with the advice of Our privy council, to dissolve this present parliament, which stands prorogued to Wednesday the 29th day of this instant October, and which was to be further prorogued on the said 29th day of this instant October to Thursday the 27th day of November next: We do, therefore, publish this Our royal proclamation; and do hereby dissolve the said parliament accordingly; and the lords spiritual and temporal, and the knights, citizens, and burgesses, and the commissioners for shires and burghs, of the house of commons, are discharged from their meeting and attendance on the said Wednesday the 29th day of this instant October, and on the said Thursday the 27th day of November next. And We being desirous and resolved, as soon as may be, to meet Our people, and to have their advice in parliament, do hereby make known to all Our loving subjects Our royal will and pleasure to call a new parliament: and do hereby further declare, that, with the advice of Our privy council, We have this day given order that Our chancellor of that part of Our united kingdom called Great Britain and Our chancellor of Ireland, do respectively forthwith issue Our writs, in due form and according to law, for calling a new parliament. And We do hereby also, by this Our royal proclamation under Our great seal of Our united kingdom, require writs forthwith to be issued accordingly by Our said chancellors respectively, for causing the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, who are to serve in Our said parliament, to be duly returned to, and give their attendance in, Our said parliament; which

writs are to be returnable on Monday, the 15th day of December next, Given at Our court at the

Queen's palace, the 24th day of October, 1806, and in the 46th year of Our reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

HIS MAJESTY'S MESSAGE.
January 21.

The parliament was this day, in the absence of his majesty, opened by commission. The archbishop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor, the earl of Dartmouth, earl Cam. den, and lord Auckland, sat as commissioners. The commons, with the speaker at their head, soon appeared at the bar. The royal commission was then read; after which, the lord chancellor deliver, ed the following speech;

"My lords, and gentlemen,

"In pursuance of the authority given to us by his majesty's com mission under the great seal, among other things, to declare the cause of his holding this parliament, his majesty has directed us particular, ly to call your attention to the most decisive success with which Providence has vouchsafed to bless his majesty's arms at sea, since you were last assembled in parliament.

"The activity and perseverance of his majesty's flects have been conspicuously displayed in the pursuit and attack of the different squadrons of the enemy, and every encounter has terminated to the honour of the British flag, and the diminution of the naval force of the powers with whom his ma, jesty is at war: but the victory obtained over the combined fleets of France and Spain off Cape Tra falgar has manifested, beyond any exploit recorded even in the annals of the British navy, the skill and

enterprise

enterprise of his majesty's officers and seamen; and the destruction of so large a proportion of the naval strength of the enemy, has not only confirmed, in the most signal manner, the maritime superiority of this country, but has essentially contributed to the security of his majesty's dominions.

His majesty most deeply regrets that the day of that memorable triumph should have been unhappily clouded by the fall of the heroic commander under whom it was achieved: and he is persuaded that you will feel that this lamented but glorious termination of a series of transcendant exploits claims a distinguished expression of the lasting gratitude of the country; and that you will therefore cheerfully concur in enabling his majesty to annex to those honours which he has conferred on the family of the late lord viscount Nelson, such a mark of national munificence, as may preserve to the latest posterity the memory of his name and services, and the benefit of his great example.

"His majesty has commanded us further to inform you, that, whilst the superiority of his arms at sea has been thus uniformly as serted and maintained, he has not been wanting in his endeavours to apply the means, which were so liberally placed at his disposal, in aid of such of the powers of the continent as evinced a determination to resist the formidable and growing encroachments of France. He has directed the several treaties entered into for this purpose to be laid before you; and though he cannot but deeply lament that the events of the war in Germany have disappointed his hopes, and led to an unfavourable issue, yet his majesty feels confident, that, upon a

review of the steps which he has taken, you will be of opinion, that he has left nothing undone on his part to sustain the efforts of his allies; and that he has acted in strict conformity to the principles, declared by him, and recognised by parliament as essential to the interest and security of his own dominions, as well as to the general safety of the continent.

"It is a great consolation to his majesty, and one in which he is persuaded you will participate, that although the emperor of Germany has felt himself compelled to withdraw from the contest, his majesty continues to receive from his august ally the emperor of Russia, the strongest assurances of unshaken adherence to that generous and enlightened policy by which he has hitherto been actuated; and his majesty has no doubt that you will be fully sensible of the important advantages to be derived from preserving at all times the closest and most intimate connection with that sovereign.

