The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

By the Harriot Packet, Captain Lec, arrived at New-York, in 7 Weeks from Falmouth, we have

His Majesty's most gracious
SPEECH
To both HOUSES of PARLIAMENT
On Tuesday the 13th Day of November, 1770.

My Lords, and Gentlemen,

When I last met you in Parliament, I renewed to you the Assurances which I had before given you, That it was my fixed Purpose to preserve the general Tranquility, maintaining, at the same Time, the Honour of My Crown, together with the just Rights and Interests of My People: and it was with much Satisfaction that I indulged the Hope of being still able to continue to My Subjects the Enjoyment of Peace with Honour and Security.

Since that Time, those very Considerations which I then promised you that I would never sacrifice, even to the Desire of Peace, have laid Me under an indispensable Necessity of preparing for a different Situation.

By the Act of the Governor of Buenos Ayres, in Seizing by Force One of My Possessions, the Honour of My Crown, and the Security of My People's Rights, were become deeply affected. Under these Circumstances I did not fail to make an immediate Demand from the Court of Spain, of such Satisfaction as I had a Right to expect for the Injury I had received: I directed also the necessary Preparations to be made, without Loss of Time, for enabling Me to do Myself Justice, in case My Requisition to the Court of Spain should fail of procuring it for Me: And these Preparations, you may be assured, I shall not think it expedient to discontinue, until I shall have received a proper Reparation for the Injury, as well as satisfactory Proof that other Powers are equally sincere with Myself in the Resolution to preserve the general Tranquility of Europe. In the mean Time, I have called you together thus early, in order that I may be able to receive from you such Advice and Assistance, as, in the farther Progress of this very important Business, may happen to become requisite.

With respect to the STATE of MY COLONIES in North-America, although I have the Satisfaction to acquaint you, that the People in most of them have began to depart from those Combinations, which were calculated to distress the Commerce of this Kingdom; yet, in some Parts of the Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay, very unwarrantable Practices are still carried on, and My good Subjects oppressed by the same lawless Violence which has too long prevailed in that Province.

I hope and trust, that the Precautions which have already been used for securing this Country against the Visitation of that fatal Calamity, which has of late appeared in some of the distant Parts of Europe, will, with the Blessing of God, prove successful. But if, from any Alteration of Circumstances, it should at any Time be found that farther Provisions will be wanted I cannot doubt of your ready Concurrence for so salutary a Purpose.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

I will order the proper Estimates, for the Service of the ensuing Year, to be laid before you. They must unavoidably, in Our present Situation, exceed the usual Amount. Every unnecessary Expence My Concern for the Ease of my good Subjects will ever make Me careful to avoid. But I should neither consult their Interest nor their Inclination, if I were to decline any Expence which the Public Security, or the Maintenance of the National Honour, does at any Time require.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I am sensible how little I need say to you, at this Time, to prevail upon you to unite in whatever may best promote the true Interest of your Country. In all your Deliberations upon Points of a domestic Nature, let the Extension of Our Commerce, the Improvement of the Revenue, and the Maintenance of Order & good Government, be always in your View. With respect to Foreign Measures, there will, I am persuaded, be no other Contest among you, than who shall appear most forward in the Support of the common Cause, in upholding the Reputation, and promoting the Prosperity of the Kingdom. For the Attainment of these Ends, you shall ever find Me ready to exert Myself to the utmost. I have no Interest, I can have none, distinct from that of My People.
The humble ADDRESS of the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled.

Die Martis, 13 Novembris, 1770.

Most gracious Sovereign,

We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled, return your Majesty our humble Thanks for your most gracious Speech from the throne.

We beg leave to offer your Majesty our very sincere Congratulations on the safe and happy delivery of the Queen and Birth of a Prince, and to assure your Majesty of our unfeigned Joy at the increase of your domestic Happiness; and that we consider every Addition to your illustrious House, from which these Kingdoms have received the most important Benefits, as a farther Security to our religious and Civil Liberties.

We are too sensible of the Blessings of Peace, not to feel the greatest Concern at any Event which threatens to interrupt its Continuance, and defeat your Majesty's wise and gracious Purpose to maintain it. But, grateful as we are for this Proof of your Majesty's paternal Regard to the Peace and Happiness of your People, we owe your Majesty no less Thanks for your anxious Vigilance over the Honour of your Crown, and the Interests of your People.

We return your Majesty our most thankful Acknowledgements, as well for the immediate demand, which your Majesty has been pleased to make from the Court of Spain, of satisfaction for the Injury received, as for the instant Preparations that your Majesty made to do yourself Justice, in case your Requisitions should fail of procuring it, and we are exceeding happy to be assured, that your Majesty will think it expedient to continue prepared to assert the Honour of your Crown, and the Security of the Rights of your People, upon an Event so deeply affecting both, until the Injury shall be properly repaired, and satisfactory Proof be given of the sincere Resolution of the other Powers to preserve the general Tranquility of Europe. We, on our Part, beg leave to assure your Majesty, that we will not fail to make the utmost Efforts in our Power to maintain Objects so justly dear to us, as the Dignity of your Majesty's Crown, and the Security of the national Rights.

