tions of the last campaign; and on the successful and glorious issue of the expedition to Egypt, which has been marked throughout by achievements, tending, in their consequences and by their example, to produce lasting advantages and honour to this country.

"It is my first wish, and most fervent prayer, that my people may experience the reward they have so well merited, in a full enjoyment of the blessings of peace, in a progressive increase of the national commerce, credit, and resources; and, above all, in the undisturbed possession of their religion, laws, and liberties, under the safeguard and protection of that constitution, which it has been the great object of all our efforts to preserve, and which it is our most sacred duty to transmit, unimpaired, to our descendants."

Debate in the Lords on the Address of Thanks.] His Majesty's Speech having been read from the woolsack, and afterwards by the clerk at the table,

Lord Bolton rose to call their lordships attention to the sentiments of paternal affection with which his majesty had announced the happy tidings of his having successfully adjusted the differences with the northern powers, and ratified preliminaries of peace with the French republic. These happy events had been brought about by the promptitude and alacrity with which his majesty's beneficent views for the welfare of his people had been seconded by the vigilance of his councils; the bravery and achievements of his forces by sea and land; and the zeal, perseverance and fortitude of every description of his faithful people. He should not at that moment go into the detail of the preliminaries of peace, which had been received with such universal marks of exultation throughout the country. The universal eagerness of joy with which the event was received, would be confirmed by a careful examination of the terms upon which it had been accomplished. The great leading features of the peace were known; and as the papers would be officially laid before them, he should content himself with glancing at a few topics, one of which only he should presume to press; and that was, the fitness of the time at which ministers had concluded the preliminaries of peace. They had chosen a moment for the negotiation when our resources were in their full vigour, and

when the nation had distinguished its character by the firm, manly, and determined posture of preparation into which it had put itself on the menaces of an invasion. The negotiation was begun and the peace concluded, therefore, at a moment the most auspicious to the British character, when our resources were unimpaired, and our armies triumphant. It was not his purpose to trace the horrors of the French Revolution, from which every civilized mind must turn with disgust; he desired only to draw the eyes of all mankind to the present posture of the people who had brought upon themselves the mischief, as an instructive lesson to all other nations. After enduring for a series of years every possible misery, they had now come to a mere chance only of restoration to the blessings of a regulated system. He was far from defending the ancient monarchy of France; but every man of that country must look back with regret on the comparative freedom, security and happiness which he enjoyed under the monarchy. It was a grand and magnificent triumph for England to make a peace, when her navies and armies were every where conquerors, from the frozen seas of the north to the pillars of Hercules; and from Africa to the extremest shores of Asia and America. The feeling was rendered still more gratifying and exalted, when we made the triumphs of our heroes only accessory to the spirit of moderation which dictated our appeal to arms-when the unexampled achievements of that band of heroes who had rescued Egypt from its invaders, were made only to restore it to its rightful owner. while the sentiments of moderation which actuated his majesty's councils dignified the cause in which we had been engaged, what a security for the continuance of peace did not the possession of such navies and armies give to the nation! What a guarantee for the continuance of peace was the character of that army, and of that gallant commander, who, after achieving the most signal triumphis, showed that he possessed a quality even more splendid than heroism, modesty, which disclaimed all merit to himself, that he might heap it upon the tomb of his departed predecessor, and spread it over the ranks of his companions in arms! When he regarded the noble struggle which this country had made, unassisted and alone, it filled him with enthusiastic

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But,

admiration. Some of our allies had already made peace; some had been invaded by the enemy, and the integrity of Europe could no longer be preserved. The manner in which former negotiations had been carried on, and the demands made by the enemy on those occasions furnished another argument in favour of the present peace, by showing the difference between what had been at one time demanded, and since acceded to. His lordship concluded with moving the following Address:

"Most Gracious Sovereign;-We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in parliament assembled, return your majesty our humble thanks for your majesty's most gracious speech from the throne.

"We acknowledge with gratitude your majesty's goodness in acquainting us that the important negotiation in which your majesty was engaged at the close of the last session, have been brought to a favourable conclusion; and we beg leave to express to your majesty our satisfaction that the difficulties with the northern powers have been adjusted by a convention with the Emperor of Russia, to which the kings of Denmark and Sweden have expressed their readiness to accede; and that preliminaries of peace have also been ratified between your majesty and the French republic.

"We return your majesty our sincere thanks for the communications which your majesty has been pleased to direct to be laid before us; and we beg leave to assure your majesty, that we will, with the utmost diligence, take them into our most serious consideration.

"While we most cordially rejoice with your majesty in the relief which the bounty of Divine Providence has afforded to your majesty's people by the abundant produce of the late harvest; we at the same time beg leave to testify our most cordial concurrence in the sentiments which your majesty has been pleased to express, of the temper and fortitude which have been manifested by all descriptions your majesty's subjects, under the various and complicated difficulties with which they have had to contend.

