pily fubfift, and I truft will fubfift for ever, between the two king doms.

Attached as you are to the general cause of religion, learning, and civilization, I have to recommend to your confideration the ftate of education in this kingdom, which in fome parts will admit of improvement, in others may acquire fome new arrangement. Confiderable advantages have been already derived, under the wife regulations of parliament, from the protestant charter fchools; and thefe will, as ufual, claim your attention: But as these advantages have been but partial, and as circumftances have made other confiderations, connected with this important fubject, highly neceffary, it is hoped that your wifdom will order every thing relating to it, in the manner moft beneficial, and the beft adapted to the occafions of the feveral defcriptions of men, which compofe his majesty's faithful fubjects of Ireland.

We are engaged in an arduous conteft. The time calls not only for great-fortitude, and an unusual fhare of public fpirit, but for much conftancy and perfeverance. You are engaged with a power, which, under the ancient forms of its internal arrangement, was always highly formidable to the neighbouring nations. Lately this power has affumed a new fhape: but with the fame ambition, and much more extenfive and fyftematic defigns, far more effective, and without comparifon, more dreadful in the certain confequences of its eventual fuccefs; it threatens nothing lefs than the entire fubverfion of the liberty and independence of every ftate in Europe. An enemy to them all, it is actuated with a peculiar

animofity against these kingdoms, not only as the natural protection of the balance of power in Europe, but also, because, by the poffeffion of a legal, humane, and rational freedom, we seem to reproach that falfe and fpurious liberty, which, in reality, is an ignominious fervitude, tending to extinguish all good arts, to generate nothing but impiety, crime, diforder, and ferocious manners; and to end in wretchedness, and general defolation.

To guard his people from the enterprises of this dangerous and malignant power, and for the protection of all civilized fociety against the inroad of anarchy, his majefty has availed himself of every rational aid, foreign and domeftic'; he has called upon the skill, courage, and experience of all his fubjects, wherefoever difperfed; and you must be duly fenfible, in fuch a crifis as the prefent, which rarely occurs in the courfe of human affairs, of the advantage of his majefty's thus endeavouring to profit of the united strength and zeal of every defcription of his subjects.

I have to affure you of his majefty's most cheerful concurrence in every measure, which your wisdom aud comprehenfive patriotism shall point out for the falutary purpofe.

On my part you fhall find me, from principle and from inclination, thoroughly difpofed to concur with his majesty's paternal wishes, and the meafures of his parliament. On a cordial affection to the whole of Ireland, and on a conduct suitable to that fentiment, I wish to found my own perfonal eftimation, and my reputation in the execution of the great truft committed, by the most beneficent of fove. reigns, to my care.

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Anfwer

Anfwer of his Excellency Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to the Addief of Thanks prefented by the Commons for his Speech to both Houfes of Parlament, Jan.

:24.

This cordial addrefs, juftifying with fuch promptitude and alacrity the confidence which his majesty repofes in the fpirit and loyalty of his faithful commons of Ireland, is of fo falutary and animating a tendency, reflects fuch high honour on the national character, and gives fo happy an earnest of the cheerfulnefs, vigour, and extent of the national exertion at this arduous and trying crifis, that it calls for more than ordinary expreffions of fatisfaction and acknowledgement.

Such fentiments, communicating themselves from one kingdom to the other, fuch conformity in attachment to the conftitution, and

in affection for the best and most beloved of fovereigns, a fpirit fo firm and perfevering in the fupport of a caufe/which they confider as common to both, and a determination fo fixed and unfhaken to stand or fall together, must be as encouraging to the friends as formidable to the enemies of the British name and empire.

Standing on this ground, we have nothing to dread. The difturbers of the peace of Europe will fee, that, bound indiffolubly together in interefts, in principles, and in affection, Great Britain and Ireland difregard their menaces, and are determined, under providence, to check the course of their exterminating ambition.

If any thing could be wanting to complete my fatisfaction at this happy and aufpicious commencement of my administration, I

should find it in the flattering terms in which you exprefs your approbation of my principles and past conduct, and in the generous confidence with which you anticipate future benefits to be derived to this kingdom from my loyalty to my fovereign, and from my inviolable attachment to the rights and liberties of the people.

