State Papers.

SPEECH of the Queen, on the Opening of the British Parliament.-Westminster, January 31, 1856.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

SINCE the close of the last session of Parliament the arms of the Allies have achieved a signal and important success. Sebastopol, the great stronghold of Russia in the Black Sea, has yielded to the persevering constancy and to the daring bravery of the Allied Forces.

The naval and military preparations for the ensuing year have necessarily occupied my serious attention; but while determined to omit no effort which could give vigour to the operations of the war, I have deemed it my duty not to decline any overtures which might reasonably afford a prospect of a safe and honourable peace. Accordingly, when the Emperor of Austria lately offered to myself and to my august Ally the Emperor of the French to employ his good offices with the Emperor of Russia, with a view to endeavour to bring about an amicable adjustment of the matters at issue between the contending Powers, I consented, in concert with my Allies, to accept the offer thus made; and I have the satisfaction to inform you that certain conditions have been agreed upon which I hope may prove the foundation of a General Treaty of Peace.

Negotiations for such a Treaty will shortly be opened at Paris. In conducting these negotiations I shall be careful not to lose sight of the objects for which the war was undertaken; and I shall deem it right in no degree to relax my naval and military preparations until a satisfactory Treaty of Peace shall have been concluded.

Although the war in which I am engaged was brought on by events in the south of Europe, my attention has not been withdrawn from the state of things in the north; and in conjunction with the Emperor of the French, I have concluded with the King of Sweden and Norway, a Treaty, containing defensive engagements applicable to his dominions, and tending to the preservation of the balance of power in that part of Europe.

I have also concluded a Treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation with the Republic of Chili. I have given directions that these Treaties shall be laid before you.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

The estimates for the ensuing year will be laid before you. You [1855-56.] B

will find them framed in such a manner as to provide for the exigencies of war, if peace should unfortunately not be concluded.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

It is gratifying to me to observe, that, notwithstanding the pressure of the war, and the burthens and sacrifices which it has unavoidably imposed upon my people, the resources of my empire remain unimpaired. I rely with confidence on the manly spirit and enlightened patriotism of my loyal subjects for a continuance of that support which they have so nobly afforded me; and they may be assured that I shall not call upon them for exertions beyond what may be required by a due regard for the great interests, the honour, and the dignity of the empire.

There are many subjects connected with internal improvement which I recommend to your attentive consideration.

The difference which exists in several important particulars between the commercial laws of Scotland and those of the other parts of the United Kingdom has occasioned inconvenience to a large portion of my subjects engaged in trade. Measures will be proposed to you for remedying this evil.

Measures will also be proposed to you for improving the laws relating to partnership, by simplifying those laws, and thus rendering more easy the employment of capital in commerce.

The system under which merchant shipping is liable to pay local dues and passing tolls has been the subject of much complaint. Measures will be proposed to you for affording relief in regard to those matters.

Other important measures for improving the law in Great Britain and in Ireland will be proposed to you, which will, I doubt not, receive your attentive consideration.

Upon these and all other matters upon which you may deliberate, I fervently pray that the blessing of Divine Providence may favour your councils, and guide them to the promotion of the great object of my unvarying solicitude, the welfare and the happiness of my people.

SPEECH of the Lords Commissioners, on the Closing of the British Parliament.-Westminster, July 29, 1856.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

WE are commanded by Her Majesty to release you from further attendance in Parliament, and at the same time, to express to you her warm acknowledgments for the zeal and assiduity with which

you have applied yourselves to the discharge of your public duties during the Session.

When Her Majesty met you in Parliament at the opening of the Session Her Majesty was engaged, in co-operation with her allies, the Emperor of the French, the King of Sardinia, and the Sultan, in an arduous war, having for its object matters of high European importance; and Her Majesty appealed to your loyalty and patriotism for the necessary means to carry on that war with the energy and vigour essential to success.

You answered nobly the appeal then made to you; and Her Majesty was enabled to prepare for the operations of the expected campaign naval and military forces worthy of the power and reputation of this country.

Happily it beame unnecessary to apply those forces to the purposes for which they had been destined. A Treaty was concluded by which the objects for which the war had been undertaken were fully attained; and an honourable peace has saved Europe from the calamities of continued warfare.

Her Majesty trusts that the benefits resulting from that peace will be extensive and permanent; and that while the friendships and alliances which were cemented by common exertions during the contest will gain strength by mutual interests in peace, those asperities which inherently belong to conflict will give place to the confidence and goodwill with which a faithful execution of engagements will inspire those who have learnt to respect each other as antagonists.

