Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-08
Usual DeiVeranoe at the Opening Of
the Parliament.
FRIENDLY RELATIONS With POWERS
The Troubles in Egypt and India
Briefly Touched.
NO ALLUSION TO CHIN A

LONDON, February s.-The fourth ses-
sion of the fourteenth parliament of Queen
Victoria and the twenty-sixth of the united
kingdom was opened. by commission, at 3
o'clock this afternoon, with the customary
ceremonies.
The queens speech was as follows:
My Lords and Gentlemen: My relations
with the other powers continue friendly.
The negotiations between the Sultan of
Turkey and the King of Greece have been
brought to a conclusion by the signing of a
treaty of peace, under which the territorial
relations between the two powers are prac-
tically unchanged.
THE question of the autonomous govern
ment of the Island of Crete has occupied
the attention of the powers. The difficulty
of arriving at a unanimous agreement on
some points has unduly protracted the de-
liberations, but 1 hope these obstacles will
before long be surmounted.
Situation In Egypt.
Intelligence, which is apparently trust
worthy, was received of the intention of the
khalifa to advance against the Egyptian
army in the Soudan. and l have therefore
given directions that a contingent of British
troops should be dispatched to Berber to
the assistance of his highness. the khediye
have concluded treaty of friendship
a I'm
perOr of AbysSinia.
The report of the commission I appont-
ed 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 colo
rfes, caused by the heavy fall in the price
of sugar. which is mainly attributable to
the reduction In the cost of production and
the great increase in its extent of recent
years. But the fall has been artificiaIly
stimulated by the system of bounties To
producers and manufacturers of beet root
sugar maintained in many European states
ihere 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 he
tween my government and the government
Principally concerned. with a view to a
conference on the subject which 7 trust
may result in the abolition of the bounties
IN the meantime measures will be pro-
posed TO YOU for the relief of the imme-
mate necessities of the West Indian colon
les, Tor encouragin other industries and
for assisting those engaged in sugar cuJti-
Fatlon 10 TIDE over the present crisis
The Outbreak in India
'On the northwestern borders of nv In
dian empire an organized outbreak of
fanaticism, which spread in the summer
along the frontier. induced many of the
tribes to break their engagements with nv
government to attack the military posts IN
=, =. ii.s' anu eNeh 10 invade tne sell
tied district of my territory. l was COM
PEELED to serd expeditions against the Of
lending tribes. for the punishment of the
outraSes and TO insure peace in the future
n portion of the Affidi tribes have not vet
accepted the terms offered them but else
where 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 difhcultles In the country in which they
were operating, but l have to deplore the
loss of many valuable lives, both amongst
my own troops and those whose services
were volunta rily and Loyalty placed at my
disposed by the native princes of my Indian
empire"
The rest of the speech deals with the
recrudescence of the plague in India, and
says:
Although the mortality is less alarming