HL Deb 22 June 1841 vol 58 cc1594-6

Her Majesty went in state this day to the House of Lords. Being seated on the Throne, the Speaker and Members of the House of Commons were summoned to the Bar by the Usher of the Black Rod.

The Speaker

addressed her Majesty as follows:—Most Gracious Sovereign, we your Majesty's faithful Commons, approach your Majesty with sentiments of unfeigned devotion and loyalty. In granting the supplies for the service of the present year, it has been our anxious desire to place at the disposal of your Majesty the means whereby your Majesty's naval and military establishment may be upheld in complete efficiency both at home and abroad; and we feel a strong conviction, that in thus enabling your Majesty to maintain the honour of your Majesty's Crown, and to protect the just interests of your Majesty's subjects, we have adopted a course which, under the favour of Divine Providence, is best calculated to secure for this country and the world the continued blessings of peace. We now tender to your Majesty an act to apply certain sums of money for the service of the year 1841, and to appropriate the supplies granted in this Session of Parliament, to which in all humility, we pray your Majesty's gracious assent.

The royal assent having been given, in the usual form, to the following bills:— Appropriation, Militia Pay, the Bills of Exchange, Punishment of Death, Bribery at Elections, Controverted Elections Trial, Highway Rates, Loan Societies, Mad Houses (Scotland), and some other private Bills, her Majesty then read the following Speech:—

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"On a full consideration of the present state of public affairs, I have come to the determination of proroguing Parliament, with a view to its immediate dissolution.

" The paramount importance of the trade and industry of the country, and my anxiety that the exigencies of the public service should be provided for in the manner least burdensome to the community, have induced me to resort to the means which the constitution has entrusted to me, of ascertaining the sense of my people upon matters which so deeply concern their welfare.

"I entertain the hope that the progress of public business may be facilitated, and that divisions, injurious to the course of steady policy and useful legislation, may be removed by the authority of a new Parliament, which I shall direct to be summoned without delay.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

"I thank you for the readiness with which you have voted the sums necessary for the civil and military establishments.

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"In the exercise' of my prerogative, I can have no other object than that of securing the rights and promoting the interests of my subjects; and 1 rely on the co-operation of my Parliament, and the loyal zeal of my people, for support in the adoption of such measures as are necessary to maintain that high station among the nations of the world which it has pleased Divine Providence to assign to this country."

The Lord Chancellor

said, it is her Majesty's royal will and pleasure that this Parliament be prorogued to Tuesday, the 29th of June instant, to be then here holden, and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued till Tuesday, the 29th of June.

Her Majesty and her attendants retired, and the Peers separated.