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THE

ANNUAL REGISTER,

For the Year 1816.

GENERAL HISTORY.

CHAPTER I.

Parliamentary proceedings.—Speech of the Prince Regent.-Debate on the address in the House of Commons.-Motion for naval monument.— Mr. Brougham's motion relative to the Christian treaty, and the treaty of Vienna, Jan. 1815.-Financial exposition of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and debates.-Mr. Greenfell's motion concerning transactions between the public and the Bank of England.-Lord Grenville's motion on the peace establishment of the army.-Debates on the same in the House of Commons.-Navy estimates, and debates.

N Feb. 1 the speech of the Prince Regent on opening the session of parliament was delivered by commission. It began with adverting to the re-establishment of his Most Christian Majesty's authority in the capital of his dominions, in consequence of the successes of the allied arms, and the subsequent arrangements to provide for the lasting repose and security of Europe; expressing his Royal Highness's conviction that Parliament will be sensible of the great importance of VOL. LVIII.

maintaining that alliance between the confederate powers from which so many advantages had been derived. It was then mentioned that copies of the treaties and conventions concluded, had been ordered to be laid before both houses-that the extraordinary situation in which the powers of Europe had been placed by the circumstances of the French revolution, had induced the allies to adopt precautionary measures, in which his Royal Highness had concurred, and that he relied on [B]

their

their co-operation for carrying them into effect. The House of Commons was next congratulated on the flourishing condition of the manufactures, commerce, and revenue of the kingdom, and assured that they might rely upon every disposition on the part of his Royal Highness to concur in such measures of economy as would be found consistent with the security of the country, and the station which it occupies in Europe. Notice was then taken of the commercial treaty with America; of the termination of hostilities in Ceylon, and the subsequent arrangement with respect to that island; and of the armistice preparatory to a negociation for peace in India and the speech concluded with expressing the Prince Regent's determination, by the justice and moderation of his conduct, to endeavour to maintain the high character which this country has acquired with the world, and his hope that the same union among ourselves, which has brought this eventful struggle to so happy an issue, will continue to promote the public prosperity.

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The usual address on the speech was agreed to without opposition in the House of Lords. In the House of Commons, after the address had been moved and seconded, Mr. Brand rose to move an amendment, the substance of which was to censure the ministers for not having, without unnecessary delay, convened parliament for the purpose of commucating those important treaties which were now to be laid before them, after having been acted upon for several months; and to

assure his Royal Highness that the House would speedily undertake a revisal of our civil and military establishments, and also would at an early period take into serious consideration the present state of the country.

The amendment having been seconded by Lord John Russel, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in reply began with refuting the charge of delay respecting the treaties, by the assertion that the treaty of peace was only signed on November 20th, and that the exchange of the ratifications did not take place till the 20th of January, so that only ten days had elapsed before the communication was made to parliament, from which period was to be deducted the time of its transmission from Paris, and of printing the papers. With respect to the other topics of the amendment, he maintained that the speech contained every pledge which the House could reasonably desire. After a few financial observations, he then took occasion to avow the intention of ministers to continue the income tax at the rate of five per cent.

In the debate on this occasion several members on each side took a part; but as it was no more than a kind of preludial contest, in which a variety of topies were touched upon in the way of conversation, there is no necessity for entering into particulars. When the division on the amendment took place, the House was so much thinned, that the members were no more than For the Amendment 23, Against it 90: Majority 67. Neither the mover nor seconder appeared in the division.

When

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