our Indian poffeffions, and to fecure After which bis Majefty was pe fed the happiness of the native inhabitants of thofe provinces. to Jay, "My Lords, "Animated by your Majefty's example, and by the love of our country, we fhall take the earliest advantage of the feafon of peace to direct our counfels to every thing that can recruit the ftrength of the nation, a ter fo long and fo expenfive a war; and while we express the grateful fenfe we entertain of your Majefty's paternal care in recommended for the welfare of my commending the fecurity and increase of the revenue in a manner the leaft burthenfome to your people, we shall be happy to co-operate in whatever may be found expedient for thofe falutary purpofes, or may tend to counteract thofe frauds, and to reprefs that fpirit of outrage which has been fo alarmingly prevalent. loyal add:efs. I receive with plea"I thank you for this dutiful and ́ fure your congratulations on the birth of a princess, and the recovery of the Queen, as renewed proofs of your affection to my perfon and family. The affurances you give me of your attention to the objects re We humbly intreat your Majefty to be perfuaded that our utmost affiduity fhall be employed in providing what is called for by the prefent fituation of this country, and fubjects, are highly acceptable; and I regard the unanimity with which they are offered as an carneft of the fuccefs which, I truft, will attend your endeavours to establish the honour of my crown, and the profperity of my people. عه The humble Address of the Houfe of Commons to the King, November 13, 1783. 66 "Moft gracious Sovereign, Ε WE that in our labours for that purple col and loyal fubjects, TE your Majefty's most dutiful the commons of Great Britain in parliament affembled, beg leave to thanks for your Majefty's moft grareturn your Majefty our humble cious fpeech from the throne. we fhall not only ufe the utmost caution in regard to whatever the experience of paft times has thewn to be beneficial, but fhall endeavour, to the extent of our abilities, to make all fuch benefits p permanent. *** It will be our duty to preferve that temper and moderation in our deliberations, which your Majefty has been pleased to recommend, and which the importance of their objects will demand; and we fhall be anxions not to neglect any opportunity of meriting the good opinion your Majefty has gracioufly expreffed of our unanimous defire to fecure and promote the honour of your Majesty's crown, the fafety of your dominions, and the profperity of your people."&" "Affectionately and dutifully interested in whatever concerns your Majefty's domeftic happiness, we beg leave to offer our most fincere congratulations on the birth of another princefs, and to exprefs our unfeigned joy at the happy recovery of the Queen. the paternal regard for the welfare "We are gratefully fenfible of of your people, which has induced nitive Treaties of Peace with France your Majefty to conclude the Defiand Spain, and the United States of [X] 2 America, America, and to ratify Preliminary Articles with the States General of the United Provinces; and we beg your Majefty to accept our most humble thanks for having ordered those several treaties to be laid before us. We have great fatisfaction in learning that your Majefty has no caufe to doubt but that all thofe powers agree in fincere inclination with your Majefty to keep the calamities of war at a great distance fulleft confidence that no exertions have been wanting to reprefs this daring fpirit, nor pains to inquire into its true caufes. In those infiances in which the powers of government may not be found equal to its utmost care and vigilance, we fhall ufe our utmoft endeavours to provide fuch remedies as may apply to this evil, and fuch means as may be found wanting to the accomplishment of purposes in which our material interests are fo deeply concerned,te We beg leave to affare your Majefty, that your faithful commons will chearfully grant your Majefty fuch fupplies as may be found neceffary for the fervice of the year; acknowledging, with the utmost gratitude, your Majefty's immediate attention to the relief of your fubjects, in the reduction of all the eftablishments to as low a state as your Majelly, in your foyal wisdom, thought prudence would admit.