OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15466, 10 March 1921, Page 3

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

THE SHORT SESSION. GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S SPEECH. WELLINGTON,, this day. The short session of Parliament was opened this afternoo.n, when the. Governor. General, Lord Jellicoe, delivered his Speech as follows: Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,— Addressing you in Parliament assembled to-day for the first time since my assumption of the office of GovernorGeneral of New Zealand, I wish to assure you of my sincere desire to co-« operate with you in all your efforts to advance the prosperity of this Dominion, and to promote peace and goodwill among its people. During the visits which I have been privileged to pay to the principal, towns and to some of the country districts, of the Dominion, I have been deeply impressed ihv the spirit of loyalty to the Crown, which is so greatly in evidence, and by the corral welcome extended to me as His Majesty’s representative. The Imperial Government have informed the several Governments of Ihe overseas Dominions and dependencies of His Majesty’s desire that an Imperial Conference should be held in London in the month of June of the present year, and that it is of the utmost imDortance that the Prime Minister of the British Dominions should be present in person. My Ministers have accordingly advised me to convene the present session of Parliament, and to invite your consideration of the proposal that my Prime Minister should represent New Zealand at the conference. It will also be necessary to make provision for. the financial requirements of the Dominion during his absence. The legislation to be submitted to you will be limited to a statutory extension of appropriation, the continuance of certain expiring laws, and some matters which cannot without causing inconvenience stand over. A second session will be convened later in the year for the transaction of the ordinary business of Parliament. Mv Ministers believe that honorable members of both branches of the Legislature recognise the gravity of the matters which must be considered at this Imperial Conference, and that it is essential that the Primo Ministers of the self-governing Dominions should take personal part in the discussion and do termination oT questions wfr»h involve the relations of the latter to each other, and also the relations of ■the British Commonwealth as a whole with the other nations of the world, so that there may be no question as to the continued cohesion of the Empire itself. I pray that Divine providence may guide your deliberations.