564 
matchlocks, musquets, and stores, 
also 12 artificer’s carts.’ 
(Signed) J. Gerard, adj. gen. 
J. Robinson, capt. 
wi Com. the art. 
Published by Command of his 
Excellency the most noble the 
, governor generalin council, 
J. Lumsden, chief sec. to 
the govt. 
Correspondence between his Majesty, 
the Prince of Wales, the Duke of 
York, and Mr, Addington, respect- 
ing the Offer. of Military Service 
‘made by his Royal Highness the 
Prince of Wales. 
(COPY.) 
Carlton-House, July 18, 1803. 
Sir, ; 
‘The subject on which I address 
you presses so heavily on my mind, 
and daily acquires such additional 
importance, that, notwithstanding 
my wish to avoid any interference 
with his majesty’s ministers, I find 
it impossible to withhold or delay an 
explicit statement of my feelings, to 
which I would direct your most se- 
rious consideration. 
- When it was officially communi- 
cated to parliament, that the avow- 
ed object of the enemy was a de~ 
scent on our kingdoms, the question 
became obyious that the circum- 
stances of the times required the vo- 
huntary tender of personal service 5 
vehen parliament, in consequence of 
this’ representation, agreed to ex- 
traordinary measures for the de- 
fence of these realms alone, it was 
evident the danger was not believed 
dubious er remote.—Animated by 
the same spirit which pervaded the 
nation atlarge, conscious of the da- 
ties which I owed to his majesty and 
the country, I seized the earliest 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
opportunity to express my desire of 
undertaking the responsibility of a 
military command ; I neither did, 
nor do presume on supposed ta- 
Jents as entitling me to such an ap- 
pointment. I am aware I do not 
possess the experience of actual 
warfare ; at the same time I cannot 
regard myself as totally unqualified 
or deficient in military science, since 
Ihave long made the service my 
particular study. My chief preten- 
sions were founded on a sense of 
those advantages which my example 
might produce to the state, by ex- 
citing the loyal energies of the na- 
tion, and a knowledge of those ex- 
pectations which the public had a 
right to form as to the personal exer- 
tions of their princes at a moment 
like the present. The more elevated 
my situation, in so much the efforts 
of zeal became necessarily greater 5 
and, I confess, that if duty had 
not been so paramount, a reflection 
on the splendid achievements of my 
predecessors would have excited in 
me the spirit of emulation; when, 
however, in addition to such recol- 
lections, the nature of the contest 
in which we are about to engage 
was impressed on my consideration, 
I should, indeed, have been devoid 
of every virtuous sentiment, if I 
felt no reluctance in remaining a 
passive spectator of armaments, 
which have for their object the very 
existence of the British empire. 
Thus was { influenced) to make 
my offer of service, and I did ima- 
gine that his majesty’s ministers 
would have attached to it more va- 
Iue. But when I find that, from 
some unknown cause, my appoint- 
ment seems to remain so long unde- 
termined; when I feel myself ex- 
posed to the obloqny of being re- 
garded by the country as passing my 
time 
