650 
ple. Justly sensible of the state of 
pre-eminence, in which it has pleased 
the Almighty to support us, for so 
many ages, amongst the nations of 
Europe, I rely with confidence, that, 
under the continuance of hjs divine 
protection, the exertions of my 
brave and loyal subjects will prove 
to the enemy dnd to the world, that 
an attempt to subvert the indepen- 
dence, or impair the power of this 
United Kingdom, will terminate in 
the disgrace and ruin of those by 
whom it may be made ; and that my 
, people will tind an ample reward for 
all their sacrifices, in an undisturbed 
enjoyment of that freedom and se- 
curity, which, by their patriotism 
and valour, they will have preserved 
and ensured to themselves and their 
posterity. 
Resolutions moved by Earl Fitz. 
wélliam, inthe House of Peers, on 
the 2d of June, 1803, on the con- 
duct of Ministers*. 
Ist. Resolved—That it appears to 
this house, from the declaration is- 
sued by his majesty, on the 18th in- 
stant, and laid before this house by 
his majesty’s command, That the 
conduct of the French republic to- 
‘wards this country, during the whole 
period which has elapsed since the 
conclusion of the definitive treaty of 
peace, is considered by his majesty’s 
ministers as having exhibited ‘‘ one 
continued series of aggression, vio- 
fence, and insult,” and as necessarily 
creating a ‘* thorough conviction” of 
a system deliberately ‘* adopted by 
France, for the purpose of degrading, 
vilifying, and insulting his majesty 
and his government.” 
2d. Resolved—That his majesty’s 
ministers having, throughout the 
whole period, from the definitive 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
treaty of peace to the breaking out 
of the present war, neither commu- 
nicated to parliament any knowledge 
of the sense which they now appear 
to have entertained respecting the 
conduct and system of France, nor 
any regular information of the par- 
ticulars on which the same was 
founded, or of the steps taken by 
his majesty’s government thereupon, 
have thereby withheld from this 
house the necessary materials for the 
due and full discharge of its consti- 
tutional functions ; and that, by en- 
couraging throughout the country 
an unfounded security and confi- . 
dence in the permanence of peace, 
they have embarrassed and perplexed 
our commerce; have deceived the 
expectations, and unnecessarily har- 
rassed the spirit of the people; and 
have materially increased and aggra- 
vated the difficulties of our actual 
situation. 
3d. Resolved—That it was the 
duty of his- majesty’s ministers to 
make timely and adequate repre- 
sentations against all such acts as 
have, in their judgment, constituted 
a series of systematic ‘** aggression, 
violence, and insult,” on the part of 
France. 
That, by dignified and temperate 
remonstrances, followed up with 
consistency, and sustained with 
firmness, either the course and pro- 
gress of such acts would have been 
arrested without the necessity of re- 
curring to arms, or the determina- 
tion of the French government to 
persist therein would have been dis- 
tinctly ascertained, before his ma- 
jesty had proceeded so far, both in 
the reduction of his forces, and the 
surrender of his conquests. 
That this essential duty appears 
to have been, in a very great degree, 
neglected by his majesty’s wane 
an 
* Vide page 160, 
