§ "My Lords, and Gentlemen,
§ "I HAVE called you together for the Fifth Session of this Parliament, that you may again address yourselves to the discharge of your arduous and ever-growing duties.
§ "I continue to hold friendly and harmonious relations with all foreign Powers.
§ "My communications with the President of the French Republic, arising out of special incidents in Madagascar, have closed, as I had anticipated, in a manner such as tends to confirm the cordial understanding between the two countries.
§ "I have likewise, in conjunction with the President, appointed a Commission, which is now sitting in Paris, to discuss a basis of arrangement, which I had proposed, for the future 4 regulation of the Newfoundland fisheries and the avoidance of disputes.
§ "An Agreement has been arrived at with Portugal respecting the River Congo and the adjacent territories. This Agreement will be presented to you forthwith.
§ "Arrangements are in progress for the resumption of diplomatic relations with Mexico, and Special Envoys have been dispatched by each Government to promote that end.
§ "Negotiations for a Treaty of Commerce with Turkey have commenced; an Agreement on commercial arrangements with Spain has been signed, which awaits the sanction of the Cortes; a revision of the Commercial Treaty with Japan, on a basis generally agreed to by the Treaty Powers, is nearly completed; and a Treaty of Commerce and Friendship has likewise been signed with Corea.
§ "Having had every reason to be satisfied with the tranquillity of Egypt, and with the progress made in the establishment of orderly institutions, I gave, during the autumn, instructions for the evacuation of Cairo, for the further reduction of my military forces, and for their concentration mainly in Alexandria.
§ "But in the month of November the Egyptian Army, appointed to maintain the rule of the Khedive in the Soudan, was defeated and broken up with heavy loss.
§ "Upon the occurrence of this defeat, I deemed it wise to recall the order I had given, as a precaution against the possible effects of the military reverse in Egypt itself, and to preclude all doubt as to the certain maintenance of its tranquillity.
5§ "While an unforeseen and calamitous necessity has thus required me to suspend the measure I had adopted, the aim of my occupation, which has been explained to you at former times, continues without change.
§ "I have offered to the Egyptian Government such counsels, as appeared to he required by a prudent regard to the amount of its resources, and to the social condition of the country. I have also dispatched Major-General Gordon to report on the best means of giving effect to the resolution of the Khedive to withdraw from the Interior of the Soudan, and have permitted him to act in the execution of the measure.
§ "Papers relating to this and to several of the foregoing subjects will be presented to you.
§ "I have directed communications to be held with the Delegates, whom the Government of the Transvaal has sent to this country for the purpose of urging a reconsideration of the Convention of Pretoria.
§ "In this interchange of views, attention has been principally turned to the question, always one of difficulty in South Africa, how best to make provision for the maintenance of order, and the prevention of oppression, on the frontier.
§ "Nothing has occurred to discourage the expectation that those communications may be brought to a favourable issue.
§ "Papers will be presented to you On the subject in due course; and likewise with respect to the condition of Zululand, which continues to be unsettled; as well as to the resumption of direct Imperial authority in Basutoland, which is in immediate contemplation.
6§ "Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
§ "The Estimates of charge for the public services during the year 1884–85 have been prepared, and will speedily be laid before you.
§ "I anticipate that the Revenue of the current year will not fall short of the expectations upon which you founded your financial arrangements.
§ "My Lords, and Gentlemen,
§ "The condition of Ireland continues to exhibit those features of substantial improvement, which I described on the two occasions when I last addressed you.
§ "A measure will at once be presented to you which will have for its principal object the enlargement of the Occupation Franchise in Parliamentary Elections throughout the United Kingdom. The experience, gained during half-a-century by the progressive admission of augmented numbers to a share in our representative system, happily warrants the belief that again, as heretofore, the result of a judicious extension of the franchise will be a still closer attachment of the nation to the Throne, the law, and the institutions of the country.
§ "I anticipate a like effect from the extension and the reform of Local Government.
§ "This comprehensive subject embraces all that relates locally to the greater efficiency of administration, to the alleviation of burdens by improved arrangements, and to the enlargement of the powers of ratepayers through the representative system, including among them the regulation of the traffic in intoxicating liquors.
7§ "A plan will be laid before you for the extension of Municipal Government to the whole Metropolis.
§ "The preparation under this head, however, which has been made by my directions, has not been limited to London; but the actual presentation of further Bills of the same class must depend upon the progress you may be enabled to make with the weighty business which has been already set forth.
§ "Other public wants have not been neglected; and you will be invited to consider Bills relating to the Security of Life and Property at Sea, to the Railway Commission and its powers, and to the repression of Corrupt Practices at Municipal Elections.
§ "Measures will likewise be laid before you for the better administration of Scottish business; for the promotion of Education, and for the closing of Public Houses on Sunday, in Ireland; and also for the improvement of Intermediate Education in Wales.
§ "I humbly commend your efforts in the matters I have named to you, and in all other particulars, to the blessing of Almighty God."
§ Then the Commons withdrew.
§ House adjourned during pleasure.
§ House resumed.
§ PRAYERS.
§ ROLL OF THE LORDS—Garter King of Arms attending, delivered at the Table (in the usual manner) a List of the Lords Temporal in the Fifth Session of the Twenty-second Parliament of the United Kingdom: The same was ordered to lie on the Table.