that we are not at present quite ready for what must sooner or later come-federation—and that in the meantime we should adopt some makeshift. That makeshift would, no doubt, fulfil its object for the time, but I quite agree with Mr. de Labilliere and Sir Frederick Young that in the end we must come to federation. In the meantime the point of defence is a very important one, and in reference to what fell from Sir Lintorn Simmons I would remind you that the Carnarvon Commission sat some twelve years ago, and that since then nearly the whole of its recommendations have been carried out. In all the great trade routes that run throughout the world, which were divided by the Royal Commission into seven groups, we have established coaling stations-places to which our ships can go in time of need and replenish themselves with coal, and places, of course, which are defended. Here I would like to point out that the Colonies have met the Government in the most friendly way. So far from not bearing their share of the cost, they have borne their share very fairly. For instance, take the trade route from England to the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and Ceylon. Besides the Imperial fortresses of Gibraltar and Malta, there is Aden, which is strongly fortified at the joint expense of the Imperial and Indian Governments. At Ceylon there are two ports, Trincomalee and Colombo. Trincomalee is an Imperial port, acquired expressly for the Navy, and is defended at Imperial expense entirely; but at Colombo there are great trade interests, and the people of Ceylon have met the Government by paying for all the works and defences, the Imperial Government finding the armament. At Hong Kong, at Singapore. at Mauritius, and at Table Bay the same thing has happened; while the Australian Colonies have come well to the front, for, in addition to fortifying and arming the harbours of Sydney and Melbourne, they have also fortified the coaling stations of Thursday Island and King George's Sound, the Home Government finding the armament. New Zealand also has converted, at the expense of the Colony, the harbours of Wellington, Auckland, Otago, and Lyttelton into defended ports. So that, looking round the world, we find on the main trade routes protected ports to which our ships can resort, whereas twelve years ago, as Sir Lintorn Simmons has told you, things were in a "rotten" state. That is a great step in advance. But there is another point. Sir Lintorn Simmons referred to the want of touch between the War Department and the Admiralty. I think that there we are improving. No doubt a Minister of Defence, who would take a general supervision of the whole defence of the country, would be a great advantage; but in the meantime

we are approximating to that end, for there now exists an official committee, composed of the principal officers of the Admiralty and the War Office, which meets from time to time to discuss important questions of Imperial defence, and lays down the general principles that govern such questions.

Mr. H. F. WYATT: If, as has been urged to-night federation is a matter of vital concern to the Empire, the question arises, What steps can be taken to form public opinion on the subject? For there can be no hope of the formation of any representative assembly until that elementary condition is attained. Though the Imperial Federation League has ceased to exist, the cause is not dead, and an effort is now being made to form groups of individual workers who will take in hand the large towns of England and the Colonies. In London an attempt is now being made on a small scale to form such a group. It is an effort with which I am associated in a humble way, and is being carried on in conjunction with a man whose name will be familiar to you-Mr. Parkin. We hope in the next two or three months to get into connection with a large number of workmen's clubs and other institutions, and such inquiry as I have been able to make has convinced me that the field for exertion in that direction is almost boundless, and that the members of those institutions are capable of being moved by appeals not merely to self-interest but to sentiment. Such a movement would, moreover, have the indirect advantage of furnishing the British workman with other ideas than those which are preached by street Socialists. I ask your support to the movement, not only here, but throughout the Colonies.

Field-Marshal Sir J. LINTORN SIMMONS: I rise to say one word in consequence of what has fallen from my friend Col. Vetch. In referring to the state of national defence when Lord Carnarvon's Commission was appointed, I stated that, although the condition of things at the time was "rotten," much had been done since. I was aware of what has been done, but did not think it necessary to go into details. Much, however, has been done, as Col. Vetch has told you, not only by the Home Government but by the Colonies, who have contributed considerably towards the defences. Still, notwithstanding the existence of the Committee to which Col. Vetch referred, I maintain that the great question of the defence of the Empire has never been thoroughly considered, and until it has been considered I do not think those defences can be in a proper condition, or that we can expect that assistance from the enlightened population of the Colonies we ought to, and I

believe would get if they were fully at one with us as to the measures which ought to be taken.

The CHAIRMAN: Before bringing the proceedings to a close I rise to ask you to join in giving a cordial vote of thanks to Sir George Chesney for his kindness in coming amongst us this evening and for the able, thoughtful, and suggestive address he has delivered. I said at the outset that the subject selected for the evening appeared to be rather a larger one, but Sir George Chesney has so skilfully handled it that he has brought it within measurable limits at all events for this evening-and he gave a practical direction to the discussion by limiting the questions which he presented for our consideration. The subject of his remarks was virtually limited to the relations of the Mother Country with the great self-governing Colonies, and the object of his remarks was to discover how best the governing powers of the two might be brought together for the common interests and the common defence of all. What he so ably said on the subject-though I was unable personally to agree with all that he said-and what was said by those who succeeded him, to whom also our best acknowledgments are due for the opinions, criticism, and suggestions which they contributed to the discussion-what they all have said on the subject has furnished us with a valuable conception of an important question and with abundant material for our consideration and reflection. In tendering on your behalf to Sir George Chesney our warm acknowledgments for his presence this evening and for the able address he has delivered, I feel I am only fulfilling, however inadequately, your wishes.

Sir GEORGE CHESNEY: The evening has advanced so far that I will not attempt to make use of what I believe is the privilege of the person who has the honour of opening the discussion by replying to the various points which have been raised. There are only two points to which I will refer. Sir John Colomb alluded to the incongruity of one British Prime Minister sitting in a Council with eleven Colonial Prime Ministers. I ought to have said, no doubt, and I believe I intended to say, that before the scheme is carried out we must assume that the federation has been carried out of the Colonial systems of Australia and the Cape, as it has been already for the Dominion of Canada. Granted that has been done, the number of Prime Ministers who would come to the Imperial Council would be materially reduced. One other point. Sir John Colomb has said, "If you abolish the Colonial Office, what is to become of the various

Crown Colonies?"

