The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-02-07 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE SESSION.

ON Tuesday Her Majesty proceeded in- state
from Buckingham Palace, and opened the Session
of Parliament with the usual formalities. The
road to the Palace was densely crowded, and the
Queen was loudly:cheered.
Her Majesty having ascended the throne, and
the Commons having appeared below the bar, the
Lord Chancellor, kneeling upon one knee, handed
Her Majesty the royal speech, which Her Majesty
read as follows.:--
" My LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

"I am always happy to meet you in Parliament; and, on
the present occasion, it is with peCuliar satisfaction that I
recur to your assistance and advice.
" The hopes which I expressed at the close of the last
session, that a speedy settlement would be effected of the
differences existing between Russia and the Ottoman
Porte, have not been realised, and I regret to say that a
state of warfare has ensued. I have continued to act in
cordial co-operation with the Emperor of the French, and
my endeavours, in conjunction with my allies, to preserve
and to restore peace between the contending parties,
although hitherto unsuccessful, have been unremitting.
" I will not fail to persevere in these endeavours, but as
the continuance of the war may deeply affect the interests
of this country and of Europe, I think it requisite to make
a further augmentation of my naval and military forces,
with the view of supporting my representations, and of
more effectually contributing to the restoration of peace.
"I have directed that the papers, explanatory of the
negociations which have taken place upon this subject,
shall be communicated to you without delay.
"GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

" The estimates for the year will be laid before you ; and
I trust you will find that, consistently with the exigencies
of the public service at this juncture, they have been
framed with a due regard to economy.

" MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
" In the year which has just terminated, the blessing of
an abundant harvest has not been vouchsafed to us. By
this dispensation of Providence the price of provisions has
been enhanced, and the privations of the poor have been
increased, but their patience has been exemplary ; and the
care of the legislature, evinced by the reduction of taxes
affecting the necessaries of life, has greatly tended to
preserve a spirit of contentment.
" I have the satisfaction of announcing to you that the
commerce of the country is still prosperous ; that trade,
both export and import, has been largely on the increase ;
and the revenue of the past year has been more than ade-
quate to the demands of the public service.
" I:recommend to your consideration a Bill, which I have
ordered to be framed, for Opening the Coasting Trade of
the United Kingdom to the Ships of all Friendly Nations ;
and I look forward with satisfaction to the removal of the
last legislative restriction upon the use of foreign
shipping for the benefit of my people.
Communications have been addressed, by my com-
mand, to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, with
reference to the improvements which it may be desirable
to effect in their Institutions. These communications
will be laid before you, and measures will be proposed
for your consideration, with the view of giving effect to
such improvements.
" The establishments requisite for the conduct of the
Civil Service, and the arrangements bearing upon its con-
dition, have recently been under review, and I shall direct
a plan to be laid before you, which will have for its
object to improve the system of admission, and thereby
to increase the efficiency of the service.
" The recent measures of legal reform have proved highly
beneficial, and the success which has attended them may
well encourage you to proceed with further amendments.
" Bills will be submitted to you for transferring from the
Ecclesiastical to the Civil Courts, the cognizance of Testa-
mentary and of Matrimonial auses, and for giving in-
creased efficiency to the superior courts of common law.
" The laws relating to the relief of the poor have of late
undergone much salutary amendment ; but there is one
branch to which I earnestly direct your attention. The
law of settlement impedes the freedom of labour, and if
this restraint can with safety be relaxed, the workman
may be enabled to increase the fruits of his industry, and
the interests of capital and of labour will be more firmly
united. _ *.

" Measures will be submitted to you for the amendment
of the laws relating to the representation of the Com-
mons in Parliament. Recent experience has shown
that it is necessary to take more effectual precautions
against the evils of bribery and of corrupt practices at elec-
tions ; it will also be your duty to consider whether more
complete effect may not be given to the principles of the
act of the last reign, whereby reforms were made in the
representation of the people in Parliament.
"In recommending this subject to your consideration,
my desire is to remove every cause of just complaint, to
increase general confidence in the legislature, and to give
additional stability to the settled institutions of the State.
" I submit to your wisdom the consideration of these
important subjects, and I pray God to prosper your
counsels, and to guide your decisions."
Her Majesty then left the House and returned
to Buckingham Palace, from which she soon after
took her departure for Windsor Castle.