ed, in maturing and completing the great measure of a legiflative union between this kingdom and Great Britain.

The proofs you have given on this occafion of your uniform attachment to the real welfare of your country, infeparably connected with the fecurity and profperity of the empire at large, not only entitle you to the full approbation of your fovereign and the applaufe of your fellow fubjects, but muft afford you the fureft claim to the gratitude of pofterity.

You will regret, with his majefty, the reverfe which his majefty's allies have experienced on the continent; but his majefty is perfuaded, that the firmness and public fpirit of his fubjects will enable him to perfevere in that line of conduct, which will beft provide for the honour and the effential interefts of his dominions, whofe means and refources have now, by your wifdom, been more clofely and intimately combined.

Gentlemen of the Houfe of
Commons,

I am to thank you, in his majefty's name, for the liberal fupplies which you have chicerfully granted for the various and important branches of the public fervice in the prefent year.

His majesty has alfo witneffed, with pleasure, that wife liberality which will enable him to make a juft and equitable retribution to thofe bodies and individuals whofe privileges and interefts are affected by the union; and he has alfo feen with fatisfaction that attention to the internal profperity of this country, which has been fo confpicuously teftified by the encouragement you have given to the improvement and extention of its inland navigation.

My Lords and Gentlemen,
I have the happinefs to acquaint

you, that the country in general has, in a great measure, returned to its former ftate of tranquillity. If, in fome districts, a fpirit of plunder and difaffection ftill exifts, these diforders, I believe, will prove to be merely local, and will, I doubt not, be foon effectually terminated.

The preffure of scarcity or the poorer claffes, much relieved by private generofity, and by the falutary provifions of the legislature, has been long and unusually fe vere; but I truft that, under the favour of Providence, we may draw a pleafing profpect of future plenty from the prefent appearance of the harveft.

I am perfuaded, that the great meafure which is now accomplished, could never have been effected, but by a decided conviction on your part that it would tend to restore and preferve the tranquillity of this country, to increase its commerce and manufactures, to perpetuate its connection with Great Britain, and to augment the refources of the empire.

You will not fail to imprefs these fentiments on the minds of your fellow-fubjects; you will encourage and improve that just confidence which they have manifefted in the refult of your deliberations on this arduous queftion; above all, you will be ftudious to inculcate the full conviction, that, united with the people of Great Britain into one kingdom, governed by the fame fovereign, protected by the fame laws, and reprefented in the fame legiflature, nothing will be wanting on their part but a fpirit of industry and order, to infure to them the full advantages under which the people of Great Britain have enjoyed a greater degree of profperity, fecurity, and freedom, than has ever yet been experienced by any other nation.

I cannot

I cannot conclude without of fering to you, and to the nation at large, my perfonal congratulations on the accomplishment of this great work, which has received the fanction and concurrence of our fove reign on that aufpicious day which placed his illuftrious family on the throne of thefe realms. The empire is now, through your exertions, fo completely united, and by union fo ftrengthened, that it can bid defiance to all the efforts its enemies can make, either to weaken it by divifion, or to overturn it by force. Under the protection of Divine Providence, the united kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland will, I trust, remain in all future ages the fairest monument of his majesty's reign, already diftinguished by fo many and fuch various bleflings conferred upon every clafs and defcription of his fubjects."

By the KING. A PROCLAMATION, Containing bis Majesty's Declaration, That it is expedient that the Lords and Commons of the prefent Parliament of Great Britain bould be the Members of the refpective Houfes of the firft Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the part of Great Britain; and commanding the faid Lords and Commons to give their attendance accordingly.

GEORGE R.

Whereas by the fourth article of the Articles of the Union of Great Britain and Ireland, as the fame are ratified and confirmed by two acts of parliament; the one paffed in the parliament of Great Britain, intituled, An act for the union of Great Britain and Ireland, the other paffed in the parliament of Ireland, alfo intituled, An act for the union

of Great Britain and Ireland, to have force and effect from the first day of January 1801, it is provided, that if we, on or before the faid first day of Juanuary 1801, on which day the union is to take place as aforefaid, fhould declare, under the great feal of Great Britain, that it is expedient that the lords and commons of the prefent parliament of Great Britain fhould be the members of the refpective houfes of the first parliament of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the part of Great Britain; then the faid lords and commons of the prefent parliament of Great Britain fhould accordingly be the members of the refpective houfes of the first parliament of the faid united kingdom, on the part of Great Britain: and whereas it is our intention to appoint Thursday the 22d day of January next enfuing for the affembling of the first parliament of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, by proclamation under the great feal of the united kingdom; we do judge it to be expedient that the lords and commons of the prefhould be the members of the refent parliament of Great Britain fpective houfes of the fit parliament of the united kingdom, on the part of Great Britain and we do, purfuant to the faid articles of union, and to the acts of parliament ratifying and confirming the fame, hereby declare, under our great feal of Great Britain, that it is expedient that the lords and commons of the prefent parliament of Great Britain fhould be the members of the refpective houfes of the first parlia ment of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the part of Great Britain; and the lords and commons of the prefent parlia ment of Great Britain are accordingly to be the members of the re

:

fpective

fpective houfes of the firft parliament of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the part of Great Britain; and the faid fords fpiritual and temporal, and commons, are hereby required and commanded to take notice hereof, and to give their attendance accordingly, at Westminster, on the faid 22d day of January next enfuing.

Given at our court at St. James's, the 5th day of November, 1800, in the forty-first year of our reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

the ufe of every fpecies of grain: and we do, for this purpose, more particularly exhort and charge all mafters of families to reduce the confumption of bread in their refpective families, by at least onethird of the quantity confumed in ordinary times, and in no cafe to fuffer the same to exceed one quartern loaf for each perfon in each week to abitain from the use of flour in paftry, and, moreover, carefully to reftrict the ufe thereof in all other articles than bread: and we do alfo, in like manner, exhort and charge all perfons who keep horfes, efpecially horfes for pleafure, as far as their refpective circum

GEORGE R.

