STATE An address of both houses of parliament, on Monday the 13th of February, 1769. Moft gracious fovereign, Wful and loyal fubjects, the E your majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons, in parliament affembled, return your majefty our humble thanks, for the communication your majelty has been graciously pleafed to make to your parliament, of feveral papers relative to public tranfactions in your majesty's province of Maffachufets-bay. We beg leave to exprefs to your majefty our fincere fatisfaction in the measures which your majefty has pursued, for fupporting the conftitution, and for inducing a due obedience to the authority of the legislature; and to give your majefty the ftrongest affurances, that we will effectually ftand by and fupport your majefty, in fuch further measures as may be found neceffary to maintain the civil magiftrates in a due execution of the laws, within your majefty's province of Maffachufets-bay. And, as we conceive that nothing can be more immediately neceffary, either for the maintenance of your majefty's authority in the faid province, or for guarding your majefty's fubjects therein from being further deluded by the afts of wicked and defigning men, than to proceed in the moft fpeedy and effectual manner for bringing to condign punishment the chief authors and inftigators of the late diforders, we most humbly befeech PAPERS. your majefty, that you will be gracioufly pleafed to direct your majefty's governor of Maffachufetsbay to take the most effectual methods, for procuring the fulleft information that can be obtained, touching all treafons, or mifprifions of treafon, committed within his government, fince the 30th day of December, 1767; and to transmit the fame, together with the names of the perfons who were most active in the commiffion of fuch offences, to one of your majesty's principal fecretaries of ftate, in order that your majefty may iffue a fpecial commiffion, for inquiring of, hearing, and determining, the faid offences, within this realm, purfuant to the provifions of the ftatute of the 35th year of the reign of king Henry VIII, in cafe your majefty fhall, upon receiving the faid information, fee fufficient ground for fuch a proceeding. His majesty's most gracious answer. My lords and gentlemen, The fincere fatisfaction you exprefs in the measures which I have already taken, and the strong affurances you give of fupporting me in thofe which may be ftill neceffary, to maintain the juft legislative authority, and the due execution of the laws, in my province of Massachufets-bay, give me great pleafure.I fhall not fail to give those orders which you recommend, as the most effectual method of bringing the authors of the late unhappy [22] diforders diforders in that province to condign punishment. HIS St. James's, March 11. [IS majefty has been gracioufly pleased to extend his royal mercy to Edward MQuirk,, found guilty of the murder of George Clarke, as appears by his royal warrant to the tenor following: GEORGE R. them likewise to take fuch further examination of the faid perfons fo reprefenting, and of the faid John Foot, as they might think neceffary, together with the premises abovementioned, to form and report to us their opinion, "Whether it did " or did not appear to them, that "the faid George Clarke died in 66 66 confequence of the blow he re"ceived in the riot at BrentfordTM "on the 8th of December laft " And the faid court of examiners of Whereas a doubt had arifen in the furgeons company having thereour royal breaft concerning upon reported to us their opinion, the evidence of the death of George That it did not appear to them Clarke, from the reprefentations of "that he did ;" we have thought William Bromfield, efq; furgeon, proper to extend our royal mercy and Solomon Starling, apothecary; to him the faid Edward Quirk, both of whom, as it has been re- otherwife Edward Kirk, otherwife prefented to us, attended the de- called Edward M'Quirk, and to ceafed before his death, and ex- grant him our free pardon for the preffed their opinions that he did murder of the faid George Clarke, not die of the blow he received at of which he has been found guilty: Brentford: and whereas it appears Our will and pleafure therefore is, to us, that neither of the faid per- That he the faid Edward Quirk, fons were produced as witneffes otherwife called Edward Kirk,otherupon the trial, though the faid So- wife called Edward M'Quirk, be Jomon Starling had been examined inferted, for the faid murder, in before the coroner, and the only our firft and next general pardon perfon called to prove that the death that fhall come out for the poor of the faid George Clarke was occa- convicts of Newgate, without any fioned by the faid blow, was John condition whatsoever; and that in