together with those whom you may think proper to leave to my nomination. The humble Addrefs of both Houses of Parliament. Die Mercurii, 24° Aprilis, 1765. Moft gracious Sovereign, which, whenever it fhould please God to permit it, mutt overwhelm your loyal fubjects with the bittereft diftraction of grief; we cannot but be deeply affected with that compaffionate fentiment of your Royal Heart, which fuggefts a provifion for their comfort under fo fevere an affliction. May it please the divine providence to WE your Majefty's moft dutiful and exempt us from the fatal neceffity of fuch loyal fubjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in parliament affembled, prefume to ap. proach your facred perfon, with our warmeft acknowledgments of the peculiar goodness expreffed in your most gracious fpeech from the throne We humbly intreat your Majefty's acceptance of our heartieft congratulations upon your recovery from your late indifpofition. Your Majefty's return to your parliament has diffipated all thofe anxious fenfations, which the occafion of your abfence had excited: And as the re-eftablishment of your invaluable health is an object to your faithful people of the fincereft joy and exultation, your Majesty has fhewn a most affectionate regard to their fatisfaction, in condefcending to take the earliest opportunity of giving them fo pleafing a proof of it. This great mark of your Majesty's at tention demands our moft fincere and dutiful thanks: But we have before us a ftill more engaging instance, of your watchful folicitude for our future fecurity and happiness. The conftant tenor of your juft and conftitutional government, distinguished and endeared to your kingdoms by an unwearied application to the advancement of their interefts and profperity, had already filled our minds with a moft cordial sense of gratitude. The new proof, which your Majefty is now pleased to give us, of your truly paternal tendernefs, by extending your concern for the ftability, dignity, and luftre of your crown, with all the happy effects of your love to your Royal Children, and to your faithful fubjects, beyond the period of your own continuance among them, muft infpire us with ftill higher degrees, if poffible, of reverence and affection. Whilst we contemplate, with admiration, that magnanimity which enables your Majesty to look forward, with a cool compofure of thought, to an event, a confolation! Your Majefty has fhewn, from the first day of your aufpicious reign, fo confcientious a regard to the laws and liberties, the religious and civil rights, of your kingdoms, that we should be infenfible and unworthy of the happinefs we ourselves enjoy, if we did not ardently with to tranfimit it under the same gracious care and protection to our children. Yet, feeling, as we do, the infinite importance of every measure that may tend to the perpetuating, in all events, our happy conftitution; in deference to your Majefty's recommendation, and under a full conviction of that confummate prudence, and beneficent intention, which were the motives of it, we will not fail to apply ourselves to the immediate difcuffion of the high and momentous object, which your Majesty has been pleased to propose to our confideration, Our deliberations concerning it will be animated by the hopes of fecuring to our pofterity, under the bleffing of Almighty God, and in concurrence withyourMajefty's falutary defigns, the inestimable bleffing of a legal Proteftant fucceffion to the crown of thefe realms in your Royal Family; and will be influenced by a just confidence in your Princely wifdom, and paternal concern for your people. We shall go into this confideration with a fenfible anxiety, arifing from the subject of it; but we humbly affure your Majefty, that we will conclude it with all the dispatch compatible with its fingular importance; repeating at the fame time, our earnett fupplications, that, through the mercy of God upon this Proteftant church and nation, a precaution, fo expedient in profpect, may become ufelefs in the event; by your Majesty's living to form, under your own instruction, a fucceffor worthy to inherit the allegiance and affections of a free people, by a long and mature attention to the example of your Royal virtues. 理 IT T muft feem extraordinary to all who confider the natural Situation in which Great Britain and Ireland ftand to each other, their fhores being oppofite for a great length of country, under the fame fovereign, and a confiderable trade and intercourse between them, that there should be but one port in each kingdom, that is to fay, Holyhead in great Britain, and Dublin in Ireland; where a regular pacquet, or conveyance, is established, for the convenience of the great numbers of perfons continually paffing from one country to the other. Government feemed to have it in contemplation to remedy this inconvenience in fome degree, when they directed the roads through Scotland by the way of Dumfries, to be repaired out of the public money, for the accommodation of paffengers from thence to the north of Ireland. Had our miniftry been as well aware of the very great refort there is between the western part of Ireland