The Portland daily press., 1881-01-07
EUROPE.
Meeting of the British Parliamet.
THE QUEENS SPEECH CALLS FOR
COERCIVE MEASURES.
Parnell Present in the House of Com
mons.


Queens speech delivered on the opening of
Parliament today:
My Lords and Gentlemen,-I have called
you at period earlier than usual to the re-
sumption OF your labOrs, as some affairs of
more than common urgency demand your at
tention.
My relations with foreign powers continue
friendly and harmonious. The main question
relating to the frontier between Turkey and
Montenegro has been settled The powers are
now engaged in communications which have
in view the determination of the frontier be-
tween Turkey and Greece. Some important
portions of the treaty of Berlin, which so long
remained without fulfllment continue to form
an object of my anxious attention.
The rising in the Transvaal recently i'm
posed upon me the duty of taking military
measures with a view to the prompt vindica-
tion Of my authority, and has of necessity set
aside, for time, any plan for securing to Eu-
ropean settlers that full control over their own
local affairs without prejudice to the interest
of the natives, which have been anxious to
secure. | regret that the war in Basutoland
continues, Notwithstanding the efforts of the
Cape government. 1t would cause me much
satisfaction if suitable occasion should pre-
sent itself for friendly action on my part, with
view to the restoration of peace. The war
in Afghanistan has been brought to a close,
and with the exception of the Candahar force,
my troops have been recalled within the Indian
frontier 1T is not my intention that the oc-
cupation of Candahar shall be permanently
maintained, but the still unsettled condition of
the country, and consequent difficulty of es-
tablishing native government have delayed
for time the withdrawal of my army from
that position. Papers on the several subjects
to which l havs adverted, as well as further
correspondence on the military estimates of
India, will be presented to you.
Gentlemen of the House of Commons,-The
estimates for services of the coming year are
in forward state of preparation and will be
speedily laid before you.
My Lords and Gentlemen, There has been
a gradual though not very rapid improvement
able to entertain more favorable expectation
of revenue for the year than I could form at
its commencement.
The anticipation with which last addressed
you of great dminution of distress in Ire
land owing to the abundant harvest was real
lied, but grieve to state that the social con-
dition of the country has assumed an alarm
ing character. Agrarian crimes in general
have multiplied far beyond the experience of
recent years. Attempts upou life have not
fences, but must add that the efforts being
made for personal protection are far beyond
all former precedent by the police, under di-
rection of the executive. l have to notice
other evils yet more widely spread. The ad-
ministration of Justice has been frustrated
with respect to these offences, through the
impossibility of procuring evidence, and an
extended system of terror has thus been es-
tablished in various parts of the country which
has paralyzed almost alike the exercise of pri-
vate rights and the performance of civil
duties.
In state of things new in some important
respects, and hence with little of available
guidance from former precedent, have deem
ed it right to put in use the ordinary powers of
the law before making any new demand, but
a demonstration of their insufficiency, amply
supplied by the present circumstances of the
country, leads me now to apprise you that pro-
posals will be Immediately submitted to you
for instrusting me with the additional powers
vindication OF order and public law, but like
wise to secure on behalf of my subjects protec-
tion for life and property and personal liberty
of action, subject to the primary and imperious
obligations to which I have just referred. /
continue to desire, not less than heretofore, to
prosecute the removal of grievances and the
work of legislative improvement in ireland as
we'll as in Great Britain. The Irish Land act
of 1870 has been productive of great benefits
and has much contributed to the security and
comparative we'll being of the occupiers Of the
soil without diminishing the value or dis
turbing the foundations of property. In some
respects, however, and more particularly un-
der the strain of recent and calamitous years,
the protection which it supplied has not been
found sufficient, feither in Ulster or in other
provinces. I recommend you to undertake
the further development of its principles in
manner conformable to the special wants
of Ireland, both as regard the re-
lation of landloard and tenant, and with a
view to effective efforts for giving to large
portion of the people by purchase permanent
proprietary interest in the SOIL This legisla-
ton will require removal for the purposes in
view of all obstacles arising out of limitations
on the ownership of property, with due pro-
vision for the security of all the interests in
volved A measure will be submitted to you
for the establishment of county government in
Ireland, founded upon representative princi-
pies and framed with the double aim of con-
firming popular control over expenditure and
of supplving vet more serious want by ex-
tending the formation of habits of local self |
Bills will be laid before you for the aboli-
ton of corporal punishment in the army and
navy. You will be asked to consider measures |
for further reform in the law OF bankruptcy, |
for the conservancy of rivers and the preven-
ton of floods, for revising the constitution of
endowed schools and hospitals in Scotland for
the renewal ofthe act which established Sc |
cret voting and for repressing corrupt prac-
tices. of which, in limited number of towns, |
were lamentable examples at the last general |
election. 80, ,
| trust that your labors, which will be even
more than usually arduous, may be SO guided |
by Divine Providence as VIII promote the hap |
piness of my people.
Proceedings in Parliament.
LONDON, Jan. 6-In the Commons this eve-
ming various questions as to the legality of the |
proceedings against members of the Land |
League were aannounced, including two by |
Parnell. Parnell also gave notice of amend
ment to the address to the Queen declaring
peace cannot be promoted by the suspension of
the constitution.
Gladstone in the course of his remarks said:-
The late government has not recommended
Of the Irish peace preservation act.
It has no concern with the subject. 1t belong
ed to the late government and not to the gov
which only succeeded to office when
the act had lapsed and which could only re-
new it. The government thought they were
bound to try the effect of existing laws.
They had not like the late government arrest
ed three insignificant persons who were never
brought to trial when crime and VIC
ence had prevailed in Ireland to a far greater
extent than now.
He would not admit that the land act of