Foot, furgeon, who never faw the the mean time you take bail for his deceafed till after his death; we appearance, in order to plead our thought fit thereupon to refer the faid pardon. And for fo doing this faid reprefentations, together with fhall be your warrant. Given at the report of the recorder of our our court at St. James's, the 10th city of London of the evidence day of March 1769, in the ninth given by Richard and William year of our reign. Beale, and the faid John Foot, on the trial of Edward Quirk, otherwife called Edward Kirk, otherwife called Edward M'Quirk, for the murder of the faid Clarke, to the mafter, wardens, and the rest of the company of examiners of the furgeons company, commanding By his majesty's command, ROCHFORD. To our trufty and well-beloved By By the KING. A PROCLAMATION, For the fuppreffing riots, tumults, and unlawful affemblies. GEORGE R. W Hereas it has been reprefented to us, that divers diffolute and diforderly perfons have moft riotously and unlawfully affembled themfelves together, to the disturbance of the public peace; and have in a moft daring and audacious manner, affaulted feveral merchants and others, coming to our palace at St. James's, and have committed many acts of violence and outrage before the gates of our palace and that thefe acts of violence have been accompanied with threats of a most dangerous kind; we, taking the fame into our moft ferious confideration, and being refolved to fupprefs all fuch tumultuous riots and diforders, tending to the disturbance of the public peace, and to the endangering of all order and government, have thought fit, by and with the advice of our privy council, to iffue this our royal proclamation, hereby ftrictly charging and commanding the lord mayor, and the juftices of the peace of our city of London, and the juftices of the peace of our city and liberties of Westminster, and borough of Southwark, and of the counties of Middlefex and Surry, that they do ufe their utmoft endeavours to prevent and fupprefs all riots, tumults, and unlawful affemblies; and to put in due and ftrict execution the laws and ftatutes made-for preventing, and for the more fpeedy and effectual fuppreffing and punishing the fame; and that all our loving fubjects be aiding and affifting therein. Given at our court at St. James's, the twenty-fecond day of March, one thousand feven hundred and fixty-nine, in the ninth year of our reign. GOD fave the KING. His majefty's most gracious fpeech to both boufes of parliament, on Tuef day the 9th day of May, 1769. My lords and gentlemen, Having thought it neceflary to fo early a commencement to the prefent feffion of parliament, I am glad to find, that by your zeal and affiduity in the difpatch of the public bufinefs, I am now enabled to relieve you from your attendance, before the feason of the year is too far advanced. I cannot put an end to the feffion, without expreffing my entire approbation of your conduct, and thanking you for that clear demonftration, which your proceedings, through the whole courfe of the feflion, have afforded to all the world, of the affectionate attachment of my parliament to my perfon and government, as well as of their steady adherence to the true interest of their country. It was with much fatisfaction that I cbferved your particular attention to thofe great objects, which at the opening of the feffion, I recommended to your immediate confideration. The refult of your deliberations refpecting the late acquifitions in the Eaft-Indies, has fhewn that you were not more attentive to the immediate benefit arifing therefrom in point of revenue, than to the fecaring, at all events, the permanent commercial interefts of this country, and guarding against every poffible difcouragement [23] ragement to our own manufactures, and to the industry of my fubjects. What more remains to be done for fecuring thefe valuable acquifitions, you will, I doubt not, proceed to provide with all convenient difpatch, at your next meeting. The measures which I had taken regarding the late unhappy difturbances in North America, have been already laid before you. They have received your approbation; and you have affured me of your firm support in the profecution of them. Nothing, in my opinion, could be more likely to enable the well-difpofed among my fubjects, in that part of the world, effectually to difCourage and defeat the defigns of the factious and feditious, than the hearty concurrence of every branch of the legislature in the refolution of maintaining the execution of the laws in every part of my dominions. And there is nothing I more ardently with for, than to fee it produce that good effect. With refpect to foreign affairs, my own determination, as well as the affurances given me by the other powers of Europe, continue