On Tuesday morning, , a deputation from the Quakers waited upon the emperor of Russia at the Pulteney hotel, and presented him an address, with some books. This day the king of Prussia visited the and the company's warehouses. About on Wednesday morning, when the emperor rose to prepare for his

On the a splendid entertainment was given by the corporation to the duke of Wellington in the ; the duke of York, several of his royal brothers, and numerous distinguished officers having accepted the invitation, on their arrival they were severally conducted by the members of the common council through the hall, the military bands of music in the galleries playing the national air of

God save the King,

See the conquering Hero comes.

Although the subjects of these resolutions are confined to the events which have recently taken place in Europe, the citizens of London can never forget the many signal victories obtained by your grace in those regions which have been dignified by the triumphs of an Alexander, an Aurengzebe, and a Clive. By the exertions of your grace the British empire in India has been placed in a state of security which promises felicity to millions in that country, and an extension of commerce to Great Britain.

To enumerate the brilliant actions of your grace in Europe, would require more time than the present occasion will permit, and would trespass too much upon your grace's delicacy; but it is a truth, which I cannot refrain from declaring, that, during the war in Spain and Portugal, which terminated in the complete emancipation of those kingdoms, a more illustrious instance is not recorded in history of the caution of Fabius most happily combined with the celerity of Caesar ; and when your grace had planted the British standard in the heart of the enemy's country, you gave a great example to the world of the practicability of that lesson which the great Roman poet taught his countrymen, Parcere subjectis, et debellare superbos.

I am conscious, my lord, how inadequately I express the sense of my fellow citizens of your grace's merits ; but they will recollect, that where I have failed, no one has succeeded. The most eloquent in the British senate, and the first authorities in the two houses of parliament, have confessed themselves unequal to the task; but ample justice will be done to your grace by the world at large, who will frequently and attentively peruse with admiration and delight those inimitable dispatches, which, like the commentataries of Caesar, will hand down with honour the name of their illustrious author to the latest posterity.

Your grace has been a chosen instrument in the hands of Providence during war.-May you long enjoy in peace the love of your country, and the admiration of mankind: and in the discharge of that honourable office to which his royal highness the prince regent has recently appointed you, may you cement and perpetuate union and good--will between Great Britain and France, so essential to the peace and happiness of Europe!

His grace the duke of Wellington then, bowing to the lord mayor and chamberlain, took from his side his own sword, and giving it to of his aides-de-camp, put on the sword which had been presented to him, and expressing his high sense of the honour conferred upon him by the corporation of London, attributed, under Divine Providence, the success of all his enterprizes to the ability with which he was supported by his brother officers, and to the valour and discipline of the allies. His grace then declared his readiness to employ the sword he had just received in the service of his sovereign and his country, should it unfortunately happen, that the general wish of the nation and of Europe for a permanent peace should be disappointed.

The members of the common council then retired; soon after which, dinner being announced, a procession was formed from the common council-room into the hall, in the following order:

Trumpeters.

City Marshals.

The Committee, with wands.

Officers of the Lord Mayor's Household.

Principal City Officers.

The Lord Mayor's Chaplain.

The Common Crier and The Sword-bearer,

Serjeant at Arms, bearing bearing the City the Mace. State Sword.

The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor.

His Royal Highness the Duke of York,

Commander in Chief, conducting

His Grace the Duke of Wellington.

The Royal Dukes.

The Aldermen and Sheriffs.

The Lord Chancellor.

English and Foreign Nobility.

Particular persons in the suite of

His Grace the Duke of Wellington.

Cabinet Ministers.

Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers.

Naval and Military Officers.

Other Persons of Distinction.

The Members of the Court of Common Council.

On entering the hall the procession turned to the right, and, going round the tables at the west end, the ladies in the galleries had an opportunity of seeing the illustrious hero, and the other distinguished characters accompanying him. The procession was received with reiterated shouts of applause; and the band the whole time played,

See the conquering Hero comes!

