PAST AND PRESENT.

THE KING'S SPEECH OF IMO.

"My Lords and Gentlemen—It is with great satisfaction that I meet you in Par- liament, and that I am enabled, In the present conjuncture, to recur to your ad- vice.

" Since the dissolution of the late Par- liament, events of deep interest and Im- portance have occurred on the Continent of Europe. The elder branch of the House of Bourbon no longer reigns in France, and the Duke of' Orleans has been called to the Throne by the title of King of the French. Having received from the new Sovereign a declaration of his earnest desire to cultivate the good understanding, and to maintain inviolate all the engagements subsisting with this country, I did not hesitate to continue my diplomatic relations and friendly in. tercourse with the French Court.

"I have witnessed, with deep regret, the state of affairs in the Low Countries. I lament that the enlightened adtnini- stration of the King should not have pre- served his dominions front revolt, and that the wise and prudent measure of submitting the desires and complaints of the people to the deliberations of an Ex- traordinary Meeting of the States-Gene- ral, should have led to no satisfactory re- sult. I am endeavouring, in concert with my Allies, to deviatt such means of re- storing tranquillity es may be compatible 'with thegood government of the Nether- lands, and with the future security of Other States.

"Appearances of tumult and disorder have produced uneasiness in different parts of Europe; but the assurances of a friendly disposition which I continue to receive from all foreign powers, justify the expectation that I shall be enabled to preserve for my people the blessings of peace. Impressed at all times with the necessity of respecting the faith of na- tional engagements, I am persuaded that any determination to maintain, in con- junction with my Allies, those general treaties by which the political system of Europe has been established, will offer the best security for the repose of the World.

"I have not yet accredited my Ambas- sador to the Court of Lisbon ; bat the Portuguese Government having deter- mined to perform a great act of justice and humanity by the grant of a general amnesty, I think that the time will shortly arrive when the interests of my subjects will demand a renewal of those relations which had so long existed be- tween the two countries.

"Jam impelled by the deep solicitude which I feelfor the welfare of my people, to recommend to your immediate consi- deration the provisions which it may be advisable to make for the exercise of the Royal authority, in case that it should please Almighty God to terminate ray life before my successor shall have arrived at years of maturity.

"I shall be prepared to concur with you In the adoption of those measures which may appear best calculated to main- tained unimpaired the stability and dig- nity of the Crown, and thereby to Strengthen the securities by which the Civil and religious liberties of my people are guarded.

"Gentlemen of the House of Com- mons—I have ordered the Estimates for those services of the present year for which the last Parliament did not fully provide, to be forthwith laid before you. The Estimates for the ensuing year will be prepared with that strict regard to economy which I am determined to en- force in every branch of the public ex. penditure.

"By the demise of my lamented bro- ther, the late King, the Civil List reve- nue has expired. I place without re- serve, at your disposal, my interest in the hereditary revenues, and in those funds which may be derived from Droits

of the Crown or Admiralty, from the West India Duties, or from any casual

A KING'S SPEECH FOR 1831.

"My Lords and Gentlemen—It is with great satisfaction that I meet you in Par- liament, and that I am enabled, in the present conjuncture, to recur to your advice.

"I rejoice in being able to inform you that the most friendly relations have been established between the new King of the French and myself. I am happy to observe that the national prejudices of Frenchmen and Englishmen against each other are fast subsiding.; and I see no prospect of rivalry between the two na- tions except in the march of domestic improvement.

"I deeply regret the present unhappy condition of Belgium ; and the more, since the exertions which I have made in concert with the great Powers of Europe to settle the affairs of that country, ap- pear to have haul an effect the reverse of what was intended.

"Several of the states of Europe, fol- lowing the example set by France in last July, have reformed their institutions. Though I must regret that some of' the reforms in question were not effected without revolution and change of dy- nasty, Jam still of opinion, that, for the injury done by those violent events to the people amongst whom they occurred, blame is due, not to the people them- selves, but to the blind obstinacy of their rulers.

"The success of the Polish nation, in fighting for their independence, affords me the greatest satisfaction ; and I ant actually concerting, with some of my Allies, and especially the King of the French, such measures as appear neces- sary for preventing the reconquest of Poland by the Russian Emperor. By no other means, I am of opinion with the King of the French, will it be possible to preserve Europe from the horrors of a general war.

