the lord chancellor delivered the following speech:— My lords and gentlemen, In terminating the present session of parliament, his royal highness the prince regent has commanded us to express to you the deep concern and sorrow which he feels at the continuance of his majesty's lamented indisposition. His royal highness regrets the interruption which has occurred in the progress of public business, during this long and laborious session, in consequence of an event which his royal highness must ever deplore. The zeal and unwearied assiduity with which you have persevered in the discharge of the arduous duties imposed upon you by the situation of the country, and the state of public affairs, demands his royal highness's warmest acknowledg ment. The assistance which you have enabled his royal highness to continue to the brave and loyal nations of the peninsula, is calculated to produce the most beneficial effects. His royal highness most warmly participates in those sentiments of approbation which you have bestowed on the consummate skill and intrepidity displayed in the operations which led to the capture of the important fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz, during the present campaign; and his royal highness confidently trusts, that the tried valour of the allied forces, under the distinguished command of general the earl of Wellington, combined with the unabated spirit and steady perseverance of the Spanish and Portuguese nations, will finally bring the contest in that quarter to an is-ue, by which the independence of the peninsula will be effectually secured. The renewal of the war in the north of Europe furnished an additional proof of the little security which can be derived from any submission to the usurpations and tyranny of the French government. His royal highness is persuaded that you will be sensible of the great importance of the struggle in which the emperor of Russia has been compelled to engage, and that you will approve of his royal highness affording to those powers who may be united in this contest, every degree of co-operation and assistance, consistent with his other engagements, and with the interests of his majesty's dominions. His royal highness has commanded us to assure you, that he views with most sincere regret, the hostile measures which have been recently adopted by the government of the United States of America, towards this country. His royal highness is nevertheless willing to hope, that the accustomed relations of peace and amity between the two countries may yet be restored: but if his expectations in this respect should be disappointed, by the conduct of the government of the United States, or by their perseverance in any unwarrantable pretensions, he will most fully rely on the support of every class of his majesty's subjects, in a contest in which the honour of his majesty's crown, and the best interests of his dominions, must be involved. Gentlemen of the house of commons, We have it in command from his royal highness, to thank you for the liberal provision which you have made for the services of the present year. His royal highness deeply regrets the burthens which you have found it necessary to impose upon his majesty's people; but he applauds the wisdom which has in duced duced you so largely to provide for the exigencies of the public service, as affording the best prospect of bringing the contest in which the country is engaged to a successful and honourable conclusion. My lords and gentlemen, His royal highness has observed, with the utmost concern, the spirit of insubordination and outrage which has appeared in some parts of the country, and which has been manifested by acts, not only destructive of the property and personal safety of many of his majesty's loyal subjects in those districts, but disgraceful to the British character. His royal highness feels it incumbent upon him to acknowledge your diligence in the investigation of the causes which have led to these outrages; and he has commanded us to thank you for the wise and salutary measures which you have adopted on this occasion. It will be a principal object of his royal highness's attention, to make an effectual and prudent use of the powers vested in him for the protection of his majesty's people; and he confidently trusts, that on your return into your respective counties, he may rely on your exertions for the preservation of the public peace, and for bringing the disturbers of it to justice. His royal highness most earnestly recommends to you, the importance of inculcating, by every means in your power, a spirit of obedience to those laws, and of attachment to that constitution, which proves equally for the happiness and welfare of all classes of his majesty's subjects, and on which have hitherto depended the glory and prosperity of this kingdom. Then a commission for proroguing parliament was read. After which the lord chancellor said, At the court at Carlton House, the 31st of July, 1812: present, his royal highness the prince regent in council:-It is this day ordered, by his royal highness the prince regent, in the name and on the behalf of his majesty, and by and with the advice of his majesty's privy council, that no ships or vessels belonging to any of his majesty's subjects, be permitted to enter and clear out for any of the ports within the territories of the United States of America, until further order; and his royal highness is further pleased, in the name and on the behalf of his majesty, and by and with the advice aforesaid, to order, that a general embargo or stop be made of all ships and vessels whatsoever, belong ing to the citizens of the United States of America, now within, or which shall hereafter come into any of the ports, harbours, or roads, within any part of his majesty's do minions, together with all persons and effects on board all such ships and vessels; and that the commanders of his majesty's ships of war, and privateers, do detain and bring into port all ships and, vessels belonging to the citizens of the United States of America, or bearing the flag of the said United States, except such as may be furnished with British licences, which vessels are are allowed to proceed according to the tenour of the said licences; but that the utmost care be taken for the preservation of all and every part of the cargoes on board any of the said ships, or vessels, so that no damage or embezzlement whatever be sustained; and the commanders of his majesty's ships of war and privateers, are hereby instructed to detain and bring into port every such ship and vessel accordingly, except such as are above excepted: and the right hon. the lords commissioners of his majesty's treasury, the lords commissioners of the admiralty, and lord warden of the cinque ports, are to give the necessary directions herein, as to them may respectively appertain. CHETWYND. BUONAPARTE'S ANSWER TO THE DEPUTIES FROM POLAND. A deputation from the confederation was presented to Buonaparte at Wilna, and submitted to his approbation and protection the act of confederation. To which Napoleon replied as follows: "Gentlemen, deputies of the confederation of Poland. "I have heard with interest what you have related to me. "Poles!