THE COLONIAL PREMIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11999, 23 June 1902, Page 5

THE COLONIAL PREMIERS.

SPEECH BY MR. BARTON.

THE WAR AND THE EMPIRE.

COLONIAL NATIONHOOD

By Telegraph.—Pre?!-: Association.—

(Received June 22. 4.50 p.m.)

& London. June 21. The South African Association gave a dinner to the colonial Premiers at the Trocadero last night. Lord Windsor presided.

Mr. Barton, Federal Premier of Australia, in responding to the toast of "The Guests." said the Empire had traversed a time of great trial and torturing suspense. It was worth while giving a good deal to have the war brought to an end hefore the King was crowned. The terms of peace were, he considered, chivalrous and such as no other nation, after such a struggle, could have given. Still, it was not too costly, because besides buying peace they had gained the goodwill of the conquered. He believed that all who had assisted the Empire to the best of their ability, Canadians and Australians and the heroic sons of South Africa, would say, "We fought a magnificently brave foe, fighting according to his lights a conscientious fight and deserving of the treatment now meted out to him and which he may be expected to appreciate."

As regards the suspension of the Caps Constitution, he would only say, without attempting to trench on domestic concerns, that a colony having once free institutions given to its people, their suspension, even for a day, was a dangerous experiment, and should only be undertaken when no other course had any chance of succeeding.

Referring to the Colonial Conference, he said : " Whether a distinct agreement results or not the federation of the Empire depends on a relationship besides blood, an absolute affection as a brotherhood of nations, a union which without parchment and without formality must last for ever. I and my Australian colleagues, though so British, do not object to the term nationhood being applied' to Australia. I revel in that term. I believe in the Canadian nation and the Australian and South African nations. The strength of the Empire is in the brotherhood of nations of the same stock. . When you hear the Commonwealth somewhat criticised on account of some of her legislation I ask you to remember that one of the ' strongest feelings we have there is that we mean to maintain that continent as far as possible for British blood. (Cheers.) If my friend Mr. Seddon were here he would be unable to express more heartily than myself the belief that, whether we live in Australia, or South Africa, or elsewhere, the war has supplied unwritten arguments making the continuity of the Empire an indestructible fact."