unless it was allowed to operate in criminal cases generally? If such a delay were allowed, it would overthrow the whole criminal jurisdiction of the Ionian states. He would say, therefore, that whatever inconvenience arose in the trial of this gentleman, it was not at all attributable to the lord high commissioner. If the delay claimed by the accused could not be allowed by law, what course could be followed, but that of giving the party time to enter upon his defence, and in default of any defence to pronounce sentence? He denied that Martinengo had been punished with more than necessary severity-he had been allowed to take necessary exercise under the inspection of a police officer. As to the alleged unhealthiness of the prison in which he was confined, he did not deny that sickness had prevailed in Santa Maura, but it appeared from the report of an officer, who had long served in the Mediterranean, that that island was more healthy than any other of the Ionian islands, except Cerigo, the situation of which made it inconvenient to send perpersons to it.

Mr. Goulburn then proceeded

to show, that the fees and emoluments under the former state of things were much greater, than the regularly established salaries of officers now were. This had been the work of sir T. Maitland. He had also put down the monopoly of grain, and had left that trade open in the islands. This however, was not easily done; it was not until all attempts to induce the merchants to open the trade had been found fruitless, that the funds of government had been placed in the hands of an individual for that purpose; and by what means, he would ask, could those islands expect to be supplied, unless the granaries of Europe from the Black Sea were opened to them? This it was that had preserved the Ionian islands from that famine, which otherwise would inevitably have come upon them.

The vindication of sir Thomas Maitland was satisfactory to both sides of the House; and even those who voted for inquiry seemed willing to admit, that the fault lay not in the man, but in the system which it was his duty to administer. The motion was negatived the Ayes being 27, the Noes 97.

AT

T different periods of the session (and particularly on the 21st of May) the ministers had intimated, that the Queen would not be allowed to participate in the honours of the coronation. As the period of the prorogation of parliament drew near, an occasion was taken two or three times by her majesty's partisans, to assert her right to share in that honour; but no regular motion was made on the subject, till the very day and hour when the session was to terminate. On that day (the 11th of July) Mr. Hume moved "That an humble Address be presented to his majesty, praying that he will be graciously pleased to issue his royal proclamation for the coronation of her majesty; there by consulting the true dignity of the Crown, the tranquillity of the metropolis, and the general expectations of the people."

The hon. member had just commenced the reading of his resolution, when the deputy usher of the black rod was heard knocking at the door, and as he was concluding it, he was called to order by the Speaker, who reminded him of the presence of that officer. Mr. Hume immediately took his seat, and the deputy usher informed the House, that

his majesty's commissioners for giving the royal assent to several bills, and also for the prorogation of this parliament, attended in the House of Peers, whither the attendance of the Speaker was required. The Speaker, accompanied by most of the members present, immediately repaired to the House of Peers.

After the royal assent had been given, by commission, to several bills, a speech of the lords commissioners was delivered to both Houses by the lord chancellor, as follows:

"My Lords and Gentlemen;

"We have it in command from his majesty to inform you, that the state of public business having enabled him to dispense with your attendance in parliament, he has determined to put an end to this session.

"His majesty, however, cannot close it without expressing his satisfaction at the zeal and assiduity with which you have prosecuted the laborious and important inquiries in which you have been engaged.

"He has observed, with particular pleasure, the facility with which the restoration of a metallic currency has been effected, by the authority given to the Bank of England to commence its pay.

ments in cash at an earlier period than had been determined by the last parliament.

"His majesty has commanded us to acquaint you, that he continues to receive from foreign powers the strongest assurances of their friendly disposition towards this country.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons;

"We are commanded by his majesty to return you his thanks for the provision which you have made for the public service.

"Although the public expenditure has already undergone considerable reduction within the present year, his majesty trusts he shall be enabled by the continuance of peace, and of internal tranquillity, to make such further reductions as may satisfy the just expectations expressed by parlia

ment.

"His majesty has commanded us to assure you of the gratification which he has derived from the provision which you have made for his royal highness the duke of Clarence.

My Lords and Gentlemen: "It is with the greatest satisfaction that his majesty has observed the quiet and good order which continue to prevail in those parts of the country which were not long since in a state of agitation.

"His majesty deeply laments the distress to which the agricultural interests, in many parts of the kingdom, are still subject.

"It will be his majesty's most anxious desire, by a strict attention to public economy, to do all that depends upon him for the relief of the country from its present difficulties; but you cannot fail to be sensible that the success

of all efforts for this purpose will mainly depend upon the continuance of domestic tranquillity; and his majesty confidently relies on your utmost exertions, in your several counties, in enforcing obedience to the laws, and in promoting harmony and concord amongst all descriptions of his majesty's subjects.'

