Part 7

(54) "So long however as the empire's heart is overburdened by a surplus multitude, it should be remembered that most fertile and lovely tracts of country, many times larger than England, exist in the body of that empire, which never yet within the knowledge of man have yielded their fruits to his service. A manifold-multiplied value also is given to every part of the connected communication between it and the Atlantic, and thereby also to every part of British America, when once the goal of the Pacific is attained."--_Lieut. Synge._

(55) An officer whose character stands high both in the navy and in the army--whose talents have long been exercised in the North American Colonies--who is acquainted with their value, and who well understands their naval and military defences.

The writer of this letter sailed from Cork on board H. M. frigate Pique, in January, 1838, with a wing of the 93rd Highlanders, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Macgregor, and he is happy in having this opportunity of publicly thanking Captain Boxer, the officers and crew of the Pique, for the great kindness received by every individual of the regiment. And he cannot do otherwise than refer particularly to the officers of the gun-room, who must have been exceedingly inconvenienced by having a large party of officers joined to their mess, and who yet had the tact and politeness to show they never felt it. It was a long and stormy passage of six weeks from Cork to Halifax, but it was a happy and a merry one; although a damp was at first thrown over us by the sudden death from accident of a serjeant of the Light Company, and another poor fellow was washed away from the chains during the passage.

(56) "We have now enjoyed more than thirty years peace, and when it was proposed to invest the Capital, which we could so readily throw away on arms and gunpowder, upon actually productive works, the cry was raised of impending ruin and bankruptcy. The lodging of deposits with the Accountant-General was to result in 'ruinous, universal and desperate confusion.' The money was lodged, and no ruinous confusion took place. The Acts were obtained, and ruin was again predicted; 'where was all the money to come from?' The money has been got, L112,100,639 has been raised in the course of three years, involving, it is true, much suffering to some classes, but not to the nation at large."--_S. Smiles on Railway Property._

(57) If once it was understood by the public that Government had taken the initiative, and was determined to assist and see carried out a great national work such as has been suggested, there is no doubt that many people who are now paying high poor rates would join together, and a variety of small Emigration Companies would be formed to assist poor people to emigrate, and these poor people would willingly and cheerfully quit their native land, when they had before them the certain prospect of immediate employment; and if the penny postage was added to the system, they would be nearer to England in the North American Colonies, than the poor people of England and Scotland were to each other only a few years back.

(58) "Four hundred millions of people yet to be introduced into communication with the rest of mankind! What a prospect for the merchant, the manufacturer and ship owner. But there is still a higher and holier prospect. Four hundred millions of active and intelligent human beings have to be brought within the pale of Christianity! Wary stepping, too, it will require to enable us to succeed in realizing either of these objects. To assist us, an abler man for the task could not be found than the author of the work before us."--_Liverpool Standard_, _Review on Montgomery Martin's recent Work on China_.

(59) "Nobody can doubt that the western coast of North America is about to become the theatre of vast commercial and political transactions, and it is impossible to estimate adequately the value which may soon accrue to every harbour, coal mine, forest and plain in that quarter of the globe."--_Morning Chronicle, 15th Feb. 1849._

(60) On which Line the mails could travel from Halifax to Frazer's River in six days, and the electric telegraph connect these oceans--space vanishing under that magic power.

(61) See Montgomery Martin's second edition on Railways, Past, Present and Prospective.

(62) There is not an individual of the 93rd Highlanders, so long quartered in the highly flourishing city of Toronto, who would not, I feel well assured, join me in every grateful feeling to its inhabitants, and every wish for their happiness and welfare.

A great number of the men of the 93rd have settled at and in the neighbourhood of Toronto.

(63) "The British 'supremacy of the ocean,' which has been a boast and a benefit, has become a necessity. If I were Prime Minister of England, now that the Corn Laws are repealed, I should not be able to sleep if I thought that the war marine of England was not stronger than all the nations combined, which there is the least chance of ever being engaged in a conspiracy for our destruction."--_Edward Gibbon Wakefield._

(64) "Canada, which receives the greater number of emigrants, we are by all accounts only peopling and enriching for the Americans to possess ere long."--_Art of Colonization_, _Edward Gibbon Wakefield_.

I trust that the British North American Colonies will, in reply to the above remark, send forth such a voice of attachment to their mother country that will encourage her people at home and embolden them to come forward in aid of great colonial measures, resulting as they must do in universal benefit to the empire.

In page 100 of the work just above quoted we read--"The Banker's argument satisfied me; but he was not aware of a peculiarity of colonies, as distinguished from dependencies in general, which furnishes another reason for wishing that they should belong to the empire--I mean the attachment of the colonies to their mother country.... I have often been unable to help smiling at the exhibition of it. In what it originates I cannot say."

I cannot but deeply regret the use of these expressions, coming as they do from the pen of so influential an author. Has be forgotten or does he not feel that

"Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt?"

And surely from those who left their native land, carrying with them the literature of the day and the remembrance of her glory, it was not likely that there should spring up a generation otherwise than strongly attached to

"_That_ fortress built by Nature for herself, Against infection and the hand of War?"

Well, indeed, has Lieutenant Synge remarked, "Let it also be remembered by those who would argue the defection of Canada, or other British provinces, from the history of the past, what were the circumstances attending the last revolt (and only one) of British Colonies."

"Let the regret with which those colonies revolted be also borne in mind! Generations have succeeded, yet in the hearts of many of the best and noblest that lingering regret remains; not that the revolt took place, not that it was successful, but that it was rendered necessary." I shall only add, I agree most perfectly with the author on the Art of colonization when he says, "But whatever may be its cause, I have no doubt that the love of England is the ruling sentiment of English Colonies."

(65) "The Americans would have readily agreed with us upon this boundary question, when it was of no practical moment."--_Edward Gibbon Wakefield._

This assertion requires proof.

(66) My friend Lieutenant-Colonel Pottinger has brought to my notice, that the time of transit from London to the west coast of Ireland will be nearly as follow, vis.

To Holyhead 8 hours Holyhead to Dublin 4 " Dublin to the west coast of Ireland 4 " --- In all 16

It may therefore be worthy of consideration whether there could be established at one of her ports on the western coast, so often spoken of as the nearest point of embarkation for British America, an Emigration Company, which would greatly benefit Ireland by causing a large traffic through the centre of that country.

(67) Dr. Hind, in speaking of the convict Colony of New South Wales, says--"If then the question be, what can be done for this Colony? Begin, I said, by breaking up the system--begin by removing all the unemancipated convicts. I do not undertake to point out the best mode of disposing of them; but let them be brought home and disposed of in any way rather than remain. There is no chance for the Colony until this preliminary step be taken. But these measures, if carried into effect at all, must be taken in hand soon. Time--no distant time, perhaps, may place this 'foul disnatured' progeny of ours out of our power for good or for harm."

Printed by W. P. Metchim, 20, Parliament Street.

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Transcriber's Notes:

1) Text has been adjusted to eliminate notes within notes, particularly Notes 15 and 43. Certain notes have been inserted into the main text to eliminate duplicated note numbers.

2) Footnotes redirecting to Notes have been condensed to link directly with Note, eg:

Original text: text text text[1]

[1]See Appendix, Note 65.

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Transcribed text: text text text[see Note 65]

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