"Gentlemen of the house of com

mons,

"His majesty has directed the estimates for the year to be laid before you, and he has commanded us to assure you that they are framed upon that scale of exertion which the present situation of the country renders indispensable. His majesty fully relies upon your granting him such supplies as, upon due deliberation, the public exigencies may appear to require. It is his earnest wish to contribute, by every means in his power, to alleviate the additional burthens which must necessarily be imposed upon his people; and with this view he has directed the sum of one million sterling, part of the (K4) proceeds

proceeds arising from the sale of such prizes made on the powers with which he is at war, as are by law vested in the crown, to be ap plied to the public service of the year.

My lords, and gentlemen, "His majesty is most fully per suaded, that whatever pride and confidence you may feel in common with him, in the success which has distinguished the British arms, in the course of the present contest, you will be sensible how much the events of the war on the continent, by which the predominant power and influence of France have been so unhappily extended, require the continuance of all possible vigilance and exertion. Under this impression, his majesty trusts that your attention will be invariably directed to the improve. ment of those means which are to be found in the bravery and discipline of his forces, in the zeal and loyalty of every class of his subjects, and in the unexhausted resources of his dominions, for rendering the British empire invincible at home, as well as formidable abroad; satisfied that by such efforts alone, the contest can be brought to a conclusion consis. tent with the safety and independence of the country, and with its rank amongst the nations of the world."

HIS MAJESTY'S MESSAGE.
Dec. 18.

After some peers had taken the paths, the commons were ordered to attend, when the following speech was delivered by the lord chancellor in his majesty's name:

"My lords, and gentlemen, "His majesty has commanded us to assure you, that, in the dif.

ficult and arduous circumstances under which you are now assembled, it is a great satisfaction to him to recur to the firmness and wisdom of his parliament, after so recent an opportunity of collecting the sense of his people.

"His majesty has ordered the papers which have been exchanged in the course of the late negotiation with France to be laid before you. His majesty has employed every effort for the restoration of general tranquillity on terms consistent with the interests and honour of his people, and with that inviolable good faith towards his allies, by which the conduct of this country has always been distinguished.

"The ambition and injustice of the enemy disappointed these endeavours, and in the same moment kindled a fresh war in Europe, the progress of which has been attended with the most cala, mitous events. After witnessing the subversion of the antient constitution of Germany, and the subjugation of a large proportion of its most considerable states, Prus sia found herself still more nearly threatened by that danger which she had vainly hoped to avert by so many sacrifices. She was, therefore, at length compelled to adopt the resolution of openly resisting this unremitted system of aggrandizement and conquest, But nei ther this determination, nor the succeeding measures, were previ, ously concerted with his majesty ; nor had any disposition been shown to offer any adequate satisfaction for those aggressions which had placed the two countries in a state of mutual hostility.

"Yet, in this situation, his majesty did not hesitate to adopt, without delay, such measures as were best calculated to unite their

councils

At the court at the Queen's palace, the 7th of February, 1806, present, the king's most excellent majesty in council.

This day the right hon. George viscount Morpeth; the right hon. John Townshend, (commonly called lord John Townshend); the right hon. Thomas lord Erskine; and the right hon. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, were, by his majesty's command, sworn of his majes ty's most honourable privy council, and took their respective places at the board accordingly.

His majesty, in council, was this day graciously pleased to deliver the great seal to the right hon. Thomas lord Erskine; whereupon the oath of lord high chancellor of Great Britain was, by his majesty's command, administered to his lordship, and his lordship took his place at the board accordingly.

His majesty having been pleased to appoint the right hon. Charles

James Fox to be one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state, he was this day, by his majesty's command, sworn one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state accordingly.

April 5. At the court at the Queen's palace, present, the king's most excellent majesty in council.

Whereas his majesty has receiv ed advice that his majesty the king of Prussia has taken possession of various parts of the electorate of Hanover, and other dominions be longing to his majesty, in a forcible and hostile manner; and has also notified that all British ships shall be excluded from the ports of the Prussian dominions, and from certain other ports in the north of Europe, and not suffered lation of the just rights and into enter or trade therewith, in vioterests of his majesty and his dominions, and contrary to the esta blished law and practice of nations in amity with each other; his majesty, with the advice of his privy council, is thereupon pleased to order, as it is hereby ordered, that no ships or vessels belonging to any of his majesty's subjects be permitted to enter and clear out for any of the ports of Prussia until further order: and his majesty is further pleased to order, that a general embargo or stop be made of all Prussian ships and vessels whatsoever, now within, or which hereafter shall come into any of the ports, harbours, or roads within the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, together with all persons and effects on board the said ships and vessels; but that the utmost care be taken for the preservation of all and every part

of