NEW ZEALAND AND THE CORONATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13907, 5 December 1910, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND AND THE CORONATION.

EfE PRIME MINISTER'S PLANS. THE TE AKATJ.CASE AND THE WEBSTER CLAIMS. (BWSCIAI. TO "THE TOESSV') WELLINGTON, December 3. ItefefriPg to tro items on the Suplementary Estimates (£ISOO (or the rime Minister's expenses in connecon with the Imperial Convorence and u> Coronation, and £500 for official itertainments in London during the oronation), Mr Ma«ey this afternoon iked if the Prime Minister would give ie House some details regarding New ealand's representation. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said that i the occasion of previous visits to the [other Country and to the Postal Consreaco at Home, he had always had to ay more than Parliament had been skid to authorise in connection .vith is expenses. Upon the last visit ue *d esked th ■ House to provide £300, nd his actual expenses and Paymoiitto jcret&rics amounted to £1644 10s. In iltneCtkm with the Postal Conference 0 had spent nearly £900 more than us voted by Parliament. Mr Davey: Was that never reamed? . . , , . Sir Joseph Ward: I never asked for Sir Joseph Ward added that in his ositiou lie could not avoid taking at >ast one member of his family with him 1 addition to his wife, whom under rdinary circumstances ho could not save behind. Under these circumtttnees he felt that a portion of the spenses should be borne by himself. Lβ Was quite satisfied ho man could arry the work out for what was sually looted by Parliament unless he dopted the plan of not acting in a easonable manner in connection with is office. On more than one occasion n had to spend nearly £300 for an rdinary entertainment; this was unroidable. Though on the last occaion on which he visited England the British Government had asked to pay he expenses of everybody with him, c had declined their offer. By doing a he was put in a stronger position. £is predecessor also had had to pay ijoro than ho received in connection 4th such visits. As to the item of £500 hat was necessary because the High !ommis3ioner must do something more nan he would be called upon to do nder ordinary circumstances. Ho (Bit losoph) would bo called upon to do omething more than ordinary himself n connection with the representation f the country. There had been no nvitations asking any members of ho House to proceed to England. Ie was not at liberty to epeak on this matter, as it had come before him in uite a confidential way. It might _be hat after the coming General Election a England an invitation would be reeivedj if it did, he would communiate with members and inform them f the offer. Hβ was unable to say nything mote, as the Communications rere strictly confidential. They were iot from the Home Gdvernment, he light say. • Those who were arranging b were now before the electors, and ome of them might bo loft, out at the ieneral Election. • TWO IMPORTANT CASES. Sir Joseph Ward went on to say that ie wished to take the opportunity "hi aying that tho Attorney-General would iropeed to England also. He would go lome chiefly in connection with two jmjortant cases that required to ■liave.thi iest legal representative that we coulc end from this country. One was tht C© Akau appeal case, which was befor< ;he Privy Council, and involved somi 260,000. It was in connection witl and acquired from the natives, oi vhich had been placed European set ;lere and their families. The case in rolved not only £50,000, but also tht lomes erected by the settlers.. It wai >robably the most important case tha iad ever come before the Home autho itiee. The English lawyers had writen to the Oown lawyers in New-Zen-and, stating that they felt they txraW iot deal with the matter competently ecause a special knowledges was wanted >f native law and history, tfoing back o the Treaty of Waitangi. Mr C. P. Jkerrett, K.C., had been retained by he other side, and if in England a he time he would/act. He (Sir Joseph) mderstood that he was likely to be here at the time. In addition to the Cβ Akau block case, there was the ase of the Webster claims. In connocbn with these claims there was a tri»nnal to be set up by Great Britain tnd America. The amount involved in o far as New Zealand was concerned, »-as about half a million sterling. Mr Hemes: Is the Government a >arty to tho .Tβ Akau case? Sir Joseph Ward: Yes. Mr Horries: Not directly? Sir Joseph Ward: Indirectly we are, tecauee the Government acquired the istate. . ... Mr Herries: Only a portion of .it. Sir Joseph Ward: Well, a portion oi t. The case is a very important one f the Attorney-General, while in Lonlon is free from these cases,, I anal] >c extremely glad to have his attendinoe at the Imperial Conference as fell. ". . , Mr 'Maeaev said the Prime Minsstei ieemed to imply that the settlers oi ;he Te Akau Block might be dispoa iessed. H« did not think that such i ihing could possibly take place. 