nfidence which his present
situation demanded." He added, that he trusted the experience of the
past would satisfy all classes of his people, that it would ever be his
desire to promote their prosperity and happiness, as well as to maintain
unimpaired the religion, laws, and liberties of the kingdom. This
declaration, at the request of the council, was made public; and on
Monday, the 31st of January, the king was proclaimed, first, under the
portico of the palace, and then at various stations throughout his good
city of London. On the same day the members of parliament were sworn in,
and they adjourned to the 17th of February. In the meantime, however,
alarming reports arose concerning his majesty's health. He was attacked
by a severe inflammation of the chest, which had lately proved fatal to
his brother; and his physicians were in doubt about the result. Their
forebodings, however, proved groundless; after the lapse of a week he
was declared out of danger, although it was a considerable time before
his health was re-established.

DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT.

According to the principles of the British constitution, the demise of
the crown is followed by a dissolution of parliament within the next
six months. On the meeting of parliament a royal message announced an
immediate design of calling a new parliament, and invited them to concur
in the necessary arrangements for carrying on the public service during
the interval, Loyal addresses, suitable to the occasion, were voted
_nem. con._; and next day ministers obtained a pledge that the desired
measure for the wants of government should be adopted. When the
requisite votes of money were proposed, however, Mr. Hume, that
pertinacious interrogator, took occasion to ask a very embarrassing
question. In the necessary alteration of the form of prayer for the
royal family, by his majesty's command, the name of the queen was
omitted. Mr. Hume desired to know whether any provision was to be made
for her as queen? As Princess of Wales, her former allowance had of
course ceased on the death of the late king: was she, as Queen of Great
Britain, to be left to wander in beggary through foreign lands? or
would parliament make a suitable provision for the maintenance of her
dignified station? Lord Castle-reagh endeavoured to evade this subject,
and to elude an acknowledgment of the queen's title, by stating that the
"exalted personage" should suffer no pecuniary difficulties. In