Her Majesty commands us to thank you for your support in the hour of trial, and to express to you her fervent hope that the prosperity of her faithful people, which was not materially checked by the pressure of war, may continue and be increased by the genial influence of peace.

Her Majesty is engaged in negotiations on the subjet of questions in connexion with the affairs of Central America; and Her Majesty hopes that the differences which have arisen on those matters between Her Majesty's Government and that of the United States may be satisfactorily adjusted.

We are commanded by Her Majesty to inform you that Her Majesty desires to avail herself of this occasion to express the pleasure which it afforded her to receive during the war in which she has been engaged numerous and honourable proofs of loyalty and public spirit from Her Majesty's Indian territories, and from those Colonial possessions which constitute so valuable and important a part of the dominions of Her Majesty's Crown.

Her Majesty has given her cordial assent to the Act for rendering more effectual the Police in Counties and Boroughs in England

and Wales. This Act will materially add to the security of person and property, and will thus afford increased encouragement to the exertions of honest industry.

Her Majesty rejoices to think that the Act for the Improvement of the Internal Arrangements of the University of Cambridge will give fresh powers of usefulness to that ancient and renowned seat of learning.

The Act for regulating Joint Stock Companies will afford additional facilities for the advantageous employment of capital, and will thus tend to promote the development of the resources of the country; while the Acts passed relative to the Mercantile Laws of England and of Scotland will diminish the inconvenience which the differences of those laws occasion to Her Majesty's subjects engaged in trade.

Her Majesty has seen with satisfaction that you have given your attention to the arrangements connected with County Courts. It is Her Majesty's anxious wish that justice should be attainable by all classes of her subjects with as much speed and with as little expense as may be consistent with the due investigation of the merits of causes to be tried.

Her Majesty trusts that the Act for placing the Coast Guard under the direction of the Board of Admiralty will afford the groundwork for arrangements for providing, in time of peace, means applicable to national defence on the occurrence of any future

emergency.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

We are commanded by Her Majesty to thank you for the readiness with which you have granted the supplies for the present year.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

Her Majesty commands us to congratulate you on the favourable state of the revenue, and upon the thriving condition of all branches of the national industry; and she acknowledges with gratitude the loyalty of her faithful subjects, and that spirit of order and that respect for the law which prevail in every part of her dominions.

Her Majesty commands us to express her confidence that on your return to your homes you will promote, by your influence and example, in your several districts, that continued and progressive improvement which is the vital principle of the well-being of nations; and Her Majesty fervently prays that the blessing of Almighty God may attend your steps, and prosper your doings for the welfare and happiness of her people.

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES to the Articles of 1819,* between Great Britain and The United States, for carrying into execution the Postal Convention of 1848.+-Signed at Washington, March 20, 1856.

London, April 9,

In pursuance of the power granted to the 2 Post Offices by Article XXI of the Convention of December 15th, 1848, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America, to settle the matters of detail, which are to be arranged by mutual consent, for ensuring the execution of the stipulations contained in the said Convention;

The Undersigned, duly authorized for that purpose by their respective Offices, have agreed upon the following Articles:

ART. I. Letters posted in the United Kingdom addressed to The United States, or posted in The United States addressed to the United Kingdom, and intended to be forwarded between the United Kingdom and The United States by British or United States packets, may be registered, on the application of the persons posting the same; but such registration shall not render the Post Office Departments of the United Kingdom, or The United States, liable for the loss of such letters, or the contents thereof.

It is understood that this regulation applies equally to letters between the United Kingdom and California, or Oregon, whether conveyed via New York, via Boston, or via Panama.

II. The conditions under which registered letters shall be received and delivered, and the forms to be observed in their transmission from the place at which they are posted to the Office of exchange, or from the Office of exchange to the place of their destination, shall be regulated by the rules in force in the 2 countries respectively.

III. The postage upon registered letters shall invariably be paid in advance, including not only the ordinary postage to the place of their destination, but also any registration fee to which letters of this class may be liable, according to the regulations of the country from which they are sent.

IV. The Post Office of the United Kingdom shall be at liberty to fix the amount of the registration fee to be levied upon all registered letters forwarded from the United Kingdom to The United States, and in like manner the Post-Office of The United States shall be at liberty to fix the amount of the registration fee to be levied upon all registered letters forwarded from The United States to the United Kingdom.

These amounts may be altered from time to time by the respective Post Offices, if an alteration be deemed expedient.

• Vol. XXXVII. Page 46.

+ Vol. XXXVI. Page 433.