beft seasons for improving the civil polity of a nation, and providing for its fecurity; we beg leave to affure your majefty, that we shall not be regardless of the opportunity which Providence is now pleased to favour us with. Permit us, royal fir, further to affure your majefty, that in all our confultations upon thofe great and national objects which have been recommended to us in his excellency's fpeech from the throne, we will proceed with that diligence and unanimity which matters of fuch high importance require, and which may procure to us, what we most ardently wish to obtain, a continuance of your majesty's favourable countenance and approbation. The bumble addrefs of the knights, citizens, and burgefes in parliament affembled. To the king's moft excellent majesty. Moft gracious fovereign, WE E your majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Ireland, in parliament affembled, humbly beg leave to affure your majefty of our firm attachment to your facred perfon, royal family, and government. We beg leave to exprefs the jufteft fentiments of duty and affection to your majefty, for having gratified the earnest wishes of your faithful fubjects with that great improvement of the conftitution, the law for limiting the duration of parliaments; the happy effects of which begin already to appear, in ftrengthening and extending the proteftant religion in this kingdom. Wemoft thankfully acknowledge the many gracious marks we have experienced of your majefty's paternal regard to your fubjects of this kingdom; the fenfe of which must at all times animate our deliberations, and direct them to all fuch meafures as may fecure to us the bleffings we enjoy under your aufpicious government. Permit us to congratulate your majesty on the further addition to your illuftrious house by the birth of another princefs; an event which muft give the highest fatisfaction to a people fo deeply interested in the happiness of fo excellent a fovereign, adorned with every virtue that conftitutes the great king and the amiable father of a family. We return our moft fincere thanks to your majefty, for giving the first parliament limited in duration an opportunity of meeting his excellency lord Townfhend, a chief governor, under whose administration we obtained that excellent law; from whofe experience of our loyalty and zeal, and from whofe mild and prudent government we have the highest expectations, that the honour of the crown and the liberties of the people will be duly attended to. The great affection which your loyal and faithful commons of Ireland have ever teftified for your facred perfon,and the fucceffionof your illuftrious houfe, will always induce them, to the utmost of their abilities, to grant fuch fupplies as may be neceffary for the fupport of your majefty's government, and the fafety of this kingdom. Fully fenfible that times of peace are the best feafons for improving the civil polity, and providing for the fecurity of a nation, and that the ftrength and riches of a coun.. try must be in proportion to the the number of its induftrious inhabitants, and the purity of their morals, we affure your majefty, that we fhall be particularly attentive to that useful and charitable inftitution, the proteftant charter fchools, fo as that the fame fhall be rendered as advantageous as poffible to this country; and that we fhall, to the utmost of our power, promote and extend the linen manufacture of this kingdom, and provide fuch farther laws as may be neceffary to prevent the pernicious practice of the clandeftine running of goods: and that, in these and all our other confultations, we fhall proceed with that unanimity and wisdom, which matters of fuch high importance require. Addreffes to the lord lieutenant. The humble addrefs of the lords fpi-v ritual and temporal, in parliament affembled. W May it please your excellency, E his majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the lords fpiritual and temporal,in parliament affembled, do, with the utmost fatisfaction, offer your excellency our fincereft thanks for your most excellent speech from the throne. We beg leave to affure your excellency, that we confider it as a great proof of his majesty's goodnefs to us, that he hath been pleased to continue your excellency our chief governor, to meet us in this first parliament limited in its duration, that ever affembled in this kingdom. We cannot but have obferved, in the courfe of your excellency's refidence amongst us, how much your excellency'sthoughts and endeavours have been employed to acquire a I true knowledge of the circumftances, affairs, and true interests of this country, from whence, and from a reflection upon the integrity with which you have ferved his majetty, and the eminent fervices which you have done your country in the great ftations to which you have been called, we have the moft pleafing hopes, and faireft prospect, that your exellency's adminiftration here will proceed in fuch a manner, as to render it throughout glorious to his majefty, honourable to yourfelf, and moft propitious and fortunate to this kingdom. Your benevolence and affection for us, manifefted by the many inftances which you have given us of it, inspire us with an earnest defire to render your government as easy to yourself as fo arduous and important a concern can be. us We beg leave to add our affurances to your excellency, that all our deliberations upon thofe great and important matters, recommended to with great force and energy in your fpeech, fhall be conducted by us in fuch a manner as may recommend us to, what we ever wish above all things to obtain, his majefty's gracious approbation, and as may preferve to us your excellency's favourable opinion. His excellency's anfier. I am truly fenfible of the honour you have done me by this kind and affectionate addrefs; and I fhall flatter myself, that a conftant obedience to the juft and gracious commands of my royal master, and a warm attachment to your interefts and profperity, will continue to me the invaluable poffeffion of your confidence and approbation. The The bumble address of the knights, citizens and burgeffes, in parliament affembled. WE May it please your excellency, TE his majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Ireland, in parliament affembled, return your excellency our most humble thanks for your most excellent fpeech from the throne, and beg leave at the fame time to exprefs our fincere and hearty congratulation on this parliament being appointed to meet your excellency, under whofe administration this kingdom has been made happy in the acquifition of that great improvement to our constitution, the law for limiting the duration of parliaments; and as we are the first parliament that has ever affembled in this kingdom in confequence of that law, we confider it as a particular mark of his majesty's goodness, that he has been pleafed to give us this opportunity of affuring your excellency, that we entertain the justest fenfe of and gratitude for your excellency's effectual endeavours in favour