carried of late, and the obftruction which the revenue officers frequently meet with in the execution of their duty, require fome effectual remedy. The fuppreffion of thefe abufes will have a double effect; as, at the fame time that it increases

the public stock and national strength, it will afford a juft and equitable afliftance to the honest citizen and fair trader.

In these and in all your confultations, I am perfuaded you will proceed with that unanimity and wifdom which matters of fuch high importance require. You cannot fail by fuch conduct to meet with his majefty's most favourable countenance and approbation; and you in every thing rely on my best affittance, not only from the duty I owe to the king, but from the fincere affection which I bear to this kingdom.

may

The humble addrefs of the lords fpiritual and temporal, in parliament affembled.

To the king's most excellent

WE

majefty.

Moft gracious fovereign, E your majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the lords fpiritual and temporal, in parliament affembled, beg leave to approach your throne, with our grateful acknowledgement of the many inestimable bleflings which we have enjoyed during your majefty's moft aufpicious reign.

Permit us to affure your majefty, that we are come together with the juflet fentiments of duty and affection to your majesty, who has gratified the earneft wishes of your faithful fubjects of Ireland with that great improvement of our confti

tution, the act for limiting the duration of parliaments.

We truft, the proteftant interest has already experienced its falutary effects; and we are happy in the confideration that his excellency, our prefent chief governor, that faithful fervant of the crown, and affectionate friend to this country, who has the fatisfaction of meeting, in obedience to your majesty's com mands, the firft parliament, limited in its duration, that ever affembled in this kingdom, hath, through your majesty's goodness to your people here, been continued amongst us, not only to be a joyful witness of thofe happy effects, but to afford us the welcome opportunity of conveying, through him, to your majefty, our thanks for that invaluable benefit, which, by your majefty's grace and favour, he was made the happy inftrument of conferring

upon us.

We should be unworthy of the many gracious marks which we have experienced of your majefty's paternal regard, if it did not animate our deliberations, and direct them to all fuch measures as may fecure the continuance of thofe bleffings which we enjoy.

Interested, as we are, in the domeftic happiness of your majesty, and your royal and most excellent confort, and in whatever contributes to the ftrength of your illuftrious houfe, we have received with the fincerest pleasure the communication of an increafe of your royal family, fince the lait feffion of parliament, by the birth of another princefs.

As we are taught, by the examples of the wifeft nations, as well as by the nature and reafon of things, that times of peace are the

best seasons for improving the civil polity of a nation, and providing for its fecurity; we beg leave to aflure your majefty, that we fhall not be regardless of the opportunity which Providence is now pleased to favour us with.

Permit us, royal fir, further to affure your majesty, 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 moit ardently wish to obtain, a continuance of your majesty's favourable countenance and approbation.

The humble addrefs of the knights, citizens, and burgeffes, in parlia ment affembled.

To the king's moft excellent majefty.

Moft gracious fovereign,

W E your majefty's most duti

ful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Ireland, in parliament affembled, humbly beg leave to aflure your majefty of our firm attachment to your facred perfon, royal family, and governinent.

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.

We moft thankfully acknowledge the many gracious marks we have

experienced of your majesty's paternal regard to your fubjects of this kingdom; the sense of which mult at all times animate our deli berations, and direct them to all fuch measures 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 must give the highest fatisfaction to a people fo deeply interefted 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 moit fincere thanks to your majefty, for giving the first parliament limited in duration an opportunity of meeting his excellency lord Townshend, a chief governor under whose administration we obtained that excellent law; from whofe experience of our loyalty and zeal, and from whose 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 testified for your facred perfon, and the fucceffion of your illuftrious houfe, will always induce them, to the utmost of their abilities, to grant fuch fupplies as may be neceflary for the fupport of your majesty'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 country must be in proportion to

the

the number of its induftrious inhabitants, and the purity of their morals, we affure your majefty, that we shall be particularly attentive to that useful and charitable inftitution, the protestant 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 further 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 shall proceed with that unanimity and wildom, which matters of fuch high importance require.

Addrefes to the lord lieutenant. The humble addrefs- of the lords fpiritual and temporal, in parliament affembled.

