this impaired ftate of English liberty, and that which was fo nobly demanded, and fo honourably conceded, at the aufpicious æra of our happy and glorious revolution. It is in vain that, by the rapidity with which this bill has proceeded, the petitions, complaints, remonftrances, and other addreffes of an irritated people, have been evaded, It is in vain to hope, that the length of time for which it is to endure will lay the public anxiety to fleep. The people cannot ceafe to regard this invation of their rights with grief and difmay. They feel with us, that even indifference would extinguish this fundamental franchife, this fafeguard of all our liberties, for ever. BEDFORD, ALBEMARLE, DERBY. LAUDERDALE, Speech of His Excellency the Viceroy of Cerfica, delivered to the Chamber of Parliament at the opening of the Sion, the 9th Day of Feb. 1795. Gentlemen, IT is with unfeigned pleasure that I meet you this day in parliament, both because your conftitution, on which the future happinefs of Corfica depends, is hereby confummated, and because the full energy of your wifdom and authority is required at a period rendered doubly interefting by the eftablishment of a new government, and by the continuance of the war. You are charged not only with important, but arduous duties, fince you must on the one hand fecure your freedom as an independent nation, by a vigorous and courageous exertion in the war, and on the other, you must make provition for internal happiness and liberty, by deliberations which are better fuited to times of tranquillity and peace. For the difcharge of this great truft, I rely with perfect confidence on the wiidom and public fpirit of parliament, fupported by the zealous and hearty union of all good Corficans, whether in public or private ftations; for you will, no doubt, participate with me in the pleafing reflection, that the prefent period affords the happy opportunity of compofing paft animofities, and obliterating divifions no longer fupported by any fubfifting motive; and which, being always at variance with the general good, are peculiarly prejudicial to it in moments like the prefent. His majesty, on his part, ever juft and ever firm to his engagements, has already taken thofe fteps which the conftitution pointed out, for completing the new fyftem of your government. He has been pleased to ratify in perfon the conftitutional act which he had previously authorized me to accept in his name. I have ordered the gracious anfwer made by his majefty to the addrefs of the late general council, prefented to him by deputies from that affembly, to be laid before you. I have alfo ordered to be laid before you a copy of the commiffion by which his majetty has been pleafed to confer on me the exalted honour of representing him in this kingdom under the title of viceroy, agreeable to the provifions of the conftitutional act By the choice of a perfon whofe beft qualification for that diftinguished ftation is a warm and fteady affection for Corfica, you will perceive that the fame fentiment prevailed on that occafion on his majefty's mind. I am I am enabled with equal fatisfaction to acquaint you, that his majefty is not lefs attentive to your protection against the hoftile defigns of the enemy: and you may depend on his powerful and vigorous fupport during the war. He confides at the fame time in the zeal and courage of his Corfican fubjects for repelling the enemy, and defending, in the independence of their country, and the fecurity of their lives, fortunes, and honour, all that can be dear to men. In thefe views a confiderable body of Corfican infantry has been raised, and an immediate augmentation to that national corps is intended. Measures have been taken for enabling his majefty to affemble the militia, and employ them against the common enemy in cafe of need. It will be for the parliament in its wifdom to frame adequate regulations for the perfection of fuch a fyftem as may give to Corfica, in moments of danger, the full benefit of the courage and patriotifm of of all her fubjects: for it must not be forgotten, that the independence and liberty of your country muft not depend on the protection of regular troops alone, however formidable the force employed may be ; but, under the providence of GoD, muft ftill reft principally on the hearts and arms of a people who love their country and their free dom. Many important objects will require your immediate attention. The most urgent of thefe, is to provide fufficient funds for the public fervice. In the prefent circumftances of Corfica, his majefty is pleafed to take upon himself the whole charges of the military establishment; you have alfo the benefit of a great naval force, without any expence; you have no public debt, and confequently no intereft to pay on that – account Reflecting on these peculiar advantages, enjoyed, perhaps, exclufively by this nation, I am perfuaded that you will cheerfully furnish the remaining and unavoidable expences of the public fervice; and it is with much comfort