Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-12
THE PARLIAMENT
King Edward Set the Ball Rollinq With Great Pomp and Cere-
 mony This Afternoon
INTERESTING SESSION

London, Feb 12.-The second ses- sion of the second parliament of the present reign, which promises to be very important as a consequence of the projected liberal attack on the house of lords, and the introduction of an instalment of home rule for Ireland, was opened by King Edward this afternoon with the usual im- posing ceremony. The king and queen, in the historic golden coach, participated in the usual state pro- cession from Buckingham palace to the house of lords. The route was lined by troops and despite the driz- zling rain and cold weather consid- erable crowds occupied all the points of. vantage and gave their majesties hearty reception. The great off, cers of state awaited the king at the Victoria tower entrance of the house of lords, whence the robing room was reached. The king having donned the royal robes over his field mar shaps uniform, procession was formed and made Its way into the upper house, which was brilliantly lit up by electrioliers. As the her aids and other state officers heading the procession entered the house the whole brilliant gathering therein rose to greet their majesties. The house was filled to its capacity and the assemblage of members of the royal family, of peers robed in scar let and ermine and peeresses resplen- dent in court dresses, foreign diplo- natlsts, among whom were Ambas- sador Whitelaw Reid and Secretary Carter; church dignitaries, judges and officers of the navy and army, all i'll gala uniform or clad in the vari- colored robes of their office, facing the king and queen, who were seated on their thrones, combined to form a scene which was medieval in its picturesqueness. Ranged on the steps of the throne, on either side of the king. stood the Earl of Crewe, lord president of the council, bearing the imperial crown; the Earl of Car rington, joint hereditary lord great chamberlain of England, carrying the sword of state, and the Marquis of Winchester, premier marquis of Eng land, with the cap of maintenance in his hands, and all the other state dig nitaries,
 The members of fhes eshouse of com mons having been summoned to at- tend the house of lords, the lord high chancellor, Lord Loreburn. kneeling, handed the king from the throne, which his majesty read
 The document foreshadowed full and busy session devoted to Ireland, army reform and temperance, apart from the overshad0wing question of the house of lords. After the usual reference to the good relations pre- vailing between Great Britain and the other powers the speech deplored the loss of life and destruction of prop erty resulting from the earthquake at Kingston.
 "I have seen with satisfaction" said the king, that the urgency has been met by the government and his officers with courage and by the peo- pie with self-control. The occasion has called forth many proofs of prac- tical goodwill from all parts of my empire. and I recognize with sincere gratitude the sympathy shown by ;he president of the United States and the assistance promptly offered by their naval authorities. A congratulatory reference to the visit to India of the Ameer of Afghanistan was followed by the intimation that while guard ing the unity of the executive power unimpaired' some changes in the gov ernmental methods of India were un- der consideration. bringing them more in accordance with the wishes of the natives.
 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 the ''Gentlemen of the House of Con- mons."
 Serious questions" said the king, affecting the working of our parila- mentary system have arisen from the unfortunate differences between the two houses. My ministers have this important subject under consideration with the view of solution of the diff ficulty."
 The rest of the speech was de- voted to the proposed licensing bill. the object of which Is to diminish the drink evils; proposals for army im- provements and Irish local govern ment and education questions. and a number of minor measures. including the establishment of court of crimi- nal appeal.