Art. I. That every perfon, either native or originally from the countries in amity or alliance with France, or in a state of neutrality, who is bearer of a commiffion granted by the enemies of France, or who compofes a part of the crews of the fhips of war or others belonging to the enemy, fhall, by virtue of this act alone, be declared a traitor, and treated as fuch, without his being permitted, in any cafe whatever, to plead that he was compelled into such service by force, threats, or otherwise. Art. II. The Executive Directors of the Batavian, Ligurian, Cifalpine, and Roman republics, fhall be informed of fuch threat. Art. III. The provifions contained in the first article fhall be notified to neutral, and to the powers allied with the French republic. Art. IV. The minifter of foreign relations is charged with the execution of the prefent arrêté, which fhall be published in the bulletin of the laws. (Signed) TREILHARD, Prefident. Arrété of the Executive Directory. THE Executive Directory, defirous of determining the mode in which its arrêté of the 8th of Brumaire is carried into execution, has refolved as follows: Art. I. In execution of the 3d article of the arrêté of the Executive Directory, of the 8th of this month, the allied or neutral powers fhall be invited to adopt the neceffary measures to recall within a certain fixed time thofe feamen of their refpective nations, who are actually employed on board ships and other veffels belonging to England. Art. II. The ambaffadors, minifters, and envoys of the republic with the faid powers, fhall receive peculiar inftructions on this fubject. Art. III. The epocha of the execution of the arrêté of the 8th Brumaire fhall be fixed by a fubfequent arrêté. Art. IV. The minifter for foreign affairs is directed to attend in concert with the minister of the marine to the execution of this prefent arrêté. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. IRISH PARLIAMENT. Speech of his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant from the Throne, on the 16th Jan. 1798, at the Meeting of Parliament. My Lords and Gentlemen, I HAVE his Majefty's commands to affemble you in Parliament at this important period, and to refort to your deliberation and advice. When I reflect on the tranquillity which attended the late general election, I have juft ground to believe that the wifdom and firmness which were manifested by the late Parliament were felt and approved by the nation at large, and that your conduct will be actuated by fimilar principles in defence of our happy confti tution. It must have given you great concern to learn that his Majefty's endeavours to restore the bleffings of peace have been again fruftrated by the defperate ambition of the French government. I have his Majefty's commands to lay before you his royal Declaration, and the various papers which paffed in the course of the late negotiation, in which the magnanimity and moderation of his Majesty were fo eminently difplayed, as to leave no pretext or colour for the infidious conduct and fallacious statements of the enemy. His Majefty relies with confidence on the spirit of his people of Ireland, who are fenfible of their duty to their God, their fovereign, and their country. He knows they are incapable of being intimidated by any threats, or deluded by any offers; and he implicitly depends on the valour of his regular and militia forces, the active loyalty of the district corps, the courage of the nation, and the prowefs of his fleets and armies, for defeating every hoftile attempt which may be made on this kingdom. The late fignal victory of Admiral Lord Duncan over the Dutch fquadron, achieved on their own coafts with fuch profeffional skill and heroic gallantry, has not only added fresh luftre to the glory of his Majefty's navy, but has given new ftrength and fecurity to all his Majefty's dominions. Gentlemen Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons, I have ordered the public accounts and the estimates for the enfuing year to be laid before you. I lament that additional burdens are ftill neceffary, in order to maintain the honour and fecurity of the empire in the prefent exigency; and although from the state of preparation in which this kingdom ftands, some of the demands of former periods will not recur, yet I fear the general expenfe of the enfuing year will not admit of any confiderable reduction. When you reflect on all you have to preferve, and all you have to expect from the enemy you have to combat with, I doubt not the fupplies will be cheerfully granted. I fhall endeavour, on my part, that they fhall be faithfully applied. My Lords and Gentlemen, In confequence of the addreffes of the Houfes of Lords and Commons in May laft, I directed immediate and vigorous meafures to be taken for repreffing difaffection in the northern parts of the kingdom, and for reftoring fecurity and confidence to the loyal and well-difpofed; the effect of which has been manifefted in the return of fubordination and industry in that quarter. Other attempts have fince been made by the leaders of the difaffected in fome parts of the midland and fouthern districts with too much fuccefs, and emiffaries have been employed, and publications have been circulated by them, to revive religious animofities, and to open profpects of plunder, by which means the lower claffes have been excited to commit acts of the most horrid outrage and barbarity. I have to lament that the diligence and activity of the magiftrates, though affifted by the troops which have been ordered into