THOSE INVITATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1208, 17 August 1911, Page 5

THOSE INVITATIONS.

STILL A MYSTERY, "INSULT TO NEW ZEALAND. DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. The mystery surrounding the invitations extended to New Zealand members of Parliament to attend tho Coronation celebrations occupied Parliament for an hour yesterday afternoon, but no great progress was made towards unravelling it. , Mr. A. L. Hcrdman (Wellington North) introduced a motion nsking the Government to lay all correspondence relating to the Coronation invitations before tho House. Mr. llerdmau said that from his recollections of what took place, prior to the departure of the Prime Minister for Lnglaud, tho latter had announced publicly that invitations had been received for members to go Home. Later, apparently; ho denied that such invitations had been dispatched from England. But tho point to bo made in connection with tliis matter was that members of the other Chamber were invited to go Home, and the invitation was not sent on to 1 thorn by tho Cabinet. Why this was so ho (lid not understand. Ho did not know whether the Primo Minister was afraid of being accompanied by member. l ! nf the Legislative Council, or thought that these gentlemen would throw discredit upon him, At anyrato, tlm Legislative Councillors were overlooked. The whole thine was shrouded in mystery, but there could bo no possible objection to the invitations and the whole of the correspondence which tho Government hp.d received being laid before the House. The country could' then bo informed exactly as to what had transpired. ■ Hon. J. A. Millar Explains. The Hon .1. A Millar stated that lh< motion asked for correspondence whiel no doubt, in course of time, would I>4 handocl ovsr. Portions of the correspond-' once wore confidential, and would not bo handed over, but he was quite satisfied that when tho correspondence had lj;en produced lion, members would be satis-' lied. Information had been given to one lion, member as soon as tho Cabinet hud it. Mr. Mnssey. "Referring to me?" Mr. Millar: "Yos." When tho invitelions were received by the Government, the Leader of tho Opposition had been inado aware of it. The private spondence which had been received by his Excellency tho Governor i would not be given. When tho public infoiniation, came all that could bo mado public had been given out. He did not know what had been dons in Australia nt nil. All he knew was that the New Zealand correspondence came marked "Private and confidential," through his Excellency tho. Governor. Mr. Hcrdman: "We nra not asking for anything that camo to tho Governor. "An Insult." Amid some interjections, the Minister admitted that invitations had come for tho Council. Ho would take his share of responsibility. Tho reason that tho . Council were not nctiiiod was that tho invitation offered to pay expenses. Personally! he thought it an insult to liTev Zealand that representative men should bo asked to go Home and an offer mado to- pay their expenses. Parliament had not known anything about this matter. It was after fcir Joseph t Ward had. left the country. He said that if Now Zealand was going to- send representative , meu Homo to tho Old Country, New ' Zealand should bar* paid their expenses. No doubt tiro invitation from tho Homo authorities wns dictated by' tho best intentions, but he had looked upon it as an insult to the country. "Furthermore," said Mr. Millar, "there was a condition that I don't think very nice. There Was n condition that although hospitality would be extended to tho representatives it would not extend to their wives and daughters." Mr. Millar added that ho had not tho slightest, doubt that when tho Prime Minister arrived, ho would bo quite.prepared to go over the whole of .the correspondence, and lay it before the House. ' ' R ' !W1, 3 A Mr. Fisher: "Who was goiug to pay the expenses?" ~ , .Mr. Millar replied that tho invitation came from a committee and not from the Imperial A Suggestion. Mr. Mass*)* suggested I hat since th« boll, gentleman (Mr. Millar) had said that it was tho intention of tho Government to lav the papers on the tabl-a of the Houso la tor on, ho could liavo no objection to agreeing to the motion under consideration. As to what the lion, gentleman hud said' : about himself ho would like to say (hat, as far as tho correspondence was concerned, it wns not shown to him, nor had he asked for it. He did not think it would have .been right to show it to anyone who was not a Minister. He was told at the time what ho was told was confidential. He had not repeated it theni and did not propose to repeat it now. As to the invitation to Legislative Councillors and tho offer to pay expenses there could bo no insult where none was intended. 1« did not think for a moment that anything or tho tort had been intended by tho committee of the Imperial Parliament. J hey • had simplv desired to show a certain, amount of hospitality and kindness to . roprosuitativcs of the Dominions. Tho Minister-hail contra'iicteil him«U by his remark upon the fact that wives .and daughters were not included in the invitations. There could 'be no que*lion as to what the Imperial Parliament had illtended to do. They hail hoen desirous of induoins* representatives from as many Dominions as possibe to ,W nation. He 'was not f,t all ceiti m Hint it ehould not be the duty of Parliament to thank th-em for the invitations. The Hon. .1. A. Millar, in personal.«planation, said lie had stated that In insult he had named was not, m ni» opinion, intentional. "Somebody Had Blundered. "

Sir J. V. Arnold (Dtniediii Central) said there was a mystery which ought to bo Cleared tip. The people had come to the conclusion, lightly or wrongly, that tho Government had not treated their woresontatives properly. Ho was gmlo satisfied lOittt somebody had blundered. Jn \ustralia thev had received mi invitation, six weeks More this House prorocuoil last vear. If tlio same invitation had come 'to Now Zealand it would have been the business of Parliament to say \vh«i ther they should or should not pay the expenses of representatives. If the Aus- ! kalian Parliament received legitimate nw vitiations, whv was New Zealand ignored .- As to the invitation to Legislative Councillors, they would no doubt speak for themselves. It did not seem to nm, that tho reasons stated by the Minisrtr justified tho Government in withholding those invitations. .... f "., Mr. J. Hanan (tnvorcargill) mm an explanation must be demanded of what seemed, in the absence of .pron«r explanation a slislit to o portion of his Majesty's Dominions. There were members who would have cono to tho Coronation. Two members (Ministers) had roiic. awl had had a high old tune. He did not speak enviously, but considered that nora should have attended in' their representative capacity. Mr •!. T. Hogan (Wanganui sain that ho felt inclined to support tlio motion. Ho wanted the information, and intended to insist on bavins it, but this was M Opposition move. . A members "Will you propose a similar resolution r - " „ Mr. Hogan: "\e«. ~«..■. Mr. Herdman: Ue will all vote for it. Mr. Hogan said that if there had .been onv secrecy or mystery he did not think it 'right that this House should nut up with it at tho dictation of the Cabinet. The lion, gentleman for Wellington North had asked for information that tho House should have, and ho (Mr. Hogan) had boon prepared to vote with him. lint as tho House was going- to. ,gct the information ho saw no necessity for going • further, and hoped tho hon. gentleman would withdraw his motion. Mr. G. W. Porljcs (Hurumii) said there was somo unsatisfactory spirit in connection with the?© invitations. All that thev kn«v was that they had been received, and that members had lieen asked by telegram whether they would accept. The . attendance of members would have been . of very great educational vatuo to the Dominion. . Tho motion was talked out. Ats.Mp.rn., when the House rose, tho Hon. B, M'Konzio was recalling a statement made bv tho Prime/Minister, in regard to the invf. tations, twards tho end of Inst ses-,. mon.