THE PARLIAMENT, which had been Prorogued successively from the 21st day of August to the 6th day of November, and thence to the 19th day of November, met this day for Despatch of Business.
§ The Session of PARLIAMENT was opened by Commission.
§ The HOUSE OF PEERS being met,
§
THE LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House,
That Her Majesty, not thinking fit to be personally present here this day, had been pleased to cause a Commission to be issued under the Great Seal, in order to the opening and holding of this Parliament.
§ Then Five of the Lords Commissioners, namely—The LORD CHANCELLOR, The LORD PRESIDEHT OF THE COUNCIL (The Duke of Marlborough), The LORD PRIVY SEAL (The Earl of Malmesbury), The Duke of Buckingham (The SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES) and The Earl of Cadogan, being in their Robes, and seated on a Form placed between the Throne and the Woolsack, commanded the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod to let the Commons know "The Lords Commissioners desire their immediate Attendance in this House, to hear the Commission read."
§ Who being come, with their Speaker;
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid—
My Lords, and Gentlemen of the House of Commons,HER MAJESTY not thinking fit to be present here this day in Her Royal Person, hath been pleased, in order to the 3 opening and holding of this Parliament, to cause Letters Patent to be issued under Her Great Seal, constituting us and several other Lords therein named Her Commissioners, to do all things, in Her Majesty's name, on Her part necessary to be performed in this Parliament: This will more fully appear by the Letters Patent themselves, which must now be read.Then the said Letters Patent were read by the Clerk. And then
§ My Lords, and Gentlemen,
§ "IN again applying to you for your Advice and Assistance, I regret that I have found it necessary to call for your Attendance at an unusual, and probably to many of you an inconvenient Season.
§ "THE Sovereign of Abyssinia, in violation of all international Law, continues to hold in captivity several of My Subjects, some of whom have been especially accredited to him by Myself, and his persistent Disregard of friendly Representations has left Me no Alternative but that of making a peremptory Demand for the Liberation of My Subjects, and supporting it by an adequate Force.
§ "I HAVE accordingly directed an Expedition to be sent for that Purpose alone, and I confidently rely upon the Support and Co-operation of My Parliament in My Endeavour at once to relieve their Countrymen from an unjust Imprisonment, and to vindicate the Honour of My Crown.
§ "I HAVE directed that Papers on the Subject shall be forthwith laid before you.
§ "I RECEIVE from all Foreign Powers Assurances of their friendly Feelings, and I see no Reason to apprehend the Disturbance of the general Peace of Europe.
4§ "A BAND of Italian Volunteers, without Authority from their own Sovereign, having invaded the Papal Territory, and threatened Rome itself, The Emperor of the French felt Himself called upon to despatch an Expedition for the Protection of the Sovereign Pontiff and his Dominions; that Object having been accomplished, and the Defeat and Dispersion of the Volunteer Force having relieved the Papal Territory from the Danger of external Invasion, I trust that His Imperial Majesty will find Himself enabled by an early withdrawal of His Troops, to remove any possible Ground of Misunderstanding between His Majesty's Government and that of The King of Italy.
§ "THE treasonable Conspiracy commonly known as Fenianism, baffled and repressed in Ireland, has assumed in England the Form of organized Violence and Assassination. These Outrages require to be rigorously put down; and I rely for their effectual Suppression upon the firm Administration of the Law, and the Loyalty of the great Mass of My Subjects.
§ Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
§ "THE Estimates for the ensuing Year are in course of Preparation, and will in due Time be laid before you. They will be framed with a view to Economy and to the necessary Requirements of the Public Service.
§ My Lords, and Gentlemen,
§ "As a necessary Sequel to the Legislation of the last Session, Bills will be laid before you for amending the Representation of the People in Scotland and Ireland.
5§ "I HAVE Reason to believe that the Commissioners appointed to inquire into and report upon the Boundaries of existing Boroughs, as well as of the proposed Divisions of Counties and newly-enfranchised Boroughs, have made considerable Progress in their Inquiries, and no Time will be lost after the Receipt of their Report in laying before you their Recommendations for your Consideration and Decision.
§ "A BILL will also be presented to you for the more effectual Prevention of Bribery and Corruption at Elections.
§ "THE Public Schools Bill, which has already been more than once submitted to Parliament, will again be laid before you.
§ "THE general Question of the Education of the People requires your most serious Attention, and I have no Doubt you will approach the Subject with a full Appreciation both of its vital Importance and of its acknowledged Difficulty.
§ "MEASURES will be submitted to you during the present Session for amending and consolidating the various Acts relating to the Mercantile Marine.
§ "THE Exemption which the Country has now for some Time enjoyed from the Cattle Plague affords a favourable Opportunity for considering such permanent Enactments as may relieve the Home Trade from vexatious Restrictions, and facilitate the Introduction, under due Regulation, of Foreign Cattle for Home Consumption.
§ "MEASURES for the Amendment of the Law, which have been deferred 6 under the Pressure of more urgent Business, will be submitted for your Consideration.
§ "OTHER Questions apparently calling for legislative Action have been referred to Commissioners, whose Reports, as they shall be received, shall, without Delay, be laid before Parliament;
§ "IT is My earnest Prayer that all your Deliberations may be so guided as to conduce to the general Contentment and Happiness of My People."
§ Then the COMMONS withdrew.
§ ROLL OF THE LORDS—Garter King of Arms attending, delivered, at the Table (in the usual Manner) a List of the Lords Temporal in the Third Session of the Nineteenth Parliament of the United Kingdom: The same was Ordered to lie on the Table.
§ REPRESENTATIVE PEERS FOR IRELAND—Writs and Returns electing the Earl Annesley a Representative Peer for Ireland in the Room of the late Earl of Mayo, with the Certificate of the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland annexed thereto: Delivered (on Oath), and Certificate read.
§ The Lord Colchester—Sat first in Parliament after the Death of his Father.