whom we remarked Mr. Canning in his robes, as an English Minister. Near the large tribune of the diplomatic body, places were prepared for the Count de Diepholtz (the Duke of Cambridge) and his suite. M. de Diepholtz betrayed his incognito by the dignity of his person, his brilliant uniform of Lieutenant General, and by the grand ribbon of the Order of the Garter. At one o'clock the Peers of France entered in their grand robes of state. This is the first time they had assumed them in public sitting; it consists of a cloak bordered with ermine, over their ordinary dress, and a hat of Henry IV. Six guards de la Manche were placed behind the throne; the elegance of their new uniform was very remarkable. In place of the gold-laced hat, a cocked hat has been substituted, adorned with feathers. About two o'clock salvoes of artillery, and acclamations from without, announced the arrival of the King. His Majesty was received by two deputations, one of five Peers, and the other of twenty-five Deputies, and rested a few minutes in the saloon of the President. The entrance of the King into the ball excited the most lively enthusiasm. Cries of" Vive le Roi! Vivent les Bourbons!" burst from every quarter, and were frequently repeated. His Majesty having ascended the throne, his Royal Highness Monsieur took his place on the right, the Duke of Angouleme on the left, and the second place on the right was occupied by the Duke of Berry. The three Princes were in the costume of Peers. The Prince de Talleyrand, Grand Chamberlain, M. the Chancellor of France, M. the Marquis de Dreux-Breze, Master of the Ceremonies, occupied their accustomed places. The benches at the foot of the Throne were occupied by the Ministers, the Marshals, the Ministers of State, and the Counsellors of State. The King uncovered, and saluted the Assembly. He invited the Peers to be seated. The same invitation was transmitted to the Deputies by the Chancellor of France. The spectators sat down without any invitation.

The King, being covered, delivered the following speech :

"Gentlemen,-In opening this new Session, it is extremely agreeable to me to have to rejoice with you on the benefits which Divine Providence has deigned to bestow upon my people and upon me. Tranquillity reigns throughout the kingdom: the amicable dispositions of the foreign Sovereigns, and the exact observance of treaties, guarantee to us peace without; and if a senseless enterprise has for ar instant caused alarm re

lative to our interior tranquillity, it has only served to elicit a further proof of the attachment of the Nation, and of the fidelity of my Army. My personal happiness has been increased by the union of one of my children (for you know my brother's are mine) with a young Princess, whose amiable qualities, seconding the attentions of my family, promise me a happy old age; and will give, I trust, to France, new pledges of prosperity, by confirming the order of succession, the first basis of this monarchy, and without which no State can be in safety. To these blessings, it is true, there are annexed real pains. The intemperance of the season has delayed the harvest my people suffer, and I suffer more than they do; but I have the consolation of being able to inform you, that the evil is but temporary, and that the produce will be sufficient for the consumption. Great charges are unhappily still necessary: I shall order to be laid before you a faithful statement of the expences that are indispensable, and of the means of meeting them. The first of all is economy. I have already made it operative in all parts of the administration, and I labour without ceasing to make it still more so. Always united in sentiment and intention, my family and myself will make the same sacrifices this year as the last and for the rest, I rely upon your attachment, and your zeal for the good of the State, and the bonour of the French name. continue with more activity than ever my negociations with the Holy See; and I have a confidence that their happy termination will restore perfect peace to the Church of France. this is not all; and you will be of opinion with me, no doubt, that we ought -not to restore to Divine Worship that splendour which the piety of our fathers had bestowed upon it (that would unfortunately be impossible), but-to ensure to the Ministers of our holy religion an independent income, which shall place them in a condition to be able to follow the steps of Him of whom it is said, that He did good wherever He went. Attached by our conduct, as we are in heart, to the divine precepts of Religion, let us be also attached to that Charter which, without touching any dogma, ensures to the faith of our fathers the pre-eminence that is due; and which, in the civil order, guarantees to all a wise liberty, and to each, the peaceful enjoyment of his rights, of his condition, and of his property. I will never suffer any attack to be made upon that fundamental law my Ordonnance of the 5th of September sufficiently shows it.

