STATE PAPER S. In the time of profound peace, without pretence of provocation or colour of complaint, the court of France hath not forborne to difturb the public tranquillity, in violation of the faith of treaties, and the general rights of fovereigns, at firft 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 engage. ments 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 trust, 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 see 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 caufe and the vigour of our exertions feemed to promife, yet the extenfive commerce of my fubjects has been protected in most 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 fpirit of my people. The great armaments of other powers, howeyer friendly and fincere their profeffions, however juft and honourable their purposes, must 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 moft active exertions, that I cannot doubt of your heartieft concurrence and fupport. From the vigour of your councils, and the conduct and inrepidity of my officers and forces by by fea and land, I hope, under the blefling of God, to derive the means of vindicating and maintaining the honour of my crown, and the interests of my peopie, 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 fapplies as you fhall judge neceffary for the public fervice, and adequate to the prefent emergency. My Lords, and Gentlemen, I have, according to the powers vefted in me for that purpofe, call ed forth the militia, to aflift in the interior defence of this country; and I have, with the greatest and trueft fatisfaction, been myself a witness of that public fpirit, that fteady ardour, and that love of their country, which animate and unite all ranks of my faithful subjects, and which cannot fail of making us fafe at home, and refpected abroad. The humble Address of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled. Moft Gracious Sovereign, E, your Majefty's moft du We have the strongest fenfe of the importance of thofe objects which render the prefent conjuncture worthy of the most ferious 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 fupport, the formal engagements which, at different periods, that court has not thought it inconfiftent 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 just abhorrence of the viclation of every public principle which fuch a conduc manifetts, and a determination to concur in every meafure, which may enable your Majefty to refent with effect, the hoftilities committed on your faithful fubjects, and the actual invafion of your Majesty'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 Majefty defirous to see 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 Majefty our dutiful thanks, for your great care in taking the pro WEtiful and loyal fubjects, the per and neceffary measures for Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majefty our humble thanks for your moft gracious fpeech from the throne. VOL. XXII. difappointing the malignant defigns of our enemies, and alfo for making general reprifals, and for the protection which has been derived from the vigilance of your [7] Majesty's Majefty's fleets to our extensive commerce, in moft of its branches, while that of the enemy has materially fuffered by the active and enterprizing spirit 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 measures of parliament have not yet had the good effect with your Majesty's revolted fubjects, which was due to the wifdom and temper with which they were planned. In this fituation of affairs, fully Commons to the King. fenfible that the national honour The bumble Address of the House of and fecurity loudly calls for the most active exertions, we will ftrenuously concur in fupporting your Majefty, that, under the Moft Gracious Sovereign, bleffing of God, means may be, your Majefty's moft du tiful and loyal fubjects, parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majefty the thanks of this Houfe, for your moft gracious fpeech from the throne. derived from the conduct and in- the Commons of Great Britain in trepidity of your Majefty's officers and forces, by fea and land, and the yet undaunted fpirit of the nation, to vindicate and maintain the honour of the crown, and the interefts of the people of Great Britain. We return your Majefty our cordial acknowledgments for having called forth the militia, to affift in the interior defence of this country; and it is with joy and exultation we hear the gracious testimony your Majefty is pleafed to bear to the public fpirit, the We acknowledge with the utmoft gratitude your Majefty's paternal regard for the happiness of your people, in your earnest and uniform endeavours to preserve the public tranquillity, and the good faith and uprightness of your Majefty's conduct to all foreign powers; and we affure your Majefty, that we have seen 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, first 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 state 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 Majesty's dominions in America and the Weft Indies. We cannot but feel concern and regret, that the measures taken by your Majefty, for difappointing thefe hoftile and malignant defigns, have not been attended with all the fuccefs which the justice of the caufe, 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 Majefty's fubjects protect ed in most of its branches, and large reprisals made on the injurious aggreffors, by the vigilance of your Majefty's fleets, and the active fpirit of the nation, It would have given your faithful Commons the trueft happiness, to have received the communication from your Majefty, that the juft and humane purposes of your fired effect, and had brought the troubles in North America to a happy conclufion. Your faithful Commons do most heartily concur with your Majesty, in the juft approbation you have been pleafed to exprefs of the public fpirit which has fo confpicuously 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 Majefty 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 fted faft refolution, and renew our folemn affurances to your Majefty, 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 neceffary war; and that we will, to the utmost of our power, fupport your Majefty against all your enemies. PROTESTS of the LORDS. Die Luna, Decem. 7TMo. Moved, HAT an humble addrefs be Majefty and your Parliament, for prefented to his Majefty, to quieting the minds of your re volted fubjects, had taken the de THA exprefs to his Majefty the difplea[r] 2 fure fure of this House, 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 reftcring 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 períons, who, divested of mistaken refentments, and uninfluenced by felfish interests, really think it is for the benefit of the colonies, to feparate 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 perions we will not dispute a position, 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 distress a people, ftill confidered as our fellowfubjects, and to defolate a country, fhortly to become again a fource of mutual advantage: but when that country profeffes 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, de.. ftroy or render ufelefs a connection contrived for her ruin, and for the aggrandizement of France. Under fuch circumstances, the laws of felf-prefervation must 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 commiflioners had no authority whatsoever, under the act of parliament, in virtue of which they were appointed by his Majesty, to make the faid declaration, or to make any declaration to the fame, or to the like purport, nor can this Houfe be easily brought to believe that the faid commiffioners derived any fuch authority from his Majesty's inftructions. Humbly to befeech his Majesty, that fo much of the faid manifetto as contains the faid declaration, be publickly difavowed by his Majetty, as containing matter inconfient with the humanity and generous courage which, at all times, have diftinguished the British nation, fubverfive of the maxims which have been established among Chriflian and civilized communities, derogatory to the dignity of the crown of this realm, tending to debafe the fpirit, and fubvert the difcipline of his Majefty's armies, and to expofe his Majesty's innocent fubjects, in all parts of |