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A COLONIAL NAVAL RESERVE. valuable as the recognition of a principle, and as an earnest of what our fellow-subjects in the Colonies may some day be prepared to do.

At the last meeting of the Institute at which I was present, when Sir George Clarke read a most valuable paper on Imperial Defence, the discussion which followed turned largely on the relative responsibilities of the mother country and the Colonies in this matter. In the period of growth of her Colonies it seems to me clearly the duty of the mother country to undertake the main burden of defence. In the present circumstances of the Australian Colonies—which, excepting Western Australia, have been passing through a period of severe depression—it is impossible to expect a serious money contribution to the defence of the Empire, and we have no right to expect it until we are prepared to give them a constitutional voice in the control of that expenditure. When the Colonies no longer require such a large proportion of their resources for the development of their territory, we may surely hope that the Colonial taxpayer will be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with the British taxpayer in bearing the common burdens. We have been able to hold our own well up till now against our probable enemies, but the history of the past year must impress every Englishman with the conviction that other countries are growing increasingly jealous of our greatness. Before long the British Empire may have to fight for its very existence. May the struggle be long deferred, but when it does come we shall need all the help our Colonies can give us.

Under present circumstances it is impossible to expect any substantial help in the way of money, but 205