LONDON. 
waiting, and the gentlemen-ufhers ; in the third, the 
earl of Harrington, gold ftick in waiting; and, in the 
fourth, the prince-regent, attended by the duke of Mon- 
trofe, maker of the horfe, and earl Poulett, the lord in 
waiting. The carriages were' preceded by a numerous 
body of the royal horfe-guards, who were followed by 
four marftialmen, fixteen footmen in ftate-liveries,^ and a 
party of the' yeomen of the guard. The proceflion ar¬ 
rived at the houfe of peers at two o’clock ; and the prince- 
regent, being robed, afcended the throne, and delivered 
the fpeech. His royal highnefs’s robes were held up by 
general Keppel and" Mr. Cavendilh Bradfhaw. On re¬ 
turning from the houfe, the prince wore a blue great coat 
trimmed with gold lace, gold frogs, fringe, &c. It being 
the firft time the cream-coloured horfes had worked in 
liarnefs, a groom was appointed to attend each of them, 
and they were ordered to be very particular in taking the 
angle from Cleveland-row into the Stable-yard ; unfortu¬ 
nately they took too great a fweep ; and, the off hind- 
wheel of the coach coming in contact with the poll at the 
corner of the foot-path leading to the marquis of Staf¬ 
ford’s houfe, the fhock tore up three of the curb-ftones, 
broke a fway-bar, and threw the ftate-coachman off the 
box ; he fell between the wheel-horfes, but received no 
other injury than cutting his lip; he did not lofe his 
reins, and was on the box again inftantly. This accident 
detained the proceflion for fome time. Notwithftanding 
the wetnefs of the day, the ftreets, houfes, and public 
buildings, were filled with fpedtators. A military band 
was placed at St. James’s palace, and another at the houfe 
of peers; and the cannon in St. James’s park fired a fa- 
lute when his royal highnefs defcended from the throne. 
The park and ftreets through which the proceflion palled 
were kept clear by two regiments of dragoons. 
The fpeech from the throne was very long ; and his royal 
liighnefs delivered it with great propriety and dignity.— 
After touching upon his majefty’s lamented indifpofition, 
and the diminifhed hopes of his recovery, his royal high¬ 
nefs adverted to the fucceffes in the peninfula under the 
conduft of lord Wellington, and their final good effects, 
notwithftanding his retreat from Burgos, and the evacua¬ 
tion of Madrid. He then mentioned the reftoration of 
peace and friendfhip with the courts of Peterfburgh and 
Stockholm, and fpoke in terms of eulogy of the refiftance 
made by Ruflia to the arms of their invaders, auguring a 
happy termination of the conteft. He informed parlia¬ 
ment of a fupplementary treaty entered into with his Si¬ 
cilian majefty, and hinted at the new meafures concerted 
with the government of that ifland, for an aCtive co-ope¬ 
ration in the common caule. With refpedt to the decla¬ 
ration of war by the United States of America, he ob- 
ferved, that it was made under circumfiances which 
might have afforded a reafonable expectation that the 
amicable relations between the two countries would not 
be long interrupted ; but that the conduct and preten- 
fions of that government had hitherto prevented any ar¬ 
rangement for that purpofe. He took notice of the de¬ 
feat of the attempts againft Canada ; and faid that his ef¬ 
forts were ftill direCted to the reftoration of peace ; but 
that, until this objeCt could be attained without facrificing 
the maritime rights of Great Britain, he fliould rely on 
theirTupport fora vigorous profecution of the war. The 
concluflon of the fpeech recommended an early confide- 
ration of a provifion for the effectual government of the 
Indian provinces, in confequence of the approaching ex¬ 
piration of the charter of the Eaft-India Company. It 
adverted alfo to the fuccefs of the means employed for 
fuppreffmg the lpirit of outrage and infubordination 
which had appeared in fome parts of the country ; and 
expreffed a hope that atrocities fo repugnant to the Britifh 
character would never recur; and ended with the ufual 
declaration of confidence in the wildom of parliament, and 
the loyalty of the people. 
The accuftotned complimentary addrefs was moved in 
both houfes, and palled as of courfe. 
VOL. XIII. No. 909. 
