IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume xxx, Issue 2432, 11 February 1888, Page 2

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH. |13v Electhiu Telkgkai'h—Copyright. 1 London", February 8. Parliament will be opened to-day by Royal Commission. The following is a forecast of the Queen's Speech : —The references to Foreign affairs are of a strictly pacific character; the settlement of the Afghan Frontier Question removes all chances of a misunderstanding, and will facilitate the operations of the Anglo-French Suez Canal Convention; negotiations on the American. Fisheries dispute have not yet been sufficiently advanced to permit of a settlement of the dispute heing made. Regret is expressed at the failure of Mr Portal to effect a reconciliation between Abyssinia and Italy ; thn hope is expressed that the work of the Sugar Bounties Conference will bear satisfactory results. The diminution of crime in Ireland is noted, and the Government are satisfied with the improvement manifested, and will still adhere to their determination to insist oa the law being stringently enforced. No special Irish bills are promised, though reference was made to the desirableness of the ending of dual ownership of land. Bills are promised dealing with local government in England and Wales, land transfer, tithes, technical education, railway ratos, employers' liability, Scottish University, and the regulation of limited liability companies. Later. The Speech emphasises the necessity for making provision on the estimates for a complete defence of I'Oitling stations, and refers to the subsidy proposed for the equipment of the Australian auxilliary squadron; it also promises increased facilities for transformation of Irish occupiers of land into owners of holdings.