Mr. Chamberlain showed his characteristic courage and frankness in the
impromptu speech delivered from the balcony of a hotel on the following evening. Contrasting the in- difference and apathy formerly displayed by England towards her Colonies with the present recognition of her responsi- bilities by the Mother-country, Mr. Chamberlain admonished his audience to be mindful of their duties. The Mother- country was willing and ready to cherish its children so long as they were children, but when they reached manhood she expected them to help themselves. Up to the present she had borne almost the whole of the burden, but now she expected from the Colonies a sense of their obligation. At Pieter- maritzburg on Monday an address was presented by the Mayor which furnished significant evidence of the feeling inspired by Mr. Chamberlain's mission. The Mayor expressed the hope that the present visit would form a precedent for a periodical visit of a like nature by the representa- tive of the Colonies in the Cabinet. The suggestion was received with enthusiasm, and Mr. Chamberlain in replying alluded to the recent Conference of Colonial Premiers as furnishing a striking proof of the importance to the Empire of personal intercourse between statesmen at home and in the Colonies. Mr. Chamberlain, we may add, has in further speeches emphasised the need of harmonious co-operation between the two races.
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