A Hundred Years Ago
" THE SPECTATOR," FEBRUARY era, 1833.
The King's Speech at the formal opening of the Session of Parliament, on Tuesday, has disappointed every body. . . . Many expected that the first Speech to the Reformed Parliament would have been an appropriate commencement of the new order of things ; that it would have contained some information as to the real state of our domestic affairs and foreign policy—some announce- ment of intended reforms and retrenchments in the various departments of Government. . . . This precious document in the first place communicates the novel and interesting intelligence that the war between Don Miev-EL and his brother is not yet at an end ; - and that. the everlasting Belgic question is still unsettled. These two announcements are placed in the very front of the Speech, just as if the People of England needed this information before all other. The good faith and friendly disposition of France is next mentioned.. . . Not a word is said of any reduction of the Estimates, or of any diminution in the weight or improvement in the system of our Taxation. The disturbed state of Ireland forms the last and most important topic of the Speech. Additional means of coercion are required in order to keep down the banditti and insurgents who infest the land, and set the present laws at defiance.
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