The ftake which I have in your country, you naturally conclude, ought to bind me in a peculiar manner to its interefts; but fuch confiderations are languid and cold, indeed, when compared with the ardent defire I feel to recommend myfelf, in this new connection which I have formed with you, to the approbation, the esteem, and the affection of the whole of Ireland.

Speech of the Right Hon. John Fofter, Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, to his Excellency Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, on prefenting the Money Bills, that had been returned from England, March

24.

The commons attend your excellency with their supplies, which go to the utmost extent of every estimate and defire laid before them by his majesty's minifters, and are much larger than have ever been granted in any one session; but it is their determined refolution, at all times, to ftand or fall with Britain; and that refolution is now, if poffible, ftill more strengthened by every circumftance of foreign and internal confideration in thefe eventful times. They therefore feel it their duty, their intereft, and their anxious with, to fupport the empire through the prefent unpro

voked and deftructive war, with all that is most dear to them-their lives and fortunes.

In their appropriation of these fupplies, they have fhewn their early attention to the fure and natural ftrength of the British empire, her navy, by granting 200,000l. for procuring feamen; and they have provided for augmenting the militia, an inftitution which, by the indefatigable exertion both of men and officers, is the admiration, and will be the falvation, of this kingdom.

It is owing to the unexampled profperity and growing refources of the nation that they have been enabled to raise the large fum which they now offer to his majefty, without laying much additional burthen on the people, or leffening those bounties and pecuniary encouragements under which our trade and manufactures have increased and are increafing; and the fame causes have allowed them, amidst these liberal fupplies, to gratify his majesty's paternal benevolence, and their own anxious feelings, by relieving all the poorer claffes from the tax of hearth-mo

ney.

Satisfied, however, that thofe refources and that profperity cannot be permanent without an effectual attention to the fobriety of the people, to their morals and peaceable fubordination to the laws, they have, by an arrangement of duties, which promifes alfo an increase of revenue, relieved the brewery from all restriction of taxes, so as to give it a decided advantage over the diftillery, and thereby difcourage the too frequent or immoderate ufe of fpirituous liquors-a meafure which muft conduce to fobriety, tranquillity, and content, and under which the people, encouraged to

regular induftry, and the confequent acquifition of wealth, must feel the bleffings of the happy conftitution under which they live, and cherish and preserve it from all change or innovation.'

Speech of his Excellency Earl Camden, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to both Houses of Parliament, June 5.

My lords and gentlemen,

I am directed by his majesty to convey to you his full approbation of your fervices in the prefent feffion, and to relieve you from further attendance in parliament. It has afforded me infinite fatisfaction to observe, fince my arrival in this kingdom, the great temper and wifdom with which your proceedings have been uniformly conducted.

Gentlemen of the house of commons,

I am particularly to express his majesty's acknowledgements for the very liberal fupplies which you have contributed, for the fervice of the empire and the defence of the kingdom, with fuch unanimity and cheerfulness. The extent of your grants is a convincing proof how warmly you feel yourselves interested in the vigorous profecution of a war, rendered necessary by the wanton and unprovoked attack of France, and involving in it the general caufe of focial order, morality, and religion, in all civilized countries. On my part you may be affured they fhall be faithfully applied to the great purpofes for which they were granted.

My lords and gentlemen,

His majefty obferves with the highest fatisfaction, that during the prefent crifis you have not failed to (H 3)

cherish

cherish and to maintain the various fources of your internal profperity. You have alfo completed the intention fo benevolently entertained of entirely relieving the poorer claffes from the tax of hearth-money. A wife foundation has been laid for educating the Roman catholic clergy. A fatisfactory arrangement of the treafury has been confirmed by law; and an alteration of duties has been introduced, with a view to prevent the immoderate ufe of fpirituous liquors, and in the hope of introducing a more general habit of fobriety among the lower orders of the people. In the execution of these measures you may depend upon my fincere and earneft endeavours, to pursue that wife and prudent policy by which they were dictated.

