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The humble Addrefs to the above Speech, of the House of Commons to the King.

"Moft gracious Sovereign, "We, your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Great Britain, in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majefty our humble thanks for your most gracious fpeech from the throne.

"We beg your Majefty will be affured, that we fhall refume the confideration of public bufinefs with the fame principles of duty to your Majefty, and regard to the interefts of our conflituents, which we have endeavoured to manifeft in all our proceedings.

"That we will not fail to give our moft earnest attentions to the adjustment of fuch points as are not yet finally arranged in the commercial intercourie between Great Britain and Ireland; fully agreeing with your Majefty, in thinking that the fyftem which will unite both. kingdoms the most closely on principles of reciprocal advantage, will beft enfure the general profperity of your Majesty's dominions.

"We beg leave to affure your Majefty, that it affords us the trueft pleasure, to be informed that your Majefty continues to receive fuch fatisfactory affurances of the good difpofition of foreign powers towards this country.

"We befeech your Majefty to

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"That we are deeply fenfible of your Majefty's paternal goodnefs and care for your people, in recommending to us, at the fame time, a juft regard to the.ceconomy requifite in every department; a duty which your Majefty's faithful commons feel always incumbent upon them, and, at this time, peculiarly indifpenfable.

"We affure your Majefty, that we fee the importance of every exertion which can tend to the fuppreffion of fmuggling, and the improvement of the revenue; and that we shall continue to apply ourfelves, with unwearied affiduity, to those important objects.

That we fhall alfo proceed, with as much expedition as poffible, to the confideration of the reports of the commiffioners of accounts, as well as of fuch farther regulations in the different offices of this kingdom, as may appear likely to conduce to the public advantage.

"We intreat your Majesty to be affured, that our utmost endeavours fhall not be wanting to justify your Majetty's gracious reliance on our diligent attention to every part of our public duty; and that we receive, with the warmest gratitude and fatisfaction, the affurances of your Majefty's concurrence in every measure which can tend to alleviate the national burthens, to fecure the true principles of the conftitution, and to promote the general welfare of the people."

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"I have ordered the public accounts to be laid before you. I have the fullest reliance on your approved loyalty to the king, and attachment to your country, that a due confideration of the exigencies of the state will lead you to make whatever provifions fhall appear to be neceffary for the public expences, and for the honourable fupport of his Majefty's government.

My lords and gentlemen, "I am to recommend in the

IRISH HOUSE OF LORDS. king's name to your earnest inves

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tigation thofe objects of trade and commerce between Great Britain and Ireland which have not yet received their complete adjustment. In framing a plan with a view to a final fettlement, you will be fenfible that the interefts of Great Britain and Ireland ought to be for ever united and infeparable. And his Majefty relies on your liberality and wifdom for adopting fuch an equitable fyftem for the joint benefit of both countries, and the support of the common interest, as will fecure mutual fatisfaction and permanency.

Let

"The encouragement and extenfion of agriculture and manufactures, and especially of your linen manufacture, will, I am perfuaded, engage your constant concern. me likewife direct your attention in a particular manner to the fisheries on your coafts, from which you may reasonably hope for an improving fource of industry and wealth to this kingdom, and of strength to the empire.

"The

"The liberality which you have always fhewn to the maintenance of your proteftant charter-schools and other public inftitutions, makes it unneceffary for me to recommend them to your care. You cannot more beneficially exert this laudable fpirit, than by directing your attention to improve, and to diffufe throughout the kingdom, the advantages of good education. Senfible of its effential confequence to the morals and happiness of the people, and to the dignity of the nation, I am happy to affure you of his Majefty's gracious patronage; and fhall be earneft to give every affiftance in my power to the fuccefs of fuch measures as your wifdom may devise for this important purpofe.

"It is the province of your prudence and difcretion to confider what new provifions may be neceffary for fecuring the fubject against violence and outrage, for the regulation of the police, and the better execution of the laws, as well as for the general encouragement of peaceable fubordination and honeft industry. It will be a pleasing task for me to affift and promote your exertions for the tranquillity of the kingdom, for upholding the authority of the legislature, and fupporting the true principles of our happy constitution both in church and ftate.

"The uniformity of laws and of religion, and a common intereft in treaties with foreign ftates, form a fure bond of mutual connection and attachment between Great Britain and Ireland. It will be your care to cherish these ineftimable bleffings with that spirit and wifdom which will render them effectual

fecurities to the ftrength and profperity of the empire.'

A Tranflation of a Letter from the Empress of all the Ruffias to his Pruffian Majefty.