At the principal table, at the upper end of the hall, the party were seated in the following order:

The ministers of state, nobility, particular friends of the duke of Wellington, aldermen, and distinguished parties invited, taking their seats as had been appropriated for them at the tables on the platform.

The dinner was as sumptuous as possible, and consisted of distinct courses, the principal table being served on plate.

After dinner,

Non nobis Domine,

THE KING ;

The succeeding toasts were severally announced by a toast-master, stationed at the back of his lordship, after a flourish of trumpets, and were received with the loudest applause.

His lordship, in proposing the health of the illustrious hero field marshal the duke of Wellington, addressed him, nearly in the following words:

The highly gratifying visit of his royal highness the prince regent to this festive hall, accompanied by mighty sovereigns and renowned warriors of foreign nations, is still fresh in our recollections. Many, perhaps all of us, regretted the British hero was not seen amidst the laurelled conquerors upon that memorable occasion. The regret was natural, but perhaps unseasonable; for who can doubt but the invincible commander of our own brave armies deserved a civic triumph to himself. It would be ingratitude not to celebrate distinctly the splendid victories achieved by our own brave illustrious general, which accelerated the restoration of peace. Victories not bestowed by the capricious favour of fortune, but won by noble perseverance, through adverse circumstances, and by hard-contested struggles with rival generals of consummate skill, and veteran troops of acknowledged valour; and though every tribute of praise is due to the native bravery of our own soldiers, of what avail would it have proved, if it had not been directed, and raised even to enthusiasm, by the military genius, the personal valour, and the indefatigable vigilance of their great commander. His grace will allow me, in the name of my fellow citizens, to assure him, it is not in his presence that we praise him most; and that in the entertainment given to him this day, they do not pretend to do more than testify their gratitude for services rendered to his country, which, in their estimation, not any honour from the people can more than adequately reward.

Which was received with continued cheerings and plaudits.

And his grace, in reply, totally disclaimed any particular merits attaching to himself; but attributed it, under Divine Providence, to the perseverance of the nation, the wisdom of his majesty's councils, the care and attention of his royal highness the commander in chief, and the brave co-operating exertions of his fellows in arms, so many of whom he felt highly gratified in seeing

After dinner, in the course of the evening, the temporary staircase was opened from the galleries, in like manner as at the entertainment to his royal highness the prince regent, and the ladies descended and mixed with the company in the body of the hall.

Soon after, the lord mayor rose, and, with his grace the duke of Wellington, the royal dukes, the aldermen, and others of the company, retired to the common council room, where refreshments of tea and coffee were provided for them; and which refreshments were also provided for the remainder of the company in other rooms of the .

At half past o'clock his grace the duke of Wellington departed, having been conducted to his carriage by the members of the committee; and shortly afterwards the royal dukes, and the principal part of the company took their leave.

The grand fete, which had long been preparing for the celebration of the peace, was fixed for the , and an official programme was issued, in which the public were informed that a beautiful Chinese bridge had been thrown over the canal, upon the centre of which had been constructed an elegant and lofty pagoda, consisting of pyramidal stories.

The pagoda to be illuminated with gas lights; and brilliant fire-works both fixed and missile, to be displayed from every division of the lofty Chinese structure. Copious and splendid girandoles of rockets to be occasionally displayed from the summit, and from other parts of this towering edifice, so covered with jerbs, Roman candles, and pots de brin, as to become in appearance one column of brilliant fire. Various smaller temples and columns on the bridge to be vividly illuminated; and fixed fire-works of different devices on the balustrade of the bridge to contribute to heighten the general effect.

The canal in St. James's park to be well provided with handsomely decorated boats at the disposal of those who wish to add to this amusement, to the numerous pleasures of the entertainment. The whole margin of the lawn to be surrounded with booths for refreshment, open marquees with seats, &c. The malls to be illuminated with Chinese lanterns. Bands of music at various distances and spaces for dancing; the whole forming a Vauxhall, on the most magnificent scale. A full view of the royal booth in the Green Park, and of the grand fire-works there displayed from a fortress or castle, the ramparts being a hundred feet square, surmounted by a round tower in the centre, about sixty feet in diameter, and rising about fifty feet above the ramparts.

