The defertion of all these principles of alliance, which the king, on his part, conftantly adhered to; an obftinate refufal to fulfil the moft facred engagements; a daily infraction of the moft folemn treas ties; affiftance given to thofe very enemies, against whom he had a right to demand fuccour; an afylum and protection granted in the Dutch ports to the American pirates, in direct violation of the moft clear and precife ftipulations; and, to complete the whole, a denial of juftice and fatisfaction for the affront offered to his majefty's crown, by a clandeftine league entered into with his rebellious fubjects; thefe accumulated caufes of complaint, made it impoflible for the king to take any other measures than those which he has done, though with the moft fincere regret. In explaining to the public the reasons which rendered this rupture inevitable, he afcribed the conduct of the republic to the true caufe, namely, to the fatal influence of a faction, who facrificed the national intereft to their own private views; but the king expreffed, at the fame time, the moft earnest defire to bring back the Republic to that fyftem of clofe union, efficacious alliance, and mutual protection, which has fo much contributed to the profperity and glory of the two ftates.

When the Emprefs of Ruffia tendered her good offices, to effect a reconciliation by a separate peace, the King, in expreffing the gratitude which that fresh proof of a friendship which ever appeared to him fo valuable, juftly merited, declined expofing her imperial majefty to a fruitless negociation: but

now that there are fome marks of a change in the difpofition of the Republic, fome indications of a defign to return to those principles, which the wifeft part of the Batavian nation have never deferted, a negociation for a separate, peace between the king and their High Mightineffes may be opened with fome hopes of fuccefs, under the mediation of the Empress of all the Ruffias, who has been the firft to propofe her good offices in this falutary work-If his majefty did not immediately avail himself of that offer, it was because he had every reafon to believe that the Republic only fought at that time to amufe him by an infidious negociation; but the king would think that he made an ill return to the fentiments which prompted thofe first offers, and would be wanting in the regard fo juftly due to her imperial majefty, and to the confidence which the infpires, if he affociated to her mediation any other, even that of an ally the most refpectable, and for whom the king entertains the most fincere friendship.

(Signed)

STORMONT.

The unhappy breach between Great Britain and the colonies of North America, had no fooner taken place, than the Weft-India planters and merchants humbly reprefented to your majefty, and to both houfes of parliament, their apprehenfions of the diftrefs and danger, that would probably enfue therefrom.

When the colonies of North America formed an alliance with the ancient enemies of this kingdom, thofe apprehenfions of your majefty's petitioners were greatly encreafed; and they fhould have confidered themselves as deficient in every duty to your majefty, as well as regard to the great inte rets of this kingdom, had they not reprefented to your majefty's minifters, the additional danger to which all the British Weft-India islands were exposed, from so powerful a combination.

Every effort was, therefore, early made, and invariably continued, by your petitioners, to urge your majesty's minifters, to provide effectual reinforcements for their protection, and particularly to induce them to keep a permanent fuperiority of naval force in the Weft-Indies, as being the natural, and only certain fecurity of thofe poffeffions. The Jofs of feveral of those Islands has afforded a melancholy proof of thofe timely and unremitted applications.

Confident, however, that the remaining islands must be con. idered as objects deferving the

most serious attention, your peti tioners did not yield to defpair, but trufted that the unhappy experience of paft loffes would excite your majesty's ministers to adopt fuch measures, as might effectually fecure those islands, which still remained.

But it is with the utmost concern, that your petitioners are compelled to declare, that the remaining iflands are still fo unhappily deftitute of protection, that at no moment of the war have they been expofed to more imminent danger, than in the prefent awful conjuncture.

Your petitioners, therefore, alarmed by the inefficacy of their former applications to your majefty's minifters, humbly implore your majefty to enforce and extend the prefent affurances they have given us, and to direct, that without delay, reinforcements, naval and military, adequate to the permanent defence of your majefty's Weft-India islands, may be fent out, fo that, by the bleffing of Providence, thofe moft valuable poffeffions may ftill be preserved to the British empire.

And your petitioners shall ever pray, &c. &c.

and our pofterity anxious for the glory of a country hitherto as much renowned for the virtues of juftice and humanity, as for the fplendour of its arms, we approach your throne with fentiments becoming citizens at fo alarming an hour; at the fame time with that refpect which is due to the monarch of a free people, and a prince of the illuftrious houfe of Brunfwick, to which we feel ourselves in a peculiar manner attached, by all the ties of gratitude and affection.

It is with inexpreffible concern that we have heard your Majefty declare, in your speech to both houfes of parliament, your intention of perfevering in a fyftem of measures which has proved fo difaftrous to this country. Such a declaration calls for the voice of a free and injured people. We feel the refpect due to majefty: but in this critical and awful moment, to flatter is to betray. Your majefty's minifters have, by false affertions and fallacious fuggeftions, deluded your majefty and the nation into the prefent unnatural and unfortunate war. The confequences of this delufion have been, that the trade of this country has fuffered irreparable loffes, and is threatened with final extinction,

The manufactures in many valuable branches are declining, and their supply of materials rendered precarious, by the inferiority of your majefty's fleet to that of the enemy in almost every part of the globe.

