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first and fourth, England; second, Scotland; third, Ireland: and it is our will and pleasure, that there shall be borne therewith, on an escocheon of pretence, the arms of our dominions in Germany ensigned with the electoral bonnet. And it is our will and pleasure that the standard of the said united kingdom shall be the same quartering as are herein before declared to be the arms or ensigns armorial of the said united kingdom, with the escocheon of pretence thereon, herein before described; and that the union flag shall be azure, the crosses-saltires of St. Andrew and St. Patrick quarterly per saltire counter changed argent and gules; the latter fimbriated of the second; surmounted by the cross of St. George of the third, fimbriated as the saltire. And our will and pleasure further is, that the stile and titles aforesaid, and also the arms or ensigns armorial aforesaid, shall be used henceforth, as far as conveniently may be, on all occasions wherein our royal style and titles and arms or ensigns armorial ought to be used. But, nevertheless, it is our will and pleasure, that all such gold, silver, and copper monies as, on the day before this first day of January one thousand eight hundred and one, were current and lawful monies of Great Britain, and all such gold, silver, and copper monies as shall, on or after this day, be coined by aur authority with the like impressions, until our will and pleasure shall be otherwise declared, shall be deemed and taken to be current and lawful monies of the said united kingdom in Great Britain; and that all such gold, silver, and copper monies as, on the day before this first day of January one thousand eight hundred and one, were current and

lawful monies of Ireland, and all such gold, and silver, and copper monies as shall, on or after this day, be coined by our authority with the like impressions, until our will and pleasure shall be otherwise declared,, shall be deemed and taken to be current and lawful monies of the said united kingdom in Ireland; and all such monies as shall have been coined for and issued in any of the dominions of the said united kingdom, and declared by our proclamation to be current and lawful money of such dominions respectively, bearing our style, or titles, or arms, or ensigns armorial, or any part or parts thereof, and all monies which shall hereafter be coined and issued according to such proclamations, shall continue to be lawful and current money of such dominions respectively, notwithstanding such change in our style, titles, and arms, or armorial bearings respectively as aforesaid, until our pleasure shall be further declared thereupon. And all and every such monies as aforesaid shall be received and taken in payment in Great Britain and Ireland respectively, and in the dominions thereunto belonging, after the date of this our proclamation, in such manner, and as of the like value and denomination as the same were received and taken before the date hereof. And it is also our will and pleasure, that the several dies and marks, which have been used to denote the stamp-duties, and all other stamps and marks and instruments, which, before the issuing of this our proclamation, shall have been in actual use for any public purpose, and in which our royal style and titles, or our arms or ensigns armorial, or any parts or part thereof respectively, may be expressed, shall not, by reason of this our proclamation, or any thing (H 3)

therein

therein contained, be changed or altered, until the same may be conveniently so changed or altered, or until our pleasure shall be further declared thereupon: but that all such dies, stamps, marks, and instruments respectively, bearing our royal style and titles, or arms or ensigns armorial, used before this first day of January one thousand eight hundred and one, or any parts or part of such style, titles, or of such arms or ensigns armorial, shall have the like force and effect as the same had before the said first day of January instant.

Given at our court at St. James's, the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and one, in the forty-first year of our reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

By the KING. A PROCLAMATION,

dated this day, appointed and de. clared that the arms or ensigns ar morial of the said united kingdom should be as therein expressed: and whereas, according to antient usage, the ensigns, flags, jacks, and pendants, worn by our ships, and appointed as a distinction for the same, ought not to be worn on board any ship or vessel belonging to any of our subjects, so that our ships and those of our subjects may be easily distinguished and known: We have therefore thought fit, by and with the advice of our privycouncil, to order and appoint the ensign, described on the side or margin hereof to be worn on board all ships or vessels belonging to any of our subjects whatsoever; and to issue this our royal proclamation to notify the same to all our loving subjects, hereby strictly charging and commanding the masters of all merchant ships and vessels belonging to any of our subjects, whether employed in our service or otherwise, and all other persons whom it may concern, to wear the said ensign on board their ships or vessels: and to the end that none of our subjects may presume, on board their ships, to wear our flags, jacks, and pendants, which, accordWhereas, by the first article of ing to antient usage, have been apthe articles of union of the king-pointed as a distinction to our ships; doms of Great Britain and Ireland, as the same have been ratified and confirmed by two acts of parliament, the one made in our parliament of Great Britain, and the other in our parliament of Ireland, it was provided, that the ensigns armorial, flags, and banners of our united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland should be such as We should appoint by our royal proclamation, under the great seal of our said united kingdom and whereas We have, by our royal proclamation,

Declaring what Ensign or Colours shall be borne at Seu in Merchant Ships or Vessels, belonging to any of His Majesty's Subjects of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Dominions thereunto belonging.

