PARLIAMENT HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 25 March 1912, Page 8

PARLIAMENT HOUSE.

FOUNDATION STONE LAIDSPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR. "BUILD WELL AND GENEHOUSLY." The foundation stone of the new Parliament Buildings, to be erected on tho old Government House site, was laid by his Excellency the Governor on Saturday. Many members of the Liberal party, and most of the members of tho Ministry were present. His Excellency wns supported by the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), and the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. K. M'Kenzie). There was an attendance of about 1200 people to witness the ceremony. The Hon. B. M'Kenzie, having presented to Lord Islington a silver trowel, ns a memento of the occasion, his Excellency proceeded to tho \ ceremony of laying tho foundation stone at tho northeast corner of tho old Government House building, facing east. Tho stono was laid on a bedding of ordinary red brick, apparently hurriedly constructed to receive it. No other work of any fort appeared to have been dono except the raising of some staging, and the erection of the tripod from which the stone was suspended by rope tackle. "Woll and Truly Laid." The stone itself was a slab of polished granite, on which was the following inscription in letters of gold: O.R. This Stone Was Laid By: The in. Hon.- Lord Islington, P.C., K.C.M.G., P. 5.0., Governor, On the 23rd March, 1912. The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, Bart, P.C., K.C.M.G., D.C.L., LL.D., Prime Minister. ' • • The Hon: Roderick M'Kenzie, Minister for Public Works. John Campbell, ■F.E.1.8.A., Architect. The architect's name appeared in smaller letters. A sealed copper casket, containing coins of the realm and copies of newspapers was deposited under the stone, which was then lowered by the workmen. After adjustment, and the conventional phrase, uttered by his Excellency: "I declare this stoiio of the new Parliament Buildings well and truly laid," there was a flicker of applnuse, and then tho official party returned to the platform, from which the speeches were to be delivered.

Lord Islington's Speech. His Excellency tho Governor said:. "Sir Joseph Ward, Ladies, and Gentlemen, —I am here to'day, in response to an invitation from the Prime Minister, to perform the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new Parliament Buildings. The occasion has fittingly and naturally attracted a large concourse of the citizens of New Zealand, to witness this initial stage of the building that, when erected, is to be so closely interwoven with the destinies and interests of this country. Indeed, I may'add that theso fortunes and interests will, in no small measure, be influenced by the work that will be carried on in this building when it has been erected. "On an .occasion like this, continued his Excellency, "there must be stored in tho minds of some, and especially of those who are more advanced in years- a hoard of cherished recollections and. associations in connection with tho old ? successive, past Parliament Buildings which played so prominent and honourable a part in the founding and development of this country. I will not on an occasion liko this dwell at any length upon these various buildings. The first wa« at Auckland in 1854. In the following year Parliament was transferred to this city. Buildings were erected here in 18G5, and in 1873. The latter were largely extended during the"years 1393 and IS!U That last building which I have mentioned, which has now been partially removed from our sight, formed the centre and the nursery of the political and social system of New Zealand of to-day. Within its walls the comparatively short history of New Zealand can claim to havo produced a most creditable list of able and patriotic public men, wjio each and all, in their generation, contributed thei- share towards the political and social system which finds its reflection to-day in the hiqh standard of life and well-being of thp people of New Zealand. I have only to mention euch names ns Gray, Stafford, Hall, Atkinson, Ballancc, and Beddon. names among many others who hole' a conspicuous position ns Parliamentarians, who each in their turn contributed their share. ' And coming to more recent history, I should like to take this opnortunity of alluding most cordially to your present Prime Minister, Sir Joseph" Ward—(applause)—who is about to relinquish the position after a long and distinguished career in the public service of New Zealand. I should like to say to him and to you, from my own personal experience during the past two years, that" I shall ever reine'uber with pleasure and with satisfaction tho unfailing courtesy and the willinp_attention that has during that time marked his relations towards me as my chief Minister in the official position I occupy as the Representative of tho Crown. (Applause.) And now, ladies and ■gentlemen, from this short retrospect let me for on* , moment turn my remarks to the future and all that lies ahead. An Imperial Note ; ,

"I am here to-day as tho representative of the Crown in New Zealand, which is therefore .-> partner in tho Constitution, recognised ami accented as such both at Homo ami throughout the Dominions of the 'Empire. But, as you arc all aware, the broadening and. extending of the British Constitution is gradually and almost insensibly removing tho Crown and Hie Crown's representatives from the dust and heat of party controversy, which, after all, is in essence tho very blood and marrow of that party system under 'our Constitution. The party system under our Constitution, though in the minds of some it may possess. imperfections here and anomalies there, is at the same time the fixed and ordered method of British Government, which has been established and developed in days past in tho Old Country, and which has been extended into all those distant regions throughout the world where new nations of the Empiro liava been founded. Under this system parties come and parties p>— .Ministers riso and Ministers fall—but Parliament ever moves on undisturbed, in one continuous march, so that, whilst the Constitution is built on the edifice and foundation of controversy, there ever survives, and, witli the blessing of Providence, will ever continue, that corporate life of Parliament which stands above and beyond part}', and constitutes the political machinery by which grievances can bo redressed, reforms carried, progress ensured, and the nation guided surely on its course. (Applause.)

