The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-13
.OPENINGlOF
 PARLIAMENT Speech Delivered From
 Throne. BUSY SESSION IS PROMISED Praise for American Navy's Action
 at Kingston. No Hint Given of Course to Be Par sued by Ministers in soiviaE vexed ProbIem of House
 of Lords.

London, Feb. 1Z.--The soconu session of the second Parliament of the pres ent reign. which premises to be full of interest and importance as con- sequence of the projected Liberal att tack on the House of Lords and the introduction of an installmenf of home rule for Ireland was opened by King Edward this afternoon with all the im- posing ceremonies, which has attended these functions since his accession.
 The speech from the throne fore- snadowed a full and busy session de- voted to Ireland, army regime, and temperance, apart from the overshad- owing question of tho House of Lords.
 After the usual reference to good re- lations prevailing between Great Brit am and the other powrs, the speech de- piored the less of life and destruction of property resulting from the earth quake al Kingston.
 T have seen with satisfaction" said the King, that the emergency has been met by the Governor and his of ffcers with courage and devotion and by the people with self-control. The occasion has called forth many proofs of the country and we recognize with sincere gratitude the sympathy shown by the people of the United States and the assistance promptly offered by their authorities
 A congratulatory reference to the visit to India of the Ameer of Afghan istan was followed by the iutimation that while guarding the unity of the executive power unimpaired" some changes in the governmental methods of India were under consideration. bringing them more in accordance with the wishes of the natives. Treabie Over Lords. Then came a guarded reference to the question uppermost in the minds of his majesty's hearers. It was ad- dressed both to .'my Lords'' and tlfe gentlemen Of the House of Commons" sserious questions,' said the King, "affecting the working of our Parlfa- mentary system have arisen from the unfortunate differences between tho two houses. My ministers have this | important subject under cofiaideration
 with the view of 8 solution of the dif- iculty.
 The rest of the speech was devoted to tho proposed licensing bill. the sub feet of which is to diminish the drink evils: proposals for the improvement of the army organization and Irish local government and educational questions and a number of minor measures, in- cluding the establishment of a Court of Criminal Appeal.
 On the Irish question, the King said:
 Your attention will be called to measures for further associating the people of Ireland with the management of their domestic affairs ana otherwise improving their system of government in it's administrative and financial as- poets. Proposals will also be submit ted to you affecting a reform of uni versity education in Ireland, by which trust that the difficulties which have so long retarded higher education in that country may be removed"
 Among the domestic Legislation fore shadowed in the speech from the throne. was "a bill enabling women to serve on local bodies" evidently in- tended as a sop to the women suftrag- ists,
 The points In the Kings speech which attracted the most attention were the references to the Kingston disaster and the House of Lords. When his majesty spoke gratefully of the assistance rendered by the Amer ican navy to the earthquake sufferers, he turned In the direction of the di- pIomatic body and bowed to Ambassa- dor Reid, who was distinguished among his uniformed colleagues by his .eve- ming dress.
 When the differences between the Lords and the Commons were mention cd, there was a perceptible commotion among the audience which was all the more noticeable because 1t Is unusual for any phrase from tho speech from the throne to cause anything in the way of a sensation among those who hear 1t read.
 The House of Commons was crowded fin all parts when the members assem- b;ed for business at { o'clock this af- ternoon. The entry of the Premier. Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman. was greeted with cheers from the ministe-
 The. speaker. James Lowthor, read inc speech from the throne. The ref erence to aid rendered by the Ameri- can navy at Kingston was greeted with A loud outburst of applause.
 The mention of the differences be- tween the House of Commons and the House of Lords, also was cheered on the resumption of the sitting, after the House of Lords.
 Praise For American Navy.
 Lord Castletown, Liberal, moved the address in reply to thes Kings speech. and in so doing praised the assistance rendered by the American navy to the sufferers from the earthquake at King ston. He also declared that 1t was necessary to change the machinery of the House of Lords, which at present gave the House preponderance ot Tories.
 Regarding Ireland, Lord Castletown uCCtdIGu Vidt was PApppoFh was evolution rather than devolution. Af- ter a hundred years of union 1t was proposed to adopt administrative re- forms, long overdue, rescue the Irish system from chaos. Irelands appeal for financial justice had failed. but separation was unthinkable and im- possible.
 Lord Lansdowne. Liberal Unionist, said the opposition was left in entire Ignorance as to the direction in which a solution for the present relations bee tween the House of Lords and the House of Commons was to be sought Did the government want to make the upper house stronger and more effi- cient or to degrade 1t to a mere debat- Ing society? 1t was deeply rooted in the public mind that whatever dan ger might be apprehended from an un- reformed House of Lords they were nothing to be compared with those of an unrestrained House of Commons
 Lord Ripon. Liberal, Lord Privy Seal. after expressing sympathy with the sufferers from the earthquake at Kim aston. said they had heard with the