CORONATION GUESTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1062, 27 February 1911, Page 4

CORONATION GUESTS.

INVITATION TO NEW ZEALAND MEMBEKS.

, The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward)' has received the following, communication'. (dated London, February ;24)'"from-"the-Secretary of State for the Colonics (the Eight Hon. Lewis Harcourt) through" his 1 ' Excellency Lord Islington:— ... "A committee and members of botn\ Houses of Parliament ; here, repre- - sentatives of all parties,'wish'to ccn- ' vey through yoa,a formal'invitation . to eight members c£-. the Dominion Parliament to be their guests in Lon-'. . don at the "Waldorf Hotel, from June . 17 to Saturday, July 1, inclusive, this period including the week in wjiich '• the Coronation is fixed to take place.;. Applications have.. been niadb to'the' Earl ( Marskal (Earl Norfolk) ; to" assign them places in Westminster Abbey. As it is anticipated that those ac-''-: cepting this invitation may desire to prolong their visit in order to' see*. something of this country-;-'.the com-'-' mittee hope to be able, later,: to'ex- : ■ tend the invitation for one week "in -. order to enable visiu ..o be : paid, to the more important English towns, '■-. but it is not possiblo:to speak with, certainty on this point at present.. '• ,-;■'. ■'_. ."Owing to the exigencies of space, '-.' it is not .possible: to include in the';formal invitation to the. Coronation and subsequent festivities' the wives ;,""■ and daughters of members invited.-'"" At the same time the committee will .:'■ bo glad to provide hotel accommoda- • tion for one lady (being the: wife, or -daughter) in respect of each" member .•:. if information be sent to reach here ; . ,-• on March 14, giving full particulars asto the exact number of ladies com- "-;. ing, and whether wife or daughter "iii: each case. In order to avoid ,mis-v.. understandings and disappointment, the committee think it well- to state - this clearly, that they can only re- : cognise members themselves as their : formal guests', but they will do their v utmost to make the visit, not only of ' : the members, but also of the ladies s who accompany them, as pleasant and agreeable as possible." Sir Joseph Ward informed a reporter last evening that he had telegraphed to all members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, asking them'to reply by telegram immediately whether they are desirous of accepting the invitation. The invitation Eoes to all members,'- and it is intended in the event or representor tives from both, sides of the House intimating their acceptance, to allocate five to .the Government supporters"-and threo to. the Opposition. It would be noticed, of course, added the Prime Minister, that the invitation did not cover the cost of the passage to and from London.The invitation provided, for those invited to be' the guests -in London of the '. coni> mittee.- • , -■'■'".*.•'-''■"■"'.-■■ : .■•'••■ ■-'

"It-does not give members very:much time between now and tho fourteenth to make up- their minds," concluded Sit Joseph Ward. ■'-■...''./' \:'--f'. : \ ;;'.