STATE PAPERS. 



605 



STATE PAPERS. 



His M'ljedifs Speech to both Homes 

 of Parliament, on tlie Meeting of 

 the Third Scsxion of the Second 

 Parliament uf the United King- 

 dom of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 and of the Kingdom of Great Bri- 

 tain the Nineteenth, on the 1 5th 

 Dai/ of January^ (i6th of the 

 King,) 1805. 

 My lords and gentlemen, 



SINCE the end of the last session, 

 the preparations of the enemy 

 for the invasion of this kingdom have 



• been continued with incessant acti- 

 vity, but no attempt has been made 

 to carry their repeated menaces into 



■ effect. The skill and intrepidity of 

 my navy, the respe6table and for- 

 midable state of my army and mili- 

 tia, the unabated zeal, and improved 

 discipline of a numerous volunteer 

 force, and the general ardour ma- 

 nifested by all classes of my subjects, 

 have, indeed, been sufficient to de- 

 ter them from so presumptuous and 

 desperate an enterprise. While this 

 spirit continues to animate the coun- 

 try, and its voluntary exertions for 

 its own defence subsist in their full 

 vigour, we need not fear the conse- 

 quences of the most powerful efforts 

 on the part of the enemy. But let 

 MS never forget, that our security 

 has arisen from the resolution with 

 which we have met and provided 

 against the danger, and that it can 

 l)e preserved only by steady perse- 

 Terance, and unremitting activity. 



The condufl of the court of Spain, 

 evidently under the predominant 

 influence and controul of France, 

 compelled me to take prompt and 

 decisive measures to guard against 

 the effe6ts of hostility. I have, at 

 the same time, endeavoured, as long 

 as it was possible, to prevent the 

 necessity of a rupture ; but, in con- 

 sequence of the refusal of a satisfac- 

 tory explanation, my minister quitted 

 Madrid, and war has since been de- 

 clared by Spain against this coun- 

 try. I have direrted a copy of the 

 Manifesto, which I have caused to 

 be prepared on the occasion, to be 

 laid before you, together with such 

 papers as are necessary to explain 

 the discussions which have taken 

 place between me and the Court of 

 Madrid. You will, I trust, be con- 

 vinced by them, that my forbear- 

 ance has been carried to the utmost 

 extent which the interests of my do- 

 minions would admit, and while I 

 lament the situation of Spain, in- 

 volved in hostilities contrary to its 

 true interests, I rely with confi- 

 dence on youT vigorous support in 

 a contest, which can be attributed 

 only to the unfortunate prevalsnce 

 of French councils. The general 

 cond'i6l of the French Government 

 on the continent of Europe, has 

 been marked by the utmost violencn 

 and outrage, and has shewn a wan- 

 ton defiance of the rights of neu- 

 tral territories, of the acknowledged 



priviUgci 



