BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14302, 23 February 1910, Page 7

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

OPENING OF THE SESSION.

THE KING'S SPEECH.

INCREASED COST OF NAVY

POWERS OF THE LORDS

GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS.

■ VAGUE AND AMBIGUOUS.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.— Oopyright.

London, February 21. Fine weather prevailed for the State opening of Parliament. King Edward was accompanied by Queen Alexandra and the Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg..'" His Majesty's Speech from the Throne referred to the friendly relations with foreign Powers, to the South African Union,. and to the Prince of Wales' visit to inaugurate the parliamentary life of the great united Dominion. As the'expenditure authorised by the last Parliament. was provided by taxation there had been temporary borrowing, and arrangements must be made for promptly dealing with the financial situation thus created. The Speech. foreshadowed a substantial .increase in the cost .of the navy, and: a proposal to secure the undivided authority of the House of Commons over finance and its predominance in legislation. " These proposals, in my advisers', opinion," said the King,'" should provide that the Lords will be so constituted and empowered as to exercise impartially in regard to proposed legislation the functions of initiation and revision, arid, subject to safeguards, of delay.