IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) C^ %^, (P., fe Ua ■^ Lea)?uewa8 formed to promote. Rev. P. Partridse. D. D., seconded the resolution. lie said: If I had taken alarm at the threats of a certain portion of the press of this city, I should not have had the honor of seconding this resolution to-night. But part of tbe reason why I waa glad to be here, is that I might proclaim my entire reprobation of the endeavor which bas been rcade to stamp this na^fn'fioent cause with the seal ( f party. If thiiTe is one thing more tlian ano'her which rotards the progress of tho Dominion to which we belon^f, it is the virulence, the narrow miudednesc, the scurrilousness, the determination to impute bad motives, which characterizes the party press. Why should it be necessary bo cover with abase one who differs from you? Why should it be a tenet of legitimate pohtical warfare to deny all prescience, all political foresiecht, all intel- isctual ability, all common honesty, to those who are on the opposite side of what af terall ift an open qnestioL? I came to this country, Mr. oViairman, twenty years ago, an Eng- lishman! Brought up in the straifcest sect of copservatisra. I am free to oonfet's, that since 1 have been in this country, I have learned many things undreamt of before. I have learneid that Britain has colonieii. I have learned that British colonies have produced soatesmbu of tho highert order. I have learned that responsible government 18 safaly to be entrusted to every portion of this vast empire. I have learned that outside of Great Britain is a Greater Britain, the hearts of whose sons and daughlnrt, if they are only allowed to do so, throb with love to- their mother, and who regard tbe unity and stability of the empire as tbe highest aim of siateamanship. There are troubles in existence. There are strifes and divisions; but God rules. Above the malevolence of party strife, above the contention of creeds and races; infinitely above the smallnesn of crotchety individuals; truth and righteous- ness and justice abide and shall stand for- ever! Therefore, I, aa a clergyman.rejoice to be present, I am honored in being asked to contribute to the forward motion of this great idea. I rt-fuse to be included by anonymous writers in the ranKs of thosje who would "stain their skirts with larty war- niPEHIAL FEDERATION. fare." I have voted bh I bftve f alt. Where there 18 iitatesnnaDlike fttip of paasine: events, where there is bnldneee and adaptiveness to the times; where there is fearless disret^ard of pettiy coudequcnoep; where tberp is the patriotic aod broad sentitnent which has led England Bhrough many a dirficulty; there am 7. And I do not hesitate to 'ixy, that where these thinffa are, whatever loe the name which the world accepts; whatever be the color or b-tdges which diHtinfrnishes; there shall my inflvience help. I refuse therefore to be ticketed; to be accused of party manoeuvring; I am here »h a citizen of Halifax; as an adopted son of Nova Scotia; as a subject of an empire on which the sun never seta. Where love of cijuntry and homo bears rule; where duty to humanicy is the foremost bhouKht; where opportjuuities and {)owerp, and historical iinpeta«i drive, there et us tend; there let us lose purty; theri let the best minds oi ail shades concentrate. The federation of this vaaf. empire is a grand thought. Even those whose narrow-minded Helfishnesy and party spirit lead them to oppoHO, must admire ib. Britain is an empire now such; as the world have never seen. Alexander's dream was a great one. When be accomplished it on a very restricted field he died, and his kingdom v/ah divided be- tween four, who could not hold it. Napoleon also strove for Univevsal dominion and lost it at Waterloo, But Britain's queen reigns over portions of all quarters of the habitaole globe. There is no part of the earth over which the flag of the *ree doea not fiy. And the tendency of the age ia to draw all the parts of her vast empire tatretber. The empire ia already federated in realioy. When a tew years asro the Russian guns thundered at the gates of Constantinople, ard one day's march would have pained them admittance, never more to retire, what diove them back from the goal of their ambition? The hand of a trembling old man, tottering with years, but of terrorlese instinct*', which sent the Bri ish fleet up th^ Dardanelles, and brought tha Indian thoue- aud-j to 6pht their mother's battle! When !Phigland af^ain needed a belpini; hand and the scorching ijandB of East Africa were slaying her Boldinrs, what brought the Australian contingent across the ocean but the love of mother England? What took Canadian Voyageurs up