THE 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 



For the Year 1817. 



GENERAL HISTORY. 



CHAPTER I. 



The Prince Regent's Speech. — Insults offered him. — His Message to both 

 Houses of Parliament. — Taken into Consideration by the Houses of 

 Lords and Commons, and a Secret Committee appointed lit each. — 

 Report from the Committee in each House. 



PRIHCt REGENT S SPEECH. 



ON January 28th, his Royal 

 Highness the Piince Regent 

 opened the Pailiiunent with the 

 following Speech. 



" My Lords and Gentlemen, 



" It is with deep regret that I 

 am again obliged to announce to 

 you, that no alteration has occur- 

 red in the state of his Majesty's 

 lamented indisposition. 



" I continue to receive from 

 foreign powers tlie strongest as- 

 surances of their friendly dispo- 

 sition towards this coiintry, and of 

 tiieir earnest desire to maintain 

 the general tranquillity. 



" The hostilities to which I was 

 compelled to resort, in vindication 



Vol. LIX. 



of the honour of the country 

 against the government of Algiers, 

 have been attended with tlie most 

 complete success. 



" The splendid achievement of 

 his Majesty's fleet, in conjunction 

 with a squjidron of the king of the 

 Netherlands, under the gallant 

 and able conduct of Adm. Viscount 

 Exmouth, led to the immediate 

 and unconditional liberation of all 

 Christian captives tlien within the 

 territojy i,[' Algiers, and to the 

 renunciation by its government of 

 the practice of Christian slavery. 



" I am persuaded that you will 

 be duly sensible of the imp;)i tance 

 cf an arrangement so interesting 

 to humanity, and reflecting, from 

 the manner in which it has been 



[B] accomplished. 



