BANQUETS AND SPEECHES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7821, 14 June 1909, Page 2

BANQUETS AND SPEECHES.

LONDON, June; 12. The Earl of Crewe presided at the 1 Ministers' banquet at Grafton Galleries. . ;Lor<ls Alrerstofle, StrathednaX; and Northcote, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London andrihany leadirtgi men were present. Mr Asqulth, in proposing the toast of "The Guests/ , referred t<s the duty of the vpres^to promote the highest forms and worthiest purposes of the spirit of Imperial, unity. The Press was the^qnly authentic mirror of public opinion and the most trustworthy auxiliary of. every good Government Nothing Had been more'noteworthy in the speeches; .last week than- thaf statesmen of all-parties spoke-with an identity of sense, almost of expression, upon matters of Imperial concern.- . v '':'\£\.- .' \ Mr Cunningham (Melbourne) responded. He' thanked Ministers-.for the magnificent entertainment, snd.the many marks of consideration.' >:The' delegates claimed no credit for:tlie;surprising results of the Conference at Home and abroad. These were'.:due; to those statesmen who proclaimed wita a 1 united voice the aspirations of the dominions of the Empire. It was the.;more? noticeable because the heads ,of.;; both political parties agreed upon the greatest of Imperial problems. The timejhad gone when v the people overseas' ■ were expected to announce their loyally//to Britain. To-day there was a reciprocal loyalty in every part of- the In the development of the Imperial idea they must proceed slowly.£i;The remote parts would not be hastejied. The idea would have to-grow,j"iaiiia s it was growing.' The wisest statesmen would guide the barque to th^jceijtre of the stream and not: forced it;-t)ver rapids. Toung countries, like; young" men, thought not as their elders.;; -They asked that their spirit of independence might be treated patiently. Theresas still a lingering feeling in:-Australia that Britain desired to control Australia's destinies. It was », legacy from stormy times and was gradually'^disappearing. Lord Rosebery had told the delegates in one of the'^greatest speeches ever heard that .there \ was .a hush over Europe betokening a\: possible cataclysm. Since then there 'Uiad been a cry'of a united peoples-uttering one'word, "Empire." .' v ; . \ s Mr George Fenwick (Dunedin) also responded. He said that he had .come to. England expecting that the' All. Red cable would be the principal subject of the deliberations of the Conference,; but it had given place to the greater question, of unity and defence of the .Empire. All the delegates had been-struck by the earnestness of leading statesmen or* that question. It was beihg>declared on the Continent that :th.e ence speeches, savoured of panui v Cpula any one present imagine' such, availing? The speeches, were the logical; outcome of the devotion of the statesmeh. who had been considering Imperial -problems for years. The Conference;was animated not by panic, or eveii^alarm, but by quiet.resoluteness. The :tmity of the Empire was beyond discussion:? The Home Government was in aepprd^with the dependencies, and all knewiVthat there was no.chance of severance^-i