They were at the Mechanics Institute and a thousand or more men had filled the hall to hear the Premier speak and a few hundred ladies filled the gallery above, and this despite the weather so dramatically and unceasingly inclement. The hall in which they stood was a vast, cavernous and high-ceilinged place, no doubt cool on a summer evening but on this wet wintery day it was bitter—though the perspiration glistened on the bald head of the Premier and gathered in little droplets on his magnificent walrus moustache.

‘Those who sneered at the smallness of some of the colonies are guilty of snobbishness,’ said the Premier, ‘and those who fear their honesty are unjust.’

And the people applauded. It was sometimes a little difficult to follow his exact meaning, but the gist, surely, was clear enough.

‘It is no argument against the honesty of the other colonies that they have not got as big a land revenue as we have. Once it is admitted that the people of Australia are honest all round, half the objections to the bill disappear.’

Again the people cheered their approval. Alasdair cheered too, though he had heard the speech already on the train down. They had arrived at Albury by the mail train at noon and the mayor and most of the town had been at the station to welcome them. They had travelled by carriage to their hotel and the main street had been festooned with bunting and flags and a great banner had stretched across the street proclaiming, with unrestrained optimism, ALBURY: THE NATION’S CAPITAL. At a reception speeches had been made and the Premier’s health drunk, and in the afternoon they had been driven about the town in a carriage venturing as far as the border, where the good folk of Victoria had been almost as vociferous in their welcome and good wishes for the Premier as had the people of New South Wales.

‘Now I come to the question of the federal capital,’ said Mr Reid, ‘about which Albury has never shown any warmth of feeling,’ (great laughter). ‘It was a bitter pill for Victoria that Mr Turner, their premier, gave the capital to New South Wales,’ (cheers) ‘but having barred all Victoria he determined that Sydney should not have it and he is quite justified in doing so,’ (hear, hear).

‘Albury for the capital!’ cried the crowd, boisterous in its enthusiasm.