214] ANNUAL REGtSTER, 1812. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



Meeting of the Netv Parliament — Regent's Speech, and Debates there- 

 on — Thanks and Grant to Lord IVellington— Renewal of the Gold 

 Coin Bill — Motion on the German Legion — Prince Regent's 

 Message respecting a Grant to Russia, and Debates. 



ON November 24th the House 

 of Lords having assembled, a 

 commission was appointed for the 

 new parhament. The attendance 

 of the Commons was then re- 

 quested, and the commission was 

 read. The Commons were then 

 directed by the Lord Chancellor to 

 proceed to the choice of a Speaker ; 

 and on the same day, a number of 

 members having been sworn, Sir 

 John NichoU rose, and proposed 

 the late Speaker, Mr. Abbott, for 

 that office. His motion was se- 

 conded by Mr. Cartwriy;ht, and 

 was received with great applause 

 from all parts of the house. Mr. 

 Abbott was accordingly placed in 

 the chair, and the house adjourned 

 to the next day. The other usual 

 forms being gone through, the 

 Prince Regent^ on the 30rh, came 

 to the House of Lords in state, 

 and delivered a speech from the 

 throne. After touching upon his 

 Majesty's lamented indisposition, 

 and the diminished hopes of his 

 recovery, his Royal Highness ad- 

 verted to the successes in the 

 Peninsula under the conduct of 

 Lord Wellington, and their final 

 good effects, notwithstanding iiis 

 retreat from Burgos, and evacua- 

 tion of Madrid. He then men- 

 tioned tiie restoration of peace 

 and friendship with the courts of 



Peterbburgh and Stockholm, and 

 spoke in terms of eulogy of the 

 resistance made by Russia to the 

 arms of their invaders auguring a 

 happy termination of the contest. 

 He informed parliament of a sup- 

 plementary treaty entered into with 

 his Sicilian Majesty and hinted at 

 the new measures concerted with 

 the government of that island, for 

 an active co-operation in the com- 

 mon cause. With respect to the 

 declaration of war by the United 

 States of America, he observed, that 

 it was made under circumstances 

 which might have afforded a rea- 

 sonable expectation that the ami- 

 cable relations between the two 

 countries would not be long inter- 

 rupted ; but that the conduct and 

 pretensions of that government 

 had hitherto prevented any ar- 

 rangement for that purpose. He 

 took notice of the defeat of the 

 attempts against Canada ; and said, 

 that his efibrts were still directed 

 to the restoration of peace, but 

 that until this object could be 

 attained without sacrificing the 

 maritime rights of Great Britain, 

 he should rely on their support for 

 a vigorous prosecution of the war. 

 The conclusion of the speech re- 

 commended an early consideration 

 of a provision for the effectual 

 goverraentof the Indian provinces, 



in 



