of Russia, by carrying fire and sword into the territories of his most ancient ally, by professing more solemnly contempt of the rights of nations, by proclaithing more inhumanly the principle of eternal war. The indignation of all sovereigns has replied to the injurious manifestoes, to the cunning declarations, to the barbarous acts of the cabinet of St. James. The predictions which the orators of his majesty made to you a year ago in this tribune are realised. It is, we said, from the bosom of the continent, which England would set in a flame, that henceforth a terrible war shall be waged against her. It is by applying to her on all the European shores the principles she has applied in all seas, that we shall bring her back to the ancient principles of the law of nations and of civilized states. It is by exiling her ships from all the coasts where we have soldiers and allies that the English ministry will be punished for the culpable refusal of giving peace to the world. Such, Senators, were the words we addressed to you in speaking of the conscription of 1808, and behold a sacred and powerful league is formed to punish the English oligarchy, defend the rights of nations, and avenge humanity.

From the Baltic to the Mediterranean, from the Nile to the Narva, but few points remain to the English ships where they can land, or where they are not forbidden to touch.

But it is not sufficient to have, by a just reciprocity, pronounced against England that dreadful sentence of outlawry; she must not be permitted to be at rest in the seat of her iniquitous domination, upon any of her coasts, in any of her colonies, under any points of

the globe, which are not yet interdicted to her. It is necessary that, repelled from one part of the world, menaced in all others, England should know not where to direct the little military force of which she has the disposal; and that our armies, more formidable than ever, should be ready to carry into her possessions our victorious and avenging eagles. Such, gentlemen, are the motives which have determined his majesty to demand a new conscription. The levy of the preceding year has been, as you foresaw, the pledge of continental peace-the levy of this year will be the presage of maritime peace. The pillage of the arsenal and port of Copenhagen-the emigration of the Portuguese fleet, have not yet left the continent without ships.

Our legions can yet reach the English militia-Ireland may yet hope for succour against oppression-India may yet expect deliverers; and while our ancient phalanxes shall march to hasten the days of justice, new legions of young warriors shall be trained to discipline and to battle, under the paternal eye of those warlike magistrates of those senators generals, who with so happy a zeal have already formed brave men to replace those whom war has snatched from the country, or who have been restored to their families. His majesty will have a superabundance of means to realise his pacific views, or to execute his warlike projects. To the powerful armies of his faithful allies, his majesty will unite, for common defence and triumph, so formidable a mass, that success will not long be doubtful. So just a cause will not be vainly defended by so much force, and protected by so many powers.

A league

A league so imposing in its elements, so generous in its policy, so just in its objects, so great in its means, will at length bring back our enemies to justice through fear, or to submission through victory.

BY THE KING.

A PROCLAMATION FOR A fast.

George R.

We, taking into our most serious consideration the just and necessary war in which we are engaged, and putting our trust in Almighty God, that he will graciously bless our arms, both by sea and land, have resolved, and do by and with the advice of our privy council, hereby command that a public day of fasting and humiliation be observed throughout those parts of our united kingdom called England and Ireland, on Wednesday, the 17th day of February next ensuing, that both we and our people may humble ourselves before Almighty God, in order to obtain pardon for our sins, and in the most devout and solemn manner send up our prayers and supplications to the Divine Majesty for averting those heavy judgments which our manifold provocations have most justly deserved, and for imploring his blessing and assistance of our arms for the restoration of peace, and prosperity to us and our dominions. And we do strictly charge and command that the said public fast be reverently and devoutly observed by all our loving subjects in England and Ireland, as they tender the favour of Almighty God, and would avoid his wrath and indignation, and upon pain of such punishment as we may justly inflict on all such as contemn and

neglect the performance of so religious and necessary a duty: and for the better and more ordinary solemnising the same, we have given directions to the most reverend the bishops of England and Ireland, to compose a form of prayer uitable to this occasion, to be used in all churches, chapels, and places of public worship, and to take care that the same be timely dispersed throughout their respective dioceses.

Given at our court at the queen's palace, this sixth day of Jan. one thousand eight hundred and eight, in the forty-eighth year of our reign.

