The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(THIS EVENING).
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
There was a very full attendance of peers, and the galle-
ries were filled with ladies.
VESTRY ACT BILL.
This bill was read a first time.
DEBTOR AND CREDITOR BILL.
The LORD CHANCELLOR introduced a bill regu-
lating the law of debtor and creditor.
CHURCH RATES.
The Duke of MARLBOROUGH said on Thursday he
should move for the appointment of a committee to inquire
into the assessment of Church Rates.
THE ADDRESS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR then read her
Majesty's most gracious Speech on opening the session of
Parliament :
MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
I avail myself with satisfaction, in the present
anxious state of public affairs, of the advice of my
X'arliament, which I have summoned to meet with
the least possible delay.
I have directed that papers shall be laid before
you, from which you will learn how earnest and
unceasing have been my endeavours to preserve the
peace of Europe.
Those endeavours have unhappily failed ; and
war has been declared between France and Sar-
dinia on one side, and Austria on the other. Re-
ceiving assurances of friendship from both the
contending parties, I intend to maintain between
them a strict and impartial neutrality ; and I hope,
with God's assistance, to preserve to my people
the blessing of continued peace.
Considering, however, the present state of Europe,
I have deemed it necessary to the security of my
dominions and the honour of my Crown to increase
my naval forces to an amount exceeding that which
has been sanctioned by Parliament.
I rely with confidence on your cordial concur-
rence in this precautionary measure of defensive
policy.
The King of the Two Sicilies having announced
to me the death of the King, his father, and his own
accession, I have thought fit, in concert with the
Emperor of the French, to renew my diplomatic
intercourse with the Court of Naples, which had
been suspended during the late reign.
All my other foreign relations continue on a
perfectl
satisfactory footing
GENTLEMEN .
OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,
The Estimates for the year, for which provision
has not been made by the late Parliament, will be
immediately laid before you, together with such
Supplementary Estimates as present circumstances
render indispensably necessary for the public
service.

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
I have directed a bill to be prepared for giving
effect, so far as the aid of Parliament may be re-
quired, to certain suggestions of the Commissioners
whom I had appointed to inquire into the best
mode of efficiently manning the Royal Navy; and
I recommend this important subject to your imme-
diate attention.
Measures of legal and social improvement, the
progress of which, in the late Parliament, was
necessarily interrupted by the dissolution, will
again be brought under your consideration.
I should with pleasure give my sanction to any
well-considered measure for the amendment of
the laws which regulate the representation
of my people in Parliament ; and should you be
of opinion that the necessity of giving your
immediate attention to measures of urgency
relating ,to the defence and financial condition of
the country will not leave you sufficient time for
legislating, with due deliberation, during the pre-
sent Session, on a subject at once so difficult
and so extensive, I trust that at the com-
mencement of the next Session, your earnest
attention will be given to a question, of which an
early and satisfactory settlement would be greatly
to the public advantage.
I feel assured that you will enter with zeal and
diligence on the discharge of your parliamentary
duties, and I pray that the result of your delibera-
tions may tend to secure the continuance of peace
abroad, and progressive improvement at some.
Earl POWIS, who wore a rich military uniform, rose
for the purpose of moving an address to her Majesty in
answer to her most gracious speech said, the short time
that had elapsed since they last met would relieve him
from alluding to many of the legal and social measures
which had been referred to in a former speech, some of
which had become the law of the land. On the present
occasion it would be out of place if he were to dwell
upon the dissolution and the effect it had had on the
state of parties, especially as that had arisen in the other
house, and it would be an infringement of the rights and
privileges of that branch of the Legislature. (Hear, hear.)
In her most gracious Speech her Majesty had referred to
several financial measures, and to the question of Parlia-
mentary Reform, and also to the advisability of post-
poning all consideration of the Reform question until
the commencement of the next session. He did not think
it competent for Parliament to grapple with that question
in the month of July, but that would be a quFstion.
to be
also pass over, because it was now progressing in
the most satisfactory manner, and her Majesty had
signified her approval of the efforts made to restore tran-
quillity by personally conferring an important mark of
her favour upon Sir John awrence. (Hear, hear.)
The aspect of continental affairs was such that he could not
pass it over, especially as France, Sardinia, and Austria
had entered on the horrors of war on the fertile
plains of Lombardy. Her Majesty had informed them that
papers would be laid before their lordships, which would
prove how anxious she had been to preserve the blessing's of
peace, and the expression of Royal regret that these efforts
had entirely failed ; but it was consolatory to find that
the position England would take in such an unfortunate
• state of affairs would be one of strict and impartial neutrality.