the Nilsj but the desire to participate in the enterprise of the British flag, whiub ever waves over t lie op piHBsed and downtrodden. It is too late to oppose Imperial IVderation. The sound of it ia in the air. The mighty proposal has been launched and will yet ride the surging 8oa«. What the canso needs ia a letter. Let him be raised ujp.aud take the tide at the flood, and it shall bear him on to victory. Britain baa now an empire such as the world has never seen. She rules the waves and guides the de'ttinies of by far the greater portion of the world. Federate her vast possesBions, gather her obildreu under one one dag; concentrate her nnlKJunned wealth, influtnce, mind, reli^on, civitizing power; and you have the fulhllment of the dream of toe ageii past; and the embodimenti of the Incarnation. There are thosa who would annex, for small and selfish reasons, for pelf and tnt gold, this country to tho ITnitea States. (Jranted, what 1 for one do not believe, that their petty politic* prevail. Then we shall have the pleasure, by and by, of swiu^nng along the United States as w>ll in the gl^rioau triumph which wiil attend the Britinh em- pire. For to the Englia!^ speakmg race belongs the dominion and evaugelizftbion of tho world. Every thing points to that. To that let the citizens oi Halifax contribute their little part. To that let the vast resources of the British empire conc-intrate their power. To that great end, fraught with the blessicgs of civilization and religion. Jet the high endeavours and the earaest prayers, of her p^',ople and language, asa-.nd to the Almighty arbiter of nations! His Grace Archbishop O'Brien. The second resolution was moved by His Grace Archbishop O'Brien: That this meeting, while reaffirming, aa a cardinal principle of Imperial Feder- ation that the control of liOcal Parlia- merits o%-er local affairs shall rRmain wholly untouched and as unrestricted as it now is, nevertheless is of opinion that the time ia at hand when a federation of tho whole Empire must be formed in such a manner as to combine the resources of the whole i!o> tho maintenance of common In- terests and an organized defonco of common rights. Hia Grace said: The resolution expresses a cardi'ial principle of the federation league, and embodied its hopes and aspirations. For the grand aim and end of the federation league is to unite in bonda of amity, under conditions w hich may be mutually advantage or.B, the various lands which now constitute so many disjointed members of thu British empire. These are now like tho dry and scattered bones of the prophet's vision; but even as those bones came together and fell into place at the word of a superior power, even so do we hope to see] each little isle, each distant province, each colony and state of this empire come together and knitted into one grand whole in which individuality will not be swallowed up in union, but unity secured and perfected by the guaranteed autonomy of each unit. This is our aim and end. In order to dear away the cloud of apprehension and suapicion that, consciously, or unconsciouBly for party purposes has been cast over this movement, permit me, eir, t« make a few explanatioua. It ia a first prin~- ciple of the leagu,e and is e::pr eased in the resolution that no encroachment la to be made on local governing power. No mem- ber of any branch in Canada, or Austraiia, would tolerate the auggeitioo that we should surrender by one jot or tiDtle our right of welf-govgrnrnpnt. No gir; i^hat our lathers won wa will aaorodly defend. The old colonial days have passed away, forever; their :i-k upon the British Islefi as compniing the whole Britannic JBmpirp; and by reason of the very narrow- ness of their view they bad deceived them- Melves into believint; that the problem of looal self nfovernment in their own kingdom concerned the unity or the dismemberment of the British Empire. When tboy take a broader view, they see that the real unity of the empire u a more momentous issue, and that the problem of Imperial Federa tiou involves the question of home rule inaemnch ai its advocates assert as the cardinal principle of tb :^fi movement that the control of local parliaments ovfit local affairs shall remain wholly untouched and un-< restricted. The time is at hand when Cireat Britain must decide whether she will confer upon the tiubjocts of the crown througdout the empire au the rights, and privileges, with all the responsibilities of British citi/enship; and when the colonies must decide whether they will accept these responsibilities and assist in working out the lo'iperial destiny of the Britisn race. English statesmen had profited from the mistake of Grenville