The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-02 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. l.

The doors of the House of Lords were opened at twelve
o clock for the admission of those whe had tickets from
the Lord Chamberlain. The body of the House
was soon afterwards filled by peeresses and other ladies
having the privilege of the entrée, who occupied all
the back benches en both sides of the House. The
Strangers' Gallery and the Gallery of the Members of
the House of Commons were also occupied by ladies.
Plumes were generally worn by the ladies, but there was not
such a display of jewels as we have sometimes seen. The first
Peer who entered the House was the Earl of Shaftes-
bury. His Lordship arrived shortly before one o'clock.
The Noble Earl was almost immediately followed
by the Duke of Wellington. His Grace, who was dressed in a
Field Marshal's uniform, and wore the rihand of the Garter,
appeared in excellent health and spirits. Lord Chief Justice
indal, accompanied by Mr. Baron Parke, Mr. Baron Alderson,
Mr. Baron Gurney, Mr. Justice Coleridge, Mr. Baron Rolfe,
Mr. Justice Erskine, Mr. Justice Maule, Mr. Justice Wight-
man, and Mr. Justice Cresswell, took their seats shortly after
one o'clock. The Bishop of London arrived imme-
diately after the Judges. The side galleries were principally
occupied by ladies. In that to the right of the throne, how-
ever, there were several illustrious foreigners, amongst whom
we observed the late Regent of Spain, General Espartero,
who appeared to take a deep interest in the proceedings. Among
the earliest arrival of Peers were the Duke of Buccleuch,
Lord Abinger, Lord Campbell, and the Marquis of Clanricarde.
His Excellency the Count St. Aulaire, the French Ambassa-
dor,
arrived at half-past one ; he was followed by the Turkish
Ambassador, the splendour of whose costume attracted very
general attention. The Austrian Ambassador, the Prussian
Ambassador, the Russian Ambassador, and the Ministers of the
other Foreign Powers, shortly afterwards entered the House,
and took their places under the gallery on the right of
the throne. The Lord Chancellor entered the House
at twenty minutes before two. His Lordship looked
well, and walked firmly. He seemed to have recovered
completely from the effects of his recent indisposition.
At a quarter before two o'clock his Royal Highness
the Duke of Cambridge arrived. At two o'clock the firing of
the Park guns, and the flourish of trumpets, announced the
arrival of her Majesty, and five minutes afterwards the Royal
procession entered the House in the usual order, preceded by
the heralds in their tabards ; the Duke of Buccleuch bore the
Crown, and the Duke of Wellington the Sword of State.
Her Majesty, who leant upon the arm of Prince Albert,
looked extremely well. Her Majesty's train was borne by the
Duchess of Buccleuch, the Mistress of the Robes, assisted by
other Ladies of the Household. Her Majesty took her seat on
the throne. The Duke of Wellington, bearing the Sword of
State, stood immediately on her Majesty's left hand. Prince
Albert sat on her Majesty's left hand. His Royal Highness's
chair was placed on the first step of the throne.
Her Majesty having desired all present to be seated, directed
the Usher of the Black Rod to summon the House of Commons to
the Bar. The Speaker, attended by several Members of the
House of Commons, shortly afterwards made his appearance,
when her Majesty, in a clear and distinct tone of voice, read the
speech, which was handed to her by the Lord Chancellor with
the usual ceremonies, as foLows :
Mr LORDS aND GENTLEMEN,

It affords me great satisfaction again to meet you in Parliament,
and to have the opportunity of profiting by your assistance and
advice.