"We reflect with the greatest pride and exultation, on the distinguished valour and eminent services of your majesty's forces by sea and land, which at no period have been surpassed; we have witnessed, with most heartfelt satisfaction,

the unprecedented exertions of the militia and fencibles, and the zeal and perseverance of the yeomanry and volunteer corps of cavalry and infantry; and we most cordially join with your majesty in the sentiments so justly due to the naval and military operations of the last campaign, and to the successful and glori-. ous issue of the expedition to Egypt, which has been marked throughout by achievements which, in their consequences, and by their example, tend to produce lasting advantage and honour to this country.

"We beg leave to testify to your majesty our most grateful sense of your majesty's uniform concern and regard for the welfare of your people; and to declare the unfeigned earnestness with which we join with your majesty in most fervent prayer that your majesty's people may experience the reward they have so well merited, in a full enjoyment of the blessings of peace, in a progressive increase of the national commerce, credit, and resources, and, above all, in the undisturbed possession of their religion, laws, and liberties, under the safeguard and protection of that constitution, which it has been the great object of all our efforts to preserve, and which it is our most sacred duty and determined resolution to transmit unimpaired to our descendants."

Lord Lilford rose to second the address. He congratulated their lordships on the happy tidings that peace had been concluded with the French republic, an event which had diffused universal joy throughout the kingdom, and must impress their lordships with the same sentiments of exultation and pride; the more so as the event was not purchased by the humiliation of Great Britain, the sacrifice of any of her important interests, or the least danger to our happy constitution. The blessings that peace would necessarily bring with it must present themselves to the observation of every man. To prove the full extent of this, it was only neces sary to look back to the melancholy situation in which we stood when parliament was last called together, and compare it with the alteration of circumstances that had since taken place. At the time to which he referred, every member cast his eyes around him with apprehension and alarm, and saw no prospect of an early cessation of hostilities. On the contrary, the war assumed an aspect of new terror, in consequence of the menaced interference of

the northern powers; while we had the gigantic force of France to contend with nearer home, and the fate of Egypt hung in suspense. Our domestic situation was, if possible, still more melancholy. Our beloved sovereign, afflicted with severe indisposition, and administration divided among themselves; government for some time in a state of inefficiency; the people threatened with all the horrors of an immediate famine, and reduced to the utmost distress, in consequence of the high price of provisions; and the country menaced with invasion. Let their lordships hold those well-grounded causes of alarm in their consideration, and looking at the present posture of our affairs both at home and abroad, ask themselves, if they had not reason to prostrate themselves before the God of Mercies with all humility, and pour forth songs of praise and thanksgiving? Owing to the vigilance of administration, supported by the vigorous exertions of our gallant officers by sea and land, we had been again put in possession of our maritime rights, and security had been obtained for our holding them, free from question or infringement, for the future. While every other country which had opposed the principles inseparable from revolutions, had either had its government subverted, or its rights more or less invaded and injured, this happy empire had safely stood the shock; the fabric of her constitution remained unimpaired, her religion unviolated, and her laws and liberties preserved. From abroad we had little to dread, and at home we could have nothing to fear from domestic enemies; since the few who might continue to act under the influence of the pernicious principles, that had so much endangered other countries, would find that they had nolonger any to aid and encourage their mischievous designs. Impressed with these sentiments, he cordially supported the Address.

The Duke of Bedford said, that the Address had his hearty concurrence. Indeed, if he could enter into any difference on the present occasion, it would have been with the noble lord who moved the Address, as to that part of his argument in which he laid so much stress on the fitness of the present time for the conclusion of peace; his own opinion being, that a fit time might have been found much earlier. He hoped that, as speedily as possible, the constitution, of which the people had been so long deprived, would be restored to them.

The Address was agreed to, nem. diss.

The King's Answer to the Lords Address.] To the Address of the Lords his Majesty returned this Answer:

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My lords; I thank you for this dutiful and loyal Address: your conduct on this occasion, and your assurances of the attention you will give to those objects I have directed to be laid before you, are such as I expected from the wisdom and anxious zeal for the public interest, which have always guided your proceedings : nothing can be more grateful to my feelings than the sense you express of my desire to promote the welfare and happiness of my people."

Debate in the Commons on the Address of Thanks.] His majesty's Speech having been read from the Chair,

Lord Lovaine rose to move an Address of thanks. He was convinced, he said, that every member would concur with him in offering their acknowledgments to his majesty for his most gracious speech, and in expressing their exultation and gratitude for the happy consummation of that event which had restored tranquillity to Europe; an event which, as it was viewed by the great majority of the kingdom with satisfaction, would, he hoped, give rise to the expression of but one sentiment on the part of its representatives

-a sentiment of joy at the restoration of the blessings of peace, by a treaty highly beneficial to the nation. When the preliminaries should be laid before the House, he was persuaded it would appear that the terms were no way derogatory to British faith, or the expectations which British valour entitled us to form. Who could look, without exultation, at the state of the country, after a series of military and naval achievements which had never been. exceeded? Every quarter of the globe had been the theatre of British valour. The successes that we had obtain-> ed during the war, and particularly during the last year, would remain eternal monuments to future ages, that we had attempted no achievement, by the accomplishment of which we had not added to the character of the country. The restoration of Egypt to its ancient possessors was a circumstance which reflected the highest lustre on the individuals who had effected it, and the wisdom of the councils by which it had been planned. his majesty's ministers were due the ap

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