfa Y Seffion, 11th November. My My lords and gentlemen, tender concern for the welfare of fenfe of the difficulties with which my fubjects, and a the poorer claffes particularly have to firuggle, from the prefent high price of provifions, have induced ine to call you together at an earlier period than I had otherwife intended. No object can be nearer my heart than that, by your care and wifdom, all fuch meafures may be adopted as may, upon full confideration, appear beft calculated to alleviate this fevere preffure, and to prevent the danger of its recurrence, by promoting, as far as poffible, the permanent extenfion and improvement of our agriculture. For the object of immediate relief, your attention will naturally be directed, in the firft inftance, to the beft mode of affording the earlieft and the most ample encouragement for the importation of all defcription of grain from abroad. Such a fupply, aided by the examples which you have fet on forVOL. XLII. vourable feasons has been increased by any undue combinations or fraudulent practices for the fake of adding unfairly to the price, you will preventing fuch abufes; but your feel an earnest defire of effectually will, I am fure, be careful to diftinguith any practices of this nature from that regular and long-eftablished courfe of trade which experience has shown to be indifpenfable, in the prefent ftate of focicty, for the fupply of the markets, and for the fubfiftence of my people. You will have feen with concern the temporary disturbances which have taken place in fome parts of the kingdom. Thofe malicious and difaffected perfons who cruelly take advantage of the prefent difficulties in violation of the laws and of the to excite any of my fubjects to acts public peace, are in the prefent circumftances doubly criminal, as fuch proceedings muft neceffarily and immediately tend to increate, in the highest degree, the evil complained endanger the permanent tranquillity of, while they, at the fame time, of the country, on which the wellN being of the induftrious claffes of the lay on my part to the adoption of fuch community must always principally depend. My lords and gentlemen, I have directed copies to be laid before you, of thofe communications which have recently paffed between me and the French government, refpecting the commencement of nogociations for peace. You will fee in them fresh and firiking proofs of iny carnest defire to contribute to the re-establishment of general tranquillity. That defire on my part has hitherto been unhappily fruftrated, by the determination of the enemy to enter only on a feparate negociation, in which it was impoltible for me to engage, confiftently, either with public faith, or with a 'due regard to the permanent fecurity of Europe. " My anxiety for the fpeedy reftoTation of peace remains unaltered, and there will be no obstacle nor de measures as may beft tend to promote and accelerate that defirable end, confiftently with the honour of this country and the true interests of my people: but if the difpofition of our enemies fhould continue to render this great object of all my wishes unattainable, without the facrifice of thefe effential confiderations, on the maintenance of which all its advantages muft depend, you will, I am confident, perfevere in affording me the fame loyal and fteady fupport, which I have experienced through the whole of this important contest, and which has, under the blefling of Providence, enabled me, during a period of fuch unexampled difficulty and calamity to all the furrounding nations, to maintain, unimpaired, the fecurity and honour of thefe kingdoms. His Majefiy's Speech to both Houses, on concluding the laft Seffion of the British Parliament. My lords and gentlemen, I Cannot close this liament without returning you my particular acknowledgements for the diftinguifhed induftry and zeal with which you have applied your felves to the interesting object which, at the commencement of the feffion, I moft efpecially recommended to your attention. It has been my earnest wish that nothing fhould be omitted which could tend to relieve the preffure occafioned by the prefent dearth of provifions, and to infure a fufficient fupply till the produce of the next harvest can be brought into ufe. The diligence with which your inquiries have been conducted has afforded afforded you the best means of af certaining the true circumstances of our prefent fituation; and the extenfive measures which you have wifely adopted in confequence, for diminishing the confumption of grain, and procuring an increased fupply, will, I doubt not, be found productive of the moft falutary effect. Much, however, muft depend on the difpofition which will, I am confident, be manifefted by all thofe who have the means of carrying into execution my folemn recommendation and injunction, iffued at your defire, for the adoption of all practicable economy in the ufe of thofe articles which are neceflary to the fubfiftence of the poorer claffes of my fubjects. The time fixed for the commence ment of the union of Great Britain and Ireland will neceflarily terminate your proceedings on this important fubject; but I am perfuaded that the confideration of it will be resumed with the fame zeal and temper, on the first meeting of the parliament of the united kingdom. The