140] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



same splendid talents so conspicu- 

 ous ill war, will maintain with 

 equal axithority, firmness, and 

 temper, our national honour and 

 interests in peace." 



His Grace then withdrew, mak- 

 ing the same obeisances as when 

 he entered ; and all the members 

 rising again, he was reconducted 

 by the serjeant to the door of the 

 House. After he was gone, Lord 

 Castlereagh moved, that what the 

 Duke had said on returning thanks 

 to the House, together with the 

 Speaker's answer, be printed in the 

 votes, which was agreed to nem. 

 con. 



This was the termination of one 

 of the most impressive and digni- 

 fied scenes that had been witness- 

 ed by modern times in either house 

 of parliament. 



In the parliamentary history of 

 the last year, we had to record 

 certain proceedings respecting the 

 Princess of Wales, which excited 

 considerable interest in the nation. 

 It would have been gratifying to 

 every friend of the royal family if 

 no farther occasion had been given 

 of bringing before the public the 

 unfortunate differences which have 

 so long prevailed among the illus- 

 trious personages composing it ; 

 ])ut we find ourselves obliged again 

 to allot a place in our pages to a 

 discussion in parliament arising 

 from the same lamented cause. 



On June 1st, Mr. Methuen rose 

 in the House of Commons, in con- 

 sequence of a correspondence 

 which had been laid before the 

 public, to ask a "ight honourable 

 gentleman (Mr. Bathurst) which 

 of his Majesty's ministers it was 

 who had advised his royal high- 

 ness the Prince Regent to take 

 those measures which had been 

 taken to prevent the Princess of 



Wales from appearing at her Ma- 

 jesty's drawing-room. Mr. B. hav- 

 ing declined an answer, Mr. M. 

 gave notice that he should on Fri- 

 day next bring forward a motion 

 on the subject. 



Mr. Ponsonby desired to say a 

 few words on a subject connected 

 with that which had been intro- 

 duced ; and having read a para- 

 graph from the Morning Herald, 

 professing to give an account of 

 an opposition council held with re- 

 lation to this matter, in which the 

 names of several peers and com- 

 moners were given, a little dis- 

 guised by dashes, he declared the 

 paragraph a most impudent false- 

 hood, no such meeting having 

 been held or thovight of. This 

 assertion was confirmed by Mr. 

 Whitbread. 



On June 3rd, the Speaker ac- 

 quainted the House, that since they 

 met he had received a letter from 

 the Princess of Wales with three 

 enclosures, which he was desired 

 to communicate to the House, and 

 which he would read, with their 

 pleasure. This being signified, he 

 read the first letter, in which her 

 Royal Highness requested the 

 Speaker to inform the House that 

 the Prince Regent had been advis- 

 ed to take such steps as have pre- 

 vented her from appearing at 

 court, and to declare his " fixed 

 and unalterable determination ne- 

 ver to meet the Princess of Wales 

 on any occasion, either in public 

 or private." The Princess then 

 made some observations on the 

 dangerous nature of this advice, 

 and on the duty which she found 

 incumbent on her to make this 

 communication to the House, toge- 

 ther with the correspondence which 

 had passed on the occasion. 



The accompanying letters were 



