THE EMPIRE'S PARLIAMENT
FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. COLONIALS CARRY A POINT. London, April lii. Mr. Botha, who spoke in Dutch, took the stand- that his attendance showed that the old Dutch population would work equally loyally with the British f»r the welfare of the Empire. Sir Wilfrid Laurier moved, and .Mr. Botha seconded, a vote of thanks to Sir H. Carupbell-Baiiuermaii, who, replying. said it have given him unmixed pleasure to be present.
The Premiers have telegraphed to the King, presenting their humble date, and desiring to acknowledge grateiuliv las gracious telegram, which would be a source of great cniour.igeinenl to iheir labors.
A telegram of deep svmpalhv was sent to Mr. Chamberlain.
Sir William Lyne {federal Customs Minister), evincing sonic displeasure withdrew when Lord Elgin hinted that subsequent proceedings would be limited to the Premiers, except when an individual Minister's own department w-a concerned.
This raised a ■discussion, resulting in an agreement that Ministers should have liberty to attend any meetings, but onlv speak when the President or their own Premier desired it, except when iheir own departments were concerned. ill the Ministers were thereupon requested to return.
Sir W. Lyne's still attitude forced a reversal of the decision to limit the attendance of Ministers at the Conference. Lord Elgin resisted until he recognised the Premiers' insistence.
Lord Elgin adopted a similar attitude regarding the publicity of the proceedings. The Colonial Ollice wish to limit the daily press to a few words, but the Premiers insist upon more.
- NEWSPAPER COMMENTS. London, April 10. The Times says that King Edward aptly expresses tlie hopes with which his subjects am! not the least representative of the self-governing colonies regard the discussion begun at the Conference. Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman made a favorable impression, and there is no apparent sign of his former tendency to ignore the material links of Empire. The Premier accepted his recognition of this as a consultation between the Colonial governments and the Home Government in its various capacities—financial, naval, military, and commercial. Regarding preference, Shit Campbell-Baunernnin was brief, but not unconeiliatory. Both the Home Government and the majority of the Colonial Government seem to recognise that in this matter of inter-Imperial policy the most feasible path along which to advance at present is the provision of some continuous means of communication for purposes of fuller consultation. Australian proposals showing the direction in which things are moving. The Standard declares that Mr. Denkin, in demanding * full report, is not spokesman of the Commonwealth alone.
The Daily Mail complains that Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman is administering to the Colonial representatives a cold douche. " •
The Daily Chronicle says the Conference made a favorable start, though Sir H. tfampbell-Bannennan would have done better to have assumed the formal presidency. The Daily Telegraph declares that the opening was full of promise. Other newspapers are eongratulatorv In their remarks.
LONDON'S RECEPTION. .FREEDOM OF THE CITY SOME NOTABLE SPEECHES.
London, April 17. Tlie Premiers and llijir suites drove in procession in five carriages from the Hotel Cecil to the Guildhall to receive the freedom of the City of London. The streets were crowded and decorated with flags, and the visitors were accorded an enthusiastic welcome. Mr. Botha was especially cheered. The Lord Mayor's (Sir William Tr«loar) reception to the Premiers at tlm Guildliall was a picturesque function. witnessed by a crowded assemblage oi ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Botha was the hero of the occasion. Mr. Deakin, Sir J. G. Ward. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Mr. Balfour, Sir If. Campbell-Bannerman, and Field-Mav-shalls Lord Roberts afd Sir George .White were also greatly applauded. After the Premiers liid sworn locally to the Kiug, and also, like good citizens. "pay their shot and take their lot." the freedom of the city was conferred on them.
Sir J. C. Dimsdale, the City Chamberlain, in an eloquent speech, said there yras no parallel in the city annals to the present occasion. They delighted to honor Britons -who had sacrificed their lives to develop and consolidate the dominions.
Mr. Deakin, in reply, said they all fleeply prized the magnificent token of regard. No welcome could be more acceptable or more appropriate. Presiding at a luncheon, Sir William Treloar declared there was no grea,./ honor than the city's gift. Sir Wilfrid Laurier predicted that the Conference would prove a success. It would show what was possible and what impossible and to be avoided He de clared that only Britain would have thought of conferring full citizenship on the Transvaal within five years of a war.
Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, in proposing Sir W. Treloar's health, considered the conferring of the freedom of the city a seasonable, reasonable attention.
SPEECH BY SIR WILFRID LAURIER. Received 17th, 10.0 p.m. London, April 17. In connection with the ceremony of conferring the Freedom, Sir Joseph Ward ma greeted on the streets with shouts of "Kia Ora."