321 
Thanks to lord Wellington, and a grant to him of 
ioo,oool. to he laid out in land, were the fubjects which 
next engaged both houfes of parliament; but, as they ex- 
ercifed the oratory rather than the argumentative powers 
of the different fpeakers—fince there was fcarcely any 
other contention than which party fliould molt highly 
extol the merits of that illuftrious genera!—it is unnecef- 
fary in this place to record any particulars. The votes 
on both queftions palled unanimoufly. 
A fecond reading of the renewed gold-coin bill being 
the order of the day in the houfe of commons on Decem¬ 
ber the 8th, Mr. Creevey rofe to Hate his objections to 
the bill. He faid that, when the bullion-committee fat 
upwards of two years ago, gold was at 4.I. 10s. an-ounce, 
but was at prefent 5I. 5s,. fo that the depreciation of paper 
was 35 per cent. The obligation to take paper at its no¬ 
minal value was therefore an enormous violation of pro¬ 
perty, by which all clafles were lofers, except the bank.— 
One of the molt material circumftances which occurred, 
was a queftion put by Mr. Ponfonby to the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer, what price he gave for bills to remit 
abroad ? which for fome time he declined to anfwer ; but 
at length he faid, 67 pence per milrea.—In anfwer to a 
complaint of an exceffive ilfue of paper-currency by the 
bank, Mr. Manning ftated that the amount yefterday was 
zz\ millions, whereas in July and Auguft 1810 it was 
near 25 millions.—The general opinion in the houfe 
feemed to be, that the meafure, however objectionable in 
its principles, was at this time neceffary ; and, on a di- 
vifion, the fecond reading was carried by 129 againft 19. 
On bringing up the report, December xi, Mr. Whit¬ 
bread, in order, he faid, to bring the matter to a teft, 
moved the refcinding the third refolution of May hit, 
(fee'p. 24.8.) which ftated the opinion of the Chancellor 
of the Exchequer, “that, in all cafes wherein coin might 
be ufed for legal purpofes, the promiffory notes of the 
bank of England, and guineas, were, in public eftirna- 
tion, confidered equivalent, and were generally fo ac¬ 
cepted.” Upon this motion the houfe divided : Noes, 63 ; 
ayes, 26 ; majority againft it, 37. 
Mr. Hulkiffon then rofe, and faid, that he had been in¬ 
formed that government had fent a great number of bank¬ 
notes to Canada for the payment of our troops and other 
eftablilhments in that province; and that, being eftimated 
according to their real value, they were fold there at a 
difcount of 30 per cent. From the neceffity of the cafe, 
he had approved of that part of the bill which virtually 
made bank-notes a legal tender; but he could fee no ufe 
in that part which made it criminal to fell gold-coin at 
more than the legal value. A few low and ignorant peo¬ 
ple had been convicted upon it; while millions of guineas 
had been exported, notwithftanding all the vigilance of go¬ 
vernment. He was not alarmed at the idea of a gold- 
price and a paper-price, which had prevailed in Ireland, 
and now fubfifted in Portugal, where the effeCt was, that 
their gold-coin was ftill in circulation, while ours had all 
difappeared. Inftances were given by other members of 
the actual exiftence of two prices in this country ; and fe- 
veral of the former arguments on the fubjeCt were recapi¬ 
tulated. The report was, however, agreed to. The de¬ 
bate was refumed on the motion for the third reading of 
the bill, December 14; but the reading was carried on a 
divifion, by 80 againft 15.—In the houfe of lords, the bill 
underwent but little dilcufiion ; and it palled into a law- 
before the recefs. 
On the 17th of December, a meflage was fent to both 
houfes from the prince-regent, recommending the grant¬ 
ing a relief to the buffering fubjeCts’of his majefty’s good 
and great ally, the emperor of Ruflia. It was ordered to 
be taken into confideration in both houfes on the follow¬ 
ing day. 
In the houfe of lords, on the 18th, the earl of Liverpool 
rofe to move an addrefs pledging the houfe to concur in 
the object of the meflage. He made an introductory 
lpeech, in which he ftated that the invafion of Ruftia 
4 N had 
