with regard to the course of proeeeding on indictments, and infor. mations in the court of king's bench in certain cases: for authorising the execution in Scotland of certain warrants issued for offences committed in England; and for requiring officers taking bail in the king's suit to assign the bail bonds to the king. An act for enabling his majesty to settle an annuity on her royal highness the duchess of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel. An act for repealing an act passed in the 1st year of king James the 1st, intituled, "An act concerning tanners, curriers, shoe.makers, and other artificers occupy ing the cutting of leather;" and also for repealing and amending certain parts of several other acts of parliament relating thereto. An act to continue, until the end of the next session of parliament, an act of the 45th year of his prc. sent majesty, for appointing commissioners to enquire into the pub. lic expenditure, and the conduct of the public business in the military departments therein mentioned. An act to amend an act made in the 46th year of his present ma, jesty, for enabling his majesty to accept the services of volunteers from the militia of Ireland. An act for enforcing the resi dence of spiritual persons on their benefices in Ireland, An act for granting an additional duty on copper imported into Great Britain, until the 5th of April, 1811, and from thence to the end of the then next session of parlia become the property of British subjects, shall not be entitled to the privilege of British ships. An act to amend so much of two acts of this session of parlia ment, for carrying into execution certain orders in council, as relates to the duties on goods exported from the warehouses in which they have been secured on importation, and on certain prize goods imported into Great-Britain or Ireland. An act for providing suitable interment in church-yards or parochial burying-grounds in England for such dead human bodies as may be cast on shore from the sea, in cases of wreck or otherwisc. An act for raising the sum of 10,500,000/. by way of annuities. An act to enable his majesty to vest the right of appointment of master of the free-school of Londonderry, in the city and county of Londonderry, in the bishop of Derry for the time being. An act to regulate the trade between Great-Britain and the United States of America, until the end of the next session of parliameut. An act for repealing the rates and taxes taken by licensed backney-coachmen, and for establishing others in lieu thereof; and for amending several laws relating to hackney-coaches. An act to restrain the negociation of promissory notes and inland bills of exchange, under a li mited sum, in England. An act for enabling the commis-ioners appointed to examine accounts of public expenditure in the barrack-office more speedily and effectually to investigate the said accounts. An act to enable the commisT3 sioners sioners for auditing public accounts, and the commissioners for the affairs of barracks respectively, to send and receive letters and packets on the business of their offices free of postage. An act to repeal so much of an act, made in the 47th year of his present majesty, for charging the sum of 12,200,000l. raised for the service of Great-Britain for the year 1807, upon the duties of customs and excise granted to his majesty, during the continuance of the present war, as relates to money issued for charges of management of stock redeemed. An act to repeal so much of an act of the 1st year of king James I. as relates to the penalties on shoot. ing at hares; and also to repeal an. act of the 3d year of king George I. relating to game-keepers. An act for repealing so much of an act made in the parliament of Scotland, in the fourth session of the first parliament of queen Anne, intituled, "Act for preserving the game," as relates to the shooting of hares. An act for the better care and maintenance of lunatics, being paupers or criminals in England. An act for further extending the provisions of several acts, for establishing the bank of Ireland; and for empowering the governor and company of the said bank to ad. vance the sum of 1,250,000/. Irish currency, towards the service of the year 1808. An act to remedy the inconvenience which has arisen, and may arise, from the expiration of acts, before the passing of acts to continue the same. An act for enabling his majesty to establish a permanent local mi 3 J litia force, under certain restric. tions, for the defence of the realm. An act for raising the sum of 500.000l. by treasury bills for the service of Ireland for the year 1808. An act for raising the sum of six millions, by exchequer bills, for the service of Great-Britain for the year 1808. An act to prohibit the distillation of spirit from corn or grain, for a limited time. An act for regulating the char. ging of the duty on spirits imported into Great-Britain, according to the strength thereof. An act for reducing the duty of customs on coffee imported into Great-Britain when taken out of warehouse for home consumption. An act for the discharge of debtors in execution for small debts from imprisonment, in certain cases. An act to render valid certain marriages solemnized in certain churches and public chapels in which the banns had not usually been published before or at the time of passing an act made in the 26th year of the reign of his late majesty king George II. intituled, "An act for the better preventing of clandestine marriages,” An act to repeal so much of an act passed in the 8th year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, intituled, "An act to take away the benefit of clergy from certain offenders for felony," as takes away the benefit of clergy from persons stealing pri vily from the person of another; and for more effectually preventing the crime of larceny from the per son. An act to extend the provisions of an act, passed in the 45th year of his present majesty, for the encouragement couragement of seamen and better manning his majesty's navy, to cases arising in consequence of hostilities commenced since the passing of the said act. An act for enlarging the times appointed for the first meetings of commissioners and other persons for putting in execution certain acts of this session of parliament. An act to amend the laws relating to the marking of bags and packets of hops. An act, to amend and enlarge the powers of an act of the 46th year of his present majesty, for consolidating and rendering more effectual the several acts for the purchase of buildings and further improvement of the streets and places near to Westminster-hall and the two houses of parliament. An act for the more effectual administration of the office of a justice of the peace, and for the more effectual prevention of felonies within the district of Dublin