we have gained in that quarter, and which are fo nearly connected with our commercial refources and maritime ftrength. I rely with full confidence on the continuance of your firm and zealous fupport, on the uniform brave ry of my fleets and armies, and on the fortitude, perfeverance, and public fpirit of all ranks of my people. The acts of hoftility committed by the United Provinces, under the influence and control of France, have obliged me to treat them as in a state of war with this country. The fleet which I have employed in the North Seas has received the moft cordial and active affiftance from the naval force furnished by the emprefs of Ruffia, and has been enabled effectually to check the operations of the enemy in that quarter. I have concluded engagements of defenfive alliance with the two Imperial courts; and the ratifications of the treaty of commerce with the United States of America, which I announced to you last year, have now been exchanged. I have directed copies of thefe treaties to be laid before you. Gentlemen of the house of commons, It is matter of deep concern to me, that the exigencies of the public fervice will require further additions to the heavy burthens which have been unavoidably impofed on my people. I truft that their preffure will, in fome degree, be alleviated by the flourishing ftate of our commerce and manufactures, and that our expences, though neceffarily great in their amount, will, under the actual circumftances of the war, admit of confiderable diminution in comparison with thofe of the prefent year. My lords, and gentlemen, I have obferved for fome time paft with the greatest anxiety the very high price of grain, and that anxiety is increafed by the apprehenfion that the produce of the wheat harvest in the present year may not have been fuch as effectually to relieve my people from the difficulties with which they have had to contend. The Spirit of order and fubmiffion to the laws, which, with very few exceptions, has manifested itself under this fevere preffure, will, I am fure, be felt by you as an additional incentive to apply yourselves with the utmost diligence to the confideration of fuch measures as may tend to alleviate the prefent diftrefs, and to prevent, as far as poffible, the renewal of fimilar embarraffments in future. Nothing has been omitted on my part that appeared likely to contribute to this end; and you may be affured of my hearty concurrence in whatever regulations the wisdom of parliament may adopt, on a fubject fo peculiarly interesting to my people whofe welfare will ever be the object neareft to my heart. your majesty's paffage to and from your parliament. We cannot reflect without the utmost concern, that there thould be found within your majefty's dominions any perfon fo infenfible of the happinefs which all your majefty's fubjects derive from your majefty's juft and mild government, and of the virtues which fo eminently diftinguish your majefty's character, as to be capable of thefe flagitious acts: and we beg leave humbly to lay before your majefty the earnest wishes of your faithful lords and commons, in which we are confident we fhall be joined by all defcriptions of your majefty's fubjects, that you will be graciously pleafed to direct the moft effectual measures to be taken, without delay, to discover the authors and abettors of crimes fo atrocious. ANSWER. My lords, and gentlemen, I receive, with great pleafure, this additional proof of your uniform zeal and loyalty. I have too much reafon to be affured of the affectionate and steady attachment of my people at large, to have felt any other fentiment upon this occafion than that of concern at fo high a violation of the laws. I fhall not fail to give fuch directions as may tend to bring to juftice and punishment, the perfons concerned in an offence fo dangerous to the public tranquillity, and fo injurious to our excellent conftitution. Copy of the Proclamation issued October 31, in pursuance of the foregoing Addrefs. At the court at St. James's, 31ft day of October, 1795, prefent, The king's moft excellent majefty, His royal highnefs the prince of Wales, His royal highnefs the duke of Lord Chancellor, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Field Marfhal fir George Howard, By the KING. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas, on the twenty-ninth day of this inftant month of October, divers perfons, riotously affembled and ftationed in different places in our city of Westminster, proceeded to commit certain daring and highly criminal outrages, in grofs violation of the public peace, to the actual danger of our royal perfon, and to the interruption of our paffage to and from our parliament; we, therefore, with the advice of our privy-council, in purfuance of an addrefs from our two houfes of parliament, do hereby enjoin all magiftrates, and all other our loving fubjects, to use their utmoft endeavours to difcover and cause to be apprehended the authors, actors, and abettors concerned in fuch outrages, in order that they may be dealt with according to law and we do hereby promife, that any perfon or perfons, other than thofe actually concerned in doing any act by which our royal perfon perfón was immediately endangered, who fhall give information, fo as that any of the authors, actors, or abettors concerned in fuch outrages as aforefaid, may be apprehended and brought to juftice, fhall receive a reward of one thoufand pounds, to be paid on conviction of every fuch offender; which faid fum of one thoufand pounds, the lords commiffioners of our treasury are hereby required and directed to pay accordingly. And we do further promife, that any perfon or perfons concerned in fuch outrages as aforefaid, other than fuch as were actually concerned in any act by which our royal perfon was immediately endangered, who fhall give information, fo as that any of fuch authors, actors, or abettors, as a forefaid, fhall be apprehended and brought to justice, fhall, upon conviction of fuch offender or offenders, receive our most gracious pardon. Given at our court at St. James's, the thirty-first day of October, one thousand feven hundred and ninety-five, in the thirtyfixth year of our reign. GOD fave the KING. Copy of a Proclamation against Seditious Meetings, November 4. GEORGE R. Whereas it hath been reprefented to us, that, immediately before the opening of the prefent parliament, a great number of perfons were collected in the fields in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, by advertisements and hand-bills, and that divers inflammatory difcourfes were delivered to the perfons