The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-07
The Opening of the British P"rii"-
nicnt-Thc Queens Speech.

The Opening of the British Parli"-
mcnt-Thc Queens Speech.
Yesterday the British Parliament was for
mally opened after the recess. OF course the
floor of the Upper House was crowded with
princes, lords and honorable gentlemen and
the galleries were filed with ladies. The great
feature of such occasions is the reading Of the
Queens speech. In former years, when the
Queen appeared in person and read her
speech, the opening day was great day in
fashionable circles. II is less so since the
Queens speech began to be read by royal COM
mission The royal address, for the spirit and
composition of which Mr.. Gladstone must be
held responsible, seems to have been more
than usually dull. Mr. Gladstone seems to
have got at last to the end of his policy of re-
form. He has made much political capital out
of Ireland. Ireland to him has been kind of
godsend. But for the Irish Church and
the Irish Land Tenure we know not how Mr..
Gladstone could have got on. Strange to
say the one measure of reform alluded to
in the Queens speech touches another Irish
difficulty. Trinity College, Dublin has hith-
erto been q close corporation, existing for the
benefit of those only who belonged to the Es-
tablished Church. Now that there is no longer
an Established Church, the Irish people de-
mand, and we understand the Gladstone gov
eminent favors the demand, that Trinity Col
lege should become in the broadest sense
national university. The Queens speech
touches on the mission of Sir Bartle Frere and
the East African slave trade 1t might have
been we'll if, in this connection, something had
been said as to the intentions of the British gov
eminent regarding the infamous coolie traffic
carried on in the Southern Pacific The Alabama
Treaty and its results seem to give satisfaction
in government circles, for ''the Queen ex-
presses her Acknowledgements to the Emperor
OF Germany and the Geneva arbitrators for
the pains bestowed upon the work assigned
them" Brussels is no longer to be refuge
for British criminals, as Belgium has at last
signed an extradition treaty. The harvest has
not been good, but the general condition of
the three kingdoms is pronounced satisfactory.
The difficulty with Russia is touched upon
very slightly. There is no expression of any
war feeling-no outburst Of British
wrath against the aggressive Muscovite.
correspondence has passed between the
two governments with view to fixing the
boundary line of the northern frontier of
Afghanistan in order to insure tranquility in
Central Asia" This is the most unsatisfac-
tory part of the royal address. If it shows the
caution it also reveals the timidity of Mr.
Gladstone. No doubt it is his intention to
test the temper of Parliament before he finally
commits himself and the country. A little
more boldness might have stood him in better
stead. AS Queens speeches go this latest u.s.
no doubt, good enough; but it tells US nothing
we did not know. The debate on the motion
for reply to the speech was quite animated in
both Houses, particularly SO in the House of
Lords. Lord Clarendon was decisive in his
expression against Russian "encroachments
in the East, and in an apparently friendly
Tone warned the Gar of the danger of causing
a diminution Of the harmony which has long
prevailed between England and Russia. Earl
Granville, on the contrary, alleged that the
condition of the Asiatic question did not JUS
tify the sensational kilograms which had
created alarm at home and elsewhere Tho
Alabama and San Juan arbitrations were
|
the ''ins and OUTS" and, on the whole,
we have received fair premonition Of very
lively session of the Parliament of the United
Kingdom. Mr. Disraeli, whose appearance in
the House, after his recent domestic bereave-
ment, was loudly cheered was especially Wig
orous in directing an assault on the Gladstone
position with regard to the Geneva Arbitra-
tion The learned gentleman came out some
what in the character Of an alarmist with re-
gard to the consequences of the settlement
with America; but it may be that the Premier
will be able to neutralize the effect of his ora
ton by the counter irritation plan of creating
q slight furry concerning Central Asia and
the diplomacy towards Russia.
QUESTIONS FOR MATHEMATIcIANs.-Wha
would be the value of q Cuban plantation,
Cuban negro and hogshead of Cuban sugar
in the event of war between Spain and the
United States2 What would be the value of
Cubap What would be the price of Spanish
bonds? What would be the value of Amadeus
| How much would Spain fetch at auction?