BRITISH ENVOYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 179, 29 July 1909, Page 7

BRITISH ENVOYS.

ENTERTAINED AT BELLAMY'S, EVOLUTION OF THE COLONIAU OFFICE. (By Telegraph Press Association.) .WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Tables adorned -with red, white, and blue ribbon were spread at Bellamy's to-day in honour of Sir Charles Lucas and Mr. Arthur Pearson. The envoys of the Colonial Office were the guests of the Government at a luncheon, at which Ministers of the Crown and heads of Departments were well represented. The Hon. J. A. Millar presided, and lie had with him the Hons. Dr. Findlay, B. McKenzie, and T. Mackenzie. Mr. Millar prefaced the toast of "Our Guests" with an apology for the ActingPrime Minister's absence. It was plain from the visit of the envoys, said Mr. Millar, that 'it was admitted in the Old Country that Great Britain should take an interest in the colonies. One visit of this kind was worth 12 years' sitting in an office. Referring fo the talk about '" breaking away," he did not think that one-half per cent of New Zealand's population desired to be anything but "part and parcel" of the Imperial family. He voiced a belief that in the near future the Fmpire would not be merely an Empire in name, but an Empire in reality, a consolidated company of huge strength. Sir Oharles Lucas replied that it was a great regret to him that his presence in New Zealand was coincident with the absence of Sir Joseph Ward, who had been very courteous and helpful to him at fhe time of the Colonial Conference. Sir Joseph Ward, however, was now well employed. The envoys had been warmly received everywhere in New Zealand. His answer to the oft-put query, "How do you like New Zealand?" was that he liked New Zealand as a visitor and as a student of colonial history. A more sporting question than any other which he could put to the people here was, "How will you like Downing-street?" There were three stages of Downingstreet, and the first was the positive. Many years ago the Colonial Office was known as the Mother Country, and it was not a lovable term. In process of time the Office became less positive, and one of the men who worked out the new stage was Gibbon Wakefield. The new stage was the comparative stage— the stage of Greater Britain. "We must be perpetually taking stock, and in this respect Downing-street should be a sort of clearing-house," declared Sir Charles. The idea was to have no sleeping partners in the great wholesale firm. What would the future be—the superlative stage—Greatest Britain? What would become of Downing-street then? Would it be evolved out of existence, with wings to mark an angelic growth of business? The betterment would come by instinct rather than set policy. The motive force would come from outslHe rather than within. The initiative, he thought, should come from the younger countries. They were not burdened with the weight of the past; they had an opportunity of carrying on the' united nistory from strength to strength. Mr. Pearson expressed thanks for the kindness shown to the delegates by the Government and the people of New Zealand. If the citizens of the old Roman Empire could say with, pride, ' f Civis Roman us sum," surely a citizen of the British Empire could say, with greater pride, "Civis Britannica sum."