Empire Day Banquet

The guests of honour were His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Connaught, and the Princess Patricia. With them came His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, Mrs. Gibson and Miss Gibson, the Lord Bishop of Toronto, and Col. Lowther, A.D.C. Rarely has Toronto had as distinguished an assembly as that which gathered in the banqueting hall to do honour to the royal guests and celebrate the natal day of Victoria, the Good.

The walls were relieved with bands of blue and white bunting in panelled effects. Behind the royal party at the guest table was a canopy of purple and gold over a background of crimson velvet. Immediately behind the Duke's chair were draped the Royal Standard and the Union Jack. Clusters of Colonial flags at intervals around the room gave an Imperial tone to the decorations.

The King's health was drunk with musical honours, led by Dr. Albert Ham.

A number of telegrams and letters were received from persons who were unable to attend but sent greetings. Among these were Lord Strathcona, Rt. Hon. R. L. Borden, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Hon. Geo. E. Foster, Hon. T. W. Crothers, Hon. W. Nantel, Hon. Robert Rogers, Hon. J. D. Hazen, Sir James P. Whitney, Hon. W. J. Hanna, Hon. Jas. S. Duff, Hon. J. O. Reaume, Premier Gouin (Quebec), and Premier Scott (Saskatchewan). Earl Grey, referring to the dinner held that evening at the Royal Colonial Institute, London, cabled "Banquet great success. I wish a hearty success to your Empire Day banquet."

Mr. F. B. Fetherstonhaugh, K.C., President of the Club, proposed the toast to His Royal Highness.

He said it was an honour and pleasure to couple with his Royal Highness their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Connaught and the Princess Patricia, whose names and graciousness recalled to us Erin, the memory of which must always remain green in the hearts of all those of Irish descent.

Proceeding, Mr. Fetherstonhaugh said:

"His Royal Highness, our Governor-General, is no stranger to the Dominion, having visited this country in 1869, at which time Port Arthur, one of the great ports of Lake Superior, and the gateway to our great Northwest, was founded and called after him, Prince Arthur's Landing.

"Again in 1890, he passed through Canada on his way from India and visited Toronto, the city in which the Queen's birthday, the 24th May, was first celebrated as a national holiday, and which has ever since remained the cradle of imperial thought and action in this broad Dominion.

"All here present know with what distinction His Royal Highness has served in the army of his country, and his progress from Lieutenant to Field Marshal and Commanderin-Chief of the imperial army.

"All here present know how Her Majesty our late: beloved Queen Victoria of revered memory, whose reign was the age in which our Empire sprang into being, valued her son, Prince Arthur, called by her, after another 'great soldier, the Iron Duke, her true friend and adviser.

"All here present know how His Majesty King Ed. ward, the greatest diplomat and peacemaker and the most loved monarch of his time, appreciated the great capacity and statesmanship of his brother, our guest of honour, whom he desired to send to Canada as our Governor-General.

"And all here present now fully understand why His Gracious Majesty King George appreciated his royal father's wish and appointed his uncle. Your Royal Highness, as Governor-General of this fair Dominion.

"I need scarcely say how dearly all Canadians appreciate the spirit and love which inspired our Sovereign to consummate what we have all along wished for, to have a member of the royal family as the representative of the crown in this important part of the Empire, and how we are especially gratified by your appointment, Sir. May happiness in abundance be your lot in this Canada of ours and yours, and be that also of their Royal Highnesses, the Duchess of Connaught and the Princess Patricia, during their sojourn in the land of the maple leaf. You may temporarily have lost family ties and friends in the dear old motherland, and who among us does not understand what this means, but you have gained the hearts of the people of a country wholly and truly loyal and imperial.

"We have here with us to-night ministers of the crown, one of the vice-presidents of the Royal Colonial Institute, and the presidents and other representatives of the principal patriotic bodies of the city, as well as many empire builders, both civil and military, including the British Empire League, the United Empire Loyalists' Association, the Canadian Defence League, the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, the Canadian Club, and Women's Canadian Club, all of whom will join heartily with me in the toast which I now give

"His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught, Governor-General of Canada, Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Connaught and the Princess Patricia."'

After the toast to Their Royal Highnesses had been enthusiastically drunk and before the Duke of Connaught rose to reply, Mr. F. S. Hamer sang "His Majesty the King."

His Royal Highness in rising to reply was greeted with great enthusiasm, all present rising and cheering heartily. He said

"I thank you most warmly for the manner in which you have received my health, and especially, for the kind allusions you have made to the Duchess and to my Daughter.

"Having now, for eight months, had the honour of being his Majesty's representative in this great Dominion, I would like to take this opportunity of telling you how deeply interested I am in all important questions affecting Canada, and how I rejoice at the great prosperity at present existing throughout all portions of this vast country.

"My one wish is to be able to aid in every way in my power, the best interests and the soundest projects in the many spheres of activity throughout the provinces of the Dominion.

"It is my earnest hope and belief that during,, the time of my governor-generalship, this programme will steadily continue, and every advantage will be taken of the great advance in science-which makes many matters possible which would have been despaired of in earlier days.