that I confider the impoffibility of an ample and adequate provision for the civil charges of government being burthenfome to the people of Corfica, even in the present flate of her refources. A fettlement of your religious establishment has been referved for the chamber of parliament, in concert with his holinefs the pope. To this important point you will naturally direct your early and ferious attention; and I have no doubt, that the wifdom and piety which will prefide in your councils, will lead you to the means of reconciling the civil interefts and temporal profperity of your conftituents, with the holy duties of religion, the reverence due to its minifters, and the facred rights of property. A 1 The definition aad limits of the feveral powers and jurifdictions to be exercifed by the different tribunals in the administration of juftice, as well as a declaration of the law itself, are other points of ferious and urgent importance. faithful and judicious adminiftration of the national property, par ticularly of the woods and forefts, the improvement of agriculture, manufactures and commerce, the encouragement of induftry in all its branches, the government and difcipline of the military, the encouragement of couragement of navigation, and regulations which may bring forth the naval refources of the ifland, whether in mariners or ftores, in its own defence, and in the general fervice of the empire; the repair of highways, and improvement internal communication; inftitutions for public inftruction; eftablishments of health, both for the fecurity of the inhabitants, and the convenience of their commerce; all these are objects worthy of your early deliberations, and for which your wisdom and diligence will not fail to provide. I have the greateft fatisfaction in announcing to you the conclufion of a treaty for the marriage of lis royal highness the prince of Wales with the princess Caroline, daughter of the duke of Brunf wick. I am perfuaded that your affection for the perfon and family of his majefty will make you participate in the general joy diffufed through every part of his dominions, by an event fo interefting to the happiness of his majesty and that illuftrious prince. Gentlemen, Impreffed with the momentous nature of the prefent period, and of the duties which it imposes on us, I am nevertheless confident in Four patriotifm, talents, and application; and I pray God fo to blefs and enlighten our councils, and fo to endue us with wisdom and virthe, as to render this firft parliament of Corfica an example to all fucceeding ones, as well as to your conftituents of the prefent day, of difinterefted, zealous, and, above all, united exertion for the public good. It is by these means, and by the bleding of God, that I truft your country will triumph over its foreign and domestic enemies, and attain, under the mild and equitable government of his majefty, the fummit of national prosperity and happiness, Earl Fitzwilliam's Speech to both Houfes of the Irish Parliament, on opening the Seffion 22d Jan. 1795. My lords and gentlemen, IN obedience to his majesty's command, I refort to your councils, at a period which, in a peculiar manner, calls for the wifdom and energy of parliament. His majefty's determination is fixed; as long as he is fupported by his faithful fubjects, he never will be wanting to them or to himfelf; his majefty has no interest but that of his people; no views but for their happiness; no object but their general fafety. The uniform tenor of your conduct has demonftrated, that you will not only be defirous, but zealous, to fecond and emulate the magnanimity of a fovereign, formed to lead a nation that has ever been as firm to affert its liberties, as affectionately devoted to a government which maintains its own authority, for the fole purpose of fupporting thofe liberties. As you are thus cordially attached to that fovereign, and to the conftitution which it is his glory to protect, I have to announce to you, with true fatisfaction, that you will hear with equal pleafure, the intended marriage of his royal highness the prince of Wales, with the princefs Carolina Amelia Elizabeth, daughter of his moft illuftrious highnefsthe duke of Brunswick and Lunenburgh; a princefs of that illuf trious houfe, to whofe mild and conftitutional fway these kingdoms are highly indebted for the bleifings they enjoy; this marriage promifes the perpetuation of the fame bleflings under the fame house. I have it alfo in command to inform you, that his majetty has concluded a treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, with the United States of America, in which it has been his majefty's object to remove, as far as poflible, all grounds of jealoufy and mifunderstanding, and to improve an intercourse beneficial to both ftates. As foon as the ratification of this treaty fhall have been exchanged, and I fhall have received a copy of it, I will direct it to be laid before you, in order that you may confider if it will be neceffary to make any provifions