PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 202, 22 September 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

PES PKB3B USOCIATIOE. HOUSE OK -Si^ESENTATTVES. Monday, September 21st. The trims'", met at 7.30 p.m. Sir J. G. Ward gave notice to introduce >h.) Ariim l-i Protection Bill and N<w 7, l'.nd Its itute Bill. Tiie Hon. Mr Stddnn gave notice to introduce the Arbitration Oourt Emer-, goncy Bill (No. 2), Land and Income I Tax Assessment B<]l, Friendly Soci6-1 ties Act Amer.dm.nt Bill, and the ( Military Pensions Act: Amendment Bill. The Hon. T . Y. Duncan gave notice to introduce th:» Public Damains Act Amendment Bill. The Cook and Other Wands Government Act Amendment Bill wai introduced by Governor's message anfy road fi:st time. ! The Inch Clutha River and Drainego Board Act 1901 Amendment Bill (J-is. Allen) was also introduced and . read a first time. I

risoAi, EEKonsr. I The Right Hen. R. J. Seddon moved the following resolution :—" That this House desires to express its great regret at the retirement" from offioe and to place on record its appreciation of the distinguished and patriotic services rendered to the Empire by the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, to whom wa owe the inauguration of the great colonial policy whicn he carried out with such conspicuius taot and ability, thus secur- j ing a cordial relationship and mutual' understanding between the Colonies I and the Motherland, to the great advantage of the Empire." Mr Beddon went on to say that those who read the announcement of Mr Chamberlain's resignation must have felt with him ; keen and bitter disappointment, and have realised that the colonies had lost a true friend. Follow--1 ing close upon the loss of the . gre.it and good Lord Salisbury came i the retirement from office, for a time at any rate, of the greatf.st Secretary of State for the Colonies the Empire i had ever had. He eulogised at coni siderable length the great services rendered to the colonies and the Em- ; pire by Mr Chamberlain, whom he ' described as the greatest statesman in . the British Empire, and who had rei tired from office with dignity covered i with honour, and admired even by his ; most bitter political oppouents. Even , those who differed from Mr Chamber- , lain in his general politics must admit that he bad been an ideal Secretary of State for the Colonies. He trusted that Mr Chamberlain's policy in regard , '0 South Africa would be followed by : his successor in office. He would not , refer to the fiscal poposals, which had led to Mr Ch imbprlain's resignation; i but he reft'rrnd at length to the growth , of the pirr. taken by the colonies in i affairs of the Empire from 1897 to the present time, including th* . Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the conferecCsa of Colonial Premiers, and the South African war, in which we mad.' "the greatestsacrifice that man, people or nation can mike." As the result of that the Em pire was stronger and the world r-'-alised what; a true Colonial spirit, •v-hat a true patriotism existed is b« iveen the Colonies and the MothnCountry, and in a great measure th titj had beon prrmoted by the Statesman who had just now retired from office. He looked forward to Imperial Government being in further partnership with .iominious across the seas. The all-red line, the Pacific Cible, was an important factor in that partnership for which vlr Chimberlain was respinnble. On ;bis occasion all political differences could be efFaod, and they could simply reg-ird Mr Chamberlain as the ileal Secretary of State for the Colonies, the man who had done more in that position for the colonies than any other statesman living or dead. Mr Chamberlain was not gone for ever, it was only for a time, and they had this consolation, that they looked forward with hope, trusting that the time was not far distant when he would again be Secretary of State for the Colonies. Mr Massay hoped the retirement of Mr Chamberlain from the offioe which he filled with such marked ability would be only temporary. He agreed ] with Mr Seddon in thinking that no man had served his country with mire love and devotion, and no statesman had been more anxious and succesful in binding together the different parts of the Empire, He considered it was in t. great part due to the statesmanship of Mr Chamberlain that the people of Britain beyond the seas, Wherever they mij>ht be, are nble to feel that they are ciiizi ns of the B: itiKh'Kmjiire us much as those who Hvm in Grent Britain. Mr Chamberlain had proved himself a strong man and a tfise leader of men, and we owed a deep de k it of gratitude to him. It was on an occasion like this that such gratitude should find expression. He hoped Mr Chamberlain s'ill had w<>ny ynrs of usefulness before him, and that he would ag iin take up his high offiue. Sir W. J, Steward considered that uo statesman of this or any other day |' had formed the conception that Mr Chamberlain bad done of the magnifi-centpo-sibilititsof British Imp ritlism. Mr Bedford d predated the motion, is be bi-Jieved the fi cal p'oposils wero directly de'rimen .-1 to the l-est interests of the Empire, and he ur w ed that the HuusV c uld not pass the l resolution without practically (.adorning Mr Chairijrrlijiu's fiscal prop sVs. 1 Mr Ell also opposed rh m.vion. Mr E. M. Smith hop d Mr < h mberlaiu's m'Stion would result in convoking peop'e in Greit Britain to his great and yiorirms ere -d.

Messrs Fisher and Du hie opp sad the refolu ioii. Sir Jo o. h Ward contend* d the*" was nut :i wo<d in ;h« resolution ;h t ouulJ !:e taken as expensing appnw.il of Mr Chambeilniii'rt /iical propiml*, ;u\d the Housi, would be w«iitti>«{ in i*-s •July if it: did not pv-* ti.i w.iion. Upou proper which h> » liev.d uvuld be iuid down, tho old and i;ow hnda c .uld be brought into closer trade relatious. Thj Housd ought wi h ;«t:soiui'o unanimity to pliice on record its appreciation of tho vist amount of o.J work Mr Ohimfcoilain had douej for the Kmpire. I

Sir \Vilham Russell folfc that a miflapnrehnnaion existed as to the wording ot (ha motion, and the interpretation that might he placed upon it. He looked upon it us nothing more than a motion of respKct to a g:eat English-! nuin who, of recent jeirs, had bornu 1 the g; e'.'est stress of the Government of tho Kmpirs, Messrs Thomson, Ilannin, Tanner, Buclurmu, Bnume, and Wilford spoke. Mr S, ddon he was deeply pain, d ai; the aUiiuJ.o of some of the youug»r members. 'sii u i\<soiulion merely ex-! pressed their feelings of gratitude to

one who bad dona ho much for them< ['he time was coming in this country when they would have to consider whether the unthinking few were to do I 'hat which waß to lrad the country ttf | disaster, or whether those who felt * responsibility were prepared to S»y it hit; can't go too far, otherwise oar ! country must suffer, | On a division Mr S addon's motion ' was r.irried by 52 to 2 (Messrs Bedford and Eli). It was decided thet the Hpeakef communicate the resolation to Mr Chamberlain. CROWN iAfflrf | On the motion fot the third reading I 'iF the Bueh and Swamp Crown Land I Settlement Bill, Sir W. Russell cami plain< d tha*; the Bill was another speciI men of pi' cu-moat ] gislation. 1 Mr J. 0. Thomson urged further 1 [exemptions in regard to residential ! qualifications. I Mr supported the llilJ. Mr Seddon bl»med the Opposition fur doing their beat to retard the progress of the Bill, and said it was impossible to get a consolidated measure through, so the only way to get a policy measure through was in instalments. Me admitted the present Land Act was defective. Conditions in the North land South Islands wer* so different | lhat equal application was impossible. I (Left sitting.)