"I congratulate Canada on the number and good class of emigrants who are coming into this, country, whose presence will greatly aid in developing the great resources with which nature has provided you.

"On this great anniversary, dedicated to the memory of that gracious and glorious Sovereign, under whose reign the British Empire made such vast strides, one's thoughts naturally turn to the significance and meaning which the word 'Empire' has for ourselves.

"Probably never in our time have the thoughts of those who are building it up been so deeply centred on the problems which we have to face.

"For Canada, those problems have the deepest significance from the prominent position she so rightly holds amongst the great self-governing dominions of the Empire.

"May the various races who have built up the Dominion be strong and loyal to themselves, and above all may the unity of Canada be the foremost wish of all its people, and of those who are called on to direct its destinies.

"I feel convinced that, if Canada is true to herself, she will be true to the Empire, of which all Canadians, of whatever station in life, are equal members, and in whose integrity all are equally interested.

"Never let us forget that the British Empire has always been foremost in promoting the liberties of its populations, while at the same time maintaining those traditions which have made its past so glorious.

"I am sure that in no portion of the Empire is there more loyalty and devotion to our Gracious Sovereign than in Canada, and that nowhere in the Empire will there ever be a stronger sense of the duty we owe to the flag under which it is our privilege to live."

"It is the realization of the highest aspirations of an imperialist," said Bishop Sweeny in proposing the toast to 'Canada and a United Empire,' "that on the day which was the birthday of the great and beloved Queen Victoria, we have at our Empire Day banquet a royal guest, her son, the Governor-General of the Dominion, and that we saw him yesterday decorating the monument of his illustrious mother in the Queen's Park.

"Some toasts are like songs without words; they sing themselves in our sentiment, and seem to stand with but few words said in proposing them. I think that this toast, which I have to propose, will allow of a few words in proposing it.

"I will not pause between the first and the last, 'Canada and a United Empire,' but I propose 'Canada, a part of a United Empire.'

"Sir, we think Canada has contributed a large share, in area at least, towards that Empire with a line of 3,900 miles from ocean to ocean, and stretching up 1,400 miles from the international boundary. We do feel that we at least in this have made a very proud contribution indeed for this United Empire.

"We do not at present contribute very largely of population to that Empire, but I will maintain that what we do contribute in our seven and a half millions of population is in the main second to none in loyalty, second to none in thrift, second to none in industry, second to none in patient endurance and constructive skill.

"What shall I say of the ties which bind us to the Empire? There is the tie of loyalty; that is the first and most obvious, loyalty to His Most Gracious MajestyGeorge V. I only mention the principle ties which bind us to this great Empire, the ties of high ideals, of lofty aspirations, of splendid ambitions, that make us feel 'noblesse oblige,' because the Lord God Almighty has given us this splendid heritage.

"I give you Canada, a part of a United Empire,' a nobility of intellect, in which no other nation can meddle, with which no other nation can interfere. I give you 'Canada, a part of a United Empire,' loyal to that United Empire, ready to stand to protect that United Empire, ready to do her part as an offspring of that United Empire, ready to maintain her integrity against all comers."

The toast was drunk with enthusiasm, and while the assemblage remained standing the orchestra played "O Canada" and "The Maple Leaf."

In responding to the toast, Hon. Wallace Nesbitt, K.C., recalled that the celebration of Empire Day by the public schools throughout the Empire only followed on its celebration by the public schools of Toronto.

"This first Empire Day banquet is due," he said, "to a suggestion of the president of the Club that in every city throughout the Empire the anniversary should be so celebrated."

"I want to make the suggestion," said Mr. Nesbitt, "that on Empire Day we have a sort of 'town meetings,' as they call them in the United States-a series of imperial conventions, at which we will discuss not local, but imperial affairs, taking stock of the past and making plans for the future. That will give us a broader view of the problems and duties of Empire."

He paid an eloquent tribute to the memory of Queen Victoria, whose, birthday was a worthy day to be devoted to such a purpose. "When she came to the throne," he said, "faith in kings and queens was on the ware. She revived that faith, when she became the link which bound together a great democratic Empire.

Can we do better than to cherish the day as the public holiday of the Empire, and to devote that day to the furtherance of imperial unity, and ultimately to the federation of the greatest Empire that the world has ever seen."

In enumerating some of the benefits which this would bring about, Mr. Nesbitt said it would eliminate economic unrest. It would bring about an end of constitutional unrest as was evidenced in the fight against the House of Lords and the home rule movement, and it would have the effect of limiting the sphere of national defence.

Turning to the question of imperial defence Mr. Nesbitt referred to what Australia and New Zealand had contributed towards naval defence as an evidence of a desire for national co-operation and imperial unity, and expressed the hope that Canada by the action she would take would strengthen this desire, and influence, South Africa to take her place among the "Dominions beyond the seas" in the defence of the Empire.

Hon. Mr. Justice Riddell in exceptionally happy language proposed the toast to "The Ladies," and Mayor Geary responded wittily and briefly.M