CHAPTER II. The Session-The Queen's Speech-Prolonged Debate on the Address-Mr. Bradlaugh and the Oath-Debate on the Address-Mr. Forster and Mr. Parnell -The Grand Committees -Ministerial Measures. PARLIAMENT assembled for its fourth session on February 15, the date to which it had originally been prorogued, but a full week later than was customary, even when administrative measures were supposed to be less pressing than Ministers had declared them to be, and when the dangers of prolonged discussion were less imminent than the previous record of the House of Commons presaged. The strain and work of the Autumn Session had, however, told upon some of its principal members; and both the leader of the House and the leader of the Opposition had temporarily broken down under the pressure. Sir Stafford Northcote was happily sufficiently recovered to appear in his accustomed place on the first night of the session; but Mr. Gladstone was forced to remain away in the South of France for some weeks after the opening of Parliament. His place, as on previous short absences, was occupied by Lord Hartington; whose leadership was accepted without demur by the whole Liberal party. Although the opening of the session was marked by no pageant or royal procession, the approaches to Westminster were thronged by dense crowds, composed not only of idlers and sightseers, but of delegates from the principal provincial towns, from the various Radical associations of London and the country, who had come to make a demonstration in favour of Mr. Bradlaugh. A platform was erected in Trafalgar Square, from which the following resolution, proposed by Mr. Sharman, and seconded by Mr. Joseph Arch, was put and carried by acclamation: "That this meeting, protesting against the flagrant wrong done by the House of Commons in violation of Northampton's constitutional right, calls upon the Government to enforce the law under which Northampton is entitled to the voice and vote of Mr. Charles Bradlaugh, one of its members, three times duly elected, to serve in the present Parliament." Mr. Bradlaugh then rose and urged the meeting to disperse; since the Government had allowed it to be understood that a bill legalising affirmation of allegiance would be introduced forthwith, it was his clear duty to stand aside until that measure had been adopted by Parliament. This advice was accepted, and an hour or two later the following message from the Queen was read to the assembled members of both Houses :"My Lords and Gentlemen, "I have summoned you at a date somewhat later than is usual, on account of the advanced period to which the labours of the last Session were protracted. "I have the satisfaction of maintaining with all Foreign Powers relations of friendship and goodwill. "At the close of the last Session I had the pleasure of recording my gratitude to my sea and land forces for suppressing with rapidity and completeness a formidable rebellion in Egypt. Since then tranquillity has been restored to that country, clemency has been shown by its ruler to the leaders of the rebellion, and the withdrawal of the British troops is proceeding as expeditiously as a prudent consideration of the circumstances will admit. "The reconstitution of the Government of Egypt and the reorganisation of its affairs under the authority of the Khedive bave in part been accomplished, and will continue to receive my earnest attention. It will be my endeavour to secure that full provision shall be made for the exigencies of order, for a just representation of the wants and wishes of the population, and for the observance of international obligations. "I have already been able to fulfil the promise made by me to the Sultan and to the Great Powers of Europe that I would submit to their friendly consideration the arrangements which appeared to me to be the best fitted to ensure the stability of the Khedive's Government, the prosperity and happiness of the Egyptian people, the security of the Suez Canal, and the peace of Europe in the East. "To those objects my policy has been directed in the past and will be addressed in the future; and I continue to rely with confidence on its just appreciation by other countries. "A Conference of the Great Powers has assembled in London to consider measures for better securing the freedom of navigation on the Danube, which is placed under their guarantee, and forms. part of the public law of Europe. "The condition of Zululand, and the possibility of renewed disturbances there, have engaged my most serious attention. With a view to the preservation of peace and order, I have caused the former ruler of that country to be replaced in possession of the greater part of the territories held by him before the war. I earnestly hope that this step may lead to the establishment of a more stable government, and to the maintenance of good relations between the Zulu nation and the adjoining colony of Natal. "Papers on these subjects will be presented to you. "The Estimates for the services of the coming year are in a forward state of preparation, and will be speedily laid before you. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "I am happy to state that the improvement in the social condition of Ireland, to which I referred in December, continues. Agrarian crime has sensibly diminished, and the law has been everywhere upheld. "At the same time the existence of dangerous secret societies in Dublin and other parts of the country calls for unremitting energy and vigilance on the part of the Executive. "Measures will be promptly submitted to you for the Codification of Criminal Law, for the establishment of a Court of Criminal Appeal, and for the amendment and consolidation of the laws relating to Bankruptcy and Patents. There will also be brought to your early notice hills for preventing Corrupt Practices at Elections, and for perpetuating and amending the Ballot Act. "I have on previous occasions referred to the importance of effecting reforms in the Local Government of the different parts of the United Kingdom. Proposals for the better government of the metropolis will, in the first place, be submitted to you, and if time should permit, will be followed by other measures relating to reform of Local Government. "Your attention will be called to bills dealing with the Conservancy of Rivers and the Prevention of Floods; with the Police in Scotland; with the Universities in that part of the United Kingdom; and with education in Wales. "You will also be invited to consider a proposal which will more effectually secure to tenants in England and Scotland compensation for agricultural improvements. "You have provided in recent years by a liberal devotion of your time for the most urgent among the needs of Ireland. The claims both of general legislation and of other portions of the United Kingdom will now demand from you a just regard. I trust, however, that you will be able to deal during the present year with some of the legislative wants of Ireland for which provision has not yet been made. "I rely upon your proceeding with energy and prudence; and I beseech Almighty God now, as heretofore, to bless your labours." In the House of Lords the address in answer was moved by the Earl of Durham, who, after welcoming Lord Wolseley to that Assembly, commented