— We take a fincere part in the fatisfaction which your Majefty feels in this ftep towards the relief of your fubjects; and we have no doubt, that your people will justify your Majelly's gracious reliance on the fortitude of this nation, by wil "We entertain a juft fenfe of the importance of the objects which demand our attention; and we ac-, knowledge, with thanks, the anxious folicitude for the public good, which has induced your Majefty to give us, thus early, an opportunity of taking them into confideration. Your faithful commons are fenfible that the fruits of thofe enquiries which they have fo long purfued are now juftly expected, and that the fituation of the Eaft India Company claims our utmoft exertions to provide, in the most effectual manner, for the maintenance and improve. ment of the valuable advantages derived from our Indian poffeflions, and to promote and secure the happiness of the native inhabitants in thofe provinces. "The feafon of peace will callingly bearing thofe burthens which for our attention to every thing which can recruit the ftrength of the nation, after to long and to expenfive a war. "We acknowledge your Majefty's paternal goodnets in recommending fuch means of increafing and fecuring the public revenue, as may be leaft burthenfome to your fubjects. The frauds which have prevailed in many of its moft effential parts, as well as the outrages which have been committed, are truly alarming; and we have the are the inevitable confequences of the war, which the prefent exigencies require, and which are fo neceffary for the full fupport of the national credit. "We feel that our fituation is, in many refpects, new; and we beg your Majefty to be affured, that we thall ufe our utmost diligence to provide what is called for by that fituation; at the fame time, to the extent of our power, giving perma nence to whatever has been found beneficial by the experience of ages. The The objects of our deliberations fully demand that temper and moderation which your Majefly fo gracioufly recommends; and we intreat your Majefty to accept our molt humble thanks for the confidence your Majefty has been pleafed to exprefs in our unanimous defire to direct all thofe deliberations to the honour of your Majefty's crown, the fafety of your dominions, and the profperity of your people; and we affure your Majefty, that we will ufe our beft and utmoft endeavours to demonftrate by our conduct, that a confidence to honourable to us bas been well founded. Friday, Nov. 14. The Speaker reported to the House his Majefty's Anfwer to their addrefs. " "Gentlemen, I thank you for this duvery tiful and affectionate addrefs, and for the fresh mark you give of your attachment to me and my family in the congratulation on the happy recovery of the Queen, and the birth of another princefs. "I receive with the utmoft fatisfaction your affurances of promoting fuch measures as may tend to the fupport of the national credit, and to the welfare of my people,, And I confider the unanimity with which they are offered as a happy earneft of the fuccefs of your endeavours." C parliament alfembled, acknowledge with great fatisfaction the wifdom of our happy conftitution, which places in your Majefty's hand the undoubted authority of appointing to all the great offices of executive government. We have the firmeft reliance on your Majefty's known wifdom and paternal goodness, that you will always be anxious to call into and continue in your fervice men the most deserving of the confidence of your parliament, and the public in general. In this confidence we beg leave to approach your Majefty with our moft earneft affutances, that we will, on all occafions, fupport your Majefty in the juft exercife of thofe prerogatives which the wifdom of the law has entrusted to your Majefty, for the prefervation of our lives and properties, and upon the due and uninterrupted exercife of which muft depend the bleffings which your people derive from the beft of all forms of govern ment." Address of the House of Commons, to to the King, on the 20th Leb. 1784. 66 "To the King's Moft Excellent Majefty, WE, your Majefty's moft preffed with the moft dutiful fenfe of your Majefty's paternal regard for the welfare of your people, approach your throne, to exprefs our reliance on your Majefty's paternal wifdom, that your Majefty will take fuch measures, by removing any obstacle to forming fuch an ad faithful commons, im miniftration as the house has declared to be requifite in the prefent critical and arduous fituation of affairs, as may tend to give effect to the wishes of your faithful commons, which have already been moft humbly reprefented to your Majefty." His Majefty's Anfwer to the above "Gentlemen, "I am deeply fenfible how highly it concerns the honour of my crown, and the welfare of my people, which is the object always neareft my heart, that the public affairs, thould be conducted by a firm, efficient, extended, united adminiftration, entitled to the confi. dence of the people, and fuch as may have a tendency to put an end to the unfortunate divifions and diftractions of the country. Very recent endeavours have been employed, on my part, to unite in the public fervice, on a fair and equal footing, those whofe joint