I entertain a confident hope that the general peace so necessary
for the happiness aid prosperity of all nations will continue unin.
terrupted.
My friendly, relations with the King of the French, and the
good understanding happily established between my Government
and that of his Majesty, with the continued assurances of the
peaceful and amicable dispositions of all Princes and States, con.
firm me in this expectation.
I have directed that the Treaty, which I have concluded with
the Emperor •f China, shall be laid before you, and I rejoice to
think that it will, in its results, prove highly advantageous to the
trade of this country.
Throughout the whole course of my negotiations with the Go.
vernment of China, I have uniformly disclaimed the wish for an y
exclusive advantages.
It has been my desire that equal favour should be shown to the
industry and commercial enterprise of all nations.
The hostilities which took place during the past year in Sinde
have led to the annexation of a considerable portion of that
country to the British possessions in the East.
In all the military operations, and especially in the battles of
Meanee and Hyderabad, the constancy and valour of the troops,
Native and European, and the skill and gallantry of their distin.
guished Commander, have been most conspicuous.
I have directed that additional information explanatory of the
transactions in Sinde, shall be forthwith communicated to you.
GENTLEMEN OF THE Housz OF COMMON 3,

The estimates for the ensuing year will be immediately laid be.
fore you. They have been prepared with a strict regard to eco.
nomy, and at the same time with a due consideration of those
exigencies of the public service which are connected with the
maintenance of our Maritime strength, and the multiplied do.
mands on the Naval and Military establishments from the various
parts of a widely extended Empire.

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
I congratulate you on the improved condition of several im-
portant branches of the trade and manufactures of the country.
I trust that the increased demand for labour has relieved in a
corresponding degree many classes of my faithful subjects from
sufferings and privations, which at formewriods I have had oc-
casion to deplore.
For several successive years the annual produce of the revenue
fell short of the public expenditure.
I confidently trust that in the present year the public income
will be amply sufficient to defray the charges upon it.
I feel assured that in considering all matters connected with
the financial concerns of the country, you will bear in mind the
evil consequences of accumulating debt during the time of peace,
and that you will firmly resolve to uphold the public credit, the
maintenance of which concerns equally the permanent interests
and the honour and reputation of a great country.
In the course of the present year the opportunity will occur of
giving notice to the Bank of England on the subject of the Revision
of its Charter.
It may be advisable that during this session of Parliament, and
previously to the arrival of the period assigned for the giving of
such notice, the state of the law with regard to the privileges of
the Bank of England, and to other banking establishments, should
be brought under your consideration.
At the close of the last session of Parliament I declared to you
my firm determination to maintain inviolate the Legislative Union
between Great Britain and Ireland.
• • •

-...—.
I expressed at the same time my earnest desire to co-operate
with Parliament in the adoption of all such measures as might
tend to improve the social condition of Ireland, and to develope the
natural resources of that part of the United Kingdom.
lam resolved to act in strict conformity with this declaration. I
forbear from observations on events in Ireland, in respect to which
proceedings are pending before the proper legal tribunal.
My attention has been directed to the state of the law and
practice with regard to the occupation of land in Ireland.
I have deemed it advisable to institute exten►ive local inquiries
into a subjeo t of so much importance, and have appointed a Commis.
sion, with ample authority, to conduct the requisite investigation.
I recommend to y)ur early consideration the enactments at
present in force in Ireland concerning the registration of voters for
Members of Parliament.

You will probably find that a revision of the law of re.
gistration, taken in conjunction with other causes at
present in operation, would produce a material diminution of the
number of county voters, and that it may be advisable, on that
account, to consider the state of the law, with a view to an ex-
tension of the county franchise in Ireland.
I commit to your deliberate consideration the various important
questions of public policy, which will necessarily come under
your review, with full confidence in your loyalty and wisdom, and
with an earnest prayer to Almighty God to direct and favour your
efforts to promote the welfare of all classes of my people.
_ _ _

At the conclusion of the speeeh, the Speaker and Members
of the House of Commons withdrew, and her Majesty and her
suite left the House in the same order in which they had
had entered it. . .

Their Lordships then adjourned during pleasure.
The interior of the House was fitted up in the same manner
as it was at the time of the prorogation. Her Majesty's chair
of state was raised upon a dais. On the right of her Majesty's
chair was that of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and
on the left that of his Royal Highness Prince Albert. The
dais and the steps leading to the throne were covered with a
magnificent Turkey carpet.

