DONINION DAY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1, 26 September 1907, Page 7

DONINION DAY

NEW ZEALAND'S CHANGE OF STATUS.

TEE ROYAL PBOCUMATIOK.

BJSIOMCAI SKEIQL

SPECIAI ARTICLES BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND PROFESSOR LEACOCX.

Tho following is the text of His Majesty thß King's Proclamation, conferring the titlo of Dominion' upon the Colony of New Zealand, which will'be read by His Excollcncy the Governor (Lord Plunket), from the steps of Parliament Houso at eleven o'clock this morning:—

11 WHEREAS we have, on the petition of the membere of'the UoGislative Council and the House of Representatives of Our Colony of New Zealand, determined that the title of the Dominion of New Zealand shall he substituted for that of the Colony of New Zealand as the designation of {he said Colony, We have, therefore, by and Kith tho advice of the Privy Council thought fit to Issue this, our Royal Proclamation, and Wb do order, declare, and command that on and after the 26th day of September, 1907, the said Colony of . New Zealand and the territory belonging thereto shall be called and Known by the title of tho Dominion of New Zealand, and We hereby give Our commands to all public departments accordingly. " EDWARD REX."

GOV THE IDEA ORIGINATED.

- The story of the transition of New Zoalan dfrom the status of a olony to that of a Dominion is iefly told in the following lottor and extracts:—

Office of Prime Minister for New Zealand,

Hotel Cecil, Strand, W.C, May 6, 1907.

Dear Lord Elgin,— You may remember that in the course of the recent Conference discussion about the Colonies I pressed the view that, having regard to the position and importance of New Zealand, it had well outgrown the "colonial" stage, and was as much entitled to a separate designation as the Commonwealth of Australia or the Dominion of Canada .'I suggest "The Dominion of New Zealand, .and am . quite sure that the people of Now Zealand would be much gratified if that designation were given, iam disposed to think the simplest and most effective way to effect the change would be by a short Imperial ! Act of one clause providing that thecolony of New ■ Zealand shall hereafter be designated the Dominion of New Zealand, and that in all oxisting Imperial and other Acts, Ordinances, and instruments of whatsoever kind'or nature, all references to the Colony of New Zealand shall hereafter be construed as references to the Dominion of Now Zealand; the Act to apply throughout the British Dominions. Such an Act is so short, simplo, and non-contentious that presumably there would be no difficulty In passing it, andd I shall be very pleased indeed to learri that you concur:and will have it introduced. ' Yoursetc., J. G. WARD. , -"The Right Hon. Lord Elgin, K.G., etc., Colonial Office, S.W. ' Extract from the Governor's spech:—"lt will, lam sure, be gratifyto you and our people generally to learn thai, in compliance with re- - presentations made by Sir Joseph Ward, the British Government is • prepared to advise His- Majesty to raise the status of New Zealand by changing its designation from "Colony" to "Dominion" upo nboing requested to do so by a resolution of Parliament. A motion to this effect will be submitted, and, if carried, the effect will be to place New Zealand in a higher position in the eyes of the world."

Resolution by Parliament:—"That this House respectfully requests that His Majesty the King may be pleased to take such steps as he may consider necessary in order that the designation of New Zealand be changed from 'Colony of New Zealand.' to the ■Dominion of New Zealand'; and that a respectful address bo presented to His Excellency the Governor requesting him to transmit this resolution for submission to His Majesty."

Spseeh by the Prime Minister:—"Tho making .New Zealand a Dominion does rot alter in any way the positions or, status of either the Governor or tho members of the Cabinet or members of Parliament. The proposal is not attempting to raise anything in the way of increased position or status or salaries, either of the Governor or the members'of either branch of the Legislature, but -it is with the object of lifting this Colony fro mthe position of being included without any distinction as one of forty-three colonies or dependencies—of lifting us from the position of continuing to bo known as a 'Colony,' when this country is certainly the natural centre for tho government of tho South Pacific."