ENGLISH NEWS. OPENING OF PARLIAMENT BY HER MAJESTY.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 316, 9 June 1849, Page 1 (Supplement)

ENGLISH NEWS. OPENING OF PARLIAMENT BY HER MAJESTY.

Thursday, (Feb. Ist,) her Majesty opened the Par» liament, in person. The doors were opened »t la o'clock, and ladies, in fu]l dress, continued to .irrive in quick succession, until every seat was occupied, and some were compelled to «>tand for want of room. The Ist Regiment of Foot Guards was stationed opEosite the entrance of the House of Lords, and the lorse Guards lined the road from the Palace. Shortly after one o'clock the Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers, the Cabinet Ministers und totker great officers oi state entered the House,

Her Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by tbe Master of the Horse and Mistress of the Robee, left Buckingham Palace at 20 minutes before two, in the state carri-ige, drawn by eight crenm coloured horses and proceeded through the Park to the house of Lords. A very large crowd was drawn together to witness the procession, lining the entire way from the Palace to Parliament House ; the whole of the windows whence a view of the procession could be obtained being filled with splendidly dressed ladies, who repeatedly cheered her Majesty and her illustrious consort as they proceeded through, Whitehall and Parliament -street to the house. Her M ajesty arrived at the house about twenty minutes pnst two, when her arrival was immediately announced by a discharge of cannon. Soon afterwards the trumpets sounded and ,the procession entered the house, led by the Heralds in their state tabards, followed by the Lord Chancellor and Great Officers of State, her Majesty's robe being borne by six pages.— Prince Albert took his place on the left of the Queen, who proceeded to the Throne and took her seat, all the Peers and Peeresses rising, but taking their seats an. her Majesty commanding them to be seated. The Lord Chancellor then delivered the Royal Speech to her Majesty, who commanded [the Commons to be sent for. They immediately appeared at the bar, headed by the Speaker, attired in his State robes, when her Majesty, with her usual distinctness, read the following most gracious speech :•—

the Queen's speech. My Lords and Gentlemen,— The period being: arrived at which the business of Parliament is usually resumed i have called you together for the discharge of your important duties, It is satisfactory to me, to be enabled to state, that both in the north and in the south of Europe, the contending parties have consented to a suspension of arms for the puipose of negotiating terms of peace. The hostilities earned on in the Island of Sicily were attended with circumstances so revolting, that the British and French admirals were impelled by motives of humanity, to interpose and stop the further effusion of blood. 1 have availed myself of the interval thus obtained, to propose in conjunction with France, to the King of Naples, an arrangement calculated to produce a permanent settlement of affairs in Sicily. The negotiation, on these m >tters is still pending. It has beeu my anxious endeavour, in offering my good offices to the various contending powers, to prevent the extension of the calamities of war, and to lay the foundations for last, ng and honourable peace, it is my constant desire to maintain with all Foreign States the most friendly relations. As soon as the interest of the public service will permit, I shall direct the papers connected with these transactions to be laid before you. A rebellion of a formidable character has broken out in the Punjaub, and the Governor General of India has been compelled, for the preservation of the peace of the country, to assemble a considerable force, which is now engaged in military operations against the insurgents. But the tranquility of British India has nob been effected by these unprovoked disturbances. I again commend to your attention the restrictions imposed on commerce by the Navigation Laws. If you shall find that these laws are in whole or in part unnecessary for the maintenance of our maritime power, while they fetter trade and industry, \ou will no doubt deem it right to repeal or modify their provisions. Gentlemen of the House of Commons,~ I have directed the Estimates {or the service of the year to be laid before you: they will be framed with the most anxious attention to a wise economy. The present aspect of affairs has enabled me to make large re iuctions on the Estimates of last year. My Lords and Gentlemen,— I observe with satisfaction that this portion of the United Kingdom has remained tranquil amidst the convulsions which have disturbed so many parts of Europe. 'I lie insurrection in Ireland has not been renewed ; but a spirit of disaffection still exists, and I rtm compelled, to ray great regret, to ask for a continuance, for a limited time, of those poweis which in the last tession you deemed necessary for the preservation of the public tranquility. 1 haAe great satisfaction in stating that commerce is reviving from those shocks which, at the commencement of last session, 1 had to deplore. The conditio i of the manufacturing districts is likewise more encouraging than it has been for a consider', able period. It is also gratifying to me to observe .that the state of the revenue is one of progressive improvement.I have to lament, howevei, that another failure in the potato crop has caused very severe in some parts of lieland. The operation of the laws for the relief of the poor in Ireland will properly be a subject of your inquiry j and any measure by which those laws may be benefit cially amended, and the condition of the people may be improved, will receive my cordial assent. It js with pride and thankfulness that I ddverfc to the loyal spirit of my people, and that attachment to our institutions which have animated them during a period of commercial difficulty, deficient production of food, and political revolution. 1 look to the piotection of Almighty God for favour in our continued progress, and 1 trust that you will assist me in upholding tbe fabric of the Constitution, founded as it is upon the principles of freedom and of justice. Her Majesty having retired, the House adjourned (luring pleasure, and assembM again at five o'clock, at vvlucli time there were <ra unusually large number of Peers present.

