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AUSTRALIA AND THE EMPIRE

golden opinions from English statesmen as one of the Victorian delegates at the Colonial Conference held at Downing Street last year), in praise of the extraordinary man who had brought us "Peace with Honour," was worthy of a great occasion. With thorough personal conviction, and that power of restrained enthusiasm so effective with an Australian as well as with an English audience, Mr. Service impressed upon that huge Melbourne meeting that it was entirely "through the energy, the judgment, the resolution, and the still strong power manifested by Lord Beaconsfield that we have secured for ourselves the blessings of peace, and that we have secured those blessings without an imputation upon the honour of England." It is not necessary to dwell on the rest of the proceedings further than to say that the oratory of the lesser lights was equally enthusiastic; but it is worthy of special note that by far the most able and eloquent of Mr. Service's supporters on this occasion was Mr. David Gaunson, who was then the leading young Native Victorian politician. Mr. Gaunson fairly aroused the enthusiasm of that monster colonial gathering by what used to be nick-named in England "Jingoism." The meeting unanimously decided that the