Sitting of 12 July 1817

THE SPEAKER'S SPEECH TO THE PRINCE REGENT ON PRESENTING THE APPROPRIATION BILL.
The Prince Regent being seated on the throne, the Usher of the Black Rod was sent to require the attendance of the Commons. Shortly afterwards, the Speaker, attended by a great number of members, came to the bar.
The Speakeraddressed the Prince Regent as follows:—
"In obedience to your Royal Highness's commands, we his Majesty's faithful Commons of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, attend your Royal Highness with our last bill of Supply at the close of a laborious session.
"Among the numerous subjects of deep public importance to which our consideration has been called, there are none that have more anxiously occupied our attention than those which relate to the finances and internal state of the country.
"In conformity with your Royal Highness's recommendation at the commencement of the session, we took such steps as seemed best calculated to ensure a full and serious investigation into the public income and expenditure. That investigation has continued throughout the session. From that investigation much has been done; much unquestionably remains to be done; but we trust we are justified in the conviction that measuring our expenditure by what the real interests of the I empire may require, no apprehension need be entertained as to the stability of our resources.
"Deeply sensible of what we owe to your Royal Highness for having directed the estimates to be laid before us at the commencement of the session with every

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reduction in the establishments that sound policy would allow, we have had the satisfaction to find that the supplies might be provided without the imposition of any additional burthens upon the people; and we have the proud gratification to think, that notwithstanding the gigantic and unparalleled exertions which this county has been called upon to make, and the difficulties and pressure which must necessarily be the consequence of such exertions, at no period of its history has the public credit stood more sound, stead, and unshaken than at present.
"In considering, Sir, the internal state of the country, it has been painful to us to contemplate the attempts which have been made to take advantage of the distresses of a portion of the people to convert them to their own wicked and mischievous purposes. His majesty's faithful Commons, whilst they have been anxiously engaged in such measures as might check the farther progress of these attempts have not been unmindful of such other measures as might afford relief to the pressure of that distress. With this view we have turned our attention to the encouragement of the fisheries, to the means of providing employment for the poor, and most diligently (although the limits of the session would not allow of the completion of a measure) most diligently to a full and minute inquiry into the state and effect of the poor laws, — a question in which the wealth, the industry, and the morality of the nation are so deeply implicated.
"Whilst we have deemed it our first duty to deliberate with unremitted solicitude upon these subjects of paramount importance,—to these alone our deliberations have not been confined.
"Feeling how intimately connected the best interests of the country are with every thing that is of interest or concern to our ecclesiastical establishment, we hope that much of advantage will be derived to the public, and much of convenience to the clergy, from the revision and consolidation of the laws affecting spiritual persons.
"To Ireland also, our earnest attention has been directed in providing for the more deliberate investigation of presentments to be made by the grand juries;—a measure of the most general influence over the whole of that part of the united kingdom,—a measure which we confidently hope will prove as salutary in prac-
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tice, as it is unquestionably sound in principle.
"These, Sir, are the leading matters which have engrossed the labours of his majesty's faithful Commons,—and if this session has not been marked with that brilliancy and splendour which has characterized former sessions, yet we have the conscious satisfaction to reflect, that having had great duties to perform, to the performance of those duties we have applied a most faithful and indefatigable attention.
"Sir, the bill which it is my duty humbly to present to your Royal Highness, is intituled 'An Act for applying certain Monies therein mentioned for the Service of the year 1817; and for farther appropriating the Supplies granted in this session of parliament; to which, with all humility, we pray his Majesty's royal assent".
The royal assent was given to the said bill.

THE PRINCE REGENT'S SPEECH AT THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION.
His Royal Highness then made the following Speech to both Houses:—
"My Lords and Gentlemen;
"I cannot close this session of parliament, without renewing my expressions of deep regret at the continuance of his majesty's lamented indisposition.
"The diligence with which you have applied yourselves to the consideration of the different objects which I recommended to your attention at the commencement of the session, demands my warmest acknowledgments; and I have no doubt that the favourable change which is happily taking place in our internal situation, is to be mainly ascribed to the salutary measures which you have adopted for preserving the public tranquillity, and to your steady adherence to those principles by which the constitution, resources, and credit of the country have been hitherto preserved and maintained.
"Notwithstanding the arts and industry which have been too successfully exerted in some parts of the country to alienate the affections of his majesty's subjects, and to stimulate them to acts of violence and insurrection, I have had the satisfac-

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tion of receiving the most decisive proofs of the loyalty and public spirit of the great body of the people; and the patience with which they have sustained the most severe temporary distress cannot be too highly commended.
"I am fully sensible of the confidence which you have manifested towards me, by the extraordinary powers which you have placed in my hands: the necessity which has called for them is to me matter of deep regret; and you may rely on my making a temperate but effectual use of them, for the protection and security of his majesty's loyal subjects.
"Gentlemen of the House of Commons;
"I thank you for the supplies which you have granted to me; and for the laborious investigation which, at my recommendation, you have made into the state of the income and expenditure of the country.
"It has given me sincere pleasure to find that you have been enabled to provide for every branch of the public service without any addition to the burthens of the people.
"The state of public credit affords a decisive proof of the wisdom and expediency, under all the present circumstances, of those financial arrangements which you have adopted.
"I have every reason to believe that the deficiency in the revenue is, in a great degree, to be ascribed to the unfavourable state of the last season; and I look forward with sanguine expectations to its gradual improvement.
"My Lords, and Gentlemen;
"The measures which were in progress
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at the commencement of the session, for the issue of a new silver coinage, have been carried into execution in a manner which has given universal satisfaction; and to complete the system which has been sanctioned by parliament, a gold coinage of a new denomination has been provided for the convenience of the public.
"I continue to receive from foreign powers the strongest assurances of their friendly disposition towards this country, and of their desire to preserve the general tranquillity.
"The prospect of an abundant harvest throughout a considerable part of the continent is in the highest degree satisfactory. This happy dispensation of Providence cannot fail to mitigate, if not wholly to remove, that pressure under which so many of the nations of Europe have been suffering in the course of the last year; and I trust that we may look forward in consequence to an improvement in the commercial relations of this and of all other countries.
"I cannot allow you to separate without recommending to you, that upon your return to your several counties, you should use your utmost endeavours to defeat all attempts to corrupt and mislead the lower classes of the community; and that you should lose no opportunity of inculcating amongst them that spirit of concord and obedience to the laws, which is not less essential to their happiness as individuals, than it is indispensable to the general welfare and prosperity of the kingdom."
The lord chancellor, then, by the Prince Regent's command, prorogued the parliament to the 25th of August next.