The address in the Lords will be moved by Lord Bruce, and leconded by Lurd Bacemau. Viscount Palmerstoa was much indisposed, but gettng better. Tbe elector! of Lambeth, Mr. Undtr-Seeretary Hawks' former constituents, have presented that gentleman with a testimonial ol their esteem. Ttie present Baron Auckland (tlie JSaildom being extiuct) wiJl be ihe first Bishop of Sodor and Man wiio ka« ever »at iv the House of Peers. The Hon. George S. Jcruinglidiu has beeu appointed {secretary io ibc Btitish. Embassy at the LKtouian Pone; Dauiel Blair, Eiq., Surgeon-Oeueral fjr British Guiana; ami George iVUrah, issq., Re.i-. dent Magistrate at M0 3,el Bay, Cape of Good tioye. Dr. Bownng, M.P. for Bolton, has been appointed her Majesty's Comul in China, and has departed for his destination.—An extensive fs\\ of chalk had oc-

curred at Shakspeare's Cliff; the quautity detached wai about 100,000 tons.— Colonel Blacker, one of the Grai d Masters of the Irish Orange Lodges, has been expelled the brotherhood, by reason of his having subscribed towards the erection 6 of * Roman Catlniic I Chapel.— A number of ships were to be at once lmd on vrfth emigrants 'or .the t Cape of Good Hope.— Gtiv- ] rals Kiabosky, Dietrich, Moga, and Mayer, have been arrested at Vienna for having taken part with the Hungarians. It was rumoured that the King of Naples had been shot at.— The Hon. John Elliot has been appointed one of the Secretaries to the Board of Control, we Mr. Wyse, late M-P. for Wateribrd, resigned.—Cholera has re-appeared atConstantinople.— A collision had taken place between the llou»e of Assembly at Jamaica, and the Council upon the con- ' sideration of the Estimates.— The Marquis of Anglesea j has been appointed Lord-Lit enant of Staffordshire, in place of Earl Talbot.— The inhabitants of Plymouth, ; Dcvonport, Stonehouse, and other places, had nomi- ; nated an influential deputation to wait upon the Homo Secretary, praying him to advise a revision of the Liturgy. The War in Hungary was proceeding in insignificant skirmishes. The countiy was overrun by the Imperial troopi, and several parties of note had been allowed by Prince Windishgratz. Madlle. A. Blanqui has been arrested on suspicion of |having favoured the escape of Barthelmy and Lacombe from prison. The usual amusements and rejoicings of the Carnival have been prohibited at Rome this season. The Cologne Gazette states that the Russian for es are on flic Frontiers of Moldavia ready to commence hostilities in favour of Austria. The cholera was disappearing from some parts of the Continent, viz., at Moscow, St. Petersburg;, &c At Vienna it was severe, and in Holland exceedingly «o. It was advancing gradually into France—from Calais to Lisle, thence to Arras ; it has also appeared in Yport and Havre.