been wanting, on my part, to bring it to a fuccefsful termination, on fuch conditions as may be confiftent with the fecurity, honour, and essential interefts, of my dominions. In the mean time, nothing can fo much tend to forward the attainment of peace as the continuance of that zeal, exertion, and public fpirit, of which my fubjects have given fuch confpicuous and honourable proofs, and of which the perfeverance and firmnefs of parliament has afforded them fo ftriking an example. Then the lord chancellor, by his majefty's command, faid: My lords, and gentlemen, It is his majefty's royal will and pleasure, that this parliament be prorogued to Tuefday, the fifth day of September next, to be then here holden; and this parliament is accordingly prorogued to the fifth day of September next. ed to the evasive conduct, the unwarrantable pretenfions, and the inordinate ambition of those with whom we have to contend, and, above all, to their inveterate animofity against thefe kingdoms. I have the fulleft reliance, under the bleffing of providence, on the vigour and wifdom of your counfels, and on the zeal, magnanimity, and courage, of a great and free people, fenfible that they are contending for their dearest interests, and determined to fhow themselves worthy of the bleffings which they are ftruggling to preferve. Compelled as we are, by the most evident neceffity, to perfevere in the defence of all that is dear to us, till a more just and pacific fpirit fhall prevail on the part of the enemy, we have the fatisfaction of knowing that we poffefs means and refources proportioned to the eb-jects which are at stake. During the period of hoftilities, and under the unavoidable preffure His Majefty's Speech to both Houses of of accumulated burdens, our reveParliament, Nov. 2, 1797 My lords, and gentlemen, It is matter of great concern to me, that the earnest endeavours which I have continued to employ, fince I laft met you in parliament, to restore to my fubjects the bleffings of peace, on fecure and honourable terms, have unhappily been rendered ineffectual. The declaration which I have caufed to be published, and the other papers which I have directed to be laid before you, will, I am confident, abundantly prove to you, and to the world, that every ftep has been taken on my part, which could tend to accelerate the conclufion of peace; and that the long delay and final rupture of the negotiation are folely to be afcrib nue has continued highly productive, our national industry has been extended, and our commerce has furpaffed its former limits. The public fpirit of my people has been eminently difplayed; my troops, of every defcription, have acquired fresh claims to the esteem and admiration of their country; and the repeated fucceffes of my navy over all our different enemies, have been recently crowned by the fignal and decifive victory with which providence has rewarded the exertions of my fleet under the command of adıniral lord Dun of the prefent war, have raised to a pitch hitherto unequalled the naval glory of the country. Gentlemen of the house of commons, I have directed the estimates for the enfuing year to be laid before you. The fate of the war, joined to the happy confequences of our recent fuccefs, will, I truft, admit ot fome diminution of expenfe, confiftently with the vigorous efforts which our Gituation indifpenfably requires. In confidering what may be the best mode of defraying long diftinguifhed us among all the nations of Europe. Thefe bleffings can only be preferved by inculcating and enforcing a due reverence and obedience to the laws, by repreffing with promptitude every attempt to disturb our internal tranquillity, and by maintaining inviolate that happy conftitution which we inherit from our ancestors, on which the fecurity and happiness of every clafs of my fubjects effentially depend. King. the heavy expenfe which will ftill Address of the House of Peers to the be unavoidable, you will, I am perfuaded, bear in mind that the prefent crifis prefents every motive to animate you to the most effectual and fpirited exertions; the true value of any temporary facrifices which you may find neceffary for this purpofe can only be estimated by comparing them with the importance of fupporting effectually our public credit, and convincing the enemy that, while we retain an ardent defire for the conclufion of peace on fafe and honourable terms, we poffefs the means, as well as the determination to fupport with vigour this arduous conteft, as long as it may be necessary for maintaining the fafety, honour, and iudependence of these kingdoms. My lords, and gentlemen, After the experience I have had of your loyalty and attachment to me, and of your anxious regard for the interests of my fubjects, I have only to recommend to you a perfeverance in the fame principles and conduct. The events of every day muft more and more imprefs you with a juft feufe of the bleffings which we derive from our civil and religious eftablishments, and which have fo Moft gracious fovereign, We, your majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects the lords fpiritu al and temporal, in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your majefty