Imperial Parliament.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 171, 21 January 1897, Page 3

Imperial Parliament.

(Per Press Association.) London, Jan. 19. Parliament was opened yesterday. The debate on the Address in-Reply was of a very tame character. The Irish financial amendments were withdrawn. Sir Vernon Harcourt, in the coarse of his speech said the AngloAmerican Treaty placed the goodwill of America on a permenant footing. With regard to the education question, the Opposition were willing to defend the Government against the Church if it maintained the action arrived at under the settlement of 1870, the outcome of which was Mr Forster's Education Bill, which compromised the religious difficulty. Mr Balfour justified the Government's policy in restoring Egyptian authority over the districts which had been lost to Egypt for some time. He was not without hope that the Powers would secure reforms in Turkey. The Government were resolved to enlarge the scope of financial inquiry in Ireland with a view to meeting some of the objections recently raised. January 20. The House of Lords adopted the address in reply. Lord Salisbury in his speech lauded Lord Rosebery for the action taken in regard to the liberal leadership. He said that the Queen had won the respect of the civilised world for the righteous character of her reign during which she had exercised a benignant influence upon the successful development of constitutional Government. Referring to the Eastern question Lord Salisbury admitted that in the past Earl Beaconsfield and himself had misgivings as to the wisdom of the policy of propping up Turkey. It was clear that Great Britain made a mistake in rejecting the proposals made by the Czar in 1853 for defining the influence of the Powers with Turkey and similar overtures would now be gladly accepted. The Powers were pondering aa to remedies to save the Turkish Empire and it was generally agreed that if reforms were refused material pressure must be applied. Some of the most important Powers were convinced the doom of Turkey could not long be postponed unless essential reforms were granted. With regard to Egypt it was intended to occuDy Khartoun sooner or later. He deprecated any millenial expectations respecting the Anglo-American arbitration treaty bnt said he hoped it would gradually suDstitute judicial decisions for war.