The San Francisco call., 1904-02-03
Continued From Page 1, Column 3

lief when the speech was over and
generally termed the proceeding as
one of the most extraordinary per-
sonaI situations that ever had oc-
CURED and the speech as one of the
weakest defenses of the Governments
policy ever made.
on behalf of Premier Balfour, Aus
ten Chamberlain declared the House
of Commons must first decide whether
or not it desired any change at all in
the fiscal system, and until that point
was settled the opposition demand for
details of the Governments fiscal re-
form plan could not be granted.
With the exception of the foregoing
unexpected incident and the spirited
defense of his action in the Whitaker
Wright case by Sir RobeSt Finlay. the
Attorney General, the opening of Par
lament was uneventful.
King Edward and Queen Alexandra
drove in full state to the House of
Lords, w1ere with much ceremony the
session was declared open. His Maj
esty's speech from the throne is gener-
ally regarded as having merely record
ed tie facts already known, while the
Governments legislative programme
has been announced already in these
dispatches. Lord Lansdowne, the For
eign Secretary. confirmed what has
heretofore been generally conceded as
Great Britain's attitude in the Far
Eastern crisis, without throwing any
new light on the negotiations. Both in
the House of Lords and the House OF
Commons the British Thibetan expedi-
ton and the war in Somaliland came in
for. criticism, but the opposition after
the fiscal question laid stress chiefly
upon the importation of Chinese into
the Transvaal and the report of the
War Commission.
BROKEN PARTY LINES.
In the House ef Lords the absence of
the Duke of Devonshire Qormerly
Lord President of the CounciD and
Lord Balfour of Burleigh (former Sec
retary for Scotland) from the Ministe-
rial bench was noted, but in spite of
this the House of Peers ended the ses-
sion with a passivity that quite beiied
the party cleavage which has occurred
since last they met.
In the House of Commons this cleav-
age was made apparent, for Charles L.
Ritchie (former Chancellor of the Ex-
cheauer) and Lord George Hamilton
(formersSecretary for India) both took
their seats below the gangway and di-
rectly in front of Joseph Chamberlain
and. curiously enough, between Lord
Hugh Cecil. the bitter opponent of the
former Colonial Secretary, and Jesse
Ceilings. mis- most faithful adherent.
AZ one member said, everything is at
skies and sevens."
The government is not likely to be
turned out ons John Morley's amend
ment to the address in reply to the
speech from the throne, which is
against a return to protective duties,
but the general impression prevails
that the government win not be able
to keep its forces together to see the
session end.
POLICY OF IRISH PARTY.
The Irish party, which now almost
holds the. balance of power, held con-
ference during the day and decided to
take no action until the government
has defined it's intentions toward the
Catholic University and the amendment
10 the land purchase act. 1t is PROB
able that Redmond's adherents willy alb
stain from voting for the present on
any division which would endanger the
government Redmond will enunciate
the policy of his party tomorrow.
Sir Robert Finley, toward the close
of the night session, said he intended
to amend the law dealing with COM
pany cases, such as those OF Whitaker
Wright. He declared that after care
full consideration of the evidence at his
disposal in 1902, it seemed to him that
wright's misstatements were really in
support of the corner which would
have rehabilitated the London and
Globe Finance Corporation and were
made with the view of benefiting rath-
er than injuring the shareholders. The
Attorney General announced that the
government would pay the costs of the
Wright prosecution.
Throughout this first sitting the op-
position appeared much invigorated by
its successes in the bye-elections.