The delegates from the Canadian Manufacturers' Association now visiting England
were entertained at luncheon by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. Mr. Cham- berlain, who was the chief speaker, dwelt on the need of the frankest intercommunication between the Mother-country and the Colonies, whether by Conferences or personal intercourse, as the true basis of that mutual knowledge on which the maintenance of the Empire depended. The Empire, be continued, was made up of sister-States in which the Mother-country, by virtue of her age, by virtue of all she had done in the past, might claim to be the first, but only first amongst equals. The question was, how could those separate States, which had voluntarily accepted one Crown and one flag, but were in all els3 absolutely independent one of the other, be consolidated and brought together in spite of their divergent interests ? The ties of sentiment were very strong, though slender, but they were not enough. Thence Mr. Chamberlain passed easily to his conception of the higher patriotism, thinking Imperially, and the principle underlying Preference,—viz., that we should treat our friends better than our competitors. Ho soncluded by recommending the adoption of the simple motto, "Let us buy of one another."
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