NARRATIVE OF PARLIAMENT AND POLITICS.

PARLIAMENT was opened on Tuesday, the 31st of
January, by the Queen, in person. During her Majesty's
progress from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of
Parliament, the Park and streets were lined with crowds
of people, by whom her Majesty was loudly cheered.
Some hisses were occasionally heard, but were at once
drowned amid the general cheering. The Turkish
ambassador was loudly applauded. The only
diplomatists absent were the Russian and American
ambassadors; the absence of the latter is stated to have been
caused by his having received an official intimation that
he must appear in full court dress, with which he could
not comply, as it was at variance with recent instructions
of the American government. Her Majesty's Speech
was as follows:—

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"I am always happy to meet you in Parliament; and
on the present occasion it is with peculiar satisfaction
that I recur to your assistance and advice.

"The hopes which I expressed at the close of the last
session, that a speedy settlement would be effected of
the differences existing between Russia and the Ottoman
Porte, have not been realised, and I regret to say that a
state of warfare has ensued.

"I have continued to act in cordial co-operation with
the Emperor of the French, and my endeavours in
conjunction with my allies, to preserve and to restore
peace between the contending parties, although hitherto
unsuccessful, have been unremitting. I will not fail to
persevere in these endeavours; but as the continuance
of the war may deeply affect the interests of this country
and of Europe, I think it requisite to make a further
augmentation to my naval and military forces, with a
view of supporting my representations, and of more
effectually contributing to the restoration of peace.

"I have directed that the papers explanatory of the
negociations which have taken place upon this subject,
shall be communicated to you without delay.

"GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

"The estimates for the year will be laid before you,
and I trust that you will find that, consistently with the
exigencies of the public service at this juncture, they
have been framed with due regard to economy.

"MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

"In the year which has just terminated, the blessing
of an abundant harvest has not been vouchsafed to us.
By this dispensation of Providence the price of provisions
has been enhanced, and the privations of the poor have
been increased; but their patience has been exemplary;
and the care of the Legislature, evinced by the reduction
of taxes affecting the necessaries of life, has greatly
tended to preserve a spirit of contentment.

"I have the satisfaction of announcing to you that the
commerce of the country is still prosperous; that trade,
both ot export and import, has been largely on the
increase; and that the revenue of the past year has been
more than adequate to the demands of the public service.

"I recommend to your consideration a bill which I
have ordered to be framed for opening the coasting
trade of the United Kingdom to the ships of all friendly
nations; and I look forward with satisfaction to the
removal of the last legislative restriction upon the use of
foreign shipping for the benefit of my people.

"Communications have been addressed by my
command to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge with
reference to the improvements which it may be desirable
to effect in their institutions. These communications
will be laid before you, and measures will be proposed
for your consideration with the view of giving effect to
such improvements.

"The establishments requisite for the conduct of the
civil service, and the arrangements bearing upon its
condition, have recently been under review, and I shall
direct a plan to be laid before you which will have for
its object to improve the system of admission, and thereby
to increase the efficiency of the service.

"The recent measures of legal reform have proved
highly beneficial, and the success which has attended
them may well encourage you to proceed with further
amendments. Bills will be submitted to you for
transferring from the Ecclesiastical to the Civil Courts the
cognisance of testamentary and of matrimonial causes,
and for giving increased efficiency to the superior courts
of common law.

"The laws relating to the relief of the poor have of
late undergone much salutary amendment; but there is
one branch to which I earnestly direct your attention.
The law of settlement impedes the freedom of labour;
and if this restraint can with safety be relaxed, the workman
may be enabled to increase the fruits of his industry,
and the interests of capital and labour will be more
firmly united.

"Measures will be submitted to you for the amendment
of the laws relating to the representation of the
Commons in Parliament.

"Recent experience has shown that it is necessary to
take more effectual precautions against the evils of
bribery, and of corrupt practices at elections. It will
also be your duty to consider whether more complete
effect may not be given to the principles of the Act of
the last reign, whereby reforms were made in the
representation of the people in Parliament. In recommending
this subject to your consideration, my desire is to remove
every cause of just complaint, to increase general
confidence in the Legislature, and to give additional
stability to the settled institutions of the State.

"I submit to your wisdom the consideration of these
important subjects and I pray God to prosper your
counsels and to guide your decisions."

At the conclusion of the Speech, her Majesty retired
in the same order in which she had entered the House.

The HOUSE OF LORDS re-assembled at five o'clock,
and was unusually full. The Earl of CARNARVON
moved the Address in a maiden speech of great promise,
in which he entered into a review of our foreign and
domestic affairs with reference to the topics in the
speech.—Earl DUCIE seconded the Address.—The
Marquis of CLANRICARDE, after a few preliminary
observations on the proposed Reform Bill, entered upon
the Eastern question. He complained that the efforts
of ministers to preserve peace had been characterised by
vacillation; that up to that moment the determination
of the government was concealed. Even in the Queen's
Speech there was no indication of our future course.
Were we at war or not? If we were at war , why were
we afraid to say so? He complained further, that
government had not given any information; and
entered into a minute criticism of the course of the