"MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, "WITH the most heartfelt satisfaction I "take the earliest opportunity to inform you, in obedience to "the king's command, that it has pleased the Divine Provi"dence to remove from him the severe indisposition, with "which he has been afflicted and that by the blessing of Almighty God he is now again enabled to attend to the urgent "concerns of his kingdoms, and personally to exercise his royal "authority." แ “GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, "I have submitted to his majesty's consideration the surplus, "which you have already granted for the immediate exigencies of "the public service, and the performance of the national engage"ments; and I am commanded by his majesty to express his "perfect confidence in your readiness to make such further pro66 vision, as shall be necessary for the usual support of his ma"jesty's government." "MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, "I have it particularly in charge from his majesty to as"sure you, that the prosperity of his faithful and loyal people "of Ireland, from whom his majesty has repeatedly received "the strongest proofs of affectionate attachment to his sacred 66 person, will ever be near to his heart; and that his majesty is "fully persuaded, that your zeal for the public welfare will "enable him to promote, by every wise and salutary measure, "the interests of this kingdom. "I cannot conclude this communication to you without ex<< pressing my fullest conviction, that his majesty's faithful par"liament of Ireland does not yield to any of his subjects in "sincere and devout acknowledgments to Almighty God, for "the restoration of his majesty's health, and in fervent prayers, "that a long continuance of that blessing may secure to "his people the happiness, which they have constantly en"joyed under his majesty's mild and auspicious govern "ment." Mr. Grattan having expressed his most heartfelt satisfaction in the joyful tidings of the happy recovery of their beloved sovereign, congratulated the house; that the speech from the throne was so worded, and the address so properly moved and seconded as to call for the most cordial unanimity. It was accordingly resolved, that the speaker of the house should attend his excellency with the address* to be laid before his majesty. 9 Parl. Deb. p. 318. "To the KING's Most Excellent MAJESTY. "The humble Address of the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses in Parliment assembled. When Mr. Connolly on the 20th of March communicated to the House of Commons his royal highness's answer to the address of both houses of parliament, Lord Henry Fitzgerald moved, that an address of thanks should be presented to his royal highness for his gracious answer; to which the attorney general objected, as a measure unprecedented: but it having been urged by the whole house, he explained, that he was ever tenacious of the forms of the house; and no man more anxious than himself to testify his respect to the prince. It was carried unanimously. On the next day Lord Henry Fitzgerald reported from the committee appointed to draw up the address of thanks to the Prince of Wales for his gracious answer, that they had drawn up an* address accordingly. "MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN, "We your majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the "commons of Ireland, in parliament assembled, beg leave to lay before your majesty our assurances of the sincere and cordial satisfaction, with which "we are penetrated on being informed from the throne, by your majesty's command, that it has pleased the Divine Providence to remove from your "majesty the severe indisposition with which you have been afficted, and "that by the blessing of Almighty God you are now again enabled to attend "to the urgent concerns of your kingdoms, and personally to exereise your "royal authority. "We assure your majesty, that we shall justify the confidence you en"tertain, that we shall cheerfully proceed in making such provision as "may be necessary for the honourable support of your mnjesty's govern "ment.. "We should be dead to every generous feeling, should we omit to acknow"ledge your majesty's unceasing solicitude for the interests of Ireland, or to "second, by every salutary effort your benevolent wishes for the welfare of your people. "The numerous blessings derived to this kingdom from your majesty's au"spicious reign, are deeply imprinted in our bosoms, and sensible as we are "of the inestimable value of these benefits, we beg leave to repeat to your "majesty upon this joyful occasion, our most sincere professions of respect "and attachment to your royal person, family, and government. "We conclude these our fervent congratulations with devout acknowledg"ments to the Almighty for this signal instance of his goodness, in restoring "our beloved monarch to the prayers of an afflicted people and our gratitude "for such a mark of the divine favour; is only equalled by the ardency "of our wishes for the