To secure every one a complete view this edifice was made to revolve on its centre, so that each side would be successively presented to the company. The castle thus exhibiting the appearance of a grand military fortification, was intended allegorically to represent war; and the discharges of artillery, small arms, maroons, &c. may be regarded as descriptive of the terrors of a siege. On a sudden this was to cease, and the lofty fortress, the emblem of war, be transformed into a beautiful temple, the type of a glorious peace. The lower and quadrangular compartment of the temple is embellished with doric columns of porphyry, and the circular edifice which surrounds it with the lighter Ionic columns, are of Sienne marble. The whole beautifully illuminated, &c.

In point of variety and extent the amusements in Hyde-park will exceed all others, including the Naumachia, in which will be shewn the celebrated manoeuvre practised by the immortal Nelson at Trafalgar, of advancing in two lines to break the enemy's line drawn up in the form of a crescent, and the destruction of the fleet by fire ships in the evening; independent of large flights of girandoles, or rockets, consisting of some thousands in a flight, in Kensington-gardens; while the moon being at the full will add splendour and cheerfulness to the scene, and insure universal decorum and good manners.

On the arrival of the , all the parks were filled with curious spectators; the lawn in front of Buckingham-house was enclosed for the purpose of filling and sending up a balloon, which about o'clock ascended with Mr. Sadler, who safely arrived on Macking marshes, Essex. About o'clock the pagoda and bridge were brilliantly illuminated, and made a very beautiful appearance, unfortunately it soon after caught fire, by which persons were severely hurt, and died soon after. The fire works in the were of the most splendid kind, and the temple of concord, with its allegorical paintings, had an elegant appearance. In was a fair and the , or sea-fight, on the Serpentine, with fire works on the water. No disturbance of any consequence occurred, and the metropolis soon regained its usual appearance of business, though the fair was not suppressed till the .

THE session of parliament was opened on the , by a speech from the prince regent, of which the leading topics were the pending negotiations at Ghent, and the intended congress at Vienna. Adverting to the supplies for the ensuing year, his royal highness regretted the necessity of so large an expenditure, and concluded by recommending that parliament should proceed with due caution in the adoption of such regulations as might be necessary for extending the trade of Great Britain, and securing her commercial advantages. The usual address was carried without a division.

The last and most important event of the year was the conclusion of the American war, the plenipotentiaries assembled at Ghent, and a treaty of peace and amity was signed on the , which was afterwards ratified by both governments. The treaty,

The interval between the actual conclusion of the treaty, and the circulation of that important intelligence, enabled the English navy to obtain another triumph. The President, of the largest frigates yet sent to sea by the United States, commanded by captain Decatur, accompanied by the Macedonian, armed brig, laden with provisions, sailed from New York during of those gales in which the blockading squadron was driven out to sea. After a long chase the Endymion, captain Hope, came up with the former, when a severe action ensued in which the President, having crippled her adversary in the rigging, was enabled to get a-head. The British frigate Pomona now coming up, the President surrendered, after exchanging a few broadsides. The mutual advantages of a free interchange of commercial communication between countries, whose interest it is at all times to cherish the relations of peace, were resumed shortly after this event; and in both was the termination of the war hailed with unfeigned satisfaction.

On , the stone of the was laid by admiral lord viscount Keith, K.B. attended by sir J. Jackson, bart. M. P. chairman, and the rest of the committee of management. The company afterwards repaired to the temporary bridge erected on the works, and partook of a cold collation.

At this period a long litigated question as to the rental upon which the Mansion-house ought to be assessed for the poor's rate between the city and the parish of St. Mary Woolnoth, was terminated in favour of the latter. Serjeant Runnington, who was appointed arbitrator, having awarded that all the rates were fair

The committee of the stock exchange, on the anniversary of the De Berenger hoax, distributed the sum stopped on account of the fraud, to different charities, as follows: to the , , , , , other charities each. other charities each. other ditto, each. other ditto, each.