Their Lordships met again at a quarter to five. There was
an unusually large attendance of Peers. The Duke of Wel-
lington, as usual, was early in his seat. Lord Melbourne en-
tered at a few minutes after five ; he appeared to be in excellent
health. The Duke of Cambridge sat on the cross benches.
The Earl of Glasgow, the Marquis of Winchester, and Lord
Suffield. took the oaths and their seats.
The Duke of WELLINGTON laid on the table a Bill for
the Better R., gulation of Vestries.
THE ADDRESS.

The LORD CHANCELLOR then read her Majesty's
speech, from the woolsack. It having been again read by the
Clerk, at the table,
Lord ELDON rose to move the address to her Majesty. He
said—Your Lordships have been so habitually accustomed to
extend your indulgence to those who, on such an occasion
as the present, rise to address you, that I feel it to be super-
fluous on my part to request from you that which you always so
kindly grant without its being required. My Lards, while I
sincerely condole with you oa the prospect of your havisg
to listen to me for a few minutes, I assure you
that it is with g 'eat gratification I am enabled to rive to move
an address in reply to such a gracious speech as that which her
Majesty has made to you. My Lords, it has been the fortune
of those who have preceded me in former years, to rely on your
kindness while they held out to you prospects which
they trusted would be realised ; they therefore could
only speak in that manner in which that person
must do, who has to ask a favour of those whom he
is addressing. My Lords, it is my better fortune, though by no
merit of my own, that the address which I now lay before you
is one containing nothing—at least scarcely anything—excepting
matters of congratulation both for the Sovereign and the COllll-
- is a peculiar piece of good fortune fur those who were
resent on former occasions, to find that the prophecies which
they then made have been so amply realised. From the high
character of your Lordships' House, even if any of those are
now present who formerly expressed opinions contrary to the
success of those measures—or who even opposed them, while
they were going through the House—even they will not now
hesitate to join me in approving the prudence of the mea-
sures which they at the time doubted, and that we shall
have the gratification of giving an unanimous vote, compli-
mentary in every way, to the Sovereign who receives it,
and as gratifying to the nation as it can be to her
Majesty. There is indeed one exception among these
sources of gratification which I hold in my hand.
Your Lordships will all feel as sincerely as I do, that we are
only doing credit to her Majesty's feeling., when we say that
this subject, though mentioned last in her Majesty's Speech,
must be one of the foremost, as well as one of the
deepest, in her miss& It is, my Lords, unquestionable
that the subject of Ireland must be, to any person, whether
connected by local interest with that country or not,
a subject causing the most s.neere and anxious feeling,
and the wish that the troubled waters which have so long caused
confusion in that country should if possible be calmed. 'e our
Lordships need not fear that in alluding to this subject I am
going to trespass on the bounds so judiciously laid
down by her Majesty ; or that I am going to make any obser-
vations on those circumstances which are now under the consi-
deration of the legal tribunals of that country ; but there
is another part of her Majesty's speech which bears
en this subject. Her Majesty states that she has the greatest
gratification in being able to persist in the same course she has
hitherto done, because she feels it right, in endeavouring In
every mode to secure that justice, and strict justice, shall be
done to Ireland. Her Majesty promised in a precious declara-
tion, that she would take every step to secure the peace and
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which she found established. Her Majesty also directed every
step to be taken under the present laws, administered by the
present executive, for the preservation of order. Her Mijesty
had adhered to that declaration, miller promises had been amply
redeemed, and those things which have been done contrary to law
have been brought before the legal tribunals to be there decided.
My Lords, I am well aware that the result of these trials is a
matter with which I have 'nothing at all to do. Whether these
trials, or any others, may terminate in an acquittal, or in a
conviction, I am sure your Lordships will concur with me in
the opinion, that we should support her Majesty in carrying out
her infections, and that if the present law of the land is in-
adequate to puierve the peaoo of that country—perfect as how