Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-01-29
WEE onEENs spEEcH

Victoria, Queen Of England, seated upon
the throne in the House OF Lords, on Thurs
day Of last week, having her royal speech
read upon the opening of Parliament, sur
rounded by all that is gorgeous in the
British Empire-the Lords, the Commons,
the great officers Of the realm, foreign EN-.
bassadors, and vast assemblage of ladies
of rank, all in the richest and most splendid
costume, must have presented brilliant
pageant 1t was rendered somewhat more
Interesting from the fact that it was the first
appearance of the Queen at the opening of
Parliament since the death of Lord Beacons.
field.
The appearance of the Queen after so long
an absence is very generally attributed to
her personal interest in the Irish question
and to her personal aversion to accepting
Mr. Gladstone as the first of cher Majesty's
Ministers" No doubt this imputation of
motives is correct Queen Victoria has very
often given proof of her ability to with
stand the demands of her subjects when
these demands did not coincide with her
own. She has often made signs of dislike
at having to receive MIR. Gladstone as the
head of the Government that this last mani.
festation of her temper will surprise no one
But she has seen Mr.. Gladstone rise and
lall several times without being thereby
moved TO show herself to her faithful lieges
in the House Of Commons That she ND.
pears now must be taken as proof that the
Irish question has aroused her personal in.
terest.
The tenor of the Queens speech at the
opening of Parliament was pretty generally
known before it was delivered, and the re-
pert of it as now before US, differs but little
from the abstract cabled few days ago
In that portion Of it relating To Great
Britain's foreign affairs American readers
have little interest, it merely recapitulates
in general language what is already known
of political movements in other countries
II there is anything significant about this
portion OF the document it is the omission of
all reference 10 the fresh disturbances in
Eastern Europe and the war-lke attitude of
country with which England is so init
mately connected as it is with Greece. A
deeper interest attaches TO that portion of
the Queens speech which relates to Ireland.
There is some significance here
The line which the speech takes upon this
question Is the iiue which Queen, very
proud Of her poaiipn aud its prerogaliyes
and advised BY a,ry Minister, might be
,exTfsled q axe ~ il she happens
w - EyaisHed ~
throne general |and is so ex-
pressed as not 3 seem 81 say anything
But in the presen. case the paragraph on
Ireland is much more explicit aud "flat-
footed" than the expressions Of Queens
speeches are apt TO be that it is safe TO as.
cribe it to the sovereign herself, though
Lord Salisbury may have been gratfed to
find his own position reinforced by the in.
fiuence Of the Queen, whatever that infiu.
ence may be. She opposes the total or par.
tial grant of home rule to Ireland for the
same reason that. in the same speech she
announces with qualification the acquisi-
ton of Burmah. That acquisition extends
her empire-any measure of home rule for
Ireland would tend TO limit that empire.
There is plain intimation that vigor-
GUS policy with regard to Ireland will be
insisted on, and the rights of those who
have been the subject Of boycottng and in.
timidation will be preserved--a renewal of
the coercion acts with even more stringent
provisions than they heretofore contained
Her Majesty hints also at measures requir-
ing further legislation for Ireland, and these
not in the direction Of a compliance with
Mr.. Parnell's schemes; but it must be re-
membered that while it is the Queen who
speaks, tits the Salisbury Ministry for whom
she speaks, and this Ministry may go out Of
power any day and be succeeded by one rep.
resenting the opposite party. Hence the
chief significance Of the speech on this point
lies In the fierce parliamentary debates which
It foreshadows Other and very important
legislation is further announced as in prepa- |
ration, and, altogether. the speech shows that |
busy winter is before tive British Legisla-
ture