agree with Mr. Merriman—­and I believe Sir Frederick Young does—­that, finding ourselves in South Africa with the Dutch, we must work with them and through them.  I hope the Dutch will allow themselves to be helped in one matter which Sir Frederick Young impressed on President Kruger—­apparently not with great results—­viz., in the matter of railways, and that they will allow railways to pierce the Transvaal.  I am sure he is a man of too much intelligence very much to object to railways.  That policy would be too much like that of the Chinese.  I remember, when I was at the head of a society in London, asking the representative of China to come and listen to a paper in regard to railways through Siam.  He said solemnly—­“Chinese not like railways.”  I said this railway would not go through the Imperial dominions—­that it would only be at a respectful distance.  Again my remarks were interpreted to him, and again, after a long pause, he solemnly replied—­“Chinese don’t like railways near frontier.”  I am sure President Kruger will not fritter chances away in that manner, and that he will allow us to help him.

SIR FREDERICK YOUNG, K.C.M.G.:  I feel extremely flattered by the compliment which our noble Chairman has been good enough to pay me.  It was really most gratifying to me to be able to take the interesting and instructive tour from which I have recently returned, and the only difficulty and hesitation I felt as to giving an account of what I saw was that I saw so much that I did not know how I could crowd a tithe of it in the reasonable dimensions of a paper.  I was a little in dread, I confess, when so astute and able a politician as Mr. Merriman rose to make his criticisms; but I wish him to understand, as well as you, that the view I put forward—­perhaps I did not explain myself as clearly as I ought to have done—­was that advocated by Mr. Merriman himself, namely, that South Africa should be allowed to frame her own policy.  That is the sum and substance of what I wished to say on that point.  As the noble Marquis has been so kind as to act as my interpreter, I need not take up more of your time by enlarging on this question.  I have now the greatest possible pleasure in asking you to join with me in thanking the noble Marquis for having, as one of our Vice-Presidents, been so kind as to preside on this occasion.

[Illustration:  Decorative]

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APPENDIX II.

IMPERIAL FEDERATION.

An address on the above interesting subject was delivered by Sir Frederick Young, K.C.M.G., in the Y.M.C.  Association Hall, on Monday, when the room was filled to its utmost capacity.  The chair was taken by the President of the Association, Mr. E.J.  Earp, who, in introducing the lecturer to the audience, said he was a gentleman who was well and favourably known to many colonists, who had received great attention