The Session was opened on Thursday with a Message from
the Queen even more than usually colourless. Nothing is said in it as to the probabilities of war. The Queen is friendly with all allies, pleased at the settlement of the Afghan boundary, disappointed at the failure of the Abyssinian mission, satisfied with the Suez Convention and the settlement as to the New Hebrides, and hopeful of the extinction of sugar-bounties. There will be economy in the Estimates; but the defence of our coaling-stations and a special Australian squadron must be provided for, and will cost money. The Irish measures of last Session have been carefully carried into effect, with the result that "agrarian crime has diminished, and the power of coercive conspiracies has sensibly abated." Measures will be proposed to "develop the resources of Ireland, and to increase the number of proprietors of the soil." There will be a Local Government Bill, and with it proposals for readjusting local and Imperial finance, so as "to mitigate the burdens at present imposed upon the ratepayers." Commerce is improving, but agriculture is not. There will be Bills for cheapening the transfer of land, for collecting tithe in a new way, for promoting technical education, for preventing preferential charges on railways, and for remedying abuses in the formation of limited companies. Altogether, the programme is a reasonable one, there being only one big Bill ; but it must not be forgotten that an alteration of Procedure will take precedence of all else.
