§ At three o'clock, the Lord Chancellor stated that two Commissions had been issued under the Great Seal, the one for giving the royal assent to certain bills, and the other for the prorogation of parliament; and the House adjourned to robe. A few minutes afterwards the archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, earl Camden, the earl of Westmoreland, and the earl of Aylesford, took their seats in their robes as Lords Commissioners. Mr. Quarme, the deputy usher of the black rod, was sent to require the attendance of the Commons. After a short interval the Speaker and several members of the House of Commons came to the bar.
§ The Lord Chancellor stated, that it not being convenient for his royal highness the Prince Regent to be personally pre sent, a Commission had been issued under the great seal, for giving the royal assent to certain Bills. The Commission signed by the Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, was read by the clerk at the table.—The royal as sent was declared and notified in the usual form to several bills. After which,
The Lord Chancellordelivered the, following Speech:
"My Lords, and Gentlemen,
"His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, has commanded us to signify' to you the satisfaction with which he finds himself enabled to relieve you from your attendance in parliament, after' the long and laborious duties of the session. We are particularly directed to express his approbation of the wisdom and firm ness which you have manifested in enabling his Royal Highness to continue the exertions of this country in the cause of our Allies, and to prosecute the war with increased activity and vigour.
"Your determined perseverance in a system of liberal aid to the brave and. loyal nations of the peninsula has progressively augmented their means and spirit of resistance, while the humane attention which you have paid to the suffferings of the inhabitants of Portugal 1119 under the unexampled cruelty of the enemy, has confirmed the alliance by new ties of affection, and cannot fail to inspire additional zeal and animation in the maintenance of the common cause.
"His Royal Highness especially commands us to declare his cordial concurrence in the measures which you have adopted for improving the internal security and military resources of the united Kingdom,
"For these important purposes you have wisely provided, by establishing a system for the annual supply of the regular army, and for the interchange of the militias of Great Britain and Ireland; and his Royal Highness has the satisfaction of informing you, that the voluntary zeal which has already been manifested upon this occasion has enabled him to give immediate operation to an arrangement by which the Union and mutual interests of Great Britain and Ireland may be more effectually cemented and improved.
"Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
"His Royal Highness commands us to thank you in the name and on behalf of his Majesty, for the liberal supplies which you have furnished for every branch of the public service.
"His Royal Highness has seen with pleasure the readiness with which you have applied the separate means of Great Britain to the financial relief of Ireland at the present moment; and derives much satisfaction from perceiving that you have been able to accomplish this object with so little additional burthen upon the resources of this part of the United Kingdom. The manner in which you have taken into consideration the condition of the Irish revenue has met with his Royal Highness's approbation; and his Royal Highness commands us to add, that he looks with confidence to the advantage which may be derived from the attention of parliament having been given to this important subject.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
His Royal Highness commands us to congratulate you upon the reduction of the island of Mauritius. This last and most important colony of France has been obtained with, inconsiderable loss and its 1120 acquisition must materially contribute to the security of the British commerce and possessions in that quarter of the world.
The successes which have crowned his Majesty's arms during the present campaign, under the distinguished command of lieutenant-general lord viscount Wellington, are most important to the interests and glorious to the character of the country. His Royal Highness warmly participates in all the sentiments which have been excited by those successes, and concurs in the just applause which you have bestowed upon the skill, prudence and intrepidity so conspicuously displayed in obtaining them.
"It affords the greatest satisfaction to his Royal Highness to reflect that, should it please Divine Providence to restore his Majesty to the ardent prayers and wishes of his Royal Highness and of his Majesty's people, his Royal Highness will be enabled to lay before his Majesty, in the-history of these great achievements of the British aims throughout a series of systematic operations, so satisfactory a proof that the national interests and the glory of the British name have been successfully maintained while his Royal Highness has conducted the government of the united kingdom."
Then a Commission for proroguing the parliament was read. After which the Lord Chancellor said,
"My Lords and Gentlemen,
"By virtue of the commission under the Great Seal, to us and other lords directed, and now read, we do, in obedience to the commands of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on behalf of his Majesty, prorogue this parliament to Thursday the twenty-second day of August next, to be then here holden; and this parliament is accordingly prorogued to Thursday the twenty-second day of August next."
The Commons withdrew from the Bar and the Lords Commissioners retired from the House.
[A List of the Public Acts passed during the Session will be found at p.cxxxviii, of the Appendix.]