His Majefty's moft gracious Speech to both Houfes of Parliament, November 25th, 1778.

I

My Lords and Gentlemen, HAVE called you together in a conjuncture which demands your most serious attention.

In the time of profound peace, without pretence of provocation or colour of complaint, the court of France hath not forborne to disturb the public tranquillity, in violation of the faith of treaties, and the general rights of fovereigns, at first by the clandeftine fupply of arms and other aid to my revolted fubjects in North America, afterwards by avowing openly their fupport, and entering into formal engagements with the leaders of the rebellion, and at length by committing open hoftilities and depredations on my faithful fubjects, and by an actual invafion of my dominions in America and the Weft Indies.

It is, I truft, unneceffary for me to affure you, that the fame care and concern for the happiness of my people which induced me to endeavour to prevent the calamities of war, will make me defirous to fee a restoration of the bleffings of peace, whenever it can be effected with perfect honour, and with fecurity to the rights of this country.

In the mean time, I have not

neglected to take the proper and neceffary measures for difappointing the malignant defigns of our enemies, and alfo for making ge. neral reprifals; and although my efforts have not been attended with all the fuccefs which the juftice of our cause and the vigour of our exertions feemed to promise, yet the extensive commerce of my fubjects has been protected in moft of its branches, and large reprifals have been made upon the injurious aggreffors, by the vigilance of my fleets, and by the active and enterprizing spirit of my people.

The great armaments of other powers, however friendly and fin cere the profeffions, however juft and honourable their purposes, muft neceffarily engage our attention.

It would have afforded me very great fatisfaction to have informed you, that the conciliatory meafures, planned by the wifdom and temper of parliament, had taken the defired effect, and brought the troubles in North America to a happy conclufion.

In this fituation of affairs, the national honour and fecurity call fo loudly upon us for the most active exertions, that I cannot doubt of your heartieft concurrence and fupport. From the vigour of your councils, and the conduct and intrepidity of my officers and forces

by

by fea and land, I hope, under the bleffing of God, to derive the means of vindicating and maintaining the honour of my crown, and the interefts of my people, against all our enemies.

Gentlemen of the Houfe of

Commons,

I will order the proper eftimates for the fervice of the enfuing year to be laid before you; and when you confider the importance of the objects for which we are contending, you will, I doubt not, grant me fuch fupplies as you fhall judge neceffary for the public fervice, and adequate to the present emergency.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I have, according to the powers vested in me for that purpofe, call ed forth the militia, to affift in the interior defence of this country; and I have, with the greateft and trueft fatisfaction, been myself a witnefs of that public fpirit, that fteady ardour, and that love of their country, which animate and unite all ranks of my faithful fubjects, and which cannot fail of making us fafe at home, and respected abroad.

We have the strongest sense of the importance of thofe objects which render the prefent conjuncture worthy of the most serious attention.

The disturbance of the public tranquillity by the court of France, without pretence of provocation or colour of complaint, the clandeftine affiftance, the avowed support, the formal engagements which, at different periods, that court has not thought it confiftent with its honour to afford to your Majesty's revolted fubjects in North America, and to conclude with the leaders of rebellion, excite in our breafts a juft abhorrence of the violation of every public principle which fuch a conduct manifefts and a determination to con cur in every measure which may enable your Majefty to refent with effect the hoftilities committed on your faithful fubjects, and the actual invafion of your Majefty's dominions in America and the West Indies.

We beg leave to express our grateful fenfe of the tender concern for the happiness of your people, which has uniformly induced your Majefty to endeavour to prevent the calamities of war, and will make your Majesty defirous to fee the return of peace, whenever it can be effected with perfect honour and fecurity to the rights of this country.

At the fame time we return your Majesty our dutiful thanks for your great care in taking the proper and neceffary measures for difappointing the malignant defigns of our enemies, and alfo for making general reprisals, and for the protection which has been derived from the vigilance of your

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Majefty's

Majefty's fleets to our extenfive commerce, in most of its branches, while that of the enemy has materially fuffered by the active and enterprizing fpirit of our fellowfubjects: And we hope, although your Majesty's efforts have not hitherto been attended with all the fuccefs which the juftice of our caufe, and the vigour of our exertions, feemed to promife, that confequences more adequate to both may refult from the animated execution of firm and active councils, which the time requires, and with which the fpirited perfeverance of the British nation has fo often furmounted the greatest difficulties.

It is with concern we learn, that the conciliatory meafures of parliament have not yet had the good effect with your Majefty's revolted fubjects, which was due to the wifdom and temper with which they were planned.

In this fituation of affairs, fully

country, which animate that national force, and unite all ranks of your Majefty's faithful fubjects in giving fignal proofs, to all the world, of a loyalty and zeal which muft render us fafe at home and respected abroad.

His Majesty's Anfwer.

My Lords,

I thank you for this loyal and dutiful address: The zeal you fhew for my honour and fupport, and the firmnefs and vigour you manifelt in the prefent conjuncture, cannot fail to produce the best effects; it must add confidence to my people, and encourage animated efforts to withstand, oppofe, and fubdue, every hoftile attack upon the honour and interefts of my kingdoms.

and fecurity loudly call for the most active exertions, we will ftrenuously concur in fupporting your Majefty, that, under the bleffing of God, means may be derived from the conduct and intrepidity of your Majefty's officers and forces, by fea and land, and the yet undaunted spirit of the nation, to vindicate and maintain the honour of the crown, and the interests of the people of Great Britain.

