Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-30
Queens Speech to Parliament Indi-
Gates Purpose to Crush Beers.
INCREASED APPROPRIATIONS ASKED
Both Houses Adjourned After Hear
ing the Speech Read.
IRISH MEMBERS ABSEN /

sion Of the fourteenth parliament Of Queen
Victoria opened at PM, after the Gus
tomary formalities.
There was a large attendance of mem
bers. The gentleman usher Of the Black
Rod, General Sir M. 8. Diddulph, sum
moned the commons to the house of lords
at 2:05 pm, where the lord high chancel-
lcr, Earl Halsbury, read the queens
speech, which was as follows:
my Lords and Gentlemen: The peace
which had recently been broken in South
Africa, when last L addressed you, has, un
happily, not been restored. but otherwis
my relations with other states are friendly
In resisting the invasion of my South AFR.
can colonies by the South African republic
and Orange Free State my people have re-
Sponded with devotion and enthusiasm t.
the appeal which have made to them anu
the heroism of my soldiers in the field an
my sailors and marines who were lande.
to cooperate with them. has not fallel
short of the noblest traditions of our mill
tary history.
Grfeved at the Loss of Life.
II am deeply grieved that so many valu-
able lives should have fallen a sacrifice, bu,
l have witnessed with pride and with
heartiest qualification the patriotic eager
ness and spontaneous loyalty with which
my subjects in all parts of my dominion>
have come forward to share in the commol
defense Of their imperial interests. 1 an
confident l shall not look to them in vain
when 1 exhort them to sustain and renew
their exertions until they have brought thi-
struggle for the maintenance of the empire
and the assertion Of It's supremacy in South
Africa to a victorious conclusion"
After allusions to the treaty with Ger
many and this country regarding Samoa,
and the federation in Australia, the speech
again reverts to the war, saying:
The brilliant courage and soldier-like
qualities Of the colonial forces engaged in
South Africa have already earned high ad-
miraticn, and patriotic offers of assistance
which 1t was not possible to accept have
come from many other colonies with pop
ulationS of various races. l have received
from the ruling chiefs of native states of
India numerous offers to place their troops
and the resources Of their states at my
disposal for service in South Africa. These
proofs OF their loyalty to myself and their
devotion to the cause of my empire have
afforded me much qualification.
4 regret that owing to insufficient rain
fall in the autumn over a great part of
western and central India the harvest and
paSturage have failed to such an extent as
to create famine. Timely measures have
been taken by my government and by the
rulers of the native states affected to re-
Il regret to add that the epidemic of
plague continues and that although its
severity has not increased since last year,
there is at present no prospect of its dim
mutton.
Appeal for Increased Appropriations.
Gentlemen Of the House of Commons:
The estimates for the public service of the
year will be laid before you The provision
for military expenditure must be largely
Increased of thn fol
military operations in South Africa. The
experience of great war must neces-
sariy afford lessons of the greatest i'm
portance to the military administrations of
the country. You Will not, am convinced
shrink from any outlay that may be re-
quired to place our defensive preparations
on a level with the responsibilities which
the possession Of SO great empire has
laid upon At time when several
other nations are perfecting their naval
forts and sacrifices, the solicitude with
which you have provided for the efficiency
of our navy and our coast defenses will
aSSuredly not be relaxed"
The rest of the speech, recognizing that
the time is not propitious for domestic re-
forms involving large expenditure, recon-
mends amendments to the agricultural,
educational, company, railway and acci-
dent laws.
The attendance of peers and of the pub
lie was not extraordinary.
Alter the fedClnS OF the speech the mouse
adjourned until pm, and the commonerS
returned to their house, which also SINH
larly suspended its sitting until o'clock.
Irish Members Remained Away.
All Of the Irish nationalists were absent
from the opening session of parliament,
owing to their attendance at meeting in
committee room 16. Mr.. Timothy Harring-
ton, member for the Harbour division Of
Dublin presided. Those in attendance in
cluded Messrs. Dillon, Healy and John Red
mond and many of their followers.
Messrs. Harrington and Redmond urged
that the time had come to restore unity in
the ranks of the parliamentary representa-
tives of Irish nationalism. Mr.. Redmond
described the prestige of Great Britain as
practically shattered, and said there seemed
to be no better time for promoting union
upon a sound and enduring basis, coupled
with a policy of unity in combat and en-
tire independence of all the English polfti-
cal parties. He then moved a resolution
declaring at an end the division of the Irish
nationalist representatives and that hence
forth they should act together as one
united party.
The resolution was carried unanimously
On Mr.. Healy's motion, three whips were
elected for the reunited party.
When the proceedings were recommended
in the house of commons. Mr.. Balfour, the
first lord Of the treasury and government
eaders, Sir Henry Campbell
he liberal leader, and others We're loudly
.heered by their respective followers.
James Lowther made his annual motion
relative to the interference of peers at elec-
ion. 1t was rejected by vote of 337 to
1O1.
The speaker read the queens speech at
t:45 pm.
Subsequently, Capt. Ernest G. Pretyman.
conservative, member for the Woodbridge
iivision of Suffolk, moved the address in
reply to the speech.
| The entry of the secretary of state for
he colonies. Joseph Chamberlain, was not
cheered from any part of the house.
Prince of Wales Present.
In the house of lords the Prince of Wales
the Duke of Connaught and the Duke of
Cambridge were seated on the cross bench
es. There were many ladies in the gal
cries, and there was an unusually large
attendance of peers.
The Duke of Somerset moved the address
reply to the queens speech and the Earl
IF Shaftesbury seconded the motion. The
Duke Of Somerset, in moving the address
said he looked forward confidently to a
successful termination of the war He
Urged the necessity for reform in the mill
| tary administration and said that, hitherto,
! the army seemed to have existed for the