The landed property throughout the kingdom has been depreciated to the most alarming degree. The property of your Majefty's VOL. XXIV.

fubjects vefted in the public funds, has loft above one third of its value.

Private credit has been almost wholly annihilated by the enor mous intereft given in the public loans, fuperior to that which is allowed by law in any private contract. Such of our brethren in America as were deluded by the promifes of your majefty's minifters, and the proclamations of your generals to join your majefty's ftandard, have been furrendered by your majefty's armies to the mercy of their victorious countrymen.

Your majefty's fleets have loft their wonted fuperiority,

Your armies have been captured,

Your dominions have been loft, And your majesty's faithful fubjects have been loaded with a burthen of taxes, which, even if our victories had been as fplendid as our defeats have been difgraceful, if our acceffion of dominion had been as fortunate as the difmemberment of the empire has been cruel and difaftrous, could not in itfelf be confidered but as a great and grievous calamity.

We do, therefore, most humbly and earnestly implore your majefty to take all these circumstances into your royal confideration, and to compare the prefent fituation of your dominions with that uncommon ftate of profperity to which the wisdom of your royal ancestors, the fpirit and bravery of the British people, and the favour of Divine Providence, which attends upon principles of juftice and humaniy, had once raised this happy country, the pride and envy of all the civilized world!

[X]

We

We beseech your majesty no longer to continue in a delution from which the nation has awakened; and that your majefty will be graciously pleafed to relinquifh entirely, and for ever, the plan of reducing our brethren in America to obedience by force; a plan which the fatal experience of paft loffes has convinced us cannot be profecuted without manifeft and imminent danger to all your majefty's remaining poffeflions in the western world.

We wish to declare to your majefty, to Europe, to America itself, ourabhorrence of the continuation of this unnatural and unfortunate war, which can tend to no other purpose than that of alienating and rendering irrecoverable the confidence of our American brethren, with whom we still hope to live upon the terms of intercourse and friendship, fo neceffary to the commercial profperity of this kingdom. We do, therefore, farther humbly implore your majefty, that your majefty will be gracioufly pleafed to difmifs from your prefence and councils all the advisers, both public and fecret, of the meafures we lament, as a pledge to the world of your majefty's fixed determination to abandon a fyftem incompatible with the intereft of your crown, and the happinefs of your people.

Signed, by order,

WILLIAM RIx.

a native of South Carolina, fome time recognized by the British Commiffioners in Ainerica by the ftyle of his Excellency Henry Laurens, Prefident of Congrefs, now a clofe prifoner in the Tower of London;

Moft refpectfully fheweth,That your reprefenter for many years, at the peril of his life and fortune, evidently laboured to preferve and ftrengthen the ancient friendship between Great Britain and the colonies; and that in no inftance he ever excited on either fide the diffenfions which feparated them.

That the commencement of the prefent war, was a subject of great grief to him, inasmuch as he forefaw and foretold, in letters now extant, the diftreffes which both countries experience at this day.

That in the rife and progrefs of the war, he extended every act of kindness in his power to perfons called Loyalifts and Quietifts, as well as to British prifoners of war, very ample proofs of which he can produce.

That he was captured on the American coaft, firft landed upon American ground, where he faw exchanges of British and American prifoners in a course of ne gotiation; and that fuch exchanges and enlargements upon parole are mutually and daily practised in America.

That he was committed to the Tower on the 6th of October, 1780, being then dangerously ill; that in the mean time he has, in ing deprived (with very little exmany refpects, particularly by be ception) of the vifits and conful

tations of his children and other relations and friends, fuffered under a degree of rigour, almoft, if

not

not altogether, unexampled in modern Britif history.

That from long confinement, and the want of proper exercife, and other obvious caufes, his bodily health is greatly impaired, and that he is now in a languishing state: And,

Therefore your reprefenter humbly prays your Honours will condefcend to take his cafe into confideration: and, under proper conditions and restrictions, grant him enlargement, or fuch other relief as to the wisdom and benignity of your Honours fhall feem fitting.

HENRY LAURENS.

the names of all perfons who are receivers of public money raised upon the subject by taxes or duties, and who pay the fame into the Exchequer.'

"

We have examined into the manner in which the public revenue is collected, received, and paid into the exchequer in all these offices, and by all these receivers.

In the customs, the receiver general, William Mellish, Esquire, certified to us, that upon the 10th of September laft, there was in his hands, exclufive of the current weekly receipt of the duties of the customs, the fum of four thousand four hundred and twelve pounds three fhillings and ten pence; which fum was the amount of certain collections tranfmitted to him, either from the planta-> tions, or particular out-ports; and

was to continue in his hands no longer, than until the comptrol. ler-general, as to fome parts of it, and the commiffioners, as to other parts, fhould direct under what heads of duties the several items, of which this fum was compounded, fhould be arranged, and paid into the exchequer, or otherwife difpofed of. Mr. Mellish has informed us, that part of this fum has been fince paid by him, according to orders of the commiffioners and comptroller-general; and that the other part thereof, amounting to three thousand twohundred eightyeight pounds fourteen fhillings and eleven pence farthing, was remaining in his hands the 20th in

year,