We return your Majefty our cordial acknowledgments for having called forth the militia, to affiff in the interior defence of this country; and it is with joy and exultation we hear the gracious teltimony your Majefty is pleafed to bear to the public fpirit, the ileady ardour, and love of their

Commons to the King.

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

W

E, your Majefty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Commons of Great Britain in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majefty the thanks of this Houfe, for your most gracious fpeech from the throne.

We acknowledge with the utmost gratitude your Majefty's paternal regard for the happiness of your people, in your earnest and uniform endeavours to perferve the public tranquillity, and the good faith and uprightnefs of your Majefty's conduct to all foreign powers: And we affure your Majefty, that we have feen with concern and indignation that tran

quillity

quillity disturbed by the court of France without the leaft pretence of provocation, or colour of complaint; and we have, with the warmest emotions of refentment, marked the progrefs of their malignant defigns against this country, firft by a clandeftine aid and fupply of arms to your Majefty's revolted fubjects in North America; afterwards in violation of the faith of treaties, and contrary to the rights and common intereft of every fovereign ftate in Europe poffeffed of colonies and dependencies, by entering into and avowing formal engagements with the leaders of the rebellion; and, at length, by committing open hoftilities and depredations, and by actually invading part of your Majefty's dominions in America and the West Indies.

We cannot but feel concern and regret, that the meafures taken by your Majefty for disappointing thefe hoftile and malignant defigns have not been attended with all the fuccefs which the justice of the cause, and the vigour of the exertions, feemed to promife; yet, we have at the fame time feen, with great fatisfaction, the extenfive commerce of your Majef ty's fubjects protected in most of its branches, and large reprifals made on the injurious aggreffors, by the vigilance of your Majefty's fleets, and the active spirit of the nation.

It would have given your faithful Commons the trueft happinefs, to have received the communication from your Majesty, that the juft and humane purposes of your Majefty and your Parliament, for quieting the minds of your revolted fubjects, had saken the de

fired effects, and had brought the troubles in North America to a happy conclufion.

Your faithful Commons do most heartily concur with your Majefty in the juft approbation you have been pleased to exprefs of the public fpirit which has fo confpicuoufly animated all ranks of your Majefty's faithful fubjects, to ftand forth, at this time of danger, in the fervice of the militia, who, by their difcipline and fteady perfeverance in their duty, have enabled your Majefty to avail yourfelf of that conftitutional force for the defence of this country.

Your Majefty may rely on the hearty and zealous concurrence and affiftance of your faithful Commons, in enabling your Majesty to make the most active and vigorous exertions by fea and land, for vindicating and establishing the national honour and fecurity; and we beg leave to declare our ftedfaft refolution, and renew our folemn affurances to your Majesty, that this Houfe, convinced of the importance of the objects for which we are contending, and impelled by every motive of duty and intereft that can animate the hearts of Britons, will effectually affift your Majefty in the profecution of the prefent juft and necessary war; and that we will, to the utmost of our power, fupport your Majefty against all your enemies.

fure of this Houfe, at a certain manifefto and proclamation, dated "the third day of October, 1778, and published in America under the hands and feals of the Earl of Carlisle, Sir Henry Clinton, Knt. of the Bath, and William Eden, Efq. commiffioners for reftoring peace to the colonies, and counterfigned by Adam Ferguson, Efq. fecretary to the commiffion; the faid manifefto containing a declaration of the following tenour:

"If there be any perfons, who, divested of mistaken refentments, and uninfluenced by felfifh interefts, really think it is for the benefit of the colonies to separate themselves from Great Britain, and that fo feparated they will find a conftitution more mild, more free, and better calculated for their profperity, than that which they heretofore enjoyed, and which we are empowered and difpofed to renew and improve; with fuch perfons we will not difpute a pofition, which feems to be fufficiently contradicted by the experience they have had. But we think it right to leave them fully aware of the change which the maintaining fuch a pofition must make in the whole nature and future conduct of this war, more especially when to this pofition is added the pretended alliance with the court of France. The policy as well as the benevolence of Great Britain, have thus far checked the extremes of war, when they tended to diftrefs a people ftill confidered as our fellowfubjects, and to defolate a coun. try, fhortly to become again a fource of mutual advantage: but when that country profelles the unnatural defign not only of

eftranging herself from us, but of mortgaging herself, and her refources, to our enemies, the whole conteft is changed, and the queftion is, how far Great Britain may, by every means in her power, deftroy or render useless a connection contrived for her ruin, and for the aggrandizement of France. Under fuch circumftances, the laws of felf-prefervation muft direct the conduct of Great Britain; and if the British colonies are to become an acceffion to France, will direct her to render that acceffion of as little avail as poffible to her enemies."

To acquaint his Majefty with the fenfe of this Houfe, that the faid commiffioners had no authority whatsoever, under the act of parliament, in virtue of which they were appointed by his Majefty, to make the faid declaration, or to make any declaration to the fame or to the like purport; nor can this House be eafily brought to believe that the faid commiffioners derived any fuch authority from his Majefty's inftructions.

Humbly to befeech his Majefty, that fo much of the faid manifefto as contains the faid declaration, be publicly difavowed by his Majetty, as containing matter inconfiftent with the humanity and generous courage which at all times have diftinguifhed the British nation, fubverfive of the maxims which have been established among Chriftian and civilized communitics, derogatory to the dignity of the crown of this realm, tending to debale the fpirit and fubvert the difcipline of his Majefty's ar mies, and to expofe his Majefty's innocent fubjects, in all parts of