our humble thanks for your majefty's most gracious speech from the throne; and to exprefs to your majefty the juft fenfe which we entertain of your majefty's paternal anxiety for the welfareof your fubjects manifefted in the carnett defire expreffed by your majefty for the restoration of peace on fecure and honourable terms. We return your majefty our humble thanks for the communica tions which you have directed to be laid before us; and we affure your majefty, that we fhall proceed, without delay, to the confideration of thofe meafures which the circumftances of the prefent crifis require; and that, while we participate with your majesty in the concern which your majefty feels at the failure of your earnest endea vours to procure for your people the bleflings of peace, we are fully confident, from the uniform tenour of your majefty's conduct, that every step has been taken by your majefty which could tend to acce·lerate that object; and that it is to the unwarrantable pretenfions and inordinate ambition of the enemy, and, above all, to their inveterate animofity against thefe kingdoms, that the long delay and final rup ture of the negotiation are to be afcribed. We entreat your majefty to be lieve, that, impreffed as we are with the neceflity and the magnitude of the conteft in which we are engaged, as well as of the value of the interefts which we have at ftake, no exertions will be wanting on our part to enable your majefty to profecute the war with vigour, until a more just and pacific fpirit fhall prevail on the part of the enemy; and to employ, in the defence of every thing that is dearest to us, thofe means and refources which the present situation of our country holds out. We affure your majefty that we reflect with peculiar fatisfaction on the public fpirit which has been difplayed by your majefty's fubjects, and on the conduct by which your majefty's troops, of every defcription, have acquired freth claims to our esteem and admiration. We are particularly defirous of embracing the earlieft opportunity to offer to your majesty our warm and heartfelt congratulations on that fignal and decifive victory which has crowned the series of fplendid fucceffes obtained by your majefty's fleets over all our different enemies in the course of the prefent war; a victory no lefs important in its confequences, than glorious in the circumftances by which it is diftinguished. We are deeply fenfible of the manner in which your majefty is pleased to exprefs your gracious acceptance of our beft endeavours to teftify by our conduct our anxious regard for the interefts of our country, and our invariable attachment to your majefty's perfon and government. Senfible of the bleffings which, under your majefty's paternal care, are derived to us from our civil and religious establishments, and which diftinguifa us from among all the nations of Europe; and perfuaded that these bleffings can only be preferved by inculcating and enforcing a due reverence and obedience to the laws, and by repreffing with promptitude every attempt to disturb our internal tranquillity,-it fhall be the first object of our attention to contribute, by every means in our power, to the maintenance of that happy conftitution which we inherit from our ancestors, and on which the fecurity and happinefs of every clafs of your majesty's fubjects effentially depend. ANSWER. My Lords, I thank you for this loyal, dutiful, and affectionate address. In a crisis of fo much importance to the fecurity and happiness of every clafs of my fubjects, it is a great fatisfaction to me to know that you entertain a just sense of the nature, magnitude, and neceffity of the conteft in which we are engaged; and that I may rely with confidence ou your fupport in my fixed and unalterable determination to maintain to the utmost the laws, liberties, and religion of my people, and the dignity, honour, and independence of my kingdoms. The The humble Addrefs of the Houfe of Commons to the King, moved by Mr. Wilbraham Bootle. Moft gracious fovereign, We, your majelty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Great Britain, in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your majelly our humble thanks for your moft gracious fpeech from the throne, and for the communication of the declaration, and the other papers refpecting the negotiation with France, which your majefty has been graciously pleafed to direct to be laid before us. Permit us to affure your majefty, that we fhall not fail to apply our feives, with the utmoft diligence and attention, to the confideration of the measures which the prefent crifis requires; but we cannot refrain from expreffing, at the earliest moment, our firm determination to afford your majefty the most effectual fupport in refifting every unwarrantable pretenfion, and check ing every attempt dictated by inordinate ambition on the part of those with whom we have to contend. We entertain a firm perfuafion that all your majefty's faithful fub jects feel as they ought the value of the bleffings which they are struggling to preferve, and will not fail, in every fituation, to fupport your majefty in defence of their effential interefts, with the zeal, magnanimity, and courage