The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-16
The Debate in Parliament on the
Kings speech.

The Kings speech which was read
bv the Lord Chancellor on the opening
of Parliament on Feb. IA was OF itself
colorless, but there were interesting de
bates in the two houses on the responsive
addresses, and the well known Liberal,
Mr.. H. a. AsQUITH, moved in the Com
mons an amendment in favor Of an I'M
mediate dissolution, so carefully worded
that Mr. CHAMBERLAlNs followers will
be able to vote for il should their leader
give the word.
In the House of Lords the Foreign
Secretary, Lord LANsDowNE. replying
TO tho wish expressed by Earl SPENCER
on behalf of the Liberals that the Govern
ment would miss no opportunity Of bring
ing the conflict in the Far East TO peace
full solution, said that any attempt at
Intervention at the present time would
retard the object desired. The utmost
that he would promise was that Great
Britain would continue TO maintain tho
strictest neutrality, and he congratulated
his countrymen that, as tho champions
of neutral rights, they had succeeded
in persuading Russia to treat y rice
and other provisions as only condition.
ally contraband. though that beligerent
still refused to place coal in the same
category. Abiding to the North Sea
incident Lord LANsDowNE admitted that
at one time Great Britain had been
near being drawn into the vortex of
war. He referred. Of course, to the fact
that he had been constrained TO tel
Count BENCKENDoRFF, Russia'S Ambas-
sador in London. that hostlities could
not be averted if Admiral RoJEsTvENsKY
failed TO touch at Nigo where he could
learn by telegram from St Petersburg
that an investigation Of his firing on
English fishing vessels must take place
In regard 20 South Africa the Foreign
Secretary SAID that the Government was
prepared 10 give the Transvaal not
absolute self-government, hope oil the
ultimate attainment of which the King $
speech had held out, but the large in
stallment OF autonomy which is the OUT
come of representative institutions. As
to it's modification of the treaty con-
cluded at Lhasa by Col. YoUNGRUsBAND,
a modification severely criticised in tho
Commons by Sir HENRY CAMPBELL
BANNRRMAN, Lord LANsDowNE main
tanned that the attitude of the Govern
ment toward Tibet had been entirely con-
sistent That is true; but in the opinion
of the Anglo-Indian authorities the
conduct of the Home Government has
o.,,srg.a,t1,+ sc all
known that the India Secretary's re-
duction of the Tibetan indemnity from
80 500. 900 to one-third of that sum and
his curtaiment Of the term during which
the Chumbi district is to be held as secur-
itv from seventy-fiye to three years has
elected an earnest protest from Lord
CUR2oS's representative ut Calcutta,
In the Judgment of Anglo-Indian eS-
perts the day is not distant when Col
YouNaHusBAND's work will have to be
done all over again.
1t was admitted by a spokesman oil
the Government that no attempt will be
made to pass during the present session
the Redistribution of Seats bill, which
was expected to provoke such vehement
opposition on the part of Irish patriots
Far from being conciliated by this an
nouncement, the Irish Nationalists hsvC
decided TO begin at once an active cam
paign against the Government and to
move amendments TO the address, il
which they viii demand Home Rule fol
Ireland, the establishment Of Catholi,
universities and an important addition
to the Irish Land act Their efforts
even il REINFORCED by the Liberals. vii
be futile il Premier BALFoUR can re-
tain the majority OF 81 which, nominaly
he still possesses, That majority, how
ever, can be annihilated if cighty-one o
his ostensible adherents shall abstain
from voting on a critical division or i