and England, they would probably have been convinced that the establishing a regular communication between them would have been no lefs ufeful and important. Certain it is, the inhabitants of Ireland, refiding in the neighbourhood of Cork, Waterford, and other places in the weft of Ireland, paffing continually to and from Bath, Briftol, and the weft of England, on account of health, amufement, commerce, and other occafions, have long wifhed for an establishment of this fort, and with good reason. They have hitherto been obliged either to take the opportunity of paffing with trading The distance by Sea. From Holyhead to Dublin is From Milford Haven to Waterford is 18 20 It is very probable the great difficulty of paffing through the Welsh roads may hitherto have been the reafon, and a very good one too, why this regulation has not been propofed or taken place: But that reason no longer fubfifts, the roads are now made good almoft the whole way from London and Bristol, through Monmouthfhire, &c. by turnpikes, except in the counties of Pembroke, or Breckneck, where they have been equally well repaired by fubfcription.-A ftage coach is eftablished from London to Carmarthen, which is within 30 miles of Milford, and the encouragement of this pacquet would foon bring it the whole way. Poft chaifes are to be had at most of the stages, and very foon will be found at all. Perfons chufing to go from Milford to Bristol by fea, at an easier expence, might be accommodated by trading veffels, which go almoft every week. Poffibly it may be thought, by fome perfons that it would still better answer the purpose of the public, to eftablish the pacquet between the western parts of Ireland and Briftol; but no perfon, who is well acquainted with the difficulties, and inconveniencies of the Briftol channel, and has the opportunity of feeing how conftantly veffels, trading between Bristol and Ireland, are obliged to ftop, and wait at the feveral ports in the Bristol channel, would wish to have the pacquet eftablished on the Englith fide at Bristol.--Pacquets which are to go conftantly should always make the nearet ports.-The outlet from Milford is ready;-the paffage 40 leagues horter;-- and the and the pacquet, taking the advantage neceffary to acquaint the post-mafter geof the half tides, which fet regularly neral, if the poft was to go from Glouin thofe feas, beat over to Waterford, cefter through Colford, Monmouth, and which lies directly oppofite, even with a Abergavenny, to Brecon, instead of gowelterly wind; (when they may be lock- ing from Gloucefter, through Rofs and ed up for weeks together in the Briftol Hereford, to Brecon, as it now does, it channel) and in like manner may return would go that distance only in the road to with the wind easterly, when they cannot Milford, in at least four hours lefs time beat up to Bristol. This, the feamen fay, than it now does. The advantages which may be done by the veffel's falling down muft arife to both kingdoms in point of at last quarter's Ebb to Skomer, an Ifland commerce by fuch an establishment, are off Milford, (which is always practicable) infinite. The intercourfe between Briwhere the will have the fouth ftream to ftol, Cork, and Waterford, is well carry her near the Tufcker Rock, from known, and the benefit of conveying whence the fouth ftream from St. Geor- fpeedy intelligence and correspondence in ge's channel, which runs there for nine time of war particularly is equally obvihours, from S. S. W. to W. S. W. will ous. Letters from Bristol may be sent to carry her to Waterford. By the fame rule, Milford in as little time as to London; with the help of thofe tides, the can re- pacquet brings them directly from Milford turn to Milford with the wind at eaft. To to Waterford, which is but 25 miles from this may be added, that with the wind at Cork: from London they must pass to north, the pacquet is always fure to reach Holyhead and Dublin and from thence Waterford, if foutherly Wexford. over Land to Cork, which is 120 miles. the wind be south, and the pacquet from Ireland cannot reach Milford the may go to Fishguard (10 miles only from HaverfordWelt) and land her mail and paffengers. A northerly wind always commands Milford. For thefe reafons, these pacquets will have a great advantage over that of Dublin and Holyhead, for thofe being bars or dry harbours muft wait for tide, cpecially at Holyhead; where, if it blows hard, they are obliged to bear away for fome other place, even fometimes as far as Milford, befides the difficulty of getting out of Dublin and Holyhead har bours, each lying in the bottom of a If fo that if there be a fwell with little wind they cannot get out. For these reasons feven, ten, nay feventeen pacquets are known to have been due at a time: a circumftance that can never happen between Milford and Waterford; where, as has been fhewn, pacquets may pafs backward and forward, by the help of tides and currents, even with the most contrary winds. It might, with equal propriety, be urged, that the pacquet from Dublin would be more convenient to London by this way than by Holyhead. Should this propofal be accepted, there is no doubt but perfons might be