worthy of a great and free people: and we muft, at the prefent moment, ob ferve, with peculiar fatisfaction, the proofs afforded of our means and internal refources in the flou rifhing state of the revenue, induftry, and commerce of the country. With the utmoft gratitude we acknowledge the fente which your majefty expreffes of the public fpirit 1797. which has been fo eminently dif played by your people, and of the conduct of your majetty's troops of every defcription, which has juftly entitled them to the additional efteem and admiration of their country. And we most heartily congratu• late your majefty on the fignal and decifive victory with which providence has rewarded the exertions of your fleet under the command of admiral lord Duncan; an event which has crowned the repeated maritime fucceffes obtained over allour enemies, and has, indeed, afforded a brilliant addition to the numerous and heroic exploits which, in the course of the prefent war, have raised to the highest pitch the naval glory of the country. It will afford us great fatisfaction to find that any branches of our expence will admit of reduction, confiftently with the continuance of thofe vigorous efforts which must be neceffary for our fafety, and which, at all events, cannot fail to be attended with heavy expense. n confidering what may be the best mode of defraying it, we shall, undoubtedly, bear in mind the nature of the prefent crifis, and, in eftimating the value of any temporary facrifices, we fhall not lofe fight of the manite importance of fupporting effectualiv our pub lic credit, and of convincing the enemy that, white we join in your majefty's anxious defire for the conclufion of peace, on fafe and honourable terms, we poffefs the means, as well as the determination, to fupport with vigour this arduous conteft, as long as it may be rendered neceffary, for maintaine ing the fafety, honour, and inde... pendence of thete kingdoms. We befeech your majefty to be lieve that our loyalty and attach ment to your majefty, and our anxa ious regard for the interefts of (2) your your fubjects, will enfure our perfeverance in that line of conduct which may best preserve the advantages refulting to your people from your majefty's aufpicious go vernment. The bleffings which we derive from our civil and religious eftablifhments have long been deeply imprinted on our minds; and we cannot but feel more and more, from the events of every day, how much they diftinguifh us among all the nations of Europe: we fhall never be unmindful that they can only be preferved by inculcating and enforcing a due reverence and obedience to the laws, by repreffing with promptitude every attempt to disturb our internal tranquillity, and by maintaining inviolate that happy conftitution, which we inherit from our ancestors, on which the fecurity and happinefs of every clafs of your majefty's fubjects effentially depend. I return you my warmest thanks for this loyal and dutiful addrefs, and for the expreffions of your affectionate attachment to my perfon and government. The affurances of your firm determination to refift, to the utmost, the unwarrant able pretenfions and inordinate ambition of the enemy, afford me the highest fatisfaction at this important conjuncture. They juftify the reliance which I have uniformly placed on the vigour and wisdom of your councils, and leave me no room to doubt that the ftrength and refources of thefe kingdoms will be effectually employed in fupporting our dearest interefts, maintaining our happy conftitution, and vindicating the honour and independence of the country. Papers which paffed in the late Negotiation for Peace at Lisle, between Lord Malmesbury, Plenipotentiary from the King of Great Britain, and the Commiffioners from the French Directory. Prefented to the Houfe of Commons, by Command of his Majefty, November 3, 1797. - (No. 1.) Official Note. Lord Grenville to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs of the French Republic. The fignature of the prelimina ries of a peace, the definitive conclufion of which is to put an end to the continental war, appears to afford to the two governments of Great Britain and France a natural opportunity and new facilities for the renewal of pacific negotiations between them: a part of the obftacles which might have retarded this falutary work, no longer exift ing; and the interefts to be treated of being, after this event, neither fo extenfive nor fo complicated as they were before. The court of London, always defirous of employing fuch meant as are beft calculated to contribute to this object, fo interefting to the happiness of the two nations, is unwilling to omi renewing to the French government the affurance of the continuance of its difpofitions on this fubject. And the underfigned is authorized to propofe to the minifter for foreign affairs to enter without delay, and in fuch manner as fhall be judged the most expedient, upon the difcuffion of the views and pretenfions of each party for the regulation of the preliminaries of a peace, which may be definitively arranged at the future congrefs. As foon as the form of this negotiation fhall have been agreed upon, the British government will be ready |