"M refpecting the houfe of

Y advantageous fentiments

Pruffia, fentiments of which I have given efficacious proofs, permit me to hope for the fame on their part. I expect it the more, as I have ever been convinced of their reciprocal affection. The war which is preparing between the emperor of the Romans and the Hollanders excites the immediate attention of the ca binet of Berlin, of which the Dutch endeavour by all forts of intrigues to fecure the acceffion. Your wifdom acknowledges that the pretenfions of the Emperor are equally juft and moderate. Nature herself hath granted to the Auftrian Low Countries the use and advantage of the river in difpute; Auftria alone, by virtue of the law of nature and nations, is intitled to an exclusive right to the use of the river in question. So that the equity and difinterestednefs of Jofeph II. can only impart this right to other people, it belong-. ing exclufively to his ftates. The fentiments of Auftria merit esteem and attention, but the avidity of the Dutch, and the judgment which they permit themfelves to affume on account of the treaty of Munster over the House of Austria, are notorious and blameable in every respect.

"Nothing can be alledged with foundation in favour of Holland, therefore fhe merits not the affiftance of any foreign power. The confequences which these repub

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The king has the lefs hefitation in expreffing his thoughts on this important fubject, as the purity of his intentions cannot be called in queftion. His majesty while, in compliance with the folicitation of both parties, he employs his good offices to effect a reconciliation between the emperor and the United Provinces, has carefully abftained from giving any opinion on the foundation of his imperial majefty's first pretenfions. The king fill prescribes to himself the fame filence, but his concern for the glory of the emperor authorizes the obfervation, that his firft pretenfions, and the demand for the opening of

VOL. XXVII.

the Scheldt, cannot be confidered under the fame point of view.

"The Dutch, while they refused compliance with this demand, only fupported a right which is fecured to them by a folemn treaty, and which they look upon as the bafis of their proiperity, and even existence.

"It seems to refult from thence, that the refufal of the states-general ought to have no other effect than to bring back the negociation begun at Bruffels to the propofitions in the fummary table, and establish a difcuffion, on the refult of which the respective titles ought naturally to depend.

"The king would more earnestly defire that this measure was adopted, as it would prevent hoftilities, and might lead to equitable arrangements.

"By purfuing an oppofite conduct, it is to be feared that the emperor will excite a general uneafinefs, and that most of the powers will think themfelves obliged to take fuch precautions and measures as the events may require. The king himself must be under the neceffity of affembling troops on his frontiers. Befides, his majesty cannot by any means be indifferent to the fate of the United Provinces, or fee them attacked by open force in their rights and poffeffions, especially at prefent, when he is on the point of concluding with the republic an alliance, the fundamental articles of which were agreed on before the late differences.

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If, by confiderations of fo great importance, the emperor can be induced to fufpend all marks of hoftility, and liften to the voice of moderation and humanity, the [A a]

king

king renews the offer of his mediation to procure an equitable and fuitable accommodation, which he will the more zealously strive to bring about; as, while he obeys the dictates of his perfonal fentiments with regard to the emperor, he will have the fatisfaction to concur in extinguishing, in its first feeds, a war, the confequences of which cannot be calculated."

An authentic Copy of the Preliminary Articles of Peace between their High Mightineffes the States General, and the Emperor of Germany, concluded under the Mediation of France.

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ARTICLE I.

T is agreed, that the states general shall pay 9,500,000 florins, current money of Holland, for the indemnity of Maeftricht and its territory, the Ban of St. Servais included, as alfo the county of Vroenhoven; and 500,000 florins, fame currency, for a compenfation of the damage caufed by the inundations. Three months after the ratification of the treaty the ftates general fhall pay into the imperial cheft of Bruffels the fum of 1,250,000 florins of Holland; fix months after, a fimilar fum; and thus, every fix months until the total extinction of the faid two fums, making together that of ten millions of florins, current money of Holland.

II. Their high mightineffes fhall cede to his imperial majefty the Ban of Aulne, fituated in Dutch Dahlem, and its dependencies, and the Lord hip or Chief Ban of Bligny

le-Trembleur, with St. Andre, the Ban and Lordship of Bombay, the city and caftle of Dahlem with its appurtenances, except Ooft and Cadier; under a referve that a compenfation fhall be made for them in the exchanges of refpective conveniency to be made in the country of Outre-Meufe.

III. The limits of Flanders fhall remain on the terms of the convention of 1664, and if, through the lapfe of time, there fhould have been, or be now any of them obfcured, commiffioners fhall be appointed on one fide and the other to

re-establish them.

IV. Their high mightineffes fhall regulate, in the most convenient manner, to the fatisfaction of the emperor, the draining of the waters from his Majesty's country in Flanders, and on the fide of the Meuse, in order to prevent, as much as poffible, the inundations, by confenting, for that end, that use fhall be made, on a reasonable footing, of the land neceffary, even under the dominion of their high mightineffes. The fluices that fhall be conftructed for that purpose, on the territory of the ftates general, shall remain under their fovereignty; and none fhall be made in any place that might obftruct the defence of their frontiers. Commiffioners shall respectively be appointed, who shall be charged to determine the most convenient fcite for the faid fluices. They fhall agree together about thofe that are to be fubjected to a common rule.

V. Their high mightineffes having declared, by one of their resolutions, that their intention was to indemnify thofe of his imperial majefty's fubjects who have fuffered

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