Year: 1872

y
British Parliament was prorogued The occa-
sion, though important, was comparatively
uninteresting from the fact that Her Majesty
Queen Victoria was absent, the Speech from
the Throne, as has become of late years Due
custom, being read by commission In the
earlier years of Her Majestys reign. indeed,
up until the death of the Prince Consort, the
opening and the closing of Parliament consti-
tuted the two grand events of the year The
Queen was always present in person; and the
Speech from the Throne, read by the Queen
herself, was always and universally admitted
to be the most tasteful speech of the year, and
spoken by one of the finest voices in England.
In those days the House of Lords was uni
formly crowded and the galleries were filed
with fair ladies and brave men, the repre-
sentatives of the best blood in the British
isles, and with fair sprinkling also of the
best blood of all the lands and kingdoms of
the earth Those good old times are gone;
the Queen does not get over her sorrow, and
royal speeches, delivered by royal commission,
no matter how skilfully constructed and how
artistically pronounced, are found to be tame
and uninteresting AS it has been for some
years past, so was it yesterday. m


From an English point of view, judging
from the outlines now before us, the royal ad-
dress was sensible and good The first place.
as was most becoming, was given to the rela-
tions of Great Britain with the United States,
and special reference was made to the Wash
ington Treaty. The indirect claims were
alluded to, and the Queen was glad to inform
Parliament that the arbitrators had come to
the rescue, and, by spontaneous declaration,
had endorsed the views expressed by Her
Majesty at the opening of the session. The
Canadian Parliament, too. had behaved well.
1t had passed the acts necessary to give effect to
the Washington Treaty, and Her Majesty
could reflect with satisfaction that the sub
jects with which the treaty deals no longer
offer any impediment to perfect concord be-


tween two kindred nations. Reference was
made to the notification from France of the


termination of the Commercial Treaty of 1860,


and some stress was laid on the fact that the


French government had indicated desire for
further correspondence on the subject. 1t was
announced that an Extradition Treaty had
been concluded with Germany; and the Queen,
influenced no doubt, by the Stanley Living
stone letters and yielding to the public senti-
ment which these letters have called forth, de-
cared it to be the fixed determination of the
government to take steps for dealing more
effectually with the slave trade the East Coast
of Africa. The Commons were very properly
<bop al f>r Tho oil thou hQd
made from the public purse for the general
purposes of government The most impor-
tant measures adopted by Parliament were
fatteringly alluded to in detail; and thought
full reference was made to the tranquility and
growing prosperity of Ireland The closing
words of the speech are worthy Of reproduc-
ton in this place. They are these: -" While
cordially congratulate you on the activity Of
trade and industry, 1 hope it will be borne in
mind that periods of unusually rapid changes
in prices of commodities and in the value of
labor are likewise periods which more than ever
call for the exercise of moderation and fore
thought. In bidding you farewell, I ask you
to join with me in acknowledging the abun-
dant mercies of Almighty God, and imploring
their continuance"


Such is the Queens speech, as read by Royal
Commission, in the month of August, 1872.
To the speech itself, away from the reference
to the Washington Treaty, we have not the
slightest objection. We are pleased to learn
that in spite of all the marvellous changes
which are taking place in the world and among
the nations the British empire goes on pros
pering and to prosper. We are not sorry to
learn from the Queens speech that the British
people are happy at home and on the best Of
terms with all their neighbors. We must be
excused, however, if we refuse to share
in the general joy which the Washington
Treaty, and particularly the Spontaneous
declaration Of the Geneva Arbtrators
seem to have occasioned in England. 1t is not
our opinion that the Washington Treaty has
brought to satisfactory conclusion all the out
standing questions which divided two kindred
nations; nor can we reflect with satisfaction
that every impediment to perfect concord has
been removed. What we have said before We
must repeat. The Washington Treaty has
been diplomatic triumph to England On
our part it has been failure. But after all
we lose less than we seem to lose, and England
gains less than she seems to gain for the
Washington Treaty. it will be found, has not
bridged the chasm, has not healed the di-
visions, has not removed the "impediment to
perfect concord between two kindred nations"
1t is useless, we think, any longer to disguise
what seems to be q universal conviction, that
the damages to be awarded will be source OF
pain rather than cause Of satisfaction. AS
we have said, with the rest Of the speech we
are N perfect accord, and in the concluding
advice and prayer we can heartily join. Lords