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The House of Commons having been summoned by the Black Rod, the Speaker elect 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 the behalf of his majesty, his Majesty's faithful Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland have proceeded to the exercise of their actual and undoubted right of electing a Speaker, and it is now my duty to acquaint your lordships that their choice has fallen upon me.—Whatever considerations, my lords, may have weighed with his Majesty's faithful Commons in forming this determination, they are well aware that such election never can be final until it is sanctioned by the royal approbation; and I now, my lords, with all humility, do, on their behalf, present myself in this place, in order that his Majesty's faithful Commons may learn whether it be the royal pleasure that they shall proceed to a re-consideration of the choice which they have made.
The Lord Presidentthen said:—"Mr. Manners Sutton; we have it in command from his royal highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, to inform you, that his Royal Highness, fully confident of your eminent and tried abilities, and fitness to discharge the important duties of Speaker of the House of Commons, to which you have been elected by them, has been pleased to command us to signify to you, that his Royal Highness fully approves of the choice which the Commons have made; and that his Royal Highness therefore, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, doth approve and confirm you to be their Speaker."
The Speakerthen said:—
My lords; since his royal highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on behalf of his majesty, has been graciously pleased to approve of the choice which his majesty's faithful Commons have made, I submit myself with all 16 humility to, the royal will and pleasure. And I do now, my lords, in the name and on behalf of the Commons of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in parliament assembled, lay claim, by humble petition, to all their antient and undoubted rights and privileges; more especially freedom of speech in all their debates; freedom from arrest and molestation for themselves, their estates, and servants; free access to the royal person whenever occasion shall require; and the most favourable construction of all their proceedings.—For myself, my lords, I have most humbly to crave of his Royal Highness, that whatever errors or imperfections in the discharge of my duties may occur, may be attributed to me alone, and not to his majesty's faithful Commons.
The Lord Presidentreplied:—
Mr. Speaker; We have it farther in command from his royal highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of his majesty, to inform you, that his Royal Highness most freely grants and allows to his majesty's faithful Commons, all those rights and privileges, in the most full and ample manner, which have ever been granted to them by his majesty, or by any of his royal predecessors. With respect to what regards yourself, Mr. Speaker, you may be assured, that his Royal Highness, judging from what has taken place in the last parliament, will at all times be anxiously inclined to put the most favourable construction upon all your words and actions, in the discharge of your highly important duties.The Commons then withdrew, and the Lords Commissioners retired to unrobe. After which the clerk proceeded to swear in the peers.