§ The House on meeting was summoned to the House of Lords, and the Speaker, accompanied by many Members proceeded thither. On his return,
§ The Speakersaid: "I am to acquaint the House, that this House has been in the House of Peers, where I communicated to the Lords Commissioners acting in the name of his Majesty, that this House, in obedience to his Majesty's commands, and! in the exercise of its ancient and un-doubted privileges, had proceeded to the election of a Speaker, and that their choice had fallen upon myself; when the Lords Commissioners acting in the name of his Majesty expressed his Majesty's approbation of the appointment. It then became my duty to claim all the ancient and undoubted privileges of this House, ' more especially freedom from arrest and molestation for the Members in their own; persons and in those of their servants, freedom of Debate, freedom of access to his Majesty whenever they might find it requisite, and also that the most favourable construction might be put by his Majesty upon all their words and actions to which the Lords Commissioners authorised by his Majesty expressed their assurance that his Majesty would with the greatest readiness, and most freely, confirm all the anent rights and privileges of the Members of this House, as they have existed time out of mind; and to as great an extent as they had ever been allowed by any of his Majesty's predecessors. And now, I have again to express my deepest obligation to the House for the honour which it has conferred upon me. It is impossible for me not to feel that the repetition of this honour has made it on every occasion of greater value. It has proved to me, in the way most satisfactory and conclusive, that my endeavours to discharge the duties of my station have been from time to time favourably appreciated by the House. I assure them that those endeavours shall 84 continue unceasingly, and that as long as I have the honour to sit in this Chair, I will do my utmost to perform those duties with assiduity and impartiality. I have earnestly to request the constant support of this House in maintaining its privileges, as essential not only to its own existence, but to the best interests of the country. I have also to request the constant support of the House in maintaining its rules and orders, valuable for the better despatch of public business, but most valuable with reference to freedom of Debate, which can be secured only by a strict attention to our rules and orders. The only business with which we can now proceed is, to take the usual oaths.
§ The Speakerthen took the oaths singly; the other Members present also took them, and the process of swearing-in the Members continued.