fore, for the fubject to bear the burthen with fortitude, and the great indications of Publick Spirit which have been generally manifefted in the courfe of the paft fix months, afford a lively hope, that the affluent will again come forward, and by a free contribution of a part of their ample ftore relieve and exonerate the mafs of thofe who are more circumfcribed in means, and more limited in income, from having a larger fhare of the load placed on their thoulders than they can well fuftain. The Affeffed Taxes we fear, will, as we predicted, be found to fall far fhort, of their expected amount, and to have been attended with confequences extremely ruinous to individuals while, on the other hand, the measure of redeeming the Land Tax has evidently fucceeded in an eminent degree, as the rapid rife of the Stocks incontrovertibly demonftrates.

The prefent pofture of political affairs, and the conduct and language of the European Powers afford ftrong fymptoms of an inclination to form a new League against the French Republic, whofe ambitious itrides, and unreasonable luft of power threaten the fubjection of the whole Continent, unless timely prevented; and appear to have awakened all its Potentates to a due fenfe of their real danger and their true interefts. Should a new coalition of the Continental Powers, with the aid of thofe in the North, be entered into, this Country muft neceffarily take the lead in fuch a combination, and it poffibly may be wife for her to promote fo falutary a meafure, though at fome confiderable expence. We hope, however, that the advantage of paft experience will not be loft to the King's Servants, but that they will take care to guard against an useless wafte of publick treasure, and that a fafe, an honourable, and a lafting Peace will be the confequence of the united efforts of Europe!

December if, 1798.

WOODFALL's

WOODFALL'S

PARLIAMENTARY REPORTS.

DURING THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE EIGHTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

TUESDAY, Nov. 20.

LTIS Majefty went with his ufual State to the House of Lords, and being feated on the Throne, fent Sir Francis Molyneux, Ufher of the Black Rod, to the House of Commons, to fummon that Houfe to attend the Royal Prefence. As foon as the Commons were arrived, his Majefty opened the Parliament with the following moft gracious Speech from the Throne:

My Lords and Gentlemen,

The events which have taken place in the course of the present year, and the fignal fuccefs which, by the bleffing of Providence, has attended my arms, have been productive of the happieft confequences, and have effentially promoted the profperity and glory of our country.

The unexampled series of our naval triumphs has received fresh splendour from the memorable and decifive action, in which a detachment of my fleet, under the command of Rear-Admiral Lord Nelfon, attacked and almost totally destroyed á fuperior force of the enemy, ftrengthened by every advantage of fituation. By this great and brilliant victory, an enterprise, of which the injuftice, perfidy, and extravagance had fixed the attention of the world, and which was peculiarly directed against some of the most valuable interests of the British Empire, has, in the first instance, been turned to the confufion of its authors; and the blow thus given to the power and influence of France has afforded an opening, which, if improved by fuitable exertions on the part of other Powers, may lead to the general deliverance of Europe.

The wifdom and magnanimity difplayed at this conjuncture by the EmVOL. I. 1798.

B

peror

peror of Ruffia, and the decifion and vigour of the Ottoman Porte, have fhewn that those powers, are imprefled with a juft fenfe of the prefent crifis; and their example, joined to the difpofition manifefted almost univerfally in the different countries struggling under the yoke of France, must be a powerful encouragement to other States, to adopt that vigorous line of conduct which experience has proved to be alone confiftent with fecurity or honour.

The extent of our preparations at home, and the demonftrations of zeal and fpirit among all ranks of my fubjects, have deterred the enemy from attempting to execute their vain threat of invading the coafts of this king

dom.

In Ireland, the Rebellion which they had inftigated, has been curbed and repreffed the troops which they landed for its fupport, have beer compelled to furrender; and the armaments fince defined for the fame purpose, have, by the vigilance and activity of my fquadrons, been captured or difperfed. The views and principles of those, who, in concert with our inveterate enemy, have long planned the fubverfion of our Conftitution, have been fully detected and expofed, and their treafons made manifeft to the world. Thofe whom they had mifled or feduced, must now be awakened to their duty; and a juft fenfe of the miferies and horrors which these traitorous defigns have produced, muft imprefs on the minds of all my faithful fubjects, the neceffity of continuing to repel with firmnefs every attack on the Laws and established Government of their country.

Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons.

Under the unavoidable pressure of protracted war, it is a great fatisfaction to me to obferve, that the produce of the public revenue has proved fully adequate to the increase of our permanent expenditure; that the national credit has been maintained and improved; and that the commerce and industry of my fubjects have continued to flourish in a degree hitherto unknown.

