New-York tribune., 1901-02-15
THE KINGS SPEECH,

The Tribune publishes to-day, for the first
time in its history, Kings speech at the open
ing OF the British Parliament. The fact is sug-
gestive. Old this journal is-now completing
its sixtieth year-it does nOr antedate the reign
of which il a few days ago recorded the close.
In all these years there have been an West
Minister only Queens speeches; not all of them
read by the Queen, nor even delivered in the
Queens presence. For many years of the lat
ter part of her reign the Queen depended upon
the Lord Chancellor or some other dignitary for
the delivery of the speeches which her Min
listers put forward I'm her name and on COM
paratively few occasions did she grace the
opening of a Parliamentary session with her
personal presence The statement put forth
that until Yesterday there had been no royal
opening OF Parliament since the death of the
Prince Consort in 1861 is. of course, untrue, for
the Queen was present at the opening of Parlia-
ment I'm 1917. in 1880 and in 1885, with all the
splendor of her Court But yesterdays speech
was the first for many years delivered by the
soyereicn's own voice. and the first King $
speech for more than threescore years.
There is singularly impressive contrast be
tween the first Parliamentary appearance or
Victoria and that of Edward VII. The former
sovereign. like the latter, read her first speech
in person But she was delicate. inexperi-
enced girl. yet in her teens. TO which fact she
made touching reference in her speech: while he
is an experienced man, far past middle age VIC
toria's appearance, moreover, was effected amld
National rejoicings. for there had been little
mourning at the demise of William ", and il
had all vanished long before the opening or
Parliament five months later. But King Ed
ward opened his first Parliament in eircum-
stances of the deepest possible personal anu
popular mourning, 10 which fact he made nj
ting and not exaggerated reference In the open
ing sentences of his speech. AS for the rest II
NAV he said that the Kings first Parliament
opens with auspices on the whole more happy
than those which marked the Queens. Both
domestic and foreign politics and the general
International relations Of the world are in far
more secure and promising condition than they
were in 1887.
So far as King Edwards speech deals with
current issues. ii makes perfectly clear what
We have from the outset regarded as certain
that his reign will be marked with no new de-
partures' of policy, such as Mr. Bryan has idly
nictured as Dossible Edward VII is constitu-
tional monarch as his mother was. and he will
rule as she did. according To the will OF the ma
tion through Parliament and the Ministry.
There is no hint of any change OF policy ID
South Africa hut rather reaftrmation OF In
tent TO complete the suppression Of all resist
ance 10 British supremacy. In regard 10 China
the statements of the speech are purely per
functory. and We may conclude that no striking
changes of tactics are in contemplation in that
quarter. The speech is, as usual, far more
official than personal. and is thus 10 be re-
garded the utterance of the sovereign rather
than of the man. As such IL is reassuring of
maintenance Of the policies which made the
preceding reign the most benefcent in British
history.