Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-02-21
B0ERS MUST YIELD
so DECLARES KING EDWARD TO
PARLIAMENT.
BRILLIANT PAGEANT SEEN
Lord Salisbury Says There Should be
no Apprehension as to Final Out,
come of Contest in South Africa
Liberals Will Aid if Reorganization
Follows.

London, Feb. 15.-The first parlia- |
ment Of the reign Of King Edward VII |
was opened yesterday afternoon py
the king in person. The last state |
ceremony of the kind occurred in
1861, when Queen Victoria opened
parliament, accompanied by the
prince consort. Not since the we'd
ding of the then prince of Wales and
Princess Alexandra has the gorgeous
state coach used yesterday been seen
in the streets Of the capital. In this
coach the king and queen rode from
Buckingham palace to the palace Of
Westminster. 1t was a brilliant pa
geant witnessed.
1t was 2:15 p. m. before the king al
rived in the chamber, where one of
the most striking things was the
curious reversal of the customary ap-
purtenance of the sexes. Here for
once, the women were somber-looking,
in black, relieved only by their white
! arms and shoulders and the diamonds
and pearls in their cOronets, while the
men, usually in black. were radiant
with brilliant robes Of scarlet and er-
mine.
The kings speech was in part as
follows:
My Lords and Gentlemen: adj
dress you for the first time at a mo-
ment of national sorrow, when the
whole country is mourning the IL
sustained, and which has fallen
with peculiar severity on my
self My beloved mother dur
ing her long and glorious reign has
set an example before the world of
what a monarch should do. 1t is my
earnest 7esire to walk in her footsteps.
Amid this public and private grief
it is satisfactory to me to be able to
assure you that my relations with the
other powers continue friendly.
The war in south Africa is not yet
entirely terminated, but the capitals of
the enemy and his principal lines of
communication are in my possession.
and measures have been taken which
will, | trust, enable my troops to deal
| effectualiy with the FORCES by which
they are still opposed,
Il greatly regret the loss of life and
expenditure Of treasure due to the
| fruitless guerilla warfare maintained
by boer partisans, in the former terri
tories of the two republics. Their
early submission is much to be de-
sired in their own interests, as unit.
it takes place it will be impossible for
me to establish in those colonies the
institutions which will secure the
equal rights of ali the white inhay.-
tants and protection and justice for
the native population"
! On the resumption of business il
the house of lords, Lord Kimberley,
the liberal leader, said present Gu
ditions in south Africa filled him with
apprehension. The government has
been living in fools paradise. I'm
| less they enabled Kitchener to speed
| lily terminate the war, the situation
could easily become more dangerous
If The government attempted to put
the whole military system on a more
satisfactory basis it would receive
every support from the liberals
! Lord Salisbury said the country
could now hope confidently that the
promise given by the king that he
would follow in his mothers steps
would be fully and abundantly borne
out If SO it would be the greatest
triumph for the principle of monarchy
and for the name of the British union.
Dealing with the war, Lord Salisbury
thought there was nothing unusual in
the length of the campaign. He re-
ferred Lord Kimberley to the Indian
mutiny and the American war between
which and the south African
campaign there was great re-
semblance. Where great enthu-
s1asm and persistency existed
in country like south Africa, months
must elapse before tranquility could
be restored. Therefore, he did not
believe there was any real discomfort
and apprehension as expressed by
Lord Kimberley. He would be glad to
hear Kimberley repudiate all idea of
asking the government to alter it's
conduct towards the enemy 1t was
the business of the government to put |
its whole heart and strength to the |
task before it. If the enemy were al |
lowed to retain any portion of it's in
dependence it would involve incessant |
and continuous warfare Unless the
British were masters and conquerors
OF these territories. there was no hope
of abiding peace If Great Britain
slackened her efforts it would be an
avoWal to the world that her frontier
could be invaded in a most insulting
manner and that the empire was pow
erless to effectively resist it.