The foundation stone of the college of the in , was laid by the lord mayor, in the presence of the aldermen, sheriffs, lord Carrington, president of the institution, and a very numerous body of the proprietors, on the in this year. An address was delivered by Mr. Butler, the standing counsel of the establishment, on the return of the company to the City of London tavern, where a sumptuous entertainment was served up.

On , Mr. Planta arrived from Paris with the definitive treaty of peace. The event was communicated by earl Bathurst to the lord mayor; and the government offices and the public buildings, were splendidly illuminated on the evening of the .

, was the day appointed for a general thanksgiving, the eagles taken at Waterloo was solemnly deposited in in the presence of the duke of York, a great number of military officers, and a large assemblage of ladies and gentlemen. The regiments of foot guards were inspected by the commander-in-chief, accompanied by the dukes of Kent and Gloucester.

Parliament re-assembled on the , when the state of the corn laws occupied the attention of the house of commons. On the , resolutions were moved in a committee, which, after allowing the free warehousing of grain for re-exportation, or to be taken for home consumption when the price should permit, fixed the average at per quarter for wheat, and proportionally for corn; that is to say, when British corn should not be below that price, foreign might be admitted duty free. A bill framed on the resolutions was introduced on the , and, after encountering a strong opposition in both houses from the manufacturing and commercial interest, was passed on the by the lords. The apprehension of dearth, as the immediate consequence of this law, occasioned several riots in various parts of the country, which were not quelled without military aid.

In the metropolis, on , various persons assembled in the neighbourhood of the house of commons, and as the members

Among the several petitions to parliament, that of the city of London to the house of commons, presented an extraordinary number of signatures, persons having signed within hours.

A message from the prince regent to both houses of parliament, on the , announced the marriage contract of his daughter, the princess Charlotte Augusta, with his serene highness the prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg; and, on the motion of the chancellor of the exchequer, an annual sum of was voted to the illustrious pair during their joint lives; of which was to form a sort of privy purse for her royal highness- If the prince should die , the whole sum was to be continued to her royal highness; if he should be the survivor, the sum of was to be continued to him; the sum of was also granted by way of outfit.

On , the ceremony was solemnized by the archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of the queen, the prince regent, the dukes of York, Clarence, and Kent, the princesses Augusta, Sophia, Elizabeth, and Mary, and other branches of the royal family; after the ceremony, the bride and bridegroom left town for Oatlands, the seat of the duke of York. Immediately after the conclusion of the ceremony, the Park and Tower guns were fired, and the evening concluded with other public demonstrations of joy throughout the metropolis.

The distress of the lower classes throughout the kingdom was excessive towards the latter end of this year. Numerous meetings were holden to consider the means of alleviating the general distress, and large subscriptions were raised; but at several of the assemblies ostensibly convened for the most benevolent purposes, persons of seditious principles came forward to inflame the minds of the people, by asserting that the abolition of places and pensions, and a reform in parliament, would prove a remedy for every evil. Of the meetings of this nature, those which were

On the , parliament was opened by the prince regent in person, when the chief topics of the speech were, the continued assurances of amity received from foreign powers; the splendid success of the bombardment of Algiers, with the consequent renunciation of the practice of Christian slavery ; and the successful termination of the campaign in India. The annual estimates had been formed under an anxious desire to make every reduction in the public establishments which the safety of the empire and true policy would allow; but his royal highness regretted to state that there had been a deficiency in the produce of the last year's revenue; he trusted, however, that it was to be ascribed to temporary causes; and he had the consolation to believe that it would be found practicable to provide for the service without making any additions to the burdens of the people.

