Star.
London, England, 1820-04-22 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL 21.
This being the day find foe the Meeting of Pare
' litment, several Peers assembled about two o'clock.,
Soon after that hour the LORD CHANCELtOR, the
„Atehbishop of CANTILDRURY, the Duke of Wettino-
Tos, the Earl WESTMORLAND, and the Earl of
SUAFTESDORY, took their seats in front of thelZhrone,
- as Commissioners.
The Loan Cieott-nt.tos directed the Deputy Gentleman
Usher of the Black Rod to proceed to the Connors, and sum-
mon that llouse re'ttzend at their Lordships' bar forthwith.
Mr. Quanoir.,-the Deputy Usher, proceeded accordingly to
the House of Commons, and soon after returned, accompanied
by the Clerks of that House, and a considerable number of the
Meniliers, among whom were the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
and the four Iterresentatives of the City of London in their robes.
The I,OIID CII A NCELLOR stated, that his. Majesty had
been pleased to order Letters-Patent to be issued for the ap-
pointment of certain !Ards therein named to open the Parlia-
ment, which Letters-Patent the Lords and Gentlemen present
would now bar read.—The Commission being read,
The LORD CHANCELLOR mid, that, in obedience to his
Majesty'S commands, he had to inform the Lords and Gentle-
men then in atlte,dance, that as soon as a sufficient number of
Members of body Ilooses should be sworn, his Majesty would
declare the causes for the assembling of this Parliament. In the
meantime, it was his Majesty's pleasure that the Gentlemen of
the nous:: of Commons ,h-old return to the place where thed
usually hold their Sittings, and there proceed to choosy a Et and
proper person to be their Speaker, and that they should present
the person so chosen at the bar of that House to-morrow, at
two o'clock, for his Majesty's approbation.
The Commons then withdrew, and their Lordships went
to prayers.
After prayers, the oaths were taken in the usual form by the
Lords present. The Lord Chancellor and the Duke of Clarence
were first sworn separately.. Afterwards the following Peers
took the oaths. viz.—The Dukes of Wellington and Athol; Mar-
quisses Camden, Cholmondeley, Anglesea, and Wiuchilsea ;
Earls of Liverpool, Westmorland, Shaftesbury, Nellie, Orford,
Nelson, Aberdeen, Abergavenny, Mulgrave, Caledon, St. Ger-
main's, Darnley, &c. Lords Napier, Beauchamp, Colville,
Sydney, Keith, Kenyon, Howard of Effingham, Lake, &c. the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of Norwich, Salisbury,
Worcesta, St. David's, Exeter, St. Asapb, &c.—At Four
o'Clotk the House adjourned.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
CHOICE OF A SPEAKER.
At half-past two, the Deputy Usher of the Black Rod sum-
moned the House to the Peers, to hear the Royal Comn ission
read. :air. Dyson accordingly led the way, followed by all the
Members present. On their return, in about ten minutes, Gen-
tlemen havit:t taken their places,
Sir ‘VILLIAM SCOTT rose, for the purpose of
submitting a motion to supply the vacancy in the
honintrable office of Speaker. He had never claimed
the attention of the House with more unmixed satis-
faction, from a conviction that the opinion he enter-
tained upon this subject was- universal among the
Honourable Gentlemen whom be was addressing—
( Hear !)—Although the distinguished individual
who had presided over the deliberations of the House
dazing the two last Parliaments had, perhaps, the
most indisputable title again to fill the same office,
he could not but be aware that he was speaking in
the presence of many who, cis any other occasion,
both from public and private considerations, would
be equally deserving of thesutmost confidence of the
House. It could not be denied that, composed as
this House was of Gentlemen selected from the vari-
ous component parts of society in the United King-
dom, many were to be found in it whose talents, ac-
quirements, and general meri.s, would afford a fair
prospect of a successful discharge of the arduous
duties of Speaker. Here, however, it was fortu-
nately not necessary to hazard any speculation, how-
ever promising : past services, and tried and demon-
strable abilities—abilities not confined to the mere
discharge of what might be termed the dry duties of
t to office—had commanded not merely the approba-
tion, but the admiration of every Member who had
witnessed their employment. Thus all experiment,
was rendered needless, and perhaps he should justly
merit censure if he were to attempt any description
of the duties of the individual who was appointed to
preside over the discussions of the House: he should
better discharge this part of the task he had under-
taken, by referring to the mode in which his Right
Honourable Friend had fulfilled those duties--(Hear,
hear !)—With regard to the qualifications of a Speaker
also, it might be said, in a word, that all and more
had been displayed by the individual now offered to
the choice of the House ; but, as many Gentlemen
:night be now present who had not had an opportu-
nity of personally observirig their exercise, he would
make a very few remarks upon them. The first qua-
lification undoubtedly was a warm affection for the
happy Constitution of this country, including an in-
flexible regard for the rights and privileges of the
House, anti for the just liberties of the People, or
which liberties those rights and privileges were to be
numbered among the principal securities—(Hear!).
A great portion of health and strength were neces •
sury to undergo the severe labour, he had almost
s;,id the oppressive fatigue, of such a situation: the
Journals only contained a numerous body of histori-
cal reading, and to a familiarity with them must be
added an official acquaintance, not merely with
forms, but with the pi incipics on which those forms
originated, and upon which they were most wisely
established. A facility of access, and a frankness of
communication in all the intercourse of private busi-
11eSS, were highly desirable; and an_attention ever
awake to the exigencies of the moment in the per-
formance of more public functions, was indispensa-
ble. All who were Members of the last Parliament
knew how eminently these requisites were united in
his Right Honourable Friend ; and to them might be
added one more amiable qualification equally con-
spicuous—an unaffected suavity of disposition and
manners; a suavity that, without courting popular
regard, universally attracts it. A liberal, a splendid
hospitality, congenial with the habits of the country,
and well becoming the dignity of the presiding Mem-,
.her of a great deliberative Assembly, had ever been
experienced at his table. If the present had been an
occasion on which he ought to indulge his own feel-
ings, he could readily amplify upon the qualities ne-
cessary for a Speaker, because he had before him a
perfect example of them ; but it behoved him to for-
bear the gratification of his own personal wishes, that
he might no longer retard the declaration of that
rmited sentiment which the House was impatient to
display. Ile therefore would move, without further
pit:face, " That the Right lion. Charles Manners
Sutton do take the Chair of this House."
Mr. 1101.11 E SUMNER seconded the motion.—
Ile :,aid he had not sat so long in Parliament without
having obtained some knowledge of the arduous na-
ture oi the duties of the Speaker : the great increase
of public business had of late added much to the se-
vetity of the burden. In thus supporting thop:opo-