"It is in this spirit, and imbued with these recollections, with these expectations, that I have conio to-day to lay this foundation-stone. I am aware, and it is manifest to all I trust, that the function of government, as the world advances and as progress and civilisation stride forward, in no way diminishes in difficulty. Rather, it gradually increases, and demands correspondingly more of tho highest intelligence, and tho truest balance of mind to deal with those everincreasingly difficult functions whith pertain to our modern government. Whim this new building has been erected, your Houses of Parliament will, take their place along with the other Parliaments of the self-governing British nations under the British flag. We have witnessed in recent years the inaugural ceremonv of the Federal Parliament of Australia, by his present Majesty the King, likewise the inception of the Union Parliament of South Africa by his representative, the I)nko of Connmight. And now I, as the King's representative, deem it an honour and a privilege to be performing this national and Imperial ceremony to-dny on behalf of New Zealand. (Applause.') Free, Unfettered Parliaments. "It is indeed an inspiring reflection to every British subject tint, in each country 'that I havo mentioned, and in, together with them, the Mother Country and (he Dominion of (.'anarla, there arc to-day 6rmly and pstnbli-lipd free, , unfettered Parliaments, each iu their own ira.y, and in nccordnnco with their pirn aspirations, working nut. ••< solution of thrnr own national problems, while at till) s&mj tjmi .Uiov..MsJuut tbgQthcrbY tht

strong central link and united as partners in one Empire. And here I would vent lire an earnest hope, a hope 1 am sun-, that- will bu .shared by every patriotic subject, here and elsewhere in the Empire whero national citizenship is enjoyed in its full realisation to-day in each Slate of the Empire. So, in like manner, before many more years havo rolled on, that there may be in tho kindred States a status assumed by them, the status and the position of Imperial citizenship as well—(applause)—so that, in effective measure, all may become practical partners in those responsibilities, obligations, and privileges which stand outside the purview of local government, but which affect tho common interests of the Kmuiru and can only be solved, upon a satisfactory and permanent basis, b.V representative Fr'dural deliberation and discussion. (Applause.) "Build Well and Generously." Let me sum up my remarks in a very few brief words. 1 would venture to say to all of you to-day and to your fellow citizens in New Zealand in starting this new building, build well, build generously. You are a young ami developing country. No one living to-day can accurately gauge the eventual destiny you may reach. Tho national assets of this country justify ambitious preparations for your future. (Applause.) "Finally," concluded tho speaker, "upon all citizens of New Zealand, I urge this final plea, both in their interests und in tho interests of their country's fame, that it may ever continue to be their fixed resolve throughout the years to come ta select and to send within tho walls of this new building, when erected, pub-lic-spirited patriotic representatives who, as trustees in their generation, may with judgment and a disinterested sense of duty, discharge the responsible tasks entrusted to them, those tasks which are to redound to tha welfare of New Zealand and the security and stability of the Empire." (Prolonged applause.) Speech by Sir Joseph Ward. Sir Joseph Ward, who was greeted with applause, remarked that it was a triu.ite to Ui'e'men of tho past to !ii.i tho King's representative to-day speaking in terms ot approbation of the Parliamentary institutions of this country. It was' of inestimable benefit to the country, h« added, to have as the King's representative one who never overstepped the bounds of neutrality as between rival parties in New Zealand. As ono of his Excellency's advisers, ho could say on behalf of every member of the Administration that they had all experienced nothing but courtesy, consideration, and kindness at his hands. plause.) The Building, Scheme: Its Cost. The scheme, inaugurated that day involved also tar-reaching and important alterations to streets and to the surroundings. The change would mean that some-' thing like six acres of land would be available for the construction in the future of buildings that in the ordinary course of time must be provided to accommodate the Parliament nf a country which would grow yearly in importance. Already, as tho outcome of the alteration made with the authority of Parliament, the provision of the extra land hod. saved the country something liko JMO.OOO. The land whero tho old Government Buildings now stood —something lifce £350,000 worth of land— would be available for other purposes. He would go so far as to prophesy that this site would provide the whole interest en the cost of tho new Governor's residence and tho new Parliament Buildings, and would provide a sinking fund as well which would wipe out the whole capital cost, nf construction.

in a huge scheme such as this, he continued, it was necessary to look far ahead. Only a portion of Uio full scheme would be undertaken at once. Of course there were people here and there who indulged in the British habit of growling, but he asked thaf immediate judgment be withheld. If people would refrain from judging the part of the scheme, ho would undertake to'say that the most fastidious people in Wellington would sec that a practical and valuable scheme had bsen established. In conclusion he hoped that the men returned to the councils of the nation would be broad-minded men, animated by that high desire which he ivas suro was the desire of the people now to make New Zealand a still greater, still nobler, and still more attractive portion of the British Empire. So would they bring about solidarity of the Empire, but they must remember that it could not be maintained for very many years miless New Zealand were protected by the power and prestige, of tho British x<ll7. He congratulated the Governor upon having laid the foundation stone.

Hon. Fl. M'Kenzie Explains. The Hon. R. M'Kenzie said it had naturally taken a few years to embark upon such a big undertaking as providing a future home for the Parliament of Xew Zealand. He assured the people that not a single shilling had been spent upon it beyond what was absolutely necessary, and when it was remembered that the portion to be constructed at once would cost the population of Xew Zealand something'less than 2s. 2d. per head, and that the whole scheme would cost only 4s. fid. per head, it could scarcely be contended that the scheme was.an extravagant one. To Sir Joseph Ward belonged the credit of having evolved tho scheme, and now that he was unfortunately leaving the position of leader of the Government, it was only fitting that the scheme should be initiated before he gave up control.

A voice: -A pity he is, too. Mr. M'Kcnzie: "I quite admit that it is a pity for us and for the peoplo of this country that we are going to lose him. for a time." He went on to say that he hoped Sir Joseph Ward would ono day come back and lake the leadership again. Sir Joseph Ward called for cheers for their Excellencies Lord and Lady Islington, which were given heartily, and at the instance of' someone in the crowd cheors were given for Sir Joseph and Lady Ward. '