OPENING OF THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 14308, 5 March 1910, Page 8

OPENING OF THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

TIIK INITIAL CEREMON lES. {liy fable to the Independent Press Cable Company of Australia.] The third Parliament of the reign of King Edward VII, arsernblcd to commence tho business of it* first session at Westminster at 2 p.m. on February 16. The business. was of a' pnroly formal charactor, and four days were to be occupied in the swearing-in of mom hers and effecting the usual organisation of parties. Though tho assembly of the ilouses was not convened till two o’clock, the doors, in accordance with custom, wore opened at midnight, and all through the early hours of tho forenoon there was the customary rush of tho 670 members of the House of Commons to secure tho best seats in tho Chamber. The stampede being over, the Yoomon of tho Guard, who wore gorgeous scarlet and gold Elizabethan uniforms, went through the custom of searching the vaults of Parliament Hons© for any explosives that might have, been secreted. As two o'clock approached, an enormous crowd began to gather in the streets near Westminster to watch members arrive. Notable politicians were eagerly looked for, and tho Chancellor of the Ex- . chequer (the Right Hon. D. Lloydi George) wa« so enthusiastically greeted that it took a strong squad of police to get him in safety from his official residence to the House. The Prime Minister, being more apprehensive concerning the euf- . fragetles, who were pretty, prominently in oA-idenre in the throng, took no such risks as the Chancellor, but went across from his official residence by way of an , underground passage which, is provided Iter such emergencies. The Right, Hon. (’Winston Churchill drove up in a cab with i his wife, and was also warmly welcomed, i Mr A. J. Balfour (Leader of tho Opposi- : tion) received a decidedly chilly reception, | either becaus© his party was beaten at the poll, or because supporters of the Liberal party predominated in tho crowd j about tiic entrance of Parliament House. Mr Joseph Chamberlain mad© a dramatic in the House. He wtui aaastej by hi* son (Mr Austen Chamberlain) and 1 Lord Morpeth. His appearance was de- | cidedly touching. Hosting on a stick, j with his head bowed, he repeated the j oath in a low voice., and when his name ; was added to tho roll ho placed a cross j against it. When ho took his seat on tho . front bench, and again when he took tho I I oath, -few -was loudly cheered. (