The riotous spirit which had lately displayed itself again broke out on this occasion; and the prince regent, on his way to the house, was assailed by tumultuous expressions of disapprobation from an unusually large concourse of people, whose conduct, on the return of the procession, became more violent, the royal carriage being attacked with stones and other missiles in an alarming manner. This outrage was communicated to the house of peers by lord Sidmouth, when the consideration of the usual address in answer to the speech was postponed till the following day, and a conference was held with the house of commons, at

On the the master and wardens of the company of ironmongers presented lord Exmouth and sir D. Milne to the chamberlain in his outer office at , as freemen of that company in the presence of the lord mayor and several naval and military officers, who served under his lordship at Algiers; when the chamberlain having perused the certificates from the company administered the usual oaths; and agreeably to resolutions of the court of common council admitted them into the freedom of the city of London; after which he presented to each a superb sword.

About this period a new silver coinage was issued from the Mint to the amount of in half-crowns; in shillings; and in sixpences.

The report of the secret committee of the house of lords was presented on the , and commenced by stating that the committee found that there was no doubt that treasonable conspiracies had been formed in the metropolis and elsewhere, which had for their object the total overthrow of the laws and government, and the indiscriminate plunder and division of property. That in August last, different meetings had been held in the metropolis, arms were purchased, and other measures of the like kind resorted to. At subsequent consultations it was resolved to call a public meeting in Spa-fields, which was fixed for the . The conspirators had prepared addresses, and circulated them in gaols, informing the prisoners they would shortly be liberated, when they would be armed by the provisional government. They were also desired to prepare themselves with tri-coloured cockades, emblematic of the approaching revolution. Plans were also formed for an attack upon the Tower, pikes were manufactured to arm the people, leaders were appointed to conduct the assaults in different districts, and fire-arms were distributed amongst those who were considered most worthy of confidence. While these arrangements were forming, the leaders of the conspiracy were found, night after night, in public houses, working up the minds of the people whom they might meet there, so as to render them ready instruments to execute any project, however desperate. Exertions were also made to win over the soldiers to their cause. Tri-coloured flags were prepared, together with a banner, on which was inscribed,

The brave soldiers are our friends-treat them kindly ;

In consequence of the circumstances developed by the secret committee of parliament, persons, of the names of Watson, Preston, Hooper, and Keene, were apprehended, and committed to the Tower on a charge of high treason. A reward of was also offered for the apprehension of a person of the name of Thistlewood; and a further reward of for the junior Watson. The metropolis, indeed, as well as several other parts of the kingdom, was for some time in a state of great alarm.

The parliamentary consequence of the reports of the secret committees was a motion by lord Sidmouth, in the upper house, for the suspension of the act, until the , then next ensuing. A bill to this effect was passed, and ordered to the commons, where it went through its different stages with rapidity; and, on the , received the royal assent. In the lords, a protest against the measure was signed by eighteen peers, on the ground that the existing laws were adequate to the danger. Lord Castlereagh gave notice of farther measures for

On , being the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, the magnificent bridge, which crosses the Thames from , was opened with a grand procession; his royal highness, the prince regent, the dukes of York and Wellington, in the uniform of field marshals, followed by a concourse of nobility and gentry, repaired in state barges from to the Surrey side of the bridge, which they ascended, and crossing the bridge, descended the Middlesex side, and returned to . On the arrival of the prince regent, guns were fired; being the number of cannons taken at Waterloo.

In the month of June, the senior Watson was, with Thistlewood and some others, put upon his trial, on a charge of high treason, in the court of King's Bench; but chiefly from the discredit thrown on the testimony of the principal witness, named Castles, an accomplice or spy, and a man of base character, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

On , a proclamation was issued, announcing the delivery of a new gold coinage, called

sovereigns,

The latter part of the year was marked by an event that filled the nation with mourning. The princess Charlotte of Wales, whose nuptials had, in the preceding year, afforded so much satisfaction to the country, was in a situation likely to afford an eventual heir to the British throne. Seldom, perhaps, had the hopes and wishes of a whole people been so deeply interested on a similar occasion. At o'clock, however, on the night of the , her royal highness was delivered of a still-born male child; and at half-past , on the morning of the , she expired, to the inexpressible grief of the royal family; and

In consequence of the queen's declining health, amendments had been made in the regency bill, during the last session of parliament; the , empowering her majesty to add new members, resident at Windsor, to her council, in the event of her absence from the palace; and the repealing the clause which rendered necessary the immediate assembling of a new parliament in the event of the queen's death. These amendments were very opportunely made; as, after a lingering illness of months, which was sustained with great fortitude and resignation, her majesty expired at Kew palace, on the , in the year of her age. She had been blest by nature with a sound and vigorous frame, having, until within years of her decease, enjoyed an almost uninterrupted state of health. Her remains were interred in the royal vault at Windsor, on the .

