§ Mr. SPEAKERI have to acquaint the House that this House has this day attended His Majesty in the House of Peers, and that His Majesty was pleased to make a Most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament, of which, for greater accuracy, I have obtained a copy, which is as followeth:
§ My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,
§ My relations with foreign Powers continue to be friendly.
§ My Government intend to pursue the policy of promoting peace and goodwill and to continue their active interest in the work of the League of Nations. Particularly, they are giving close attention to the preparations for the approaching Disarmament Conference, the successful result of which would, I am convinced, produce great and universal benefit.
§ The serious financial and economic situation of the world deeply concerns My Government. They will do their utmost in co-operation with other Governments, and in the spirit of mutual helpfulness, to find ways for restoring the volume of international trade.
§ The Indian Round Table Conference continues its work, and a Conference with Representatives of Burma will very shortly assemble. It is My earnest prayer that the deliberations of both these Conferences may be crowned with success.
§ In conformity with the undertaking given to the Representatives of My Dominions in 1930, a Measure will be laid before you to give statutory effect to certain of the Declarations and Resolutions of the Imperial Conferences of 1926 and 1930. This Measure is designed to make clear the powers of Dominion Parliaments and to promote the spirit of free co-operation amongst Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
46§ My Government have received from, the Government of My Dominion of Canada a proposal that the Economic Conference, which was adjourned in 1930, should be convened at Ottawa as soon as possible. This invitation has been welcomed by My Ministers and will be considered in the most sympathetic spirit and with an earnest desire to come to some mutually advantageous arrangement with the Governments of My Dominions.
§ Members of the House of Commons,
§ The Estimates for the public services will be laid before you in due course.
§ My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,
§ The Nation, at the General Election, endorsed those measures for securing economy and balancing the National Budget which constituted the first essential steps in the solution of the financial and economic problems with which the country has been confronted.
§ The Nation was also invited by My Ministers to empower them to pursue a policy designed fully to re-establish confidence in our financial stability and to give them authority to frame plans for ensuring a favourable balance of trade.
§ They further sought from the Nation unfettered discretion to consider every proposal likely to be of assistance in these matters.
§ My Ministers have now received a clear and emphatic mandate to that effect.
§ The important problems involved are already under detailed examination by My Government. Decisions will be taken and applied with the least possible delay, and in due course any legislation that may be, required will be submitted to Parliament.
§ And I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your deliberations.