Lords Sitting of 12 July 1815

THE SPEAKER'S SPEECH TO THE PRINCE REGENT ON PRESENTING THE VOTE OF CREDIT BILL.
Exactly at two o'clock, his royal highness the Prince Regent entered the House of Lords. The Usher of the Black Rod was immediately dispatched to the House of Commons, requiring their attendance. The Speaker and a great number of members accordingly made their appearance in a few minutes. As soon as the Speaker had reached the bar, he pronounced the following Speech:—
"May it please your Royal Highness:
"We his Majesty's faithful subjects, the Commons of Great Britain and Ireland, in obedience to your Royal Highness's commands, attend your Royal Highness; and, according to our ancient privilege, we crave leave to present with our own hands our grant of supply, which concludes the labours of the session.
"In the ordinary course of our proceedings, much of our time has been occupied in discussing measures of great importance to the State, with respect to its agriculture, shipping, and finances.
"We have endeavoured so to regulate the Corn Laws with prudence and firmness, that protection and encouragement may be given to the agricultural interests of every part of the United Kingdom, without endangering the prosperity of our trade and manufactures. We have endeavoured also to derive new means of maritime strength from the valuable resources of our Indian possessions; and, after devising and preparing such plans for adjusting the public revenue and expenditure, as might suit a period of returning peace, we have been called upon by unlooked-for events, to renew our exertions and sacrifices upon the most extended scale of war.
"Scarcely had we closed our contest with America, and scarcely had the Congress of Vienna laid the first foundation of those arrangements, which were destined to consolidate the peace of Europe, when, in direct contravention of the most solemn engagements, the disturber of Europe, and destroyer of the human race, repeared upon the throne of France, and the world was once more in arms.
"In the short space of three months,
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by rapid strides, the fate of Europe has been again brought to issue; and the conflict was tremendous, but the result has been glorious. The most warlike nations, headed by the most renowned commanders, have met in battle; and as Britons, we have the triumphant satisfaction to know (however much that triumph may be saddened with private grief), that it is now no longer doubtful to what name, and to what nation, the world will henceforth ascribe the pre-eminence for military skill and unconquerable valour.
"To consecrate the trophies, and perpetuate the fame of our brave countrymen who fell in that unrivalled victory, we have declared it to be our ardent desire, and it will be the distinguishing glory of your Royal Highness's days, to erect, in the metropolis of this empire, such a lofty and durable monument of their military renown, and our national gratitude, as may command the veneration of our latest posterity.
"Great, however, and glorious as this victory has been in itself, it is not to the joint exertions and heroic achievements of the British and Prussian arms in that memorable conflict, that we must limit our admiration. We have also to contemplate with equal pride and satisfaction its immediate consequences, military, political, and moral.
"We have seen the illustrious Commanders of the Allied Armies advancing at once into the heart of France; and Paris, twice conquered, has again opened her gates to the conquerors.
"The Usurper of a throne, which he has twice abdicated, has sought his safety in an ignominious flight, and the rightful Sovereign of France has once more resumed the sceptre of his ancestors.
"With these awful scenes passing before us, we may presume also to hope, that the period is not now distant, when the hand of Providence will finally extinguish the remaining effects of that guilty and perfidious spirit of domination which has so long raged without control, and restore to desolated Europe the blessings of peace and justice.
"But, Sir, whatever may be the final issue of these great transactions, we look forward with confidence to their satisfactory conclusion, under the auspices of your Royal Highness; and we doubt not of the happiest results, from the same councils which have planned, and the same hands that have executed those wise and vigorous measures which have hitherto been crowned with such signal success.
"On our part, it is our humble duty to strengthen the means of your Royal Highness's Government; and towards effectuating that purpose, we, his Majesty's faithful Commons, do this day present to your Royal Highness a Bill, intituled, 'An Act for enabling his Majesty to raise the sum of Six Millions for the service of Great Britain.'
"To which, with all humility, we intreat his Majesty's Royal Assent."
The Royal Assent was then declared to the Vote of Credit Bill, the Bread Assize Bill, and a number of minor Bills.