We are very happy to be informed, that the People in most of your Majesty's Colonies in North-America, are departing from those Combinations which were calculated to distress the Commerce of this Kingdom; and we hope soon to see an entire End of those unwarrantable Practices, which have so long oppressed your Majesty's Subjects in one of those Provinces.

We are highly sensible of your Majesty's goodness and care in taking such Precautions to secure this Country against the Visitation of that fatal Calamity which has of late appeared in some distant parts of Europe; and we shall always be ready to concur in any Measures that shall be found necessary to the support of your Majesty's Endeavours for so salutary a Purpose.

We have the most grateful Sense of your Majesty's favourable Opinion of our constant Endeavours to promote the true Interest of this Country. We will, in all our Deliberations upon Points of a domestic Nature, exert ourselves for the Extension of our Commerce, the Improvement of the Revenue, and the Maintenance of Order and Government; and we flatter ourselves, that your Majesty will not be disappointed in the gracious Expectations you have formed of our Zeal, in the Support of your Majesty's Crown, and the Reputation and Prosperity of your Kingdoms.

His MAJESTY's most gracious ANSWER.

My Lords,

It gives me great Satisfaction to find, that you entertain so just a Sense of the importance of peace, while that desirable Object can be maintained consistently with the Honour of my Crown and the Rights of my People. You may depend upon my best Endeavours to preserve that inestimable Blessing, so long as it is compatible with Objects still more essential to the Happiness and prosperity of my Kingdoms.

The affectionate part you take in the happy Delivery of the Queen and the Increase of my Family, gives me much pleasure.

The humble ADDRESS of the House of Commons to the King.

Most gracious Sovereign,

We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of Great-Britain in Parliament assembled, return your Majesty our humble thanks for your most gracious Speech from the Throne. We beg leave to offer to your Majesty our Congratulations on the happy Delivery of her Majesty, and on the birth of another Prince; esteeming every increase of your Majesty's royal Family an additional security for the continuance of that happiness which we have already experienced under its auspicious Government.

Among the many Proofs which we have received of your Majesty's constant attention to the welfare and prosperity of your people, your Majesty's earnest desire to continue to us the blessings of peace could not fail to inspire us with sentiments of gratitude and affection; but we could have reaped little real satisfaction from the enjoyment of those blessings, had we not at the same time been able to place the justest confidence in your Majesty, that you would never be induced, by a mistaken tenderness for the present ease of your People, to sacrifice their more essential and more lasting interests. These we cannot but consider as having been dangerously struck at, by the violence lately committed by a Spanish Governor, upon one of your Majesty's possessions. Under these circumstances, your Majesty's determination to make an immediate demand from the Court of Spain of such satisfaction as you had a right to expect, and at the same time to direct the necessary preparations to be made, without delay, for enabling your Majesty to do yourself justice, in case your Requisition to the Court of Spain should fail to procure it, demands our most hearty acknowledgements; and we rejoice to find that your Majesty will not discontinue these preparations until you have received proper reparation for the injury, as well as satisfactory proof that other powers are equally sincere with your Majesty in the resolution to preserve the general tranquility. In the prosecution of this your Majesty's purpose, your Majesty will not be disappointed in your expectation of receiving from your faithful Commons every degree of support which in the progress of this very important Business shall become requisite; with this view, we will enter without delay into the consideration of the supplies for the ensuing year; and whatever extraordinary expenses the public service shall require we will cheerfully provide for, in such manner, as may be least burdensome to your Majesty's subjects.

In considering the state of your Majesty's Colonies in North-America, we will neglect no means of securing the commercial interests of this Kingdom, or of providing for the protection of your Majesty's good Subjects there from every degree of violence and oppression.

We return your Majesty our unfeigned thanks for the timely precautions you have used, for guarding against the introduction of that fatal contagion which has of late appeared in some parts of Europe. And while, with your Majesty, we place our ultimate reliance upon the divine Providence for our preservation from so great a calamity, we shall consider it as our indispensable duty to make use of every reasonable precaution which human foresight can suggest to us.

We assure your Majesty, that we will apply ourselves with all due diligence to the dispatch of the public business; in which we will not fail steadily to pursue those great ends recommended to us by your Majesty in your Speech from the Throne, as well as by your royal example. And if any hopes should have been conceived or it may have been any where surmised, that among your Majesty's People there were any such differences subsisting as could in the least degree abate the ardour of their affectionate attachment for your Majesty, or prevent their joining as one man, in seconding your Majesty's views, for maintaining unsullied the lustre of your Crown, and preserving undiminished the Rights of your People, we doubt not, by our proceedings, to convince the world how false and injurious are all such surmises; and to make it manifest, that whenever we are called upon in the cause of our King and Country, there will be but one heart and one voice among your faithful Commons.