nout looking forward with uncommon curiosity see what would take place when the PRINCE uld be in possession of what were termed his all powers." The Irish, never the first to diser duplicity practised upon them, looked ford with great anxiety to the arrival of the full vers. The PRINCE had always professed his xiety to see what was called the emancipation the Catholics. The Whigs had made that a at test of their liberality and justice. The h regarded the old king as the great obstacle their obtaining of that inestimable blessing. ey were a little chagrined, indeed, when they nd that PERCEVAL and ELDON, who had put the Whigs upon that very question, were I retained in power by the PRINCE. But, Lever mind," they said, "we have only about eleven months to wait till the prince gets his Full powers; and he will then fulfil his pledges o Ireland." In the meanwhile the PRINCE, ing been installed as REGENT, and having en the oaths according to the act, proceeded the 12th of February, 1811, to open the parnent, or rather, to commence his legislative ctions, by a speech to both Houses, which ech, however, he did not go to deliver in perbut issued a commission for the purpose. e speech was as follows:

[Y LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,-In execution of the comsion which has now been read to you, we are commanded

by his royal highness the Prince Regent to express, in the strongest manner, how deeply he laments, not only in common with all his majesty's loyal subjects, but with a personal and filial affliction, the great national calamity which has been the occasion of imposing upon his royal highness the duty of exercising, in his majesty's name, the royal authority of this kingdom. In conveying to you the sense which his royal high. ness entertains of the great difficulties attending the important trust which is reposed in him, his royal highness commands us to assure you, that he looks with the most perfect confidence to the wisdom and zeal of parliament, and to the attach ment of a loyal and affectionate people, for the most effectual assistance and support; and his royal highness will, on his part, exert his utmost endeavours to direct the powers with which he is invested to the advancement of the prosperity, welfare, and security of his majesty's dominions.-We are directed to inform you, that his royal highness has great satisfaction in being enabled to state, that fresh opportunities have been afforded, during the late campaign, for distinguish. ing the valour and skill of his majesty's forces both by sea and land. The capture of the islands of Bourbon and of Amboyna have still farther reduced the colonial dependencies of the enemy.- -The attack upon the island of Sicily, which was announced to the world with a presumptuous anticipation of success, has been repulsed by the persevering exertions and valour of his majesty's land and sea forces.-The judi cious arrangement adopted by the officers commanding on that station derived material support from the zeal and ardour which were manifested during this contest by the inhabitants of Sicily, and from the co-operation of the naval means which were directed by his Sicilian majesty to this object.--In Portugal, and at Cadiz, the defence of which constituted the principal object of his majesty's exertions in the last campaign, the designs of the enemy have been hitherto frustrated. The consummate skill, prudence, and perseverance of Lieute nant-General Lord Viscount Wellington, and the discipline and determined bravery of the officers and men under his com mand, have been conspicuously displayed throughout the

le of the campaign, The effect of those distinguished ties, in inspiring confidence and energy into the troops of najesty's allies, has been happily evinced by their gene-, ood conduct, and particularly by the brilliant part which bore in the repulse of the enemy at Busaco. And his | highness commands us further to state, that he trusts will enable him to continue the most effectual assistance e brave nations of the Peninsula, in the support of a conwhich they manifest a determination to maintain with ated perseverance; and his royal highness is persuaded, you will feel that the best interests of the British empire be deeply affected in the issue of this contest, on which berties and independence of the Spanish and Portuguese -ns entirely depend. We have it likewise in command quaint you, that discussions are now depending between country and the United States of America; and that it is, arnest wish of his royal highness that he may find himself led to bring these discussions to an amicable terminaconsistent with the honour of his majesty's crown, and aritime rights and interests of the United Kingdom.TLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,-We are directed quaint you, that his royal highness the Prince Regent iven his commands that the estimates for the expenditure e current year should be laid before you; and his royal ness has great satisfaction in acquainting you, that alh the difficulties under which the commerce of this kinghas laboured, have in some degree affected a part of his sty's revenue, particularly in Ireland, yet that the reveof Great Britain in the last year, though unaided by any Eaxation, is greater than was ever known in any precedear. And his royal highness trusts to your zeal and lity to afford his majesty adequate supplies for the support e great contest in which he is necessarily engaged.LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,-We are commanded by his highness to declare to you, that it is the most anxious of his heart, that he may be enabled to restore unimd into the hands of his majesty the government of his lom; and that his royal highness earnestly prays that the

Almighty may be pleased in his mercy to accelerate the ter mination of a calamity so deeply lamented by the whole na tion, and so peculiarly afflicting to his royal highness himself.

107. It was hard for any one to discover in this speech any-thing at all encouraging to the Whig faction. Here are praises on the proceedings in the navy and the army; also boasting of the flourishing state of the finances; and a determination expressed to pursue the policy which the men in power have been pursuing for a long while; yet, on the mere mention of the prince's anxious desire to be enabled to replace the authority in the hands of his father, did the hungry Whigs and their partisans build a hope, and proclaim the confident expectation, indeed, that the PRINCE detested his ministers, and sighed for the moment when he should be able to get out of their hands, though that same moment would take from him the whole of the kingly powers for an inde finite length of time, and perhaps for ever! Even the slender circumstance of the speech having been made by commission instead of having been made in person was seized hold of as a proof, and a strong proof, that the prince abhorred his ministers; and it was actually asserted most industriously through all the prints of the Whigs, that he never would disgrace his lips by uttering a speech written by such ministers.

108. Thus, with regard to the political parties and intrigues, things went on until the month of

uary, 1812. We shall, by-and-by, have to erve upon the events of the war during this , and upon the other measures deeply affectthe country; but we must first pursue this nd party-intrigue to its upshot. In the month January, 1812, rumours began to be afloat reeting the intentions of the PRINCE with regard is ministers. Until now all had been confit expectation on the part of the Whigs, who , during the ten or eleven preceding months, ked upon themselves as the real possessors of places and pensions: and only kept out of apparent possession merely to indulge the essive and admirable filial feelings of the NCE, and that too for a short space of time. the time was now at hand when they were be undeceived. During the past year, the quess of WELLESLEY, who was secretary of e for foreign affairs, had, the public were

tendered his resignation, and that the NCE had desired him to keep the seals of e till the expiration of the restrictions. This regarded as conclusive in favour of the exed change, and the Whigs at their gamblingses had a sort of general carouse in anticipaof their triumph. On the 13th of February, ever, 1812, during a debate relating to the = dispute with America, a Whig member ng let fall some expressions predicting a edy destruction of the ministers' power, PER