2] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



the loss which they have sustain- 

 ed, and of their sympathy with 

 his parental sorrow ; and, amidst 

 his own sufferings, his Royal 

 Highness has not been unmindful 

 of the effect which this sad event 

 must have on the interests and 

 future prospects of the kingdom. 

 " We are commanded to ac- 

 quaint you, that the Prince Re- 

 gent continues to receive from 

 foreign powers the strongest as- 

 surances of their friendly disposi- 

 tion towards this country, and of 

 their desire to maintain the gene- 

 ral tranquillity. 



" His Royal Highness has the 

 satisfaction of being able to assure 

 you, that the confidence which he 

 nas invariably felt in the stability 

 of the gi'eat sources of our na- 

 tional prosperity has not been 

 disappointed. 



" The improvement which has 

 taken place in the course of the 

 last year, in almost every branch 

 of our domestic industry, and the 

 present state of public credit, 

 afford abundant proof that the 

 difficulties under which the coun- 

 try was labouring were chiefly 

 to be ascribed to temporary 

 causes. 



" So important a change could 

 not fail to withdraw from the dis- 

 affected the principal means of 

 which they had availed themselves 

 for the purpose of fomenting a 

 spirit of discontent, which unhap- 

 pily led to acts of insurrection 

 and treason ; and his Royal High- 

 ness entertains the most confident 

 expectation, that the state of 

 peace and tran juillity to which 

 the country is now restored, will 

 be maintained against all attempts 

 to disturb it, by the persevering 

 vigilance of magistracy, and by 



the loyalty and good sense of the 

 people. 



" Gentlemen of the House of 



Commons ; 

 " The Prince Regent has di- 

 rected the estimates for the cur- 

 rent year to be laid before you. 



" His Royal Highness recom- 

 mends to your continued atten- 

 tion the state of the public income 

 and expenditure ; and he is most 

 happy in being able to acquaint 

 you, that since you were last as- 

 sembled in parliament, the revenue 

 has been in a state of progressive 

 improvement in its most import- 

 ant branches. 



" My Lords and Gentlemen ; 

 " We are commanded by the 

 Prince Regent to inform you, 

 that he has concluded treaties 

 with the courts of Spain and Por- 

 tugal, on the important subject 

 of the abolition of the slave trade. 

 " His Royal Highness has di- 

 rected that a copy of the former 

 treaty should be immediately laid 

 before you ; and he will order a 

 similar communication to be made 

 of the latter treaty, as soon as the 

 ratification of it shall have been 

 exchanged. 



" In these negotiations it has 

 been his Royal Highness's endea- 

 vour, as far as circumstances 

 would permit, to give effect to 

 the recommendations contained 

 in the joint addresses of the two 

 Houses of Parliament : and his 

 Royal Highness has a full reliance 

 on your readiness to adopt such 

 measures as may be necessary for 

 fulfilling the engagements into 

 which he has entered for that 

 purpose. 



" The Prince Regent has com- 

 manded us to direct your parti- 

 cular attention to the deficiency 



which 



