The Portland daily press., 1899-02-08

OPENING OF RLIAMEN r.
The Queens speech Was Read I'm Both
Houses and Adopted.

London, February 7.-Parliament con-
veped today and the N embsrs after as
sembling listened to the reading Of the
Queen speech which was as forecasted.
Both houses then adjourned.
When the session of the House of Lords
was resumed there was large attendance
and the galleries were crowded, many
ladies being among those present. Mr..
Ethan Allen Hitchcock, until recently
United States ambassador at st. Peters
burg and recently appointed secretary of
the interior and MIR. Henry White, the
United States charge d'sffaires, were In
the diplomatic gallery.
The Duke of Bedford moved the address
| in reply to the Queens speech and his
Earl of Cawdor seconded the motion.
| The Duke of Bedford cordially referred to
| the growing friendly relations between
the United States and Great Britain. The
| Earl OF Kimberly the Liberal leader in
the lioC.e OF Lords, made speech during
which Askei for further Information
uga, tue government intention IN
the ssul and in China, aud regarding
| the Gar disarmament proposals. His
Lordship also referred with great salts
faction to the meeting of the Venezuelan
arbitrators in Paris.
The premier, Lord Salisbury, followed
| / ord Kimberly and referred at length to
China. 1he destiny of China, his Lord :
ship added, WAS as impossible to foretell
as it was to reveal what was occurring on
"a certain island and within certain
palace at pekin. All that Her Majesty &
government WAS concerned with at
present was to SET that the treaties are
| fully observed, that the interests OF
| British subjects are safe-guarded and that
Il I.,-.. 81 kar inn or ~
other nation to coinpro mise their rights
Referring TO the Soudan, the premier
said that Great Britain held dominion by
| the title arising from the fact that the
Soudan formed part of the territories OF
Egpyt and also by the less complicated
and more easily understo' tile OF con-
quest. ANY revival of the claims of titles
| which events had swept away could not
he sustained by historical precedent OF in
ternational law. So. far as the Cars re-
| script was concerned, Lord Salisbury said
| no one could doubt the purity and hui
mainly of the Emperor's motive. II
should heartily rejoine," he continued,
'.if the conference achieved AN humber
aim and if by the steady use Of the prin-
ciple of arbitration We might be able 10
diminish number of the causes by
| which war Is produced. III ly human
| legislation we could also diminish the
horrors Of war, We would rem er an I'm
mea surable service TO humanity. Mean
while, we must follow the example OF
other nations and be prepared for war l
do not believe this is imminent, but the
causes of war still subsist; and, while
doing our best in the blessed mission of
peace, We must maintain the position OF
security which past generations have
given us and which we hope to keep"
Lord Salisbury remarked that he
frequently enyied o nation possessing a
committee of foreign relations ike the
United States-a committee which could
secretly receive explanations that minis
tiers were only too glad to give But as
Great britain was without this feature of
parliamentary government 1t would be
impossible for him to give the noble Lord
{ Earl of Kimberly all the information he
desired regarding foreign affairs. The
agreement between Germany and Great
britain, however. was of IA character
favorable to friendship between the two
nations and to tbs right of all concerned,
as well AS to the peace of the world But
he, 1.-THE preIuier) would not be doing his
duty If he gave further details as to the
stipulaticns, which for the present re-
Quired no action on the part of Great
Britain. phe address was then agreed to