[654] 
‘STATE 
His Majesty’s Speech to both Houses 
of Parliament, on the Meeting of 
the Fourth Session of the Second 
Parliament of the United King. 
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, 
and of the Kingdom of Great Bri- 
tain the Twentieth, on the 21st 
Day of January, (A7th of the 
King, ) 1800, 
My lords and gentlemen, 
N pursuance of the authority given 
tous by his majesty’s commission, 
under the great seal, amongst other 
things to declare the cause of his 
holding this parliament, his majesty 
has directed us particularly to call 
your attention to the most decisive 
success with which Providence has 
youchsafed to bless his majesty’s 
arms at sca since you were last 
assembled in parliament. 
The activity and perseverance of 
his majesty’s fleets have been conspi- 
cuously displayed in the pursuit and 
attack ofthe different squadrons of the 
enemy, and every encounter has ters 
minated to the honour of the British 
flag, and the diminution of the naval 
force ‘of the powers with whom his 
majesty is at war; but the victory ob- 
tained over the combined fleet of 
France and Spain,off cape Trafalgar, 
has manifested, beyond any exploit 
recorded even in the annals of the 
British navy, the skill and enterprize 
PAPERS. 
of his majesty’s officers and seamen 3 
and the destruction of so large a pro- - 
portion of the naval strength of the 
enemy has not only confirmed, in 
the most signal manner, the maritime 
superiority of this country, but has 
esseutially contributed to the security 
of his majesty’s dominions. 
His majesty most deeply regrets 
that the day of that memorable tri- 
umph should have been unhappily 
clouded with the fall of the heroic 
tommander under whom it was 
achieved,and he is persuaded that you 
will fee! that this lamented but glori- 
ous termination of a series of trans. 
cendent exploits claims a distinguish. 
ed expression of the lasting gratitude 
of his country; and that you will 
therefore cheerfully concur in ena- 
bling his majesty to annex te those 
honours, which he has conferred on 
the family of the late lord viscount 
Nelson, such a mark of national 
munificence as may preserve to the 
latest posterity the memory of his 
name and services, and the benefit of 
his great example. 
His majesty has commanded us ” 
further to inform you, that whilst 
the superiority of his arms at sea has 
been thus uniformly asserted and 
maintained, he has not been wanting 
in his endeavours to apply the means 
which were so liberally placed at his 
disposal, in aid of such of the pow. 
