by the Lord Chancellor. He then lays claim, on behalf of the Commons, to their ancient rights and privileges, which being confirmed, he retires with the Commons from the bar of the Lords. Nearly the same ceremonies take place on the election of a new Speaker, when a vacancy occurs by death or retirement in the course of the Session. The Members of both Houses next take the oaths of allegiance, Supremacy, and abjuration, or rather the consolidated oath, which is now substituted for those oaths, as prescribed by law. In the Upper House, the Lord Chancellor first takes the oath singly at the table. The Clerk of the Court delivers a certificate of the return of the Representative Peers of Scotland, the Garter King-at-arms, the Roll of the Lords Temporal, after which the Lords present take and subscribe the oath. Peers who have been newly created by letters-patent present their patents to the Lord Chancellor; are introduced in their robes between two other peers of equal dignity, preceded by the Usher of the Black Rod and Garter King-at-arms, and conducted to their places. The same ceremony is performed in the case of peers who have received a writ of summons— a necessary formality when a Member of the House of Commons succeeds to a peerage. A Bishop of the Church is introduced by two other Bishops, without the formalities observed by Temporal Lords. Representative Bishops of Ireland take their seats without any particular ceremony. Peers by descent have a right to take their seats without introduction; peers by special limitation in remainder have to be introduced. In the House of Commons, the Speaker first subScribes the oath, standing on the upper step of the chair, and is followed by the other Members. The latter are then introduced to the Speaker by the Clerk of the House. Members returned on new writs during the progress of the session, after taking the oath, are introduced between two members. They must bring a certificate of their return from the Clerk of the Crown. The oaths are required to be taken in a full House, with the Speaker in the chair—in the Commons, between the hours of nine and four. The presence of a Commission constitutes a full House. On the demise of the Crown, the oaths must be taken anew in both Houses. When the greater part of the members of both Houses have been sworn, the causes of calling the Parliament are declared by the Queen, either in person or by Commission. In the event of the declaration being made in person, the Sovereign pro ceeds in State to the House of Lords, and commands Black Rod to inform the Commons “that it is her Majesty's pleasure that they attend her immediately in this House.” Black Rod proceeds to the House of Commons, and formally commands their attendance, on which the Speaker and the Members go up to the bar of the House of Lords, and the Sovereign reads her speech, which is delivered to her by the Lord Chancellor, kneeling on one knee. When Parliament is opened by Commission, the Sovereign not being personally present, the Lord Chancellor reads the Royal speech to both Houses. Immediately after this is done, the House is adjourned during pleasure; but both Houses are resumed in the afternoon, for the purpose of voting an address in answer to the speech from the Throne. In each House, it is common to begin business by reading some bill pro forma, in order to assert the right of deliberating without reference to the immediate cause of summons. The Royal speech is then read, and an address moved in answer to it. Two members in each House are chosen by the Ministry to move and second the address. The preparation of the address is referred to a Select Committee : it is twice read, may be amended, and, when finally agreed on, it is ordered to be presented to the Sovereign ; and the ceremony of the opening of Parliament is then at an end. Since 1860, the year preceding the death of the Prince Consort, Parliament was not opened again in Grand State until 1877, when her Majesty revived the magnificent pageant with great effect. THE ROYAL PROCESSION was formed at Buckingham Palace in the following order: A carriage drawn by six bays, conveying the Gentlemen Ushers, and the Exon of the Yeomen of the Guard. A carriage drawn by six bays, conveying Pages of Honour, Groom in Waiting, and a Gentleman in Waiting to Her Royal Highness Princess Louise. A carriage drawn by six bays, conveying the Field Officer in Brigade Waiting, the Silverstick, the Comptroller of the Household, and the Equerry in Waiting. A carriage drawn by six bays, conveying the Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, the Clerk Marshal, the Treasurer of the Household, and a Lord in Waiting. A carriage drawn by six bays, conveying the Keeper of the Privy Purse, Ladies in Waiting to Their Royal Highnesses Princess Beatrice and Princess Louise, and Gold Stick. A carriage drawn by six blacks, Master of the Horse. The Queen's Footmen. cream-coloured horses, conveying Life Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, Life Guards Her Royal Highness Princess Louise, Guards (Marchioness of Lorne), and HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN. The Queen was conducted to her carriage by the Lord Chamberlain and the Vice Chamberlain, and was received by a Guard of Honour of the Grenadier Guards, with the band of the regiment playing the National Anthem. The Queen wore a black velvet dress, with a train trimmed with miniver and crape, and a long white tulle veil, surmounted by the crown in diamonds. Her Majesty also wore a necklace and earrings of large diamonds, the Koh-i-Noor as a brooch, the Riband and Star of the Order of the Garter, and the Victoria and Albert Order. Equerry in Waiting. A detachment of the First Life Guards. The Great Officers of State and others assembled at the Peers' entrance of the House of Lords and received her Majesty upon alighting from the State carriage, when the procession moved in the following order : Pursuivants. |