Miscellany: Proroguing Of Parliament--The Way They Do It

Liverpool, August 19, 1842. On Friday last, August 12, the Queen went in Btate, to prorogue parliament- that is to read a speech which Sir R. Peel had written, and then submitted to her majesty, pro forma. The House of Lords, [which alone has been honored with the visits of royalty since the time of the Stuarts,] was very handsouiely fitted up on the occasion.About two, the Queen enterca the Housp, preceded by the pursui"ants, and handed in by prince Albeft and escorted by the lord cliancellor, the duke of Buccleugh, the earl of Shaftsbuy, and the duke of Wellington, respectfully bearing the great seal, which, by the way, is a silver mould or box, into which a Bort of white brown resinous wax is poured, taking two impressions on each 6de, the cap of maintenance, and the sword of state. It is I think as lord high constable of England, that the duke of Wellington carries the sword of 6tate, which is a very cumbrous weapon, about five feet long, with a handle of carved solid gold, and in a sheath of wood covered with crimson velvet and gold hands. When the Queen was seated she rose bowed to all in the House, who all reina ined standing, and said "your lordships will be seated!" On this, all eat down. The chan collor, then, in his beautifully clear voice which time hae spared as yet, called on Sir Augustus ClifFord, usher of the Black Rod, to summon the Commons. ¦That is done in this manner. The usher, fwhose place is worth as rauch as that of the President of the United States,) gives three knocks at the door of the commons, and with 6ot formalities, announces that their attendonce is required by the Qi;een in the Upper House, The summons puts an em! to all businessmand the Speaker, in monstrous wig and cumbrous robes, shuffles out of the House into the Lords, with a lotofCommnns at his back . The Lords affect to look down on the Comtnons, and therefore wear their hate at a conference, while the others are quite uncovered, and stand, the lords sitting. There, too, when the Commons attend in the Upper Houses, no seats are prepared for them, but they must eet what standing places they can at their lordship's bar. Henee arises shuffling, squeezing, pushing, scrambling, kicking, and cursing- for good places! -While this is going on it is like ihc struggle at the pit door on the nig-lït of some very popular actress taking her benefit. The tumul is gfreat while it lasts, the Queon remain stiffly seated on the throne - trying not t 6mile at thë ludicrous scène passing under lie very nose. Wiiliam the Fourth used some times to laugh out most heartily. George the Fourth often said it was "as good as a play' to see "the fun " V7hen the Commons scram bied into the House, with Munners Suttona ;heir head looking as solid as au owJ 3eorge the Third wou ld suy to the peer next ïim. "What! what! the Commons pushing for places? Eh! Eh! hunting even in ;his House?" When Shaw Lefcvre and his awkward quads had at length got places ai the bar,' hé the sp ;nker) addressed the Queen in a set peech recapitulaling1 the business of the sesiori, and bringing up their last money bil], for aisirig upwards of nine million pounds sterling by exchequer bilis, for the year 1842 and also an act for appropriuting all this money, "lo which," quoth he, "n all humility we pray your majetíty tvill be pleased to give your royal assent,A:cordingly ehe was pleased to ?ive the royai assem to thede nnd other bilis, tlio chief f'orm being to touch them vith her sreptre while a clerk exclaims in barbamus Norman French that the Queen consents to such and such Jaws. On this occasion 13 billa were tbus duly "accep'tèd" by her majesty. This done - and tiíesonie enough it sas (he formalities are u'nnieaning and tedious - Jord chancellor Lyndhurst knelt on one knee, and handed the Queen the speech, fairly written on a 6heet of paper in letters fully half an inch long. The speech lïaving been handed to the Queen she read it in a clear, loud tone, and with due emphasis Indeed, the Queen reads very wel!. For my own part, I fancy that women ahvays do read bctter than men because their voíces aro more distinct. When the Queen had ended, the lord chancellar, in her name, declared the prorogatiun of Parliament until Thursday, Oct. 6. After this the Queen returned to the palacc, Ioudly checred by the populace in thé streets, and afterwards to Windsor. where ehe continúes. The Lords separated, and on the Commons returnng to their House, the Speaker told them, (what tney all knew beföre,) that Parliament was prorougued, wberetipon they all went about their business. So ended the session.