THE NEW BUILDINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 33

THE NEW BUILDINGS.

IMPORTANT SPEECH BY SIR J. G. r WABD. In the.-course of his* remarks during the Harbour Board trip down Otago Harbour on the 13lh the Prime J&inister (Sir J. G. Waid) made -reference to the recent destruction of Parliament House by fire. It was, be said, particularly gratifying to himself •ad ljuVcolleitguee to hare received numerous

I telegrams and cablegrams expressing regret at the demolition of the historic buildings where representatives of all shades of politics had conducted their deliberations. One of the troubles the Government had to face was the providing of proper housing for the present and future representatives of the people of. the Dominion. The matter was one that probably Parliament would have to be consulted on —on one material point, at anyrate. Owing to the fire that had taken -place the question of erecting suitable buildings for both branches of the Legislature had arisen, and it had to be borne in mind that they had to provide for the needs of the next 150 or 200 years. The wisdom of Parliament would have to* be applied to this question after the Government in the first place had made' suggestions. He himself thought it would be well to make a change of site. Those who knew Wellington knew the magnificent piece of ground on which Government House stood.. Subject to the opinion of his Excellency, who had ever been most courteous and ready in meeting the wishes of the Government and country—and he (Sir Joseph) believed that the Governor would be favourably inclined in this matter to any proposal made by his advisers—he believed the most careful consideration in regard to finding a most suitable site would result in the conclusion that they should - avail themselves of the large area of land on which Government House -now stood, and that a suitable site for Government House should be selected elsewhere. It seemed to' him that the time was opportune to take advantage of this untimely event and build something that would be for all time —something that would be a credit to the Dominion and to its-people.—(Applause.) MESSAGE jitOM THE KING. Sir Joseph ""Wars has received from .bis Excellency the Governor! the following message from his Majesty the King, through the Secretary of State for the Colonies (Lord Elgin) •.— I am commanded by his Majesty the King to express the sincere regret with which he has heard of the destruction by fire of the Parliamentary Buildings of the "Dominion of New Zealand. MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY. - During Wednesday and Thursday the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. Sir J. G. Ward) was inundated with telegrams from all parts of, New Zealand, and also from Australia- and London, conveying expressions of sympathy in the loss sustained by the Dominion by the destruction of Parliament Buildings by fire. The Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Elgin, through his Excellency the Governor, cabled as follows: " I have learned with great regret of the destruction of the Parliament Buildings by fire. I am glad to infer from the press telegrams that no lives have been lost, but deplore the loss of valuable records and property, and the inconvenience which has been caused to the Dominion and its legislature by this misfortune." Hon Thomas Bent, Premier of Victoria, cabled: "The Government and Parliament of Victoria* desire to express their deep sympathy with the Ministry and Parliament of New Zealand in the irreparable national loss sustained by the. people of your Dominion through the destruction of your Parliament Buildings, and their valuable treasures." The Hon. Mr Wade, Premier of New South Wales, forwarded the following cable j last evening to Sir J. G. Ward: "Government and i»eop'le of New South Wales offer deepest sympathy with Parliament and people of New Zealand re destruction of your Parliament Buildings, go rich in associations to citizens of the Dominion." The High Commissioner, the Hon. W. P. Reeves, cabled: " All New Zealanders much grieved to hear of destruction, of Parliament Buildings." .Suitable- messages in reply have been sent by the Prime Minister. LONDON, December 11. Tha Morning Post expresses heartfelt sympathy at the destruction of New Zealand's Parliamentary Buildings, but is confident that a nobler edifice will arise. Much sympathy is expressed in the English papers for New Zealand in the destruction of the Parliamentary Buildings.