6i 



been most happily chosen in this Imperial Institute, and 

 I think your President has been most happily chosen in 

 the person of Professor Dunstan. I am quite sure that 

 you have all of you listened to his address this morning 

 with the greatest possible interest. I do not know, 

 gentlemen, whether I ought to condole with or con- 

 gratulate you on the fact that you are opening your 

 Congress this morning at a time of unusual political 

 interest in this country. It is by accident rather than 

 design that that has happened, but I refer to it at this 

 moment for this purpose. I am afraid that the political 

 engagements of many of us who are members of one 

 or other House of Parliament are such at the present 

 moment that we shall not be able ourselves to attend 

 some of the meetings of this Congress that we should 

 have liked to attend. For myself, greatly to my regret, 

 I shall be unable to be at the Congress this afternoon, 

 when the question of cotton is to be dealt with. If any 

 observations of mine are required, I have written out, 

 and they can be read on that occasion, some very short 

 observations dealing with that question. But I want 

 to take this opportunity of apologizing for the fact that 

 I am unable to be present this afternoon on account of 

 the great importance of the proceedings of the House of 

 Lords. 



Now, gentlemen, I will not detain you longer, but 

 will ask you to express your very hearty thanks to 

 Professor Dunstan for the Address with which he has 

 opened our proceedings this morning. 



The resolution was carried unanimously. 



The PRESIDENT : My Lords and Gentlemen I desire 

 to thank you and Sir George Reid and Sir Hugh Clifford 

 for their very generous words, and also to thank Lord 

 Emmott for his kindness in coming here this morning 

 at some inconvenience to represent the Colonial Office 

 at the opening meeting of our Congress, in the unavoid- 

 able absence of the Secretary of State. I can only say 

 it has been a great pleasure, as well as a great honour, 

 to me to have to address such a distinguished assembly 

 as this, and I apologize for having been obliged on 

 account of time to abbreviate my address to some 

 extent. But I hope to have opportunities in the course 

 of the Congress of saying some of the things I have 

 been obliged to leave unsaid this morning. 



