Art. 7.-His Sicilian majesty also engages to recruit the squadron of his Britannic majesty, with such a number of sailors as it shall require, to the amount of three thousand sailors, provided that they be put upon the same footing as English sailors on board the said squadron of his Britannic majesty, both as to bounty money on their entering, and to pay, during their continuance in his service; and also as to all other advantages and profits enjoyed by the English sailors on board the said squadron. The sailors furnished by his Sicilian majesty shall not be employed out of the Mediterranean sea, nor engaged for a longer period than that of the continuance of the present war.

Art. 8.-The ships of war, of the two contracting powers, employed to act as convoys to the merchantmen of their respective nations, shall indiscriminately take under their convoy and protection the merchantmen of either, which may have the same destina

tion.

Art. 9.-During the present war the ports of the two Sicilies shall be shut against all French ships, either of war or trade, and his Sicilian majesty will prohibit his subjects from all trade with France of any kind whatsoever. He will not permit the vessels of other nations to export from his dominions to the ports of France any species of provisions,

or of warlike and naval stores.

Art. 10.-The two high contracting parties reciprocally engage to procure for each other, at a peace, every advantage and suitable indemnification: and his Britannic majesty particularly promises to his Sicilian majesty to take on that occasion a special care of the interests and of the security of the crown of the Two Sicilies, as well as of the tranquillity and welfare of Italy.

Art. 11,-If in hatred to the present treaty of alliance, any power whatsoever should declare war against one or other of the two high contracting parties, they mutually engage to make common cause against such power, under the same conditions and reciprocal engagements as are contained in the articles of the present treaty.

Art. 12. The two contracting parties reserve to themselves the power of concerting with each other, after a common peace, the means of giving to the present alliance between the two powers, a greater extent, and of agreeing upon such articles and arrangements as may ensure in future the tranquillity and defence of their subjects and dominions, as well as of settling the mutual succours to be furnished by the two powers with a view to obtain that salutary end. Animated by the same zeal for the prosperity of their people, they will likewise concert upon such articles as may serve as a basis for a treaty of com

Art. 13. The present treaty of alliance shall be ratified by the high contracting parties, and the ratifications thereof shall be exchanged in due form at Naples in the space of three months, or sooner if it can be done, to be computed from the day of the signature of the present act.

In witness whereof, we the under-signed furnished with full powers by our respective sovereigns have signed the present treaty of alliance, and have affixed thereto the seal of our arms. Done at Naples, the 1st of December 1798.

(L. S.) WILLIAM HAMILTON, (L. S.) MARTINI MASTRIKI, MARQUIS DE GALLO.

2.

Vote of Thanks to Sir Ralph Abercromby, Admiral Mitchell, and Sir Sidney Smith, &c.] Sep. 26. On the motion of Mr. Secretary Dundas, the House resolved, nem. con.-1. "That the thanks of this House be given to lieutenant general sir Ralph Abercromby, knight of the Bath, for the distinguished gallantry and ability with which he effected his landing on the Dutch coast, and established his position in the face of a powerful enemy; and, by securing the command of the prin republic, afforded to his majesty's fleet the cipal fort and naval arsenal of the Dutch means of rescuing from the power of the French the naval force in the Texel. That the thanks of this House be given to lieut. general sir James Pulteney, baronet, major generals Francis D'Oyley, Eyre Coote, Harry Burrard, and John Moore, and to the several officers of the army under the command of lieut. general sir Ralph Abercromby, for their late gallant conduct and meritorious exertions, in effecting a landing on the Dutch coast, and establishing a position in the face of a powerful enemy, thereby securing the command of the principal fort and naval arsenal of the Dutch republic, and affording to his majesty's fleet the means of rescuing from the power of the French, the naval force in the Texel. 3. That this House doth highly approve of and acknowledge the services of the non-commissioned officers and private soldiers of the army serving under the command of lieut. general sir Ralph Abercromby, at Holland; and that the same be signified the attack of the Helder, on the coast of to them by the commanders of the several corps, who are desired to thank them for their gallant behaviour. 4. That the

thanks of this House be given to vice admiral Andrew Mitchell, for the distinguished skill and perseverance with which in spite of great and unforeseen difficulties, he kept collected, and conducted to the coast of Holland, the numerous fleet under his command; for the zeal and readiness with which he co-operated with the land forces in their descent upon the coast of Holland; and for the promptitude and ability by which he rescued the naval force of the Dutch republic from the power of the French. 5. That the thanks of this House be given to the several captains and officers in the fleet under the command of vice admiral Mitchell, for their able support of, and co-operation with, the land forces, and for their meritorious and successful exertions in rescuing from the power of the French the naval force in the Texel. 6. That this House doth highly approve of, and acknowledge, the service of the seamen and marines on board the ships under the command of vice admiral Mitchell, in the assistance they afforded to the land forces in their descent upon the coast of Holland, and for the steadiness and zeal they manifested in pursuit of the Dutch fleet within the Zuyder Sea; and that the officers commanding the several ships do signify the same to their respective crews, and do thank them for their good behaviour."

Mr. Secretary Dundas said, he had now to move the thanks of the House for services performed in a different quarter by that gallant officer sir Sidney Smith. In speaking upon this subject, he really felt himself at a loss for terms to express his sentiments upon the conduct of that offi

cer.

