258 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
of Commons upon the failure of 
the recent formidable attempt. of 
the French to invade his Majefty’s 
kinodom of Ireland. The providen- 
tial difperfion of their {quadrons un- 
til his Majefty’s fleets were enabled 
to appear upon the coaft, cannot 
fail to imprefs fenfations of awful 
and ferious gratitude for fo fignal 
an inftance of Divine interpofition; 
at the fame time the Commons will 
cherifh the fatisfa&tory reflection, 
that the delufive hopes of fuccefs 
in creating divifion and infurreétion 
in the country, by which the ene- 
my were infpired, have been. total- 
ly difappointed ; and that the late 
alarm has afforded his Majefty’s 
fubjeéts an opportinity of teftify- 
ing, at the hazard of their fortunes 
and their lives, their invincible at- 
tachment to the mild government 
of their beloved Sovereign, and the 
bleffings of their happy conftitu- 
tion. I have beheld with pleafure 
the zeal and alacrity of his Majef- 
ty’s regular and military forces, and 
the prompt and honourable exer-. 
tions of the yeomanry corps, whofe? 
decided utility has been fo abund-" 
antly difplayed; while the diftin- 
guifhed tervices of ‘the moft re- 
{pectable charafters in forwarding 
the meafures of government, the 
benevolent attention fhown to the 
army by all ranks and defcriptions 
of perfons, and the fpirited mea- 
fures which were taken to fupport 
public credit, have made an indeli- 
ble impreffion upon my mind. It 
was from this general {pirit of ani- 
mated and gallant loyalty that 
was infpired with a juft hope that, 
had the enemy fucceeded in an at- 
tempt to land, their career would 
have been terminated in total dif- 
comfiture. Ihave not failed to re- 
prefent to his Majefty this merito- 
rious conduét of his faithful fubjects 
of Ireland; andam expreffly com- 
manded to convey to them his cor- 
dial acknowledgments and thanks. 
. His Majefly’s concern for the 
fafety and happinefs of his people has 
been anxious and unceafing; he was 
prepared to fend every requifite mi- 
litary afliftance from Great Britain. 
Andhis Majefty is not without hopes 
that the formidable ‘feet aflembled 
under the command of Lord Brid- 
port for the protection of this king- 
dom (the arrival of which was only 
obftructed by thofe adverfe, ftorms 
which have proved fo deftructive 
to the prefent expedition of the 
enemy) may ftill fall in with the 
hoftile {quadron, and effeét their to- 
tal defeat. 
At the fame time, however, his 
Majefty trufts that the Houfe of 
Commons will advert tothe fitua- 
tion and refources of the kingdom 
for eftablithing future fecurity, by 
means proportionable to the daring 
efforts which may be expected from 
a defperate enemy ; who having re- 
jected every reafonable propofai for 
the reftoration of peace, isendea- | 
vouring to excite difaffection among 
his Majefty’s fubjects, and to pro- 
agate the principles of anarchy by — 
the {pirit of plunder. 
Meffaze from the Lord Lieutenant to the 
Houfe of Commonsy on the 18th of 
March, 1797. . 
_ THE dangerous and daring out- 
rages committed in many paris 
of the province of Ulfter, evi- 
dently perpetrated with a view to 
fuperfede the law, and, prevent the | 
adminiftration of juitice, by an or- 
ganized fyftem of murder and rob- 
bery, have lately increafed to fo 
alarming a degrce in fome parts of 
a 