found who would engage one or more veffels for this fervice, fubject to fuch regulations as the government, or poft-mafter general of each kingdom fhall think proper. It is It is to be hoped, therefore, that a fcheme, calculated for the convenience and advantage of both kingdoms, to which there feems to be no just objection, will be fupported by the mutual aid of the nobility, gentry, and merchants of both countries, thofe inhabiting the western part of them in particular. A Letter from M. de Voltair to Mr. d'A, M. concerning the Cafe of the unfortu nate Families of Calas and Sirven, da ted at Ferny, March 1, 1765. (See p. 156.) "I Have read, my dear friend, the new memorial of Mr. de Beaumont, which demonftrates, with fuch evidence, the innocence of Calas. I read it with admiration.I bedewed it with my tears— -but it gave me no new information. I had long before received full conviction on this head, and was the first who produced fatisfactory proofs of the innocence of Calas and his family. You defire to know, how the general cries of Europe against the murder of this unhappy man, committed at Thoulouse, by a juridical fentence, fhould have been firft excited in an obfcure, unknown corner of the world between the Alps and Mount Jura, an hundred leagues from the theatre on which this bloody and odious tragedy was acted? I fhall fatisfy your curiofity in this matter, and you will thus fee how an invisible chain con. nects nects all the events of this wretched world. Towards the end of March 1762, a gentleman, who had paffed through Languedoc, and made me a vifit at my country-feat about two leagues from Geneva, informed me of the execution of Calas, and affured me that he was innocent of the crime for which he fuffered. I anfwered, that the crime appeared highly improbable; but that it was still equally improbable that eight judges fhould, without any temptation on the fide of intereft, condemn an innocent perfon to be broken upon the wheel. I was informed the next day, that one of the fons of this unfortunate father had fied from the scene of horror already mentioned, and taken refuge in Switzerland at a place in my neighbourhood. His flight made me fufpect, that his family was guilty. But reflecting that the father was executed on a fuppofition that he killed his fon from a religious principle, and that this fame father suffered death at the age of fixty nine, I found in this very circumftance a strong prefumptive proof of his innocence. I could not recollect any example of fuch fanatical phrenzy at fuch an advanced age. I had always obferved, that the frenzy of enthufiafm was, generally speaking, confined to young people, whofe boiling paffions, and warm imaginations, rendered them obfequious to the horrid dictates of fuperfition. The fanatics of the Cevennes were mad-caps between the age of twenty and thirty, who had learned to play the prophet from their very infancy. The old monks are lefs violent and lefs fufceptible of the furious extravagance of a false zeal, than those that are just come red hot out of their novitiate. All the Convulfionaries, who made so much noife at Paris, were young girls and boys, whofe fancies were warm, and their limbs flexible. The famous affaffins, whom the infernal rage of fanaticifin fo often armed against heroes and princes, were all young men; and the fame may be faid of thofe who pretended to be poffeffed: There is fcarcely any example of an old man's being exorcifed. This confideration made me doubt of the crime laid to the charge of Calas a crime, befides, which the univerfal feelings of nature render impoffible. I wanted, however, to know more fully the circumftance of this tranfaction. I therefore fent for young Calas. I expected to find in him fome marks of that fanatical and furious fpirit, that grows in the foil of Thouloufe; but I was moft agreeably difappointed, I perceived in his air, his countenance and manner, the most striking appearances of innocence, fimplicity, mildnets and candour. While he spoke to me he mtade many efforts to reftrain his tears, but in vain. He told me, that he was apprentice to a manufacturer at Nifimes, when he learned from public report, that his whole family were on the point of being condemned to death, and that they were almoft generally looked upon as guilty of the horrid crime that was laid to their charge: and this he alledged as the reason of his leaving his native country, and his feeking a place of retirement and fafety. in Switzerland. I asked him if his father or mother were of a hafty and paffionate character, or had ever treated their children with feverity and violence? He affured me they were not, and had always been the fondest of parents, and had ever difcovered to their children the most engaging proofs of tendernefs and indulgence, This furnished a ftrong prefumption in favour of the unhappy Calas; and farther enquiries and informations convinced me fully, that inftead of being a fanatick and parracide him felf, he was an innocent victim to the rage of blood-thirsty fuperftition and fanaticifm. And I have known by long obfervation, what horrors the foul mouth of calumny, and the spirit of party are capable