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ग्र

FIRST DAY.

Thursday, 24th June 1897.

PRESENT:

The Right Honourable JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P., in the Chair. The Right Honourable The EARL OF SELBORNE, Parliamentary Under.

Secretary of State for the Colonies.

MR. EDWARD WINGFIELD, C.B., Permanent Under Secretary of State for

the Colonies.

SIR JOHN BRAMSTON, K.C.M.G., C.B., First Assistant Under Secretary of

State for the Colonies.

PREMIERS:

The Right Honourable SIR WILFRID LAURIER, G.C.M.G., Q.C., Canada. The Right Honourable G. H. REID, New South Wales.

The Right Honourable SIR GEORGE TURNER, K.C.M.G., Victoria.

The Right Honourable RICHARD JOHN SEDDON, New Zealand.

The Right Honourable SIR HUGH MUIR NELSON, K.C.M.G., Queensland.

The Right Honourable SIR GORDON SPRIGG, K.C.M.G., Cape.

The Right Honourable C. C. KINGSTON, Q.C., South Australia.

The Right Honourable SIR WILLIAM V. WHITEWAY, K.C.M.G., Q.C.,

Newfoundland.

The Right Honourable SIR E. N. C. BRADDON, K.C.M.G., Tasmania. The Right Honourable SIR JOHN FORREST, K.C.M.G., F.R.G.S., Western

Australia.

The Right Honourable HARRY ESCOMBE, Q.C., Natal

MR. JOHN ANDERSON (Secretary).

Private Secretaries to MR. CHAMBERLAIN :

MR. H. F. WILSON, LORD AMPTHILL, The Honourable T. H. COCHRANE, M.P.,

and MR. H. J. READ.

The Secretary of State.] I have made arrangements for a full shorthand report of all our proceedings, which will be confidential, unless we otherwise desire, but copies, of course, will be furnished to every gentleman for refer- ence, and possibly later on, if we come to any conclusions, we may consider further whether it is desirable or not that any public statement should be made. In the meantime, until we come to a united conclusion upon the subject, the proceedings will be treated as absolutely confidential.

I desire at the outset of these proceedings to offer to you, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, a hearty and cordial welcome. You will have seen in your short visit to this country that all parties, and all classes, are animated by the most affectionate feelings of regard towards our Colonial fellow subjects. I think that you may also feel that the main object of your visit has already been to a great extent accomplished.

The great pageant to which you contributed so interesting a feature has shown to this country, to the Colonies, and to all the world, the strength, the power1 the resources, and the loyalty of the British Empire. It was, think we shall all agree, a most remarkable and absolutely unparalleled demonstration of per- sonal loyalty to a Sovereign and of the essential unity of the Empire.

Her Majesty's Government, while very anxious to take this opportunity of an interchange of views with you on many matters of common interest, have carefully avoided suggesting anything in the nature of a formal Conference. We do so, in the first place because we do not wish to detract in any way from the personal character of this visit, and also because we do not desire A

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

PEPEC.O. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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