metropolis. An act to amend the acts relating to the duties of assessed taxes, and of the tax upon the profits of property, professions, trades, and offices, and to regulate the assessment and collection of the same. An act for enabling the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt to grant life annuities. An act for the more effectual protection of oyster fisheries and the brood of oysters in England. An act for enabling his majesty to grant annuities to the judges of the court of session, justiciary, and exchequer in Scotland, upon the resignation of their offices. An act for granting to his majesty a certain sum of money out of the consolidated fund of GreatBritain, and for applying certain monies therein mentioned for the service of the year 1808; and for further appropriating the supplies granted in this session of parliament. An act for repealing the stamp duties on deeds, law proceedings, and other written or printed instruments, and the duties on legacies and successions to personal estates upon intestacies, now payable in Great-Britain; and for granting new duties in lieu thereof. An act for enabling his majesty to establish a permanent local militia force in Scotland, under certain restrictions, for the defence of the realm. An act concerning the administration of justice in Scotland, and concerning appeals to the house of lords. STATE PAPERS. TH His Majesty's Speech to both Houses of Parliment, Jan. 21. HIS day parliament assembled, pursuant to his majesty's proclamation, when the commissioners, appointed to open the session, read the following speech: .66 My Lords and Gentlemen, "We have received his majesty's commands to assure you, that in calling you together at this important juncture of affairs, he entertains the most perfect conviction that he shall find in you the same determination with which his majesty himself is animated, to uphold the honour of his crown, and the just rights and interests of his people. We are commanded by his majesty to inform you, that no sooner had the result of the negociations at Tilsit confirmed the influence and controul of France over the powers of the continent, than his majesty was apprised of the intention of the enemy to combine those powers in one general confederacy, to be directed either to the entire subjugation of this kingdom, or to the imposing upon bis majesty an insecure and ignominious peace. That for this pur. pose, it was determined to force into hostility against his majesty, states which had hitherto been allowed by France to maintain or to purchase their neutrality; and to bring to bear against different points of his majesty's dominions the whole of the naval force of · Europe, and specifically the fleets of Portugal and Denmark. To place these fleets out of the power of such a confederacy became. therefore the indispensable duty of his majesty. In the execution of this duty, so far as related to the Danish fleet, his majesty has commanded us to assure you that it was with the deepest reluctance that his majesty found himself com... pelied, after his earnest endeavours to open negociation with the Danish government had failed, to authorise his commanders to resort to the extremity of force, but that he has the greatest satisfaction in congra tulating you upon the successful execution of this painful bat necessary service. We are further commanded to acquaint you, that the course which his majesty had to pursue with respect to Portugal was, happily, of a nature more congenial to his majesty's feelings. The timely and unreserved commu nication by the court of Lisbon, of the demands and designs of France, while it confirmed to his majesty the authenticity of the advices which he had received from other quarters, entitled that court to his majesty's confidence, in the since rity of the assurances by which that communication was accompanied. The fleet of Portugal was destined by France to be employed as an instrument of vengeance. against Great Britain. That fleet has been secured from the grasp of France, and is now employed in conveying to its American domi. nions the hopes and fortunes of the Portuguese monarchy. His majesty implores the protection of Di-, vine Providence upon that enterprise, rejoicing in the preservation of a power so long the friend and ally of Great Britain, and in the prospect of its establishment in the new world with augmented strength and splendour.--We have it in command from his majesty to in. form you, that the determination of the enemy to excite hostilities between his majesty and his late allies, the emperors of Russia and Austria, and the king of Prussia, has been, but too successful; and that the ministers from those pow. ers have demanded and received their passports. This measure, on the part of Russia, has been attempted to be justified by a statement of wrongs and grievances which have no real foundation. The emperor of Russia had indeed proffered his mediation between his majesty and France. His majesty did not refuse that mediation; but he is confident you will feel the propriety of its not having been accepted until his majesty should have been enabled to ascertain that Russia was in a condition to mediate impartially, and antil the prin ciples of the basis on which France was ready to negociate, were made known to his majesty. No pretence of justification can be al leged for the hostile conduct of the emperor of Austria, or for that of his Prussian majesty. His majesty has not given the slightest ground of complaint to either of those sovereigns; nor even at the moment when they have respectively withdrawn their ministers, have they assigned to his majesty any distinct cause for that proceeding.--His majesty has directed that copies of the correspondence between his majesty's ambassadors and the minister for foreign affairs of his im perial majesty the emperor of Rus. sia, during the negociations of Tilsit, and the official note of the Russian minister at this court, containing the offer of his imperial majesty's mediation between his majesty and France, together with the answer returned to that note by his majesty's command; and also copies of the official notes presented by the Austrian minister at this court, and of the answers which his majesty commanded to be returned to them, should be laid before you. It is with concern that his majesty commands us to inform you, that, notwithstanding his carnest wishes to terminate the war in which he is engaged with the Ottoman Porte, his majesty's endeavours, unhappily for the Turkish empire, have been defeated by the machinations of France, not less the enemy of the Porte than of Great Britain. But while the influence of France has been thus unfortunately successful in preventing the termination of existing hos. tilities, and in exciting new wars against this country; his majesty' commands |