May it please your excellency,

true knowledge of the circumftances, affairs, and true interefts of this country, from whence, and from a reflection upon the integrity with which you have ferved his majefty, and the eminent fervices. which you have done your country in the great ftations to which you have been called, we have the most pleafing hopes, and faireft profpect, that your excellency's administration here will proceed in fuch a manner, as to render it throughout glorious to his majesty, honourable to yourfelf, and most propitious and fortunate to this kingdom.

Your benevolence and affection for us, manifefted by the many inftances which you have given us of it, infpire us with an earnett defire to render your government as eafy to yourself as fo arduous and impor

tant a concern can be.

We beg leave to add our affurances to your excellency, that all our deliberations upon those great and important matters, recommend

and loyal fubjects, the lords fpiritual and temporal, in parliament affembled, do, with the utmoft fatisfaction, offer your excellency our fincereft thanks for your moft excellent fpeech from the throne.

We beg leave to affure your excellency, that we confider it as a great proof of his majefty'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 kingdoin.

We cannot but have obferved, in the courfe of your excellency's refidence amongst us, how much your excellency's thoughts and endeavours have been employed to acquire a

energy in your fpeech, fhall be conducted by us in fuch a manner as may recommend us to, what we ever with above all things to obtain, his majesty's gracious approbation, and as may preferve to us your excellency's favourable opinion.

His excellency's anfwer.
My lords,

I am truly fenfible of the honour you have done me by this kind and affectionate addrefs; and I fhall flatter myfelf, that a conftant obedience to the juft and gracious commands of my royal mafter, and a warm attachment to your interefts and profperity, will conme the invaluable poffellion of your confidence and approbation.

tinue to

The

The humble addrefs of the knights, citizens, and burgeffes, in parliament affembled.

WE

May it please your excellency, E his majefty'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 faine time to exprefs our fincere and hearty congratulation on this parliament being appointed to meet your excellency, under whose administration this kingdom has been made happy in the acquifition of that great improvement to our conftitution, 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 majefty's goodness, that he has been pleafed to give us this opportunity of affuring your excellency, that we entertain the jufteft sense of and gratitude for your excellency's effectual endeavours in favour of that meafure; among the many happy effects of which, the increafe and itrengthening 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 fulleft confidence that under your excellency's adminiftration, the honour a id 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 5

fhall be neceffary for the support of his majesty's government, and the fafety and welfare of this kingdom.

We return your excellency our hearty thanks, for your having been pleased 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 œconomy will continue.

We fhall not neglect the favourable opportunity which this time of peace affords us to attend to those 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, induftry, and good morals of the inhabitants, we fhall use our utmost endeavours to make that ufeful and charitable inftitution, the proteftant 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 fulleft credit and extent.

We shall take into our most serious confideration, what further laws may be neceflary, to prevent the clandetline running of goods; a practice fo injurious to the public revenue, and detrimental to the fair trader.

We beg leave to return our warmeft acknowledgements to your excellency, for the affection you have been pleafed to exprefs for this kingdom;

lency, that we, on our part, fhall make it our study 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 address, which gives me the greater fatisfaction, as it follows your experience of my conduct during a refidence of two years in this kingdom.

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, exprefled for the high commiffion his majefty 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 juft representation of the conftant and unfhaken loyalty of the people of Ireland, to preferve your approbation and confidence.

Gentlemen of the house of

commons,

It is with great pleasure that I thank you, in his majefty's name, for the fupplies which you have granted, and the provifion which you have made, for the present establishment, the public credit, and the fafety of this kingdom.

When I firit met you in parlia ment, as I knew and could rely upon it, that nothing could move from his majefty but what would be expreffive of his conftant and ardent defire to maintain and preferve every conftitutional 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 majefty, and of the crown of Great Britain, fo as to afford his majesty any just caufe of diffatisfaction, and make it neceflary for me, specially to affert and vindicate those rights.

It is therefore with great concern that I have feen and obferved, 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 neceflary 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 laft, by which you, gentlemen of the houfe of commons, declare, that a bill, intituled, An act for granting to his majetty the feveral duties, rates, impofitions and taxes, therein particularly expreffed, to be applied to the payment of the intereft of the fums therein pro