New-York tribune., 1910-02-22


Mr.. Redmond against the governments
course, and that great pressure is being
brought to bear from the Radicals TO in
duce Mr. Asquith 10 resign at once.
Austen Chamberlain will propose an
amendment to the Kings speech in favor
OF tariff reform and imperial preference. at /
the same time deploring the failure OF the |
ministers tc recognize in the speech the
nature and gravity of the state OF trade |
and employment.
The Kings speeches usually prosalc. |
but one clause In his speech to-day is re- ;
garded most significant. Referring to !
the proposed reform of the House OF Lords |
the speech contained the qualifying clause:
In the opinion Of my advisers which is |
interpreted meaning that the King wants !
TO disaSsociate himself from such pro-
poSals.
Prince Henry Of Prussia rode in the royal
procession and attended Parliament He
appeared in the uniform os a British ad-
miral, and the crowds gave him reception
less warm than those which visiting mem
bers of royal families usually receive.
AMBIGUOUS ROYAL STATEMENT.
King Edward in opening the third Par
lament of his reign this afternoon, out
lined the plan of the ministerial campaign
against the House Of Lords follows;
Recent experience has disclosed serious
difficulties due to recurring differences of
strong opinion between the two branches
OF the Legislature Proposals will be laid
before YOU with all convenient speed to
define the relations between the houses OF
Parliament so as to secure the undivided
authority of the House of Commons over
finance and its predominance in legislation.
These measures, in the opinion of my ad-
visers. should provide that this House
should be constituted and empowered as
TO exercise impartially in regard to pro-
ton. revision and, subject TO proper safe
guards of delay
When the speech came out on the tickers
the excited crowds in the clubs wondered
what This House" meant. BY all the rules
of grammar the words must refer 10 the
House of Commons, though evidently the
intention of the trainers of the Kings
speech was that it should refer TO the
Lords. 1t may have been that the King
intended the words TO apply to the House
of Lords which was the place where the
speech delivered.
The royal speech was unusually brief
and made plain that the work of the ses-
sion would be confined TO the matter of
finance and the question of the House Of
Lords.
The financial estimates for the coming
year said his majesty, have been framed
with the utmost desire for economy. but
the requirements for the naval defence of
the empire made it necessary to propose
substantial increase in the cost of my
navy
Recording the fact that the expenditures
authorized by the last Parliament were
being incurred and met by a recourse 10
temporary borrowing, the speech said: Ar
rangements must be made at the earliest
POSSIBLE moment to deal with the financial
situation thus created.
The reading of the speech occupied only
four minutes.
The expression I'm the opinion of my ad-
yisers," which the King seemed to empha-
size especially, Is a novelty in speech
from the throne. and il is believed that
the King himself was responsible for the
insertion of the phrase
The House Of Commons met for business
al : o'clock and the most important ses-
sion of modern times opened under condi-
tions without parallel in the history Of
British Parlaments.
The chamber crowded to its capaci-
t.. Ambassador Reid, Prince Henry of
Prussia and many other diplomats dis
tinguished strangers occupied seats in the
gallery for visitors, and the peers gallery
was filed with representatives of the upper
house.
The first business to ne transacted
the adoption. without DIVISION. OF mo
ton deleting the seasonal order prohibit
ing peers from participating in elections
This step followed naturally on the recent
elections. in which the peers were prom
inent on the hustings. At the conclusion
of this business the debate on the address
in reply TO the speech from the throne
began
POSITION OF NATIONALISTS
A J. Balfour spoke for the opposition.
He criticised the Kings speech for its am
biguity. particularly on the naval question.
He had hoped for declaration that the
government was prepared to face the situ-
alton and provide everything necessary for
the defence OF the empire. The general
election had been primarily on the budget,
and he not quite sure what the cOun-
try had pronounced
when the budget he said has received
a cold and chilly but numerically adequate
support in this house, it will doubtless be
come a law. / believe that the majority
of the constituencies in Great Britain are
prepared to support the budget, but can
IT be pretended that ireland favors #? If
ireland abstains from opposing the budget
it will be because the Irish members think
that the interests of Home Rule override
tlr1se of finance. and 1 hold that if the
budget were isolated from all other ques-
tions it would be rejected
Mr. Balfour closed by doubling whether
Ii was possible to intruSt solely to a repre-
sentative assembly the power of manipulate
ing from top to bottom the whole conSti- !
tuition of the country. They would be mad
indeed if they drove TO this illogical excess
the idea that for all purposes and for all
time the House of Commons could be taken
to represent the settled convictions OF the
people
REPLY OF THE PREMIER.
Mr.. Asquith in rising to reply was loudly
cFCered. He supposed that the Kings
speech was the shortest on record. Apart
from the financial provisions, the only ques-
ton which the government announced
legislation was the relations between the
two houses Nothing more would be intro
dUced this session.
The House OF Lords" said the Premier.
last year rejected the budget glaring
breach Of the unWritten conventions of the
constitution. That was the climax Of
series Of acts by which the Lords claimed
overriding authority over the decisions
OF the popular chamber. and the govern
mcnt'S appeal TO the country was primarily
appeal to give them authority to put an
end to that state Of affairs
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