vantages which, by the bleffing of God, have attended the operations of the combined arms on the continent, fince the commencement of the prefent campaign; recommends it alfo to the houfe of commons to enable his majesty to enter into fuch farther engagements, and to take fuch meafures, as may be beft adapted to the exigency of affairs, and moft likely, by continued perfeverance and vigour, to complete the general deliverance of Europe from the infupportable tyranny of the French republic. Proteft entered in the House of Lords against committing the Treafon Forfeiture Bill, 4th July. Diffentient, IRST, Because the ftatute, Proteft against the third reading of the which it is by this bill propofed ECAUSE the measures pre to make perpetual, appears to us to be unjuft and impolitic, and contrary to the mild fpirit of the laws of England-unjuft, because it reduces to poverty and ruin children for the crimes of their ancestors; impolitic, because, inftead of healing the divifions and animofity occafioned by civil war, it tends to make them continue. It appears to us to be contrary to the exprefs declaration of Magna Charta, which fays, that no perlon fhall be difinherited or deprived of his franchifes unless he be heard in his defence; for in this cafe we difinherit perfons who cannot be heard, and who have committed no crime. Secondly, Becaufe it does not appear that any urgent neceffity calls for the immediate adoption of this law at this late period of the feffion, when it cannot receive the due con fcribed by the bill are deftructive of the conftitutional force of the country; by making the militia. ballot a fund for the fupply, and its difcipline a drill for the accommodation of other corps, and by degrading its officers to the humiliating fitua tion of commanding the miferable remnants of their regiments rejected by recruiting ferjeants of the line. Becaufe the fubverfion of this conftitutional force muft be the inevitable confequence, as it is probably the object, of thefe meatures; for it cannot be imagined that gentlemen of property (fuch as are required by the ftill remaining wreck of the militia laws), fhould hereafter come forward, in times of difficulty and danger, with a zeal and patriotifm fo much applauded, and fo bitterly infulted; that men of the highest confideration and fortune, fuch as alone can form a conftitutional force, fhould quit their do meftic comforts and family occupations without perfonal views, or profeffional allurements, to fill a ftation fo degrading to them as that of drill ferjeants for the army. But exclufive of this great and infuperable objection, we confider this bill as framed under circumstances of grofs inattention to the public intereft, to private rights of various defcriptions, and to the clearest and most important principles of the conftitution: and we fhould efteem ourselves neglectful of our own characters, as well as deficient in public duty, if we did not record our marked and unreserved reprobation of a measure of fuch dangerous tendency: Firft, because the promoters of this bill have, contrary to every principle of common juftice, established an arbitrary proportion, by which the refpective counties are hereafter to be burdened with the expenfe of raifing their future militia, deviating from the established fcale, approved and fanctioned by the acts of the twenty-fixth and thirty-feventh of the king, without any grounds laid before parliament, by which the juftice of fuch deviation could be eftimated; though in a few days, and with no expenfe, the annual lift for the county ballots returned to the lieutenants of each county, and directed (by the 26th of George the Third, chap. 107, claufe 50) to be transmitted to the fecretary of state, would without error have produced a correct fcale. Secondly, Becaufe all militia-men. not arriving (after the enroiment) at their refpective regiments at the exact time contained in any order which be given to them, are may declared to be deferters, liable to be taken from fervice in the militia for five years within the kingdom, and condemned to ferve in regiments of the line for life in any part of the world, by fentence of a regimental court marfhal, where neither the judge nor the witneffes are upon oath; and by an additional injustice the county, which paid the fervice of the man, is liable to the farther charge of fupplying his place. Thirdly, Because the difficulties and embarrassments which men enrolled to ferve in the militia are expofed to by this bill are so obviously cruel and unjuft, that it affords no flight ground of fufpicion that they are intended to promote the recruiting the regular forces from the militia by the forced defertions of the unfortunate individual who fhall be engaged in the militia fervice; for the man, as foon as he is enrolled, perhaps many hundred miles from his regiment, is ordered to join it, but by this bill no pay is to commence nor allowance to be granted till he actually