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as follows:

flock, of which the debt confifts are Ireland, to the reduction of the national debt, on the 5th of January, 1807. Original fund

Payable in Dublin.

Capital.

31 per cent. ann. £.5,668,472 17 1

4 per cent. am.

174,600 0 o 5 per cent. ann. 11,625,450 11 3 Payable in London."

3 per cent. cons.

ann.

3 per cent. red.

ann.

6 per cent. deferred

4 per cent. cons.

ann.

5 per cent. cons.

ani.

S per cent. Irish

ann.

Total

23,480,333 68

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£.64,721,356 15°

When the measure was adopted of railing money in England for the use of Ireland, it was very properly attended with an arrangement fimilar to that for the reduction of the debt of Great Britain. An act was paffed by the parliament of Ireland, in 1797, for vefting a certain fum in commiffioners at the end of every quarter, to be by them applied to the reduction of the national debt, and to direct the application of additional funds, in cafe of future loans, to the like purposes. The fund thus eftablished for the reduction of the then exifting debts, was 100,000l. per annum, of which 32,3641. 118. 8d. was appropriated to the reduction of the debt created by the money bortowed for Ireland in Great Britain in the year 1797 and 67,6351. 8s. 4d. with 225ol. expired annuities, to the Jemainder of the debt due by Ireland, prior to the year 1797, without any reference to the amount. On the On the fubfequent loans, a fund of one per cent. has been appropriated, as on thofe raised in Great Britain.

Total annual fum applicable to

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conjuncture of affairs., he entertains more congenial to his majefty's feelthe most perfect conviction that he ings. The timely and unreferved fhall find in you the fame determina- communication by the court of Liftion with which his majefty himself bon of the demands and defigns of is animated, to uphold the honour of France, while it confirmed to his mahis crown, and the juft rights and in- jefty the authenticity of the advices terefs of his people, which he had received from other quarters, entitled that court to his majefty's confidence in the fincerity of the affurance by which the communication was accompanied.

We are commanded by his mas jefty to inform you, that no fooner had the refult of the negotiations at Tillit, confirmed the influence and control of France over the powers of the continent, than his majefty was apprifed of the intentions of the enemy to combine thofe powers in one general confederacy, to be directed either to the entire fubjugation of this kingdom, or to the impofing up on his majesty an infecure and ignominious peace.

That for this purpofe it was determined to force into hoftility against his majesty, ftates which had hitherto been allowed by France to maintain or to purchase their neutrality; and to bring to bear againft different points of his majesty's dominions, the whole of the naval force of Europe, and especially the fleets of Portugal and Denmark.

-To place thofe fleets out of the power of fuch a confederacy, became therefore the indifpenfible duty of his majchy.

In the execution of this duty, fo far as related to the Danish fleet, his majefly has commanded us to affure you, that it was with the deepeft reluctance that his majefty found himfelf compelled, after his earnest eudeavours to open a negotiation with the Danish government had failed, to authorife his commanders to refort to the extremity of force; but that he has the greatest fatisfaction in congratulating you upon the fuccefsful execution of this painful, but neceflary fervice..

We are further commanded to acquaint you, that the courfe which his majefty had to purfue with refpect to Portugal, was happily of a nature

The fleet of Portugal was deftined by France to be employed as an inftrument of vengeance againft Great Britain. That fleet has been fecured from the grasp of France, and is now employed in conveying to the American dominions the hopes and fortunes of the Portuguese monarchy. His majesty implores the protection of Divine Providence upon that enterprife, rejoicing in the prefervation of a power fo long the friend and ally of Great Britain; and in the profpect of its eftablishment in the new world with augmented ftrength and fplendor.

We have it in command from his majefty to inform you, that the determination of the enemy to excite hoftilities between his majesty and his late allies, the emperors of Ruffia and Auftria, and the king of Pruffia, has been but too fuccessful; and that the minifters from thofe powers have demanded and received their paff poits.

This measure, on the part of Ruffia, has been attempted to be juftified by a statement of wrongs and grievances which have no real foundation. The emperor of Ruffia had indeed proffered his mediation between his majetty and France. His majefty did not refufe that mediation, but he is confident you will feel the propriety of its not having been accepted until his majefty thould have been enabled to afcertain that Ruffia was in a condition to mediate impartially, and until the principles of the

bafia

balis on which France was ready to negotiate were made known to his majesty.

No pretence of juftification has fovereigns; nor even at the moment when they have refpectively withdrawn their minifters, have they affigned to his majesty any distinct cause for that proceeding.

