The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-22 00:00:00

TH3 OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

PareaseNT opens again on Thursday for the
despatch of the business of the State, and
though there will be no Royal ceremony, as
was awhile age anticipated, the event is one
which will attract much attention, for there
is not a litte legislation of a highly import-
ant character which circumstances have
rendered it pressingly necessary to bring
forwara. The Queen's Speech is awaited
with eager interest, for the country is anxi-
ous to know how Ministers intend to deal
with all the burning questions of current
politics. The address in ieply to the Speech
from the Throne will certainly be an an-
imated one, and there is great danger that
the debate will form the occasion of mortal
combat between the party chiefs. It would
be a pity if the exigencies of party contest
were to cause a change of Ministry and a
General Election jest when Lord Salisbury's
reconstructed Cabinet is turning to the task
of managing the nation's affairs; but no one
eau say how long, in these uncertain times,
an Administration will last. The present
Government, its unprejudiced opponents
even will admit, should be allowed to fairly
and honestly try to overcome the diaculties
which the pnblic feeling of the country has
elected it to grapple with. if, next Thurs-
day, its legislative programme is shown to
be a capable and comprehensive one, it is
raasom.bly entitled to expect the support of
the whole House, both in the Commons and
the Peers. Bat if, on the other hand, the
plans proposed and bills foreshadowed fail to
meet the approval of the majority, Lord
Sal'sbury's second Administration will in-
es itebly fall. Of course everything depends
np,ei whether the Address pleases the pablie
eye. The Premier and the new Leader of
the House of Commons have written whip-
ping up their forces for Thursday night, but
so also have Mr. Gladstone and Lord Gran-
wnile the Irish Nationalists have not
Wen inactive. Hence some circumspection
and diplomacy will be requisite on the part
of her Majesty's advisers in order to enable
them to prepare an Address which will not
be fatally amended. The political parties
'and sections are certainly in a militant mood.
Now one knows exactly how many a member
ihl Tote upon many a question, and the old
hard and fast line which sundered Liberal
sad Tory is beingltramplcd altogether out.
There are the Gladstonians, still true to their
veteran leader; the followers of Mr. Cham-
berlain, Mr. John Bright, and Sir George
Trovelyan, Radicals all, but opposed to the
ex- Premier's Irish schemes ; the Liberal
Unionists of the Sir John Lubbock, Sir
lienry James, Lord Argyll, and Mr. Goschen
order, all at present firmly fixed in their
determination to fight against the promotion
of Irish Autonomy. There are mild Whig
Gladstonians who hold back the moving
• vehicle of reform, and who would not wrench
a Conservative too severely; and there are
Nis, thoroughgoing Gladstonians of the
sweeping sort, as for instance, Mr. Labon-
uhere and Mr. Stansield, not to speak of
Air. Charles Brallaugh. On the other hand,
there art a good many removes in the poli-
tical contour of the creeds held by those
asur.lly found sitting and voting on Lord
talisbury's side. There is the old compact
Tory body which follows the Premier's lead;
and apart therefrom, though every effort to
preukote. unity has been tried, there is also
the younger body which still sees a leader in
Lord Randolph Churchill, and this section
will certainly be to reckon with. Then the
baud-in-hand movement of the Liberal
Unionist combination and the Government
mon is perplexing; and last, not least, there
te also the solidly-moving Irish body behind
it. Parnell. The question is whether all
thee kweming discordant elements can be so
eontrolled and arranged that a dead-lock
atom not occur. It is to be hoped so; but we
see no possibility of such a desideratum un-
less by mutual agreement. Controversial
twitter will have to be eliminated as much as
possible, and urgent legislation only pros
seeded with, andt that by a way in which
parties aro not hopelessly at issue. Of
course, as it was last year, the greatest
question of all is that of the affairs of Ire-
land. Al sections of politicians have
arr:ved at the convi( tion that something
will h.ive to be ,_lone without delay ;
led I:, is to be hoped the unsettled tate
of t will not be permitted to con-
,. inue while the political doctors are disagree-
ing as to what remedy is most suitable to
Apply. Lawlessness and wholesale evictions
)f a sensational sort cannot be puenitted to
eofitinae ; neither can such a condition of
icy a 3 will not assure amicable I-Elation:3
wstween and ord and tenant. If the whole
system w 1101,161 es in Ireland be ba,-;ecl on
au unjust foundation, as is alleged, then
riovernment, not at.it dors wielding the
WespOn of the Plan of Campaign, ought to
set taesgs riot. It the I-, nts are not unfair,
And tenants seek to shirk their obligations,
.shea the law ought to sus: ain the landlord
;..k his claim for what is his due. Coercion
wanted—coercion of the bast sort—which
compel both landlord and tenant to keep
their daty to each Other—starting always
ona the foundation of ri.:ht. That some
)lution of this ever-enduring Irish diffi-
-11 ti will be hit upon in the Session opening
set "L'hursday all are earnestly desiring, so
At the legislation way shall be clear again
r the progreAsion of titer matters of
: eiperial import. First among subjeets
.seti:e.; to tit...-. fr ait ar Procedure Rules,
t give the House of Coinmon.s a greater
o.pe.i its business ; an I tl.en follow many
• ,Lostieres of local government and land re-
' .ria which have been shelved for a time, as
fugoisie sposooted with dr sontrel of