DREADNOUGHT OFFER

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 508, 15 May 1909, Page 15

DREADNOUGHT OFFER

MR. T. E. TAYLOR'S CABLEGRAM. ■- -. v A CHRISTGHURCH PROTEST. J.;lai .TKuaniru—russa assocution.i Christohurch, May 13. . , . A';,deputation of between thirty and forty electors of Chrißtohurch -North ..was .introduced "to".tho Primo Minister this morning by Major Hobday, and handed to Sir Josopn Ward a protest against tho action, of Mr. T. E. Tayl-r, M.P., in / forwarding to the Bri-tish-Prime Minister a cablo messago dissent* .;• ingi .from ..the; Now' . Zealand Government's. ' offer of Dreadnoughts. ■.' ;' ' Major Hobday said that tho deputation trusted that the': memorandumof protest would bo sont through tho Primo Minister's office to London. ' Tho Protest. Mr.'R. T. Ohatfield then read the protest as follows.— • Tho "undermentioned representative ■if . eleotors of Christchurch • North, for. them-';. < selves -and. their "personal friends within jtho electorate,, wish to express their emphatio disapproval of Mr. T. E. Taylor's • . action in dispatching a cablegram to the : Right Hon. H., H. Asquith relative to . • the Dreadnought offer by the Now Zea- ■? - land Government to tho British Govern- . ; Went for' the following l reasonsi. ■■' :.. (1) .We say that in signing tha cablegram as M.P. for : Christchurch' North '; 'Mr'. Taylor placos us in the position' of. ■ assenting to tho contents'of the said cablegram. - . , . (2) -Wo state that wo wore not consuited in tho matter by Mr. Taylor, . ' nor do wo know of any elector of Christchurch North who was consulted.- ; . :(3) Wo consider that without,protest • wo sljall bo identified with the obnoxious . cablegram referred to.' - , i! (4). Wo claim that Christchurch .North : «lectors l are as loyal to. tho Mother Coun- ,' :try as any othor electors within tho Do- ; minion. • > (5) We therefore protest as strongly ■ as words can convoy against the implied, ■; statement that :wo agreed with-Mr.- fay-. * lor's' views on the Dreadnought ■ quos- • tion. ' ■. ■. ■■■; (6) And wo affirm that , the'action of Mr. Taylor, M.P. for Christchurch ' /'North,-was unconstitutional, - unauthor- ;: . .ised, and unstatcsmanliko. •• ■ i. : . ,v 4...' •. (7) Wo are,convinced from close".inquiry that the foregoing aro tho sohti- ■ .; "monts of tho bulk l (if -not- the whole) ,% . of tho electors of Christohurch North. ' Mr. Albert Kayo said that as electors they felt absolutely indiguant thafc the member that many of them had so recently electfd to represent Christchurch North had taken the action ho did, an actionwhich, in a sense, had committed them to that very obnoxious cablo messago., Having failed to voice their .indignation; at ; a'; public .. meeting .they •'-had: taken-tho present method' of attempting to: rectify. the_ matter.: ; ; ... .'. •' %; i. v Mr. i David' Bates said that if tho state--tho.', protest v. were. , challenged the ' c 9, connected ■ with tho; inovement wero prepared'to pay tho cost of taking a plebiscite of the .electors of Christchurch;-North':to -doterniino whether or not tho committee had been justified in taking the action they/had takon. ' ' , • , Sir Joseph Ward was greeted with prolonged applause in rising to reply. He said that ho' thoroughly 'imderatood the.; motive .that had prompted such a representative assemblage; preferring the request they had made., . The;, offer .was• tnade 'the: Go.vernment with, nodesire on their part > tO; have .eulogistic • compliments made them, but wa3 made because they regarded' the.,position of tho .Empire as one of BUoh gravity thatrif thoy'had,not,the moral ccur- : age to -act, as thoy had -acted on behalf of tho;.peoplo, then they.* werd/not fit' to hold their positions ■■■, (Appkuso.) For himself, hp. would ;a Jiunrtted;fhousand'times sooner 'go, - out ;of.office; .and -ho; would feel'proud to; go for what they had dono, and ho would' feel happier-than at'any'time ho'tiridertook office •■on.behalf ofjhajpeoplo-of New Zealand. (Ap- , plaase.) He .hud published ono " dispatch ~ho ~ had . sent . to - his .