The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-17

took place this afternoon. Tne members OF tue
House Oi Commons were summoned To a,teud
a. the bar OF the Chamber OF Peers to hear the
royal speech. The Queen was not present, b1t
her MBjssB's spcecn was delivered By rJval
commit sion. and was read 10 the assem- Oed
hOnsts by the Lord Chancellor Toe speech in
subs ance is rs iollows:-
''The Queen assures the Lords and Com.
mons that the relations OF Great Britain
with al foreign powers are at ore.
sent on an excellent footing The hos
Utilities which threate ned 10 break out iu
the East, have been prrvrn.ed by conference
OF the great powers ~ Ptris. The hope is Px-
pressed that the legotIlu)ns with the United
states viii place on trm aud durahle basis
the friendship which should ever exist between
EnRlat d and America, The disturbances IN
New HealauC are o be Ieeietted. bat the Queen
IL sure that prudence and mOdrrCion ON the
part OF the gov ernment will prevent a recur-
rcLce OF such unhappy events. The esti-
mates which will be aid before the House
OF COmmors by the ministers are fra ned on
the lass of economy, coupled with efficiency,
IN the administration OF the service. The cou-
tiuued suppression OF the writ of htbeas
corpus In Ireland Ia regarded as unnecessary.
TIE eCclesiastic arrangements for Ireland are
TO be considered by Parliament" On this SUB.
iect the Queen CouclUdes as tollows:-'l am
persuaded that a careful regard viii be had to
The interests involved. aud that, thl ough the
application OF principles OF equal Justice to the
question before them, Parliament Will
secure the undivided feeling of toe people OF
ifE luLu On we siuS " JO9dllS duu law, tuhCb
the M mory Of past cou'en ion, ana cherlsh t1e
sympathes of an alectOnate people"
LoNDoN, Feb. l6.-ACCounts OF the state OF
affairs in Paraguay have been received from
10th sides, and are, as usual, contradictory.
The Brazllans claim that the war is ended, aud
that their forces now permanently occupy Asun-
con, ard the inhabitants who, on their ap-
proaCh, by an order Of Lopez fled to the interior,
are now returning to their homes. IT is posi-
lively stated that Lopez has abandoned the
country and gone 10 Bolivia. On the other
hBnd accounts from Paraguayau sources
represent that LopeZ's army, alter the battles
at Vieta and Angostura, retired ia compara-
lively good order, and is still capable OF making
a formidable resistance. The Paraguayans base
their hopes of preserving their independence
and retrieving their losses on the violent dis
sPnsions which they say have broken out among
the generals OF the allied troops.
MADRID, Feb. l6.-Popular demonstrations
have again been made in this city in favor OF
tue freedom of religious worship and also for
the abolition of capital punishment. The
people have gathered in the streets of Valla-
6olid and protested against the military con.
scription. Active preparations are going on
for the immediate embarkation Of six thousand
more troops for Cuba. Don E.calanio will go
on with rPiDiorcemen's, and with instructions
from the Provisional Government.
FLORENCE, FEB. l6.-Complete DIPLOMATIC
relations between Italy and the Republic OF
Mexico will soon be restored.