THE PARLIAMENT, which had been prorogued successively from the 1st of August to the 9th of October, from thence to the 20th of November, thence to the 16th of January, and from thence to the 31st January, met this day for despatch of business.
The Parliament was opened by Commission, the LORDS COMMISSIONERS present being the LORD CHANCELLOR; the LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (the Marquess of Lansdowne); the LORD PRIVY SEAL (the Earl of Minto); the LORD CHAMBERLAIN OF THE HOUSEHOLD (the Marquess of Breadalbane); 2 and the LORD BISHOP OF LONDON.
§ THE COMMONS being at the Bar, with their Speaker, the LORD CHANCELLOR delivered the Speech of the LORDS COMMISSIONERS to both Houses of Parliament, as follows:—
§ "My Lords, and Gentlemen, "
§ WE are commanded by Her Majesty to assure you, that Her Majesty has great Satisfaction in again having recourse to the Advice and Assistance of Her Parliament.
§ "THE Decease of Her Majesty Queen Adelaide has caused Her Majesty deep Affliction. The extensive Charity and exemplary Virtues of Her late Majesty will always render Her Memory dear to the Nation.
§ "HER Majesty happily continues in Peace and Amity with Foreign Powers.
3§ "IN the course of the Autumn Differences of a serious Character arose between the Governments of Austria and Russia on the one hand, and the Sublime Porte on the other, in regard to the Treatment of a considerable Number of Persons who, after the Termination of the Civil War in Hungary, had taken refuge in the Turkish Territory.
§ "EXPLANATIONS which took place between the Turkish and Imperial Governments have fortunately removed any Danger to the Peace of Europe which might have arisen out of these Differences.
§ "HER Majesty, having been appealed to on this Occasion by the Sultan, united Her Efforts with those of the Government of France, to which a similar Appeal had been made, in order to assist, by the Employment of Her good Offices, in effecting an amicable Settlement of those Differences in a Manner consistent with the Dignity and Independence of the Porte.
§ "HER Majesty has been engaged in Communications with Foreign States upon the Measures which might be rendered necessary by the Relaxation of the Restrictions formerly imposed by the Navigation Laws of this Country.
§ "THE Governments of the United States of America and of Sweden have promptly taken Steps to secure to British Ships in the Ports of their respective Countries Advantages similar to those which their own Ships now enjoy in British Ports.
§ "WITH regard to those Foreign States whose Navigation Laws have hitherto been of a restrictive Character, Her Majesty has received from nearly all of them Assurances which 4 induce Her to hope that our Example will speedily lead to a great and general Diminution of those Obstacles which previously existed to a free Intercourse by Sea between the Nations of the World.
§ "IN the Summer and Autumn of the past Year, the United Kingdom was again visited by the Ravages of the Cholera; but Almighty God, in His Mercy, was pleased to arrest the Progress of Mortality, and to stay this fearful Pestilence. Her Majesty is persuaded that we shall best evince our Gratitude by vigilant Precautions against the more obvious Causes of Sickness, and an enlightened Consideration for those who are most exposed to its Attacks.
§ "HER Majesty, in Her late Visit to Ireland, derived the highest Gratification from the Loyalty and Attachment manifested by all Classes of Her Subjects. Although the Effects of former Years of Scarcity are painfully felt in that Part of the United Kingdom, they are mitigated by the present Abundance of Food, and the Tranquillity which prevails.
§ "HER Majesty has great Satisfaction in congratulating you on the improved Condition of Commerce and Manufactures. It is with Regret that Her Majesty has observed the Complaints which in many Parts of the Kingdom have proceeded from the Owners and Occupiers of Land. Her Majesty greatly laments that any Portion of Her Subjects should be suffering Distress; but it is a Source of sincere Gratification to Her Majesty to witness the encreased Enjoyment of the Necessaries and Comforts of Life which Cheapness and Plenty have bestowed upon the great Body of Her People.
5§ "Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
§ "HER Majesty has directed the Estimates for the Year to be laid before you. They have been framed with a strict Regard to Economy, while the Efficiency of the various Branches of the Public Service has not been neglected.
§ "HER Majesty has seen with Satisfaction the present State of the Revenue.
§ My Lords, and Gentlemen,
§ "SOME of the Measures which were postponed at the End of the last Session for Want of Time for their Consideration will be again laid before you. Among the most important of these is one for the better Government of the Australian Colonies.
§ "HER Majesty has directed various Measures to be prepared for the Improvement of the Condition of Ireland. The Mischiefs arising from Party Processions, the Defects of the Laws regulating the Relations of Landlord and Tenant, the imperfect State of the Grand Jury Acts, and the diminished Number of Electors for Members to serve in Parliament, will, together with other Matters of serious Consequence, form the Subjects of Measures to be Submitted for your Consideration.
§ "HER Majesty has learnt with Satisfaction that the Measures which have been already passed for the Promotion of the Public Health are in a Course of gradual Adoption; and Her Majesty trusts, that, both in the Metropolis and in various Parts of the United Kingdom, you will be enabled to make further Progress in the Removal of Evils which affect the Health and Well-being of her Subjects.
§ "THE Favour of Divine Providence 6 has hitherto preserved this Kingdom from the Wars and Convulsions which during the last Two Years have shaken so many of the States of the Continent of Europe.
§ "IT is Her Majesty's Hope and Belief that by combining Liberty with Order, by preserving what is valuable, and amending what is defective, you will sustain the Fabric of our Institutions as the Abode and the Shelter of a free and happy People."
§ Then the Commons withdrew.