176 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



ments after long and careful deli- 

 beration on this most important sub- 

 ject ; and he earnestly recommends 

 to this house to take all such farther 

 steps as may best tend to the speedy 

 and complete execution of a work 

 so happily begun, and so interesting 

 to the security and happiness of his 

 majesty's subjects, and to the gene- 

 ral strength and prosperity of the 

 British empire. G. R. 



His Majesty's Speech from the 

 , Throne on closing the Session, 

 : 29fh July. 



My lords and gentlemen, 



IN puttinganendtothislaborious 

 session of parliament, Imustex- 

 press the just sense I entertain of 

 the diligence and perseverance with 

 which you have applied yourselves 

 to the various objects of public con- 

 cern which came under your deli- 

 beration. It is with peculiar satis- 

 faction I congratulate you on the 

 success of the steps which you have 

 taken for effecting an entire union 

 between my kingdoms of Great 

 Britain and Ireland. 



This great measure, on which my 

 wishes have been long earnestly 

 bent, I shall ever consider as the 

 happiest event of my reign, being 

 persuaded that nothing could so ef- 

 fectually contribute to extend to my 

 Irish subjects the full participation 

 of the blessings derived from the 

 British constitution, and to establish 

 on the most solid foundation, the 

 strength, prosperity, and power of 

 the whole empire. 



I have witnessed with great con- 

 cern the severe pressure on my peo- 

 ple from the continued scarcity of 

 the season ; but I trust that, under 

 the blessing of Providence, there is 



now every reason to expect that the 

 approaching harvest will afford a 

 .speedy and effectual relief. 



Gentlemen of the house of 

 commons. 

 I return you my particular thanks 

 for the zeal and liberality with which 

 you have provided for the various 

 exigencies of the public service. I 

 regret deeply the necessity of these 

 repeated sacrifices on the part of 

 my subjects; but they have been 

 requisite for the preservation of our 

 dearest interests, and it is a great 

 consolation to observe, that, not- 

 withstanding the continuance of 

 unusual burdens, the revenue, com- 

 merce, and resources of the coun- 

 t ry have flourished beyond all former 

 example, and are still in a state of 

 progressive augmentation. 



My lords and gentlemen. 

 The course of the campaign upon 

 the continent has, by a sudden re- 

 verse, disappointed the sanguine 

 hopes which the situation of affairs 

 at its commencement appeared fully 

 to justify, and has unhappily again 

 exposed a considerable part of Eu- 

 rope to those calamities and dangers, 

 from which it had been recently 

 rescued by the brilliant success of 

 my allies. 



Much as these events are to be 

 regretted, it will always be matter 

 of just satisfaction to me to reflect, 

 that, in the course of this important 

 contest, my efforts, and those of my 

 parliament, have been unremitting- 

 ly employed for the maintenance of 

 our own rights and interests, and 

 for animating and supporting the 

 exertions of other powers in defend- 

 ing the liberties of Europe. 



Notwithstanding the vicissitudes 

 of war, your constancy and iirm'- 



