Sir Wilfrid Laurier: I listened with great pleasure, understanding the invitation which has been addressed to me by my friend in the audience. I would readily comply but for one reason. I will give you the reason that I cannot answer that invitation as I would wish.

In the month of January last I was in the city of Washington acting as British Commission to endeavour to settle certain difficulties which we had with our American neighbours. Incidentally, I may say ladies and gentlemen, that even in the best of family’s little quarrels sometimes occur and it so happens that at this moment there are not what I would call a quarrel, but a number of difficulties, among them being the Alaskan boundary question.

While endeavouring to settle these differences in Washington, I attended a demonstration very much of the character of the current one. I heard one of the Justices of the Supreme Court state that the American system of government was superior to all other systems because it was a government by law. Let me say that I am a Canadian. I am a British subject.

I have great admiration for the American Constitution and system of government, but this is a free country where liberty of speech prevails. Therefore if I had the pleasure of being able to speak my mind I would have told Justice Harlan, for he was the Justice to whom I referred, that the British system of government is superior to the American.

But, as has already been said, Americans are governed by the law and that being so, we must obey the law and the law today is that I am not to speak the English language, but to speak it tomorrow. But even at the risk of committing a breach of the law, let me thank the people of Chicago for their kind and cordial reception they have given to a brother of the north.