THE PRINCE REGENT'S SPEECH AT THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION.
His royal highness the Prince Regent was then pleased to make the following Speech from the throne:
"My Lords and Gentlemen;
"I cannot close this session of parliament without again expressing my deep regret at the continuance of his Majesty's lamented indisposition.
"At the commencement of the present session I entertained a confident hope, that the Peace which I had concluded in conjunction with his Majesty's Allies would meet with no interruption; that, after so many years of continued warfare and of unexampled calamity, the nations of Europe would be allowed to enjoy that repose for which they had been so long contending; and that your efforts might be directed to alleviate the burthens of his Majesty's people, and to adopt such measures as might best promote the internal prosperity of his dominions.
"These expectations were disappointed by an act of violence and perfidy of which no parallel can be found in history.
"The usurpation of the supreme authority in France by Buonaparté, in consequence of the defection of the French armies from their legitimate Sovereign, appeared to me to be so incompatible with the general security of other countries, as well as with the engagements to which the French nation had recently been a party, that I felt I had no alternative but to employ the military resources of his Majesty's dominions, in conjunction with his Majesty's Allies, to prevent the re-establishment of a system which experience had proved to be the source of such incalculable woes to Europe.
"Under such circumstances you will have seen, with just pride and satisfaction, the splendid success with which it has pleased Divine Providence to bless his Majesty's arms and those of his Allies.
"Whilst the glorious and ever-memorable victory obtained at Waterloo, by field-marshals the Duke of Wellington and and Prince Blucher, has added fresh lustre to the characters of those great commanders, and has exalted the military reputation of this country beyond all former example, it has at the same time produced the most decisive effects on the operations of the war, by delivering from invasion the dominions of the king of the Netherlands, and by placing, in the short space of fifteen days, the city of Paris and a large past of the kingdom of France in the military occupation of the Allied Armies.
"Amidst events so important, I am confident you will see how necessary it is, that there should be no relaxation in our exertions, until I shall be enabled, in conjunction with his Majesty's Allies, to complete those arrangements which may afford the prospect of permanent peace and security to Europe.
"Gentlemen of the House of Commons;
"I thank you for the very liberal provision you have made for the services of the present year.
"I deeply lament the continuance and increase of those burthens which the great military exertions of the present cam-

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paign, combined with the heavy arrears remaining due for the expenses of the former war, have rendered indispensable, and which his Majesty's loyal subjects, from a conviction of their necessity, have sustained with such exemplary fortitude and cheerfulness.
"You have already, seen, however, the fruit of the exertions which have been made; and there can be no doubt that the best economy will be found to result from that policy which may enable us to bring the contest to the most speedy termination.
"My Lords and Gentlemen;
"The brilliant and rapid success of the Austrian arms at the opening of the campaign, has led to the restoration of the kingdom of Naples to its ancient Sovereign, and to the deliverance of that important portion of Italy from foreign influence and dominion.
"I have further the satisfaction of acquainting you, that the authority of his Most Christian Majesty has been again acknowledged in his capital, to which his Majesty has himself repaired.
"The restoration of Peace between this Country and the United States of America has been followed by a negociation for a Commercial Treaty, which I have every reason to hope will be terminated upon conditions calculated to cement the good understanding subsisting between the two countries, and equally beneficial to the interests of both.
"I have great pleasure in acquainting you, that the labours of the Congress at Vienna have been brought to a conclusion by the signature of a Treaty, which, as the ratifications have not yet been exchanged, could not be communicated to you, but which I expect to be enabled to lay before you when I next meet you in Parliament.
"I cannot release you from your attendance without assuring you, that it is in a great degree to the support which you have afforded me, that I ascribe the success of my earnest endeavours for the public welfare; and on no occasion has
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that support been more important than in the course of the present session.
"In the further prosecution of such measures as may be necessary to bring the great contest in which we are engaged to an honourable and satisfactory conclusion, I shall rely with confidence on the experienced zeal and steady loyalty of all classes of his Majesty's subjects; and they may depend on my efforts to improve our present advantages in such manner as may best provide for the general tranquillity of Europe, and maintain the high character which this country enjoys amongst the nations of the world."
The Lord Chancellor,then, by his royal highness the Prince Regent's command, said: "My Lords and Gentlemen; It is the will and pleasure of his royal highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on behalf of his Majesty, that this Parliament be prorogued to Tuesday the 22d day of August next, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday the 22d day of August next."