The Potteries Examiner : — 1877-02-10 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.  The Lord Chancellor said : My Lords and Gentle. men,—! am commanded to r, ad her Majesty's speech, in her MajeAy's own words; and he proceeded to read as follows:  My Lords and Gentlemen,—lt is with much satisfaction that I Again resort to the advise and asststance of my Parliament. The hostilities which before the dose of last session hall broken out between Turkey on the one band, and Servia and Montenegro on the other, engaged my most serious attention, nod I anxiously waited for an opportunity when my good offices, together with those of my antes, might be usefully interposed. This opportunity presented itself by the solicitation of Scrvia for our mediation, the offer of which was ultimately entertained by the Porte. lathe course of the negotiations I deemed it expedient to lay dotes, and, in concert with oth7r Powers, to submit to the Porte certain bases upon which I held that not only peace might be brought about with tbe Principalities, but the permanent Neification of the disturbed provinces, including Bulgaria, and the amelioration of their condition might be effected. Agreed to by the Powers, they required to be ' expanded and worked out by negotiation or by confer. ever, accompanied by an armistice. The Porte, though not accepting the bases, and proposing other terms, was willing to submit them to the equitable consideration of the Powers. While proceeding to act in this mediation I thought it right, after inquiring into the facts, to denounce to the Porte the excesses ascertained to have been , committed in Bulgaria, and to express my reprobation of their perpetrators. An armistice being arranged, a Conference met at Constautinople for the consideration of extended terms, in accordance with the original bases, in which Conference I was represented by a special envoy as well as by my Ambassador. In taking these steps my object has throughout been to maintain the peace of Europe and to bring about the better government of the disturbed provinces without infringing upon the independence and integrity of the Ottoman Emnire. The proposals recommended by myself and my allies have not, I regret to say, been accepted by the Porte, but the result of the Conference has been to show the existence of a general agreement among the European Powers, which cannot tail to have a material effect upon the condition and Government of Turkey. In the meantime the armistice between Turkey and the Principalities has been prolonged and is still unexpired, and may, I trust, yet lead to the conclusion of an honourable peace. In these affairs I have acted in cordial co-operation with my allies, with whom, as with other foreign Powers, my relations continue to be of a friendly character. Papers on these subjects will be forthwith laid before you.—My assumption of the Imperial title at Delhi teas welcomed by the chiefs and people of India with professions of affection and loyalty most grateful to my feelings.—lt is with deep regret that I have to announce a calamity in that part of my dominions, which will demand the most earnest watchfulness on the part of my Government there. A tontine, not less serious than that of 1873, has overspread a large portion of the presidencies of Madras and Bombay. I am confident that every resource will be employed not merely in arrest of this present famine, bat in obtaining fresh experience for the pre- , vention or mitigation of such visitations for the future, , —The prosperity and progress of my Colonial Empire : remain unchecked, although the proceedings of the Government of the Transvaal Republic, and the boss Chiles in which it ilaS engaged with the neighbouring tribes, have caused some apprehensions for the safety ' of my subjects in South Africa. I trust, however, that the measures which I have taken will suffice to prevent any serious evil. Gentleman of the House of COMMOOII,—I have directed the Estimates of this year to be prepared and presented to you without delay. My Lords and Gentlemen,—Bills relating to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and for amend. ! ing the law as to bankruptcy and letters patent for inventions, will be laid before you. Your attention will be again called to measures for promoting economy and efficiency in the management of the prisons of the United Kingdom, which will, at the same time, effect a relief of local burthens. Bills will also be laid before you for anomffing the laws relating to the valuation of property in England, for simplifying and amending the law relating tofactories and workshops, and for improving the law regulating the summary jurisdiction of magistrates. Legislation will be proposed with reference to roads and bridges in Scotland and the Scotch poor law. You will be asked to constitute one Supreme Court of Judicature in Ireland, and to confer an equitable jurisdiction on the County Courts in that country. I commend to you these and other measures which may be submitted to son for your consideration, and 1 trust that the blessing of the Almighty will attend your labours sad direct your efforts. The Queen then ruse, and the heralds, forming into proression, led the way from the Chamber, her Majesty kissing the Prince. of Wales as she passed out. The Prince and Princess followed, and the ceremony of opening the fourth sea. sion of the ninth Parliament of the Queen was at an end.  After the adjournment, debates took place on fhe Address, the principal subject referred to being the Eastern Question. In the Lords, Earl Granville, Lord Derby, the Marquis of Salisbury, and Lord Beaconsfield were the chief speakers. Earl Granville recommended that England should unite with the other Powers in persuading Turkey to redeem her promises towards the Christian Provinces. Lord Derby argued that the Conference had preserved the peace of Europe in the meantime, and had thus been the means of allowing the warlike essitement in Russia to subside, and the Bassists and Servians to become mutually disenchanted of each other. In the Commons, the Marquis of Hurting. ton, Sir Stafford Northcote, and Mr. Gladstone took part in the discussion, the Marquis of Hartington saying the Queen's Speech showed that the Government bad attained to a level, he would not say of dnlnesa, but of repose and rest. In both Houses the Address was agreed to. Tao volumes of official correspondence relutine to the Eastern Question were laid on the table of both Houses of Parliament on Thursday nigl.t. The volumes contain BO fewer than 1,500 despatches.  SUICIDE IN A Pours