State of Public Affairs 
Capt. Brenton. The Britith thips, Rai- 
fonable 64 guns, Immortalité, and Leda 
frigates, lately attacked 84 French gun- 
boats on the coaft of France, funk two of 
them, and damaged rnany more. Lieut. 
Sheppard, in the Armed Cutter, Admi- 
ral Mitchell, has driven on fhere a French 
gun-boat, and a gun-brig, which was ar- 
med with 12 guns 32 pounders, off Bou- 
Jogne. Off Dunkirk, a French gun-boat 
was, not many days fince, taken by Lieut. 
Chambers, in the Conflict gun-brig. A 
French brig with a {loop and a lugger 
have been alfotaken off Cherbourg. The 
Gritin Britifh thip of war, has, likewife, 
fought an action, between Boulogne and 
Calais, with 11 French gun-boats. The 
gun: boats were quickly diiven under the 
thelter of the French. batteries. They 
appeared to be quite unmsnageable at 
fea. A number ot thips of war have been 
recently ftaticned in Leith Roads for the 
defence of that important part of the Bri- 
tith coaft. A floating battery is, now, 
completely formed at the mou:h ef the 
Thames, which confits of one thip of 
40 guns, and g otheis of 24 guns each. 
Thefe thips are manned and commanded 
by officers and inen trom the naval fervice 
of the Eat India Company. The whole 
thipping which the Eait India Company 
now furnifhes to Government is not leis 
than 10,000 tons. 
Admiral Lord Nelfon fill maintains 
the fuperiority of our naval power in tne 
Italian feas. The lighter fips belong. 
ing to his fleet have, of late, taken fome 
French prizes. A ftreng fquadron has 
been detached by his Lordthip, from Mal- 
ta, to cruize on the Southern coalt of 
the Neapolitan dominions. 
In the Welt Indies, the operations of 
the Britifh navy continue to be equally 
fuccefsful. The Dutch fettlements of 
Demerara and Effequibo have been fur- 
rendered to the naval and military force 
under Commodore Hood and General 
Grinfeld. The Duguefne, a French 
fhip of 74 guns, was taken by the Van- 
guard, Captain James Walker, and, on 
the 2gth of July laft brought in, to the 
port of Kingfton in Jamaica; in the 
action between thefe fhips, one perfun was 
flain, one wounded, and cne drowned from 
tne crew of the Vanguard. An attempt 
which the French were preparing to make 
from Guadaloupe, aga‘nft -Aniieua, has 
been fortunately deteated by the vigi- 
47% 
in November, 1803. { Deendy 
Jance of Captain Obrien, in the fhip 
Emeralds. He fuddenly difcovered 13 
armed {chocners m the movement off Gua- 
daloupe Twelve hundred troops were, 
at the {ame time, on the fhorein that ifland, 
and ready to embark. On fight of the 
Emerald, the fchooners were fteered back 
in hafte for Guadaloupe. Capt. O’Brien 
gave chace, and tock three of them. The 
forces in the Weft Indies, having been 
found infufiicient for the different enter- 
prizes neceflary for the entire conguett of 
the French and Detch fettiements, 2 
number cf additional reeiments have been 
ordered upon that fervice. 
In Ireland no new inforrection has ta- 
ken place. Rulfe] who affumed the charac- 
ter of a general of the rebels, has with 
feveral of his accomplices, been tried 
and executed 
Lord Cathcirt, commander in chief 
of the forces m that part cf the United 
Kingdom, has gone on a journey through 
the ifland, to infpect the difeipline of 
the troops, and the flate of the prepara- 
tions for defenee at every garrifon, en- 
campment, military pofition, or point 
expofed to danger from an imvading 
enemy. 
On Tuefday, the 22d of November, the 
Imperial Parliament afiembled. His Ma- 
jeity wentin fate to the Houfe of Peers, 
and delivered the following Speech : 
dy Lords, and Gentlemen. 
Since I laft met you in Parliament, it has 
been my chief obyeét to carry into effeet thofe 
meafures which your wifdom had adopted for 
the defence of the United kingdom, and for 
the vigorous profecution of the war. In 
thefe preparations I have been feconded 
by the voluntary exertions of all ranks of 
my people, in a manner that has, if poflible, 
firengthened their claims to my confidence 
and affection : they have proved that the me- 
naces of the enemy have only ferved to roufe 
their native and hereditary fpirit ; and that all 
other confiderations are doft in a general dif- 
pofition to make thofe efforts and facrifices 
which the honour and fafety of the kingdom 
demand at this important and critical con- 
juncture. . 
Though my attention has principally 
been direéted to the great obje& of internal 
fecurity, no opportunity has been loft of mak- 
ing an impreffion on the foreign polleilions of 
theenemy. The iflands of St. Lucia, of To- 
bago, of St. Pierre, and Miquelon, and the 
fettlemenis of Demerara and Effequibo, have 
furrendered to the Britith arms In the con~ 
duct of the operations by which thofe valu- 
avle 