The fituation in which we are placed, unhappily renders the continuance of heavy expences indifpenfible to the public fafety; but the state of our refources, and the good fenfe and publie fpirit which prevail through every part of my kingdom, will, I trust, enable you to provide the neceffary fupplies without effential inconvenience to my people, and with as little addition as poffible to the permanent burdens of the State. The progrefs made towards fuch a fyftem, by the measures adopted in the laft Seffion, and the aid given to public credit by the plan for the Redemption of the Land Tax, have been attended with the most beneficial effects, which you will, I am perfuaded, omit no opportunity to confirm and improve,

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I rely with confidence on the continuance of your exertions, to enable me ultimately to conduct the great conteft in which we are engaged, to a fafe and honourable conclufion.

We have furmounted many and great difficulties-our perfeverance in a just cause has been rewarded with diftinguished fuccefs, and our prefent fituation, compared with that of other countries, fufficiently proves how much, in a period of general danger and calamity, the fecurity and happinefs of the British Nation have depended (under the bleffing of Provi dence) on its own conftancy, its energy, and its virtue.

After his Majefty and the Cominons had withdrawn, Lord Bagot, Lord Hobart, and Lord Salterftown, took the oath and their feats in the Houfe.

The Lord Chanceller then called the attention of their lordhips to his Majefty's Speech from the Throne, of which he held in his hand a copy, and which he read to the House. It was alfo read by the Clerk in the ufual form.

Earl Darnley immediately rofe to move an Addrefs in anfwer to the King's Speech; his Lordthip began, as is cuftomary on fuch occafions, with expreffing a confcioufnefs of his own inadequacy to do juftice to the fubjects on which he had undertaken to move the Address, and faid it was the more incumbent on him to beg their Lordships indulgence, as he had not the apology to plead of its being the first time of his having the honour of addreffing their Lordships. Indeed, were he poffeffed of greater requifites for public fpeaking than he could pretend to, he was well aware that nothing could add to the luftre of the communication that his Majefty had that day made to the Houfe in respect to the very brilliant and fplendid Victory obtained by Lord Nelfon at the Mouth of the Nile. No Monarch had ever fo glorious an opportunity of congratulating his people on the favourable profpect of their affairs. The nation was emerging from her difficulties, and confidence was reftored among all ranks of people, He felt the warmeft confidence, therefore that with refpect to the Address which he fhould propofe, there would not be among their Lordships one diffentient voice: indeed, without fuch a conviction impreffed upon his mind, he would not have undertaken the task of thus coming forward; a task which, under other circumstances, would be one of confiderable difficulty. He was convinced" that every Peer who heard him, muft rejoice at the prefent fituation of the Country-its unprecedented elevation of warlike fuccefs and commercial profperity; a fituation worthy

of being promulgated even to the remoteft corners of the world in tones of triumph and ecftacy. Impreffed in the most lively manner with thefe grateful confiderations, he had the lefs dif ficulty in proceeding to fuch particular obfervations as the occafion called for, without further general preface. It had, he was aware, been fometimes complained of, that the Addrefs. moved on fuch days as the prefent, was too closely an echo to his Majefty's Speech; but on the prefent occafion he could not, he was perfuaded, do better than follow the language of his Majesty's Speech, as nearly as poffible; more especially as he was confcious it was not in the vain pomp of words to give additional luftre to a victory, which fufficiently demonftrated its own glory and magnitude of importance in the eyes of all Europe. Who could hear of the extraordinary heroism and virtue of our brave tars, and not have his mind filled with admiration of their courage and their patriotifin! He had no hefitation in faying that the victory of the Nile was the most unparalleled atchievement in the annals of the Empire; and it was as fruitful of advantages to the country as it was pregnant with glory-it had changed the political atmosphere of the world. The great and feasonable example which this country had fhewn, had taught the nations of Europe their duty, and had convinced them that their beft fecurity depended on their own magnanimous exertions. Accordingly it was apparent that there were already fymptoms of returning vigour in the Cabinets of feveral of the greateft powers of Europe, and he had no doubt but the ultimate effect of the victory would be, to infpire every Government with a juft fenfe of what they owed to themselves and to fociety. Exclufive of that great and glorious victory, (which was enough to make Englishmen exult, and confider that as a proud day for their country), the other topics touched upon in the Speech, were matters of folid fatisfaction to every one of their Lordships, and must be felt with pride and triumph by every British fubject. The happy and fortunate fuppreffion of the Rebellion that had broken out in Ireland, and the defeat or difperfion of fuch of the enemy's detachments as had been fent to fuccour and fupport that Rebellion, which their own machinations and intrigues had given rife to, were also circumftances too flattering not to be felt by their Lordships with the fincereft pleature, and the more fo, as they afforded additional proofs of the fuperior fkill, gallantry,' and firmness of our naval commanders, and of British feamen: not that he meant to infinuate that praife was due alone to thofe brave officers, who had been the happy inftruments of our late brilliant fucceffes at fea, as he fincerely believed we had many