TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

The dutiful and loyal Address of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the city of London, in common council assembled.

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"May it please your majesty,

"We his majesty's ever dutiful and loyal subjects, the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London, in common council assembled, approach your majesty with sincere expressions of loyalty, attachment, and regard.

"We condole with your majesty on the various afflictions your majesty has sustained since your departure from this country, by the loss of so many illustrious personages of your majesty's family, especially by the demise of our late beloved sovereign, your majesty's paternal guardian, whose countenance and support under the most trying circumstances, gave the best pledge to the nation of your majesty's innocence, and the firmest protection against all your enemies; and also that of your amiable and illustrious daughter, the princess Charlotte, the fond hope of Britain, whose memory will be ever dear to an affectionate people.

"Deeply attached to the royal family, and anxious for the preservation of the public tranquillity, we feel ourselves called upon to express our earnest hope that the differences which unfortunately subsist may be arranged in a manner honourable to

your majesty, as well as to your royal consort, and satisfactorily to the country; and that should an investigation of these differences be still unhappily resorted to, recognizing the dignified firmness which your majesty has manifested, by the solemn protest you have entered against all secret investigation of your conduct, so repugnant to common justice, and to the feelings of Englishmen, we trust such investigation will be conducted in an open and impartial manner, and terminated in the complete vindication of your majesty's honour.

"We rely upon your majesty's gracious acceptance of this address, as a proof of the loyalty and affection of your faithful citizens of London, and of their attachment to the illustrious house of Brunswick, which, they trust, will long continue to sway the British sceptre, and maintain the liberties and happiness of the people.

Signed, by order of the court,

" HENRY WOODTHORPE."

To which her majesty was pleased to return the following most gracious answer:

"I return you my heartfelt thanks for this dutiful address, which is both loyal to the king and affectionate to me. If any thing could lessen the grief which I must still feel for the loss of those dear relations, of whom I have been deprived since I left England, it would be the proofs I now re

ceive upon my return, that their memories are cherished, as their virtues deserved.

"In the new trials to which I am exposed, my first duty is to vindicate myself, and my next wish is to see nothing attempted that may hurt the feelings of others.

"But in all the troubles through which I have passed, the generous attachment of the English people has been my safeguard against the king's enemies and my own, and be well assured that no time can ever weaken the grateful impressions of such obligations."

A second conference between ministers and her majesty's law officers was held at the foreign office on the 16th, which the king's servants began by stating, that they had not failed to report with fidelity to the king's government, the proposition brought forward by her majesty's law officers, that the queen's name should be expressly included in the liturgy, in order to protect her majesty against any misconstruction of the grounds on which her majesty might consent to reside abroad; that they were not deceived, for reasons already sufficiently explained, in anticipating the surprise of their colleagues at the production of this question, for the first time, on the part of her majesty, more especially in the present advanced state of the proceedings; that they were authorised distinctly to state, that the king's servants

could on no account advise his majesty to rescind the decision already taken and acted upon in this instance; and that to prevent misconception, the king's government had charged the duke of Wellington and lord Castlereagh to explain that they must equally decline to advise the king to depart from the principle already laid down by his majesty for the direction of his representatives abroad, with regard to the public reception by the king's ministers abroad, and introduction of her majesty at foreign courts; but that they were not only ready, but desirous to guard in future, by renewed orders, against any possible want of attention to her majesty's comfort and convenience by his majesty's ministers abroad; and, that whereever her majesty might think fit to establish her residence, every endeavour would be made to secure for her majesty from that state the fullest protection, and the utmost personal comfort, attention, and convenience.

In explanation of the position in which the king actually stood upon this question in his foreign relations, the instructions under which the ministers abroad now acted were communicated to the queen's law officers, and their attention was directed as well to the principles therein laid down, and from which his majesty could not be called upon to depart, as to that breach of the instructions which were studiously framed to provide for

the personal comfort and convenience of the queen when princess of Wales.

The queen's law officers then stated, that they must not be understood to suggest the giving of a general power to her majesty to establish her court in any foreign country, and to be there received and presented by the English minister, because reasons of state might render it inexpedient, that under certain circumstances, such an establishment should be made; but they wished that her majesty should have the power of being so received and treated by the English ministers where no such reasons of state interfered; and they inquired whether the same objection would exist to the public introduction of her majesty at some one court where she might fix her residence, if she waved the claim of introduction at foreign courts generally.

To this it was answered, that the principle was in fact the same, whether at one or more courts; and, that if the king could be consistently advised to meet the queen's wishes in this instance at all, it would be more dignified for his majesty to do so generally and avowedly, than to adopt any partial or covert proceeding.

The queen's law officers, referring to the decision of the judges in George the First's reign, said it would be a much more unexceptionable exercise of the royal prerogative, were the king even to