when he reflected that the duty he had to fulfil required neither argument nor persuasion, because it was impossible for their than to approach his majesty with sentilordships to entertain any other desire

"I well know that, notwithstanding the agitations produced by temporary circumstances, and amidst the distress which still presses upon a large portion of my subjects, the firmest reliance may be placed on that affectionate and loyal attachment to my person and government, of which I have recently received so many testimonies from all parts of my kingdom; and which, whilst it is most grateful to the strongest feelings of my heart, I shall ever consider as the best and surest safeguard of my throne.

"In the discharge of the important duties imposed upon you, you will, I am confident, be sensible of the indispensable necessity of promoting and maintaining, to the utmost of your power, a due obedience to the laws, and of instilling into all classes of my subjects a respect for lawful authority, and for those established institu. tions under which the country has been enabled to overcome so many difficulties, and to which, under Providence, may be ascribed our happiness and renown as a nation."

His Majesty then retired and the Commons returned to their own House.

ADDRESS ON THE KING'S SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF THE SESSION.] His Majesty's most gracious Speech having been again read by the lord chancellor, and also by the reading clerk at the table, The Earl of Belmore rose for the purpose of moving an Address of Thanks to his majesty. He commenced by expressing his earnest hope that their lordships would concur unanimously in the motion which he was about to propose. He felt most inadequate to the task which he had undertaken, but it gave him confidence

termination to maintain the constitution, and support the dignity of the throne. This, it appeared to him, was not only the paramount duty of their lordships, but of every man in the kingdom who enjoyed his liberty and felt the blessings of the constitution. Entertaining as he did the deepest feelings upon this subject, he could not but deplore the circumstance that, in the midst of the distress and difficulty which had oppressed the nation, so licentious and lawless a spirit should have existed among portions of his majesty's subjects-a spirit which turned destruction upon itself, and was calculated to overthrow every establishment in the country. If such a spirit was for a time suffered to threaten the public welfare, how gratifying must it be for their lordships to perceive ment to the constitution, which now perthe strong feeling of loyalty, and attachvaded every class of the community!The noble lord then adverted to the strong assurances of the friendly disposition of foreign powers towards this country. At such a time as this such a declaration could not but afford to their lordships the greatest satisfaction, and he entertained the strongest hope of the continuance of those friendly dispositions. At the present moment it was impossible to conceive what would be the result of the deliberations now pending on the continent. It was most ardently to be wished, that the tranquillity of Europe should not again be disturbed; but it must afford satisfaction to all classes to know, that his majesty was most anxious that the blessings of peace should be preserved to this country.-He next alluded to the reduction which his majesty had mentioned in the military establishments of the country, and observed that this was the best pledge his majesty could offer of his pacific intentions. He then touched upon the improvement which had taken place in the several branches of the commerce and manufactures of the country .It was, indeed, on the flourishing state of these two branches that the national prosperity mainly depended; but while he congratulated their lordships, and he could assure their lordships that he did so with a proud satisfaction, it was to him a matter of deep regret that this prosperity did

not affect equally all parts of the kingdom. The distresses which had been felt in Ireland were of a nature peculiarly severe, in consequence of the unfortunate circum. stances which had affected the commercial credit of that part of the united kingdom; but he sincerely hoped that that commercial prosperity which had been felt so materially here, would extend itself ultimately to all parts of the kingdom. But while he adverted to these distresses, and dwelt upon the sufferings which Ireland had endured, he could not help noticing, in terms of high admiration, the perseverance and fortitude displayed by that part of the united kingdom. The people of Ireland had struggled through every difficulty; and so nobly had they borne their afflictions, that misfortunes seemed to add new vigour to their exertions: and he could declare without hesitation, because he had himself paid peculiar attention to the subject, that at no time did the people of that country entertain a more zealous attachment to their king and constitution than at the present moment. It was by entertaining such noble sentiments that the country would be enabled to surmount the many difficulties by which it was so grievously oppressed; it was by such feelings, and such alone, that this country would be restored to prosperity.-The noble lord concluded by observing, that, whatever difference of opinion might exist among their lordships upon various questions which might come under the consideration of parliament-however noble peers might disagree in certain points, on subjects relative to the internal and external welfare of the nation, he hoped there would be but one opinion upon the motion which he would now submit.-The noble lord then moved an address of thanks to his majesty, which embraced all the topics of the Royal Speech.

Lord Prudhoe rose to second the address, but spoke in so low a tone of voice that little of what he said could be collected below the bar. He remarked, that as the noble earl who had just set down had done full justice, in submitting the Address, to the statements in his majesty's Speech, he should not trouble their lordships with many words. On the question of our foreign connexions, he fully agreed in the sentiments expressed by the noble earl; for, notwithstanding the pacific assurances of foreign powers, it became this country to observe their proceedings with a vigilant eye. He hoped at the same time, that

peace would be continued to us, as it was the only means likely to relieve our distresses, revive our resources, and restore us to prosperity. He would not detain their lordships on the subject of our internal situation, though it was impossible not to perceive that the distress of Ireland must have affected this country. There was another point touched on by the noble earl, respecting the reduction of our military establishment as noticed in his majesty's speech, which must afford great satisfaction to every noble lord, more especially when coupled with his majesty's known desire to alleviate the burdens of his subjects in every practicable way. With regard to those testimonies of loyalty and attachment which had flowed in from every part of the country, they required but a very few words; yet, when it was considered that the public mind had latterly been in so agitated a frame, it could not be otherwise than gratifying to their lordships to hear such expressions of attachment to our glorious constitution. This feeling, it was worthy of remark, was coupled also with declarations in favour of religion, which showed that the designs of incendiaries and atheists had failed to eradicate from the minds of the majority the seeds of morality. This was a state of things in which their lordships had reason to rejoice, for, while such sentiments pervaded the great body of the people, the country had nothing to fear either from foreign or domestic enemies.

Earl Grey, in rising after the noble mover and seconder of the address, intimated that it was not his intention to offer any opposition, in consequence of what had fallen from these noble lords, or of what was contained in the address itself. He must say, however, that he could not concur in the address, because, though he had no objection to make to what it contained, both it and the Speech from the throne, fell far short of what he thought ought to have been found in them. In the Speech there was a total absence of those explanations on the state of the country which were to be expected from the throne at a period like the present. The noble earl who moved the address anticipated their lordships' concurrence in the congratulations offered to the throne on account of those expressions of loyalty and attachment recently received by his majesty, from all quarters of the country. In this anticipation the noble lord was perfectly justified; because, whatever differ