In Portugal, things are wearing a favourable aspect. Urged by the sacred principle of leaving to people the free choice of their Rulers, we have assisted Don Pedro, who is detested by the Portuguese, and are busily endeavouring to drive Don Miguel, for whom they are fighting, out of the country. It is gratifying to reflect, that in this conquest of Portugal, the Portuguese themselves have no share; and even national vanity must be flattered by the fact, that it has principally been achieved by the gentlemen of St. Giles's.-[A loud uproar of applause will arise from the Tail at this honourable mention of their kindred !]-In the meantime, we have so happily protected the interests of our ancient allies, that they are relieved from all care of commerce or agriculture; that their finances are in such a state, as never more to need the attention of a financier; and that the ancient and honourable art of swindling is flourishing among them in the most thriving manner, under the august auspices of Don Pedro.

It will give you much pleasure to hear that another ancient ally has gone to the dogs-I mean to the Russians. You are aware that I allude to Turkey, which now is carved and devilled to the satisfaction of the most exquisite gourmand. We have displayed a noble attitude in this affair. Without doubt we have been put to no straits—and if we have been obliged to levant, it was only in compliment to the Mediterranean. The result of the enterprise must be consolatory to the people of England, because it secures to our Russian friends the possession of Constantinople, and thereby introduces a new naval power into European politics-to say nothing of the pleasant addition to Russian preponderancy with which it will invest by land that unambitious power.

The friends of free trade will learn with satisfaction that the reciprocity system prevails so happily in Germany, that our manufactures will ere long be wholly excluded from all its States, while we are bound to admit theirs. This is so great a triumph of philanthropy, that I am sure it will make every philanthropic heart to sing for joy. As for the

rest of Europe, the worthy Leopold is still in Brussels; he has not yet formally turned Papist, but he most formally continues to pocket our fifty thousand a-year, and to sell the cabbages of Claremont, like a Royal merchant, as he is. The rest of Europe is going on as usual.

Gentlemen of the House of COMMONS,

The noble animal which has won so many prizes at so many cattle shows in the country, and which rejoices in the name of Althorp, will, with its usual clearness and sagacity, unfold its budget to you, by which you will have the pleasure of seeing that your finances do not decline at a faster rate than a million a-year; and that your masters, the returners of the reformed Parliament, demand the remission of some fifteen millions of taxes. The anti-assessed are clamorous, and the officers of the Customs are not busy. On the whole, yours will be the glorious task of endeavouring to pay money without having it; which is, after all, the main triumph of finance, whether in public or private, and which is very frequently attempted by many of the most distinguished persons in both your Houses.

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

I do not think I have much more to say. You will have three hundred and sixty new Bills before you; and all the laws of England, great and small, to revise. You will have the pleasure of hearing the woes of Ireland repeated to you in all the tones of all the dialects of Irish for four nights of the week, and then be told, "Och! poor ould Ireland has no fair play towards her in the Sassenagh Parliament-nobody never listens to her by no manner of manes at all; and her Mimbers are never left to spake a word out of their own four bones." You will also hear an immensity of humbug developed to you; and as I know you are waiting for that, I now dismiss you, with a-hem! hem!-no matter what.

And his MAJESTY will lift up his leg, and-depart.

XXXI.

THE KING'S SPEECH.

The Parliament House Version of His Majesty King William's Speech on the opening the Parliament in February 1836, and most persons will admit it is fully as satisfactory as the one actually delivered, and infinitely more amusing.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I have the satisfaction of informing you, that I continue to receive from Foreign Powers the strongest assurances of their friendly disposition towards this country.