for carrying into effect a treaty, in which the commerce of this kingdom is fo materially and extenfively interested. dom, has kept up, and has even been augmented: advantages which are due to the care and vigilance of our fovereign, in the general protection provided by him for all his fubjects. My lords and gentlemen, I earnefly recommend to you a continuance of the laudable pains you have conftantly taken to cultivate all your domeftic advantages in commerce, in manufacture, and in fuch public works, as have appeared directed to promote thote important objects. These are the true foundations of all public revenue and public ftrength. Your endeavours have had their fruit. The great ftaple manufacture of this kingdom has increased beyond the mott fanguine expectation-an advantage principally owing to the conftant fuperintendance and wife provifions of the parliament of Ireland; and next to thofe, to the affured, liberal, and moft merited Gentlemen of the houfe of com- encouragement, which it receives mons, I have directed the estimates for the public fervice, and the state of the public accounts, to be laid before you. His majefty has that affured confidence, grounded on a long and uniform experience of your loyalty, and your zeal for his fervice, and the good of your country, that I think it unneceffary to prefs you, in any particular manner, to make a provifion adequate to the prefent awful fituation of affairs. It is with pleasure I acquaint you, that the provifion will, in fome degree, be facilitated by the circumftance, that, during the exiftence of such a war as the prefent, the public revenue, together with the commerce of the king in the rich and extenfive market of Great Britain-a circumstance tending to cement the union, and to perfect the harmony, which happily fubfifts, and I truft will fubfift for ever, between the two kingdoms. Attached as you are to the general caufe of religion, learning, and civilization, I have to recommend to your confideration the ftate of education in this king-. dom, which in fome parts will admit of improvement, in others may require fome new arrangement. Confiderable advantages have been already derived under the wife regulations of parliament, from the proteftant charter schools, and these will, as ufual, claim your attention: but as thefe advantages have been .. been but partial, and as circumftances have made other confiderations.connected with this important fubject, highly neceflary, it is hoped that your wifdom will order every thing relating to it, in the manner moft beneficial, and the best adapted to the occafions of the feveral defcriptions of men, which compole his majefty's faithful fubjects of Ireland. We are engaged in an arduous conteft. The time calls not only for great fortitude, and an unusual fhare of public fpirit, but for much conftancy and perfeverance. You are engaged with a power which, under the ancient forms of its internal arrangement, was always highly formidable to the neighbouring nations. Lately this power has affumed a new fhape; but with the fame ambition, with much more extenfive and fyftematic defigns, far more effective, and without comparifon, more dreadful in the certain confequences of its eventual fuccefs, it threatens nothing lefs than the entire fubverfion of the liberty and independence of every ftate in Europe, An enemy to them all, it is actuated with a peculiar animofity against thefe kingdoms, not only as the natural protection of the balance of power in Europe, but alfo, becaufe, by the profeflion of a legal, humane, and rational freedom, we feem to reproach that falfe and fpurious liberty, which, in reality, is an ignominious fervitude, tending to extinguifh all good arts, to generate nothing but impiety, crime, diforder, and ferocious manners, and to end in wretchedness, and general defolation. To guard his people from the enterprises of this dangerous and malignant power, and for the protection of all civilized fociety against the inroad of anarchy, his majefty has availed himself of every rational aid, foreign and domeftic: he has called upon the kill, courage, and experience of all his fubjects, wherefoever difperfed, and you must be duly fenfible, in fuch a crifis as the prefent, which rarely occurs in the courfe of human affairs, of the advantage of his majefty's thus endeavouring to profit of the united ftrength and zeal of every defcription of his fubjects. I have to affure you of his majefty's moft cheerful concurrence in every meature, which your wifdom and comprehenfive patriotifm fhall point out for this falutary purpofe. On my part, you fhall find me, from principle and from inclination, thoroughly difpofed to concur with his majetty's paternal withes, and with the wife measures of his parliament. On a cordial affection to the whole of Ireland, and on a conduct fuitable to that fentiment, I with to found my own perfonal eftimation, and my reputation in the execution of the great truft committed, by the most beneficent of fovereigns, to my care. |