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OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.
North-terrace was gay with scarlet uniforms
at noon on Thursday, when the second session of
the thirteenth South Australian Parliament was
opened by his Excellency the Governor with
tiic accustomed formalities. The guard of
honor, provided by the 3rd Battalion of Militia,
Infantry was paraded at the Staff-Office at 11
o'clock, and thence marched to the Parliament)
Houses, in front of which they formed up
three-quarters of an hour later, the band
filling the interval of waiting with lively
music The footpaths were thronged with
spectators and on die place of vantage formed
by the handsome marble stern before the
entrance to the Hou.se of Assembly many mem
bers of Parliament w<-re grouped as interested
spectators of the scene. In the sombre Council
Chamber, where the purely formal cere
mony was appointed to take place,
llie President and a score of his col
leagues assembled to await the coming of
the Governor. Here, just before Sir Henry
Ayers took the chair, Messrs. Charleston and
Guthrie were to be seen in solemn con
verse with Mr. Tomkinson, while Mr.
Kirkpatrick stood near at hand ap
parently giving close attention to the
talk between his co-representatives of
labor and their most outspoken public critic.
The newly-elected members had to leave die
sacred precincts when business began, and at
the hour ot noon twelve Legislative Councillors
sat before the President within the bar, while
Messrs. Charleston, Guthne, Kirkpatzick, Dun
can, liaslam,and Baker occupied the front bench
on the left of the strangers' gallery, and Mr.
G. C. Hawker, M.P., reclined in solitary state
on the opposite side. At three minutes past
12 the Governor, escorted by & guard of
honor from die Adelaide Lancers, under
the command of Major Sowell, arrived,
and his coining having been duly announced
Sir Henry Ayors and the Commissioner of
Crown Lands left the Council Chamber to re
ceive him. The strains of die National
Anthem filled the air as Lord Kintore, attired
in handsome Windsor uniform, attended by
his private secretary. (Mr. Colin Campbell) and
his aides-de-canip;( Lieutenant the Hon. Walter
Lewis Bagot, of the Grenadier Guards, aud
Lieutenant the Hon. A. E. J. Henniker-
Major, of the 3rd Battalion of the Nor
folk Regiment) passed up to die dais.
His Excellency was accompanied by Major-
General Downes, C.M.G., Commandant of the
Forces, Acting-Commander Cresswell, R.N.,
and£ Lieutenant Lundli, R.N., of die Pro
tector, and Captain Tomkinson, aide-de
camp to General Downes. The little group
were brilliant in their full dress uni
forms, and the spectators in the gallery, the
majority of wlxmi were ladies, seemed to ap
preciate die relief thus given to die otherwise
depressing aspect of the. Upper House.
Within a few minutes after die arrival of
Lord Kintore the Speaker, accompanied by
forty of his fellow-members of die As
sembly, answered the summon bo attend
and hear the opening speech. The
Ministry were all present with the ex
ception of Mr. Homburg, The speech
being over, the vice-regal party filed out and
die Council settled down to business, but die
proceedings were especially dismal, and it was
a relief to everybody when the House rose just
before 1 o'clock. The newly-elected members,
with the exception of Mr. Ward and Dr.
Campbell—the writ for whose return as repre
sentatives of die Northern district
has not yet been received by die
Clerk —led by Mr- Baker, advanced to
die table and were sworn in .simul
taneously, die ceremony having quite a
church-like aspect. Messrs. Guthrie, Charles
ton, and H«hw? selected seats on die back
bench on die right, nest to Mr. Martin; Mr.
Kirkpatrick joined Dr. Magarcy immediately
in front; and Mr. Dmwan-cbose-a place on-the
othersideof die House, between Messrs. Warren
and Kriekauff. Nothing of importance was
transacted in die Council during die three
quarters of an hour of its sitting, although
when Mr. Baker rose with the bulky report of
die- Federation Cuuveutum in bis hand it ap
peared a* if a speech was imminent. The talk
on this subject, however, stands adjourned till
af U-r the debate on the address in reply, which
is to be inaugurated by Messrs. HaJau) an 3
Sknpson on Tuesday next.
There was an^exceUentattendanqe of members
of the Assembly, cud all die galleries were
ciov.ded with expectanv auditors. Tie only
auscntetrb be&idesMr. Horn, wiwisin England,
and Mr. Solomon, die writ for whose election
has not yet been returned, were Messrs.
Bartlett, Jolmsou, Laaished, Landseer,
and White, and as most of die poli
ticians remained attentive listeners Haying
the ninety minutes that die House was
transacting business, die^ had quite
a, lively appearance from beginning to ere)
of die sitting. Several interesting questions
were acted add answered, while' notices of im
portant motions and Bills were freely given.
The Opposition fte-T'i that in die balloting for
the various committees tie Ministry suffered
continual reverses, but it is urged by
die other side that no ticket was issued
from the Treasury benches m respect to
any of. the baUotings. The real excitement of
die session will begin on Tuesday with die
moving of die address in reply to die
Governor's speech, but it is not yet certain
whether or not an adverse resolu
tion will be tabled, although a meet
ing of the Opposition has been held
to consider that and other matters. This
meeting was last night, and die result made
several members of die Opposition jubilant.
Two new members took their seats for die first
time: Mr. Robert Kelly, who in appearance
and politics is a fac-siniile of hid brother,
whom he succeeds in die representation of
Wooroora; and Mr. Hooper, die successor of
the late Sir. David Bews as member for
Wallaioo. ~"~
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