briefly upon the Egyptian policy of the Government, supported generally Lord Dufferin's proposals of reform, and maintained that it would be unwise in the extreme to withdraw British troops altogether from Egypt until the rulers of that country had given some proof of their capacity to govern others. Turning to Colonial matters, Lord Durham admitted that although necessary changes had deprived Cetewayo of one-third of his former kingdom, it was only by this alternative that there could any reasonable hope of his being able to govern his own share. He complimented the Ministry on the progress of order in Ireland, and urged his fellow peers not to view with mistrust any measure of agricultural reform which would increase and justify the confidence of English tenants, and induce them to develop the fertility of the soil, though he admitted that in England an enormous proportion of the permanent improvements on farms had been done by the landlords. The address was seconded by Lord Reay, who, in be With 1883.] Lord Salisbury's Survey of the Government Policy. [15 claiming the usual indulgence for a new speaker, referred to his previous Parliamentary training in another country (Holland). His speech on the present occasion was in many respects a remarkable one, and included a survey of French policy towards and in Egypt since the previous summer, in which he showed that non-intervention had in reality been endorsed by the bulk of that nation. regard to home affairs, he urged the Government to deal with the reform of the government of London; to extend the limits of local self-government in the counties; to recognise the claims of agricultural tenants, and to place the Scotch Universities on a more satisfactory footing. Lord Salisbury premised by saying that, in pursuance of the custom in vogue since 1841, he had no intention of moving any amendment to the address. He compared the Queen's Speech to the ordeal by fire: a number of burning questions were lying about, and through these red hot ploughshares the Speech moved with delicate steps, scarcely touching one. It was impossible to gather from its phrases whether the British troops were to be withdrawn from Egypt, and if so, when; whether the mysterious arrangements for the preservation of the Khedive's authority which had been submitted to the Powers had received their approval; and whether, in the assurance of the friendly attitude of foreign Powers, France had been intentionally omitted or casually forgotten. The measures of local self-government, which had excited such general attention, were referred as a sort of supplement to the measure for the government of the Metropolis; whilst, as regarded Ireland, the Speech was so ambiguous as to leave it impossible to say whether or not any Irish legislation would be proposed. There were, continued Lord Salisbury, two interpretations to be placed on the peculiar character of the Queen's Speech -the dealing with great questions by innuendo-either the head of the Government was divided by so great a distance from the body that symptoms of paralysis supervened-or else that the Government, imitating the skilful tactics of Lord Wolseley, were erecting behind a screen of mild and unobtrusive language a masked battery of destructive legislation. Proceeding to review the events of the recess, Lord Salisbury twitted the Government with having pursued in Egypt for six months a policy of peace, which on the withdrawal of Mr. Bright from the Cabinet gave place to a sounder policy. The change, however, came too late to avert the results of previous vacillation. Had intervention taken place sooner, the Khedive's government, under the sanction of the Ottoman Power, might have been upheld, and its future conduct under British influence would not have been difficult; but now the withdrawal of our troops would be the signal for the renewal of old intrigues by natives or by foreign Powers. The interests of France in Egypt were not, as Lord Reay had argued, and as the Government seemed to believe, the interests of individuals, the bondholder, the merchant; they were, unfortunately, sentimental interests, derived from the exploits of their armies under the First Napoleon, and of their engineers under the Third. The difficulties of France in Egypt had been increased by the weakness of the Central Government, and there seemed a similar weakness or conflict of opinion in the English Administration. One member declared that the troops would be at once withdrawn; another that they would not be recalled until certain objects, not easily attainable, had been achieved; Mr. Chamberlain on the one hand declared that, considering the English interests in Egypt, it was impossible to look with apathy upon anarchy in that country; whilst the Secretary for the Treasury (Mr. L. H. Courtney) delivered an inspired panegyric on anarchy, as the highest blessing within the reach of a nation. The same might be said of Ireland. Formerly, the landowners were powerful to protect the English Government and to maintain the connection between the two countries. Their power had been straitened, and a greater burden was thrown upon the Central Government. In presence of the rising popular feeling in Ireland, the Ministry was without a settled policy. Lord Derby had declared that his remedy for Irish evils was the spending of a million or two on emigration; Lord Hartington at once hastened to assure the world that such a proposal was utterly opposed to the feelings of the Irish people. Mr. Herbert Gladstone was in favour of Home Rule, to which Mr. Evelyn Ashley would never consent. Mr. Chamberlain had declared that so long as Ireland was without an institution of local self-government worthy of the name, so long the seeds of discontent would remain ready to burst forth into luxurious growth; and Mr. Gladstone, in his conversation with M. Clémenceau, was reported to have said that the object of his policy was to produce a state of things "which would make the humblest Irishman realise that he was a governing agency, and that the government was to be carried on for him and by him." These views, however, were far from being accepted by Lord Hartington, who had expressed his doubts as to the pacifying results of extended self-government, and held "that it would be madness to give Ireland greater local autonomy unless some assurance could be obtained from the Irish people that this boon would not be used for the purpose of agitation." In conclusion, Lord Salisbury protested against this inconsistency on the part of the Administration, which, however necessary to ensure party cohesion, could not be pursued without danger to the interests of the Empire. Lord Granville, in reply, after having paid a well-merited compliment to Earl Spencer and Mr. Trevelyan, for the improved condition of Ireland, passed on to consider Lord Salisbury's strictures on the Egyptian policy of the Government, and to defend it from the charge of weakness and vacillation brought against it by its opponents. He contrasted the tone adopted by Lord Salisbury with his complaints against the Government in the previous Session for having issued the dual note. With regard to the manner and method chosen for our armed intervention in Egypt, he expressed his conviction that the landing of a thousand men |