a general fatisfaction diffufed over every part of your extenfive empire, as ought to diftinguifh the government of fo wife, so just, and fo bene ficent a prince. communication, your Majefty has been pleafed to order, of the neceffary informations relative to the difturbances in America. Your reliance on the wifom and duty of your parliament in a matter of fo His Majesty's most gracious Anfuer. great importance, and the attention My Lords, I thank you for this dutiful and loyal addrefs. Your firm and temperate refolution to fupport the dignity of my crown, and the legiflative authority of this kingdom over its colonies; your care, at the fame time, to re-establish order and tranquillity in thofe colonies; and your regard to the profperity and happiness of all my people, fhew difpofitions which are altogether worthy of your wifdom, and which cannot fail of producing the most falutary effects both at home and abroad. You will find me unalterably fixed in the fame intentions. Your affic tionate condolence on the death of my brother, affords me fome confolation on that melancholy occafion. The Addrefs of the IIufe of Commons. Moft gracious Sovereign, E your Majefty's most duti thewn by your Majefty in refer. ring to our deliberation and advice the joint concern of your Majefty's royal authority, the rights of your parliament, and the happinefs of your fubjects, are at once objects of our highest admiration and gratitude. It is our duty, as it fhall be our care, to imitate that temper and equanimity which appear in your Majefty's conduct, by mixing with our zeal for the honour of your Majefty's government, and with our juft regard for the dignity and authority of parliament, the utmost attention to the important objects of the trade and navigation of thefe kingdoms, and the tendereft concern for the united interefts of all your Majesty's people. It is with inexpreffible grief we are again called upon to condole with your Majefty, on the death of another prince of your royal family, whofe amiable difpofition, and whofe early virtues in the first dawn of life, while they fhew him worthy Wful and loyal fubjects, the of the illufirious race he fprung from, Commons of Great Britain in parliament allembled, return your Majefty our most humble thanks for your moft gracious fpeech from the throne. It is with the higheft fenfe of your Majefty's goodnefs we acknowledge that care for the welfare of your people, and that confidence in the loyalty and affection of your faithful Commons, which your Majefty fhews in the early mufi now double our regret for his untimely lofs. The general state of peace and tranquillity fo happily reigning in all parts of Europe, must give the greatcft fatisfaction to every one, who has any concern for the true intereft of this country, or who feels for the general happiness of mankind. Our affiftance fhall not be wanting to aid your. Majefty with our advice, Gentlemen, advice, and to ftrengthen your His Majefty's most gracious Anfwer. authority for the continuation of that harmony, fo happily preferved by the wifdom of your Majefty's councils, and the influence of your mild aufpicious govern ment. We affure your Majefty, that we fhall, with the greateft chearfulnefs grant your Majefty the fupplies neceflary for the current fervice of the year; having the firmest reliance on the promise your Ma. jefty is graciously pleafed to make, of feeing them duly applied, with that economy which your own wisdom will direct, and which the circumstances of this country fo strongly demand. The unanimity and difpatch, which your Majefty is pleafed to recommend, we fhall, from motives both of duty and inclination, endeavour to make the rule of our proceedings; being fenfible that nothing can more immediately tend to add weight to the deliberation of parliament, or efficacy to their refolutions. And as the conftant tenor of your Majesty's conduct fhews that the happiness and profperity of your people are the fole objects of your concern, we fhould be equally wanting in duty to our fovereign, and care for our own honour, did we a moment neglect our part, in promoting all fuch wife and falutary meafures, as may tend to reflect dignity on your Majefty's government, and fix the welfare of your people on the moft folid foundations. The moderation and temper, with which you refolve to enter into the confideration of the important affairs I have recommended to you, cannot but give me the greatest fatisfaction; as, from those difpofitions, I entertain the fullest confidence, that your wildom will direct you to fuch measures, as will infure the common happiness and welfare of all my dominions, which will always be the invariable objects of my care and attention. My Lords, and Gentlemen, The prefent general difpofition of all the powers of Europe, feenis to indicate a continuance of peace: and it is my earnest desire to preferve the general tranquillity, by fulfilling, on my part, all the engagements I am under by treaties, And on this foundation, I may reafonably hope and expect the fame ftrict performance of those gagements, which other powers are under to my crown. en melancholy event of my brother's death as a mark of your affection and loyalty. I fhall be careful that my coñe duct fhall juftify the confidence you fo affectionately exprefs, in my applying properly tuch lup plies as you may find neceflary for the public fervice. His Majesty's most graciaus speech to both houses of parliament, ** Tuesday the 11th of November, 166. My Lords, and Gentlemen, The many regulations which you have made for extending and promoting the trade and manufactures of Great Britain, and for high price of wheat, and fettling the mutual intercourfe of my kingdoms and plantations, in fuch a manner, as to provide for the improvement of the colonies, on a plan of due fubordination to the commercial interefis of the mother country, are the frongest proofs of your equitable and comprehenfive regard to the welfare of all my dominions; an object truly worthy of a British parlia ment. 1 the defective produce of that grain laft harvest, together with the extraordinary demands for the fame