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Show PARLIAMENT IS OPENED; KING ED WARD READS THE SPEECH FROM THRONE cd. large crowds selected these points to. vli w the pageants. When the eoverelgns Issued from the gales of the palace they were greeted with a great burst of enthusiasm, en-thusiasm, which quickly spread the whole lenirth of the tine, new processional road leading from the site of the Victoria memorial me-morial to the horse guard parade and accompanied ac-companied the monarch and his escort through the route. At the royal entrance beneath the Victoria Vic-toria tower of the House of Lords the King was received by the high officers of etate and passed in procession to the rob-itig-room. Thence, accompanied by yie Queen, his Majesty repaired to the House of Lords, preceded by the crown and other regalia, carried by their hereditary bearers bear-ers and by the heralds announcing the approach ap-proach of the sovereigns. LONDON. Feb. H.-The sixth session of the first Parliament of .his reign was opened by King Kdward with all the historic his-toric pageantry which has marked the ceremony since his accession. The sovereign sov-ereign himself read the speech from the throne to the assembled lords and commons com-mons in the upper chamber. The only reference to the Russo-Japanese war which the King said, "Unhappily continues," was to announce that "my Government has been careful to observe in the strictest manner the obligations incumbent in-cumbent upon a neutral power. ' The lengthiest paragraph, devoted to the Balkans, says the situation continues to give cause for anxiety. The measures adopted at the instance of the Austro-Russlun Austro-Russlun Governments have been Instrumental Instru-mental In bringing about some amelioration ameliora-tion in the state of the disturbed districts, but '-'these measures have still to be supplemented sup-plemented by radical reforms, especially of the financial system, before any permanent perma-nent improvements can bo effected in the administration of these provinces of the Turkish empire." The speech noted with satisfaction that the Austro-Russtan Governments had addressed ad-dressed to the Porte proposals for this purpose, and added that the British Government Gov-ernment was in communication with the powers concerned upon this important subject. Congratulatory references were made to the visit of the King and Queen of Portugal Portu-gal to England, to the ratification of the Anglo-French convention and to the arbitration arbi-tration agreements with Sweden and Norway, Nor-way, Portugal and Switzerland. The speech also mentioned the International Interna-tional commission "Intrusted with the investigation in-vestigation of tho circumstances connected connect-ed with the disaster to British trawlers which resulted from the action of the Russian Rus-sian fleet in the North sea, and of apportioning appor-tioning the responsibility for this deplorable deplor-able Incident." More than usual Interest attaches to today's opening of Parliament, as the belief Is practically universal that It will be the last session of the present Parliament. Par-liament. Even should the Government escape es-cape defeat it Is thought that Premier Balfour will voluntarily dissolve Parliament Parlia-ment in the autumn and take the opinion of the country on the fiscal and other questions now agitating the electorate. Good weather favored today's pageant, which followed the. procedure of former occasions. Big crowds were about from an early hour watching the assemblage of the troops which lined the route from Buckingham palace to the House of Lords. The usual Interest was shown in the time-honored time-honored search of the vaults beneath the Houses of Parliament by the yeomen of the guard with their lanterns and halberds. hal-berds. Between this ceremony and the apparance of the royal procession a constant con-stant stream of carriages containing peers and peeresses in their robes of state and officers in brilliant uniforms enlivened the somewhat tedious wait. The royal processions were the same as last year, that of the Prince and Princess of Wales from Marlborough house consisting con-sisting of three carriages with an escort of household cavalry, preceded by a few minutes the cortege of the King and VJueen from Buckingham palace. Five state carriages, each with six horses bearing bear-ing state officials preceded the royal coach with the sovereigns drawn by the eight cream-colored Hungarians which ha e figured In all the state processions of recent years. Household cavalry acted as a bodyguard, while In pursuance of their privilege a detachment of yeomen of the guard marched alongside the state coach. The scenes In the neighborhood of Buck-'"-frp "1 judue vera jiaxtlcularljr axOmat- |