THE

Parliamentary Register;

OR,

HISTORY

OF THE

PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES

OF THE

HOUSE OF COMMONS:

CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF

The most interesting SPEECHES and MOTIONS; accurate
Copies of the most remarkable LETTERS and PAPERS;
of the most material EVIDENCE, PETITIONS, &c.
laid before and offered to the HOUSE,

DURING THE

FIFTH SESSION of the FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT

OF

GREAT BRITAIN.

IN SEVENTEEN VOLUMES.

VOL. X.

LONDON:

REPRINTED FOR JOHN STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY;

J. WALKER, R. LEA, AND J. NUNN,

By WILSON and Co. Wild Court.

16-21-38

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES

Of the FIFTH SESSION of the

HOUSE OF COMMONS

OF THE

Fourteenth Parliament of Great Britain,

H

Appointed to be held at WESTMINSTER,

On Thursday, the 26th Day of November 1778.

IS Majefty opened this feffion with the following speech from the throne:

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I have called you together in a conjuncture which demands your most serious attention.

In the time of profound peace, without pretence of provocation or colour of complaint, the court of France hath not forborne to disturb the public tranquillity, in violation of the faith of treaties, and the general rights of fovereigns, as first by the clandeftine fupply of arms and other aid to my revolted fubjects in North America, afterwards by avowing openly their fupport, and entering into formal engagements with the leaders of the rebellion, and at length by committing open hoftilities and depredations on my faithful fubjects, and by an actual invasion of my dominions in America and the Weft Indies.

It is, I truft, unneceffary for me to affure you, that the fame care and concern for the happiness of my people, which induced me to endeavour to prevent the calamities of war, will make me defirous to fee a restoration of the bleffings of peace, whenever it can be effected with perfect honour, and with fecurity to the rights of this country. B

VOL. X.

In