Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-02-19
KING EDWARD
IN PARLIAMENT
UsusuaI Gorgeous Cere-
mOniaI Observed in
the Procession.
ALSO IN HOUSE OF LORDS
Gay Uniforms, Official Cos.
tunes and Be-Medaled
Representatives.
NO SURPRISE IN KINGS SPEECH

| London, Feb 19.-The first session
of the second parliament of the reign
of King Edward VII and the twenty
seventh of the United Kingdom, was
opened this afternoon by the king
Since his majesty ascended the
throne he has personally opened each
of the six sessions of parliament. ad-
ding much to that most ceremonious
| occasion. Today's event has added
interest in that it is the first
new parliament to be opened by the
king, but more particularly because
OF the great change that has come
over the personnel of the House of
Commons, as result of the recent
general elections.
The pageant was much like those
that have gone before, somewhat de-
tracted from by the absence of the
queen, who is at Copenhagen, where
she went to attend the funeral of her
father King Christian, and the Prince
and Princess of Wales, who are in
India and who in the past have pre-
ceeded the king and queen to West
minister, giving additional color to
the show, There was no diminution,
however, in the size of the crowds
that turned out to witness the pro-
cession and show their loyalty to the
sovereign. The quadrangle on which
Buckingham Palace faces and all the
open spaces in the vicinity were
crowded with people, while the Mall,
which skirts St James Park, the
Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and
Parliament streets and Old Palace
Yard, were lined by thousands, who
cheered more heartily than ever as
the gold crusted state coach, drawn
by eight beautifully caparisoned
cream horses, passed at a slow walk
The line of the procession was
flanked by the Foot Guards and the
police, not for protection, but as a
part of the ceremony, while a sover-
eign's escort of the Household Cav
airy, in addition to a detachment of
the Yoemen of the Guard, acted as a
bodyguard. The state coach was pre-
ceded by six state carriages, occupied
by the ladies and gentlemen of the
household.
This procession and the return
journey from Westminster to Buck
ingham Palace is for the benefit of
the general public. The great spec
tacle is for the favored ones, who
lind themselves in the peers chamber
of the House of Lords. There was
gathered an imposing assembly of
peers, peeresses, ecclesiastics, judges.
and ministers of foreign
countries, with their wives. The
peeresses were the first to arrive,
and took their places before the peers
reached the house. Except in the
case OF the dukes, for whom a bench
below that of the duch-
esses is reserved the order of pre-
cedence among the peers is not OBJ
served, the early arrivals taking their
choice of the seats and the late ones
wherever they could find room, liber-
ais, conservatives, free traders and
tariff reformers freely mingling All
were wearing their crimson robes.
The bishops, in scarlet robes, with
long ermine capes, the judges in
Dlack and gold or crimson and white,
increased the impressiveness of the
scene, Amidst all this the ambassa-
dors and ministers of foreign nations,
wearing their varying uniforms, broad
green or crimson sashes, stars, and
decorations, constituted the most
brilliant group in the assembly. !
Among them was Whitelaw Reid, the |
American ambassador, in plain black
court dress. In the galleries every
seat was occupied by somebody Off |
cially or socially prominent.
Preceded by officers of state, bear |
ing the imperial crown, cap of main
,enance and sword of state, the king
proceeded TO the House of Lords. and |
soon afterwards dispatched the gen.
Lleman usher of the black rod to in |
form the members of the House of
Commons. On their arrival the king
'ead the speech from the throne, |
which contained no surprises, and the |
ceremony was at an end