ple, my hope of a successful administration cannot be founded on any past experience. But confiding that the limitations, on the exercise of the royal authority, deemed necessary for the present, have been approved by the two houses only as a temporary measure, founded on the loyal hope, in which I ardently participate, that his majesty's disorder may not be of long duration, and trusting in the mean while, that I shall receive a zealous and united support in the two houses, and in the nation, proportioned to the difficulty attending the discharge of my trust in this interval, I will entertain the pleasing hope, that my faithful endeavours to preserve the interests of the King, his crown, and people, may be successful."

While the two houses of the legislature of Great Britain were thus employed in framing limitations and re

strictions, to fetter the power of the Prince Regent, and cramp the exercise of the royal authority within narrower bounds than any sovereign of the country had ever submitted to, the parliament of Ireland pursued a very differeat course, and it was agreed by both houses, though not without considerable opposition, and very spirited protests being entered upon the journals, that the regency of the kingdom of Ireland should be conferred on his royal highness the Prince of Wales, during the continuance of his majesty's indisposition. An address to that effect was accordingly prepared, and the lord lieutenant (the Marquis of Buckingham) was requested to convey it to England, but refused to do so, under the impression that his official duty, and the oath he had taken as chief governor of Ireland, obliged him to decline transmitting such a document.

The two houses of parliament, upon this, passed a vote of censure upon the conduct of the lord lieutenant, and appointed delegates from each house, with the Duke of Leinster, the first peer of Ireland, at their head, to wait upon the Prince of Wales, with the following address, which was presented to his royal highness on the 27th of February.

"To his royal highness George Prince of Wales.

"The humble address of the lords spiritual and temporal, and knights, citizens, and burgesses, in parliament assembled.

66 May it please your royal highness,

"We his majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons of Ireland in parliament assembled, beg leave to approach your royal highness, with hearts full of the most loyal and affec

tionate attachment to the person and government of your royal father, and to express the deepest and most grateful sense of the numerous blessings which we have enjoyed under that illustrious house, whose accession to the throne of these realms has established civil and constitutional liberties upon a basis which, we trust, will never be shaken ; and at the same time, to condole with your royal highness upon the grievous malady, with which it has pleased heaven to afflict the best of sovereigns.

"We have, however, the consolation of reflecting, that this severe calamity hath not been visited upon us, until the virtues of your royal highness have been so matured, as to enable your royal highness to discharge the duties of an important trust, for the performance whereof, the eyes of all his majesty's subjects of both kingdoms are directed to your royal highness.

"We therefore humbly beg leave to request, that your royal highness will be pleased to take upon you the government of this realm, during the continuance of his majesty's present indisposition, and no longer; and under the style and title of prince regent of Ireland, in the name and on the behalf of his majesty, to exercise and administer, according to the laws and constitution of this kingdom, all regal powers, jurisdictions, and prerogatives, to the crown and government thereof belonging."

To this address, so conformable to the frank, generous, and liberal temper of the Irish nation, and so honourable to the Prince of Wales, for the confidence which it reposed in his character and principles, his royal highness returned the following answer. "MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,