THE DREADNOUGHT OFFER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 695, 21 December 1909, Page 8

THE DREADNOUGHT OFFER.

' AN INTERESTING SOUVENIB.' ' Daring yesterday's sitting the Prime Minister asked the House to , accept an illuminated copy of the cablegram sent him by'moihbeis of ;the House. of '. Commons on the occasion of tho offer of a Dreadnought to the. Imperial authorities on.■ March 2i last. He'mentioned that' the.congratulatory telegram' was- signed by 402 members, of the House of.Commons, .headed.by Mr. Asquith,..Prime Minister/'-Mr.'.Av'.-J:-. Bal-,, four, Leader of the Opposition, and Mr. : J. | Chamberlain. The copy of the telegram, which was illuminated and.enclosed in a.large gilt frame, was; handed-,up by jhe; Speaker's . '■'■■,- ''. .■ . ''~.. The Speaker, thanked -Sir Joseph Ward for the present; He said the telegram was not only ,a,great compliment,.to the- Eight' fion. the Prime, Minietcr aiul"the;ihembets of the Nevr Zealand Parliament, but' also an appreci- , able acknowledgment of the loyalty of the people "of the Dominion, "t think," ho added, ; "we may regard ,this, gift as evidericmg in some'manner the 6entiments of ;mutual' respect and' agreeable relations yhich exist between the, Mother; of" Parliaments' and-this Parlia- 1 ment belonging to one of the daughter. States. I trust as time goes on that feeling will grpw : and.that those'ties of affection, sympathy, and interest by,.which the great Mother: Country and' the. Colonies are bo . happily • united ■ may be brought still closer, together, and that the results of our ; respective deliberations : will make for , the progress,■■.stability, peace 'and honour of the Empire ofv'wiich we are bo justly.'proud." ';: . ■'; J " .:'..' ." " ' . Mr.'Masse|: then mo'ired:T I "That. i this''H6uEo desires 'to thank the; Right Hon; the Prime Minister for: his. gift'of.:the illuminated copy of the message cabled to -him on , the 24th; March, 1909,: ; and. assures him -that it accepts and. will, preserve the same "as a mementb','6f,a great, incident in, connection 'with th'e' Empire and the Dominion', "and directs that this' resolution be recorded in. the journals." ' Members might' (he said).differ on points of detail , , : but N«w Zealand was for the unity of-.the -Empire. -It was pleasing'to know that when the Empire called, Now Zealand was the first 1 to'rpsporid. (Hear, , hear.) : ; ,.' ■■• The motion was agreed to. ■> ,V,','