326 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1819. 



STATE PAPERS. 



The Prince RegenVs Speech, 



Jan, 7. 

 My Lords and Gentlemen, 



WE are commanded by his 

 Royal Highness the Prince 

 Regent to express to you the dtep 

 sorrow which he feels in announc- 

 ing to you the continuance of his 

 Majesty's lamented indisposition, 

 and theunhappy disappointment of 

 those hopes of his Majesty's early 

 recovery which had been cherished 

 by the dutiful affection of his fami- 

 ly and the loyal attachment of his 

 people. 



Tlie Prince Regent has directed 

 copies of the last reports of her 

 Majesty the Queen's council to be 

 laid before you, and he is satisfied 

 that you will adopt such measures 

 as the present melancholy exigency 

 may appear to require. 



In securing a suitable and ample 

 provision for the support of his 

 Majesty's royal dignity, and for the 

 attendance upon his Majesty's sa- 

 cred person during his illness, the 

 Prince Regent rests assured, that 

 you will also bear in mind the in- 

 dispensable duty of continuing to 

 preserve for his Majesty the facility 

 of resuming the personal exercise 

 of his royal authority in the happy 

 event of his recovery, so earnestly 

 desired by the wishes and the pray- 

 ers of his family and subjects. 



The Prince Regent directs ns to 

 signify to you the satisfaction with 

 which his Royal Highness has ob- 

 served, that the measures which 

 have been pursued for the defence 

 and securitj^ of the kingdom of 

 Portugal have proved completely 

 effectual ; and that on the several 

 occasions in which the British or 

 Portuguese troops had been engag- 

 ed with the enemy, the reputation 

 already acquired by them has been 

 fully maintained. 



The successful and brilliant en- 

 terprize, which terminated in the 

 surprize, in Spanish Estremadura, 

 of a French corps by a detachment 

 of the allied army under Lieut. 

 General Hill, is highly creditable 

 to that distinguished officer, and to 

 the troops under his command, and 

 has contributed materially to ob- 

 struct the designs of thf enemy in 

 that part of the Peninsula. 



The Prince Regent is assured, 

 that while you reflect with pride 

 and satisfaction on the conduct of 

 his Majesty's troops, and of the 

 allies, in these various and im- 

 portant services, you will render 

 justice to the consummate judg- 

 ment and skill displayed by Gen. 

 Lord Viscount WeUington in the 

 direction of the campaign. In 

 Spain, the spirit of the people re- 

 mains unsubdued ; and the system 



of 



