Majesty's mother, the late Queen. Her
devotion to the welfare of her country and her people and her wise and
beneficent rule during the sixty-four years of her glorious reign will
ever be held in affectionate memory by her loyal and devoted subjects
throughout the dominions of the British Empire." In moving an address of
mingled sympathy and congratulation, in reply, Lord Salisbury spoke with
sincere and weighty words as to the qualities and power of the late
Queen, her position as a constitutional ruler and her "steady and
persistent influence on the action of her Ministers in the course of
legislation and government." Upon the position of the new Sovereign the
speaker was explicit: "He has before him the greatest example he could
have to follow, he has been familiar with our political and social life
for more than one generation, he enjoys a universal and enormous
popularity, he is beloved in foreign countries and foreign Courts almost
as much as he is at home, and he has profound knowledge of the working
of our institutions and the conduct of our affairs."

The motion was seconded by Lord Kimberley as Liberal Leader in the
House, and spoken to by the Archbishop of Canterbury. In the Commons Mr.
Balfour referred at length to the great reign and character of Queen
Victoria and to the Sovereign's influence upon public affairs. "In my
judgment the importance of the Crown in our Constitution is not a
diminishing but an increasing factor." Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, the
Opposition Leader, seconded the motion, dealt with the late Queen's
personal character, referred to Queen Alexandra as having long reigned
in the hearts of the people, and paid high tribute to King Edward: "For
the greater part of his life it has fallen to him not only to discharge
a large part of the ceremonial public duty which would naturally be
performed by the head of the State; but also to take a leading part in
almost every scheme established for the national benefit of the country.
Religion and charity, public health, science and literature and art,
education, commerce, agriculture--not one of these subjects appealed in
vain to His Majesty, when Prince of Wales, for strong sympathy and even
for personal effort and influence. We know how unselfish he has been in
the assiduous discharge of all his public duties, we know with what tact
and geniality he has been able to lend himself to the furtherance of
these great objects."

The tactful and obvio