§ At half-past three o'clock, the lord chancellor, the marques of Cholmondeley, the earl of Shaftesbury, earl Bathurst, and the earl of Liverpool, took their seats as his majesty's commissioners, to notify the approbation of the Prince Regent of the choice of the, right hon. Charles Manners Sutton as Speaker of the House of Commons. Mr. Quarme, the deputy usher of the black rod, was sent to require the attendance of the House of Commons. Shortly afterward, the new Speaker, supported by Sir John Nicholl and Mr. Littleton, and accompanied by a great number of members of the House of Commons came to the bar. The commission was then read, authorizing the Lords sitting as commissioners, and others, to 857 notify the royal approbation of the choice of the right hon. Charles Manners Sutton, as Speaker.
§ The Speakerthen addressed the Lords Commissioners as follows:—"My lords; In obedience to the commands of his royal highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on behalf of his majesty, his majesty's most faithful Commons of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland have proceeded to elect a Speaker, and it is my duty to acquaint your lordships, that their choice has fallen on me. When I contemplate the many and arduous duties necessarily attached to that high and distinguished situation, it is impossible but that I must feel apprehensive of my own inadequacy to the full and proper discharge of those important duties. If it should be the pleasure of his royal highness the Prince Regent to disapprove of this choice, his majesty's faithful Commons may have reason to be grateful, as I am persuaded they would have no difficulty in selecting from amongst their members some other individual better qualified than myself for this high and important office."
The Lord Chancellor—" Mr. Manners Sutton; We have received his royal highness's commands to state to you, that he is so entirely satisfied of your abilities to perform the various and arduous duties of the high situation to which you have been elected, that he has caused the commission, under the great seal, which has just been read, to be issued; in obedience to which, and by virtue of it, we do declare this his majesty's royal allowance and confirmation of you to be his Speaker."
§ The Speaker.—" My lords; I submit, with all humility, to his royal highness's most gracious will; and I beg to avail myself of this opportunity of expressing the sense of gratitude I feel for this high and distinguished mark of approbation. If, my lords, in the discharge of the various duties of this situation, and in supporting the rights and privileges of the Commons House of Parliament, I should involuntarily commit any error, I implore that it may be imputed to me alone, and not to his majesty's faithful and loyal Commons."
§ The new Speaker and the Commons then withdrew.
§ The Earl of Liverpool presented a Message from the Prince Regent respecting lord Colchester. [See this day's proceedings of the Commons]. It was ordered to be taken into consideration on Thursday.