Whereas an addrefs has been pre

fented to us by our two houfes of parliament, requesting us to iffue our royal proclamation, recommending to all fuch perfons as have the means of procuring other articles of food, the greatest economy and frugality in the ufe of every fpecies of grain: we, having taken the faid addrefs into confideration, and being perfuaded that the prevention of all unneceffary confumption of corn will furnish one of the fureft and most effectual means of alleviating the prefent preffure, and of providing for the neceffary demands of the year, have, therefore, in pursuance of the faid addrefs, and

out of our tender concern for the welfare of our people, thought fit (with the advice of our privy-council) to iffue this our royal proclamation, most earnestly exhorting and charging all thofe of our loving fubjects who have the means of procuring other articles of food than

ftrict the confumption of oats and other grain for the fubfiftence of the fame. And we do hereby further charge and command every minifter, in his refpective parish church or chapel, within the kingdom of Great Britain, to read, or cause to Lord's day, for two fucceffive weeks be read, our faid proclamation, on the after receiving the said proclama

tion.

No. 1.

mediate interefts, and feel for the wants of others, to practise the greatest economy and frugality in

Affairs in France.

Letter from General Bonaparte. French republic-fovereignty of the people-liberty-equality. Bonaparte, firft conful of the republic, to his majefty the king of Great Britain and of Ireland. Paris, 5th Novofe, (Dec. 25, 1799).

Called by the withes of the French nation to occupy the firft magiftracy of the republic, I think it proper, on entering into office, to make a direct communication of it to your majefty.

The war which for eight years has ravaged the four quarters of the world, muft it be eternal? Are there no means of coming to an underftanding?

How can the two moft enlightened nations of Europe, powerful and ftrong beyond what their fafety and independence require, facrifice to ideas of vain greatnefs the bene fits of commerce, internal profperity, and the happinefs of families? How is it that they do not feel that peace is of the first neceffity, as well as of the first glory?

Thefe fentiments cannot be foreign to the heart of your majefty, who reigns over a free nation, and with the fole view of rendering it happy.

1800.

Your majefty will only fee in this overture my fincere defire to contribute efficacioufly, for the fecond time, to a general pacification, by a ftep, fpeedy, entirely of confi. dence, and difengaged from thofe forms which, neceflary, perhaps, to difguife the dependence of weak ftates, prove only, in thofe which are ftrong, the mutual defire of deceiving each other.

France and England, by the abufe of their strength, may ftill, for a long time, for the misfortune of all nations, retard the period of their being exhaufted. But I will venture to fay it, the fate of all civilifed nations is attached to the termination of a war which involves the whole world.

Of your majefty, (Signed)

BONAPARTE.

re-establishment of fecure and permanent tranquillity in Europe. He neither is, nor has been, engaged in any contest for a vain and falfe glory. He has had no other view than that of maintaining, against all aggreffion, the rights and happiness of his fubjects.

For thefe he has contended against an unprovoked attack; and for the fame objects he is ftill obliged to contend; nor can he hope that this neceffity could be removed by entering, at the prefent moment, into negotiation with those whom a fresh revolution has fo recently placed in the exercife of power in France; fince no real advantage can arife from fuch negotiation to the great and defirable object of general peace, until it fall diftin&tly appear that thofe caufes have ceafed to operate which originally produced the war, and by which it has fince been protracted, and, in more than one instance, renewed.

The fame fyftem, to the prevalence of which France juftly afcribes all her prefent miferies, is that which has alfo involved the rest of Europe in a long and deftructive warfare, of a nature long fince unknown to the practice of civilized nations.

For the extenfion of this fyftem, and for the extermination of all eftablished governments, the refources of France have from year to year, and in the midst of the most unparalleled diftrefs, been lavished and exhaufted. To this indiferimi nate fpirit of deftruction, the Netherlands, the United Provinces, the Swifs Cantons (his majetty's ancient friends and allies), have fucceffively been facrificed: Germany has been ravaged: Italy, though now refcued from its invaders, has been made the scene of unbounded rapine and anarchy. His majefty has himfelf been com; eiled to maintain an ar

duous and burthenfome contest for the independence and existence of his kingdoms.

Nor have these calamities been confined to Europe alone; they have been extended to the most diftant quarters of the world, and even to countries fo remote both in fituation and intereft from the prefent conteft, that the very existence of fuch a war was perhaps unknown to thofe who found themfelves fuddenly involved in all its horrors.

While fuch a fyftem continues to prevail, and while the blood and treasure of a numerous and powerful nation can be lavished in its fupport, experience has flown that no defence but that of open and fteady hoftility can be availing. The moft folemn treaties have only prepared the way for frefh aggreffion; and it is to a determined refiftance alone that is now due whatever remains in Europe of ftability for property, for perfonal liberty, for focial order, or for the free exercise of religion.

For the fecurity, therefore, of thefe effential objects, his majesty cannot place his reliance on the mere renewal of general profeffions of pacific difpofitions. Such profeffions have been repeatedly held out by all those who have fucceffively directed the refources of France to the deftruction of Europe; and whom the prefent rulers have declared to have been all, from the beginning, and uniformly, incapable of maintaining the relations of amity and peace.

Greatly, indeed, will his majefty rejoice, whenever it hall appear that the danger to which his own dominions, and thofe of his allies, have been fo long expofed, has really ceafed; whenever he fhall be fatisfied that the neceffity of refiftance is at an end; that, after the experience