arrives at his regi- 、 ment; he is deprived of all former fources of fubfiftence, and is not entitled to the means of present fupport; plunder or charity alone can maintain him on the road: and if under all thefe infurmountable difficulties he does not arrive within the time limited in his orders, he is liable to be treated as a deferter. Fourthly, Because by this bill the regiments of militia are invited to a ftate of diforder and mutiny by anticipation, as the bill has publicly declared that defertion before the period of its paffing into a law was to be made an offence not neceffarily followed by punishment, but that every man may by fuch defertion take leave of abfence till Auguft, if by that time he shall enlist into the regular fervice. The bill encourages immediate defertion from a fervice fervice to which the man had fworn fidelity, and the king is empowered to authorize the deferter's entrance into another fervice, difcharged from any claim by the militia regiment to which he belongs. Fifthly, Becaufe by this bill the most important and incontrovertible principle of the conftitution is flagrantly impeached. Whether it is legal or not, to appropriate public money by an order of the commiffioners of the treafury, and levy money on the land-owners by a fimilar order, without confent of parliament, is ftated by this bill as a matter of doubt entertained by parliament; and on the grounds of this pretended doubt, a claufe of indemnity is introduced, of which the title of the bill gave no intimation, and to which the attention of the legiflature had not been di rected. In the general neglect, overthrow, and denial of private juftice, public principles, and national rights, it is not to be wondered at, that little attention should be paid to the feel ings of individuals, however called by their country to ftations of confiderable confidence and truft; yet we cannot but exprefs our difapprobation of the grating directions to commanding officers of militia regiments, to crimp for another fervice their affociates and fellow-foldiers, and become at once the inftruments both of their own difgrace, and of Wentworth Fitzwilliam. His Majefty's Speech, to both Houfes of Parliament, on closing the Seffion, 12th July. My lords and gentlemen, which I announced to you at HE favourable appearances, the commencement of the prefent feffion, have fince been followed by fucceffes beyond my moft fanguine expectations. By the progrefs of the imperial arms, under the command of the Archduke Charles of Auftria, a great part of Switzerland has already recovered its ancient religion, laws, and liberties: and the uninterrupted and brilliant, victories of the combined armies under the command of field-marfhal Suwarroff, have, in the fhort period which has elapfed fince the opening of the campaign, nearly accomplied the deliverance of Italy from the degrading yoke of the French republic. The decifion and energy which diftinguifh the councils of my ally the emperor of Ruffia, and the intimate union and concert happily eftablished between us, will enable me to employ, to the greatest advantage, the powerful means which you have intrufted to me, for eftablishing, on permanent grounds, the fecurity and honour of this country, and the liberty and independence of Europe. I have the fatisfaction of seeing, that internal tranquillity is in fome degree refiored in my kingdom of Ireland. The removal of the only remaining naval force of the enemy to a diftant quarter muft nearly extinguifh even the precarious hope which the traitorous and difaffected have entertained of foreign affift all defcriptions, and on the unfha ken loyalty and voluntary exertions of my faithful fubjects in both kingdoms. Its ultimate fecurity can alone be enfured by its intimate and entire union with Great Britain; and I am happy to obferve that the fentiments manifefted by numerous and refpectable descriptions of my Irish fubjects juftify the hope that the accomplishment of this great and falutary work will be proved to be as much the joint with, as it unquestionably is the common intereft, of both my kingdoms. The provifions which you have made for fuppreffing those dangerous and feditious focieties, which had been formed for the purpose of diffeminating the deftructive principles of the French revolution, are peculiarly adapted to the circumftances of the times, and have furnifhed additional fecurity to the established constitution. Gentlemen of the houfe of commons, The unufual facrifices which you have made in the prefent moment, on behalf of my fubjects, are wifely calculated to meet effectually the exigencies of this great crifis. They have, at the fame time, given additional fecurity to public credit, by eftablishing a fyftem of finance, beneficial alike to yourselves and to pofterity; and the cheerfulness with which thefe heavy burdens are fupported evinces at once the good fenfe, the loyalty, and the public fpirit of my people. My lords and gentlemen, It