Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-13
CROWDWAITING To See Opening of
 Parliament. EYES ON LIBERALS To See What Will Be the Outcome of Business With the Large
 Majority They Will
 Have on Floor.

Have on Floor.
 London, Feb Although the cere-
 monial of formally opening parlia-
 ment will not occur until February 19 and while noslegislative work can be undertaken until after the kings speech has been delivered on that Oc-
 casion. the second parliament of King
 Edward assembled this afternoon for the election of a speaker of the house of commons. This was the only busi- ness to-day and the swearing ill of
 members will occupy the rest of the
 week.
 The new house of commons meets under conditions of unusual interest and evidence of this was seen in the
 wild rush for seats at midnight when the spectacle at the entrance of the houses of parliament at Westminster resembled the entry to a pit on rhe
 first night of a play by a popular au- thor. Nearly three hundred of the
 members are entirely new to parlia- mentary life as a consequence of the npheaval caused by the general elec- ton and the house of commons police had difficult task in differentlaling between members. and outsiders who attempted to take advantage of the occasion to view the proceedings.
 Outside the house great crowd showed Keen interest in the proceed. ings. criticising or cheering according to their political bias the better known members, while the arrival of the Ye0men of the Guard to make the historic search of the vaults for a Guy Fawkes with all the time honored formalities evoked unbounded enthlsi- asm.
 The fact that the liberals have n clear majority of S5 over all combina- tiOns between unionists, natiOnalists and laborltes in the new parliament, has completely upset calculations as to the course of events or probable legis- lation during the session of parliament for which the members assembled to- day. Before the extent of the victory had been realized 1t was expected that the policy of the government on many important issues would be largely con trolled by the labor party and to q lesser extent by the nationalists, or by a combination of the two. With q clear majority of s behind him Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman can carry out the general liberal program without run ming much risk. But there are ques- tions on which the party is not unit and which will cause the session to be troublous if not stormy. One of the first and by no means the easiest task of the new government will be the tackling of the education acts of 19O2-3. which have been the causes of so many long debates both in and out of parliament. ThoseNwho are demand ing amendments to the acts claim that the mandate from the electors is clever, genuine. popular control. No religious tests for teachers There are diffef- ences of opinion as to how the changes are to be carried out. but on the prin- ciples they agree. In detail they ask for great proportion of the cost Of education to be a charge upon the inl- perial exchequer; the training of teach CTS to be more of an imperial than a local charge: the appointment of teach CTS to be under local control, but that no conditions of employment shall in- clude the compulsory giving or receiy- ing of denominational religious in- struction; that parents have the right to send their children to some other place than the school for the purpose of receiving specific denominational at the hands of their re- ligious pastors: subject to this elemen- tary schools to be opened each morn- ing with a simply family religious ser vice. In all this they expect powerful resistance on the part of Anglicans. with possible combinations against them among other denominations. In any event a change In the education act is a pledge to which the liberal party in general and the premier in particular are positively committed. i.
 That the act will be changed by a large majority vote in the commons goes without saying. hut the difficulty in carrying out the pledge to the peo- pie comes when the amendments reach the house of lords.
 The disestablishment of the An glican church in Wales is another ques tion bound to be raised. on which the different denominations win clash, but it Is rather early to forecast the gov intentions in respect 10 this.
 Changes in the Irish policy leading 10 what the premier describes that larger policy" may be expected. Home rule Is still far on. though Irishmen profess to have some hope as a result of the introduction Of a strong labor party. The labor candidates were SUD- ported by Irishmen as against liberals. they fayoring an Irish parliament With the support of but fifty laborites he nationalists hope 10 attain their snds. but in addition to labor there ex- sts in the present parliament a home rule element inside the liberal party. should labor gain strength and elect mother hundred members st the next slection absolute home rule will be in tight Modified home rule. putting an Irish house absolutely subservient to he imperial parliament. might be an of the life of the present par lament and be accepted ss q step by he usfionalists and as a compromise by the house of lords There Is 10 rea- son to believe that labor will lose the strength that 1t has ssined In fact he leaders have announced their inten- ion of eontesting every bye election shere they have the fsintest hspes of succe>x. and home rulers claim that sb- lolufe home rule win come with the 1exf elections. The rrrsfest question It present. however. fs. ~whst will he he poiiry ef the fifty l<bor members sho have secIired seats sf we<tmin- ster7 There are two distinct groups >F labor m<nh>re. but ca fre u1la sub-