pared to take such steps as may be necessary for a revision of the Treaty of November, 1815, by which that Republic was reconstituted and was placed under the protection of the British Crown.

Her Majesty's relations with foreign Powers continue to be friendly and satisfactory.

Her Majesty has abstained from taking any step with a view to induce a cessation of the conflict between the contending parties in the North American States, because it has not yet seemed to Her Majesty that any such overtures could be attended with a probability of success.

Her Majesty has viewed with the deepest concern the desolating warfare which still rages in those regions; and she has witnessed with heartfelt grief the severe distress and suffering which that war has inflicted upon a large class of Her Majesty's subjects, but which have been borne by them with noble fortitude and with exemplary resignation. It is some consolation to Her Majesty to be led to hope that this suffering and this distress are rather diminishing than increasing, and that some revival of employment is beginuing to take place in the manufacturing districts.

It has been most gratifying to Her Majesty to witness the abundant generosity with which all classes of her subjects in all parts of her empire have contributed to relieve the wants of their suffering fellow-countrymen; and the liberality with which Her Majesty's colonial subjects have on this occasion given their aid has proved that, although their dwelling-places are far away, their hearts are still warm with unabated affection for the land of their fathers.

The Relief Committees have superintended with constant and laborious attention the distribution of the funds intrusted to their charge.

Her Majesty commands us to inform you that she has concluded with the King of the Belgians a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, and a Convention respecting Joint Stock Companies. That Treaty and that Convention will be laid before you.

Her Majesty has likewise given directions that there shall be laid before you papers relating to the affairs of Italy, of Greece, and of Denmark, and that papers shall also be laid before you relating to occurrences which have lately taken place in Japan.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

Her Majesty has directed that the estimates for the ensuing year shall be laid before you. They have been prepared with a due regard to economy, and will provide for such reductions of expenditure as have appeared to be consistent with the proper efficiency of the public service.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

We are commanded by Her Majesty to inform you that, notwithstanding the continuance of the civil war in North America, the general commerce of the country during the past year has not sensibly diminished.

The Treaty of Commerce which Her Majesty concluded with the Emperor of the French has already been productive of results highly advantageous to both the nations to which it applies; and the general state of the revenue, notwithstanding many unfavourable circumstances, has not been unsatisfactory.

Her Majesty trusts that these results may be taken as proofs that the productive resources of the country are unimpaired.

It has been gratifying to Her Majesty to observe the spirit of order which happily prevails throughout her dominions, and which is so essential an element in the well-being and prosperity of nations.

Various measures of public usefulness and improvement will be submitted for your consideration; and Her Majesty fervently prays that in all your deliberations the blessing of Almighty God may guide your counsels to the promotion of the welfare and happiness of her people.

SPEECH of the Lords Commissioners, on the Closing of the British Parliament.-Westminster, July 28, 1863.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

We are commanded by Her Majesty to release you from further attendance in Parliament, and at the same time to convey to you Her Majesty's acknowledgments for the zeal and assiduity with which you have applied yourselves to the performance of your duties during the session now brought to a close.

Her Majesty has seen with deep regret the present condition of Poland. Her Majesty has been engaged, in concert with the Emperor of the French and the Emperor of Austria, in negotiations, the object of which has been to obtain the fulfilment of the stipulations of the Treaty of Vienna of 1815, on behalf of the Poles. Her Majesty trusts that those stipulations will be carried into execution, and that thus a conflict distressing to humanity and dangerous to the tranquillity of Europe may be brought to a close.

The civil war between the Northern and Southern States of the North American Union still, unfortunately, continues, and is necessarily attended with much evil, not only to the contending parties,

but also to nations who have taken no part in the contest. Her Majesty, however, has seen no reason to depart from the strict neutrality which Her Majesty has observed from the beginning of the contest.

The Greek nation having chosen Prince William of Denmark for their King, Her Majesty is taking steps with a view to the union of the Ionian Islands with the Kingdom of Greece. For this purpose Her Majesty is in communication with the Powers who were parties to the Treaty of 1815, by which those islands were placed under the protection of the British Crown; and the wishes of the Ionians on the subject of such union will be duly ascertained.

Several barbarous outrages committed in Japan upon British subjects have rendered it necessary for Her Majesty to demand reparation; and Her Majesty hopes that her demands will be conceded by the Japanese Government without its being necessary to resort to coercive measures to enforce them.