early period which I have appointed for that meeting will afford a speedy opportunity of completing whateve: you may have left unfinished, and of confidering what measures may tend farther to alleviate the preffure on my people, or to prevent the danger of its renewal. Gentlemen of the house of commons, my subjects in the ports of Ruffia, contrary to the most folemn_treaties, and the imprifonment of Britifh failors in that country, have excited in me fentiments, in which you and all my fubjects will, I am fure, participate. I have already taken fuch fteps as this occafion indifpenfably required; and it will aford me great fatisfaction if they have proved effectual; but if it shall be neceffary to maintain, against any combination, the honour and independence of the, British empire, and thofe maritime rights and interests on which both our prosperity and our fecurity muft always depend, I entertain no doubt either of the fuccefs of those means which, in such an event, I fhall be enabled to exert, or of the determination of my parliament and my people to afford me a fupport proportioned to the importance of the interefts which we have to maintain. Speech of the Lord Lieutenant, from the Throne, on the 15th of January, 1800, at the Meeting of the Irish Parliament. I My lords and gentlemen, HAVE received his majefty's commands to affemble you in parliament. Upon a review of the important and glorious events that have diftinguished the period which has elapfed fince I laft addreffed you, the moft gratifying and encouraging reflections prefent themfelves to our confideration. By the brilliant courfe of victories atchicved by the combined imperial ar mies, the various kingdoms and ftates of Italy have been delivered The detention of the property of from the ravages and the tyranny of I thank you for the readiness with which you have granted the fupplies neceffary, under the prefent circumftances, for the public fervice. My lords and gentlemen, N 2 the 1 the French. The throne of Naples and our friendly, connection with that kingdom have been refiored. The French expedition to Egypt has been checked in its career by the exertions of the Turkish arms, affifted by a fmall detachment of his majefty's forces, and the gallantry of their heroic commander. The hoftile plans of the common enemy in India have terminated in the total deftruction of the power which had been misled by their artifices, and through the timely, vigorous, and decifive councils of the marquis of Wellesley, and the confummate skill and valour of his majefty's generals, officers, and troops, the British poffeflions in that quarter of the globe have been beneficially extended and effectually fecured. By the defcent of his majefty's forces and of his Ruffian allies on the coaft of Holland, the Dutch fleet has been happily refcued from the power of the enemy; and although the fealon, peculiarly unfavourable to military operations, produced the neceflity of relinquishing an enterprife lo fortunately begun, and prevented the complete accomplishment of his majefty's views, yet the refult of that expedition has been peculiarly beneficial to this kingdom, in removing all fear of attack on our coafts from a quarter whence it has been fo often planned, and in enabling his majefty's fleets to direct their vigilance exclufively to the fingle port from which the enemy can attack this country with any hope even of a temporary fuccels, My utmost care has been exerted to carry into execution the extraor dinary powers which you have committed to my difcretion, with vigour, and at the fame time with moderation. All tendency to infurrection has been effectually repressed; but it gives me true concern to acquaint you, that the painful neceffity of acting with feverity has been too frequently impofed upon me; and although public tranquillity has been in a great meafure reftored, yet I have to lament that a difpofition to outrage and conftpiracy ftill conti nues in feveral diftricts, that much induftry is ufed to keep alive the spirit of difaffection, and to encon rage among the lower claffes the hopes of French affiftance. I trakt that the recent revolution in France cannot fail to open the eyes of fuch of his majefty's fubjects as have been deluded by the artifices which have been unremittingly employed to withdraw them from their allegiance; and that it will restore and increase the love of conftitutional order, and of regulated freedom, by demonftrating that the principles of falle liberty tend ultimately to defpotifm, and that the criminal ftruggles of democratic faction naturally clole in military ufurpation. So long as the French government, under whatever form it exerts its influence, fhall perfevere in fchemes of deftruction and projects of ambi tion, fubverfive at once of the liberties of Europe, and of the ferurity of his majefty's dominions, there can be no wife alternative but to profecute the war with increafing energy. It is by great exertions alone that either their views of aggrandizement can be fruftrated, or a folid peace procured; his majefty has therefore availed himfell with peculiar fatisfaction of the cordial and great affiftance which has been afforded him by his faithful ally the emperor of Ruffia, and has thought right to make every exer tion for augmenting the difpofable military |