204 THE KING OF ENGLAND'S MESSAGE. [1790. 



vessel and her crew had been liberated by the viceroy of Mexico, 

 on the supposition, however, that ignorance of the rights of Spain 

 alone induced individuals of other nations to frequent those coasts, 

 for the purposes of trade and settlement ; — but that no satisfaction 

 was made or offered by Spain, and a direct claim was asserted by 

 her government to the exclusive rights of sovereignty, navigation, 

 and commerce, in the territories, coasts, and seas, of that part of the 

 world. In consequence of all which, his majesty had directed his 

 minister at Madrid to make a fresh representation on the subject, 

 and to claim such full and adequate satisfaction as the nature of the 

 case evidently required. Having, moreover, been informed that 

 considerable armaments were in progress in the ports of Spain, he 

 had judged it indispensable to make preparations for acting with 

 vigor and effect in support of the honor of his crown, and the inter- 

 ests of his people ; and he recommended that Parliament should 

 enable him to take such other measures, and to make such aug- 

 mentations of his forces, as might be eventually requisite for this 

 purpose.* 



The recommendations in this message were received with every 

 mark of concurrence in Parliament and throughout the kingdom ; 

 the supplies were immediately voted, and the preparations for war 

 were continued with unexampled activity. On the day in which 

 the message was sent, a note was addressed to the Spanish ambas- 

 sador at London, containing a reiteration of the demands previously 

 made, and of the declaration that, until those demands should have 

 been satisfied, the question of the rights of Spain would not be dis- 

 cussed. " His majesty," says the note, " will take the most effectual 

 pacific measures to prevent his subjects from trespassing on the just 

 and acknowledged rights of Spain : but he cannot accede to the 

 pretensions of absolute sovereignty, commerce, and navigation, 

 which appeared to be the principal objects of the last note from 

 the Spanish ambassador ; and he considers it his duty to protect his 

 subjects in the enjoyment of the right of fishery in the Pacific 

 Ocean." The British Charge d'affaires at Madrid also presented, in 

 the name of his government, formal demands for the restitution of 

 the other vessel [the Princess Royal] and cargo seized at Nootka, 

 and for reparation of the losses and injuries sustained by the British 

 subjects trading in the North Pacific under the British flag ; asserting, 



* This message, and all the other official documents relative to the discussion 

 which have been published, will be found in the Proofs and Illustrations, under the 

 letter D. 