GEORGE R.

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or any flags, jacks, or pendants, in shape and misture of colours so far resembling ours as not to be easily distinguished therefrom: We do, with the advice of our privy council, hereby strictly charge and command all our subjects whatsoever, that they do not presume to wear, in any of their ships or vessels, our jack, commonly called the union jack, nor any pendants, nor any such colours as are usually borne by our ships, without particular warrant for their so doing from Us, or

our

our high admiral of Great Britain, or the commissioners for executing the office of high admiral for the time being: and We do hereby also further command all our loving subjects, that without such warrant as aforesaid, they presume not to wear on board their ships or vessels any flags, jacks, pendants, or colours, made in imitation of or resembling ours, or any kind of pendant what soever, or any other ensign than the ensign described on the side or margin hereof, which shall be worn instead of the ensign before this time usually worn in merchant ships; saving, that for the better distinction of such ships as shall have commissions of letters of mart or reprisals against the enemy, and any other ships or vessels which may be employed by the principal officers and commissioners of our navy, the principal officers of our ordnance, the commissioners for victualling our navy, the commissioners of our customs and excise, and the commissioners for transportation for our service, relating particularly to those offices, our royal will and pleasure is, that all such ships as have commissions of letters of mart, or reprisals shall, besides the colours or ensign hereby appointed to be worn by merchant ships, wear a red jack with a union jack, described in a canton at the upper corner thereof next the staff; and that such ships and vessels as shall be employed for our service by the principal officers and commissioners of our navy, the principal officers of our ordnance, the commissioners for victualling our navy, the commissioners for our customs and excise, and the commissioners for transportation for our service, relating particularly to those offices, shall wear a red jack with a union jack in a canton at the upper

corner thereof, next the staff as aforesaid, and in the other part of the said jack shall be described the seal used in such of the respective offices aforesaid, by which the said ships and vessels shall be employed. And We do strictly charge and command, that none of our loving subjects do presume to wear any of the said distinction jacks, unless they shall have commissions of letters of mart or reprisals, or be employed in our service by any of the before mentioned offices. And We hereby require our high admiral, and commissioners for executing the office of high admiral, the governors of our forts and castles, the officers of our customs, and the commanders or officers of any of our ships for the time being, upon their meeting with, or otherwise observing, any ships or vessels belonging to any of our subjects, neglecting to wear the ensign hereby appointed to be borne as aforesaid, or wearing any flag, pendant, jack, or ensign, contrary hereunto, whether at sea or in port, not only to seize, or cause to be forthwith seized, such flag, pendant, jack, or ensign, worn contrary to our royal will and pleasure herein expressed, but also to return the names of such ships and vessels neglecting to wear the ensign hereby appointed, or wearing any flag, pendant, jack, or ensign, contrary hereunto, together with the names of their respective masters or commanders, unto our high admiral, or commissioners for executing the office of high admiral, or the judge of our high court of admiralty for the time being, to the end that all persons offending may be duly punished for the same. And We do hereby command and enjoin the judge and judges of our high court of admiralty for the time being, that they make strict inquiry (H4)

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concerning all such offenders, and cause them to be duly punished: and all vice-admirals and judges of the vice-admiralties are hereby also required to proceed in the like manner, within the several ports and places belonging to their respective precincts. And our further pleasure is, that this proclamation shall take place according to the times hereafter mentioned; videlicet, for all ships in the Channel or British Seas, and in the North Seas, after twelve days from the date of these presents; and from the mouth of the Channel unto Cape Saint Vincent, after six weeks from the date of these presents; and beyond the Cape, and on this side the Equinoctial Line, as well in the Ocean and Mediterranean as elsewhere, after ten weeks from the date of these presents: and beyond the Line, after the space of eight months from the date of these pre

sents.