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But

In fine, Gentlemen, let all hatreds cease; let the children of the same country, I dare add, of the same father, be really a people of brothers; and from our past evils, let there remain to us only a sad but useful recollection. Such is my object; and to attain it, I rely upon your co-operation; but above all, upon that frank and cordial confidence, the sole solid basis of an union so necessary between the three branches of the Legislature. Rely also upon the same dispositions in me; and let my people be well assured of my unshaken firmness in repressing the efforts of malevolence, and in restraining the impulse of a too ardent zcal."

The Speech being read, the Peers, the Deputies, and the whole Assembly, rose amid shouts of Vive le Roi! Vivent la Famille Royale! M. Laine, Minister of the Interior, called upon all the Deputies in succession, and each of them took the oath severally.

"I swear to be faithful to the King, to obey the constitutional charter and laws of the realm, and to conduct myself in every thing as becomes a loyal Deputy of the Departments."

The chancellor then formally closed the sitting.

An Ordinance of the King, dated Nov. 5, states as follows:-"The Princes of our family and of our blood, who are now in France, are authorised to take in the Chamber of Peers, during the present Session, the rank and seats which belong to them by right of birth.”

Both Chambers have voted addresses to the King, in reply to his speech: the Address of the Deputies is a moderate and sensible production, and augurs well with regard to the future proceedings of that important Assembly. His Majesty most warmly thanked the Chamber, and requested they would lose no time in entering upon the discussion of the Budget. That important subject was brought before the Chamber on the 14th, by M. Corvetto, Minister of Finance. Under the present circumstances of France, it would be unreasonable to look for a very favourable report of its financial state. When, however, it is considered through what scenes that kingdom has of late years been doomed to pass, the picture of its resources presented on this occasion by the Minister of Finance may on the whole be deemed as by no means bearing a very discouraging complexion. The instalments to the Allies have all been regularly paid, as have also their own Annuitants and Stockholders; their funds have maintained a fair price; public works

are still carrying on; and even the sciences have not been neglected. The Minister states, however, that in consequence of so many demands an arrear of upwards of eighty-three millions of francs is to be provided for in the Supplies for 1817. The whole Budget for 1817 is 1,088,294,957 francs, about 47 millions of English money, exceeding that of 1816 by the sum of 248,699,296 francs. The Minister thus concludes his Report :-" Peace is restored to us. If the price be onerous, it does not equal that which the perpetuity of war and perils, in which we have been engaged for 25 years, would incur. At least the effusion of blood is stopped. Our youth breathe again. Our commerce is not harassed with exactions. Its channels are no longer obstructed. It no longer dreads monopolies; and if we suffer still, the term of our distresses is known. Thus our present position is more tolerable than that which preceded it."

Pasquier has been chosen by the King President of the Chamber of Deputies, and took the Chair, for the first time, on Wednesday the 15th inst.

There was a public sitting of the Chamber of Deputies on the 19th; when the President reported the presentation of the Address to the King. The Count de Marcellus addressed the Assembly, for the purpose of stating that he opposed the wording of the address in the Secret Committee, particularly with regard to the liberties of the Gallican Church; and he was going on to say something about the pending treaty with the Pope, when he was interrupted, on the ground of his being altogether irregular. Some disorder ensued; and another Member, M. Clanzel de Coussergues, also declared that he had op posed the Address. It seems a little, whimsical, that after the address had been presented there should arise a dispute about the wording of it; but, it appears, some of the Journals had stated that the address was agreed to unanimously, which these gentlemen were de termined to prove. was not the fact. This little incident serves to shew the sort of spirit which actuates some of the Members of the Chamber.

