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do hereby publish and declare, that the said parliament shall be further prorogued on the said 4th day of October next to Tuesday, the 27th day of November next: and We have given order to Our chancellor of that part of Our kingdom called Great Britain, to prepare a commission for proroguing the same accordingly; and We do further hereby, with the advice aforesaid, declare Our royal will and pleasure, that the said parliament shall, on the said 27th day of November next, be held, and sit for the dispatch of divers urgent and important affairs: and the lords spiritual and temporal, and the knights, citizens, and burgesses, and the commissioners for shires and burghs of the house of commons, are hereby required and commanded to give their attendance accordingly at Westminster, on the 27th day of November next.

Given at Our court at Weymouth, the twentieth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and four, in the fortyfourth year of Our reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

HIS MAJESTY's speech to both houses of parliament, on the 31st of July, 1804.

My lords and gentlemen, Before I put an end to the present session of parliament, I am desirous of expressing my entire approbation of the zeal and assiduity with which you have applied yourselves to the great objects of public concern which have come under your consideration.

You have wisely continued to di rect your attention to the encou

ragement and improvement of that respectable and powerful volunteer force which the ardour and spirit of my subjects have enabled me to establish to an extent hitherto unexampled. You have at the same time endeavoured to combine an additional establishment for our domestic defence, with the means of augmenting our regular army, and of maintaining it on such a scale, as may be proportioned to the circumstances of the times, and to the rank which this country ought ever to hold among the powers of Europe.

Gentlemen of the house of

commons,

You are entitled to my warmest acknowledgements for the fresh proof which you have given me of your affectionate and constant attachment to my person and family, and your regard to the honour and dignity of my crown, by the liberal provision which you have made for civil list revenues, and for furnishthe payment of the debt on my ing me with the additional means of defraying the increase which has unavoidably taken place in the different branches of my expenditure.. I must also return you my warmest thanks for the extensive provision which you have made for the exi gencies of the public service, and especially for the just and prudent attention which you have shown to true œconomy, and to the permanent credit and welfare of the country, by the great exertions you have made for preventing, as far as possible, the accumulation of debt, and for raising so large a proportion of the expenses of the war

within the year.

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to you to carry into your respective counties the same zeal for the publio interest which has guided all your proceedings: it will be your particular duty to inculcate in the minds of all classes of my subjects, that the preservation of all that is most dear to them, requires the continuance of their unremitted exertions for the national defence. The preparations which the enemy has long been forming for the declared purpose of invading this kingdom, are daily augmenting, and the attempt appears. to have been delayed only with the view of procuring additional means for carrying it into execution. Relying on the skill, valour, and discipline of my naval and military force, aided by the voluntary zeal and native courage of my people, I look with confidence to the issue of this great conflict; and I doubt not that it will terminate, under the blessing of providence, not only in repelling the danger of the moment, but in establishing in the eyes of foreign nations, the security of this country on a basis never to be shaken. In addition to this first and great object, I entertain the animating hope that the benefits to be derived from our successful exertions will not be confined within ourselves; but that, by their example and their consequences, they may lead to the re-establishment of such a system in Europe, as may rescue it from the precarious state to which it is reduced, and may finally raise an effectual barrier against the unbounded schemes of aggrandisement and ambition, which threaten every independent nation that yet remains on the con

tinent.

After which the lord chancellor, having received his majesty's

commands, came forward and said,

My lords and gentlemen, It is his majesty's royal will and pleasure, that this parliament be prorogued till Tuesday, the 4th of September next; and this parliament stands prorogued till the said 4th day of September accordingly.

Downing-street, Aug. 9, 1804. The king has been pleased to cause it to be signified by the right honourable lord Harrowby, his majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, to the ministers of neutral powers residing at this court, that the necessary measures have been taken, by his majesty's command, for the block ade of the entrance of the ports of Fecamp, St. Vallery en Caux, Dieppe, Treport, the Somme, Eta ples, Boulogne, Calais, Gravelines, Dunkirk, Neuport, and Ostend and that from this time all the measures authorised by the law of nations, and the respective treaties between his majesty and the diffe rent neutral powers, will be adopted and executed with respect to all ves sels which may attempt to violate the said blockade.

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emergencies as may arise, is desirous that this house will enable him to take all such measures as may be necessary to disappoint or defeat any enterprise or design of his enemies, and as the exigency of affairs may require.

CIRCULAR.

To officers commanding geomanry corps. Dublin-castle, Jan. 2.

Sir,

The lord-lieutenant having taken into consideration the irregu larity, as well as serious inconvenience, which has arisen from the want of a fixed scale for the establishment of officers in yeomanry corps, and the great expense which has been incurred by too large a proportion in many corps having been placed on permanent duty, I am directed to acquaint you that his excellency has been pleased to order, that the scale hereunto annexed, as applicable to the establishment of each corps in the yeo manry service, should be adopted in future; and his excellency is satisfied of your concurrence in an arrangement which is calculated to produce a system of regularity, and to promote public œconomy.

It is not of course intended, that any officer now holding a commission should be deprived of it; but those who are at present on the establishment beyond the number in the proposed scale, are to be considered as supernumeraries; and such vacancies as may occur, are not to be filled up until the number of officers is reduced to the proper proportion.