continuance of your majesty's health, and that your majesty may enjoy that invaluable blessing during a long and happy "reign." "To His Royal Highness GEORGE, Prince of WALES. "The humble Address of the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses in Parlia"ment assembled. "MAY IT PLEASE YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS, We, his majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the "commons of Ireland in parliament assembled, beg leave to offer to your royal highness our warmest thanks for your answer to our address. "With hearts overflowing with the liveliest joy, we congratulate with "your royal highness upon the happy event of the king's recovery, and the "consequent reassumption of the exercise of his auspicious government; "an event highly pleasing to the subjects of the whole empire, but peculiarly The speaker undertook to Southampton; and then Mr. adjourn to the 13th of April. transmit the address to Lord Secretary Fitzherbert moved to During this interval Mr. Hobart "grateful to a nation so highly indebted to their most excellent sovereign "during the whole course of his reign; and we rejoice in the reflection, that "the father of his people is blessed with a son, who is likely, in the fulness of "time, to continue to his majesty's loyal and affectionate subjects of Ireland "the blessings of his government. "Thoroughly conscious that nothing can add more to that esteem which "your royal highness has been pleased to express for the two houses of "parliament, than their loyal and affectionate attachment to the person and government of the king, we will steadily persevere in those prin ciples of duty, loyalty, and affection, which have so happily recommended "them to the favourable opinion of your royal highness. "We feel the highest satisfaction in finding that what we have done, and "our manner of doing it, have received your approbation, and that your royal "highness is pleased to consider our conduct as a proof of our undiminished "duty to his majesty, our uniform attachment to the House of Brunswick, and "our constant care and attention to maintain inviolate the concord and connec "tion between the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, which we consider as indispensably necessary to the prosperity, the happiness and liberties of "both; and we beg leave to assure your royal highness, that from those princi. "ples we shall never depart. 66 We are happy to find that your royal highness considers our just attention to his majesty's royal family, and the provision made by us for preserving "the authority of the crown in its constitutional energy, as the most unequi "vocal proofs which could be given of our affectionate loyalty to the "best of sovereigns, at the melancholy period when, by an afflicting "dispensation of Providence, his government had suffered an intermis"sion, and his illustrious house was deprived of its great and natural pro "tector. "We have the justest reliance on the moderation of the views, and the "purity of the intentions of your royal highness, and we have the fullest "convictions in our minds, that any trust which could have the most distant "tendency to relax that provident vigilance and public jealousy, which ought "to watch over the exercise of power, would not have been acceptable to the "exalted sentiments of your royal highness, whose understanding and princi"ples are rendered more valuable by the generous and affectionate heart " which animates their dictates. "We can with the greatest truth most solemnly assure your royal highness, "that it is the ardent wish of the parliament and people of Ireland to continue "to cultivate the harmony and inseparable interests of the two kingdoms, "firmly convinced, that in their mutual perfect freedom they will find the "closest, as well as the happiest bond of their connection; and we offer our "warmest acknowledgments to your royal highness for your recommendation "to us to persevere in such a conduct, and consider your royal highness's re"commendation, so worthy the high station in which you are placed, as an "additional proof of your attention to the welfare of both countries. "We assure your royal highness, that if any thing could add to the exul "tation of our minds at the happy event of the recovery of our most beloved "sovereign, it would be the pleasure, which we feel in reflecting, that the heir to his majesty's crown inherits the virtues of his royal father; virtues, "which every part of your royal highnes's conduct, during the late melancho ly and trying occasion, has placed in the most illustrious point of view; and "the repeated marks of graciousness and condescension, with which your royal highness has been pleased to honour the two houses of parliament, "must ever remain impressed in the most indelible characters of affection "and gratitude on the hearts of the people of Ireland." was appointed to succeed Mr. Fitzherbert as secretary. When the house met, according to adjournment, Mr. Secretary Hobart informed the house, that he