efforts appear to me moft capable of producing that happy effect; thofe endea-, vours have not had the effect I wifhed. I fhall be always defirous of taking every ftep moft conducive to fuch an object, but I cannot fee that it would in any degree be advanced by the difmiffion of those at prefent in my fervice. "I obferve, at the fame time, that there is no charge or complaint fuggefted against my prefent them fpecifically objected to; and minifters, nor is any one or more of numbers of my fubjects have expreffed to me, in the warmest manner, their fatisfaction of the late changes I have made in my coun cils. Under thefe circumstances, I trust my faithful commons will not wish that the effential offices of executive government fhall be vacated, until I fee a profpect that fuch a plan of union, as I have called for, and they pointed out, may be carried into effect." The Second Addrefs prefented to bis Ma. jefty by the House of Commons, on March the 4th, 1784, as moved in the House of Commons, March ift. HAT an humble addrefs be Tpresented to his Majesty, moft humbly to reprefent to his Majefty the fatisfaction his faithful commons derive from the late moft gracious affurances we have receiv ed, that his Majefty concurs with us in opinion, that it concerns the ho nour of his crown, and the welfare of his people, that the public af fairs thould be conducted by a firm, efficient, extended, united adminis ftration, entitled to the confidence of his people, and fuch as may have a tendency to put an end to the unhappy divifions and diftractions of this country, c "To acknowledge his Majefty's paternal goodness in his late moft gracious endeavours to give effect to to the object of our late dutiful reprefentation to his Majefty. "To, lament that the failure of this his Majefty's moft gracious endeavours fhould be confidered as a final bar to the accomplishing fo falutary and defirable a purpofe; and to exprefs our concern and difappointment that his Majefty has not been advised to take any farther ftep towards uniting in the public fervice those whofe joint efforts have recently appeared to his Majefty moft capable of producing fo happy an effect. "That this houfe, with all humility, claims it as its right, and on every proper occafion feels it to be their bounden duty, to advife his Majefty touching the exercife of any branch of his royal prerogative. "That we fubmit it to his Majefty's royal confideration, that the continuance of an adminiftration, which does not poffefs the confidence of the reprefentatives of the people, muft be, injurious to the public fervice "That this houfe can have no intereft diftin&t and feparate from that of their conftituents, and that they therefore feel themfelves call ed upon to repeat thofe loyal and dutiful affurances they have already expreffed of their reliance on his Majelly's paternal regard for the welfare of his people, that his Majefly would graciously enable them to execute thofe important trufts which the conftitution has vefted in them, with honour to themselves, and advantage to the public, by the confirmation of a new adminiftration, appointed under circumftances which may tend to conciliate the minds of his faithful com mons, and give energy and ftability to his Majefty's councils. 1 "That as his Majefty's faithful commons, upon the matureft deliberations, cannot but confider the continuance of the prefent minifters as an unwarrantable obftacle to his Majefty's moft gracious, pnr. pofe, to comply with their wifhes in the formation of fuch an adminiftration as his Majefty, in concur rence with the unanimous refolu tion of this houfe, feems to think requifite, in the prefent exigencies of the country, they feel themselves bound to remain firm in the with expreffed to his Majefty in their late. humble addrefs; and do therefore find themselves obliged again to befeech his Majefty, that he would be graciously pleased to lay the foundation of a ftrong and ftable govern. ment, by the previous removal of his prefent minifters." His Majefty's Answer to the foregoing Addrefs, March 4, 1784. "Gentlemen, "I have already expreffed to you how fenfible I am of the advantages to be derived from fuch an adminifiration as was pointed out in your unanimous refolution; and I affured you that I was defirous of taking every ftep moft conducive to fuch an object-1 remain in the fame fentiments- but I continue equally convinced, that it is an object not likely to be attained by the difmittion of my prefent ministers. "I muft repeat, that no charge or complaint, nor any fpecific objection, is yet made against any of them. If there were any fuch ground for their removal at prefent, it ought to be equally a reafon for not admitting them as a part of that extended and united adminiftration, [X] 4 |