Lords Sitting of 21 April 1820

MEETING OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT.
This being the day appointed for the meeting of the New Parliament, several peers assembled at two o'clock. Soon after that hour the Lord Chancellor, the archbishop of Canterbury, the duke of Wellington, the earl of Westmoreland, and the earl of Shaftesbury, took their seats in front of the throne as commissioners. The Lord Chancellor directed the deputy gentleman usher of the Black Rod to proceed to the Commons, and summon that House to attend at their lordships' bar forthwith. Mr. Quarme, the deputy usher, proceeded accordingly to the House of Commons, and soon after returned, accompanied by the clerks of that House, and a considerable number of the members. The Lord Chancellor stated, that his majesty had been pleased to order letters patent to be issued for the appointment of certain lords therein named to open the parliament, which letters patent the lords and gentlemen present would now hear read—The commission being read, the Lord Chancellor said, that in obedience to his majesty's commands, he had to inform the lords and gentlemen then in attendance, that as soon as a sufficient number of members of both Houses should be sworn, his majesty would declare the causes for the assembling of this parliament. In the mean time, it was his majesty's pleasure that the gentlemen of the House of Commons should return to the place where they
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usually hold their sittings, and there proceed to choose a fit and proper person to be their Speaker, and that they should present the person so chosen at the bar of that House to-morrow, at two o'clock, for his majesty's approbation. The Commons then withdrew, and their lordships went to prayers. After prayers, the oaths were taken in the usual form by the lords present.