with Buenos Ayres, respecting the Brazilian with Brazil, respecting the Blockade of the BRITISH AND FOREIGN State Papers. SPEECH of the Lords Commissioners to both Houses of the British Parliament, on Thursday, February 2, 1826. My Lords and Gentlemen, WE are commanded by His Majesty to inform you, that His Majesty has seen with regret the embarrassment which has occurred in the pecuniary transactions of the Country, since the Close of the last Session of Parliament. This embarrassment did not arise from any political events, either at Home or Abroad; it was not produced by any unexpected demand upon the Public Resources, nor by the apprehension of any interruption to the general tranquillity. Some of the Causes to which this Evil must be attributed lie without the reach of direct Parliamentary interposition; nor can security against the recurrence of them be found unless in the experience of the sufferings which they have occasioned. But to a certain portion of this Evil, correctives at least, if not effectual remedies, may be applied; and His Majesty relies upon your wisdom to devise such Measures as may tend to protect both private and public Interests against the like sudden and violent fluctuations, by placing on a more firm foundation the Currency and Circulating Credit of the Country. His Majesty continues to receive from His Allies, and generally from all Foreign Princes and States, the strongest assurances of their friendly disposition towards His Majesty. His Majesty on His part is constant and unwearied in His Endeavours to reconcile conflicting Interests, and to recommend and cultivate Peace, both in the Old World and in the New. His Majesty commands us to inform you, that in pursuance of this Policy, His Majesty's Mediation has been successfully employed in the conclusion of a Treaty between the Crowns of Portugal and Brazil, by which the relations of friendly intercourse, long interrupted between Two kindred Nations, have been restored; and the Independence of the Brazilian Empire has been formally acknowledged. His Majesty loses no opportunity of giving effect to the principles of Trade and Navigation which have received the sanction of Parlia[1825-26.] B ment, and of establishing them, as far as possible, by Engagements with Foreign Powers. His Majesty has directed to be laid before you a Copy of a Convention, framed on these principles, which has recently been concluded between His Majesty and the King of France; and of a similar Convention with the free Hanseatick Cities of Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburgh. His Majesty has likewise directed to be laid before you a Copy of a Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, concluded between His Majesty and the Republic of Columbia, the Ratifications of which have been exchanged since the Close of the last Session. For the carrying into effect some of the Stipulations of this Treaty, His Majesty will have need of your assistance. His Majesty regrets that He has not to announce to you the termination of Hostilities in India. But the Operations of the last Campaign, through the bravery of the Forces of His Majesty and of the East India Company, and the skill and perseverance of their Commanders, have been attended with uniform success; and His Majesty trusts that a continuance of the same exertions may lead, at no distant period, to an honourable and satisfactory pacification. His Majesty's attention has been directed to the consideration of several Measures, recommended in the last Session of Parliament, for improving the Condition of Ireland. The Industry of that part of the United Kingdom, His Majesty has the satisfaction of acquainting you, is in a course of gradual and general advancement, an advancement mainly to be attributed to that state of tranquillity which now happily prevails throughout all the Provinces of Ireland. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, His Majesty has directed the Estimates for the Year to be prepared and laid before you. They have been framed with an anxious desire to avoid every Expenditure beyond what the necessary demands of the Public Service may require. His Majesty has the satisfaction of informing you, that the Produce of the Revenue in the last Year has fully justified the expectations entertained at the commencement of it. My Lords and Gentlemen, His Majesty deeply laments the injurious effects which the late pecuniary crisis must have entailed upon many branches of the Commerce and Manufactures of the United Kingdom; but His Majesty confidently believes that the temporary check which Commerce and Manufactures may at this moment experience, will, under the blessing of Divine Providence, neither impair the great sources of our Wealth, nor impede the growth of National Prosperity. CONVENTION of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and France.