The Emperor of Brazil has thought fit to break off his diplomatic relations with Her Majesty, in consequence of Her Majesty not having complied with demands which she did not deem it possible to accede to. Her Majesty has no wish that this estrangement should continue, and would be glad to see her relations with Brazil re-established.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

Her Majesty commands us to convey to you her warm acknowledgments for the liberal supplies which you have granted for the service of the present year, and towards the permanent defence of Her Majesty's dockyards and arsenals; and Her Majesty commands us to thank you for the provision you have made for the establishment of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

The distress which the civil war in North America has inflicted upon a portion of Her Majesty's subjects in the manufacturing districts, and towards the relief of which such generous and munificent contributions have been made, has in some degree diminished, and Her Majesty has given her cordial assent to measures calculated to have a beneficial influence upon that unfortunate state of things.

Symptoms of a renewal of disturbances have manifested themselves in Her Majesty's colony of New Zealand, but Her Majesty trusts that by wise and conciliatory measures, supported by adequate means of repression, order and tranquillity will be maintained in that valuable and improving colony.

Her Majesty has given her assent to a measure for augmenting

the income of a considerable number of small benefices, and she trusts that this measure will be conducive to the interests of the Established Church.

Her Majesty has given her assent to an Act for the revision of a large portion of the Statute Book, by the removal of many Acts which, although they had become obsolete or unnecessary, obstructed the condensation of the statute law.

Her Majesty has felt much pleasure in giving her assent to an Act for placing upon a well-defined footing that Volunteer Force which has added a most important element to the defensive means of the country.

Her Majesty has gladly given her assent to an Act for carrying into effect the Additional Treaty concluded by Her Majesty with the President of The United States for the more effectual suppression of the Slave Trade; and Her Majesty trusts that the honourable co-operation of the Government of The United States will materially assist Her Majesty in those endeavours which Great Britain has long been engaged in making to put an end to the perpetration of that most disgraceful crime. Her Majesty has assented with satisfaction to many other measures of public usefulness, the result of your labours during the present session.

It has been gratifying to Her Majesty to observe that, notwithstanding many adverse circumstances, the general prosperity of her Empire continues unimpaired. Though great local distress has been suffered in Great Britain from the effects of the civil war in America, and in Ireland from the results of three unfavourable seasons, the financial resources of the United Kingdom have been fully maintained, and its general commerce with the world at large has not been materially impaired.

It has been a source of great satisfaction to Her Majesty to find that her East Indian possessions, rapidly recovering from the disasters which lately overspread them, are entering upon a course of improvement, social, financial, and commercial, which holds out good promise for the growing prosperity of those extensive regions.

On returning to your several counties you will still have important duties to perform; and Her Majesty fervently prays that the blessing of Almighty God may attend your efforts to promote the welfare and happiness of her subjects, the object of her constant and earnest solicitude.

TREATY between Great Britain and the United States of America, for the Settlement of the Claims of the Hudson's Bay and Puget's Sound Agricultural Companies.—Signed at Washington, July 1, 1863.

[Ratifications exchanged at Washingon, March 3, 1864.]

HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States of America, being desirous to provide for the final settlement of the claims of the Hudson's Bay and Puget's Sound Agricultural Companies, specified in Articles III and IV of the Treaty concluded between Great Britain and the United States of America on the 15th of June, 1846,* have resolved to conclude a Treaty for this purpose, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Richard Bickerton Pemell, Lord Lyons, a Peer of Her United Kingdom, a Knight Grand Cross of Her Most Honourable Order of the Bath, and Her Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States of America;

And the President of the United States of America, William H. Seward, Secretary of State;

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles :

ART. I. Whereas by Articles III and IV of the Treaty concluded at Washington, on the 15th day of June, 1846, between Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America, it was stipulated and agreed that in the future appropriation of the territory south of the 49th parallel of north latitude, as provided in Article I of the said Treaty, the possessory rights of the Hudson's Bay Company, and of all British subjects who may be already in the occupation of land or other property lawfully acquired within the said territory, should be respected; and that the farms, lands, and other property of every description belonging to the Puget's Sound Agricultural Company, on the north side of the Columbia River, should be confirmed to the said Company; but that in case the situation of those farms and lands should be considered by the United States to be of public and political importance, and the United States' Government should signify a desire to obtain possession of the whole or of any part thereof, the property so required should be transferred to the Vol. XXXIV. Page 14.