Preliminary conferences have commenced at the office for Foreign Affairs, with the Ministers of Austria, Russia, France, and Prussia, for the execution of the measures already agreed upon at Vienna, relative to the Abolition of the Slave Trade; including a general system of defence against the Barbary Powers

The Council of Revision at Paris have

annulled

annulled the decision of the Council of War as to its incompetence to try Gen. Grouchy (absent), and sent the case back for trial.

Lieut.-general Baron Ameil has been convicted, in his absence, by the first permanent Council of War, of treason against the King on the 23d March, 1815, and sentenced to death.

The occupiers of land in France pay their part of the contributions to the Allies, by a tax of eight shillings and fourpence an acre per annum (British currency), in regular monthly instalments; and a considerable sum is raised by a smail stamp duty upon all postingbills, hand-bills, shop cards, &c.

Letters from Madrid, of the 2d inst. mention a change of Ferdinand's ministry, without giving any reasons for the measure. Don Pedro Cevallos, it appears, has been succeeded by Pizarro, late Spanish envoy at Berlin, and at one time a Minister under the Cortes. The new Minister is considered as an energetic man; but it is extremely dubious, whether any change will take place in the debased system by which Spain is now governed.-The new Queen of Spain is placed at the head of an Order of noble Ladies formed by the Ex-Queen, under the name of the Royal Order of Maria Louisa-her name.

Letters from Oporto mention that the equinox has set in with immense rains, beating down and causing the grapes to rot; added to which, the scantiness and inferiority of this year's vintage has created great distress in the wine districts.

Lord Beresford's late visit to the Brazils, from which he has recently returned to Lisbon, appears to have been the consequence of a misunderstanding between him and the Portuguese Regency. The latter, knowing the advantage of pre-occupying the royal ear with the first story, sent out a commis, sion before his Lordship's departure; but the winds favoured the latter, and

he arrived at the Brazils a day or two before his opponents had an interview with the Sovereign, and settled every thing to his satisfaction.

ITALY.

Sir Thomas Laurence, Mr. Fuseli, and Mr. Flaxman, have been elected members of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture at Rome.

So perfect is the tranquillity of the Mediterranean in consequence of Lord Exmouth's victory at Algiers, that all the vessels of the petty states of Italy are to resume the colours of their nation, under severe penalties: they were formerly allowed, for safety, to sail under British colours.

GERMANY.

The new Empress of Austria left Mu nich for Vienna, on the 5th instant.

We learn from Vienna, that, at the request of the new Empress, the fetes ordered on the occasion of the Imperial marriage have been countermanded in consequence of the distress of the people; and that the sums destined to be laid out upon them are to be applied to the relief of the indigent.

It is reported in Germany, that Miss Caroline Murat, the eldest daughter of the late King Joachim, is about to espouse a Hungarian nobleman. She brings him three millions of dowry furnished by her mother.

We have this month to announce the death of the King of Wurtemberg, at Stutgard, on the morning of the 30th of October, in his 62d year. (See p. 471.) His death seems to have been very sudden; as letters from Stuttgard mention his having given audience, on the 24th, to President Von Baumbeck, who demanded the hand of his Majesty's niece, the Princess Amelia, for the hereditary Prince of Saxe Hildburghausen. He is succeeded by the Crown Prince, now in his 36th year, the offspring of his first union, lately married to the Duchess of Oldenburgh, who was happily delivered of a princess the day after the decease of her father-in-law. The Dowager Queen of Wurtemberg, it is expected, will speedily return to England. Her Majesty has been long in a bad state of health.

The deceased King of Wurtemberg left the Queen Dowager (our Princess Royal) two palaces and a house at Ludwigsberg; but passed over in his will his son Prince Paul, and Princess Catherine his daughter (Jerome Bonaparte's wife).-Jerome and the Princess have been both invited to reside at Stuttgard by the present King, but declined the offer. They are now living with Murat's widow in Austria.

