BONDS OF EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1999, 5 March 1914, Page 5

BONDS OF EMPIRE.

CAN BRITAIN LEARN FROM HER DOMINIONS.' SOME IMPERIAL SPEECHES. ..-.' ■'(■.■■■ By Telosrapn-Press ABSociatlon-Oopyrhjht .London, March' 3. Mr. Lewis Harcouit, Secretary of State for the Colonies, presided at the Juricheon given at the House of Com.."uion's by the Empire Parliamentary Associat'on to Mr. Denham (Premier of Queensland), and Mr. A. M. Myers (exNew Zealand. Minister #of Defence). Among those 'present wore the Duke of : Argyll, 1 Viscount Bryco, Lord Plunkot (ex-Governor ,of New Zealand), Sir 'f. ■ B. Robinson (Agent-General for Queensland), and niany members of tho House , of Commons and their wives. Lord Emmott (Under-Secretary . of State for the Colonies, and who was chairman of. tho Empire Parliamentary -, Party during its tour of tho Dominions), • •','ll. proposing, the chief toast,' "Our ; Guests," paid a tribute to Australia's " mid Now Zealand's rccoptjon of / the . British M.P.'s. He said the ' social : legislation of Australasia was deeply interesting", and was inspired by a desiro to benefit the .millions rathor than the millionaires. .Mr. Denham, in responding ,to the . toast, advocated' tliat the State ments -should .bo incorporated, in .the, Parliamentary Association on tho same terms as that of the Commonwealth. Britons, ho urged, often forgot that the States had sbyeroigu, rights. Mr. .Myers, in the course of his: reply, detailed, the reproductive character of tho New Zealand debt, referred to the ■;- popularity of the defence system, and explained the tendencies towards,social legislation. . , -Tho Duko.of Argyll'said the Motherland should take hints from the Dominions' experience. "The Dominions, .in many aspects of democracy, are older than ourselves-, and have given us a lead , in tho making of patriotic sacrifices on behalf of dofence."