STATE PAPERS. 
His Majesty’s Speech on the Pro- 
rogation of Parliament, August 12, 
1803. 
My lords and gentlemen, 
Tam at length enabled, by the 
state of public business, to release 
you from your long and laborious 
attendance in parliament. In clos- 
ing the session, 1 have the utmost sa- 
_ tisfaction in expressing the strong 
_ sense which I entertain of that zea- 
lous*and unwearied regard for the 
welfare and honour of your country 
which has distinguished all your 
proceedings. During the continu- 
ance of peace, your conduct mani- 
fested the just view which you had 
_ taken of our actual situation, and of 
the dangers against which you were 
_ peculiarly called upon to provide ; 
and, since the recurrence of hostili- 
_ ties, you have displayed an energy 
_ and promptitude which have never 
_ been surpassed, in the means which 
_ you have supplied for the defence of 
_ the country, and for the vigorous 
_ prosecution of the war. Your pro- 
¢ ceedings, in consequence of the late 
 treasonable and atrocious occur- 
_ rences in Ireland, will, 1 trust, have 
i the effect of preventing any further 
_ interruption of its internal tzanquil- 
_ lity, and of convincing my loyal sub- 
jects, in that part of the United 
Kingdom, that they may confidently 
rely on that protection to which 
they are so justly entitled. In the 
midst of the deliberations, which 
_ were occasioned by the immediate 
exigency of the times, you have not 
been unmindfu! of other objects to 
which I had directed your atten- 
tion; and I have great satisfaction 
in observing that you have completed 
a system for consolidating the duties, 
and regulating the collection and 
Management of the several branches 
@fthe revenue; and that you have 
| ls > i a ale 
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649 
adopted measures which are caleus 
Jated to afford material accommoda- 
tion to the mercantile part of the 
community, and to encourage and 
extend the navigation and commerce 
of my dominious.” 
Gentlemen of the house of commons, 
Lreturn you my particular thanks 
for the liberality and readiness with 
which you have granted the supplies 
for the public service. it is painful 
to me to reflect, that the means of 
necessary exertion cannot be pro- 
vided without a heavy pressure upon 
my faithful people. But I cannot 
sufficiently applaud that wisdom 
and fortitude which have led you to 
overlook considerations of tempo- 
rary convenience, for the purpose of 
preventing a large accumulation of 
debt, during the continuance of the 
war. You may be assured, that 
there shall be as strict an attention 
to ceconomy on my part as may be 
consistent with those preparations 
and exertions which will be best cal- 
culated to frustrate the designs, and 
to weaken the power of the enemy, 
by whose arrogant pretensions aud 
restless ambition alone these sacri- 
fices have been rendered unavoids 
able. 
My lords and gentlemen, 
I am fully persuaded, that, dur- 
ing the cessation of your parliamen- 
tary duties, you will continue to be 
actuated by the same spirit which 
has been uniformly displayed in your 
councils. It will be your duty to 
assist in carrying into effect those 
important measures which your wis. 
dom has matured for the defence and 
security of the realm; and particu- 
larly to give the most beneficial di- 
rection to that ardour and enthusi- 
asm, in the cause of their country, 
which animate all classes of my peo- 
ple. 