His majesty has directed that copies of the correfpondence between his majefty's ambaffador and the minifter of foreign affairs of his imperial majefty the emperor of Ruffia, during the negotiations at Tilfit, and the official note of the Ruffian minifter at this court, containing the offer of his imperial majefty's mediation between his majefty and France, together with the answer returned to the note by his majefty's command; and alfo copies of the official notes, prefented by the Auftrian minifter at this court, and of the anfwers which his majesty commanded to be returned to them, fhould be laid before you.

It is with concern that his majefty commands us to inform you, that notwithstanding his earnest wishes to terminate the war in which he is engaged with the Ottoman porte, his majefty's endeavours, unhappily for the Turkish empire, have been defeated by the machinations of France, not lefs the enemy of the porte than of Great Britain.

'But while the influence of France has been thus unfortunately fuccefsful in preventing the termination of exifting hoftilities, and in exciting new war against this country, his majefty commands us to inform you, that the king of Sweden has refifted every attempt to induce him to abandon his alliance with Great Britain; and that his majefty entertains no doubt that you will feel with him the facredness of the duty which the firmness and fidelity of the king of Sweden impofe upon his majelty; and that you will concur in enabling been alleged for the hoftile conduct

of the emperor of Auftria, or for that of his Pruffian majefty.-His majefty has not given the flightest ground of complaint to either of thofe his majefty to discharge it in a manner worthy of this country.

It remains for us, according to his majesty's command, to ftate to you that the treaty of commerce and amity between his majefty and the united ftates of America, which was concluded and figned by commiffioners duly authorized for that purpose, on the 31ft of December, 1806, has not taken effect, in confequence of the refufal of the prefident of the united states to ratify that inftrument.

For an unauthorised act of force: committed against an American ship of war, his majefty did not hesitate, to offer immediate and fpontaneousreparation. But an attempt has been made by the American government to connect with the question that has a arifen out of this act, pretenfions inconfiftent with the maritime rights of Great Britain: fuch pretenfions his majesty is determined nover to admit.. His majefty, nevertheless, hopes that the American government will be actuated by the fame defire to preferve the relations of peace and friendship betwen the two countries which has ever influenced his majefty's conduct, and that any difficulties in the discus fion now pending may be effectually removed.

His majefty has commanded me to ftate to you, that in confequence of the decree by which France declar ed the whole of his majesty's dominions to be in a state of blockade, and fubjected to seizure and confifcation the produce and manufactures of his kingdom, his majefty reforted, in the first inftance, to a measure of mitigated retaliation; and that this meafure having proved ineffectual for its object his majesty has fince found it neceffary to adopt others of greater vigour, which, he commands us to ftate to you, will require the aid of parliament

parliament to give them complete and effectual operation.

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His majefty has directed copies of the orders which he has iffued with the advice of his privy council upon this fubject to be laid before you, and he commands us to recommend them to your early attention.' Gentlemen of the house of commons, His majefty has directed the eftimates for the enfuing year to be laid before you, in the fulleft confidence" that your loyalty and public fpirit will induce you to make fuch provifions for the public fervice, as the urgency of affairs may require.

His majefty has great fatisfaction in informing you, that, notwithstanding the difficulties which the enemy endeavoured to impofe upon the com merce of his fubjects, and upon their intercourfe with other nations, the refources of the country have continued in the last year to be fo abundant, as to have produced, both from the permanent and temporary revenue, a receipt confiderably larger than that of the preceding year.

The fatisfaction which his majefty feels affured you will derive, in common with his majefty, from this proof of the folidity of thefe refources, cannot but be greatly increafed, if, as his majefty confidently hopes it fhall be found poffible to raise the neceffary fupplies for the prefent year without any material addition to the public burthens.'

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My lords and gentlemen, We are especially commanded to fay to you, in the name of his majefty, that if ever there was a juft and national war, it is that which his majelly is now compelled to profecute This war is in its principle purely defentive, his majefty looks but to the attainment of a fecure and honourable peace; but fuch a peace can only be negociated upon a footing of perfect equality.

The eyes of Europe and of the world are fixed upon the British parMament.

If, as his majefty confidently trufts, you difplay in this crifis of the the fate of the country the characteriftic fpirit of the British nation, and face unappalled the unnatural combination which is gathered around us, his majefty bids us to affure you of his firm perfuation, that under the bleffing of Divine Providence, the ftruggle will prove fuccefsful and glorious to Great Britain.

