96] ANNUAL REGISTER, 181^. 



of the island in general, will be 

 found in Mr. Peel's report, in- 

 serted in our I'arliamcntary His- 

 tory. At the same time tiie peo- 

 ple of Ireland have partaken even 

 more than their share of the ca- 

 lamities proceeding from vuifa- 

 vourable seasons, and a deficient 

 product of the necessaries of life, 

 combined with commeicial dis- 

 tresses. The situation of the 

 country is indeed extremely me- 

 lancholy, and little ])rospect is yet 

 afforded of its melioration. With 

 respect to tlie admittance of the 

 Roman Catholics of Ireland to 

 the full rights of subjects, so long 

 and anxiously expected by them, 

 no progress towards tiiat event 

 has been made in this yeaj- ; no)' 

 have the ditlerent opinions among 

 tliemselves, j'elative to the teims 

 to be j)roposed for obtaining the 

 desired concession, been brought 

 to an agreement. In tlie mean- 

 time it lias been lesolved by both 

 parties, not to intermit the an- 

 nual practice of petitioning for 

 the redress of tlieir particvdar 

 grievances . 



In the midst of the gloom 

 which was spread over the na- 

 tion, in consecpience of so many 

 spectacles of distress, the ])ublic 

 feelings were cheered by the dis- 

 posal in marriage, to the general 

 satisfaction, of that Princess who 

 appears destined, at a future pe- 

 riod, to wear the British Crown. 

 In the choice of a j)artner, poli- 

 tical alliance was wisely made no 

 part of the consideration, and the 

 personal merit of the indivichial 

 was tlie decidin.'^ point. Leopold 

 George Frederick, younger bro- 

 ther of the reigning Duke of Saxe 



Cobourg of Saalfeld, a Prince of 

 the Protestant branch of the House 

 of .Saxony, obtained high reputa- 

 tion in the war against Buona- 

 parte, where he had a command 

 of cavalry in the allied aiiiiy ; and 

 after the surrender of Paris, in 

 1814, he accompanied the sove- 

 leigns on their visit to England, 

 where he became advantageously 

 known to the Prince Regent. 

 The projiriety of his conduct, and 

 the solidity of his imderstanding, 

 made a favourable impression on 

 the court, which terminated in 

 his being honoured with the hand 

 of the da\ighter of the Regent. 

 The nuptials between the Princess 

 Charlotte anil the Prince Leopold 

 took place on tlie^d of May, (See 

 Chronicle.) The parliament with 

 perfect unanimity made a liberal 

 pro\ision for the illustrious pair ; 

 and numerous public bodies 

 thioughout the kingdom pre- 1 

 seiited addresses of cordial congra- 

 tulation on the auspicious event. 



Another matrimonial union in 

 the Royal Family, though leather 

 a domestic than a political occur- 

 rence, was greeted by the public, 

 as affording the ^vell-fovindcd pro- 

 mise of an addition of happiness 

 in that august House. The Prin- 

 cess Mary, fourth daughter of his 

 Majesty, married in July her 

 cousin, the Duke of Ciloucester j 

 a couple regarded, by their man- 

 ners and j)rinci[des, as eminently 

 suited to the duties of domestic 

 life. Their establishment was 

 framed upon a scale of modera- 

 tion, which rendered unnecessary 

 any application to the public 

 purse. 



CHAPTER 