(Hear.) As England was free from the religious feelings of
the Church of Rome, it was to be hoped that this country
would be enabled to devote some portion of time to the
advancement of measures of social progress. (Hear,
hear.) It was gratifying to find that the aspect
of commercial affairs was cheering, and it was most
devoutly to be hoped that that state of things
would be continued, for nothing was so fatal to all
commercial prosperity as war. The accession of
a new King to the Neapolitan Throne had induced her
Majesty to resume diplomatic relations with that coun-
try; and although the matters relating to Central
America had not been finally settled, he trusted
that they would soon meet with a satisfactory
solution. He now arrived at the subjeet of the national de-
fences, and the Government were much to be commended
for the active steps they had taken to strengthen the fleet, for
without such a wise and salutary step our neutrality in foreign
affairs would be little respected, and this brought to his re-
collection a quotation from one of Sheridan N plays, in which
he made one of his characters say " John we will agree in pla-
toons." Her Majesty's Government had promised to afford
every possible assistance to volunteer corps, and to supply
them with ammunition for practice. (Hear.) He could
net conclude without expressing his satisfaction at the tem-
perate manner in which foreign affairs had been discussed
last session, aud on resuming bis seat he begged to move
that a durifekaddreso be presented to her Majesty.
The Address was then read by clerk at the table, and was
merely an echo of the Speech.
Lord LIFFORD, in seconding the motion, said he was
releaved from detaining their lordships at any length by
the variety of topics alluded to by the noble earl who had
just sat down. The state of Ireland was satisfactory, and
but for the presence of his noble friend, who at present filled
the office of Lord-Lieutenant (the Earl of Eglinton) he
should have entered at some length into, the question, but
he could not refrain from saying that the noble earl had
• won the respect of all sects and classes by
his fair and equal dealing. (Hear, hear.) In
her Royal Speech, her Majesty said, " Considering
the present state of Europe I have deemed it necessary to the
security of my dominions, and the honour of my crown,
to increase my naval forces to an amount exceeding that
Which has been sanctioned by Farliament. He did not for
an instant imagine that any difference of feeling existed
with respect to keeping the navy in the most
efficient, state. He regretted that it was thought desirable
to postpone the question of amending the state of the re-
presentation of the people till next session of Parliament, as
he believed that that question, above all others, required to
be settled at the earliest possible moment. The measure
introduced last session by her Majesty's Government he
regretted had not received the approval of Parliament
—(hear)--and this be much regretted, as he thought it
contained many provisions which would have been found
exceedingly beneficial and useful to the com-
munity at large. (Hear, hear.) The noble lord
then proceeded to condemn the opinions of Mr. Bright
on the question of Reform, and said he was
greatly pleased to see that the noble earl near him
had an absolute majority in their lordships' house, and a
united band of followers in the other house, numbering
more than 300.
Earl GRANVILLE said the speech of her Majesty that
day was the third which she had delivered in that house dur-
ing the present year, and he must say that of the three it was
one which tended to produce the greatest amount of com-
plication. In the speech with which her Majesty dissolved
the late Parliament there were some words of a very unusual
character, the effect of introducing them being to put into
her Majesty's mouth an invocation to Divine Providence to
give a majority in the House of Commons to the existing
Government. (Laughter.) Since that speech was delivered
the Government had certainly not played the part of the
waggoner in the fable ; they had not contented themselves
with prayer, but had applied the governmental shoulder
energetically to the work. (Hear, and laughter.) In the
speech just delivered nothing was said as to whether, or not
the majority which was prayed for had been obtained ; but
the noble viscount who had just sat down had told them
that
the Government had 300 supporiers in the other house.
He was afraid that the Government intended to attempt
still to go on with a minority in the House of Commons ;
and it was to their having done so hitherto that he attri-
buted what he thought their lordships must all deplore, the
mismanagement-of affairs at home' and abroad. He thought
that both in opposition aria in power the conservative party
had committed an error in being so anxious to please every-
body. Though he was net himself a member of that party
he entertained great respect for it. He acknowledged
had a great hold on the sympathies f a large
portion
of
rthe population of this country ; as long as its principles
*were well defined it was sure of extensive support, and he
believed that the Governmaepnptliwedoucloduslclrvavaetivoeeperuipniceidpleas
stronger position if they had
- with moderation and judgment, instead of going to the
ight hand and the left, and trying to outbid others in po-
mlar measures. (Hear, hear.) Let him refer to some
e vents during the last year which justified this view of the
a latter. With the exception of the legal measures of re-
• rim. the details of which were prepared by the previous