siderable unanimity will be found to prevail on both sides, I do not hesitate to comply with what I believe is the general feeling. I therefore rise, sir, to propose that my right hon. friend the Member for North Nottinghamshire, Mr. Evelyn Denison, do take the chair, and again preside over us. (Cheers.) My right hon. friend has already performed the duties of Speaker of this House, and his general conduct in the chair will be his best recommendation for re-election. But I may, perhaps, be allowed to remind the House that when he was first elected to that distinguished post he had no common difficulties to contend with. He had to succeed a Speaker who, it was universally acknowledged, had filled the chair of this House with more than usual ability, and was one of the most eminent Speakers who had ever sat in it. It was no light task for any Member of this House to discharge the duties of the office as the successor of the present Viscount Eversley. But the manner in which my right hon. friend overcame this difficulty is well-known to the House; and I am bold to say that to the constant attention he has paid to his duties, the impartiality of his decisions, and his general bearing towards all the Members of the House, may be attributed the prevailing feeling which now exists that he should resume the chair. Sir, there are duties the Speaker of this House has to perform that may not be known to many Members of it; and though I make no pretensions to taking a principal part in the public proceedings of the House, yet, perhaps, few Members have had better

opportunities than myself of knowing how my right hon. friend has conducted its private business. I believe all those Members of the House who have had to take part in that private business, in reference to which the Speaker has duties of no common importance, will acknowledge that my right hon. friend has been distinguished by his general courtesy to every one, without distinction of party or private feeling. All have had ready access to him, and received the aid of his advice and experience. I do not wish to be betrayed into any private feeling on an occasion like this, but perhaps I may be permitted, from a knowledge of nearly 50 years, to express my conviction that, as in public, so in private, my right hon. friend is in every way worthy of the honour for which I propose him. I believe it would be difficult to find any gentleman combining so many of the characteristics required to represent the Commons of England in so great a degree as my right hon. friend. has been distinguished throughout his life for an unimpeachable character as a private gentleman; and one of the chief recommendations of the person who aspires to the honour of representing the Commons of England as their Speaker must be the character he bears as a private gentleman. I propose that Mr. E.Denison, Member for North Nottinghamshire, be again elected as the Speaker of this House."

He

The motion was seconded by Sir F. Baring, who adverted to the difficulties with which Mr. Denison had had to contend, and to the success with which he had surmounted them.

Mr. Denison submitted himself to the pleasure of the House; and there being no dissentient voice, he was conducted by the mover and seconder to the Chair, whence he offered his acknowledgments in the customary manner to the House.

Several days were now occupied in the swearing of Members. The only incident which occurred worthy of notice was when Baron Rothschild presented himself to be sworn, and having objected to take the oath containing the words "on the true faith of a Christian," he withdrew, as directed by the Speaker.

Lord J. Russell then rose and moved the resolution which had been adopted by the House, enabling Jewish members to omit the words in the oath excepted to. This gave Mr. Newdegate an occasion for renewing his protest against the admission of the Jews.

The Speaker put the question, and Mr. Newdegate demanded a division. The House, however, did not divide, and Baron Rothschild was called in and sworn.

On the 7th of June, the process of swearing in having been completed, the business of the Session was commenced, Her Majesty in person delivering the following Speech from the Throne:

"My Lords and Gentlemen,"I avail myself with satisfaction, in the present anxious state of public affairs, of the advice of my Parliament, which I have summoned to meet with the least possible delay.

"I have directed that papers shall be laid before you, from which you will learn how earnest

and unceasing have been my endeavours to preserve the peace of Europe

"Those endeavours have unhappily failed; and war has been declared between France and Sardinia on one side, and Austria on the other. Receiving assurances of friendship from both the contending parties, I intend to maintain between them a strict and impartial neutrality; and I hope, with God's assistance, to preserve to my people the blessings of continued peace.

"Considering, however, the present state of Europe, I have deemed it necessary, for the security of my dominions and the honour of my Crown, to increase my naval forces to an amount exceeding that which has been sanctioned by Parliament.

"I rely with confidence on your cordial concurrence in this precautionary measure of defensive policy.

The King of the Two Sicilies having announced to me the death of the King, his father, and his own accession, I have thought fit, in concert with the Emperor of the French, to renew my diplomatic intercourse with the Court of Naples, which had been suspended during the late reign.

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All my other foreign relations continue on a perfectly satisfactory footing.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

"The Estimates for the year, for which provision has not been made by the late Parliament, will be immediately laid before you, together with such supplementary Estimates as present circumstances render, indispen

sably necessary for the public service.

"My Lords and Gentlemen,"I have directed a Bill to be prepared for giving effect, so far as the aid of Parliament may be required, to certain suggestions of the Commissioners whom I had appointed to inquire into the best mode of efficiently manning the Royal Navy; and I recommend this important subject to your immediate attention.

"Measures of legal and social improvement, the progress of which in the late Parliament was necessarily interrupted by the dissolution, will again be brought under your consideration.

"I should with pleasure give my sanction to any well-considered measure for the amendment of the laws which regulate the representation of my people in Parliament; and should you be of opinion that the necessity of giving your immediate attention to measures of urgency relating to the defence and financial condition of the country will not leave you sufficient time for legislating with due deliberation during the present Session on a subject at once so difficult and so extensive, I trust that at the commencement of the next Session your earnest attention will be given to a question of which an early and satisfactory settlement would be greatly to the public advantage.

"I feel assured that you will enter with zeal and diligence on the discharge of your Parliamentary duties, and I pray that the result of your deliberations may tend to secure to the country the continuance of peace abroad and progressive improvement at home."

The debates on the Address now commenced in both Houses, the mover in the Lords being Earl Powis. The noble lord made some allusion to the anticipated Reform Bill, which, he observed, would not be likely to come before their lordships until an inconveniently late period of the Session. Referring to our foreign relations, Lord Powis said the position of this country was one of neutrality; but in order to make its voice respected we must make preparations commensurate with our power. He was glad to see the encouragement which had been given to the formation of rifle clubs by the present Government. Bearing a willing testimony to the courtesy and forbearance which the Opposition had ever practised on foreign affairs, he concluded by moving that a humble Address be presented to Her Majesty.

The motion having been seconded by Lord Lifford, Earl Granville rose and delivered some spirited criticisms on the policy and position of the Government.

Alluding to a passage in the Speech dissolving Parliament, he considered that the Government had not relied on Providence alone to procure a majority, but had themselves put their shoulder to the wheel. He regretted, however, to see that, in spite of the result of the elections, it was the intention of the Ministry to carry on the Government with a minority, One of the principal errors, he thought, of the Conservative party was that it endeavoured to please everybody. This system, he was sorry to observe, was not to be abandoned, for Her Majesty's Government had asserted that they had no opinion