ENTERTAINED AT CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13391, 21 January 1907, Page 6

ENTERTAINED AT CHRISTCHURCH.

DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE

IMPROVING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. [liY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION".] Christchcrcu, Sunday. The Prim' l Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, arrived in Christ church by the first express from Punedin lust evening, at h:dl-pa.«t seven o'clock. Ho was entertained at a fa •-■ well dinner by the commercial and business people of the city on the eve of his departure from the colony to lake part in the deliberations at the Premiers' Conference, to be held in London in March. In the absence of the Mayor (Sir John Hall) the De-puty-Mayor (Mr. C Pay-ling) presided. The toast of "'The King" was proposed by the Chairman, and that of "The Prime Minister" by the Hon. 0. C, Bowen (Speaker of the Legislative Council). In responding to the latter toast, Sir Joseph Ward dwelt on. the subject, of defence, and exhorted employers to encourage l he volunteers by allowing those who were in their employ leave to carry mil their military duties. The defence of the Empire was a subject thai would have to exercise the, attention of the Imperial Conference that, was about to sit in the Old Land, and lie felt that the colony was bound to take a greater share of the' responsibility of defence than it had done in the past. Referring to the Legislative Council, he said that when the alterations in the Uoiui-

til had been made it would be found that. the Council had been greatly improved. The desire of the Government was to improve the (Mrsonnel of the Council, to Fee that the different sections of the community were fairly represented in the election that ""as made, and t<> keep an eye to the just (.hums of the different province*. It was not possible, and he did not IveHevo himself it. ever would be, to have a Parliament of c:.e Home only. It was •>.' more practical use to the people of New Zealand, instead of righting for the almost impossible idea! of a unicameral system, to sty that the machinery they hud was to be improved, and to see that good men were sent to represent the people in the Upper Houie. In conclusion, he expressed the hop* l that the universal penny postage proposal would be adopted. The Premier, with tlie other Ministers, left for Wellington by the late steamer.