The record-union., 1898-08-13
PARLIAMENT PROROGUED.
QUEENS SPEECH TO LORDS AND
COMMONS.
Great Britain's Relations With
Other Nations Friend1y-Regret
at the Espano-American War.

LONDON, August 12.-The House Of
Commons met to-day at 1920 a. m. A
succession of questions on the subject
of China elected little information.
The Government leader, Balfour, de-
clined to pledge the Government to pre-
vent the ratification of the Franco
Belgian Pekin- Hankow concession, but
promised that in the event of British
capitalists purchasing railroad conces-
sions obtained by French or Belgian
syndicates in the Yang Use Kiang Val
ley, her majesty's Government will sup
port them, both in London and Pekin,
IN this and all other legitimate British
commercial enterprises.
| The China appropriation bill then
passed its third reading and the ses-
SION was suspended until 2:3O p. m,
When Parliament was prorogued.
Inc queens speech at the proroga-
ton OF Parliament is as follows:
My lords and gentlemen: My rela-
| TONS with other nations continue
friendly. l have witnessed with deep
| est sorrow the hostilities which have
taken place between Spain and the
! United States, two nations to which
my empire is bound by many ties Of
affection and traditions Negotiations
recently opened give fair ground for
hoping that the deplorable conflict will
be brought to a termination by the con-
| clusion of an honorable and enduring
peace.
| The changes which have taken place
In the territorial relations of other
Powers with the Chinese Empire in
duce me to conclude arrangements
whereby the harbor of Wei-Hai-Wei
and certain positions adjacent to my
colony of Hongkong were leased to me
py the Emperor of China. / trust these
arrangements will conduce to the MAIN
tenance of his independence and the
security of his empire, and be favor
able to the development of the extern
slve commerce carried on between the
peoples of Great Britain and China"
| Paragraph 3 refers to the guarantee
ing, in conjunction with Russia and
France, of the loan to enable Greece
to pay the Turkish war indemnity.
| The fourth paragraph expresses sat-
isfaction at the conclusion of the con-
vention with France, finally settling
| West African questions.
The speech then refers to the ar
rangementS made to establish at an
early date penny postage between the
United Kingdom, Canada Newfound-
land and elsewhere; makes reference
to the plague still existing in certain
portions of Western India and the Pun
| jab, and concludes:
Il am thankful that bountiful har-
vests have been gathered throughout
the greater part Of India, and that the
internal and external trade of the
country are rapidly recovering from
the depression caused by the famine.
Gentlemen of the House of Com
mons: I thank you for the liberal pro-
vision you have made for the defense
of my empire. The sacrifices asked of
you are severe, but no greater than the
eXigencies of the present time require.
I am glad to recognize the value of the
provisions to which you have assented
for increasing the strength and eff
cheney Of my army.
My lords and gentlemen: I have
seen with much qualification that you
have this year added to the statute
book an important measure assimilat-
ing the local institutions of Ireland to
those Of England and Scotland. I trust
that this reform will tend to strengthen
the bonds which unite the people of
| Great Britain and Ireland and in
crease their common affection for the
fundamental institutions of the realm" "
After expressing satisfaction at the
adoption Of bills enabling accused per-
sons to testify in their own behalf, and
for preventing the abuse of patronage
and occupation of benefices of the es-
tablished church, "the principles of
which bills have been generally ac-
cepted for many years, though hitherto
there has been no opportunity to make
them law" the speech ends: II pray
that the blessing of Almighty God may
attend YOU