The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-11-16 00:00:00

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH

THE meaninglessness of Kings' and Queens'
Speeches had passed into a proverb.
Those productions had long tended to verify the
naughty saying of the witty diplomatist, that " lan-
guage was given to man to enable him to conceal
his thoughts." The late Government, in particular,
had arrived at the acme of skill in that oracular
style of expression from which diametrically opposed
deductions might be drawn with some show of
logic. The new Government, being composed of
unhackneyed Ministers, capable of making and
taking a line of their own, have forborne to follow
the example of their Nazepredecessors. A QUEEN'S
Speech at last means something, and unequivocally
expresses what it means.

The Address delivered by our most gracious
SOVEREIGN to the assembled Parliament, on
Thursday last, was a great, comprehensive, signifi-
cant manifesto of the policy of a vigorous, able, and
earnest national Administration. Let the detractors
of Lord DERBY and his colleagues peruse the pro-
gramme of business put forth by the Government,
and let them repeat, if they dare, their sneers about
the purposelessness of Her MAJESTY'S present
advisers. Never has a Government undertaken a
task of more varied utility and importance, for the
work of a session, than that which is indicated in
the QUEEN'S Speech. Should they not be pre-
vented, by factious opposition, from carrying their
schemes into execution, the session which has just
commenced will, in all human probability, be one
of the most memorable of our age. No one who
peruses the Speech can fail to be struck by the fact,
that the tendency of all the measures foreshadowed

in it is of a progressive and reformatory character.
Indeed, they are all such as must help to convince
the country that true Conservatism is far from hos-

tile, in principle or in practice, to safe progress or
wise reform. Beginning with a graceful acknow-
ledgment of the national services of the illustrious
dead, uttered by Her MAJESTY in tones in which
personal grief was mingled with Royal dignity, she
proceeded to acknowledge the readiness with which
the people have responded to the Government, in
carrying out the project of a defensive Militia, which
received the sanction of the immortal warrior and
statesman on the last occasion on which he addressed
the legislative assembly, of which he was a decus et
tutarnen. Congratulating her Parliament upon the
satisfactory state of her relations with Foreign Powers,
Her MAJESTY had an opportunity of assuring them,
that in the recent negotiations with the United
States, as to the much debated Fishery Question,
the rights of the subjects of Great Britain have been
firmly maintained, and the friendly spirit in which
the question has been treated affords a foundation
for hope that the result will be an extension and
improvement of the commerce between the two
countries.

The Speech suggests to Parliament the necessity
for legislation on the subject of the future govern-
ment of the East Indies.

Her MAJESTY announces that an extensive and

comprehensive scheme for the promotion of the
fine arts and of practical science will be submitted
to the consideration of the Legislature. The con-

dition of the country was the topic concerning
which the most curiosity prevailed in political cir-
cles. Her MAJESTY did not hesitate for a moment
fully to acknowledge and congratulate the country
on the existence of great prosperity, adding, how-
ever, that if the recent legislation, which, combined
with other causes, led to this good result, had
afflicted certain important classes, it would be
the duty of Parliament dispassionately to consider
how it might most effectually mitigate such injury.
With respect to IRELAND, relying on the aid of
Parliament to restrain the spirit of insubordination
and turbulence which prevails there, the QUEEN

recommends at the same time the adoption of a
liberal and generous policy, such as may encourage
and assist the sister country to rally from the de-
pression in which she bas been sunk by her recent
sufferings. Anxious that the fullest efficiency
should be given to our great National Church, the
Government express their desire that the propriety
of an inquiry into the capitular institutions should
he considered ; and, in the interests of Religion and
Education, a hope is expressed that the Legislature
will offer no impediments to such amendments and
reforms as the Universities at large or the several
Colleges may be anxious to effect.

The abandonment of the punishment of trans-
portation to Van Diemen's Land is announced as

another subject for investigation
made of fresh schemes of Legal

and a promise is

Reform, especially

with respect to testamentary causes

Such is but a cru

le outline of this remarkable
satisfied the curiosity of the pub-

document, wl
lic last Thurs

falsified the prophecies of the

opponents of the Government
should have any pi

Lest cavillers

ext for suggesting that the

general terms of the Qul

peech, Zvi

th respect

;y, were evasive and indis-

to ou

tinct, the I

3Y in the House of Lords,

and the CHANC

EXCHEQUER in the

House of Commons, to

opportunity of

verdict on

mpt would be

made

ernme

:n pose dutie

s upon