and Lord North, when they had refused the rights of citizenship to the New England Stales and had provoked them into working out their own Eohtical destiny on independent lines, n England the Mea of Imperial Federation had received the andorsation of leading statesmen of both parties, and wa^ now pressing rL.pidly to its own solutioo- Bnt it was urged that no practical scheme had been proposed! No formal constitution could at once be formulated. The constitu- tion of England was of organic growth. It bad at firet been a regal rulei then governed by an anstoornoy and now by tho democraojr. The problem wa«i to excend this democracy fo that for Imperial affairs it shall include not only the British I^il^js but the twelve millions of British subjects h. Cacsda. Australia.Suuth Africa and the West Indies. British statesmen had sobbed more difficult pvobtema in ooostituldoaal goveromant. He did not admit that the Britiih mind had become no enfeebled that it was now unecpial to the task proposed, lint it was urged that CanndtanH shuuld remair inactive, and the i>roblem of their pclicical de'itiny would reach its own solution. Bat what the vital energy of the plant was to itc organic growth.sothe will and determination of the piiblio mind wa4 to biie development of its poiitical destiny. The advocates of Imperial Federation were oonvincod that the Im[)orial unity of the Empire would prove nioHt ad vautugeDUi to the Lritish race. They did not know what pon.iibilitie« might novr be quickening into life in the womb of the future. They were educating public senti- ment. Two pieces of steel when cold or merely warm could not be welded together, bat raise thorn to the white heat and they become permanently united at one stroke of the hammer. One great evK„ , in the history of Germany had in a few inontba effected the union of its desevered dominions and principiilities. Let the United States, for instaucH refuse to ratify the fishery treaty which their own executive have negoiiatea, let them instead put in force the retaliatory measure and cul off all Cauadian commerce, and one such sinf^le act would raise senti- ment in KD£{land and Canada to the white heat, and in a few months perhaps effect their close and permanent federation. In his Jubilee ode Tennyson had voiced the aspira- tion of the people of the niother country; "Sharers of onr glorious past, QrotliTfl, must wo part at last? Shal' not we thro' Kood and ill • leavo to one another stilll Britain's myriad voices call, 'Sons, be w«?ldod, each and all, Into one Imperial whole- One with Britaiu heart and soul! One life, one flag, one fleet, one Thronel'" Australasia was reechoing the renly "we will!" From" Toronto, Ottawa and from Halifax Canadians were sendini; back the same answer. Giye them the full rights and privileges of British citizenship, and they will unite to consolidate their common P^mpire. Germany had already furnished them an illustrious example. Its desevered principalities and dominions had become uriified: they had a controlling voice in Hvvaying the destines of Kuiope. At the February meeting of the Reichstag, Bis- marck had vuiceu the national aspiration of the German people when he said "we Germans fear God but none else." A still greater destiny in promoting the civilization and in raaintaining the peace of the civili/ed world was open to the British people if they resolutely worked out the problem of Irn* periai Federation. Stipendiary Motton said the idea of Imperial Federation, as expressed in the resolution, raight well tiballeuge the euthusiaatio and unqualified support of the meeting, composed of the loyal oitizena of Halifax. It need not be a matter of enr prise that the di>» cossion of ttiis subject weald nnoes* sarily provoke opposition and en> connter boaldle oritioiam by some who where .uninfonned on the subjeot and by HfPBRlAI, FUDERATIOK others who preferrnd dinntegration to im]«t- jkoion. But the opi)Of)ition which a«eai1)Hl the motiveii of the promoters of the scheme, was oppoxition timt wan perfectly harmlMaK and one which it would be a waste of time to ROH^ver. Iff would he a very jfreat noiHfortuna bowevtir, if the initial Btagoa uf thin a^tatiou met DO oppoiiition whatever— it would prertave ahsolnta failure. As a loyal i'ritiiah Bubjecl he did not desire to ahrink from the reeponaibility of endorsicf? the aentimeuU of the rpaoluticm. The Colonial Empire ia aeeking consnhdatioL— to become an inteK^al portion of the realm of England— that will draw towards t)he mother country in cloaer ftllowship and union the hehrta of milliona predisposed to loyalty and aJlecion. We invite that opposi- tion which will oppose Federation on itrf ini^rits — wn accord to all ♦■hp un- restnoted righto and opportunity of pnblio diRCUHaioa without impugning motives. The objects of the league are the permanent unity of the Empire. Tiiaii no in by tho late Hon* Joseph tlowe on the old flag: "Beneath It the emblems they ohovlshed are waving— Tho Hone of Old England the roadside per' fumca; Tho KhHnirook and Thistle the north wiadt are braving. Securely tho Mayflower bluuhes and blooms." And speaking of England: "Every flaHhot her gonius our pathway en- lightens— Every lioM she explores we arc beckoned to treat: Each IhuuI oho gathers our fnturo day brightens— We Joy with her living, and mourn for hor dead " W. O. Silver in supporting the resolution remarked that enough had been aaid about tlie principles of ooudolidating the British Empire. Aftet moving the resolution the speaker went On bo deal with the objections thkt had boen put forward to the scheme of Imperial Federa- tion. The idea of persons refusing bo sup* port such a sohemo because the means of cfifecting it were not at the present moment perfectly transparent, was too absurd to notice. The tiiue had come when every British subject should have a voice in the affairs of the British Empire. Heattrihuted the present condition of trade between England and the Oolonies to the fault of the English people '^hfmselvea. He dwelt at some length on the tariff, and also d«'alt with the objeqtions to Imperial Federation on the jfround of European complications and ox- ^>eB8ive wars, and the objection of tho Monetary Times thf»t it would be imprudenfc now after governing ourselves for so long a period to hand the govern men b of the Oolonies over to tho British. He com- mented on tiie trade relations, and said that the growing trading capacity i.f the Colonies rtquired an actuation in the relationship of the Oolonies an; i mother country. Ho con- sidered it a good omen oo see the ladies present aa their emiles gener»lly augured bucoess to anythieg upon which they bo- fitowed ihem. Ho moved the following re- solution: That thia meeting, in view of t)ie bene- ficial beneflts which have followed from tho Colonial Conforer.ce, which was iron- voued at London lant year, heartily ap- proves the recert action of the Executive of tho Halifax Branch of tho League in me- morialiiting llis Excellency the Mar- quis of Lanadowne. on tho eve of hia departure from Canada, desiring him to Invite the govomreonts of the seve- ral colonioB to join in constitutinK a con- ference to devise meaHures for the develop- ment of iocipTocAl trade between the colonies under their rule, and of all with tho mother countr.v. and to dJscms suob other j;roposal8, which may be made, aa will tend to codboU- date the common IntercstB of the empire. wm IMPEUIAL FEDERATION. .jrrrz:: 3s:rrr=-r-:r.c;: John F,. Stairs, in Beoonding the reflolution, Maid Innt>erial Federation wan the grandonb isatle that had y»% btH»D brouRht forward to be Hsttl^d by public uiiiniun. He beliuv«d that the uniting of the ooIonieM into unn Kraud etniiiru would be inNtruinoutal in tnaklng trado blotter, far more 80 than to have unreHOricttd rt otprocity. We wonhl find a ready nale for everything of Canadian production in the markets of England, which would require more from Canada than the United i^tates would, l^eople imagined that by having commerciiil union with the Uuitea States, trade in Nova Scotia would be more extenHive, but if this great measure were adopted the results to flow from it would prove both lucrative and benefioiai. It IN Eu^-'andV fault that the colonies do not trade more with the mother country than they do at present. It was the fault of hpr governments and (her statesmen. England ref^ards all EnKli^h colonien as foreign states, and Imperial Federation will provide for a tariff rrfurm on the ptrk of Great Britain whereby the products of this grand Dominion of ours wil'. oc receivod into Bngli^ih markets with a much lower tuJTif! than th« produots of foreign countries will be received. The (jucHtiou of Impprial federation wan an important one and aa soon as the Bchome camn intrj effect the country at large would grow tji^odperous and it would be the grandest thing that ever happened for Canada. O.'jF.Fraaer said he intended to speak not less tl>-\a 1^ hours, but after ht^ckiMiig all that had een said and oonsidoring the patience t the audience and the labeueKs of the hour, he would Hpeak just one and a half minutes. There were clearly only two courses open to Canada, viz., annexation and Imperial Federation. The first was nob believed m, and many objections could be urged against it. Annexation being objectionable, Im- perial J^'ederation was tho only and best course.