152] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



junction with his Majesty's allies, 

 the most eventful and sanguinary 

 contest in which Europe had for 

 centuries been engaged, with un- 

 paralleled success and glory. 



" The prosecution of such a 

 contest for so many years, and 

 more particularly the efforts which 

 marked the close of it, have been 

 followed within our own country, 

 as well as throughout the rest of 

 Europe, by considerable internal 

 difficulties and distress. But, 

 deeply as I felt for the immediate 

 pressure upon his majesty's peo- 

 ple, I nevertheless looked forward 

 without dismay, having always 

 the fullest conndence in the soli- 

 dity of the resources of the Bri- 

 tish empire, and in the relief 

 which might be expected from a 

 continuance of peace, and from 

 the patience, public spirit, and 

 energy of the nation. 



" These expectations have not 

 been disappointed. 



" The improvement in the in- 

 ternal circumstances of the coun- 

 try is happily manifest, and pro- 

 mises to be steadily progressive ; 

 and I feel a perfect assurance 

 that the continued loyalty and 

 exertions of all classes of his ma- 

 jesty's subjects will confirm these 

 growing indications of national 

 prosperity, by promoting obedi- 

 ence to the laws and attachment 

 to the constitution, from which 

 all our blessings have been de- 

 rived." 



Then the Lord Chancellor 



having received directions from 

 his royal highrvesB the Prince Re- 

 gent, said — 



" My Lords and Gentlemen ; 



" It is the will and pleasure of 

 his royal highness the Prince 

 Regent, acting in the name and 

 on the behalf of his majesty, that 

 this parliament be now dissolved, 

 and this parliament is dissolved 

 accordingly." 



The mass of parliamentary 

 matter has left little room during 

 the present year for the general 

 current of affairs, which has not 

 upon the whole been of consider- 

 able importance. One of the 

 most memorable occurrences has 

 been the tendency of a disposi- 

 tion to riot in the town and neigh- 

 bourhood of Manchester, owing 

 to a difference between a large 

 body of workmen, and their 

 employers, which, howeftr, by 

 the good management of the 

 magistrates and other gentlemen 

 was kept from rising to any 

 dangerous disturbance, though 

 not without the interference of 

 the military. 



The long and painful confine- 

 ment of her Majesty under a 

 disorder which at length proved 

 fatal in the month of November, 

 gave a shock to the national 

 feelings, which had been pecu- 

 liarly excited by the care and 

 tenderness with which she cherish- 

 ed the LDfirniitiea of a beloved 

 partner. 



CHAPTER 