In the early part of , a party which had received the appellation of

radical reformers,

If they apprehend me,

I am ready with bail, and will try the question with them. Let me subpoena all of you here; and then, though they may get

three

villains to swear away my life, I shall not be afraid when I have

fifty thousand

witnesses to contradict them. If only

thirty

of you should come day by day, the trial will last for

three

years!

Have at their flags!

Much difference of opinion has ever since prevailed on this subject; and it has been justly observed by a late historian, that the Manchester meeting is of those events, upon which, in all its variety of details, historians will never be found to agree. Whether the riot act was actually read is still a moot point: the reformers and their friends insist that it was not; the magistrates and their adherents contend that it was. And certainly if it was read, the affirmative of the proposition would have been more easily established than its negative. The whole appears to have taken place within minutes, by which time the field was entirely cleared of its recent occupiers, and filled with different corps of infantry and cavalry. Hunt and his colleagues were, after a short examination, conducted to solitary cells, on a charge of high treason. On the following day notices were issued by the magistrates, by which the practice of military training, alleged to have been carried on in secret, by large bodies of men, for treasonable purposes, was declared to be illegal. Public thanks were, by the same authority, returned to the officers and men of the respective corps engaged in the attack; and, on the arrival in London of a despatch from the local authorities, a cabinet council was held, the result of which was the return of official letters of thanks to the magistrates, for their prompt, decisive, and efficient measures for the preservation of the public tranquillity, and to all the

For some days the town of Manchester and its neighbourhood were in a state of constrained quietness, although some further disturbances, in which or lives were lost, had taken place. At a meeting held at the Crown and Anchor, in London, a string of resolutions, strongly censuring the conduct of the magistrates and military, and returning thanks to Mr. Hunt and his colleagues, were unanimously adopted; as was also a resolution to raise a subscription for defraying the expences of counsel, &c. in defence of the prisoners. In the same spirit a meeting was likewise holden in Smithfield; and a spirited letter was also addressed to the electors of by sir Francis Burdett, for the writing of which, as a libel, he was afterwards tried and convicted. In pursuance of this letter, an immense multitude assembled in Palace yard, , on the , for the purpose of declaring an opinion on the conduct of the magistrates and yeomanry of Manchester. After speeches which occupied hours in their delivery, by sir Francis Burdett, and Mr. Hobhouse, his colleague in the representation of , several resolutions were adopted, declaring the assemblage at Manchester a lawful meeting; that the outrage on that occasion was an attempt to destroy by the sword the few remaining liberties of Englishmen, and that it was another lamentable consequence of the want of a real representation; an address to the prince regent, founded thereon, was unanimously agreed to.

On , a court of common council was held at to take into consideration the conduct of the magistrates and yeomanry cavalry of Manchester, on the . The court was of the most crowded ever known. The lord mayor took the chair at o'clock, and opened the business by stating that he held the court with great reluctance, because, whenever crimes were alleged to be committed, they ought to be referred to the proper tribunal before whom the necessary evidence would be laid, instead of discussing them elsewhere. Alderman Waithman addressed the court at great length, and urged the necessity of calling for a full inquiry into the atrocities committed, which he considered not only unequalled in our history, but a great public outrage committed on the constitution. He concluded by moving a series of resolutions which were supported by Messrs. Hurcomb, Patten, Crook, Pearsall, and Taylor; and opposed by aldermen sir W. Curtis, and Rothwell, Messrs. Browne, Dickson, and Jackson. Upon the question being put by the common serjeant, the lord mayor declared the resolutions carried by considerable majority.

