New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-19
KING AT WESTMINSTER,
Ed7card III Opens To-day the First
Parliament of HIS Reign.

1t IS to-day that King Edward will open the first
Parliament of his reign. though with much less
pomp and ceremony than usual. owing to the
mourning for his father-in-law, King Christian
and he will deliver from the throne speech. which
only in so far be described as his own in that
II may be assumed that he would not consent to
give utterance to the views contained therein IL he
entertained any very pronounced objections to
them. The speech IS in fact, the legislative pro-
sramme Of the new administration. recently formed
by Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman. II has been
drawn up By the ministers, and only after being
duly completed has been submitted TO the King at
meeting Of the Privy Council in order to ascer
tain whether he would give his sanction thereto
or not II he had refused. the administration would
have had no alternative but to resign Yet with ell
that. the monarch is required by the constitution
10 maintain an attitude of the most absolute I'M
Partially between the rival political parties. and
20 refrain from showing any preference for one or
for the other.
ORDER OF MERIT FOR BALFOUR.
To such extent is this carried that, having de-
cidcd TO confer the Order of Merit upon Arthur
Balfour. the ex-Premier who has refused earl
dom. the King has announced his intention of be-
slowing n similar honor at the same time upon the
present Prime Minister. The Order OF Merit
ries with IT TITLE but is nevertheless OF the
highest distinctions which the King has in his
power bestow. There only about a dozen
members of the order, among whom Lord Rob
Edward Seymour Admiral Sir John Fisher. George
Meredith, the novelist; John Morley, Secretary
of State for India; William Holman Hunt and Alma
Tadema, the painters. and Lord Rayleigh, the emf
nent scientist. who is a brother-n-law of Arthur
Balfou:. BY tho latter's nomination and that of
the new Premier the membership of the order will
be increased TO fourteen.
For the first time within the memory of this gen.
Grafton. the leader OF the Opposition will be alb
sent from the opening of Parliament For Arthur
BafOur. as we all know, defeated at the re-
cent general election and although his klnsman by
marriage. the Hon Alban Gibbs. has agreed TO
sign his seat in the House OF Commons member
so until after the opening of Parliament. Were il
not for this delay the former Premier would have
had the right. by virtue of ancient prerogative
dating back hundreds of years. to occupy seat,
not on the Opposition side of the house, but the
Treasury bench-tha. is to say. among the princi-
pal ministers OF the Cabinet-in his capacity
as representative OF the City of London. This pre-
rogative like many others of the Same kind,
may be described as unwritten law, for there is
statute ordering the seats in the House of Com
mons. and when occasion Goblet, a very
eccentric member of Parliament. insisted upon TAX
ing the seat usually occupied by the Prime Minis
ter Sir Robert Peel, in the House Of Commons.
and in response to Sir Roberts protests announced
that he would "be damned II he'd move the all
powerful Premier obliged to give way and 10
take his seat elsewhere.