At the conference at Birmingham of the National Union of Conservative Associations in November last, attended by a large number of Members of Parliament, the following resolution was carried by a large majority:

That the principle advocated by the United Empire Trade League, favouring the extension of commerce upon a preferential basis throughout all parts of the British Empire, will be of the highest collective and individual advantage; and, further, that the provision of any treaties imposing limitations upon the full development of trade between the United Kingdom and other parts of the British Empire should be abrogated; and this conference expresses the earliest expectation that Her Majesty's Government will see their way clear before the next election campaign to make some decisive declaration of their intention to endeavour to promote mutually favouring customs arrangements between the colonies and the home country.

The charge has been made against this policy that it is an abandonment of Free Trade principles, but Lord Salisbury has made an authoritative declaration that preferential fiscal arrangements within the Empire do not involve the principle of protection. It has also been objected that there is no evidence that the colonies would support such a policy. The enthusiasm with which Colonel Howard Vincent was received throughout Canada is conclusive as regards that country. The action taken by all the Agents-General in their appeal to Her Majesty's Government to abrogate the clauses preventing preferential arrangements in those two treaties leaves no reason to doubt the feeling of the

Australasian colonies. The present moment is not favourable for the discussion of this question. But, after the impending struggle which now absorbs attention here is over, whatever may be the issue, the importance of this subject will force itself upon the public mind irrespective of party, with the result, I trust, of consolidating the strength and increasing the prosperity of this great Empire.

CHAPTER XV

THE POLITICAL PARTIES OF CANADA

THE following report of a speech delivered at the United Empire Club on September 21, 1911, embodies my views on the position and progress of Canadian political parties, and incidentally on the progress of the Dominion itself. The Duke of Marlborough, who presided at the meeting, made some interesting personal allusions in his introductory speech. He recalled how, as a boy, he first saw me at the house of his relative, Lord Lansdowne. "I was told when I entered the room that I should see one of the greatest-if not the greatest-of Canadians; and someone whispered, 'Please remember, the gentleman you will see was born the very year the great Napoleon died.' I confess, sir, that when I, a little boy, saw you, I was deeply impressed by your kindness; I was somewhat awed by your presence, and I marvelled at your versatility. Many years have passed, but I doubt whether our guest has grown any older in spirit, despite the burdens he has carried in the last thirty years."

Incidentally the duke mentioned that his knowledge of Canadian railways was confined to the Grand Trunk, though he spoke with enthusiasm of the "granaries of the Empire" which the Canadian Pacific Railway had brought into being. He