The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-11 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S SPEECH

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,—
The state of public business enables me to release you
from your attendance in Parliament.
I continue to receive from all foreign Powers assurances
of goodwill and friendship ; but I have witnessed with
grief and pain, on domestic as well as public
grounds, the recent outbreak of war between two power-
ful nations, both of them allied with this country.
My best exertions had been used to avert this great
calamity.
I shall now direct a constant and anxious attention to
the strict observance of the duties and the maintenance of
the rights of neutrality. •
I have cheerfully assented, to the measure, matured by
your wisdom, to enlarge the power of the Executive, not
only for the discharge of international duties, but for the
prevention of acts which, in time of war, might be in-
jurious to the interests of the country.
I shall make every Wing endeavour to check the opera-
tion of causes which might lead towards enlarging the
area of the present conflict, and to contribute if
opportunity shall be afforded me, to the restoration of an
early and honourable peace.
I have tendered to the two belligerent Powers treaties
identical in form to give additional security to Belgium
against the. hazards of a war waged upon her frontiers.
This Treaty has been signed by Count Bernstorif, on the
part of the North German Confederation, and the
French Ambassador has signified, that he has syutifority
to sign the cbrrespindirtg 1114trum'ent as coin. a% MB full
,-powers alive, Other rowers, which were parties to the

Treaty of 1839 have been invited to accede, should they
think fit, to this engagement.
The shocking murders recently perpetrated in Greece
produced a painful impression throughout Europe,
and have drawn attention to serious evils existing
in that country. My unremitting efforts will be
directed to securing the complete and searching character
of the inquiry which ht s been instituted.
GENTLEMEN 014 THE HOUSE OF CO3IMONS,

I thank you for the liberal provision which was made by
you for the ordinary service of the year, and for the addi-
rional supplies of men and money which you have voted
in view of the altered state of things on the Continent of

Europe.
The condition of the revenue gives ground for the hope
that it may be able to meet the new charge which has
been created, without reversing the proper balance of
income and expenditure.

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
In regard to domestic legislation, I may fitly con-
gratulate you on the close of a session marked by an
assiduous devotion to labours of the utmost national
importance.
The temporary Act for the Repression of Agrarian
Crime, and the Maintenance of Order in Ireland has, up
to the present time, answered the purposes for which it
was passed.
From the Aett for regulating the occupation and owner-
ship of land, I 'anticipate the gradual establishment both
of harmonious relations between owners and occupiers of
land, and of general confidence in the provisions and
administration of the law, and in the just and benevolent
intentions of the Legislature.
In consequence of the efforts which have been made in
matters of capital moment, to remove from the Statute
Book whatever might seem inequitable to Ireland, I trust
that the discharge of the first duty of Govesnment in
providing for the security of life and property will be-
come more easy, and I shall rely with confidence upon
the loyalty and affection of my Irish subjects.
It has given me pleasure to concur with you in the
passage of the important law providing for national
education in England. I perceive in it a new guarantee
for the moral and social well-being of the nation, and
forits prosperity and power.
The Naturalization Act, and the Act for the Extradi-
tion of Criminals, will tend to confirm our friendly rela-
tions with foreign Powers.
The Act which regulates enlistment for a shortened
term of service in the ranks of the Army will, I trust,
tend to increase the efficiency of the force, to promote
the welfare of the soldier, and to provide for the nation a
reserve of men well trained to arms, and ready in any case
of emergency to return to the standards.
I bid you farewell for the recess, with the earnest
prayer that, when you are again summoned to your duties,
I may be enabled to rejoice with you in the re-establish-
ment of peace on the Continent of Europe.
There were a few ladies present on the benches opposite
those of the Government, but with the exception of Royal
Commissioners, there were but eight or nine peers, who
thought it their duty to attend the proceedings, which
were quite of a formal nature, not the least ceremony
being observed,
Parliament having been formally prorogued until
the 27th of October, the Lords Commissioners retired, and
the proceedings terminated.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY.
The Speaker took the chair at twenty-five minutes to
one o'clock.

