The Press.
London, England, 1854-08-19 00:00:00

SATURDAY,

Majesty's wal-ordered and beneficent rule, are enjoying the
blessings of uninterrupted tranquillity at home.
I have now to pray your Majesty's anent to a bill for the
appropriating of the sums voted for the service of the year.
The royal assent to this and one or two other bills
was given, and the Queen then proceeded to read the
Prorogation Speech from the Throne
"My Lords and Gentlemen,
`1 `gym enabled, by the state of public business, to release
fr m a longer attendance in Parliament.
" Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
" In closing the session, it affords me great pleasure to
express my sense of the zeal and energy you have shown
in providing means for the vigorous prosecution of the
war in which, notwithstanding my efforts to aver it, we
are now engaged. This liberality in granting the supplies
for the public service demands my warmest thanks;
and, although 1 lament the increased burdens of my
people, I fully recognise your wisdom in sacrificing con-
siderations of present convenience, and in providing for
the immediate exigencies of the war, without an addition
being made to the permanent debt of the country.
" My Lords and Gentlemen,
"In cordial co-operation with the Emperor of the
French, my efforts will be directed to the effectual repres-
sion of that ambitious and aggressive spirit on the part of
Russia which has compelled us to take up arms in defence
of an ally, and to secure the future tranquillity of Europe.
" You will join with me in admiration of the courage and
perseverance manifested by the troops of the Sultan in
their defence of Silistria, and in the various military ope-
rations on the Danube.
" The engrossing interest of matters connected with the
progress of the war has prevented the due consideration of
some of those subjects which, at the opening of the ses-
sion, I had recommended to your attention ; but I am
happy to acknowledge the labour and diligence with
which you have perfected various important measures
well calculated to prove of great public utility.
"Yon have not only passed an act for opening the
coasting trade of the United Kingdom, and for removing
the last legislative restriction upon the use of foreign
vessels, but you have also revised and consolidated the
whole statute law relating to merchant shipping.
" The act for establishing the direct control of the
House of Commons over the charges incurred in the col-
lection of the revenue will give more complete effect to an
important principle of the constitution, and will promote
simplicity and regularity in our system of public account.
" I rejoice to perceive that amendments in the adminis-
tration of the law have continued to occupy your attention;
and I anticipate great benefit from the improvements you
have made in the forms of procedure in the superior
courts of common law.
"The means you have adopted for the better govern-
ment of the University of Oxford, and the improvement
of its constitution, I trust will tend greatly to increase the
usefulness and to extend the renown of this great seminary
of learning.
"I have willingly given my assent to the mea-
sure you have passed for the prevention of bribery
and of corrupt practices at elections ; and I hope
that it may prove effectual in the correction of an
evil which, if unchecked, threatens to fix a deep stain upon
our representative system.
" It is my earnest desire that, on returning to your re-
spective counties, you may preserve a spirit of union and
concord. Deprived of the blessings of peace abroad, it is
more than ever necessary that we should endeavour to
confirm and increase the advantages of our internal situa-
tion ; and it is with the greatest satisfaction that I regard
the progress of active industry and the general prosperity
which happily prevails throughout the country.
"Deeply sensible of these advantages, it is my humble
prayer that we may continue to enjoy the favour of the
Almighty; and that, under His gracious protection, we
may be enabled to bring the present contest to a just and
honourable termination."
Her Majesty then retired, and the Legislature
broke up for the recess.
ally I

THE TRANSITION FROM A PEACE of long standing
to a war of widely-extended dimensions has produced
a necessity for most arduous exertions in a service
that has heretofore been looked upon as rather easy,
that of Queen's messengers. Convenient as travel-
ling has become of late years, a considerable number
of the gentlemen on the Downing-street staff are
already knocked up with their highly-increased loco-
motion, a circumstance which acts most irksomely
on those few who continue to bear up against the
fatigue and the heat. Thus, for instance, the
journey from Calais to Dantzic and back is now per-
formed by the same messenger every week, leaving
him the luxury of a bed just one night of the seven.
It is evident that at this rate of work the small
number still tit for duty will speedily be diminished.