Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-20

amendment to the agricultural holdings
act in Great Britain the exclusion of
goods manufactured in prisons of other
countries, the establishment of reforma-
tories for inebTiates and for amending
the existing procedure in respect to priv
ate bills from Scotland and Ireland, have
been prepared. l heartily commend
your important deliberations to the guild
ance of Almighty God.
There was an unusually large attend
ance Of peers at the opening of the house
of lords which met at 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. The lately appointed Arch
bishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev.
Frederick Temple, and the recently Gre
ated Bishop of London, the Right Rev.
Mandell Creighton, took the prescribed
oath as members of the upper chamber.
The Prince of Wales and the Duke of
Cambridge occupied a cross bench and
the galleries were filled with the wives
and daughters of peers.
United States Ambassador Bayard and
Mrs. Bayard occupied seats in the di-
plomatic gallery. After Lord Salisbury
had read the speech from the throne the
customary address in reply to the speech
was moved by the Marquis OF Bath, who
was attired in the uniform of an officer
OF the yeomen of the guard. The mo-
ton was seconded by Lord Kenyon.
The Earl of Kimberley, who was yes
terday chosen as the leader of the liber-
ais in the house of lords in place of Lord
RoSebery, resigned, said he deeply re-
GREETED that Lord Rosebery was no long
er the leader of the liberal party. Speak
ing on other matters he congratulated
Lord Salisbury upon the success of his
negotiations with the United States. In
regard to Turkey he said he felt impell-
ed to ask If the treaty of Berlin was
dead.
The benches of the house of commons
were crowded with members, and the
galleries were packed with spectators.
Rt Hon. Arthur J. Balfour, Joseph
Chamberlain and Sir William Harcourt
were greeted with prolonged cheers as
they entered the chamber. After the
queens speech had been read by the
speaker, Viscount Folkestone member
for the south division of Wiltshire,
moved the address in reply to the speech
from the throne, and in the course of
his remarks referred to the approaching
completion of the sixtieth year of the
reign of her majesty and expressed hope
that the event would be befittingly cele-
brated.
Sir william Harcourt said that the
most important as well as the most sat
isfactory statement contained in the
queens speech was the reference made
to the relations between Great Britain
and the United States. He heartily con-
graduated the government upon the con-
clusion of the differences regarding Nen-
ezucla, and gave them unstinted praise
for the arbitration treaty which was re-
Gently signed.
Sir Williams remarks were received
with cheers.
Continuing, he said that there could
not be better celebration of the six
tieth year of her majesty's reign than
that her government should be among
the first of nations to set the example of
settling differences by arbitration. He
denounced the Nile campaign, and asked
the government to justify their Egyptian
policy
In regard to Armenia, he was glad to
hear that the government had afan-
doned hostility to Russia in the matter.
Prime Minister Salisbury said he re-
GREETED Lord Rosebery's retirement from
the leadership of the liberal party for
the moment He paid q high tribute to
Lord Rosebery's patriotic policy and
then proceeded to defend the consistent
policy of the conservatives. The gov
ernqnent, he declared, had not initiated
the anti-Russian policy of 1878. 1t was
the Crimean war that initiated it, but
the powers were now generally agreed
that If reforms were not granted in Ar
menia material pressure would be APP
piled to the sultan by the rest of Europe
In regard to the Nile campaign the
premier said that DongOla was taken be-
cause it was on the route to Khartoun,
which place must eventually be taken
from the dervishes.
He repeated that it was the intention
of the British government to reconquer
the Soudan for Egypt.
In regard to the treaty of arbitration
just concluded with the United States he
said he could not speak fully on the sub
ject because the agreement had not yet
been ratified. Still, he would say that
the people must not Think that they were
living in the millenial dispensation.
He hoped however, that something
would be done to diminish the risk of
war. He would not say that the treaty
would remove the greatest risks of war;
or restrain Napolean or a Bismarck
but the policy with the United States
was full Of an infinite number of small
differences which sometimes exaggerat-
ed, caused irritation and enmity. The
formation of tribunal of arbitration
would settle those differences, would
prevent such, and stop the two nations
who understand each other so well that
unless they are friends they are almost
certain to be enemies
Another advantage would be derived
from the treaty in this respect. A min
lister dealing with a subject involving the
honor of his country, or which some per-
sons claim involve it's honor has to think
how to furnish an account of the trans
actions which will soothe the jingoes.
Arbitration would be bulwark for such
a minister, for it would be impossible to
say he had trif1ed with the honor of the
country IL he said he had submitted
the matter to the decision of an impartial
tribunal.
Lord Salisbury pictured the nations
grooming under excessive armaments and
declared that the government believed
the measure they had taken was valua-
Bile in that 1t would lead to the gradual
disappearance of vast ornaments be-
fore the growth Of the tendency to sub
stitute judicial decisions for the coarse
arbitrament of war. This would be
something to look back upon.
In conclusion. Lord Salisbury said:
81 hope that the effort, small as it is,
will be successful, that others more ex-
tensive and more successful will be
made"
The prime minister was heartily
cheered when he finished his speech.
The address In reply to the queens
speech was then adopted. and the house
adjourned.