Lords Sitting of 28 January 1817

THE PRINCE REGENT'S SPEECH ON OPENING THE SESSION.
This day, at two o'clock, his royal highness the Prince Regent came down in the usual state. Being seated on the throne, his royal highness opened the Session with the following Speech to both Houses:
"My Lords and Gentlemen;
"It is with deep regret that I am again obliged to announce to you, that no alteration has occurred in the state of his Majesty's lamented indisposition.
"I continue to receive from foreign powers the strongest assurances of their friendly disposition towards this country, and of their earnest desire to maintain the general tranquillity.
"The hostilities to which I was compelled to resort, in vindication of the honour of the country, against the government of Algiers, have been attended with the most complete success.
"The splendid achievement of his majesty's fleet, in conjunction with a squadron of the king of the Netherlands, under the gallant and able conduct of admiral viscount Exmouth, led to the immediate and unconditional liberation of all Christian captives then within the territory of Algiers, and to the renunciation by its government of the practice of Christian slavery.
"I am persuaded that you will be duly sensible of the importance of an arrangement so interesting to humanity, and reflecting, from the manner in which it has been accomplished, such signal honour on the British nation.
"In India, the refusal of the government of Nepaul to ratify a treaty of peace which had been signed by its plenipotentiaries, occasioned a renewal of military operations.
"The judicious arrangements of the governor-general, seconded by the bravery and perseverance of his majesty's forces, and of those of the East India company, brought the campaign: to a speedy and successful issue; and peace has been finally established upon the just and honourable terms of the original treaty.
"Gentlemen of the House of Commons;
"I have directed the estimates for the current year to be laid before you.
"They have been formed upon a full consideration of all the present circumstances of the country, with an anxious desire to make every reduction in our establishments which the safety of the empire and sound policy allow.
"I recommend the state of the public income and expenditure to your early and serious attention.
"I regret to be under the necessity of informing you, that there has been a defi

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ciency in the produce of the revenue in the last year; but I trust that it is to be ascribed to temporary, causes; and I have the consolation to believe, that you will find it practicable to provide for the public service of the year, without making any addition to the burthens of the people, and without adopting any measure injurious to that system by which the public credit of the country has been hitherto sustained.
"My Lords and Gentlemen;
"I have the satisfaction of informing you that the arrangements which were made in the last session of parliament, with a view to a new silver coinage, have been completed with unprecedented expedition.
"I have given directions for the immediate issue of the new coin, and I trust that this measure will be productive of considerable advantages to the trade and internal transactions of the country.
"The distresses consequent upon the termination of a war of such unusual extent and duration have been felt, with greater or less severity, throughout all the nations of Europe; and have been considerably aggravated by the unfavourable state of the season.
"Deeply as I lament the pressure of these evils upon the country, I am sensible that they are of a nature not to admit of an immediate remedy; but whilst I observe with peculiar satisfaction the fortitude with which so many privations have been borne, and the active benevolence which has been employed to mitigate them, I am persuaded that the great sources of our rational prosperity are essentially unimpaired; and I entertain a confident expectation that the native energy of the country will at no distant period surmount all the difficulties in which we are involved.
"In considering our internal situation, you will, I doubt not, feel a just indignation at the attempts which have been made to take advantage of the distresses of the country, for the purpose of exciting a spirit of sedition and violence.
"I am too well convinced of the loyalty and good sense of the great body of his majesty's subjects, to believe them capable of being perverted by the arts which are employed to seduce them; but I am determined to omit no precautions for preserving the public peace, and for counteracting the designs of the disaffected. And I rely with the utmost confidence on your cordial support and co-operation, in upholding a system of law and government, from which we have derived inestimable advantages, which has enabled us to conclude, with unexampled glory, a contest whereon depended the best interests of mankind, and which has been hitherto felt by ourselves, as it is acknowledged by other nations, to be the most perfect that has ever fallen to the lot of any people."
Hisroyal highness then retired, and their lordships adjourned till five o'clock.

ATTACK ON THE PRINCE REGENT.
At half past five o'clock, when it was expected that an address to the Prince Regent in answer to his Speech, would be moved and considered in the usual manner, Viscount Sidmouth rose and said, that before their lordships entered upon any other subject, he had one of the most important communications to make to them, that had ever been made to parliament; preparatory to which he should move the standing order for the exclusion of strangers. Strangers were accordingly ordered to withdraw. After the strangers had withdrawn, lord Sidmouth informed their lordships that as his royal highness the Prince Regent was returning from the House, and the carriage was passing in the park, at the back of the garden of Carle-ton-house, the glass of the carriage window had been broken by a stone, as some represented it, or by two balls, fired from an air-gun, as others stated it, which appeared to have been aimed at his royal highness. Lord James Murray, who was in the carriage with his royal highness, was called in, and Mr. Gurney, the short-hand writer, was on the close sent for. After the evidence had been taken as that afterwards given in the Commons, the House sent the two clerks (the masters is chancery not being in attendance) to desire a conference with the Commons. The conference having been held, and the

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evidence communicated to the Commons, an address congratulating his royal highness on his escape was agreed to, and communicated to the Commons for their concurrence. The consideration of the Prince Regent's speech was postponed till to-morrow.