is impoffible to compare the events of the prefent year with the ftate and profpects of Europe at the diftance of but a few months, with out acknowledging, in humble thankfulness, the vifible interpofition of Divine Providence, in averting thofe dangers which fo long threatened the overthrow of all the establishments of the civilized world, It may be permitted to us to hope that the fame protecting Providence will continue to us its guidance through the remainder of this eventful conteft; and will conduct it finally to fuch an iffue as fhall transmit to future ages a memorable example of the inftability of all power founded on injuftice, ufurpation, and impiety; and fhall prove the impoffibility of ultimately diffolving the connection between public profperity and public virtue. His Majefty's Speech to both Houses at the Meeting of Parliament, 24th September. My lords and gentlemen, I HAVE called you together at this unufual feason, in order to recommend it to you to confider of the propriety of enabling me, without delay, to avail myfelf, to a farther extent, of the voluntary fervices of the militia, at a moment when the increase of our active force abroad may be productive of the most important and beneficial confequences. We have feen the happy effects of the measure which you adopted on this fubject in the last feffion; and the forces which I was thereby enabled to employ, have already difplayed, in the face of the enemy, a courage, 'difcipline, and steadiness, worthy of the character of British foldiers. In the fhort interval fince the clofe of the laft feffion our fituation and profpects have, under the bleffing of Providence, improved beyond the moft fanguine expectation. The abilities and valour of the commanders and troops of the combined imperial armies have continued to be eminently displayed. The 'deliverance of Italy may now be confidered as fecured by the refult of a campaign, equal in fplendour and fuccefs to any of the most brilliant recorded in hiftory; and I have had the heart-felt fatisfaction of feeing the valour of my fleets and armies fuccefsfully employed to the affiftance of my allies, to the fupport of our juft caufe, and to the advancement of the most important interefts of the British empire. The kingdom of Naples has been refcued from the French yoke, and reftored to the dominion of its lawful fovereign, and my former connections with that power have been renewed. The French expedition to Egypt has continued to be productive of calamity and difgrace to our enemies, while its ultimate views againft our eastern poffeffions have been utterly confounded. The desperate attempt which they have lately made to extricate themselves from their difficulties has been defeated by the courage of the Turkish forces, directed by the skill, and animated by the heroism, of a British officer, with a small portion of my naval force under his command; and the overthrow of that reftlefs and perfi. dious power, who, inftigated by the artifices, and deluded by the promifes of the French, had entered into their ambitious and deftructive projects in India, has placed the British interefts in that quarter in a state of folid and permanent fecurity. The vigilance, decifion, and wifdom of the governor-general in counVOL. XLI. cil on this great and important occafion, and the tried abilities and valour of the commanders, officers, and troops employed under his direction, are entitled to my highest praife. There is, I truft, every reafon to expect that the effort which I am making, for the deliverance of the United Provinces, will prove fuccefsful. The British arms have rescued from the poffeffion of the enemy the principal port and naval arsenal of the Dutch republic; and although we have to regret the lofs of many brave men in a fubfequent attack against the enemy, whofe pofition enabled them to obftruct our progress, I have the ftrongeft ground to expect that the fkill of my generals, and. the determined refolution and intrepidity of my troops, and of thofe of my allies, will foon furmount every obftacle; and that the fleet which, under the ufurped dominion of France, was deftined to co-operate in the invafion of these islands, may fpeedily, I truft, under its ancient standard, partake in the glory of reftoring the religion, liberty, and independence of thofe provinces, fo long in intimate union and alliance with this country. While you rejoice with me in the events which add fo much luftre to the British character, you will, I am perfuaded, as cordially join in the fentiments fo juftly due to the conduct of my good and faithful ally the emperor of Ruffia; to his magnanimity and wildom directing to fo many quarters of Europe the force of his extenfive and powerful empire, we are, in a great degree, indebted for the fuccefs of our own efforts, as well as for the rapid and favour. able change in the general fituation of affairs. I have directed copies to be laid before you of those engage P ments, |