from foreign parts, have prin cipally determined me to call you thus early together, that I might have the fenfe of parliament, as foon as conveniently might be, on a matter fo important, and particularly affecting the poorer fort of my fubjects The urgency of the neceffity called upon me, in the mean time, to exert my royal authority for the prefervation of the public fafety, against a growing calamity, which could not admit of delay. I have therefore, by and with the advice of my privy council, laid an embargo on wheat and wheatflour going out of the kingdon, until the advice of parliament could be taken thereupon. If further provifions of law be requifite or expedient, with regard to the dearnels of corn, fo neceffary to the fuftenance of the poorer fort, they cannot escape the wil dom of parliament, to which I recom recommend the due confideration thereof. At the fame time I muft with concern take notice, that, notwithstanding my cares for my people, a spirit of the most daring infurree tion has, in divers parts, broke forth in violences of the most criminal nature. Nerellary orders have been given for bringing fuch dangerous of fenders to condign panifhment, and fpeedy juftice; nor fhall vigilance and vigour on my part be wanting to reftore obedience and reverence to law and government, I have the fatisfaction to inform you, that fince I laft met you, I have concluded a treaty of commerce with my good fifter the Emprefs of Ruffia, whereby that confiderable branch of trade is fixed on a juft and fatisfactory fuoting. It is with pleasure that I alfo acquaint you, that the marriage between my good brother the King of Denmark, and my filter the Princefs Caroline Matilda, has been folemHized, and the natural alliance between the two crowns happily ftrengthened by an additional tie of fo agreeable a nature. My Lords, and Gentlemen, The general pofture of affairs in Europe affords no occafion lay any thing new before you upon that head. My purpofes are cons ftant and fixt, to maintain, on my part, the public tranquillity inviolate; and to fupport the dignity of my crown, and the rights of my fubjects. The juftice and wiflom of the other great powers of Europe leave no room to appre hend any intentions of a contrary nature. Addrefs of the house of Lords, Moft gracious Sovereign, WE, your Majefty's most loval and dutiful fubjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majefty our unfeigned thanks for your most gracious (peech from the throne. It is with the fincereft fatisfaction that we congratulate your Majefty on the addition to your royal family, by the birth of a princefs royal; ever mindful of that divine blefling to which we owe the prefervation of our relis Gentlemen of the houfe of gion and conftitution, by the fac Commons, I have ordered the proper eftimates for the current fervice of the year to be laid before you, Such fupplies as you may grant hall be duly applied with the atmoft fidelity, and stricteft regard to the object for which they are granted, ceffion of your illuftrious houfe to the throne of these kingdoms, and of the happiness we, together with all your Majefty's fubjects, hava enjoyed under their molt aufpicious government. Permit us alfo, Sir, to congras tulate your Majesty on the fo lemnization of the marriage of your Majefty's fifter, the Princess Caroline Matilda, with the King of Denmark, by which the natural alliance 7 alliance between the two crowns is a fresh instance of your Majefty's conftant care and concern for the commercial interests of these kingdoms. receives fuch an additional strength and fupport. We acknowledge, with the trueft gratitude, the paternal affection and tender concern which your Majefty has fhewn for your people, by laying an embargo on wheat and wheat-flour, until the fente of parliament could be taken thereon; preventing by this meafure the immediate and dangerous confequences, which would have arifen to the public welfare, and more particularly to the eafe and comfort of the poorer fort of your fubjects, from a fcarcity of that grain. We fhall give, on our part, the moft earnest attention to the confideration of every means, by which the evils of fcarcity may be effectually prevented; anxious to forward the gracious and falutary purpofes, which your Majefty conftantly manifefts, for the welfare of every rank of your fubjects. Truly fenfible of your Majefty's royal wifdom, in having given the neceflary orders for bringing the offenders against the public peace to condign punishment and speedy juftice, we beg leave to aflure your Majefty, of our refolution to purfue and maintain meafures fo indifpenfably neceflary for the fuppreffion of riot and licentioufnefs, and for enforcing that relpect and obedience which are due to go vernment. We gratefully acknowledge the communication it has pleafed your Majefty to make to us, of a treaty of commerce being concluded with the Emprefs of Ruffia. The fecutity given thereby to fo confiderable a branch of trade, by fixing it un a just and fatisfactory footing, Animated with the trueft fentiments of duty, zeal; and affection, we thankfully receive the juft and wife declaration of your Majefty's intentions, to maintain the public tranquillity, as well as to fupport the dignity of the crown, and the rights of your people. His Majefty's most gracious Answer. My Lords, The fenfe you exprefs of the meafures which the lafety of my people put me under the neceflity of taking, during the recefs of my parliament, affords me the higheit fatisfaction. I rely on your af furances, that you will confider, with attention, the proper means of preventing the evils of fcarcity, and the neceflary measures for enforcing that obedience and reverence which are due to laws and government. Your approbation of the treaty of commerce which I have concluded with my good fifter the Emprefs of Ruffia, is extremely agreeable to me; and I receive, with particular pleasure, your congratulations on the birth of my daughter the princess royal, and on the marriage of my fifter the Princefs Caroline Matilda, with my good brother the King of Den mark. The addrefs of the house of Commonsi |