The Speaker acquainted the house, that he had received from lieut. general the right hon. lord viscount Cathcart, the following Letter, in return to the Thanks of this house, signified to him, in 230 obedience to their commands of Thursday last: viz.
"Gloucester Place, Jan. 30, 1808."Sir; I take the earliest opportunity of acknowledging your letter of the 29th inst. transmitting authenticated copies of the Resolutions of the 28th inst. by which the house of commons have been pleased to vote their Thanks to the commander of the forces, to the general officers, and to the several officers of the army under his command, during the siege of Copenhagen, and to approve and acknowledge the regularity, discipline, valour, and exertions, of the non-commissioned officers and private men employed on that service; the house being further pleased to appoint, that these Resolutions shall be communicated by me to the generals and other officers who served in that army.—I have to request that you will have the goodness to state for me to the house, that it affords me great gratification to have the honour of communicating these Resolutions respectively, and without delay, to the several general officers named in your letter, and to the other officers of the army lately under my command. Several of these distinguished officers, and many of the non-commissioned officers and private soldiers, have already received the thanks of parliament, or the notification of the recorded approval of their services on former occasions; and I am confident that all of them will feel as they ought to do, the high distinction now conferred upon them; and that they will do credit to their country and to themselves where-ever they may be employed.—For my own part, sir, I find it impossible to express the sentiments which arise in my mind, on learning that any endeavours of mine, faithfully and conscientiously to discharge the duties of my profession as a British officer, entrusted with command on an important service, should have procured for me the Thanks of the house of commons.—Suffice it therefore to say, that I most gratefully receive this distinguished honour, with the most exalted respect for the house of parliament from whence it flows, and the greatest humility in regard to my own desert.—I beg to offer my best acknowledgements to you, sir, for the personal civilities with which you have been pleased to accompany the transmission of this signal mark of the approbation of the house of Commons; and I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient, &c.
§ "CATHCART.