Oct. 7.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2525

Estimates for the year have been prepared, and will be submitted to you.
You will, in due course, be asked to pass the supplies necessary for the
purposes of government.

HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,—

As you are aware, the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, Prime Minister and
Minister of Defence, left New Zealand on 18th June last to attend the Defence
Conference in London. That Conference marks an epoch in the history of the
Empire, in that then for the first time the great oversea dependencies were
taken into counsel by the Home Government on the vital subject of Imperial
Defence. It must be eminently gratifying to New Zealand to know that her action
in voluntarily offering to take on her shoulders some share in the great work of
maintaining the security of the Empire has not only been appreciated by all
parties and classes in Great Britain, but has been followed, though on varying
lines, by the other dependencies. The result of the deliberations of the Conference, if given effect to by the Parliaments concerned, will have a wide-reaching effect in strengthening the Empire in all its component parts. Canada
and Australia favour local navies as being more consonant to local national needs,
aspirations, and sentiment. In the case of New Zealand Sir Joseph Ward,
following what he believed to be best for her interests and most in accord
with the sentiments of her people and Parliament, preferred the policy of
strengthening the Imperial navy, with provision for a section of one of the chief
fleets—the Pacific fleet—keeping in touch with New Zealand.

Although the main purpose of the Conference was naval defence, the
question of land defence was not neglected, and important resolutions on this
subject were agreed to.

Full particulars of what was done at the Conference will be laid before
you, together with such legislative and other proposals as are necessary in
order to give effect to the resolutions arrived at. I feel assured that you will
give them your most careful consideration, and that the result of your
deliberations will be alike honourable to New Zealand and helpful to the
Empire. Legislation effecting important alterations in the internal defence of
the Dominion will also be submitted to you.

During his visit to London Sir Joseph Ward obtained and despatched to
New Zealand £500,000 to carry on public works, and £500,000 for advances to
settlers and workers—£1,000,000 in all—and has made arrangements by which,
with a necessary alteration of the law, moneys required for local bodies and other
public purposes can be obtained. To effect the requisite alterations proposals
will be submitted extending the scope of the Advances to Settlers Department,
and making it the medium for obtaining, in England, moneys for the use of
local public bodies; and also for raising the necessary sums for the purchase of
lands for settlement. The Department’s loan operations will be guaranteed by
the State. Legislation will be submitted with this object for your consideration.

What are known as the Webster land claims, which have been asserted by
the United States Government against the Imperial Government at various
times during the last fifty years, were again revived a short time ago, and, as on
former occasions, the Imperial Government communicated with the Government of New Zealand. My Advisers caused the whole case to be exhaustively
reviewed, and saw no reason to depart from the opinion held by former
Administrations, that the claim had no warrant in either law or equity.

Although no financial liability attaches to New Zealand (the transactions
having occurred before responsible government was established here), my
Advisers considered it their duty to co-operate with the Imperial Government
in dealing with the matter. To this end the Prime Minister conferred with the
authorities in London, and subsequently with the British Ambassador to the
United States, at Montreal. As a result, it is probable that certain legal
questions will be submitted to a special tribunal, and there is little doubt but
that this course will finally dispose of the whole matter.

Inset—Speech.