of that meafure; among the many happy effects of which, the increafe and strengthening of the protestant interest begin already to take place. When we reflect on this, and the many other convincing proofs which this kingdom has received of your excellency's true regard to its welfare and happiness, we have the fullest confidence that under your excellency's administration, the honour and dignity of the crown, and the just rights and liberties of the people, will be maintained and protected. We beg leave to affure your excellency, that we fhall chearfully concur in granting fuch fupplies as 3 fhall be neceffary for the support of his majesty's government, and the fafety and welfare of this king, dom. We return your excellency our hearty thanks, for your having been pleafed to inform us that the exigencies of government have required only a very moderate ufe to be made of that confidential credit which was granted by the last parliament; and we are thoroughly fatisfied, that, during your excellency's administration, the fame attention to the public economy will continue. We fhall not neglect the favourable opportunity which this time of peace affords us to attend to thofe objects which your excellency has been pleased to recommend to us; and as we are fully confident that the strength and riches of a country are in proportion to the number, industry, and good morals of the inhabitants, we shall use our utmost endeavours to make that useful and charitable institution, the protestant charter fchools, effectually correfpond with its original defign and great end. The linen manufacture is an object which fhall always engage our earnest attention; and it fhall be our care, as far as in us lies, to preferve that important branch of our trade in its fullest credit and kingdom; and to affure your excellency, that we, on our part, fhall make it our ftudy in all our confultations, to proceed with that unanimity which your excellency has been pleased to recommend to us. His excellency's answer. I am extremely obliged to the houfe of commons for this kind addrefs, which gives me the greater fatisfaction, as it follows your experience of my conduct during a refidence of two years in this king dom. I cannot, however, but impute a great part of this honour to the refpect which his majesty's faithful commons of Ireland have, upon every occafion, expreffed for the high commiffion his majesty has placed in my hands. Be affured, gentlemen, that I fhall endeavour, by a steady, and, I hope, difinterested attention, to the true fervice of this kingdom, and by a just representation of the constant and unfhaken loyalty of the people of Ireland, to preferve your approbation and confidence. have His excellency George lord viscount now do, for your conduct in these particulars. Gentlemen of the houfe of commons, It is with great pleasure that I thank you, in his majesty's name, for the fupplies which you have granted, and the provifion which you have made, for the prefent establishment, the public credit, and the fafety of this kingdom. When I first met you in parlia ment, as I knew and could rely upon it, that nothing could move from his majesty but what would be expreffive of his constant and ardent defire to maintain and preferve every constitutional right to his people, I little thought that any thing would happen, during the courfe of this feffion, that could poffibly affect the just rights of his majesty, and of the crown of Great Britain, fo as to afford his majesty any just cause of diffatisfaction, and make it neceffary for me, fpecially to affert and vindicate thofe rights. It is therefore with great concern that I have feen and observed, in the votes and journals of the house of commons, printed by your order, a late proceeding by you, of fuch a nature, and of fuch effect, with refpect to the rights of his majesty, and the crown of Great Britain, as to make it neceffary for me, on this day, and in this place, to take notice of, and animadvert thereupon; I mean, the vote and refolution of the twenty-first day of November last, by which you, gentlemen of the house of commons, declare, that a bill, intituled, An act for granting to his majesty the feveral duties, rates, impofitions and taxes, therein particularly expreffed, to be applied to the payment of the interest of the fums therein pro vided vided for, and towards the difcharge of the faid principal fums, in fuch a manner as is therein directed, which had been duly certified from hence to his majefty, and, by his majefty, had been tranfmitted in due form under the great feal of Great Britain, and which had been read a first time by you, and which was rejected by you on that day, was fo rejected, because it did not take its rife in your house. This vote, and this refolution of yours, declaring that the faid bill was rejected, because it did not take its rife in your houfe, being contrary to the acts of parliament of this kingdom of the 8th of Henry VIIth, and the 3d and 4th of Phillip and Mary, and the ufage and practice ever fince, and intrenching upon the just rights of his majefty, and the crown of Great Britain, to tranfmit fuch bills to be treated of and confidered in parliament here; I am now to affert his majefty's royal authority, and the rights of the crown of Great Britain, in this refpect, and in fuch a manner as may be moft public and permanent; and therefore I do here, in full parliament, make my public proteft againft the faid vote and refolution of the house of commons, by which you, gentlemen of that houfe, declare that the faid bill was rejected by you, because it did not take its rife in your house, and against the entries of the faid vote and refolution, which remain in the journals of the houfe of commons. And I do require the clerk of this houfe now to read my faid protest, and to enter it in the journals of this houfe, that it may there remain to future ages, as a vindication of the undoubted rights and authority of his majefty, and of the rights of the Crown of Great Britain in this particular, In this proteft, I think myfelf warranted in all respects; and if it needed, as I conceive it doth not, any other ftrength than that it derives from the ftatutes which I have mentioned, and from the ufage and practice ever fince, it would be found in that precedent which appears in the journals of this houfe of the 3d day of Nov. 1692, under the reign of that glorious and immortal prince king William the third, the great deliverer of these kingdoms, and the conftant and magnanimous affertor and preferver of the civil and religious rights of mankind. After which the lord chancellor, by his excellency's command, faid, My lords and gentlemen, It is his excellency the lord lieutenant's pleasure, that this parliament be prorogued to Tuesday the 20th day of March next, to be then here held; and this parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday the 20th day of March next. Our readers will fee the protest of the lords, made in confequence of this fpeech, in the Appendix to the Chronicle, p. 176. CHA |