LORD ROSEBERY'S DREAMS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7869, 3 August 1911, Page 8

LORD ROSEBERY'S DREAMS

IMPERIAL UNITY AND PEACE. NEW ZEALAND M.U.s SPEECH. FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT LONDON, June 23. Ll tho vcm-erablc building known as WoM-minsW Hail, “Urn historic and secular centre- of the Dritish Empire/ Uj quote Lord Kcsc-hcry's description, there assembled on Monday a company the like of wln<-h even that famous pile 1 1. 'id never known before. .Rcprceentatdves of the Dominion Parliaments wore gathered Micro from the fouiq corners of tho Empire as the quests of a. joint eorrrmitUo of tin* House of Lords and the House of Commons. Tho occasion. was a In rich con or welcome. Over 500 wore present. Lord Potsebarv presided. nnd the- eonraauy included. ’Mr Asquith ami the oversea Prime Ministers now in England. Hut the majority of ilicv-o present were private members of Hie Ilritish and Dominions Parliaments. It was tho “backwoodsmen V' day. ]x>rd Rosebery welcomed the oversea M.P.V. Lu a, speech of real eloquence and charm. His deen and resonant voice carried well. If ifc'did not make the arches of old Irish oak resound, as at the trial of Warren Hashings in. iVostTniiLster .Hall, it could He heaid. clearly at a groat distam-o from the speaker. And every word that fell from the silvertongued “orator of tho Empire’ was listened to with close attention by the groat company on tho floor of tho hail, .and by a company of ladies who came to hear tho speeches from a dais at the far end of tho building. “The humblest of the backwoodsmen has been placed in the chair/’ said Lord Rosebeuy. “And now, in tho name of the committee, ho welcomes the brethren of tho same Id ml and character from across tho yeas/’ After recalling tho storied past of the splendid building in which they met. Lord Robbery explained to the _ visitors from overseas that it wa# ■washing’ day •with tho Mother of Parliaments, and sho could only tender a warm thoin-h moist and socip-snddy hand. The reference tTui<? made to the veto controversy raised a general laugh. Ho wrnt eri to speak of the Coronation and its significance, and of the Empire, ■with its immomorial traditions and its glorious expansion. “What are wo going to 'do it?” he asked. “What arc we going to do to prove ourselves < worthy of the responsibility and the inheritance which wo have received from all tho?e centuries?”

Ho limited his dreams of Empire, bo said, to two. Did they not see in the Imperial Conference the germ of a mightier council which would represent a United Empire in a defined and permanent form, and which thus would be tho most august Parliament that the world had -ever seen ? "I believe that the cause is marching with giant strides.” he declared, ‘‘'and' that some- day we shall wake up and find ourselves for Imperial purposes a federated Empire.” His second dream was a vision of peace. Union and strength wore needed to mate that vision practicable—union in the Empire itself, union, with the great Republic of tho West, and strength. ‘•Wo shall only find strength in tho resolution and contentment of our people, and their preparedness for war. If we wish for peace wo must prepare for war.” In conclusion ho asked tho guests to take back with them overseas a message of unity, and a message of peace. NEW ZEALAND AND THE EMPIRE. The name of Air It. Heaton Rhodes, a member of tho Lower House of tho Now Zealand Legislature, was one of those coupled with tho toast. Mr Rhodes regretted that ho was the only member of tho Lower House who had been able to come from Now Zealand. They were looking forward in New Zealand to a general election, within a few months, and the nature of the chains which bound the members to their constituencies would bo understood. (Laughter.) The representatives of the Dominions would _ never forget the warmth and heartiness of tho welcome they had received in London. When they as backwoodsmen returned to the hush again—(laughter) —and wielded tho axe or mustered their flocks,, they would look hack kindly to that gathering within those ancient walls, and the eloquent words of tho chairman would ring in their ears. \ (Cheers.) The representatives of the Dominions had come bo England to pay allegiance to their King. But his Majesty was no stranger to them, for ho had travelled tho Etapire, and was known al' through tho Empire as no British Sovereign had been known before. (Cheers.) They looked forward to welcoming the Prince of Wales before very long, when, following in his father’s footsteps, he set out to tread tho path of Empire. (Cheers.)

Through the ’Dominion it was recognised that England had demanded nothing of them in. tho past. England bad given them protection, she made enormous sacrifices for them, and under her protection they had blossomed forth a young nation. But though they were young nations they had no -desire to become separate nations. (Cheers.) They realised fully what their fate would be in such circumstances. Their desire was rather to draw tighter the bonds c-f Emraro. Sir Joseph Ward, the Premier' of New Zealand, had proposed at tho Imperial Conference the sch-emo of an Imperial Council ns a means of uniting more closely all parts of the Empire. That proposition had not boon adopted. Perhaps it was too promatu-ro. But surely it was not too high an ideal to aim at? (Cheers.) Tho Dominions felt bound to take their share in the burdens of Empire, and they felt that in doing so they must have a voice in tho settllemjeult (of those foreign questions 'which affected their destinies. Tlio chadhnan had asked what was tho message brought by tho Dominions to tho Mother Country. Ho ventured to put it in this form—"Wo desire not to be (shareholders in the great comuonv of the Empire, but to be partners.” (Cheers.)