The circumstances of the Manchester case turned out to be such, that government found it expedient to abandon the threatened prosecution of Mr. Hunt and his colleagues for high treason, and

On , Mr. Hunt triumphantly entered the metropolis through , , , , , round , , , to the Crown and Anchor tavern, Strand, where a dinner was provided at o'clock. Mr. Hunt was seated in a landaulet drawn by horses, decorated with scarlet ribbons, and preceded by a flag, having inscribed on it,

Hunt, the heroic champion of liberty.

On , the corporation presented the address voted in the common hall to the prince regent at Carlton-house, when his royal highness was pleased to return the following answer:--

I receive with feelings of deep regret this address and petition of the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons, of the city of London in common council assembled.

At a time when ill-designing and turbulent men are actively engaged in influencing the minds of their fellow subjects, and endeavouring by means the most daring and insidious, to alienate them from their allegiance to his majesty and the established constitution of the realm, it is on the vigilance and conduct of the magistrates that the preservation of the public tranquillity must depend; and a firm, faithful, and active discharge of their duty, cannot but give them the strongest claim to the support and approbation of their sovereign and their country.

With the circumstances which preceded the last meeting at Manchester, you must be unacquainted; and of those which attended it, you appear to have been incorrectly informed.

If, however, the laws were really violated on that occasion, by those to whom it immediately belonged to assist in the execution of them, the tribunals of this country are open to afford redress; but to institute an extra-judicial inquiry, under such circumstances as the present, would be manifestly inconsistent with the clearest principles of public justice.

His royal highness having delivered his answer, the deputation took their leave of the royal presence, and returned in the same order of procession to the city.

The lord mayor having refused to convene a common hall on the subject of the Manchester meeting, the livery, on , before commencing the regular business of the election of a chief magistrate, entered into several resolutions, condemning the

Amidst the general ferment which had been produced by these circumstances, the meeting of parliament was impatiently waited by all parties, and it assembled on the .

I regret to have been under the necessity,

of calling you together at this period of the year; but the seditious practices so long prevalent in some of the manufacturing districts of the country, have been continued, with increased activity, since you were last assembled in parliament. They have led to proceedings incompatible with the public tranquillity, and with the peaceful habits of the industrious classes of the community; and a spirit is now fully manifested, utterly hostile to the constitution of this kingdom, and aiming not only at the change of those political institutions which have hitherto constituted the pride and security of this country, but at the subversion of the rights of property and of all order in society. I have given directions that the necessary information on this subject shall be laid before you; and I feel it to be my indispensable duty to press on your immediate attention the consideration of such measures as may be requisite for the counteraction and suppression of a system, which, if not effectually checked, must bring confusion and ruin on the nation.

On the succeeding day the promised documents respecting the state of popular feeling were produced: they consisted, in part, of the correspondence of official persons with the home secretary; and, in part, of communications to such persons, made by individuals whose names were withheld. Such of the letters of the Manchester magistrates as had been written previously to the expressed apprehensions that a formidable insurrection was in contemplation: at the same time they bore testimony to the deep distresses of the manufacturing classes, and assigned hunger as the natural cause of the willingness of the poor to listen to any project for the melioration of those sufferings.

On the of the same month, the lord chancellor introduced a bill, which he said he had long contemplated. It had been the practice of the courts to allow defendants, in cases of informations or indictments, to imparle or traverse. As great inconveniences had arisen from this practice, as trials were sometimes delayed till a very remote period, and as the ends of justice might thus be defeated, the bill would take away from the defendant the right of traversing; allowing the court, however, to postpone his trial, upon his showing ground for the delay. Earl Grey at once entered his protest against the whole of the measures, which, as it appeared, were in preparation, as calculated to bring the greatest misery, if not ruin upon the country. On the reading, earl Grosvenor contended that, whilst the attorney-general was allowed to hold informations over the heads of

The other bills introduced by administration were to the following effect:--An act to render the publication of a blasphemous or seditious libel-punishable, on a conviction, at the discretion of the court, by fine, imprisonment, banishment, or transportation; and to give power, in cases of a conviction, to seize the copies of the libel in possession of the publisher; a stamp duty equal to that paid by newspapers, on all publications of less than a given number of sheets, with an obligation on all publishers of such pieces, to enter into recognizances for the payment of such penalties, as might in future be inflicted on them.

