THE 



MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



OF 



POLITICS, LITERATURE, AND THE BELLES LETTRES. 

 Vol. XII.] NOVEMBER, 1831. [N0.7I. 



THE king's speech — PAELIAMENT — THE CONTINENT. 



The session has at length closed, after a succession of the most 

 stormy, anxious, and harassing debates within memory. On the 20th 

 the prorogation took place. The House of Commons were engaged in 

 a debate on petitions, and were beginning to grow angry, as usual, when 

 Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt appeared, and, like another Neptune, appeased 

 the storm by the apparition of his wand. The house followed him to 

 the royal presence, and the king delivered the speech of his ministers. 

 It was, like all king's speeches of late years, a mere outline of the prin- 

 cipal measures of the time, expressed in language systematically divested 

 of all the materials of contradiction. 



His Majesty noticed the amendment of the game laws ; the reduction 

 of the taxes ; the improvements in the law of bankruptcy ; then advert- 

 ing to foreign affairs, declared that he had received every assurance of 

 the continued amity of the continental powers. The late arrangements 

 of the Belgian conference naturally occupied a portion of the speech, 

 and we had his Majesty's conviction that the peace of Europe was pro- 

 vided for without hazard, equivocation, or sacrifice, on the part of our 

 all-meddling and all-paying country. 



The portion of the speech which applies peculiarly to the lower 

 house, was read with an emphatic tone, which some of the journals say 

 was an evidence of respect, others of remonstrance, and others of alarm. 

 Probably it was not one of the three. The topics, however, were slight, 

 and proportionably touched. His Majesty thanked his faithful commons 

 for their ample liberality to the Queen, in case of her widowhood — for 

 the supplies of the year — and for their willingness to submit to the in- 

 crease of the military and other establishments, which the circumstances 

 of the time were stated to render necessary. 



The general address which by custom closes the speech, was occupied 

 in recommending the preservation of tranquillity in the respective 

 counties of tlie noble lords and members ; a recommendation to the 

 people to observe order and moderation in their proceedings ; and a 



M. M. New Series.— \oh. XII. No. 71. 2 Q 