We are laftly commanded to affure you that in this awful and momentuous conteft, you may rely on the firmness of his majefty, who has no caufe but that of his people, and that his majefly reciprocally relics on the wifdoin the conftancy, and the affectionate fupport of his parlia

ment.'

Criticifm.

Nulli negabimus, nulli differemus juftitiam,'

Patriotic Sketches of Ireland, writ ten in Connaught. By Mifs Owenfon. 2 vols. 1807.

MISS OWENSON is advantageoufly known to the public, from a late publication called The Wild Irith Girl ;' a work which has many beauties and many faults; faults and beauties pretty fimilar to what are to be found in the volumes before us.

It is impoffible to applaud too much the fpirit of this work: an intention more laudable never occupied the pen of any, nor perhaps, upon the whole, could it be accomplithed by any, with more grace and vigour. To vindicate her countrymen, to fhew their oppreffed ftate, to fuggeft partial measures of relief, to hope for amelioration, and to excite pity for their wrongs, are the prominent ob jects of mits Owenfon's labours; and he must be a stern critic indeed who

would

would not fee with pleasure, youth which my fenfes received from every and (our gallantry bids us prefume) object around me, I fat down on the beauty pleading the caufe of mifery tomb of the royal O'Connor, and and oppreffion. Let it not, however, be fuppofed that it will be neceffary to ufe more than ordinary lenity on account of the merit of intention mifs Owenfon is an interefting and fervid writer; her ftyle is bold and glowing, and its greateft fault is that it is not fufficiently chafle. The warmth of her imagination hurries her forward too precipitately, and the fometimes heaps an unmeaning mafs of words together; but this is an error which her matured judgment will eafily correct. Another fault which we noticed, and of a lefs venial nature, is an arbitrary creation of words, which we can affure mifs Owenfon disfigures her pages very much: for example, the repeatedly fays, Elizabethian times, which is a molt uncouth adjective; we have also in modified illiteracy,' curious tracery' of Gothic arches, political vampy rifm,' &c. &c. Had mils Owenlon been careful to expunge thefe excrefcences, and to have repreffed fomewhat the florid luxuriancy of her ftyle, her forceful manner of expreffion would have had a more powerful effect upon the reader.

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plucked the weed or blew away the thile that waved there its lonely head.' The fun was fetting in gloomy fplendour, and the lofty angles of the abbey-tower alone caught the reflection of his dying beams, trom the fummits of the mountains where they fill lingered: the horizon betrayed a beautiful gradation of tint, which infenfibly foftened into the referved colouring of twilight, while broken hues, and irregular maffes of light and thadow, flung through the pillars of the cloifters, or from the higharched portals of the chapel, harmonifed the general outline of the ruins, and fled around fuch aerial and indiftin&t forms, as fancy woos to aid the vifion of her wildest dream. Nor did the now refufe to give to airy nothing a local habitation and a name.' Along each mouldering a file, and gloomy coifter, her creative eye ftill purfued the clofe-cowled monk; the haughty abbot, pacing in all the folemn pomp of holy meditation the damp and checquered pavement; or caught the pious chieftain's warrior form, as he made his fumptuous offering at the altar's foot, followed by the credulous and peniten tial crowd which the artful policy of John had lured thither, to expiate the paft, and purchase the remiffion of future fins. While the fingular and ftriking ceremonies of a religion, fo confonant to the livelieft powers of imagination, once fplendidly celc

We were much delighted with many of her Sketches; but more particularly fo with those that delineate the fofter paffions of the mind, and thofe melancholy but fweet thoughts that fo accordantly poffels a feeling heart, when affected by the fight of ruins, folemn fçenery, or the fancied recollection of paft fcenes.-brated in the now gloomy and ruinous The following extract from Sketch II.' will authorife this praife. It was written amid the ruins of the abbey

of Sligo.

chapel, the brilliant illuminations of tapers, the folemn proceffion of greyheaded friars, or clofe-veiled nuns; the meretricious ornaments which the Difpofed by a certain tone of vitiated tafte of fuperftition flings mind to behold with a touching inte- over the pure and fimple forms of true reft, a fcene never to be viewed with religion, and the fwelling chaunt of indifference, while a pre-exifting train midnight devotion or matins-piety, of ideas were refreshed and affociat- feemed even now, fomething more ed by the corresponding impreffions than the bafelefs fabric of a vilion.' January, 1808.

F

Mifs

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