The liberty of the press being thus restrained, meetings were to be controlled by the following provisions :--That a requisition for the holding of any meeting, other than those regularly called by a sheriff, boroughreeve, or other magistrate, should be signed by householders; and that it should be illegal for any persons, not inhabitants of the place in which such meetings was hold, to attend it: also, that magistrates should be empowered, within certain limitations, to appoint the time and place of meeting. To repel danger from the mustering of an illegal force, it was proposed to prohibit military training, except under the authority of a magistrate or lieutenant of a county; and, in the disturbed districts, to magistrates the power of seizing arms believed to be collected for unlawful purposes, and also to apprehend and detain persons so carrying arms. The only of these bills which passed without opposition was that for the prevention of secret military training. The bill for the seizure of arms, which, under certain circumstances, and in particular districts, authorized search to be made in private houses, by day or night, was strenuously resisted in both houses: and, upon an amendment for omitting the words

or night

The protracted existence of the venerable monarch who had so long swayed the British sceptre was now drawing to a close. In the month of November the hitherto firm health of his majesty underwent a sudden alteration; and, although the dangerous symptoms were for a time removed, a general feebleness and decay ensued, which portended no very distant dissolution. In the midst of the anxiety caused by this change, the public regret was excited by the loss of the duke of Kent, who was seized with an inflammation on the lungs, and expired, after a short illness, on the , in the year of his age. In person his royal highness was manly and noble, in stature tall, in manners dignified, yet affable. He was easy of access, temperate in habits, and in the army acquired the reputation of personal courage. In politics he took no very active part, but attached himself to the whig or popular party; and, whenever any charitable object was to be promoted, his name and presence needed little solicitation. He left an infant daughter, named Alexandrina Victoria.

On the , days after the death of the duke of Kent, his venerable father expired without a struggle, in the sixtieth year of his reign and the of his age. Over the last years of his life an awful veil had been drawn. In the periods of the deepest national solicitude his mind had felt no interest; in the hour of the most acute domestic feeling his eye had been tearless; almost the last time that this venerable sovereign appeared in public, was on the day when his people, with accord, devoted themselves to rejoicing in honour of his completion of the fiftieth year of his reign, a period far beyond the common term of dominion. He was buried in the royal vault at Windsor .

In pursuance of established usage, the cabinet ministers assembled on the morning subsequent to the demise of the late king. When his present majesty held his court at Carlton house, which was numerously and brilliantly attended by all ranks and parties, who eagerly offered their homage to the reigning monarch, the re-appointment of the lord chancellor, and several ministers, was the exercise of sovereign power, the oaths of allegiance being administered to those present. A council was, in compliance with the royal ordinance, immediately holden; and all his late majesty's privy councillors then in attendance were sworn as members of his

The of his majesty took place publicly in the metropolis on Monday, . To account for this apparent , it is only necessary to call to attention, that the late king expired on the Saturday evening, the following morning being Sunday, , the anniversary of the martyrdom of Charles I., a solemn fast is appointed by our church, and consequently this pageant would have been inadmissible.

The proclamation was made on the steps of Carlton palace, in the presence of his majesty, his royal brothers, and the principal officers of state. The procession then formed in the following order, and proceeded to Charing-cross:--

On arriving at Charing-cross, the proclamation was again read, and the procession proceeded to Temple-bar, where the usual formalities of closing the gates, and admitting of the heralds to shew his authority, having been gone through, the cavalcade entered the city, and were joined by the lord mayor, sheriffs, and several of the aldermen; the proclamation was read at the end of , at the end of , , and at the , when the heralds and the military returned.

[] From the account published by order of and for the corporation, 1815.

[] Gents. Mag. 1815, part i. p. 560.

[] Ibid p. 175.