upon that governor, in order to demonftrate the fincerity of the court of Madrid, and of her defire to preserve peace, by putting at leaft fome check upon thofe exorbitant powers afferted by the court of Spain to be given to her governors. But although our minifters were authorized, not only by the acknowledged principles of the law of nations, to call for fuch cenfure or punishment, but alfo by the exprefs provifion of the feventeenth article of the treaty of Utrecht, yet they have thought fit to obferve a profound filence on this neceffary article of public reparation. If it were thought that any circumftances appeared in the particular cafe of the governor, to make an abatement or pardon of the punishment adviseable, that abatement or pardon ought to have been the effect of his Majefty's clemency, and not an impunity to him, arifing from the ignorance of our minifters in the first principles of public law, or their negligence or pufillanimity in afferting them.

VII. Because nothing has been had or demanded as a reparation in damage for the enormous expence and other inconveniences, arifing from the confeffed and unprovoked violence of the Spanish forces in the enterprize against Falkland's islands and the long fubfequent delay of juftice; it was not neceffary to this demand that it fhould be made in any improper or offenfive language, but in that ftile of accommodation which has ever been used by able negotia

tors.

VIII. Becaufe an unparalleled and most audacious infult has been offered to the honour of the British flag, by the detenfion of a

fhip of war of his Majefty's, for twenty days after the furrender of Port Egmont, and by the indignity of forcibly taking away her rudder: this act could not be fupported upon any idea of being neceffary to the reduction of the fort, nor was any fuch neceffity pretended. No reparation in honour has been demanded for this wanton infult, by which his Majesty's reign is rendered the unhappy æra in which the honour of the British flag has fuffered the first stain with entire impunity.

IX. Because the Spanish declaration, which our minifters have advised his Majefty to accept, does in general words imply his Majefty's difavowal of fome acts on his part, tending to disturb the good correfpondence of the two courts; when it is notorious, that no act of violence whatsoever had been committed on the part of Great-Britain. By this disavowal of fome implied aggreffion in the very declaration, pretended to be made for reparation of the injured. dignity of Great-Britain, his Majelty is made to admit a fuppofition contrary to truth, and injurious to the justice and honour of his crown.

X. Because in the faid declaration the reftitution is confined to Port Egmont, when Spain herself originally offered to cede Falkland's Inland; it is known that he made her forcible attack on pretence of title to the whole; and the reftitution ought, therefore, not to have been confined to a part only; nor can any reafon be affigned, why the reftitution ought to have been made in narrower or more ambiguous words than the claims of Spain, on which her act

of

of violence was grounded, and her offers of reftitution originally made. XI. Because the declaration, by which his Majefty is to obtain poffeffion of Port Egmont, contains a refervation or condition of the queftion of a claim of prior right of fovereignty in the Catholic King to the whole of Falkland's Islands, being the first time fuch a claim has ever authentically appeared in any public inftrument jointly concluded on by the two courts. No explanation of the principles of this claim has been required, although there is just reafon to believe that these principles will equally extend to restrain the liberty and confine the extent of British navigation. No counter claim has been made, on the part of his Majefty, to the right of fovereignty in any part of the faid ifland ceded to him; any affertion whatsoever, of his Majefty's right of fovereignty, has been ftudiously avoided, from the beginning to the accomplishment of this unhappy tranfaction; which, after the expence of millions, fettles no conteft, afferts no right, exacts no reparation, affords no fecurity, but ftands as a monument of reproach to the wisdom of the national councils, of difhonour to the effential dignity of his Majefty's crown, and of disgrace to the hitherto untainted honour of the British flag.

After having given these reafons, founded on the facts which appeared from the papers, we think it neceffary here to disclaim an invidious and injurious imputation, substituted in the place of fair argument, that they who will not approve of this convention, are for precipitating their country into the calamities of war; we are as far

from the defign, and we truff much farther from the act of kindling the flame of war, than those who have advised his Majefty to accept of the declaration of the Spanih ambassador.

We have never entertained the leaft thought of invalidating this public act; but if minifters may not be cenfured, or even punished, for treaties which, though valid, are injurious to the national intereft and honour, without a fuppofition of the breach of public faith in this House, that should cenfure or punish, or of a breach of the laws of humanity, in those who propofe fuch cenfure or punishment; the ufe of the peers, as a controul on minifters, and as the beft, as well as higheft, council of the crown, will be rendered of no avail. We have no doubt but a declaration more adequate to our juft pretenfions, and to the dignity. of the crown, might have been obtained without the effufion of blood; not only from the favourable circumstances of the conjuncture, but because our juft demands were no more than any fovereign power, who had injured another. through inadvertence or mistake, ought, even from regard to its own honour, to have granted and we are fatisfied, that the obtaining fuch terms would have been the only fure means of eftablishing a lafting and honourable peace. Richmond, Audley, Bolton, King, Manchester, Torrington, Tankerville, Milton,

