Star.
London, England, 1817-07-14 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARr PRocEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, JULY it.

This being the day of the Prorogation, the doors
of the House were opened at an early hour, and,
nearly the whole of the Peers' benches were filled with
Ladies, elegantly dressed, to witness the ceremony.
The LORD CHANCELLOR entered the House soon
after one o'clock, when.prayers were read.
The Duchess of CUMBERLAND entered the House
soon afterwards. There were several of the Foreign
Ministers also present.
At half.past two the discharge of cannon announ-
ced the arrival of the PRINCE ReceNT, and soon af-
terwards his Royal Highness entered the House,
with his usual state, the Sword of State carried by
the Earl of LivenrooL, and attended also by the
Marquis of CHOLMONDELEY, the Marquis Of WIN-
CHESTER, LUTA GWYDIR, &c. &c.

His Royal Highness being seated, in his robes, on
the Throne, Sir THOMAS TYRWIIITT, the Gentleman
Usher of the Black -Rod, was sent to command the
attendance of the House of Commons.

Shortly afterwards the SPEAKER, in his dress robe,
accompanied by a great number of Members, came
to the Bar.

The SPEAKER, holding in his hand the Appropria-
tion Bill, delivered the following speech :
•• May i Akan your Royal Highturr,
66 In obedience to your Royal Highness's com-
mands, we, his Majesty's faithful Commons of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. at-
tend your Royal Highness with our last Bill of Sup-
ply 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
attentirm than those which relate to the Finances and
internal state of the country.
•• In conformity with your Royal Highness's re-
commendation at the commencement of the Session,
we took such steps as seemed best calculated to en.
sure a full and serious investigation into the public
income and expenditure. That investigation has been
continued throughout the Session. From that inves-
tigation 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 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 reduction in the establishments that sound
policy would allow, we have had the satisfaction to'
find that the Supplies might be provided without the
in- position of any additional bOrdens upon the people;
and we have the proud gratification to think, that
notwithstan.:ing the gigantic and -unparalleled exer-
tions which this country has been called upon is make,
and the difficulties and pressure which must necessa-
rily be the consequence of such exertion, at no period
of its history has the public credit stood more sound,
steady, and unshaken than at present.
•• In consideiing, 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 wicked and mischievous purposes His Ma-
jesty's faithful Commons, whilst they have been an-
xiously engaged in such measures as might check the
further progress of these attempts. have not been un-
mindful of "such other measures as might afford re.
lief 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 employ.
ment for the poor, and most diligently (although the
limits of the Session would not allow of the comple-
tion of a measure), most diligently to a full and mi-
nute inquiry into the state and effect of the Poor
Laws, a question in which the wealth, the industry.
And the mor4lityof the nation are :1 deeply implicated.
.4 Whilst we have deemed it our first duty to deli-
berate with unremitted solicitude upon these subjects
of paramount importance, to these alone our delibe-
rations have no: been confined.

liatnents, who was in waiting within the Bar to re-
ceive it; and to this Bill, together with the Irish
Elections Bill, and the English Saving Banks Bill,
the Royal Assent was given, which was notified in
the usual form.

The PRINCE REGENT delivered from the Throne
the following Speech :
" My Lord: and Gentlemen,
" I cannot close this Session of Parliament with-
out 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 com-
mencement of the Session, demands try warmest
acknowledgments ; and I have no doub' that the
favourable change which is happily talt:rg place in
our internal situation, is to be rnairly ascribed to the
salutary measures which you have adop'ed for pre-
serving the public tranquillity, and to your steady
adherence to those nrinciples by which the Constitu-
tion, restairces, and. credit of the ccantry, have been
hitherto preserved and main'.ained.
" 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 satisfaction of re-
ceiving 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 com-
mended.

" 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 ne-
cessity which has called for them is to me matter of
deep regret; and pm 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 Howe 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 untavi;urable state of the last season, and I look
Inrward with sanguine expectations to its gradual im-
provement.

" My Lords end neatiressa,
" The measures which were in progress 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 universar satisfaction ; and
to complete the system which has been sanctioned by
Parliament. u 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 to-
wards this country, and of their desire to preserve
the general tranquillity.
" The prospect of an abundant harvest through-
out a considerable part of the Continent. is in the
highest degree patisfactory. This happy dispensation
of PROVIDENCR 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 oT the last year ; and I trust that we may look
forward in consequence to improvement in the com-
mercial relations of this and of all other countries.

ig I cannot allow you to separate without recom-
mending to you, that upon your return to your seve-
ral 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 indispensible to the general welfare and
prosperity of the kingdom."
The LORD Criatmett.ott then, by his Royal High-
ness's command, declared the Parliament to be pro-
rogued until Monday, the 25th of August nest.
The PRINCR RECENT quitted the House with the
same state as on his entrance; the Commons retired
from the liar, and the Peers and Ladies withdrew
from the House.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at two o'clock, and
soon after the U►her of the Black Rod appeared and
commanded the attendance of the House in the
House of Peers, to hear the Speech from the Throne.

On their return the SPEAKRII took his seat at the
table, and, as usual, read a copy of the Speech deli-
vered by the PRIXCE FOIRNT(IICC Lords).
The Members then separated.