11

A.—s

common good. I want to say, my Lord President and gentleman, that however one from time to time may observe that the questions of the Colonies get drawn into the position of being subjects for political fighting either here or elsewhere, I regard the question of the future of the Empire as one that should be kept entirely above and clear of party warfare. There must be no question of party introduced into it. lam perfectly certain that the members of the Imperial Government view the matter in the same light, and I, for one, look forward with very great hope to the time when all questions affecting the Colonies may get into that happy position which the Foreign Office occupies in regard to the affairs of the Empire. Governments come and governments go; parties come and parties go, but our Great Empire we trust will last for ever; and the continuity of policy dealing with the great foreign affairs of this Old World is one of the things we admire so much, and which we would like to get to the position of, so far as it affects the Colonies. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman in the course of his admirable speech expressed a desire that we- should approach matters appertaining to each of our countries without prejudice to one another. lam perfectly certain, Sir, that that will prevail in the whole of the discussions that take place at this Conference. I will not go into any details. The agenda is a long one; it contains most imporant matters, and I can only say that some of them I regard as of the most vital consequence, perhaps I may say without egotism, to the Old Country and certainly to the newer ones, that I believe the most important matters submitted will be decided upon, and that the ripe judgments of the gentlemen representing the Old Country, co-operating with the men from the younger countries, whose positions are so often misunderstood, will surmount difficulties that have seemed incapable of settlement. I recognise that the machinery required for carrying on an old country with a huge population is quite a different business to that which we have in bringing into active life the younger countries for the administration of which we are for the moment responsible. In our countries we can do things in a day or a year that it naturally takes a long time to effect in the Old Land, and sometimes, perhaps, we are rather restive in wondering why it is that matters that we conceive to be for the good of our people in our own portion of the British Empire, that we think might be applied to the Old World itself, have been so long in being brought into operation. But on examination into facts we realise that it is infinitely more difficult to turn the machinery of the Old World such as exists to meet the diverse interests and requirements of such a huge population, than the machinery of a young country, especially when we have history and example by which we eaii steer clear of the difficulties that present themselves to the Old Country, and we get into a position of greater comfort in our younger communities than can be expected to be achieved in an old land. I want to express my regret that the ill-health of the gentleman who took such an active part in a former Government in connection with Colonial matters has, for the moment, laid him aside, and those sentiments, so very finely expressed by Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, I think will be re-echoed certainly in the country I represent, where a great deal of sympathy is felt in connection with Mr. Chamberlain's illness. I wish to thank the Lord President and the Prime Minister for that cordial reception which I feel that from British representative gentlemen we would, under ordinary conditions, receive, but coming from them at this great Conference it is to me personally a very great pleasure indeed to acknowledge it. I know the New Zealanders will look forward with very great concern to the doings-, when they are made public, of this important Conference, which I believe, and, I certainly hope, will be in the direction of

First Day. 16 April 1907.

(Sir JosxPH Ward.)