The

tion can no more control the state of Europe, than it can the state of the elements."-Very extensive fires have taken place in the woods, particularly in the district of Maine, the county of Oxford, including the towns of Paris, Albany, Bethel, &c. New Hampshire has greatly suffered. Europeans can have little idea of extensive districts being on fire, carrying destruction for 20 and 30 miles. These papers (state, that the atmosphere was darkened at such a distance at sea, that several ship wrecks had taken place on the coast: two near Boston.

The Achilles, from London to New York, with 180 passengers on board, put into Philadelphia on the 20th of September. She sailed from Ireland a few months ago with nearly 300 emigrants on board; and, being 18 weeks on her passage, her provisions were nearly exhausted before she reached her destination the consequence was, that about 100 of these unfortunate emigrants were obliged to be put on shore at Cape May, in a most miserable plight. The remainder were landed at Philadelphia in a distressed situation. Some of the emigrants are represented to have been so reduced to poverty and wretchedness, that they were actually dying in the

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streets.

The running of the boundary lines between the British and American settlements continues: the Americans claim all the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay, as well as Grand Manan. The Commissioners are to meet finally, to adjust the claims, at Boston, in May next.

From Jamaica we have important intelligence; viz. an official communication from the Spanish authorities at Carthagena to Admiral Douglas, notifying that the blockade of that port had been taken off. The trade between our Colonies and the Spanish main is now open, on condition that all foreigners concerned in that trade shall carry it on through Spanish consignees and agents.

Accounts from Buenos Ayres to the 27th of August, state, that Artigas and the Buenos Ayres Government had been brought to a compromise by the threatened Portuguese invasion. The affairs of the Independents altogether wear rather an auspicious appearance.

The Thais sloop of war, arrived at Portsmouth last week, left St. Helena on the 30th of September, when Buonaparte was well; but it is reported, that as bis displeasure with the Governor, Sir Hudson Lowe, continued, all access to him by strangers, or communication with his residence, was eut off. It is

stated, that when he was informed by Sir Hudson, that Government had ordered the reduction of his allowance from 20,000l. to 8,000l. per annum for himself and establishment, he instantly requested that an armourer from one of the regiments might be sent to him, to strike off the eagles and other Imperial emblems from his plate, estimated worth nearly 20,000l.; being determined to dispose of all that part of his property. It is said, that he wishes by these means to make himself independent of the British Government; and that, in future, he will never make any application for money, but live on his own resources. His suite receive their regular allowances from Government.

"Montreal, Oct. 5.-At length we have authentic accounts relating to the expedition of Lord Selkirk: they are very important, as many ex parte details have been published-his taking Fort William by storm, making all the partners of the North-West Company prisoners, &c.; but the cause of the expedition has never been explained. The Canadian Company puts it in a very clear point of view:-Mr. R. Semple, the Governor General for the Hudson's Bay Company on the Red River, towards the close of 1815, took possession of two establishments belonging to the North West Company, which had obtruded themselves on the territory of the Hudson's Bay Company. The North West traders then altered their route, going into the Upper country by circuitous ways, by which much delay took place; and in order to try Mr. Semple, they sent two cart-loads of provisions by the former tract in June last, with a guard of 50 men; the advance, 22 of the number, fell in with a native, whom they took forward with them to prevent discovery. The rear-guard passed within four miles of the settlement; they were perceived by the Governor, and were attacked by a party from the garrison, consisting of about 30 soldiers; an engagement took place, stated on the 19th of June. Mr. Semple and 21 of his men were killed; the rest of his forces returned, defeated, to the fort. It was on this account that the expedition of Lord Selkirk was undertaken, The manner of Lord Selkirk's conducting the expedition we do not justify; nor indeed can we form any opinion on the subject without further authentic details. It is, however, but justice to say, that the Hudson's Bay Company have rights, and are a chartered Company; the Northwest Traders, though a most respectable body, are only an Association of Merchants."

COUNTRY