Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/263

 members of the family who live in England could afford to be indifferent to the Colonies."

From his first entry into Parliament H. H. concerned himself with speaking, writing, and working in favour of cheaper communication. In 1887, the First Colonial Conference was held in London, when H. H. proposed Imperial Penny Postage. It is hardly conceivable at this date that so little interest was taken in her Colonies by England thirty years ago: nor is it believable that an Agent-General should speak in the words used by Sir Saul Samuel on that occasion:

"There has never been any demand by the Colonies for any reduction of postage from 6d. to 1d. If the Colonies do not complain, and if the Colonies do not want this reduction, is it to be given simply because some people in England agitate for it without any good reason?

"Further, we have to bear in mind that half the population of New South Wales consists of people born in the Colony, who have scarcely any reason for communicating at all with the mother country, and I believe that this will be found to apply to several of the other Colonies. A large number of people who go out from England very soon lose touch with the mother country, so far as correspondence goes, and it is not likely there would be any large increase in the number of letters."

It is hardly necessary to add that no action was taken as the outcome of the conference. More than ten years later, at a conference in 1898, imperial penny postage was carried by seven votes to five, the five opponents being Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, and New Zealand.

This was a disappointment severely felt by H. H.,