Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

The Speech of his Excellency's the Lord Lieutenant * of Ireland to both Houses of Parliament, Oct. 14, 1783.

My Lords and Gentlemen, T is with more than ordinary fatisfaction that in obedience to his majefly's commands I meet you, in full poffeffion and enjoyment of thofe conftitutional, and commercial advantages which have been fo firmly established in your laft parliament. The facred regard on the part of Great Britain to the adjustment made with Ireland at that period, has been abundantly teftified by the moft unequivocal proofs of fincerity and good faith.

It will ever be my wifh, as it is my duty, to promote the mutual confidence of both kingdoms, and the uniting them in fentiments as they are in intereft; fuch an union must produce the moft folid advantages to both, and will give vigour and ftrength to the empire.

I fincerely congratulate you on the happy completion of his majefty's anxious endeavours to reftore the bleffings of peace to his faithful people. The establishment of public tranquillity is peculiarly favourable at this period, and will naturally give fpirit and effect to your commercial fuits. Both kingdoms are now enabled to deliberate with undivided attention on the fureft means of increafing the profperity, and reaping the certain fruits of reciprocal affection.

pur

I have the highest fatisfaction in acquainting you of the increafe of his majesty's domeftic happiness, by the birth of another princefs.

Gentlemen of the House of
Commons,

I have ordered the proper officers to lay the national accounts before you; from them you will be enabled to judge of the circumftances of the kingdom; and I rely on your wisdom and loyalty to make fuch provifion as fhall be fitting for the honourable fupport of his majefty's government.

My Lords and Gentlemen, The miferies of an approaching famine have been averted by the bleflings of Divine Providence. upon the measures which the Privy Council advised; the good effects which were foon visible in the immediate reduction of the price of grain and the influx of a neceflary fupply to the market. Any temporary infringement of the laws to effect fuch falutary ends, will, I doubt not, receive a parliamentary fanction.

Among the many important objects which demand your attention, I recommend to your confideration laws for regulating the judicature of the court of admiralty, and for making a new eftablifhment of the poft-office.

The linen manufacture being the ftaple of your country, it is needlefs for me to recommend perfeverance in the improvement of that molt important article.

The fishery on your coafts will claim your attention as a promifing fource of wealth to this kingdom; and the encouragements granted to it will, no doubt, be regulated by you in the manner most likely to produce the best effect, and leaft fubject to fraud and impofition.

* Earl of Northington.

The

The Proteftant charter fchools, an inftitution founded in wifdom and humanity, are alfo almost eminently intitled to your care.

vans.

I recommend likewife to your attention the propofals adopted by government for providing an afylum for the diftreffed GeneIt well becomes the generofity of the people of Ireland to extend their protection to the ingenious and induftrious men, who may prove a valuable acquifition to this country, which they have preferred to their own. But in forming this establishment, you will doubtless confider it as a part of your duty to avoid unneceffary expence, and ultimately to fecure the utmost advantages to your country.

I anticipate the greatest national benefits from the wifdom and temper of parliament, when I confider that the general election has afforded you an opportunity of obferving the internal circumftances of the country, and of judging by what regulations you may beft increase its induftry, encourage its manufactures, and extend its commerce.

In the furtherance of objects fo very defirable to yourfelves, I affure you of every good difpofition on my part; fenfible that in no manner I can better fulfil the wishes and commands of our gracious fovereign, than by contributing to the welfare and happinefs of his loyal fubjects. With an honeft ambition of meriting your good opinion, and with the warmest hope of obtaining it, I have entered upon my prefent administration; and with fentiments pure and dinfinterested towards

you, I claim your advice, and firmly rely upon your support.

Dublin Caftle, O. 16.

The Houses of Lords and Commons having refolved upon humble addrefies to his majesty, the fame, together with addrefies from both houfes to the lord lieutenant, were this day prefented to his excellency, and, with his excellency's answers, are as follow:

To the King's most excellent Majefty. The humble Address of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament affembled.

Moft gracious Sovereign,

WE your majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in parliament affembled, beg leave to return our most humble thanks to your majefty for thofe gracious expreffions we have received from the throne, of that tender concern and parental regard for the happiness of this kingdom, which we have ever fo happily experienced,

Impreffed at all times with the deepest fenfe of your majefty's goodnefs, we moft thankfully acknowledge, as a fresh instance of it, the placing us under the government, of a nobleman, whofe amiable character, whofe integrity and abilities, afford every profpect of national profperity to the country over which he is to prefide.

The unequivocal proofs we have received from Great Britain of her facred regard for the adjuft[2] 3

ment

ment of our conftitution and commerce, made and established in the last parliament, not only afford us the fulleft fecurity of our conftitutional and commercial rights, but muft excite in us the warmest affection towards our fifter country, and ftrengthen that union of fentiment, as well as of interest, between the two kingdoms, upon which the power and happiness of both fo materially depend.

To contribute to give permanency to that union, we beg leave humbly to affure your majefty, it will ever be the first wifh of our hearts, as it will be the first object of our endeavours.

We beseech your majefty to accept our warmeft congratulations at the fuccefs which has attended your majesty's anxious exertions to restore the bleffings of peace to your faithful people, which mußt naturally give fpirit and effect to our commercial purfuits. And whilft it will enable both kingdoms to deliberate on the fureft means of increafing our common profperity, we fhall give every attention in our power to promote fuch measures as fhall effectually fecure to us the folid benefits that muft arife from reciprocal affection.