-I should have thought and acted like you-like you I would have voted in the assembly at Warsaw. Love of the country is the first duty of civilized man. "In my situation I have many interests to conciliate, and many duties to perform. Had I reigned during the first, second, or third partition of Poland, I would have armed all my people to support you. Immediately that victory enabled me to restore your ancient laws to your capital, and a part of your provinces, I did it without prolonging a war which would have continued to spill the blood of my subjects. "I love your nation: for sixteen years I have seen your soldiers by my side, in the fields of Italy, as well as those of Spain. "I applaud all you have done; I authorise the efforts you wish to make; I will do every thing that depends on me to second your resolutions. "If your efforts are unanimous, * you may conceive the hope of reducing your enemies to acknowledge your rights; but in these countries, so distant and extensive, it is entirely upon the unanimity of the efforts of the population which covers them that you must found your hopes of success. "I have held to you the same language since my first appearance in Poland. I must add here, that I have guaranteed to the emperor of Austria the integrity of his dominions, and that I cannot sanction any manœuvre or any movement which may tend to trouble the peaceable possession of what remains to him of the Polish provinces. Let Lithuania, Samogitie, Witispsk, Polotsk, Mohilow, Wilhynu, the Ukraine, Podolia, be animated with the same spirit which I have seen in Great Poland, and providence will crown with success your holy cause; he will recompense that devotion to your country, which has rendered you so interesting, and acquired you so many claims to my esteem and protection, upon which you may depend under every circumstance." the Dwina, and has proclaimed his intention of offering battle. He accuses you of timidity, because he mistakes, or affects to mistake, the policy of your system. Can he then have forgotten the chastisement which your valour inflicted at Dunaberg and Mihr, wherever, in short, it has been deemed proper to oppose him? Desperate counsels are alone compatible with the enterprise he has undertaken, and the dangers of his situation; but shall we there fore be imprudent, and. forego the advantages of our own? He would march to Moscow-let him. But can he, by the temporary possession of that city, conquer the empire of Russia, and subjugate a population of thirty millions. Distant from his resources near 800 miles, he would, even if victorious, not escape the fate of the warrior Charles XII. When, pressed on every side by hostile armies, with a peasantry sworn to his destruction-rendered furious by his excesses, and irreconcileable by difference of religion, of customs, of language, how would he retreat? Russians!-Rely on your emperor and the commanders whom he has appointed. He knows the ardent and indignant valour which burus in the bosoms of his soldiers at the boasts of the enemy. He knows that they are eager for battle; that they grieve at its being deferred, and at the thought of retiring. This cruel necessity will not exist long. Even now the period of its duration lessens. Already are our allies preparing to menace the rear of the invader, while he, in veigled too far to retreat with impunity, shall soon have to combat with the seasons, with famine, and with innumerable armies of Russians. Soldiers, when the period for offering battle arrives, your emperor will PROCLAMATION OF THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER, ON THE RUSSIAN ARMY BREAKING UP FROM DRISSA. Beloved subjects;-In pursuance of the policy advised by our military council, the armies will, for the present, quit their positions, and retire further into the interior, in order the more readily to unite. The enemy may possibly avail himself of this opportunity to advance : he has announced this intention, Doubtless, in spite of his boast, he begins to feel all the difficulties of his menaced attempt to subjugate us, and is anxious therefore to engage; he is desperate, and would therefore put every thing upon the issue of a battle. The honour of our crown, the interests of our subjects, prescribe, however, a different policy: it is necessary that he should be made sensible of the madness of his attempt. If, urged by the desire of obtaining provisions and forage, or goaded by an insatiable cupidity for plunder, he should be blind to the danger of farther committing himself at such an immense distance from his territories, it would become the duty of every loyal Russian, every true friend to his country, to co-operate cheerfully with us in impeding equally his progress ar his retreat, by destroying his upplies, his means of conveyance; in short, every thing which can be serviceable to him. We therefore order that such of our subjects in the provinces of Vitebsk and Pskov, as may have articles of subsistence, either for man or beast, beyond their immediate want, to deliver them to officers authorised to receive them, and for which they shall be paid the full full value out of the imperial treasury. The owners of growing crops within the distance of the line of the enemy's march, are commanded to destroy them, and they shall be reimbursed their loss. The proprietors of magazines, either of provisions or clothing, are required to deliver them to the commissaries for the use of the army, and they will be liberally remunerated. In general, the spirit of this order is to be carried into execution in regard to all articles, whether of subsistence, of clothing, or of convevance, which may be considered useful to the invaders; and the magistrates are made responsible for the due fulfilment of these our commands. THE ALEXANDER. is consolatory to reflect, that he is EMPEROR ALEXANDER'S AD- vain, and he be compelled to open DRESS TO HIS SUBJECTS ON THE It is with a heavy heart we are compelled to inform every son of the country that the enemy entered Moscow on the 3d (15th) of September. The glory of the Russian empire, however, is not thereby tarnished. On the contrary, every in. dividual is inspired with fresh courage, firmness, and hope, that all the evils meditated against us by our enemies will eventually fall upon their own heads. The enemy has not become master of Moscow by overcoming or weakening our forces; the commander in chief, by the advice of a council of war, has found it expedient to retire at a moment of necessity, in order, by the best and most effectual means, to turn the transient triumph of the enemy to his inevitable ruin. How ever painful it may be to Russians, to hear that the original capital of the empire is in the hands of the enemy of their country, yet it a passage for himself by force. His situation is as follows: -He entered Russia with 300,000 men, the principal part consisting of natives of different kingdoms, serving and obeying him, not from freewill-in defence of their respective countries-but solely from terror. The half of this multifarious army has been destroyed, partly by our brave troops, partly by desertion, and partly by hunger and sickness: with the remainder he is come to Moscow. His audacious irruption, not only into the very heart of Russia, but into its ancient capital, will, without doubt, gratify his ambition, and give him cause of boasting; but the character of that mea sure must be determined by its result. He has not entered a country where every step he takes inspires all with terror, and bends both the troops and inhabitants to his feet. Russia is unaccustomed to subjection, and will not suffer her laws, (N 2) religion, |