On repairing to your refpective counties, which I cannot too ftrongly and too earnestly recommend, it is especially incumbent upon you to make thofe exertions which the times demand, and to inculcate the neceffity of an exact fubmiffion to the laws. By contrasting the bleffings which refult from a well-regulated liberty and peaceable fubordination, with the mifchiefs which neceffarily fpring from licentiousness and anarchy, you will increase the attachment of the people to our free and happy conftitution. To preferve the conftitution inviolate is the great object of his majesty in the prefent conteft; and he cannot but look to its for tunate iffue when he reflects on the loyalty, fpirit, and power of his people, and on their juft fenfe of the invaluable inheritance for which they contend.

It will be the conftant object of my administration, in which his majefty's commands and my perfonal wifles are most intimately combined,

to forward with unremitting vigilance the welfare and the happiness of this country. These objects I cannot fo effectually promote as by attending to and acting upon thofe established principles which form the connection between Great Britain and Ireland; on which the security, the freedom, and the profperity of both kingdoms most elfentially depend.

Speech of his Excellency Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bart. Viceroy of Corfica, to the Chamber of Parliament, at the Opening of the Seffion, February 9, 1795.

Gentlemen,

It is with unfeigned pleasure that I meet you this day in parliament, both because your conftitution, on which the future happiness of Corfica depends, is hereby confummated, and because the full energy of your wifdom and authority is required, at a period rendered doubly interefting, by the establishment of a new government, and by the continuance of the war.

You are charged not only with important, but arduous duties; fince you must on the one hand fecure your freedom as an independent nation, by a vigorous and courageous exertion in the war; and on the other, you must make provifion for internal happiness and liberty, by deliberations which are better fuited to times of tranquillity and peace.

For the discharge of this great truft, I rely with perfect confidence on the wifdom and public fpirit of parliament, fupported by the zealous and hearty union of all good Corficans, whether in public or

private

private stations; for you will, no doubt, participate with me in the pleafing reflection, that the present period affords the happy opportunity of compofing paft animofities, and obliterating divifions no longer fupported by any fubfifting motive, and which being always at variance with the general good, are peculiarly prejudicial to it in moments like the prefent.

His majefty, on his part, ever juft and ever firm to his engagements, has already taken thofe fteps which the conftitution pointed out, for completing the new fyftem of your government. He has been pleafed to ratify, in perfon, the conftitutional act which he had previoufly authorized me to accept in his

name.

I have ordered the gracious an fwer made by his majefty to the addrefs of the late general council, prefented to him by deputies from that affembly, to be laid before you. I have alfo ordered to be laid before you, a copy of the commiffion by which his majefty has been pleased to confer on me the exalted honour of representing him in this kingdom under the title of viceroy, agreeable to the provifions of the conftitutional act. By the choice of a person whose beft qualification for that distinguished ftation is a warm and fteady affection for Corfica, you will perceive that the fame fentiment prevailed on that occafion in his majefty's mind.

I am enabled, with equal fatisfaction, to acquaint you, that his majefty is not lefs attentive to your protection against the hoftile defigns of the enemy; and you may depend on his powerful and vigorous fupport during the war. He confides, at the fame time, in the zeal and courage of his Corfican

fubjects, for repelling the enemy, and defending the independence of their country, and the fecurity of their lives, fortunes, and honour, all that can be dear to men. In these views, a confiderable body of Corfican infantry has been raised, and an immediate augmentation to that national corps is intended.

Measures have been taken for enabling his majesty to assemble the militia, and employ them against the common enemy, in cafe of need. It will be for the parliament, in its wifdom, to frame adequate regulations for the perfection of fuch a fyftem as may give to Corfica, in moments of danger, the full benefit of the courage and patriotifm of all her fubjects; for it must not be forgotten, that the independence and liberty of your country muft not depend on the protection of regular troops alone, however formidable the force employed may be; but, under the providence of God, muft ftill reft principally on the hearts and arms of a people who love their country and their freedom.

Many important objects will require your immediate attention. The moft urgent of these is, to provide fufficient funds for the public fervice.

In the prefent circumftances of Corfica, his majefty is pleased to take upon himself the whole charges of the military establishment; you have alfo the benefit of a great naval force, without any expence ; you have no public debt, and confequently no intereft to pay on that account.

Reflecting on these peculiar advantages, enjoyed perhaps exclu fively by this nation, I am perfuaded that you will cheerfully furnish the remaining and unavoidable expences of the public fervice; and (H 4)

it