Given at our court at St. James's, the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and one, in the forty-first year of our reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

His Majesty's Speech on the Meeting of Parliament, Monday, Feb. 2. My Lords, and Gentlemen, At a crisis so important to the interests of my people, I derive great satisfaction from being enabled, for the first time, to avail myself of the advice and assistance of the parliament of my united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

This memorable æra, distinguished by the accomplishment of a measure calculated to augment and consolidate the strength and resources of the empire, and to cement more

closely the interests and affections of my subjects, will, I trust, be equally marked by that vigour, ener gy, and firmness, which the circumstances of our present situation peculiarly require.

The unfortunate course of events on the continent, and the consequences which must be expected to result from it, cannot fail to be matter of anxiety and concern to all who have a just feeling for the security and independence of Europe.

Your astonishment as well as your regret must be excited by the conduct of those powers, whose attention, at such a period, appears to be more engaged in endeavours to weaken the naval force of the British empire, which has hitherto opposed so powerful an obstacle to the inordinate ambition of France, than in concerting the means of mutual defence against their common and increasing danger.

The representations which I directed to be made to the court of Petersburg, in consequence of the outrages committed against the ships, property, and persons of my subjects, have been treated with the utmost disrespect: and the proceedings of which I complained have been aggravated by subsequent acts of injustice and violence.

Under these circumstances a convention has been concluded by that court with those of Copenhagen and Stockholm, the object of which, as avowed by one of the contracting parties, is to renew their former engagements for establishing by force a new code of maritime law, inconsistent with the rights, and hostile to the intersts, of this country.

In this situation, I could not hesi tate as to the conduct which it became me to pursue. I have taken the earliest measures to repel the aggressions

aggressions of this hostile confederacy, and to support those principles which are essential to the main tenance of our naval strength, and which are grounded on the system of public law so long established and recognized in Europe.

I have, at the same time, given such assurances as manifest my disposition to renew my antient relations with those powers, whenever it can be done consistently with the honour of my crown, and with a just regard to the safety of my subjects. You will, I am persuaded, omit nothing on your part, that can afford me the most vigorous and effectual support in my firm determination to maintain to the utmost, against every attack, the naval rights and the interests of my empire.

Gentlemen of the House of Com

mons,

I have directed the estimates for the several branches of the public service to be laid before you: deeply as I lament the continued necessity of adding to the burdens of my people, I am persuaded you will feel with me the importance of providing effectual means for those exertions which are indispensably requisite for the honour and security of the country.

My Lords, and Gentlemen, I am confident that your deliberations will be uniformly directed to the great object of improving the benefits of that happy union, which, by the blessing of providence, has now been effected; and of promoting, to the utmost, the prosperity of every part of my dominions.

You will, I doubt not, resume the inquiries which were so diligently prosecuted in the last session of parliament, as to the best means of relieving my subjects from the pressure of the present high price of

provisions; and of preventing, as far as it can be done by human foresight, the recurrence of similar difficulties. In these endeavours, and in every measure that can contribute to the happiness of my people, the great end of all my wishes, you may be assured of my cordial con

currence.

You may rely on my availing myself of the earliest opportunity which shall afford a prospect of terminating the present contest, on grounds consistent with our security and honour, and with the maintenance of those essential rights on which our naval strength must always principally depend.

It will afford me the truest and most heartfelt satisfaction whenever the disposition of our enemies shall enable me thus to restore to the subjects of my united kingdom the blessings of peace, and thereby confirm and augment those advantages which result from our internal situa tion, and which, even under all the difficulties of war, have carried to so great an extent the agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and revenue of the country.

His Majesty's Speech on proroguing the Parliament as delivered by Commission, Thursday, July 2.

My Lords, and Gentlemen, We have it in command from his majesty to acquaint you, that, on account of the advanced period of the season, and the state of public business, he is induced to relieve you from a longer attendance in parliament.

His majesty highly commends the wisdom, temper, and diligence, which have marked all your proceedings; and particularly acknowledges the assiduity and zeal with which you have pursued the inves

tigation

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