The imposing attitude assumed and maintained by His Most Christian Majesty, the King of the French, in resisting the liquidation of the American claims, as repeatedly sanctioned by treaty, has rendered our pecuniary mediation indispensable. Acting, therefore, in the spirit of our recent relations with France, I lost no time in putting His Most Christian Majesty in possession of the means of satisfying demands, the admitted justice of which seemed foreign to the matter at issue. I am happy to say, that our guarantee for repayment rests not only on the same principles of international faith, ¡which were acted upon in the case of the Austrian and Russian-Dutch Loan, but on the actual transfer of a corresponding proportion of Algerine scrip, calculated at the prices of the DAY.

The same system of active nonintervention, which produced such striking effects in Belgium, still deluges the plains of the Peninsula with the blood of its peaceful inhabitants. Arms, ammunition, and other contrabands of war, continue to be exported as usual, to the great advantage of our commercial relations, and in full accordance with our national faith. The affairs of Belgium remain in the same state of active forwardness, in which they have continued for the last five years. The protocols, so long in preparation, are still in the same state of quiescent advancement.

It is no small addition to my gratification, that Ireland is participating in the same satisfactory results; and, although the flagrant examples of outrage and violence which the late healing measures, of a coercive character, passed in regard to that part of the empire, were intended to effect, have not yet been entirely repressed, I trust that the further concessions to the demands of a lawless population, which will, in due time, be proposed for your consideration, may lead to the complete re-establishment of that tranquillity and union of interests which the separation of the different portions of my dominions is alone calculated to place upon an efficient basis.*

I continue to receive from my allies, and generally from all princes and states, assurances of their unabated desire to maintain and cultivate the relations of peace with Great Britain, and it shall be my constant endeavour to preserve the general tranquillity, so far as consistent with the dignity of my crown, and the happiness and prosperity of my people.

For carrying promptly and firmly into effect these views, a considerable augmentation of the military establishment of the empire is indispensable.

The negociations, with respect to the relations of Holland and Belgium, notwithstanding the untoward events by which they have been accompanied, are in the same state of active forwardness in which they have remained for the last three years. The additional protocols are in preparation.†

With the same pacific objects, and with the view of cementing our commercial relations with the Celestial Empire, I have judged it expedient to accredit, as my representative at that court, with the fullest powers, a distinguished naval officer, well versed in the laws and languages of the eastern world; and whose province it shall be, while maintaining the

* "The public tranquillity has been generally preserved, and the state of all the provinces of Ireland presents, upon the whole, a much more favourable appearance than at any period during the last year !!"-King's Speech in Annual Register, Vol. 76, p. 3.

t "I have to regret, that a final settlement between Holland and Belgium has not yet been effected, and that the civil war in Portugal still continues."-Ib.

honour and purity of our flag, to secure such commercial advantages as may be useful to Europe, and to Great Britain in particular, without any expenditure of that pecuniary equivalent to which she, in common with her allies, has hitherto been exposed. A copy of the treaty will, in due time, be laid before you.

The unfortunate disputes between the Emperor of Russia and the Sublime Porte are in such a progressive state of active adjustment, as not to stand in need of any intercession by force of arms on our part, with the view of effecting any final measure of immediate emergency. I shall not fail, however, to watch over the progress of events in this part of Europe.

The position of the affairs of her Most Catholic Majesty of Spain, as well as those of her Most Faithful Majesty of Portugal, remains unaltered. Although at present obstructed by the intrusion of internal discords, they are anxiously watched over by the paternal care and disinterested solicitude of our most faithful ally, the King of the French. Assisted by that friendly interposition, and active military co-operation which characterise neutrality, and which I have pledged myself in every situation to afford, I doubt not that those safe and expedient views of political aggrandizement which his Majesty and the French people have so long entertained, will be so effectually promoted, as to place that kingdom in the position among European powers to which she aspires, and to which she is so justly entitled.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

The estimates of the year will be forthwith laid before you. The revenue of the past year has greatly exceeded those most sanguine expectations, which a firm reliance on the incalculable advantages necessarily attendant on a reform of the representation of the people could have led us to apprehend. Farther supplies are indispensable.

A measure for the alteration of those irksome impositions,