§ Five Lords Commissioners, namely—The LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord Halsbury), VISCOUNT CROSS (Lord Privy Seal), the EARL OF COVENTRY (Master of the Buckhounds), the EARL OF LIMERICK (Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard), and LORD BALFOUR (Secretary for Scotland—being in their Robes and seated on a Form placed between the Throne and the Woolsack, commanded the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod (Captain T. D. Butler), to let the Commons know that "The Lords Commissioners desire their immediate attendance in this House, to hear the Commission read."
§ The Commons being at the Bar,
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid: My Lords and Gentlemen of the House of Commons, Her Majesty, not thinking fit to be present here to-day in Her 2 Royal Person, hath been pleased, in order to the opening and holding of this Parliament, to cause Letters Patent to be issued under the 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, and this will more fully appear by the Letters Patent themselves, which will now be read.
Then the said Letters Patent were read by the Reading Clerk (the Hon. SLINGSBY BETHELL). And then
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid: My Lords and Gentlemen,—We have it in command from Her Majesty to let you know that Her Majesty will, as soon as the Members of your Houses shall be sworn, declare the causes of her calling this Parliament: and it being necessary that a Speaker of the House of Commons shall be first chosen, it is Her Majesty's pleasure that you, Gentlemen of the House of Commons, repair to the place where you are to sit and there proceed to the choice of some proper person to be your Speaker, and that you present 3 such person whom you shall so choose here to-morrow at 12 o'clock for Her Majesty's Royal approbation.
§ Then the Commons withdrew.
§ PRAYERS.
§ THE Lord Chancellor—singly, in the first place, took the oath at the Table.
§ Certificate of the election of sixteen representative Peers for Scotland—delivered and read.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORacquainted the House that he had received from the Registrar in Bankruptcy of the High Court of Justice a certificate under the seal of the said Court, stating
That the Right Honourable Thomas John Hovell Thurlow cumming Bruce, Baron Thurlow, of 33, Chesham Place, in the County of Middlesex, and carrying on business at 2, Tokenhouse Buildings, in the City of London, was adjudicated bankrupt on the 23rd day of July 1895.The same was ordered to lie on the Table.
§ Several Lords—took the Oath.
§ House adjourned at Ten minutes before Four o'clock, till To-morrow, Twelve o'clock.