The scandal over the Raid brought the idea of federation to the front
again, and when the Jubilee celebrations took place a move was made to
secure it.

Eleven of the colonial premiers, or prime ministers, attended the
Jubilee, and during their visit to London they held a conference to
discuss the project.

At this meeting the Colonial Secretary took the old ground that the
matter was of such vast importance that it must not be approached
hastily.

The Canadian premiers were, however, anxious that some step should be
taken, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, from Canada, voiced the sentiments of
his brother premiers when he stated that the time had come for the
colonies to draw more closely to the empire, or separate from it
altogether.

England found herself in a dilemma. While she had been careful to bring
up her colonies to be independent of her, she had not realized that one
day they might become too independent, and seek to break away from her
rule altogether. She had repeated none of the mistakes of oppression and
greed that had cost her the American colonies, and she had supposed that
her other colonies would be satisfied to belong to the British Crown.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier's hint was enough for her.

She was well aware that the tie which binds Canada to her is so slight
that it might easily be broken, and realizing the danger of the