-Signed at London, Jan. 26, 1826. IN THE NAME OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY. His Majesty The King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the one part, and His Majesty The King of France and Navarre, on the other part, being equally animated by the desire of facilitating the Commercial Intercourse between Their respective Subjects; and being persuaded that nothing can more contribute to the fulfilment of Their mutual wishes in this respect, than to simplify and equalize the Regulations which are now in force relative to the Navigation of both Kingdoms, by the reciprocal abrogation of all discriminating duties levied upon the Vessels of either of the two Nations in the Ports of the other, whether under the head of Duties of tonnage, harbour, light-house, pilotage, and others of the same description, or in the shape of Increased Duties upon goods on account of their being imported or exported in other than National Vessels; have named as Their Plenipotentiaries to conclude a Convention for this purpose, that is to say: His Majesty The King of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, The Right Honourable George Canning, a Member of His said Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, a Mem.. ber of Parliament, and His said Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; and AU NOM DE LA TRES SAINTE TRINITÉ. SA Majesté Le Roi du Royaume Uni de La Grande Bretagne et de l'Irlande, d'une part, et Sa Majesté Le Roi de France et de Navarre, de l'autre part, animés également du désir de rendre plus faciles les Communications Commerciales entre Leurs Sujets respectifs, et persuadés que rien ne saurait contribuer davantage à l'accomplissement de Leurs vœux mutuels à cet égard, que de simplifier et d'égaliser les Règlemens qui sont aujourd'hui en vigueur quant à la Navigation de l'un et l'autre Royaume, par l'abolition réciproque de tous droits différentiels levés sur les Navires d'une des deux Nations dans les Ports de l'autre, soit à titre de Droits de tonnage, de ports, de phares, de pilotage, et autres de même nature, soit à titre de Surtaxes sur les marchandises en raison de la non-nationalité du Bâtiment qui les importe, ou qui les exporte;-ont nommé pour Plénipotentiaires afin de conclure une Convention à cet effet, savoir : Sa Majesté Le Roi du Royaume Uni de La Grande Bretagne et de l'Irlande, le Très Honorable George Canning, Conseiller de Sa Majesté Britannique en Son Conseil Privé, Membre du Parlement, et Son Principal Secrétaire d'Etat ayant le Département des Affaires Etrangères; et The Right Honourable William Huskisson, a Member of His said Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, a Member of Parliament, President of the Committee of Privy Council for Affairs of Trade and Foreign Plantations, and Treasurer of His said Majesty's Navy: And His Majesty the King of France and Navarre, The Prince Jules, Count de Polignac, a Peer of France, Maréchal-de-Camp of His Most Christian Majesty's Forces, Knight of the Royal and Military Order of St. Louis, Officer of the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Maurice of Sardinia, Aide-de-Camp of His Most Christian Majesty, and His Ambassador at the Court of His Britannick Majesty: Who, after having communicated to each other their respective Full Powers, found to be in due and proper form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles: ARTICLE I. From and after the 5th of April of the present year, French Vessels coming from or departing for the Ports of France, or, if in ballast, coming from or departing for any Place, shall not be subject, in the Ports of The United Kingdom, either on entering into or departing from the same, to any higher Duties of tonnage, harbour, light-house, pilotage, quarantine, or other similar or corresponding Duties, of whatever nature or under whatever denomination, than those to which British Vessels, in respect of the same voyages, are or may be sub le Très Honorable William Huskisson, Conseiller de Sa Majesté Britannique en Son Conseil Privé, Membre du Parlement, Président du Comité du Conseil Privé pour les Affaires de Commerce et des Colonies, et Trésorier de la Marine de Sa Majesté Britannique: Et Sa Majesté Le Roi de France et de Navarre, Le Prince Jules, Comte de Polignac, Pair de France, Maréchal-de-Camp de Ses Armées, Chevalier de l'Ordre Royal et Militaire de St. Louis, Officier de l'Ordre Royal de la Légion d'Honneur, Grand-Croix de l'Ordre de St. Maurice de Sardaigne, Aide-de-Camp de Sa Majesté Très Chrétienne, et Son Ambassadeur près Sa Majesté Britannique: Lesquels, après s'être communiqué réciproquement leurs Pleinspouvoirs respectifs, trouvés en bonne et due forme, ont arrêté et conclu les Articles suivans: ARTICLE I. A dater du 5 Avril de la présente année, et après cette époque, les Navires Français venant avec chargement des Ports de France, et sans chargement de tous Ports quelconques, ou se rendant avec chargement dans les Ports de France, et sans chargement dans tous Ports quelconques, ne seront pas assujettis, dans les Ports du Royaume Uni, soit à leur entrée, soit à leur sortie, à des Droits de tonnage, de ports, de phares, de pilotage, de quarantaine, ou autres Droits semblables ou analogues, quelle que soit leur nature ou leur dénomination, plus élevés que ceux |