REPRESENTATION OF DUBLIN.
A new writ, on the motion of Mr. Noel, was ordered to
be issued for the election of a citizen to serve in the pre-
sent Parliament for the city of Dublin, in the room of Sir
Arthur Edward Guinness, Bait, whose election has been
determined to be void.

THE NEUTRALITY OF BELGIUM.
Mr. GLADSTONE said he understood that, during his
absence in the discharge of other duties on the previous

day, a desire was expressed by some gentlemen to make
observations upon recent proceedings of her Majesty's
Government with regard to negotiations abroad, and he,

therefore, felt it was desirable that the House should be
made acquainted with the facts up to the present time.
The treaty propose,cliw het Majesty's Government to the
belligerent Powers htacl been actually executed. It had been
signed by Count Betnstorff on behalf of the North
German Confederation, and by Lord Granville, on the
part of her Majesty's Government. M. de Lavalette, the
French Ambassador at the English Court, had announced
to Lord Granville that he was authorised by the Govern-

ment of the Emperor to adhere in his name to

the treaty proposed by the British Cabinet for
the effective guarantee of the neutrality of Belgium.
M. de Lavalette added, "I shall sign the treaty as soon
as I receive the full powers which I expect for that pur-

pose." Mr. Gladstone for the convenience of the House
read the articles of the treaty.

Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE said the treaty was one of the
most extraordinary documents he had ever read or heard
of, and the manner in which it had been laid before the
House at such a grave crisis he strongly condemned. He
would sooner have had no treaty at all, because it involved
England in dangers which were unseen. It actually
superseded the treaty of 1839. He complained of secret
diplomacy, and remarked that had the treaty been brought
before the House in the form of a motion it would not
have been carried, Amid great laughter the hon. gentleman
moved that the House be now prorogued.

Viscount ENFIELD thought there would be an universal
feeling of gratitude to Government for having taken a
course best calculated to preserve the peace of Europe.
Sir H. BIILWER and Mr. WHITE supported the action of
the Government.

Cclonel BARTELOT thought the Government would have
done better to have stood by the treaty of 1839.
Mr. S. BEAUMONT inquired whether Belgium had been
consulted, and had approved the treaty, whether Austria
and Russia had given their consent to the supplementary
treaty, and in what position England would be if such
consent had been withheld.
Mr. GLADSTONE denied that the Treaty under discus-
sion extinguished or destroyed the Treaty of 1839. The
latter was expressly recognised by the instrument before
them. In noticing some of the observations of the hon.
member for Waterford, the right hon. gentleman strongly
objected to the statement that if Belgium were occupied
by a hostile power, England's safety was not worth 24
hour's purchase.
Mr. B. OSBORNB, interrupting, said Napoleon had

said so.
Mr. GLADSTONE, continuing, said he was not prepared
to take his measure of the position of this country and
its strength even from the lips of Napoleon. (Cheers.)
The hon. member for Waterford and others spoke as if
England had a special, separate, and exclusive
interest in maintaining the neutrality of Bel-
gium. The interest which England had was
precisely the same interest as that of any other European
Power. It was contrary to the interest of Europe that
there should be unmeasured aggrandisement, and our
interest was no more involved in the aggrandisement sup-
posed in that particular case than was the • interest
of other Powers. The Premier then pointed out
the moral effects of these exaggerated statements.
The immediate moral effect was that every
effort made on behalf of Belgium was regarded as a
separate scheme of ours in which other countries were
unconcerned. He next, in eloquent terms, spoke of the
special claim which Belgium had to protection, ob-
serving that the annexation of Belgium would
be the perpetration of a crime the darkest that
would stain the page of history. The Govern-
ment had abstained on prudential considerations from
seeking to make Belgium a party to the Treaty. With
regard to Austria, he had no reason to alter what he said
the other night, and as to Russia the question had arisen
. whether it might not be wise to give wider scope to en-
gagements of that kind ; 'but there, was no objection to
the principle of the treaty. Oil resuming his seat the
right hon. gentleman was loudly cheered.
Mr. Disraeli was present during the debate.
At the summons of the Black Rod, the Speaker and the
members left for the Upper House to hear the Speech
from the Throne.
At half-past two o'clock bke Speaker returned and read
the Queen's Spukch.
The House then adjourned.