The Express.
London, England, 1865-02-07 00:00:00

OPENING

PARLIAMENT
(THIS DAY.)

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.

This afternoon Parliament was opened for the
seventh session by royal commission, without any
of those adjuncts of oeremoay and display which
formerly distinguished that event in the public
mind, the Sovereign being again absent.

Outside the Houses of ilarliament a considerable
number of persons assembled, in spite of the rain,
to witness the arrival of the members of the legis-
lature.

Shortly after 1 o'clock, forty or fifty mem-
bers of the House of Commons were seen
scattered about the lower house exchanging
salutations. Among them were Col. French, Mr.
White, Mr. W. Jackson, Col. Gilpin, Mr. Vincent
Scully, Sir H. Willoughby, Mr. G. P. Bentinak,
Mr. Haliburtou, Sir H. Stracy, Sir James Duke,
Mr. Baines, Sir J. Trelawny, Col. Edwards, Lord
Robert Montague, Mr. W. R. Crawford, Mr. John
Locke, Sir C. Doughts, Mr. Fenwick, Mr. Marsh,
Mr. Watkin, &c.

The Speaker took the chair at half-past 1, and
shortly after the House was summoned with the
usual forms to the House of Lords to hear the
Royal Speech.
The House of Lords, as already intimated, pre-
sented nothing whatever in the nature of spectacle.
The back row of benches on the opposition aide
of the house and one or two immediately
in front of it were occupied by ladies
in plain morning dress, and the strangers,
gallery was comfortably filled ; but, up to
20 minutes to 2, only one peer, the Earl of Dal-
housie, was visible. When the ceremony of
opening Parliament was performed there were only
five or six peers besides the Commissioners, and
among them were the Archbishop of York, and the
Bishops of Ripon and Ely, on the Episcopal Bench.
At 2 o'clock the Lord Chancellor, as the chief
Royal Commissioner, took his seat on the wool-
sack, the other representatives of her Majesty
who accompanied him and sat with him being the
Duke of Somerset, Lord Stanley of Alderley,
Viscount Sydney, and the Earl of St. Germans.
The following Royal Speech was then read by
the Lord Chancellor :

"My LORDS AtD Giztrizumr,
___

"We are commanded to assure you that her
Majesty has great satisfaction in recurring again
to the advice and assistance of her Parliament.

"The negotiations in which the Emperor of
Austria and the King of Prussia were engaged with
the King of Denmark were brought to a conclu-
sion by a Treaty of Peace; and the communications
which her Majesty receives from foreign powers
lead her to ent'rtain a well-founded hope that no
renewed disturbance of the pease of Europe is to
be apprehended.
" The civil war in North America still unhappily
continues. Her Majesty remains steadfastly neu-
tral between the contending parties, and would re-
joice at a friendly reconciliation between them.
"A Japanese Daimio in rebellion against his
sovereign infringed the rights accorded by treaty
to Great Britain and to certain other Powers ; and
the Japanese government having failed to compel
him to desist from his lawless proceedings, the
diplomatic agents and the naval commanders of
Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the
United States of North America, undertook a
combined operation for the purpose of asserting
the right, which their respective governments have
obtained by treaty. That operation has been
attended with complete success ; and the result
has afforded security for foreign commerce and
additional strength to the government of Japan,
with which the relations of her Majesty are
friendly.
" Papers on this subject will be laid before you.
" Her Majesty regrets that the conflict with some
of the native tribes in New Zealand has not yet
been brought to a close, but the suocessful efforts at
her Majesty's regular forces, supported by those
raised in the colony, have led to the submission of
some of the insurgents ; and those who are still in
arms have been informed of the equitable condi-
tions on which their submission would be accepted.
"Her Majesty has had great satisfaction in
giving her sanction to the meeting of a conference
of delegates from her several North American pro-
vinces, who, on invitation from her Majesty's
Governor-General, assembled at Quebec. Those
delegates adopted resolutions having for their
object a closer union of those provinces under a
Central Government. If those resolutions shall be
approved by the provincial legislatures, a bill will
be laid before you for carrying this important mea-
sure into effect.

" Her Majesty rejoices at the general tranquillity
of her Indian dominion, but her Majesty regrets
that long-continued outrages on the persons and
property of subjects of her Majesty, and for which
no redress could be bad, have rendered it necessary
to employ a force to obtain satisfaction for the past
and security for the future.
" Her Majesty deeply laments the calamity
which has recently occasioned great loss of life and
I property at Calcutta and at other places in India.
Prompt assistance was rendered by the officers of
the Government, and generous contributions have
been made in various parts of India to relieve the
sufferings which have thus been occasioned.
GUTLIIIIIN or TEL Hones or Commorrs,

"Her Majesty has directed the estimates for the
ensuing year to be laid before you.
" They have been prepared with every attention
to economy and with due regard to the efficiency of
the public service.
" Mt' LORDS AND GINTIJSKIN,

"Her Majesty commands us to inform you that
the general condition of the country is satisfactory,
and that the revenue realises its estimated amount.
The distress which prevailed in some of the manu-
facturing districts has greatly abated ; and the act
passed far the encouragement of public works in

these districts him been attended with useful re-
sults.

" Ireland during the put year has had its share
in the advantage of a good harvest, and trade and
manufactures are gradually extending in that part
of the kingdom.
" Various measures of public usefulness will be
submitted for your consideration.
"Bills will be laid before you for the conoentra-
tion of all the Courts of Law and Zquity, with
their attendant dikes, in a convenient site ; a
measure which her Majesty trusts will promote
economy and despatch in the administration of

justice.
" The important work foe the revision of the
Statute Law, already carried to & oonsiderable
extent by recent acts of parliament, will be Dom-
pleted by a bill that will be laid before you.