God save the King. Another proclamation directs a similar fast in Scotland, on the following day, Thursday, the 18th of February.

KING'S SPEECH.-HOUSE OF

LORDS, JANUARY 21.

This day parliament assembled, pursuant to his majesty's proclamation, when the commissioners, appointed to open the session, read the following speech:

"My Lords and Gentlemen, "We have received his majesty's commands to assure you, that in calling you together at this important conjuncture of affairs, he entertains the most perfect convic tion that he shall find in you the same determination with which his majesty himself is animated, to uphold the honour of his crown, and the just rights and interests of his people. We are commanded by his majesty to inform you, that ne sooner had the result of the negociations at Tilsit confirmed the influence and controul of France over the powers of the continent,

that

than his majesty was apprised of the intention of the enemy to combine those powers in one general confederacy, to be directed either to the entire subjugation of this kingdom, or to the imposing upon his majesty an insecure and ignominious peace. That for is purpose. it was determined to force into hostility aainst his majesty, states which had hitherto been allowed by France to maintain or to purchase their neutrality; and to bring to bear against different points of his majesty's dominions the whole of the naval force of Europe, and specifically the fleets of Portugal and Denmark. To place these fleets out of the power of such a confederacy became therefore the indispensable duty of his majesty. In the execution of this duty, so far as related to the Danish fleet, his majesty has commanded us to assure you that it was with the deepest reluctance that his majesty found himself compelied, after his earnest endeavours to open negociation with the Danish government had failed, to authorise his commanders to resort to the extremity of force, but that he has the greatest satisfaction in congratulating you upon the successful execution of this painful, but necessary, service.--We are further commanded to acquaint you, that the course which his majesty had to pursue with respect to Portugal was, happily, of a nature more congenial to his majesty's feelings. The timely and unreserved communication by the court of Lisbon, of the demands and designs of France, while it confirmed to his majesty the authenticity of the advices which he had received from other quarters, entitled that court to his majesty's confidence, in the sincerity of the assurances by which

that communication was accompanied. The fleet of Portugal was destined by France to be employed as an instrument of vengeance against Great Britain. That fleet has been secured from the grasp of France, and is now employed in conveying to its American dominions the hopes and fortunes of the Portuguese monarchy. His majesty implores the protection of Divine Providence upon that enterprise, rejoicing in the preservation of a power so long the friend and ally of Great Britain, and in the prospect of its establishment in the new world with augmented strength and splendour.-We have it in command from his majesty to inform you, that the determination of the enemy to excite hostilities between his majesty and his late allies, the emperors of Russia and Austria, and the king of Prussia, has been but too successful; and that the ministers from those powers have demanded and received their passports. This measure, on the part of Russia, has been attempted to be justified by a statement of wrongs and grievances which have no real foundation. The emperor of Russia had indeed proffered his mediation between his majesty and France. His majesty did not refuse that mediation; but he is confident you will feel the propriety of its not having been accepted until his majesty should have been enabled to ascertain that Russia was in a condition to mediate impartially, and until the principles of the basis on which France was ready to negociate, were made known to his majesty. No pretence of justification, can be alleged for the hostile conduct of the em peror of Austria, or for that of his Prussian majesty. His majesty has not given the slightest ground

of

of complaint to either of those sovereigns; nor even at the moment when they have respectively withdrawn their ministers, have they assigned to his majesty any distinct cause for that proceeding.-His majesty has directed that copies of the correspondence between his majesty's ambassadors and the minister for foreign affairs of his imperial majesty the emperor of Russia, during the negociations at Tilsit, and the official note of the Russian minister at this court, containing the offer of his imperial majesty's mediation between his majesty and France, together with the answer returned to that note by his majesty's command; and also copies of the official notes presented by the Austrian minister at this court, and of the answers which his majesty commanded to be returned to them, should be laid before you. It is with concern that his majesty commands us to inform you, that notwithstanding his earnest. wishes to terminate the war in which he is engaged with the Ottoman Porte, his majesty's endeavours, unhappily for the Turkish empire, have been defeated by the machinations of France, not less the enemy of the Porte than of Great Britain. But while the influence of France has been thus unfortunately successful in preventing the termination of existing hostilities, and in exciting new wars against this country; his majesty commands us to inform you, that the king of Sweden has resisted every attempt to induce him to abandon his alliance with Great Britain; and that his majesty entertains no doubt that you will feel with hin the sacredness of the duty which the firmness and fidelity of the king of Sweden impose upon his majesty;

and that you will concur in enabling his majesty to discharge it in a manner worthy of this country.