" My hope of being able to establish friendly relations with the Government of Portugal has been entirely disap- pointed. Certain injuries inflicted on some of my subjects by the Ruler of that country, have been fully repaired, but not until the demand of reparation was enforced by the presence of the British fleet in the neighbourhood of Lisbon.

"I am prepared to concur with you in the adoption of such measures as may appear best calculated to promote the prosperity and happiness uf the whole nation.

" Gentlemen of the House of Commons —The late House of Commons thought fit, by an indirect proceeth g, to refuse a small portion of the Sum lies for the present year. I have no doubt that you will enable me to meet the r:eficiency so created in the means of Cot ducting the public service, according to Estimates approved by the last House of Com- mons. revennes, either In my foreign posses- sions or in the United Kingdom. In sur- rendering to you my interest in revenues which have in former settlements of the Civil List been reserved to the Crown, I rejoice in the opportunity of evincing my entire reliance on your dutiful attach- ment, and my confidence that you will cheerfully provide all that may be neces- sary for the support of the Civil Govern- ment, and the honour and dignity of my Cm o wn.

"My Lords and Gentlemen—I deeply lament that in some districts of the coun- try, the property of my subjects has been endangered by combinations for the rle- struction of machinery, and that serious losses have been sustained through the acts of wicked incendiaries. I cannot view without grief aid indignation the efforts which are industriously made to excite among the people a spirit of dis- content and disaffection, and to dis- turb the concord which happily prevails between those parts of my dominion, the union of which is essential to their com- mon strength and common happiness. I am determined to exert to the utmost of my power all the means which the law and constitution have placed at my dis- posal for the punishment of sedition, and for the prompt suppression of outrage and disorder. Amidst all the difficulties of the present cooj tincture, I reflect, with the highest satisfaction, on the loyalty and affectionate attachment of the great body of my people. I am confident that they justly appreciate the full advantage of that happy form of government under which, through the favour of Divine Providence, this country has enjoyed for a long succession of years a greater share of internal peace, of commercial prosperity, of true liberty, of all that constitutes social happiness, than has fallen to the lot of any other country in the world. It is the great object of my life to preserve these blessings to my people, and to transmit them unimpaired to posterity ; and I ant animated in the discharge of the sacred duty which is committed to me, by the tirtnest reliance on the wisdom of Parliament, and on the cordial support of my faithful and loyal subjects."

[Redone not haring been mentioned in the King's Speech last October, the deficiency is supplied by the plowing crtract from the speech of the Prime Minister on the opening of the last Parliament.]

For my own part. I will say, that I ne- ver heard that any country ever had is more improved or more satisfactory representation than this country enjoys at this moment. I do say, that this country has now a Legislature more cal- culated to answer all the purposes el a good legislature than any other that can well be devised ; that it possevses, and deservedly possesses, the confidence of the country; and that its discussions have a powerful influence in the country. And I will say further, that if I had to form a Legisla- ture, I would create one—not equal in excellence to the present, for that I could not expect to be able to do, but some- thing as nearly of the same description as possible. I should form it of men possessed of a very large proportion of the property of the country, in which the landholders should have a great prepon- derance. I, therefore, am not prepared with any measure of Parliamentary Re- form, nor shall any measure of the kind be proposed by the Government as long as I hold any present position."

"My Lords and Gentlemen—I congra- tulate you on the tranquil state of the country at large, especially on the cessa- tion of outrages in certain rural districts of England, and of agitation in Ireland re- specting the Union. This happy change of circumstances appears to have resulted from the great popularity of my present Ministers ; which, again, since it dates front the beginning of the late spring, must be attributed to the effectual nature of the measure of Reform in the Repre- sentation which those Ministers submit- ted to the Commons House of Parliament on the first day of the month of March. My confidential servants will submit the very same measure to you with the least possible delay. It was for the purpose of ascertaining the sense of my people tat this most important question, that I dis- solved the last Parliament ; and for the same purpose I have taken the earliest opportunity of assembling the present Parliament for the despatch of business.

" As soon as laws shall be passed. condemning the present system of Elec- tions, the assembly returned according to that system will no longer be consi- dered as representing the nation. I need scarcely point out to you, therefore, that by disposing of the question of Reform in a manner satisfactory to me and to my People, your will render inevitable art early dissolution of Parliament. On this account, I abstain from laying before you, in the present Session, many subjects of great importance which require the at- teation of the Legislature."