the fame as I communicated to you at the beginning of this feffion: and, however unsuccessful my attempts have proved for preventing the unfortunate rupture which has happened between Ruffia and the Porte, I shall not fail to use my good offices towards reftoring peace between thofe powers: and I truft, that the calamities of war will not extend to any other part of Europe. Gentlemen of the house of commons, My particular thanks are due to you, as well for the fupplies which you have granted me for the fervice of the current year, as for the pro vifion which you have made for enabling me to discharge the debt incurred upon account of my civil government. Your readiness in relieving me from the difficulties increafing upon me from the continuance of that debt, I fhall ever confider as an additional motive for me to endeavour to confine the expences of my civil government within fuch bounds, as the honour of my crown can poffibly admit. My lords and gentlemen, It gives me great concern to be obliged to recommend to you, with more than ordinary earneftnefs, that you would all, in your several counties, exert your utmost efforts for the maintenance of public peace, and of good order, among my people. You must be fenfible, that whatever obftructs, in any degree, the regular execution of the laws, or weakens the authority of the magiftrate, muft leffen the only fecurity which my people can have for the undisturbed enjoyment of their rights and liberties. From your endeavours in this common caufe, I promise myfelf the most falutary effects. On my part, no countenance or fupport fhal! be wanting; for as I have ever made, and ever fhall make, our excellent conftitution the rule of my own conduct, fo fhall I always confider it as equally my duty to exert every power, with which that conftitution has entrusted me, for preferving it fafe from violation of every kind: being fully convinced, that in fo doing I fhall most effectually provide for the true intereft and happiness of my people. His excellency George lord viscount My lords and gentlemen, jefty's commands; I meet the first I am confident that you are come together with the jufteft fentiments of duty and affection to our moit excellent fovereign, who has gratified the earnest wishes of his faithful fubjects of Ireland with that great improvement of their conftitution. I flatter myself that the proteftant intereft has already found the happy effects of it; and that the many gracious marks which you have experienced of his majesty's paternal regard, will animate your deliberations, and direct them to all fuch measures as may fecure to you the bleffings you enjoy. Since the last feffion of parliament, the royal family has been increafed by the birth of another princefs; interested as you are in the happiness of his majesty, and of his illuftrious houfe, you will receive with the fincerelt pleafure a communication of fo joyful an event. Gentlemen of the house of commons, I have ordered the proper accounts and eftimates to be laid before you and doubt not you will make every neceffary provifion for the honour of his ma efty's government, and the fafety and welfare of this kingdom. I am extremely happy to inform you, that the exigencies of govern ment have required only a very moderate ufe to be made of that confidential credit which was granted by the laft parliament; and I trust you will always find, on my part, the fame attention to public economy. My lords and gentlemen, As the wifeft nations have ever deemed times of peace the best seafon for improving their civil polity, and providing for their fecurity, I recommend it to you not to neglect the prefent favourable opportunity. The ftrength and riches of a country are in proportion to the number of its induftrious inhabitants; and as a religious and virtuous education is the fureft guide to induftry and good morals, you will not be unmindful of that useful and charitable inftitution, the proteftant charter fchools; you will confider the original defign and great end of them; you will obferve whether their courfe correfponds with their first plan, and you will correct any defects which experience may point out to you. The linen manufacture is an object which will always engage our utmost attention. I fee with the trueft pleasure that fource of opulence daily extending itself over this kingdom: be it your care to preferve it in full credit; and that neither fraud or negligence, which have fo often proved fatal to the moft flourishing branches of commerce and manufacture, be fuffered to defeat this national acquifition. 1 muft recommend to your most ferious confideration, what farther laws may be neceffary to prevent the pernicious practice of the clandeftine running of goods. The great lengths to which it has been [24] carried |