A commission was then read for proroguing the parliament until the 20th of September; it was afterwards prorogued from time to time by successive proclamations, and did not meet again in the course of the present year,

A proclamation, dated the 9th of June, and inserted in the Gazette on the 12th of that month, appointed the 19th of July for the coronation. Upon this, the Queen addressed a letter to the earl of Liverpool, desiring to be informed what arrangements had been made for her convenience, and who were appointed her attendants on the approaching solemnity. An official answer was returned, stating that it was a right of the Crown to give or withhold the order for her majesty's coronation, and that his majesty would be advised not to give any directions for her participation in the arrangements. The Queen in reply insisted on her right, and declared her firm resolution of attending the ceremony. A respectful, but peremptory answer was returned, re-asserting the legal prerogative of the Crown, and announcing that the former intimation must be understood, as amounting to a prohibition of her attendance. On the 2nd of July, a memorial, bearing date on the 30th of June, was received by the ministers

from her majesty, in which she stated her claim, and demanded to be heard by her counsel in support of it. Her demand was complied with as a matter of grace, not of right. Mr. Brougham and Mr. Denman were heard be fore a committee of the privy council in support of her pretended right, and were replied to by the attorney and solicitor-ge neral. The committee reported, "that as it appeared to them, "that the queens-consort of this "realm are not entitled of right "to be crowned at any time, her "majesty was not entitled as of " right to be crowned at the time "specified in her memorials." This report was, on the 10th of July, approved by the king in council.

After the decision was communicated to her majesty, a correspondence ensued between her and lord Sidmouth, in which she demanded, though without effect, a suitable place to view the ceremony. Lord Hood wrote to the duke of Norfolk, as earl marshal of England, informing him that it was her majesty's intention to be at Westminster-abbey at halfpast eight o'clock on the morning of the 19th, and requesting him to have persons in attendance to conduct her majesty to her seat. The duke of Norfolk referred her majesty to the acting earl marshal, lord Howard of Effingham, who, after laying the subject before lord Sidmouth, informed her, that he could not comply with her commands to appoint a place for her at the coronation. Her majesty also wrote a letter to the archbishop of Canterbury, in which she informed him of her desire to be crowned some days after the king, and before the

arrangements were done away with, so that there might be no additional expense. The archbishop, in his answer, represented, that he could not stir a step in the ceremony, except in consequence of orders from his sovereign.

Early in the morning of the 19th, the queen was so ill-advised, as to present herself, accompanied by lord Hood, at the doors of Westminster-abbey. This step could lead to nothing but unfortunate results. If she obtained admittance, her presence could produce only confusion; if she were excluded, she incurred humiliation; and if that humiliation had been softened by the declared sympathy of the populace, riot and blood-shed might have been the consequence. The door-keepers refused to allow her to enter as Queen; she was coldly received even by the collected mob; and she was forced to submit to the mortification of retiring, without having even succeeded in marring the joyousness of the splendid ceremony. For the particulars of that ceremony, we must refer to a subsequent part of the volume.

This was the last of the many mortifications, which it was the lot of this unfortunate daughter of the House of Brunswick to endure. In the beginning of the month of August, she had complained of some slight indisposition at Drury-lane theatre; she was, however, able to remain till the end of the play. On her return home, she became much worse, and the next day her disorder, which turned out to be an inflammation of the bowels, assumed an alarming appearance. Medical skill attempted in vain to arrest its progress. After a

week's sufferings, during which favourable symptoms occasionally gave hopes of recovery, nature yielded to the malady; and at twenty-five minutes after ten o'clock on the night of the 7th of August, this ill-starred, illadvised, ill-treated, we fear we must add, ill-conducted princess, breathed her last. From the very first she had been impressed with the conviction, that the disease would terminate fatally; and she met her last hour with the same vigorous, elastic, and undaunted spirit, which she had displayed in many of the events of her life. Minute details were published of her behaviour on her death-bed; but none of these were ever authenticated by any name, so as to entitle them to belief, and many of them bore strong intrinsic marks of fiction.

In her will she had directed, that her body should, three days after her death, be carried, without being opened, to Brunswick for interment; and that the inscription upon her coffin should be, "Here lies Caroline of Brunswick, the injured Queen of Eng. land." The government, though they could not comply with the latter injunction, resolved to pay as much deference as possible to the former; the more especially, that the fêtes and rejoicings, which had been prepared by the Irish to welcome the visit of the King to Dublin, could not be begun, till the funeral obsequies were over in England. Accordingly, the funeral was fixed for Tuesday, the 14th of August. On this, a correspondence took place between the ladies of her late majesty's household and the earl of Liverpool and Mr. Hobhouse, under secretary of state.

On Saturday, lady Ann Hamilton and lady Hood wrote to Mr. Hobhouse, stating that they had heard only that afternoon of the preparations for moving the Queen's remains, and that, as it was impossible to complete their mourning dresses before Tuesday night, they could not have it in their power to attend the funeral, unless the time were changed to Wednesday morning. To this Mr. Hobhouse replied, on Sunday morning, by expressing his surprise, that the ladies were not sooner informed of the time appointed, and that he would dispatch their note to lord Liverpool.-In a second note, he stated that he was directed by the earl of Liverpool to apprise their ladyships, that the order for the removal of her majesty's remains on the day fixed was irrevocable; and that their ladyships, if not in readiness to set out then, would probably have no objection to follow, after the procession had proceeded on its route; which was frequent in cases of the like nature. On the receipt of this, lady Hood wrote a second letter to lord Liverpool, again requesting a delay of a couple of days; objecting to the military guard, which had been ordered to attend the funeral, as being likely to produce mischief; and alleging, that, as government had never given the Queen the honor of a military guard during her life, they should suffer the people to pay their last tribute to her without such interference. Lord Liverpool, in his reply, persisted in the orders already given. Lady Hood again exerted her eloquence upon him, and his lordship was obliged to decline any farther communication with her.