THE HOME M.P. PARTY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1841, 29 August 1913, Page 4

THE HOME M.P. PARTY

RECEPTION HERE. SPEECHES AT THE TOWN HALL CORDIAL WELCOME. The British Parliamentary party arrived from llotorua b.v special train yesterday afternoon. Thev were driven from the station' to tlic Town Hall, where the Mayor extended a welcome on belulf of Wellington. The British party included Lord Emmott, .UnderSecretary of State for the Colonies; Mr. •' A. W. Hlack, Liberal member for North Bedfordshire; Colonel Sir 13. Mildred Carlile, Conservative member for the St-. Albans Division of Hertfordshire; Sir Stephen Collins, Liberal member for Konniiigton Division, Lambeth ; Mr. Will' Crooks, Labour member for Woohvic'h; Mr. Ilariiitr Greenwood, Liberal member for Sunderland; Mr. Edgar Jones, Lib- ' oral member for Merthyr Tydvil; tha Right Hon. Thomas Lough, Liberal member for West Islington ; Sir. Donald Mac Master, K.C., Liberal-Unionist member for the Chortsev Division of Surrey; Mr. V. D. Pjrie, Liberal member for North Aberdeen; Lord Sheffield, of tha House of Lords; Mr. Arthur Shcrwell, Liberal member for Huddersficld; tlia Right Hon. C. 11. Stuart-Wort Icy, Conservative member for tho Ilallam Division of Shoflield; and Mr. Howard d'Egvjjlo, lirst lion, secretary of tho United Kingdom branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association. The Hon. H. D. ' Bell, Minister for Internal Affairs, ao-' eoniuanied the party. Mayor's Word of Welcome. , Tho Mayor formally welcomed tfio party, and referred to the British Parliament as tho "Mother of Parliaments." Ho expressed the bono that as New Zealand bad copied it, our enterprise and the Old Country's expericnco combined would make for tho establishment of stable Imperial ideals. Their visit to Wellington was all too short, but anything that the citizens could do to mako them welcome here ■would be done, and ho hoped that tliej would go away with pleasant memories. Sir Hlldrod Carlile. Sir E. liildrcd Carlile spoke first on behalf of tho British Parliamentary, party. Ho acknowldcged the welcome extended by tho Mayor and the city, and then passed* 011 to experiences at Auckland and Rotorua. His Worship had referred to the Mother Country's Parliament, and all that it meant to tho life of this Dominion. Netf Zealand had its difficulties, and so had Britain, but 110 felt sure that all wero determined to worry through them, and ultimately to see that our people obtained tho very best conditions of life that wore within possible reach. (Applauso.) One of New Zealand's difficulties was sparseness of population. That was not 0110 of theirs at Homo. • In the Old Country they were much too thickly populated. They could spare a few, and he had 110 doubt that many at Homo would ultimately come to this country. Ho agreed with the Mayor. Ho could assure those present that people at Homo wero interested in our methods. They had marked tho contribution that had been made towards Imperial defence. It was a fine act. aiul ono that they at Home appreciated —lie was not going to say because of any great need for it—but as an illustration of tho desire to have a hand in thoso groat undertakings without which tho Great British Empire could not maintain her prestige or even her existence. Mr. A. W. ,Black spoke next, referring in the"'course of his remarks'to the pleasantness of the party's visit here so far as it had gone. The Hon. H. D. Bell. Tho Hon. H. D. 801 l was then called on by the Mayor. Tho Minister stated that 110 had had the pleasure of extending to the visitors (on behalf of tho people of New Zealand) such hospitality, as Now Zealand had to offor, and which, as 110 humorously remarked, included the enormous luxury ol' two nights on the "sleepers" of the New Zoaland railways. * He was quite certain that, by the time that the party left for the Commonwealth, thev would know—and be ablo to convey the message to tho Mother Country—that the people, who liavo como hero have changed their skies, but not their ideas, and have in 110 sense changed tho loyalty which unites us all to the Sovereign of our land as well as of theirs. Tho impressions which the visitors would form of tho institutions, habits, and customs of tho peoplo hero, would 10 doubt /n- . ' oblo thorn to assure thoso, to whom they returned that tho peoplo and tho ; Parliament which they represented were at ono with our people and Parliament, and had in view tho samo object—the : advancement of tho peoplo hero and in tho Mother Country. Mr. Will Crooks, Humorist. Mr. Will Crooks, who was pressed for . a speech beforo the party adjourned for 1 tea, was in humorous vein. Ho stated 1 that they (tho British party) "had • some marvellous orators with them," • and it seemed to him to b-» a calamity 1 that they wero not going to call oil • everyone in turn. (Laughter.) Re- > ferring to the welcome that had been • extended to the party, and, inter alia, s the vaccination, ho added that the Bri- . tish party would carry home with them ; "marks" of our sympathy "that would [ remain with them, to the end of their 1 days." And, in memory of tho visit, > tliey would be able to bare their arms : and say "witness our 6cars." (Laugh- ■ ter.) 1 Lord Emmott—More Humour. ; Lord limmott was the last speaker. , He remarked that lie was not really [ wanted to make a speech and he would therefore confine himself merely .to one or two observations. Ho wished to tell them at onco that the city ofWellington was a very fine city in every way. It was the capital, was it not? Tho Mayor: Oil, yes; wq stick to that. Lofd Emmott went 011 to say that thero wero other cities hero which mads claim to some measure of notoriety. The Mayor: Wo don't begrudge them that. Lord Emmott then added that he had been somo 30 hours hero and had had about the best time of his life. Tho Hon. Mr. Bell had made a remark about the peoplo changing their skies but not their minds;. Ho (Lord Emmott) would very much liko to suggest to him the query: Had wo really chanced our skies? He said this because the weather here was not unlike what lift had experienced at Home. He believed it was the weather here which made • him feci "so very much at homo." (Laughter.) VICE-RECAL RECEPTION. The members of the British ParlisK mcntary parly were entertained by his 8 Excellency the Governor at a reception i at Government- House last evening. . Ministers and members of the local s Parliament also attended, the House ; of Representatives adjourning at 5.31 , in order that thev might be free to do so. To-day tho visitor* will be the guests . of the New Zealand Parliament st a L , luncheon in Parliament Buildingi. - FOR SOLIDARITY. 1 By Teleerapli—l're«a AfiEocintion—Copjriiht (R«e. August 28, 3.10 p.m.) : Sydney, Aucust 18. 1 Mr. Leopold Am«ry (Unionist m«nibar for South Birmingham), who is a tneni- • her of tho Empire Parliamentary Asso- } elation's party, has arrived in Sydney. ■; In an interview he said: "We are out j to learn all wo can of your conditions of life, and to study tho best ways j and means of forwarding our Imperial and. advancement."