NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Session was opened on Tuesday by Commission, and the Queen's Message was unusually short. Her Majesty alludes in pathetic terms to "the terrible sorrow which has afflicted" her, and the solace she has obtained from touching assurances of deep sympathy from all classes and conditions, and all parts of her Empire, and laments the death of her " loyal ally," the Khedive ; but the rest of the Message is of the driest kind. There is a promise of Bills " for applying to Ireland the general principles affecting local government which have already been applied in Great Britain ;" for in- creasing the number of small holdings of land; for extending assisted education to Ireland ; for altering the procedure on Private Bills for Scotland and Ireland ; for improving the Legislative Councils in India ; and for relieving elementary schools in England from the pressure of local rates. For the rest, " proposals for improving the discipline of the Established Church in regard to moral offences; for enabling accused per- sons to be examined on their trial; for revising the existing agreements between the Government and the Bank of England ; and for amending the law with respect to the liability of employers for injuries incurred in their employ- ment, will also be commended to your attention." There is plenty of controversial matter in the programme, but the only great measure affecting the fate of parties is the Local Government Bill for Ireland.