was commanded by his excellency the lord lieutenant to acquaint them, that his majesty had been pleased to return the following most gracious answer to the address of the house: "GEORGE R. "HIS majesty thanks his faithful commons " for their loyal and affectionate address, and for their assur"ances of the sincere and cordial satisfaction which they feel "on the interposition of Divine Providence in removing "from him the severe indisposition, with which he has been af "flicted. "Nothing can be more satisfactory to his majesty, than "the disposition expressed by the House of Commons, cheer"fully to proceed in making such provisions as "cessary for the honourable support of his majesty's govern "ment. are ne "He receives with the greatest pleasure the acknowledge"ments of the House of Commons, of their sense of the solici"tude which his majesty can never cease to entertain for the "interests of Ireland, as well as their professions of respect and "attachment to his person, family and government. "G. R." It was ordered to be entered on the journals, and an address of thanks was voted. On the 15th, Mr. Grattan presented to the house, according to order, a bill for the better securing the freedom of elections of members to serve in parliament, by disabling certain officers employed in the collection or management of his majesty's revenues from giving their votes at such elections; which was received and read the first time, and then Mr. Secretary Hobart informed the house, that he was directed by his excellency the lord lieutenant, to deliver the following message to the house : "NUGENT BUCKINGHAM. "HIS majesty having appointed Thursday "the 23d of this instant April, to be observed as a day of public "thanksgiving to Almighty God, for that signal interposition "of his good providence, which hath removed from his majesty "the late illness, with which he had been afflicted; and a pro“clamation having been issued by the lord lieutenant and the privy council of this kingdom for the solemn observance of "that day, I intend to go to the cathedral of Christ Church to "attend divine service upon that occasion, and have given the necessary orders for providing convenient places in the said "cathedral for the members of this house. 66 "N. B." On the 21st of April several petitions from revenue officers and others were presented to the house against the bill then pending, which intended to deprive them of their elective franchise, upon which a very long and warm debate ensued. In vain were all arguments drawn from reason, law, and constitution urged by the supporters of the bill; in vain was the example of England set forth in pointed relevancy to that kingdom; in vain was it pressed upon the house, that the bill under their consideration, nearly in the same words, had passed that house with the entire consent of most of the members, who were now taught to exclaim against it, as an attack upon the rights of the people; that such a bill, with the consent and approbation of its present most vehement opponents, had passed the commons, had been transmitted under the great seal of Ireland, and returned under the great seal of England; which, though lost in the lords, had not been rejected upon its merits; but had shared the fate of the ministry, which had espoused it: that the people had then lost a good ministry and a good bill. The ferment occasioned in the commons by the late alarm had now nearly subsided: the re-establishment of the old system, and the disappearance of any immediate change in administra tion, had brought back most of the fugitives to their station, and upon the division there were found only 93 for the committal of the bill, and 148 against it. On the 25th of April, Sir Henry Cavendish, chairman of the committee on the police accounts, delivered in their report,* upon which they had come to two resolutions: 1st, That it had appeared to them, that the police establishment been had attended with unnecessary patronage, waste and dissipation. 2d, That it was their opinion, that the peace and protection of the city of Dublin might be more effectually maintained at a less expence, and that the present system of the police establishment ought to be changed. And when the speaker put the question to agree to the first resolution, the attorney-general objected. The right honourable gentleman called upon the house to agree to a report founded on evidence from partial investigation, that was ex parte garbled or selected. He was strongly rebuked by Mr. Grattan, with the indecency of imputing to a most respectable committee, after a laborious investigation, the foul charge of garbling and selecting the evidence. A violent and intemperate debate ensued, in which nothing new occurred, but the ingenuity of dressing up former arguments: both sides insisting that experience confirmed their support of or opposition to the original measure: this had ever been a favourite object with govern * 9 Par. Deb. p. 394. This report which is singularly curious, is to be seen in the Appendix, No. LXXXII. |