§ The Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of Lansdown, and Lord Durham sat as his Majesty's Commissioners, to signify the Royal Assent to the choice of a Speaker made by the House of Commons. The Commons having been summoned to the bar, the Speaker, accompanied by a great many Members, and supported by Mr. C. W. Wynn and Sir M. W. Ridley, his proposer and seconder appeared there.
The Speakerelect then addressed their Lordships in the following words:—"I am to acquaint your Lordships, that in obedience to his Majesty's commands, and in the exercise of their undoubted privileges, his Majesty's most faithful and loyal Commons have proceeded to the election of a Speaker, and they have chosen me. I am deeply sensible of the high importance of the situation I have thus been called on to fill, and of the many imperfections under which I labour in my attempt to discharge its duties; and although the experience of fourteen years, during which I have filled the Chair, may have influenced the House in its election, yet, I have no doubt, should 82 his Majesty be pleased to disapprove of the choice made by his faithful Commons, they would have no difficulty in selecting another Member better qualified than I am to discharge the important duties of such a distinguished situation."
The Lord Chancellor"Mr. Charles Manners Sutton, we have it in command from his Majesty to assure you, that he relies on your constant zeal for the public service, and on your tried efficiency to discharge the arduous duties of the high situation to which you have been called, in respect as much of your long and tried experience as of your deep learning and extensive acquaintance with all the forms, and customs, and proceedings of the Commons House of Parliament. Relying, therefore, on your constant impartiality and firmness, united with temper to discharge efficiently all the duties of the office of Speaker, I am commanded to inform you, that his Majesty approves of the choice which, on this occasion, his Commons have made."
The Speaker"My Lords, with all gratitude and respect I submit to his Majesty's Royal commands; and it now becomes my duty, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty's faithful Commons, to claim the full and free exercise of all rights and privileges granted to them by his Majesty's predecessors, and, more especially, those of freedom from arrest for themselves and their servants—freedom of Debate—free access to his Majesty's Royal Person when occasion may require, and a favourable construction of all their words and actions. For myself, my Lords, I beg most humbly to pray, that should any faults or errors be committed, they may be imputed to me, and not to his Majesty's faithful Commons."
The Lord Chancellor''Mr. Speaker, We are further commanded by his Majesty to inform you, that he fully confirms to his faithful Commons all their rights, privileges, liberties, and immunities, to the same extent as has ever been granted them by any of his royal predecessors. With respect to yourself, Mr. Speaker, you require no stronger assurance of his Majesty's royal approbation; but his Majesty has commanded us to inform his faithful Commons, that ho is disposed at all times to put the most favourable construction on all their words and actions and his Majesty is fully sensible that you, individually, cannot in any way invalidate 83 or impair the privileges which they possess."
§ The Speaker and the Commons then retired, and the House proceeded with the swearing-in of Peers.