Bismarck weekly tribune., 1898-02-11
Queen's Speech.Deals With Sub
jects Already Familiar to
the Public.
Chinese Question Not Referred to
in Any Way---Governorship
of Crete.
Strength of the Army Should Be
Increased. Local Government
For Ireland.

AONDONs EoU. -LAo AOuTtu ScSslOu
If the Fourteenth parliament of Queen
Victoria and the Twenty.sixth OF the
United Kingdom, was opened by COM
mission, at 2 p. III. with the customary
ceremonies.
The queen's speech was as follows:
My Lords and Gentlemen: My rela.
lions with the other powers continue
friendly. The negotiations between the
sultan of Turkey and the king of
Greece have been brought to conclu.
sion by the signing of a treaty Of peace,
under which the territorial relations
between the two powers are practically
unchanged.
D The question Of the autonomous gov.
ernment of the island of Crete has
occupied the attention of the powers.
The difficulty of arriving at an unani.
nous agreement on some points has
unduly protracted the deliberations,
but l hope these obstacles will before
long be surlnounted.
Intelligence, which is apparently
trustworthy, was received of the inten.
tion of the khalifa to advance against
the Egyptian army in the Soudan, and
l have therefore given directions that q
contingent OF British troops should be
dispatched to Berber, to the assistance
of his majesty, the khelive.
I have concluded treaty of friend.
ship and commerce with his majesty,
the emperor of Abyssinia.
The report of the commission ap-
pointed in December, 1896, to inquire
into the condition of certain of my
West Indian colonies, has conclusively
established the existence OF severe
depression in those colonies, caused
by the heavy fall in the price
OF sugar, which is mainly attrib.
utable to the reduction in tho
cost of production, and the great in.
crease in it's extent in recent years
But the fall has been artificially stimu-
lated by the system of bounties to pro.
ducers and manufacturers OF beet root
sugar, main rained in many European
states. There are signs Of growing
opinion in those states that this system
is.injurious to the general interests of
their population, and communications
are now in progress between my gov.
ernment and the governments princi.
pally concerned, with q view to con-
ference on the subject, which I trust
may result in an abo ition Of the boun.
ties. In the meantime measures will
be proposed to you for the relief of the
immediate necessities Of the West In.
dian colonies, for encouraging other
industries, and for assisting those en-
gagged in suga cultivation to tide Over
the present crisis.
On the northwestern borders of my
indian empire an organized outbreak
of fanaticism, which spread in the
summer along the frontier, induce
many of the tribes to break their en-.
gagements with my government, to
attack the military posts in their vicin.
ity, and even to invade the settled dis.
tricts of my territory. I was compelled
to send expeditions against the offend.
ing tribes, for the punishment Of the
outrages and to insure peace in the
future. A portion Of the Afridi tribes
have not YET accepted the terms offered
them, but elsewhere the operations
have been brought to very successful
close. The courage and endurance
exhibited by my troops, British and
native. have overcome almost insuper.
able difficulties in the country in which
they were operating. but I have to de.
plore the loss of many valuable lives,
both amongst my own troops and those
whose services were voluntarily and
Loyalty placed at my disposal by the
native princes Of my Indian empire. 4
Her majesty then rejoices at the fact
that there is reason to anticipateaa
prosperous year both for agriculture
and commerce, throughout India.
Gentlemen of the House of Com.
mons: The estimates which will be-
laid before you have been framed with
the utmost desire for economy; but. in
view Of the enormous ornaments now
maintained by other nations, the duty
Of providing for the defense of the EN-.