'rh( vorat that could happen was that th< >lock should have to be revalued am ;he value paid to the TinuLs, insteai; >f the Ngatitahingas. Of course thi atter had got the money and it waj sone. H« was quite suro that tin rountry and Parliament would see tha ihe settlers -were not interfered with [Hear, hear). As to the Coronation ie had no doubt that the feeling of tb jountry -waa that New ZeahuKi sliouli >c properly represented both at th Imperial Conference and at the Coro nation, and no difficulties ehould b" placed in the way of the Prime Mln tater going Home. t Sir Joseph Ward said he would no sxprees any opinion on the Tβ' Afiai aise. • Mr Herdman: Is not tho Webste :aso the one in connection with -whic! Dr. Fitchett went homo? Is it not be tween the British and the America: Sovernments, and not New Zealand.* Sir Joseph Ward: We maintain tha position, but tho British Governmen wants the responsibility of New /Sea [and kept quite open by the tribunal. NEXT SESSION. Mr T. E. Taylor: Is there any four dation for the rnmour that tho eessio: will be delayed next year? Sir Joseph Ward said it was propose to postpone it until the 31st July. Mr Taylor: There is no proposal t extend the life of the Parliament? Sir Joseph Ward: No; no proposal « that kind at all. He added that had i been possible for the Leader of the O| position to have gone to the Corom tion, he would have been prepared t ask the House to extend the life of th present Parliament until the secon week in February. As the Leader c the Opposition could not see his way i go ho did not propose to do that. Ha that been possible it would have enable all the members of the House who d< sired to have gone to tho Coronation 1 have done so, and to have been back i time for the general election. In answer to another question o Joseph Ward said New Zealand ,vn not sending any troope to the Coroni tion but he understood that a numtM of men were prepared to go on thei own account. ' Mr Massey said it wajj quite tru

that it was impossible for him to jff>-; : to England; it was out of the question •,; just now, but he wished to say tba* it was not in any way out of disrespect to the British Government. Sir Joseph Ward said he quite Tin- , derstood that. He was not at liberty to refer to a confidential document o© hud received, but it both ot them could have gone, the 4 country would have Agreed. Ho said ho expepwa nest session to last about a ft* 3 * l a l six weeks at the outside. t They hart done most, of their work this year, aoKl > nest session of necessity would be a very short one. ... " Mr Masspy said whatever might be the case with regard to the session, he was quite sure that the country would be utterly opposed to tho postponement of the election. He for one , could not agree to it on any condition whatever. . In answer to Mr Herriee Sir Joseph , Ward said ho would he leaving >ew Zealand about .the middle of February* or early in March. He did not t>roj pose to go via Japan, but would go via Canada or Sue*. LOCAL CORONATION EXPENSES. On -the item Coronation expenses in New Zealand (on account). Mr James Allen asked for some information as to what it meant, The Prime Minister pointed outtnofe - tho Appropriation Bill proposed to indemnify local bodies in conndction with the, celebrations in New Zealand, and this method of voting accounts from timo to timo would be carried out. Ho assured Mr Allen that tho Government would take proper precautions to see that there waa no waste. Tho previous Coronation cost tho country something like £11,000 (including contributions to local bodice). Mr Massey said he hoped that none of the money proposed to bo expended would bo usnd for the benefit or glon•fication of private persons. A LOYAL RESOLUTION. In tho House this afternoon tho Prinio Minister moved a resolution J — "That this House desires to •, record its respectful congra-tula-tions to his Majesty the King on his coronation, and to express the hope that the reign of his Majesty and Queen Mary will be a long and happy on«." Sir Joseph Ward said that the House would not be in session at the time of the Coronation, and it was both right and customary that euoh a resolution T should bo nasseu. and conveyed to hie , Majesty. "This motion and another / one, to ask the Governor to forward - the first to the Secretary of State for . tho Colonies, were passed without discussion. '. . - ■; ■