I am further commanded to state, that when detachments are

placed upon permanent duty, the proportion of officers will be limited according to the instructions which the brigade majors have received, so as in no case to exceed the num ber stated in the scale. And I am to observe, that supernumerary of ficers cannot be entitled to draw pay, except in cases of emergency, or under particular circumstances, which will be made known to the brigade majors, by the general officommanding officers, through the cers commanding districts. (Signed)

E. B. LITTLEHALES.

The scale referrred to in the above circular letter appoints to rank and file inclusive, 1 captain corps of cavalry of from 20 to 50 and 1 first lieutenant; and from 60 to 100 rank and file inclusive, a sub-lieutenant in addition.

To corps of infantry of 20 to 40 rank and file inclusive, 1 captain and 1 first lieutenant; and from 50 to 90 inclusive, an additional sublieutenant; from 100 to 140 inclu sive, two sub-lieutenants additional; from 160 to 180 inclusive, three sub-lieutenants; and to corps of

200 rank and file there are to be four sub-lieutenants. The scale also fixes the proportion of officers to corps consisting both, of cavalry and infantry.

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cross belts, and when in marching order, the regiments are always to appear with them. It is to be observed, that the pouches being expected to hold 36 rounds, the magazines are to carry the remaining 24.

The regiments which are not yet supplied with magazines, are to make similar demands as soon as they receive them, and the general officers are desired to report in their weekly states the arrival of magazines for any of the regiments of their brigades, until the whole are supplied.

In the event of any movement of the army, the men are to carry with them, in their haversacks, such bread as they may have in their possession; and the commissaries attending the several columns of the army have directions to use their utmost endeavours to complete the whole up to a full supply of three days in their possession, and three days more in their waggons.

In the event of any distant movement, it is intended that an officer of the commissariat shall attend every column that may march separately to the appointed place of rendezvous for the army; but, if none should be present, the general officer (or officer commanding the column) will appoint an intelligent officer to act as such, to procure supplies of bread, forage, and straw for that column.

At this season of the year, and particularly under the circumstance of forced marches, which may be necessary in the first instance, encamping will be impracticable; whilst, from the numbers of which the several columns will consist, it will be equally impossible, nor will it be expected, that quarters shall be provided in the 1804.

usual manner: much inconvenience must necessarily be experienced : but it will be encountered with the cheerfulness of soldiers engaged in the sacred cause of their country; and the fatigue that must be undergone in the progress to meet the enemy, will be as little regarded as the danger that will arise from attacking him.

The troops, in the event alluded to, will be cantoned in such barns, outhouses, or buildings of any sort, as can be procured fit for the purpose; and the commissary must make the necessary provision of straw, as well as of fuel for cooking the men's provisions.

It will be the business of the officers to see that the best of accɔmmodation is made that the nature of the case will admit of; while, by the maintenance of a rigorous discipline, they enforce a due observance of order and regularity, prevent all the confusion that must otherwise ensue, and give the necessary protection to the property of inhabitants, which must not be destroyed or injured.

In every case in which corps of volunteers are met with on a march, they are to share in every accommodation that the quarters may afford. The officers in com mand will pay every attention to this point.

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every useful aid and assistance which it can receive, consistent with a due attention to that principle of economy on which the whole system is founded, and have resolved to allow of adjutants and serjeant majors on permanent pay to corps of the different descriptions of force, consisting of the following numbers, without any other conditions or restrictions, than such as may be applicable to the whole volunteer establishment.

Cavalry. To every corps, consisting of not less than 300 effective rank and file of cavalry, an adjutant on permanent pay will be allowed. [Pay, when not called out into actual service, 6s. per day; 2s. ditto for a horse.]

To every corps of cavalry under 300 rank and file, but consisting of not less than three troops of 40 effective rank and file each, a serjeant-major will be allowed, on permanent pay.[Pay, when not call ed out into actual servic ́, 3s. 11d. per day, including 9d. for a horse.] Infantry. To every corps of infantry (including artillery), consisting of not less than 500 effective rank and file, one adjutant and one serjeant-major, on permanent pay, will be allowed.--[Pay, when not called out into actual service, 6s. per day; ditto of serjeant.major ditto 1s. 6d. per day, and 2s. 6d. per week extra.]

To every corps of infantry, consisting of not less than 300 effective rank and file, one adjutant, but no serjeant-major, will be allowed on permanent pay.—[Pay 6s. per day, as above.]

To a corps of infantry, under 300 effective rank and file, bat consisting of no less than three companies of 60 privates each, one serjeantmajor will be allowed on permanent pay. Pay as above, 1s. 6d.

per day, and 2s. 6d. per week extra.]

When the corps to which the adjutants and serjeant-majors are appointed shall be called out on actual service by competent authority, these staff officers will receive the pay of their respective ranks, as in the line.

The adjutants are to be recommended by the lords lieutenants, for his majesty's approbation, in the usual manner; but no recommendation of adjutant can be attended to, unless the person recommended has served at least four years as a commissioned officer, or as a serjeant-major in the regulars, embodied militia, fencibles, or East-India company's service; and the recommendation must likewise distinctly express the actual period of the service of the person recommended, and specify the particular corps in which that service was performed.

Serjeant-majors may be appointed by the commandant of the corps, from among persons who have served at least three years 25 non-commissioned officers in his majesty's regular, embodied militia, or fencible forces; and the period of such service, and the particular corps in which it was performed, are to be distinctly specified in the first pay-list which shall be transmitted to the Waroffice after the appointment takes place.

All adjutants and serjeant-majors who are placed on permanent pay, are to consider themselves as, at all times, at the disposal and under the commanding officer of the corps for the time being, and are expected to give their attendance whenever required, for the drill, good order, and management of the corps.

It is not intended, by this arrangement,

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