It was impossible for a human individual to conceive a situation of more difficulty and delicacy than that in which sir S. Smith was placed: and yet, in this situation, he had brought off a very small remnant of force, not by a well-conducted retreat, but with glory, against the whole power of the French at St. John D'Acre. It was now about twelve months since the intelligence arrived of the landing of that army on the coast of Egypt, and what the general feeling in this country was upon that occasion must be fresh in every man's mind. After many difficulties, the force of the enemy was collected for the purpose of making an attack upon St. John D'Acre, garrisoned by a small number of Turks, and assisted by a handful of British troops. Nothing could exceed the

importance of this contest: they had, as sir Sidney had stated, a nation for spectators, who waited the issue of the conflict, in order to determine which party they should join. He did not, in his opinion, say too much when he said, that he believed that the safety of the Turkish empire depended upon the event of that contest. He animated the Turkish forces by his conduct, and directed them with his skill. He fought at the head of a few British seamen, for more than sixty days in succession, in defending a breach against the whole French force, headed by an enterprising general. He freely confessed, that he had not got over the astonishment that he felt when he was first informed of these circumstances; he had read the dispatches again and again; he had frequently ruminated upon them, and to this moment he could scarcely conceive how human exertion could achieve what he had done. This gallant officer had in the course of his life met with many difficulties, and there was a time when some persons who did not know him talked lightly of him. To those who could talk or think so of such an officer as sir Sidney Smith, he would say nothing; he would leave them to the contempt they deserved, and to the remorse they must now feel in contemplating the character of that officer. He would not say that his actions on the coast of Egypt were unrivalled, but he would say, that there never were any in which there were displayed more heroism, more skill, and greater exertion. He then moved, and it was resolved, nem. con.,—1. "That the thanks of this House be given to captain sir William Sidney Smith, for the conspicuous skill and heroism by which he animated and directed the efforts of the Turkish forces, and of the small number of British officers and seamen under his command, in their long and successful defence of St. John D'Acre, on the coast of Syria, against the formidable and desperate attack of the French army under the command of general Buonaparte. 2. That the thanks of this House be given to the officers belonging to the ships under the command of captain sir W. S. Smith, for the great bravery, and unremitted exertions, which they manifested, both on shore and on board the ships, in the successful defence of Saint John D'Acre, on the coast of Syria, against the formidable and desperate attack of the Freuch army under the command of general Buona

parte; and that sir W. S. Smith do signify the same to them. 3. That this House doth highly approve of, and acknowledge, the services of the seamen and marines belonging to the ships under the command of captain sir W. S. Smith, in the glorious defence of Saint John D'Acre, against the formidable and desperate attack of the French army under the command of general Buonaparte; and that sir W. S. Smith do signify the same to the crews of the respective ships and do thank them for their good behaviour."

October 4, similar thanks were moved in the House of Lords, and agreed to nem. dis.

Militia Volunteers Bill.] Sept. 26. Mr. Secretary Dundas moved for leave to introduce a bill to enable his majesty to receive himself voluntary services of the militia. As to the principle of the bill, it was by no means novel, for in the course of the last session he had had occasion to state it much more at length than he should feel any necessity for doing upon the present occasion. That principle, as he had then explained it, had, in the opinion of the House, justified a measure, the tendency of which was, not to lessen the force of the country, but to employ the greater part of it, not only for home defence, but for effectual operations abroad. It had been urged, that the government of this country had been too rash in adopting a measure which would have the effect of lessening the military force of the kingdom; but he was yet to learn how it could be lessening the force of the country, to employ the greater part of it beyond the circle of the island: he considered that by so doing he was more effectually securing the safety of the island, than by suffering that force to remain inactive at home; he was yet to learn how employing our forces against an enemy's country, instead of confining them to our own, was lessening our internal security. When he introduced the former bill last session, he did not pretend to point out the particular places against which the efforts of our forces should be directed; but he had no hesitation in saying, that in case the object of the allied powers should be the deliverance of Holland, that it would be for the interest of this country to entrust, to the enterprise and good conduct of a British force, some expedition between the Texel and the Mediterranean. The object of the present bill, though it appeared to be

that of decreasing the militia, as far as related to the internal defence of the country, was, in point of fact, to increase a force which might be effectually employed by his majesty, in any part where their services might be necessary in facilitating the cause in which we were engaged. He was so far from being desirous of diminishing any part of the forces of the kingdom, that his sole object was, to enable them to act in such a manner as the wisdom of his majesty's councils might suggest. There was no individual in the House, or in the country, who would wish to lessen that regard which was universally felt for the militia. It was a force which had been long established, and its utility had been long recognized by the wisdom of parliament. He meant to leave the militia force of the country equal in point of extent to what it was originally recognized by parliament. That there had existed a period in the course of the present war, when it was necessary to increase that force for the internal defence of the kingdom, he admitted. It had been thought necessary to raise that force known by the denomination of the Supplementary Militia; but then it was to be recollected, that that measure had been brought forward at a time when the forces of this country, calculated for of fensive or defensive operations, were exceedingly small, compared with what they were now; that it was at a period too when the country was threatened with invasion by its old and inveterate enemies; but for some time past the necessity of so large a defensive force had been gradually wearing away; particularly by the suc cesses of his majesty's arms by sea and land, and still more so by those meritorious exertions which the zeal and loyalty of the people of this country had produced in defence of their king, their constitution, their laws, and their religion. The force raised by that zeal and loyalty, could only be supposed to have for its more immediate object the protection and defence of the capital of the British empire. Under these circumstances, therefore, adverting to the internal safety of the country on the one hand, and to the unexampled successes obtained by his majesty's arms on the other, he should conclude with moving "That leave be given to bring in a bill, for enabling his majesty to accept the services of an additional number of Volunteers from the Mi. litia, under certain Restrictions."