I answer that I would retain the Colonial Office for the Crown Colonies, and I think the Office would be usefully and adequately employed in that way. With these remarks I beg to thank you for your kind reception of my speech, and to propose a vote of thanks to the Chairman for presiding.

The CHAIRMAN responded, and the proceedings terminated.

188

TWENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

THE Twenty-Sixth Annual General Meeting was held in the Library of the Institute, Northumberland Avenue, on Tuesday, February 27, 1894.

Sir Frederick Young, K.C.M.G., presided.

Amongst those present were the following:

SIR AUGUSTUS J. ADDERLEY, K.C.M.G., SIR JOHN W. AKERMAN, K.C.M.G., MESSRS. J. F. ALDENHOVEN, J. W. ALEXANDER, ROBERT ALLEN, W. ANDREWS, T. ARCHER, C.M.G., CAPT. Wм. ASHBY, REV. J. W. ASHMAN, M.D., MESSRS. A. REID BAIRD, A. BALDWIN, M.P., W. BARRATT, HENRY BEAUCHAMP, J. BEAUMONT, G. BEETHAM, CAPT. J. H. H. BERKELEY, MESSRS. L. H. BLISS, W. W. BONNYN, S. BOURNE, E. BOWLEY, F. R. BRADFORD, THE BISHOP OF BRISBANE, D.D., Dr. A. M. BROWN, MR. S. B. BROWNING, SIR HENRY BULWER, G.C.M.G., MR. J. H. BUTT, REV. H. J. CAMPBELL, MESSRS. E. CHAPMAN, A. F. CHARRINGTON, MAJOR WM. CLARK, MESSRS. HYDE CLARKE, A. CLAYDEN, A. B. COBB, J. COCHRAN, SIR JOHN COLOMB, K.C.M.G., MESSRS. J. A. COOPER, S. H. COTTON, G. CowIE, W. S. Cuff, C. E. CULLEN, GENERAL SIR H. C. B. DAUBENEY, G.C.B., MESSRS. T. HARRISON DAVIS, W. DUDGEON, A. DUTHOIT, FREDERICK DUTTON, LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR J. BEVAN EDWARDS, K.C.M.G., C.B., MESSRS. STANLEY EDWARDS, C. WASHINGTON EVES, C.M.G., SIR W. J. FARRER, MR. J. H. FAWCETT, SIR DOUGLAS GALTON, K.C.B., MESSRS. H. O'H. GILES, J. GIRDWOOD, C. G. GORDON, CARDROSS GRANT, MAJORGENERAL SIR HENRY GREEN, K.C.S.I., C.B., MESSRS. W. S. SEBRIGHT GREEN, W. G. HALES, H. B. HALSWELL, T. J. HANLEY, SIR ROBERT HAMILTON, K.C.B., MR. G. HARDIE, DR. E. A. HARDWICKE, MESSRS. W. H. HEATON, A. A. HERON, REV. A. STYLEMAN HERRING, MR. JUSTICE A. P. HENSMAN, SIR ARTHUR HODGSON, K.C.M.G., MR. GEORGE HUGHES, DR. C. INGLIS, MESSRS. H. J. JOURDAIN, C.M.G., P. KOENIG, H. A. KROHN, SURGEON-MAJOR J. J. LAMPREY, MESSRS. J. LASCELLES, F. G. LLOYD, H. LLOYD, A. H. LORING, SIR HUGH LOW, G.C.M.G., MR. W. A. Low, LIEUT.-GENERAL R. W. LOWRY, C.B., MESSRS. NEVILE LUBBOCK, G. LUMGAIR, J. L. LYELL, G. McCULLOCH, M. MACFIE, A. MACKENZIE MACKAY, G. S. MACKENZIE, JAMES MARTIN, COLONEL R. LEE MATTHEWS, MESSRS. A. MOORE, J. R. Mosse, SIR M. F. OMMANNEY, K.C.M.G., DR. A. ORONHYATEKHA, MR. G. R. PARKIN, MAJOR J. ROPER PARKINGTON, SIR WESTBY PERCEVAL, K.C.M.G., MESSRS. H. A PERKINS, A. RADFORD, C. C. RAWSON, G. H. RHODES, E. ROBINS, CAPT. W. P. ROCHE, MESSRS. B. L. RONALD, F. ROPER, DR. D. P. Ross, C.M.G., MR. E. G. SALMON, SIR SAUL SAMUEL, K.C.M.G., C.B., MESSRS. A. SCLANDERS, R. N. SHIRE, C. SHORT, COMMANDER H. G. SIMPSON, R.N., MESSRS. C. C. SKARRATT, H. G. SLADE, SIR F. VILLENEUVE SMITH, MESSRS. E. STREET, J. STUART, G. H. SYKES, G. J. SYMONS, PROFESSOR H. TANNER, MESSRS. L. W. THRUPP, G. A. TOMKINSON, J. WAGHORN, H. A. WICKHAM, J. P. G. WILLIAMSON, J. WILSON, G. H. C. WRIGHT, J. C. WYLIE, SIR JAMES A. YOUL, K.C.M.G., AND MR. J. S. O'HALLORAN (SECRETARY).

The Secretary read the notice convening the meeting.

The CHAIRMAN: I have now to declare the ballot open for the election of members of the Council, and in doing so I would observe that since the issue of the ballot paper we have, most unfortunately,