THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE. (Hansard, 23 July 1874)

§ THE DUKE OF RICHMOND

My Lords, I rise for the purpose of asking your Lordships to agree that an humble Address he presented to Her Majesty on the subject of the Message which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to send down to your Lordships on Monday last. My Lords, it has often been my fate—like most of those who have been placed in the position which I now 540 hold—to differ from noble Lords on both sides of the House in the various discussions in which from time to time we have taken part; but speaking for myself individually, I have every reason to be thankful for the kind consideration which on all occasions when I have had to address your Lordships, I have received not only from my own political Friends, but from all on whatever side of the House they may sit. My Lords, it is always exceedingly gratifying to me when an occasion presents itself which gives me the opportunity of addressing your Lordships, as I now do, upon a topic which I am sure will receive the unanimous assent of your Lordships, and elicit from every one of your Lordships the mark of sympathy which I have not the least doubt will be manifested on this occasion. These occasions arise, my Lords, when your Lordships are enabled to give expression to those sentiments which animate the whole House—sentiments of loyalty to the Monarchy, of attachment to the Dynasty under which this country has prospered and achieved a position to which no other country has arrived, and of personal devotion to the Sovereign under whose rule we have the happy privilege to live. My Lords, this is one of those eases; and I venture to hope that your Lordships will seize this opportunity of thanking Her Majesty for the Message which She has been graciously pleased to deliver to your Lordships, and of accompanying those thanks with the assurance of loyalty which has always been the characteristic of your Lordships' House. My Lords, the young Prince, the subject of the Message, and of the Resolution which I shall have the honour to propose to your Lordships, did not have the advantage, on account of his youth, of the personal example of his illustrious Father; but I think I may assert that he has been brought up in a manner in every way calculated to cause him to emulate and follow the noble example which has been carefully set before him. My Lords, the assiduity which His Royal Highness has shown in all the departments of study in which he has been occupied gives the assurance that he will fit himself to take that distinguished position in this country to which his birth entitles him; and we may venture to hope, from what we hear, that His Royal Highness will attain that large 541 share of popularity which has fallen to the lot of the other Princes of his illustrious House. My Lords, I think it would be unnecessary for me to trespass longer on your attention, and I therefore beg to move the following Resolution:— That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, to return to Her Majesty the Thanks of this House for Her most gracious Message informing this House that Her Majesty, being desirous of making competent provision for the honourable support and maintenance of her fourth son, Prince Leopold George Duncan Albert, on his coming of age, relics upon the attachment of the House of Lords to concur in the adoption of such measures as may be suitable to the occasion, and to assure Her Majesty that this House, desirous of availing itself of every opportunity to manifest its dutiful attachment to Her Majesty's Royal Person and Family, will cheerfully concur in all such measures as shall be necessary and proper for giving effect to the object of Her Majesty's most gracious Message.

§ EARL GRANVILLE

My Lords, I beg to express my entire concurrence in all that has fallen from the noble Duke, I am sure that the Motion with which he has concluded will meet with unanimous concurrence in your Lordships' House. Some of your Lordships are probably better acquainted than others with His Royal Highness Prince Leopold. As the representative of the late Government in your Lordships' House, it was my privilege to have a closer personal acquaintance with him than I might, perhaps, otherwise have enjoyed, and I venture to say that there are very few young men of his age who have qualified their natural abilities with greater assiduity than he has done. I am sure your Lordships are all aware of the infinite pains bestowed upon his training, and that you will rejoice to hear of the reputation which he has already achieved in the University to which he now belongs. My Lords, with the greatest pleasure I second this Motion.