It remains for us, according to his majesty's command, to state to you that the treaty of commerce and amity between his majesty and the United States of America, which was concluded and signed by commissioners duly authorised for that purpose, on the 31st of December, 1806, has not taken effect, in consequence of the refusal of the president of the United States to ratify that instrument. For an unauthorised act of force, committed against an American ship of war, his majesty did not hesitate to offer immediate and spontaneous reparation. But an attempt has been made by the American government to connect with the question which has arisen out of this act, pretensions inconsistent with the maritime rights of Great Britain; such pretensions his majesty is determined never to admit.--His majesty, nevertheless, hopes that the American government will be actuated by the same desire to preserve the relations of peace and friendship between the two countries which has ever influenced his majesty's conduct, and that any difficulties in the discussion now pending may be effectually removed.-His majesty has commanded us to state to you, that, in consequence of the decree by which France declared the whole of his majesty's dominions to be in a state of blockade, and subjected to seizure and confiscation of the produce and manufactures of his kingdom, his majesty resorted, in the first instance, to a measure of mitigated retaliation; and that this measure having proved ineffectual for its object, his majesty - has since found it necessary to adopt.

others

others of greater rigour, which, he commands us to state to you, will require the aid of parliament to give them complete and effectual operation. His majesty has directed copies of the orders which he has issued with the advice of his privy council upon this subject to be laid before you; and he commands us to recommend them to your carly

attention.

"Gentlemen of the House of

Commons,

"His majesty has directed the estimates for the ensuing year to be laid before you, in the fullest confidence that your loyalty and public spirit will induce you to make such provision for the public service as the urgency of affairs may require. His majesty has great satisfaction in informing you, that, notwithstanding the difficulties which the enemy has endeavoured to impose upon the commerce of his subjects, and upon their intercourse with other nations, the resources of the country have continued in the last year to be so abundant, as to have produced, both from the permanent and temporary revenue, a receipt considerably larger than that of the preceding year. The satisfaction which his majesty feels assured you will derive, in common with his majesty, from this proof of the solidity of these resources, cannot but be greatly increased, if, as his majesty confidently hopes, it shall be found possible to raise the necessary supplies for the present year without any material addition to the public burthens.

"My lords, and gentlemen,

"We are especially commanded to say to you, in the name of his majesty, that, if ever there was a just and national war, it is that

which his majesty is now compelled to prosecute. This war is in its principle purely defensive. His majesty looks but to the attainment of a secure and honourable peace: but such a peace can only be negotiated upon a footing of perfect equality. The eyes of Europe and of the world are fixed upon the British parliament. If, as his majesty confidently trusts, you display in this crisis of the fate of the country the characteristic spirit of the British nation, and face unappalled the unnatural combination which is gathered around us, his majesty bids us to assure you of his firm persuasion, that, under the blessing of Divine Providence, the struggle will prove successful and glorious to Great Britain.-We are lastly commanded to assure you, that in this awful and momentous contest, you may rely on the firmness of his majesty, who has no cause but that of his people; and that his majesty reciprocally relies on the wisdom, the constancy, and the affectionate support of his parlia

ment."

PROTEST.

Die Jovis, 21° Januarii, 1898. A motion was made to omit the fourth paragraph in the motion for an address to the throne (viz. the paragraph respecting the seizure of the Danish fleet); and the question being put," that the said paragraph do stand part of the motion," the same was carried in the affirmative.

Dissentient,

Because no proof of hostile intention on the part of Denmark has been adduced, nor any case of necessity made out, to justify the attack upon Copenhagen, without which the measure is, in our conception,