■ Excellency tho • Governor, - and a geoend ono he had sent t-o ...his -..]io ,• proposed'---to-" submit to ' mombcrs when Parliament met. ; This laat-montioned dispatch: would ■ place ..the ; Government's;.actioh, : from' a .cbn- • stituiional , standpciint, " before 'meiubors.Sir Joseph ; AVard ; statcd that-ho. could not ac- • ® ede ito . the. i f equfest.: of; the ' deputation v to' forward their. protest to London. To do so would involve, that ,ho would have to send ■Mr.' iTaylorf ss'reply and-. then: the ■• deputa■;tion's; reply v'.tor.Dhat;'.-He; th'anked.-.the;, de- ' P u tation on-; behalf,- of the: Government ■. for thfeir.. appreciation of, the, Government's offer. (Continued applause) 1 : ;By tho overseas ,mail:which• reaohed this City,to-day,, the, Prime Minister received a ■largo.: numoer 1 -' of "letters congratulating him and the; Government on their offer of a Dreadnought/ :and if necessary , two,, to the British Government.- ';■:.' -:'■;,- v' • , Tho. High Commissioner fdr. New Zealand ■ "l I ,ain safe' in saying that additional, shipsy aro required. I\heard part of tho debate on Monday evening, tho night of Mr. Balfour's no-confidenco motion. There was no , reference'to • the two-PoiteFstandard, but; references were mado ■to 'ihe one-Power standard. 'With the'exception of Mr. Koir •Hardie. and • ono-or.itwo others, ■ your taction .has been eulogised,by,-all sorts and conditions of-people., Ono, ladyOoccupying a high posi- : ■ on ' informed ;me \ that [.when' - she;, saw'.-your noble offer sho broke into tears/' ''■ PROPOSED PRESENTATION TO THE PREMIER. " A'^meeting,.of:-'citizens .-who : ':apjf6ve' : -'of the\ , Government scoffer of:'ai;D'roa'dn'oiight to :the Imperial .'authorities;:;was. held at ; Godber's,' ' Cuf)a,, ; Stre"et,..last'-iiight.:;; About ; 27:gentle Bicn \voro present. . , •/.:•-■■, , ' Mr. D v J. .Nathan, who was'votcd to the chair, said .that nearly; 20 'citizens 'llad' writ-.' ten expressing regret. at '.being ur.ablo 'to -at tend .the meeting. RefeWng to tho object of . ; ■' said;.iho^^■'timeVhad.'vgone past for calling a publio meeting, which, to : be of any use, should havo been held'several Wee »s ago.: Many people : felt' that it was in-' :■'■ c PP?®"^ u P o ">^?. ra ''l a ' : PlMb''m-■■thß:■po.SMs•': , . sion of Sir,Joseph'Ward'and-his family some ; lasting memento of tho splendid' service - he had rendered to tho 'Empire' in tho' action he' had; taken m offering a'/Dreadnought to .tho - Imperial Government. •• -• , Tho Hon. C. i{. Luke, M.L.C., said an illuminated address should bo presented to Sir! Joseph . Ward—possibly:' ! in 4thoform''' of •' a .book' .with; covers- of Now 'Zealand '- woods,' .... such, as was presented; to tho late Mr. - Sed- ; doll on _ono occasion; It; should by Eomo bcautiful -object that 'could bo handed.down-as a heirloom in tho Pnmo Minister's family. Sir Joseph Ward'had' in a timo of crisis to show that New.; Zealand was :f Ully. 'impressed uwith. ;,the::^need;:of. : maintaining ,'theV naval supremacy/of'the, Empire. : Mr./ Luke 'concluded-by' moving— . •.. ■■ ■V;■■■■'J 'That an address in a' silvor caskot, ' , to bo • accompanied by . somo '. suitable ■ • memento, be presentd to th Prime Minister as a memorial of,his; patriotic :aotion . in presenting, ft Dreadnought to tho Imperial Govornment." , : Mr. Edwin' Arnold secondod tho motion; which was carried unanimously, . Tho meeting resolved, itself into a general. • comibifcko .to. f urfche'r; tlid" object of tho reso* : lution.;;;,:-';- : v. ( r ; ;-vI ~ I'ho .folloiv-iiig' c-xecutivo'committ-ce was ,ap- , pointed:—Messrs. D, J. Nathan, M'Guiro, Broer., J. H. -B. Coatos, G. Toogood, A. Myers J. W. Poynton, G. Winder, lion. C. M. Luko, M L-.C., Hon. n. Gilmer, M.L.C., and Dr. Cahill. 1 :.J.-_Dykos appointed secretary, and ,Mr: ;E. : ;Arnold treasurer. ' 'V,. ' , ' ■ 'AvinceKng of the 'committee is to : be, hold next Monday. - ;' V '■■ "'"