IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1025, 16 March 1894, Page 6

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

A forecast of the Queen's speech to be delivered at the opening of Parliament has been published. In it her Majesty states that Great Britain's foreign relations are satisfactory, and regret is expressed at the recent disaster which (( befell the British troops operating against Fodislah on the WesfcUdast of Africa. With regard to the increase in naval defences, it is mentioned that an estimate has been drawn up in which adequate provision is made for an increase, Included in the legislation

be considered. during the session willbe bills , dealing with the following questions : — Local veto,, one-inan-pne-vote, evicted tenants, disestablishment of the Welsh and Scotch churches, local government for Scotland, and the establishment of a board of conciliation. Referenced ?made in the Speech to the improvement in the state of affairs in Ireland.

:i ' - ' - . March 12. The Queen's Speech promises the introduction of a Registration Bill, and makes reference to the parleyings regarding the Russian frontier in Central Asia, and to the convention with China respecting the.Butmesa frontier. Agrarian crime in Ireland has been reduced under the working of the ordinary law to the lowest point known for 15 years. The bills to be introduced include (beside those already mentioned) measures for equalising the rates in London and amendments of the Factory and Mines Acts.

Parliament opened on Monday, and after the Queen's Speech had been read notice was given of the introduction of the principal bills mentioned in the speech.

In the House of Lords the Marquis of Salisbury said that in justice to England and Ireland it was urgent that an early appeal to the country should be made on, the Home Rule question. Lord Rosebery said that recent incidents in Egypt showed that vigilant supervision was necessary in that country for some time. He promised to bring down a bill to enlarge the powers of the London County Council. Referring to the Home Rule question, he said it was not intended to reintroduce the bill this session, but an appeal would be made to the country when the Government considered the time was ripe for such a proceeding. He entirely agreed with Lord Salisbury that before Home Rule was conceded to Ireland, England must be convinced of the justice of the change. He implied that proposals would be brought forward later on for granting Home Rule to Scotland and Wales in order, to relieve the Imperial Parliament,

The Address-in-Reply in the House of Lords was agreed to. In the House of Commons an amendment" to the Address was moved by Mr Howard Vincent, but was negatived by a large majority.

The Times, commenting on Lord Rosebery's speech, says the revolutionary effect of his admission thafc ifc was necessary to convince England of the justice of Ireland's claims for Home Rule dwarfs the rest of the debate and reduces fche agitation against the House of Lords to the rankest absurdity. By his admission Lord Rosebery virtually acquiesced in the arguments of his opponents.

The Daily Telegraph says that both sections of tbe -Irish partj are dissatisfied at Lord Rosebery 's declarations with regard to the Home Rule question. The Welsh party claim second place on the order paper for the Welsh Church Disestablishment Bill.

Lord Roseberry had a great reception at a meeting of the liberal members at the Foreign Ofiice. He spoke in terms of the greatest admiration of Mr Gladstone,and deplored the absence from Parliament of a sublime and pathetic presence which had done much to enrich and enoble the House of Commons. He assured them that the pnlicy of the liberal party would remain unchanged. The honour of England and the peace of the earth would be 'safe in the hands of the Government. He referred to Sir W. V. Harcourt's magnanimous conduct in waiving his claim to the Premiership ancl star ding aside in favor of himself. The disestablishment of the Welsh Church would be pressed to the forefront and pushed to a successful issue. The Ministry were tied to the Irish question by every bond of honour and policy. Mr John Morley's refusal to take a higher place in the Cabinet because he would be dicsevered from the Home Rule struggle indicated the inteutions of the Government. Lord Rosebery went on to explain that his speech on the Home Rule Bill in the House of Lords hacl been misunderstood. The new . Government entirely identified themselves with the late Premier's attitude towards the Upper House, whose revision and rejection of the measures submitted to them was taken as a challenge. A Chamber so constituted was an anomaly and a danger under democratic suffrage. He admitted that his conviction on this question had deepened since the recent unhappy chapter of accidents, and that it would be a great inconvenience to have a premier who did not sit in the Commons, but modern politics had not ye„ demanded that 'no lord need apply.' The Premier finished his address amid prolonged cheers.