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PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE. as far as their circumstances admitted, give substantial preferential treatment to the products and manufactures of the United Kingdom; and that the Prime Ministers of the Colonies respectfully urge upon His Majesty's Government the expediency of granting to the products and manufactures of the Colonies either exemption from or reduction of duties now levied or hereinafter to be imposed.' In the Dominion House of Commons on April 10th of this year, Mr. Fielding, the well-known Canadian Minister of Finance, said that if the British Government and people did not show any appreciation of the value of the preference, then, so far as the British Government and people were concerned, they could not complain if the Canadians saw fit to modify or change their preferential tariff. Mr. Fielding then went on to speak of the growth of opinion in the United States in favour of reciprocity with Canada, and he said the Canadian Government had actually been approached by an authorised representative of the United States with the view of negotiating a treaty of reciprocity. I think you will realise in the facts I have just mentioned that there is ample justification for the declaration that on the adoption or otherwise of a system of preferential trade with the Colonies largely depends the future unity of the Empire.

During my recent visit to Canada I obtained information of some importance in connection with the controversy. It has been freely asserted by those opposed to the policy of Mr. Chamberlain and Mr. Balfour that the Colonies do not want preferential trade. I can show you that this assertion is not true as regards Canada. First, the proceedings of the great Congress 174