STATE PAPERS. 



345 



tnent, in declaring war upon this 

 country, after all the causes of its 

 original complaint had been re- 

 moved, does not permit them to 

 reduce the fleet at once to a peace 

 establishment ; but as the question 

 now at issue in this war is the 

 maintenance of those maritime 

 rights which are the sure founda- 

 tions of our naval glory, their Lord- 

 ships look with confidence to that 

 part of the fleet which it may be 

 still necessary to keep in commis- 

 sion, for a continuance of that spi- 

 rit of discipline and gallantry 

 which has raised the British 

 Navy to its present pre-eminence. 



" In reducing the fleet to the 

 establishment necessary for the 

 American war, the seamen and 

 marines will find their Lordships 

 attentive to the claims of their 

 respective services. 



" The reduction will be first 

 made in the crews of those ships 

 which it may be found expedient 

 to pay off, and from them the petty 

 officers and seamen will be succes- 

 sively discharged, according to the 

 lens^th of their services ; beginning 

 in the first instance with all those 

 who were in his Majesty's service 

 previous to the 7th of March, 1803, 

 and have since continued in it. 



•' When the reduction shall 

 have been thus made, as to the 

 ships paid off", their Lordships will 

 direct iheir attention to those which 

 it may be found necessary to keep 

 in commission, and, as soon as the 

 circumstances of the war will ad- 

 mit, will bring home and discharge 

 all persons having the same stand- 

 ing and periods of service, as those 

 before discharged from the ships 

 paid oft"; so that in a few months, 

 the situation of individuHls will be 

 •**qiial)zed ; all njen of a certain pe- 



riod of service will be at liberty to 

 return home to their families ; and 

 the number which it may be still 

 necessary to retain will be com- 

 posed of those who have been the 

 shortest time in the service. 



" An arrangement in itself so 

 just, cannot, in their Lordships' 

 opinion, I'ail to give universal satis- 

 faction ; and they are induced to 

 make this communication to the 

 fleet, because they think that the 

 exemplary good conduct of all the 

 petty officers, seamen, and marines, 

 entitle them to every confidence, 

 and to this full and candid expla- 

 nation of their Lordships' inten- 

 tions. 



" Their Lordships cannot con- 

 clude without expressing their 

 hope, that the valour of his Ma- 

 jesty's fleets and armies will speedi- 

 ly bring the American contest to a 

 conclusion honourable to the Bri- 

 tish name, safe for British interests, 

 and conducive to the lasting repose 

 of the civilized world. 



By command of their Lordships, 

 J. W. Croker. 



A PROCLAMATION, 



Declaring the Cessation of Arms as 

 well bif Sea as Land, agreed upon 

 between bis Majesty and bis 

 Most Cbristian Majesty, and en- 

 joining tbe Observance thereof. 



George P. R. 

 Whereas a Convention for the 

 suspension of hostilities between his 

 Majesty and the kingdom of France, 

 was signed at Paris on the 23rd day 

 of April last, by the Plenipotentia- 

 ry of his Majesty and the Plenipo- 

 tentiary of his Royal Highness 

 Monsieur, brother of the Most 

 Christian King. Lieutenant Gene- 