fo collected, and divers proceedings were had, tending to create groundless jealoufy and difcontent, 1795 and to endanger the public peace, and the quiet and fafety of our faithful fubjects: and whereas it hath been alfo reprefented to us, that divers feditious and treafonable papers have been lately diftributed, tending to excite evil difpofed perfons to acts endangering our royal perfon: and whereas fuch proceedings have been followed, on the day on which the prefent feffion of parliament commenced, by acts of tumult and violence, and by daring and highly criminal outrages, in direct voilation of the public peace, to the immediate danger of our royal perfon, and to the interruption of our paffage to and from our parliament: and whereas great uneafinefs and anxiety hath been produced in the minds of our faithful fubjects, by rumours and apprehenfions that feditious and unlawful affemblies are intended to be held by evil-difpofed perfons, and that fuch other criminal practices as aforefaid are intended to be repeated: we therefore have thought fit, by and with the advice of our privy-council, to enjoin and require, and we do hereby enjoin and require, all juftices of the peace, fheriffs, mayors, bailiffs, conftables, and all other our loving fubjects throughout our kingdom, to ufe the utmoft diligence to difcourage, prevent, and fupprefs, all feditious and unlawful affemblies: and we do fpecially enjoin and command all our loving fubjects, who fall have caufe to fufpect that any fuch affemblies are intended to be held in any part of our kingdom, to give the earliest information thereof to the magiftrates of the feveral diftricts within which it fhall be fufpected that the fame are intended to be held; and if fuch aflemblies fhall, nevertheless, in any cafe, be actually held, to be aiding and affifting, on being required thereto by the (G) civil civil magiftrate, in caufing perfons delivering inflammatory difcourfes in fuch affemblies, and other principal actors therein, to be forthwith apprehended, in order that they may be dealt with according to law. And we have alfo thought fit, by and with the advice aforefaid, to enjoin and require, and we do hereby enjoin and require, all justices of the peace, fheriffs, mayors, bailiffs, conftables, and all other our loving fubjects throughout our kingdom, to be in like manner aiding and affifting in bringing to juftice all perfons diftributing fuch feditious and treafonable papers as aforesaid. Given at our court at St. James's, the fourth day of November, one thousand feven hundred and ninety-five, in the thirtyfixth year of our reign. GOD fave the KING. Congratulatory Addrefs of the City of London to his Majesty, prefented November 6. To the king's most excellent majesty. The humble addrefs of the lordmayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London in common-council affembled. Moft gracious fovereign, We your majefty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the lord-mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London, in common-council affembled, beg leave to approach your royal perton with the moft affectionate fentiments of our veneration and refpe&t, to exprefs our horror and indignation at the most daring affault and flagitious out rage offered to your majefty, in your majefty's paffage to and from your majefty's parliament, at the moment of your majesty's exercif. $ ing the facred duties of the crown, and fulfilling your part of our moft excellent conftitution. Gratefully as we enjoy every bleffing derived to us, in common with our fellow freeborn fubjects, from your majefty's mild and paternal government, we are unable in adequate terms to exprefs our concern, that a period has arrived when any perfon within your majefty's dominions fhould be found fo daringly wicked as to hazard, by fuch atrocious violence, the fafety of your royal perfon, and therein the happiness of a whole country. It is therefore with the moft profound fentiments of gratitude to the Supreme Difpofer of all events, that we have to congratulate your majesty on your providential efcape from fuch traitorous attacks, dangerous at once to the public tranquillity, and in violation of the glorious conftitution, of which your majefty forms fo important a part. Permit us, fire, to return your majefty our most grateful thanks for your gracious intention to give the fulleft and fpeedieft effect to a negociation for a general peace on juft and suitable terms, whenever an order of things fhall arise in France compatible with the tranquillity of other countries, and affording a reafonable expectation of fecurity and permanency in a treaty to be concluded. Convinced as your majesty's faithful and loyal citizens of London are, that nothing will be fo likely to bring about fuch a peace as firm and vigorous measures in the profecution of the war, we feel it not more our bounden duty than our steady determination to contribute every thing in our power to that defirable end, and to support your majefty's facred perfon and government inviolate from all your foreign and domestic enemies. AN ANSWER. I thank you for this recent proof of the uniform affection and attachment which has been fhewn me by my faithful city of London. The perfuafion that the fentiments you have expreffed on this occafion are in common with thofe of the rest of my people, leaves me only to regret on my part, the outrage which has been committed against the laws and conftitution, for the defence and maintenance of which you may always rely upon my utmost exertions. Your determination to contribute every thing in your power for the profecution of the war, as affording the most effectual means of enabling me to conclude a fafe, honourable, and permanent peace, and your affurance to fupport my perfon and government against all foreign and domeftic enemies, cannot but be highly fatisfactory to and bringing to punishment the perfons concerned in the faid attack, convinced that the laws now in exiftente will be found fully fufficient for that purpose. Refolved, III. That lamenting as we do this nefarious act, we have feen with the utmoft concern that it has been used as a pretext for introducing into parliament, a bill striking at the liberty of the prefs and the freedom of public difcuffion; in fubftance and effect, destroying the right of the fubject to petition the different branches of the legiflature, for redrefs of grievances, and utterly fubverfive of the genuine principles of the British tonftitution, and for propofing another meafure calculated to produce fimilar effects by means ftill more exceptionable. Refolved, |