of producing. I was, however, aftonished to find, by feveral letters from Languedoc, that Calas was generally looked upon as guilty, and feveral both of my catholic and proteftant friends feemed to confider this general notion as too well founded, All this did not hinder me from making farther inquiries. I wrote to the governor of the province and to the ministers of ftate, and received the fame difcouraging anfwer; they even advised me to avoid appearing in fuch a bad caufe. I ftill ne vertheless perfifted in my refolution coming at the truth. The widow of Calas, that no bar' rity might be left unemployed to ag vate her anguish, faw her daughters to fr from her bosom, by a fet of monfters lation of being defended by a Mariette, who called themfelves the minifters of a Beaumont, and a L'Oiseau. Hear the juftice. In this forlorn condition fhe fact-it will fill you with horror. fought for a folitary retreat, where the might vent her forrow without interruption, and fhed tears of conjugal tenderness upon the memory of a murdered husband, until death should put an end to her calamities. I made no enquiry into her particular mode of faith, I only defired to know, whether he believed in a fupreme being, the rewarder of virtue and the avenger of guilt. I had the following queltion propofed to her, whether she was ready to declare, in the prefence of that God that her husband was an innocent fufferer? She made this declaration in the moft folemn manner, and then I redoubled my zeal in her caufe, and engaged Monf. Mariette to appear in her detence in the cabinet council. Then it appeared, that illuftrious virtues are mixed with atrocious crimes in this ftrange world, and that if fuperftition produces the moft horrid diforders, philoJaphy repairs them. A lady of diftinction, who was at that time at Geneva, for the inoculation of her children, was the firft who lent an affiftant hand to the unhappy widow. Several English gentlemen, who paffed here in their travels, diftinguithed their generofity on this occafion. Their example was imitated by the French, that refide in this country, and the two rival nations vied with each other in their zeal for the fupport of oppreffed innocence and virtue. The final refult of all this is now univerfally known. We have seen a modern Cicero defend before a council of legiflators another Amerius accused of parricide. We have heard the cries of bigottry and fanaticism filenced for the first time, by the commanding voice of equity and wildom. We have heard the first council of the nation declare Calas innocent, and the fentence that condemned him an unrighteous fen tence. Reafon and justice have then triumphed;-But be aftonished, my friend (if you can believe it) that the family of Caas, that has been fo amply juftified, was Sthe only one which at this very time is n accused of parricide by the voice of who ticism, and facrificed to the fury of this gious faction. There remains a fathey yet more unhappy, because expofed eacthe fame calamities, without the confo An inhabitant of Caftre, named Sirven, had three daughters. As this was a proteftant family an inhuman prieft tears the youngest daughter from the bofom of her parents, forces her to receive inftruction in a convent, where she is barbaroufly whipped on account of her reluctance against her new catechism. The poor girl filled with terror, and exafperated by severe treatment, loses her fenfes and drowns herself in a well, that was about three leagues from the house of her father, the bigots immediately take the alarm, and perfuade themfelves that the father, mother and fifter have put the child to death; for the Roman catholicks of thefe provinces look upon it as one of the leading maxims of the protestants, "That they are bound in confcience to hang, drown, or put to death, in fome way or other, fuch of their children as they fufpect of an inclination to embrace popery." This happened at the very time that Calas was in chains, and that they were erecting the scaffold at Thou louse. The ftory of the unfortunate girl reached Thouloufe, where it paffed for a new example of a father and a mother become parricides in the caule of religion. The rage of the populace is doubled-Calas is broken upon the wheel, and the unhappy Sirven, his wife and daughters, are called before the fame tribunal that was stained with the innocent blood of Calas. Sirven, terrified by the prospect of a like iniquitous judgment, has but a moment left to fave himself by flight with a fick family. They travel barefoot over rocks and mountains covered with fnow. One of his daughters is feized with labour and delivered of a child in an open field, and is obliged to continue her flight with a dying child in her feeble arms. They arrive at length in Switzerland. The unfortunate Sirven applies to me for fuccour. Never did I behlod fuch an affecting picture of innocence and afflicti on. Only think of four harmless theep whom the butchers accufe of having devoured a lamb. I lamented their calebut my tears alone could not help them. I wrote immediately to the first prefident of the parliament of Languedoc; but he was at that time abfent from Thouloufe. I had |