that part of the kingdom, have not yet been able entirely to put a stop to thofe difturbances. Conftant vigilance and unremitting exertions continue to be neceffary when all means are tried to excite the people to rebellion and revoltwhen a fyftematic plan of affalination is adopted and encouraged, and when the moft audacious attempts are made to impede and prevent the adminiftration of juftice. Amidit your exertions for the defence of the kingdom, I must not omit to recommend to you not to relax your attention to its commerce, its agriculture, and its manufactures, and efpecially to that of the linen; nor will your liberality be lefs confpicuous in continuing that protection to the Proteftant charter schools, and the other charitable inftitutions under which they have fo long flourished. His Majefty has commanded me to declare to you, that his firm refolution is taken in the prefent arduous conteft. He will not be wanting to his people, but with them will stand or fall in the defence of their religion, and in the prefervation of the independence, laws, and liberties of his kingdoms. It will be a fource of infinite fatisfaction to my mind, if, in the execution of my duty, I can contribute to fupport the generous determination of my fovereign and maintain the fafety and profperity of his people. I rely upon your advice and co-operation, and, aided by them, I look forward with confidence to a happy iffue of the conteft in which we are engaged. [Addreffes were moved in both Houfes, and carried unanimously.] In the Houfe of Lords, on the 19th February 1798, Earl Moira made the following Motion. THAT an humble addrefs be prefented to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, reprefenting that as Parliament hath confided to his Excellency extraordinary powers for fupporting the laws, and for defeating any traitorous combinations which may exift in this kingdom, this House feels it, at the fame time, a duty to recommend the adoption of fuch conciliatory measures as may allay the apprehenfions and extinguish the difcontents unhappily prevalent in this country. [This motion was negatived by a majority of 44 contents against 9 non-contents] Against this Decifion the following Proteft was entered. BECAUSE that at a moment when Government has thought itself obliged to exert unufual rigour, it appears the extreme of impolicy not to profefs the reluctance with which fuch feverities arc enforced, and the with of Government to conciliate the minds of the people by a gentler courfe. (Signed) GRANARD. CHARLEMONT. ARRAN. W. Down and CONNOR. MOUNTCASHEL, Proxy. In the Houfe of Commons, on the 5th March 1798, the following Motion was made by Sir Lawrence Parfons. THAT a Committee be appointed to inquire into the state of the country, and to fuggeft fuch measures as are likely to conciliate the popular mind and reftore tranquillity. VOL. VII. 4 B [This 4 [This motion was negatived by a majority of 156 against 19. -Lord Corry, immediately after the divifion, moved, and the House voted, an addrefs of thanks to the Lord Lieutenant, for the good confequences to the country from the vigorous measures purfued by his Excellency's government in Ulfter, and pledging the firm fupport of the Houfe in purfuit of those meafures, and to the restoration of perfect tranquillity.] Speech of the Speaker of the House of Commons to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant on the 24th March 1798. May it please your Excellency, LARGE as the fupplies of the last feffion were beyond all former grants, these which the Commons now offer to his Majefty are not inferior; they go to the fullest extent of every fervice propofed by Government, and are given with an unanimity and zeal which mark the unalterable determination of this kingdom to ftand or fall with Great Britain, and show that our vigour rifes as the vaunting menaces of the enemy increase. With the fame unanimity we have voted the maintenance of an army far greater than was ever kept up by this kingdom during any preceding war; and we have continued to them the augmentation of pay which was granted by the last Parliament, and which your Excellency did juftly ftate to that Parliament to be a feasonable and honourable acknowledgment on their part of the fteadiness and loyalty of that army. The prefent Parliament feels the fame fentiments towards them. Repeated experience of the order and alacrity which they have shown on every occafion that has offered, confirms his Majefty's faithful Commons in those fentiments; and we join moft cordially with his Majesty in his firm reliance on the valour of his regular and militia forces in this kingdom, which his Majefty has been pleased to exprefs in his gracious anfwer to our addrefs this feffion. While the courage, the vigour, and the difcipline of those forces muft render them formidable to the enemy and infure his defeat, thould he be defperate enough to attempt invafion, their zeal, and that of the yeomen, to put down rebellion, to cruth infurrection, and to affift the executive power in protecting the loyal, the innocent, and well-difpofed, affords the most convincing proof of their ardent and unfhakable attachment to the belt fovereign and beft conftitution that ever bleffed a free and happy people. We are free-and we will not tamely give up our happinefs. The loyal fpirit of the nation is able to cruth rebellion to atoms, wherever it fhall dare to fhow itfelf; and with the firmnefs which fo ftrongly marks your Excellency's character, with the conftant fuccefs which has attended every vigor ous A |