The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-26 00:00:00

THE DEFENCE OF CANADA.

Mr. ADDER LEY then rose to call the attention of the
house to the state of the defences of Canada. He said it
was important that the house should not separate till they I
had some distinct statement from the government of what
their intentions were with regard to the defence of Canada.
He wished, in the first place, to know from her
Majesty's government whether they considered that Canada
was exposed to danger or not. If they considered
that there was no danger, then he should ask why they
retained 12,000 troops in the colonies? If, on the
other band, they considered that there was danger,
he should ask were they looking to these 12,000
troop. or to the Canadians for the defence of that
country? If he could have his own way, he should
have moved an address to her Majesty, praying her to send
out instructions to the Governor• General to recall the
Canadian parliament, and to propose a measure for the
better preparation of the defence of the colony, with an
intimation that unless that was done, the troops would
return to England. (Hear, hear.) He felt, however, that
it would be absolutely useless, within five or six days of the
pation, to move such a proposition • and he had
therefore no alternative but to bring the abject before the
house, and to throw upon the government the whole re-
spoosibility of what might happen in the winter. If there
was no danger, why did they keep in Canada at least
twelve times as many soldiers as were necessary in time of
peam ? If there was danger, why did they nit still ?
Perhaps they did not care whether we lost Canada or not.
But if the colony must separate from us, let it be in the
time of peace. Let it be done by some amicable mange-
meat which would be honourable to both parties, and which
would protect the future interests of Canada. (Cheers.)
He hoped the government would not let parliament separate
till they bad Informed it, and through it the people of
British North America, what was the policy which they in-
tended to adopt. (Chests.)

Mr. A. MILLS agreed that the present cart of pro.
acting Canada was something quite monstrous. This very
year the mother country would be paying something like
1,250,0001. for that purpose. It was time an end was put
to the system of nursing up our colonies in a state of reliance
upon the resources of the mother country. It was manifest
that if ever we became entangled in a quarrel with America,
when we had a mutiny In India, or a Russian war,
or when we were menaced on the continent, it would be
utterly impossible for us to pour into Canada a force RA..
cient to meet the troops which with the railway system in
operation in the United States, might be brought against
them. As an owner of property in Canada, ha should not
feel the same security from any promise on the part of
England, however sincere that promise might be, as he
should from the knowledge that the colonists were them-
selves providing for their self defence. (Hear, hear.)
General LINDSAY asked the Secretary of State for War
whether, after the strong opinion expressed in the house in
favour of a recognition of the services rendered by Captain
Grant in the improvement of cooking in the army, he
would have any objection to appoint a committee to consider
the question? He (the gallant member) had been defeated
the otherevening by a majority of only one ; and he therefore
felt justified in asking the government to give him a small
committee of practical men to investigate the claims of
Captain Grant.
Sir DE L EVANS agreed with the gallant general that
the government ought to make Captain Grant a handsome
reward for the apparatus which was made use of by 100,000
men. He could not conceive, in fact, how the government
could reconcile itself to the course it bad adopted ; and for
his own part be thought that 5,0004 or 10,000/. would be
only a reasonable and fair sum to award to the gallant officer
for his invention. As to the defence of our colonies, he
joined in deprecating the system of nursing them up in a
spirit of entire reliance upon the mother country. He con-
fessed that he thought there was no ground for leaving
these troops in Canada, even though the Mayor of Montreal
bad said, and most truly, that they would be glad to take
as many red-coste Lithe), could get. (Hear.)
Mr. ROEBUCK was very sorry to interfere between the
house and the consideration of the cooking appsratoa—(a
laugh)—but when the interests of a great empire were really
concerned he thought he might be pardoned if he offered his
opinion upon a matter with regard to which he believed he
had some knowledge. The first consideration was what was
the feeling of the people of Canada with respect to England.
Now, he was quite sure the Oanadiaos had been led to be-
lieve that we considered them of such wonderful importance
to us that we should be willing to undertake any expense to
maintain our dominion over them. (Hear, hear.) What he
wanted them to understand, and our government to make
them understand, waa, that we did not care one farthing
about the adherence of Canada to England ; but that we
could not derive any possible advantage from them was •
matter that the house could not understand. We had never
taken anything like tribute from them. But other
nations did derife tribute from their colonies. The
only chance of benefit that we ever expected
from our colonies was from a perfect free trade
with them. But what bad Canada done in that respect?
(Hear, hear.) She bad levied a duty of 20 per cent upon
the introduction of all English manufactures into her terri-
tories, sod thereby rendered the importation almost as
difficult as their friends upon the other side of the St. Law-
rence had done. (Hear, bear.) He wanted Canada clearly
to understand that England had no benefit from her con-
nexioo with her whatever, and that if we expended money
in the maintenance of her independence it was for her
benefit and not for ours.

Sir G. C. LEWIS would answer the two questions put to
him by the gallant officer opposite with respect to Captain
Grant's apparatus, and with regard to China, before be
made some remarks upon the more important question
raised by the right hon. gentleman the member for Stafford-
shire. With regard to Captain Grant's invention, he would
only say that it had been his wish to give • fair considera-
tion to the subject. The demand which Captain Grant
made, however, was not merely • question of the
recognition of the utility or merit of the inven-
tion, but it was • demand for • large sum of
public money, wh.‘.ll had been stated by an hon.
, member at from 5,0001. to 10,0001., but which was stated
by the inventor himself at between 10,0004 and 40,0001.
The information which he (Sir G. Lewis) had received, led
him to doubt whether any such considerable economy as
Captain Grant himself stated,or anything approaching to it,
bad been produced by his improvement; but in consequence
of the strong opinion expressed in • nearly equal division of
the house • few days ago, he should be ready to cause the
subject to be investigated with • view to determining whe-
ther Captain Grant was entitled to any reward out of the
public money—(hear, hear)—that being the real question
which was at issue. With regard to the question put by
the gallant officer the member for Aberdeen (Colonel
Sykes) he could only say that the government were not in
possession of information upon the subject to which he re-
ferred, beyond that which bad already been published in
the despatch." from the naval and military commanders in
China. The government might propose • bill to parliament
to legislate for Canada, and to compel them to establish •
sufficient militia force, but his right hon. friend would not,
he thought, recommend any measure of that sort, His boo.
and learned friend who had just spoken had said truly that
we bad for many years given up legislating for the internal
affairs of Canada, and he could hardly think, looking at the
principles of colonial policy which were now established in
that house, that any hon. member would propose or 'p-
c: of • bill being passed by parliament for that purpose.
Hear, hear.) But then, if they were not to legislatetly, the object must be accomplished indirectly,
and by a measure which seemed to him infinitely more
objectionable than direct legislation, namely, by • final
withdrawal of our troops from Canada. That was the
policy which the right hon. gentleman deliberately proposed
for the adoption of the bones, as • dignified and reasonable
coarse for England to adopt towards one of her colonies.
Chests.) Re confessed AM he could hardly conceive any.