The King's Speech at the meeting of Parliament-Amendment to the Address facquiesced in the Lords-The same Amendment rejected by the Commons-Discussions regarding Orange Lodges-Address to the Crown against Secret Societies-The Orange Lodges dissolvedBill to Reform the Irish Municipal Corporations.
N the present year, parliament met on the 14th February, and the king in person opened the session with the following speech:
"My Lords and Gentlemen, "It is with much satisfaction that I again meet the great council of the nation assembled in Parliament. I am ever anxious to avail myself of your advice and assistance, and I rejoice that the present state of public affairs, both at home and abroad, is such as to permit you to proceed without delay or interruption to the calm examination of those measures VOL. LXXVIII.
which will be submitted to your consideration.
"I continue to receive from my Allies, and generally from all Foreign Powers, assurances of their unaltered desire to cultivate with me those friendly relations which it is equally my wish to maintain with them; and the intimate union, which happily subsists between this country and France, is a pledge to Europe for the continuance of the general peace.
"Desirous on all occasions to use my friendly endeavours to remove causes of disagreement between other Powers, I have offered