THE NEW ZEALAND DINNER.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12502, 25 May 1906, Page 3

THE NEW ZEALAND DINNER.

YBOUR ISSUES .AND PURITY OF RACE. Vr Srfldon va« on , ortnined at dinner n Fridny ni.ght at tho Motel Australia 'V N-:mv Zen hinders rcf.idr-nt in Sydnov. ir F. W. Jackson (of tho Union S.S. ''onipnnv). eliairnian of the committee, j (resided. ! Tho chairman, in proposing the w.lth of "Our Gnn-t.' , said they were here to do honour to a in mi cf the Empire. (Cheers.) There wore mm '.vho stood out prominently in the hhiry of the BritMi colcnios—who cou!d almovt bo numbered on tho fingers of i>llo iiar.fl. The naiiifs which would recur readily to nicst of them were Sir Gcorso Grey. Sir .Tolin Mncrlcnnld, >f Canada. Sir Henry Pnrkfs. and their criii's''. tint evening. (C"K<'if-, and a voice: "Cecil J'hcdes.") When the hie-! .'■nriau compiled the records -rf Ajistrahisian growth, tho name of the Right Hon. Mr Sctldon would occupy a hish p!ficn in the roll of tlio tor.fi of tho Knipire. The toast was onilinsiafitically Ivcnonr- j t'd w-ith chrtTiug and crie< of "Kia j Ora" and other Maori salutations. j Mr Sodden expressed his cense cf tlio honour conferrc<l upon liis colony l>y the prrr-ence that evening of the Premier of New South Wales ajid his Ministers. (Cheers.) He coul<l only say that he hoped the time was not far distant when Mr Carrut-hers would affoixl tlio New Zea'amWs an opportunity of giving iiim and liis colleagues J a hearty New Zealand welcome. (Cheers.) Ne\s- Zeal an dp rs in their own countrr very often differed materially; but cuttfide New Zealand there were no differences amengst them, and without wishing to cau.v> Iwart-burninpi ho maintained' that there was noble in a national life and in the foe!irg that one would uphold the best traditions of his country or colony. The guiding-star of their life in New Zealand wiifi that they should exercise all that was good, promote all that- was righteous, and exercise the grent power cur Creator had given us fer tho geed of mankind. (Hear, hrnr.) The people of New Zealand dVfiired that there should be eouii opportunities. There I

was something wrongi when they learned from the Jfrime .uiniater oi England that so many millions of our kindred were verging utxm starvation. He urged upon the statesmen of the Mother country thai this reproach should be α-emoved, and thauktxl Gcd that such would lu'ver b« the fate of the people lof our self-governing colonies. (Hear, I hear;. Did our Croa:or intend that the good things of life should be only within the reach of a few. and that countless thousands should live a life of ne~ coAsi'.y from the cra<Le to ilio grave? No. it wa» the selfishness of man, the misgovern tr.ent and want of'opportunity which had placed our fellow beicgs in this unfortunate position. Let every avenue that led \o power and distinction bo within tin? reach of all. Ihe exalting of labour had exalted that which was lor tho good of the whole country, and for the security and-profit-able, investment of capital; and in the colony of New Zealand labour and capital were working hand in hand, and instead of tho condition of things previously obtaining, inu-liigcnee and the bright'or traits of Naiiiiv were- at play, as ag.uiir-t rco-urt to violence , and istnkos. Tho/e who placid ono cta&.> in antagonism to another for purpose's of their own wvre enemies to the welfare ot tho Commonwealth, and of any country. He was ept-aking the mind of every New Zfalar.der when he. siikl that tlioM- who <!k( •their duty need not fear that tho people would not respond and do theirs, it Jiiiri Ixen this weakness-, in hiis opinion, thus dtwire to please, this asking of whether Mich a incisure would I>L- popular ur not, which hud caused troubl;'. in>U':i'l or leading, the public men had been led. Iho great thing was to featW-dy vi.-ice that which ono l.oliovcd to be good. They might rest assured ihat ho who did that would bo well thought cf by the people and trusted by them. Tiit'ie were some principles whio'.i should nover bi> tor>akon lor exiKtiier.ey, and among them was that o: raciui punty. \\a had giouous tjad.tions. ami tho pollution of our meant- itii dcter;or..tion., and cnstituud a danger to the Empire, it could not bo sain that ho was intertei'ing with (j.ino.h.ng tna..fc>pii ing in a neighbouring fcnatc, iur on. tiia* question New Zealand was as much interest*.... jus Australia, He ie..d coiru-pojido-.ico which had pr.ewod between hnwlt' and Sir (loorgo (Jiey- on th.ii question. tho timo when Sir ueorge, wlu was being uigal by turn to c.rmo to Au>traha as a delegate to as d.-t in the d.fccii.ssion, dec:area tiia.t the was real y tho most nioinon to us of tiie <lay, and that New Zealand t-uould bo true to itself and its people in the wattt'i", Mr Seddon, on hib part, expressed tho opinion that every effort should be made to prevent the importation of coloured labour into .lustra ia. i'liacw.iis on Juno 27th, 18U2, and ho to-day maintained tho «auio att.tude. %'lus wiiti the ono great (jucfetion on which Australia and New ZOa.'and were agreed. The statesmen of the Mother Country had mado their mistaken, not wilfully, but through want of knowledge. a<3 to what t<he colonies deei-od, and were bound to have. They did not understand tho colonies, and it was to be regretted that in their position of responsibility they were not bound to come out to the colonies so that they might real.'ao tho Aspirations of the people, and with Ithat gre-at power which they exercised meet our de ires without any of that fnction which in days gone by lcet America to the i!)m- ---[ piro. Ho spoke in condemnation of tha indifference displayed by the people.towards t'he power which ljiy in their hands for the direction of public affairs. In New Zealand the people manifested interest in their Parliament, and helped to eeoid forward the best men in the country.