Chatham, Abergavenny,

Craven, Boyle,

Wycombe,

Fitzwilliam,

Devonshire,

Archer.

a law that takes away the property of a part of your Majefty's fubjects, we truft not the leaft deferving of legal protection, and without their confent and against their will, gives it to others, who neither have, nor pretend to have, any claim to it. Such an injury, we believe, is without a precedent in the annals of this kingdom; and we are at least as anxious, for your Majefty's fake as for our own, that your reign fhould not be dishonoured by an act of power, enormous in the present inftance, and beyond imagination fatal in its example. We beg leave to remind your Majefty, that foon after the glorious revolution, in an æra moft propitious to the law and liberty of this nation, the rights of the citizens of London were deemed worthy of the peculiar protection of the legislature.

"The favourable partiality of that time afforded to the corporate rights of this great city, even a more ample fecurity than their fellow fubjects enjoyed. Confcious of an ardent zeal for your Majefty's honour, and of the most af, fectionate endeavours to promote it, we rely with confidence on your Majesty's juftice, that we fhall not now be diftinguished to our reproach, by being denied the common right of the meaneft of your people, an appeal to that law which knows no partialities, but ftrictly gives to every one his due.

"We farther reprefent to your Majefty, That whereas this bill fets forth that we claim a right to the foil of the river Thames propofed to be embanked, and on that account infift that the perfons who apply for this liberty of embanking, ought to make fatisfaction to

us for the fame: this allegation is utterly groundless and falfe, and contradictory to our uniform and repeated public declarations in both Houfes of Parliament. We claimed the land as our right, and infifted, as an undeniable confequence of that right, in a country governed by law, not that we fhould receive a compenfation for it, but that we fhould be permitted to retain and defend it. We are fure that the fanction of your royal name can never be given to a propofition not only abfolutely false, but known to be falfe by the very perfons who alledged it.

"We therefore humbly implore your Majefty to refuse your affent to this bill, which is equally injurious to our civil rights, and inconfiftent with your Majefty's honour, and the genuine principles of this conftitution."

His Majefty's most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament, on Wednesday the 8th of May, 1771. "My Lords and Gentlemen,

S the ftate of public bufi

A nefs no longer requires your attendance, I think it right, at this feafon of the year, to put an end to the prefent feffion of parliament.

"The fatisfaction I have ob

tained from his Catholic Majefty for the injury I had received, together with the proofs which the courts of France and Spain have given me, by laying afide their armaments, of their fincere difpofition to preferve the general trans quillity of Europe, have enabled me to reduce my forces by fea and land. The zeal with which you

have exerted yourfelves, upon the apprehenfion of a rupture with Spain, muft convince the world of your affectionate attachment to me, and of your conftant regard for the true interefts of your country. On that fupport I fhall always rely for the defence of my honour, and for the fecurity of the rights of my people.

With regard to the troubles which ftill agitate fome parts of the continent, my endeavours have never been wanting to bring them to an end; and in those endeayours, you may be affured, I fhall perfevere.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

"It was with real concern that I found myself called upon, by the fituation of public affairs, to afk of my faithful Commons more than ordinary fupplies for the fervice of the current year; and I cannot fufficiently thank you for the unanimity, cheerfulness, and public fpirit, with which they have been granted.

"My Lords and Gentlemen, "While we acknowledge the goodness of divine Providence, in preferving us from thofe calamities with which fome parts of Europe have been afflicted, let me exhort you to employ your best endeavours, in your feveral stations and countries, to render the national, happiness compleat, by difcouraging and fupprefling all groundless fufpicions and domeftic difturban

I have no other object, and

I can have no other intereft, than to reign in the hearts of a free and happy people and it is my earneft with, that my fubjects may not be

prevented, by any mistakes, or animofities amongst themfelves, from enjoying, in the fullest extent, the bleflings of a mild and legal government. The fupport of our excellent conftitutioni our common duty and interett: by that ftandard I would with my people to try all public principles and profeffions, and to look upon thofe as their mot dangerous enemies, who, under any pretence whatfoever, would perfuade them to violate thofe laws, and undermine that authority, which the conftitution has provided, for the purpofe of preferving the general liberty and happinefs."

St. James's, June 12.

TH

HIS day the Right Hon: the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the city of London, in Common Council affembled, waited upon his Majefty: and being introduced to his Majefly by the Right Honourable the Earl of Hertford, Lord Chamberlain of his Majefty's Houfhold, Sir James Hodges, knt. Town-Clerk, made their compliments in the following Address:

To the KING'S Moft Excellent Majesty.

The humble Address of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council affembled.

Moft Gracious Sovereign, WE your Majefty's moft dutiful

and loyal fubjects, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the city of London, in common council affembled, embrace this

joyful