The happy increafe of your majefty's royal family, by the birth of a princefs, has afforded us all that heartfelt fatisfaction, which we can never fail to experience upon every increase to your majefty's domeftic happiness.

Confcious of the wifdom of those measures advised by the Privy Council, which through the mercy of Divine Providence, have averted from the people the

3

miferies of impending famine, we fhall gratefully concur in a parliamentary fanction of the means purfued by government to prevent fo dreadful a calamity.

We fhall alfo moft chearfully concur in regulating the judicature of the court of admiralty, as well as forming an establishment for the poft-office.

The improvement of our linen manufacture must ever be a principal object of our regard.

We are too fully convinced of the extreme importance of the fishery on our coafts, both to our national wealth and industry, not to bestow upon it every attention on our part, which may best encourage fo valuable a branch of our commerce, and best prevent thofe frauds and impofitions, which are fo fatal to every infant undertaking,

We fhall likewife confider the Proteftant charter-fchools, from the humanity as well as wisdom of the inftitution, highly deferving of our care.

We conceive the liberal intentions of government to provide an afylum to the industrious and diftreffed Genevans, demand both our acknowledgments and warmeft concurrence in every measure that may promote the fettlement in this kingdom of fo ufeful a body of men. But whilft we fhall endeavour to procure every advan. tage to our country from that fettlement, we are likewife bound to prevent as far as poffible every unneceffary expence with which the measure might be attended.

We trust that the prefent parliament will be diftinguished in the annals of their country for their wisdom, temper, and mo

deration,

[ocr errors]

deration, and for the efficacy of their regulations, to increase the induftry, encourage the manufactures, and extend the commerce of this kingdom.

Whilft we fhall endeavour to promote fuch valuable and important objects to ourselves, we fhall most cordially confider the interefts of Great Britain as immediately connected with our own; and ever having experienced the paternal beneficence of our most gracious fovereign, we beseech your majefty to accept the tribute of hearts deeply impreffed with gratitude in earneftly imploring the divine goodnefs long to continue your ma jefty's aufpicious reign over a loyal, happy, and united people. W.WATTS GAYER, Cler. Parl. EDW. GAYER,

}

[blocks in formation]

jefty our grateful thanks for the appointment of a nobleman to the government of this kingdom, whofe juftice, integrity, and abilities, afford the best founded expectations of national happiness and profperity under his administration.

The fincerity and good faith of Great Britain, fo abundantly teftified by the facred regard fhewn on her part to the adjustment of our conftitution and commerce, demand our warmeft acknowledgments, while we enjoy the full poffeffion of thofe conftitutional and commercial advantages which were fo firmly established in the laft parliament.

We fhall earnestly concur in any measure that may confirm and of both kingdoms, and their ftrengthen the mutual confidence union, in sentiment as well as in intereft. From thence the most folid advantages muft arife to both kingdoms, and vigour will be added to the ftrength of the empire.

Already we feel the bleffings of peace; and we intreat your majefty to accept our humble thanks for the happy completion of your anxious endeavours to restore that ful people. We hope now to reap inestimable bleffing to your faiththe fruits of our extended commerce, and in our deliberations, we fhall look upon the increasing profperity of Great Britain with that regard, which must be the effect of reciprocal affection.

As affectionate fubjects, deeply interested in the happiness of our beloved fovereign, we learn with the higheft fatisfaction the increase of that happiness in the birth of another princefs.

[Z] 4

We

[blocks in formation]

We adore the mercy of Divine Providence in averting from this people the miferies of impending famine; and we will chearfully concur in a parliamentary fanction of those wife and falutary meafures, which government purfued by the advice of the Privy Council.

We shall lofe no time in the neceffary manner for regulating the judicature of the court of admiralty, and for making a new eftablishment of the poft-office.

We fhall industriously perfevere in the improvement of our. linen manufacture; nor fhall we omit an attention to the fishery, that promifing fource of induftry and wealth; and we fhall endeavour to regulate the encouragements granted to it, fo as to produce the best effects, and to prevent fraud and impofition.

We fhall likewife extend our care to the Proteftant charterfchools.

We shall readily forward the liberal intentions of government to provide an afylum for the diftreffed Genevans. Ingenious men have a claim to the protection of a generous nation.

But our

own country is no lefs entitled to that care, which it is our duty to exert in avoiding unneceffary expence, and fecuring the utmost advantages from the fettlement of the emigrants.

We trust that the wisdom and temper of this parliament will be manifefted in all its proceedings; and we fhall endeavour to profit by every opportunity which circumftances have afforded us of obferving the internal state of the country, and judging what regulations may beft encourage and extend its industry, manufactures and commerce.

Having conftantly experienced the beneficence of our most gracious fovereign in contributing to the welfare and happiness of his faithful fubjects, we lay at your majesty's feet the tribute of grateful hearts, earnestly befeeching the divine goodness long to continue the bleffings of your majefty's aufpicious reign over a happy, united, and loyal people.

T. ELLIS, Cler. Parl. Dom.Com.

His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant's
Anfwer.

I will take the first opportunity of tranfmitting this dutiful and loyal addrefs to be laid before his majefty.

To his Excellency Robert Earl of
Northington, Lord Lieutenant
General and General Governor
of Ireland.

The bumble Addrefs of the Lords
Spiritual and Temporal, in Par-
liament affembled.

May it please your Excellency, WE, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in parliament affembled, prefent to your excellency our warmest thanks for your most excellent fpeech from the throne.

འ་བ

« ForrigeFortsett »