The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1902. FAREWELLING THE PREMIER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 86, 22 March 1902, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1902. FAREWELLING THE PREMIER.

Ohe of the most enthusiastic and brilliant functions ever held in Auckland, or perhaps the colony, took place on Tuesday eveniDg last, when a public farewell was tendered to the Eight Hon. E. J. Seddon, it being the last occasion he would visit Auckland prior to leaving for London to attend the coronation. The gathering was a noupolitical one, and the public seem to have vied with each other in doing honour to the Prime Minister of the colony. The speeches made by the public men of Auckland wera characterised by a breadth of thought and [ideas quite unusuil with the leading I men of that isolated but baautiful city, [ the " Queen of the Waitemata," Poubt- ' less the occasion was a great one, and I the Aucklanders certainly rose to the occasion. Needless to say, Mr Seddon was at his Seat, and mado a speech that should be printed and circulated throughout the length and breadth of the colony. After making a few feeling references to the late Sir George Grey, whose memory is go much revered in Auckland, Mr .Seddon said : That evening he wished t.o strike a chord which would vibrate throughout the Empire. The fhg of the Empire was emblematic of liberty, justice and freedom, »nd it was for one and all now while the steel was at welding heat that we forge a band that would keep us ever to-gether as Britishers, let them do everything that would keep tbem in touch with the Mother Country, and feel that iflanything happened to it that that meant downfall in the colonies. (Applause.) Did we hear of the painter being cut as was prophesied some some years ago ? (Cries of " Never.") The colonies had shown to those who had used that expression that they knew nothing of the colonies, or the people who inhabited them. To-day we stood nearer and dearer to the Old Country than we had ever done before. Was there more to be done ? Yes. When the South African war was finished—aad might that be soon—the next war would be a commercial war. In the war of trade aud commerco our kindred vtere losing ground. Did we wish to see that ? (Cries of " No.") If we did we should lose ground as an Empirp, and we'must look to the promotion of trade amongst ourselves and keep it. (Apphnse). We should never have the boycott in our country. That was un-Britisb. What he <Jid say was to put the manufactures of the Mother Country on the same footing as other countiies. The workmen of the Old Country were not, in the matter of training, on the same footing as workmen in other countries. The manufacturers were not themselves on the same footing as foreign manufacturers. Did they think thai Messageries Maritimes and North German Lloyd's lines of steamers w;.re subsidised by Prance and Germany for the mere object cf carrying mails ? The fact was that the colonies were providing one of the best markets for their manufactures. It was the same with America, and the Mother Country had to compete with these manufactures. He felt sure that colonial workmen were quite willing that concessions should be made to ensure that their own flesh and blood might have an opportunity of haviug their goods sent out to the colonies on the same terms as the goods manufactured in foreign countiies. (Applause.) How was that to be done? was the next quasi ion to arise. He thnught nothing was simpler. At the conference that would be held in England at the time of the! coronation ceremonies he intended to!

advocate and strenuously support n bates equal to 10, 15, or 20 per cent, ii Favour of British manufactured good brought to our colony in Britith ships 'Loud applause.) There was nothini mfriendly in that! France was doitij t, Germany was doing it, and < vet America was duing it. Why shoulf lot the British take a lesson from ' hei looks and do it also? (App'au e. le had recommended it after ill diamond Jubilt e ceremonies, b\it man ifacturers ass',rt?d thut England u;:v mlding her own, That was in f. e: o eturns that showed that the Britihi nanufacturers were losing ground .ti was qute true tint they had mon irdsrs io hand than with the capita nvested thf-y could supply at the [»'«■ lent time, but if they took the ar\: hat had been brought under thi British flag during the last few yeate ind then compared the relative returns lad the British manufactures, trade md commerce increased in the sami atio ? If they made that couoparisoi ihey would find a terrible tale—the; *ould find that they had lagged bo iind. The question might be aske< vith a perfect right, " What is the usi if extending the Empire and Bheddiof >lood in spreading the Empire, ant iringing population williin the Em rire, unless correspondingly our Em >iro incriases in strength ?" She couls inly increase in strength by inoraasinf n population, commerca and manuf»c ures, and thwi the Empiru could hulc ts own. But if we were to spend cut >lo©d a lid treasure and then see sunt lations—perhaps envious cations—iome in and reap the reward, an( trengchen themselves at our expwse vhiiie was the Empire going to benefit Applause). Mr Seddon tken wen id to refer to othar questions; bu ve regret that for want of space wo an inable to reproduce the whole of hii emarks. Dealing with the action o ,be colony in sending coatingemts t South Africa he said: " They mus lot be unmindful of what Great Bti ain had done in the pjst, and hov nuch they owad to Great Britain Che sooner that war was end*d esi ither complications arise, the better i vould be for us all. (Applause.) Ii ;he strength of the British Em pit Upended |the peace of the civiliset vorld. It had been with a view o itroDg!heiiiDg the Empire and of pro -acting and maintaining the colonies ss m intragal part of the Empire, thai !few Zealand had sacrificed her sons, !Tow New Zealand held a proud postion, and she would continue to hold hat position so long as she is progresive, so long as s!ib is generous, so long .b fhe is loyal to our King and Constiution, and Maintains that grand old lag that ever floits over freedom."