384 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



ments of approbation, which j'ou 

 have bestowed on the consummate 

 skill and intrepidity displayed in 

 the operations which led to the 

 capture of the important fortresses 

 of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz, 

 during the present campaign ; and 

 his Royal Highness confidently 

 trusts, that the tried valour of the 

 allied forces, under thedistinguished 

 command of General the Earl of 

 Wellington, combined with the 

 unabated spirit and steady perse- 

 verance of the Spanish and Portu- 

 guese nations, will finally bring the 

 contest in that quarter to an issue, 

 by which the independence of 

 the Peninsula will be eff"ectually 

 secured. 



" The renewal of the war in 

 the north of Europe furnishes an 

 additional proof of the little secu- 

 rity which can be derived from any 

 submission to the usurpations and 

 tyranny of the French government. 

 His Royal Highness is persuaded, 

 that you will be sensible of the 

 great importance of the struggle in 

 which the Emperor of Russia has 

 been compelled to engage, and that 

 you will approve of his RoyalHigh- 

 iiess affording to those powers who 

 may be united in this contest, every 

 degree of co-operation and assist- 

 ance, consistent with his other en- 

 gagements, and with the interests 

 of his Majesty's dominions. 



" His Royal Highness has com- 

 manded us to assure you, that he 

 views with most sincere regret, the 

 hostile measures, which have been 

 recently adopted by the govern- 

 ment of the United States of Ame- 

 rica towards this country. His 

 Royal Highness is nevertheless will- 

 ing to hope, that the accustomed 

 relations of peace and amity be- 



tween the two countries may yet 

 be restored : but if his expectations 

 in this respect should bedisappoint- 

 ed, by the conduct of the govern- 

 ment of the United States, or by 

 their perseverance in any unwar- 

 rantable pretensions, he will most 

 fully rely on the support of every 

 class of his Majesty's subjects, in a 

 contest in which the honour of his 

 Majesty's crown, and the best in- 

 terests of his dominions, must be 

 involved. 



" Gentlemen of the House of 

 Commons, — We have it in com- 

 mand from his Royal Highness, to 

 thank you for the liberal provision 

 which you have made for the ser- 

 vices of the present year. His 

 Royal Highness deeply regrets the 

 burthens which you have found it 

 necessary to impose upon his Ma- 

 jesty's people ; but he applauds the 

 wisdom which has induced you so 

 largely to provide for the exigencies 

 of the public service, as affording 

 the best prospect of bringing the 

 contest in which the country is en- 

 gaged to a successful and honour- 

 able conclusion. 



" My Lords and Gentlemen,— 

 His Royal Highness has observed, 

 with the utmost concern, the spirit 

 of insubordination and outrage 

 which has appeared in some parts 

 of the country, and which has been 

 manifested by acts, not only de- 

 structive of the property and per- 

 sonal safety of many of his Ma- 

 jesty's loyal subjects in those dis- 

 tricts, but disgraceful to the Bri- 

 tish character. His Royal High- 

 ness feels it incumbent upon him- 

 to acknowledge 3'our diligence in 

 the investigation of thecauses which 



have 