Mr Deakin said there was no loyalty like the loyalty of freemen; no bond like the bond of freemen. Upon this depends the greatness and future of the Empire. The Premiers were grateful for the re-atlirmation of the ties of {blood. Sir Wilfrid Laurier described the previous Conferences as spasmodic, dis- ] jointed and appended to ceremonial events. The present gathering was unique, as it marked a new departure. It demonstrated to the world that the Empire was a living entity. He paid an eloquent tribute to the late Mr Seddon. Though the hopes of the ardent enthusiasts, who wished to bind the future by putting upon the present intolerable conditions, were perhaps unrealisable, there trill be no failure connected with the Conference. He was delighted to receive Dr Jameson's assurance that South Africa wiuld be federal before next Conference. ' Mr Botha 'sat next to Lord Robeits.
' RADICALS AND THE EMPIRE. AN IMPERIAL SPEECH BY THE PKEJIIER. Received 17th. 9.24 p.m. London, April IT. 11l an address at a Radical political banquet at Holborn Restaurant, which all the Premiers and colonial Ministers attended, Sir H. Campbell-Baimerniaii who presided, declared it was a slander to assert that Radical* were "Little Englandcrs" permeated by narorw hostile' views regarding the colonies. They all favored the maintenance of the Empire on the principle of freedom, independence and equal justice, which was the very breath of its being. 'lf.'' said the Premier, "the Empire is not continued on these lines, a good many of us wish it. not continued at' all." He indicated that the King's first art-on his ro:urn w«uld be to stretch forth the rijrht hand of fellowship to the Premiers, and express his feeling for their affectionate devotion, and recognition of 'their great services, which he and his subjects entertained. (Cheers..
NOTABLE SENTIMENTS. Received 17th, 9.45 p.m. London, April 17. The Right Hon. R. B. HaManc Minister for War, succeeding Sir 11. Campbell- j Bannerman in the chair when the hit- j ter was compelled to return to Parli-t- j ment, proposed the toast ''Our C.ne-t--.' ' He commented on causes an I piiMipl'goins deeper than pi. v. The Tupiie was beyond contrm ■■••.. It pOss< .el an unwritten, unrigid ■ >..»»Hliili<m. able to develop and adapt it-eif to eircum- '
f LATEST I CABLE NEWS,
CHITEI) SHES3 ASSOCIATION—IiY ELECTBIO TELEQBAPH.—COITJUOHT
oversea, re-fashioued, yet still the same, preserving to all the King's subjects the conscious enjoyment of the fullest freedom. The Empire rested not on force, hut on common ends and commifn purposes, liberty was the bond holding the Umpire together. Mr llaldane, adverting to the Transvaal Constiiittion, welcomed Mr Botha. He and the General Staff intended to confer with .Mr Botha shortly on the question of mutual defence of the Empire. Apparently the early conferment of a. Constitution on the Transvaal seemed 1o be in the very nature of things to those appreciating the self-developing character of the British Constitution, which may give us gnu tilings. It may give us Imperial Councils, and possibly a great variety of institutions.
Mr Deakin, who was warnilv greeted, in responding, said that ilr. Hal dane had spoken with profession.!, equally with personal, enthusiasm! The Constitution was but after all the only trace of a permanent basis of union. It lay deeper than the Conslitution; it lay iu the people and the character of the people from whom the Constitution sprang. Without acccp;anee of the principle of equal freedom, even the British Constitution would be vain. He agreed with Mr llaldane that they must develop and aMapt themselves
to the necessities of the Conference, its meirjbers he'inging to a body without status. lie hoped to be able to take some steps, if short steps, towards a better working policy. Australia needed population, and he hoped the Conference would devise machinery securing her as a home for British population.
TUG TRANSVAAL'S LOYALTY. I Received 17th, 11.30 p.m. London, April 17. At the llolborn banquet, Mr. Louis Botha, in an Imperial, loyal and optimistic speech regarding the prospects of the union of white races in South Africa, toasted the Home (loverument. He declared the whole of the people of the Transvaal had grasped the hand of freedom extended them, and would not let it go again. (Cheers.) Mr. Churchill, in responding, expressed the hope that the members of the Conference would return convinced that there is no anti-Colonial party in Britain.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19070418.2.12.1
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 18 April 1907, Page 3
Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,534THE EMPIRE'S PARLIAMENT Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 18 April 1907, Page 3
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Taranaki Daily News. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.