The Express.
London, England, 1865-04-14 00:00:00

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TO 001IINIFONDJUITIL
advertisements Intended for "Tif ismesse Load= Issas(
must be st 00" 10, Souvselerstsset. b 1 Tw•
rtrAt Sc the day of palassalso.

HAMANN.=
On pet, Mr. &Ahern In the new sensation.
THI OMAN IN lIALIVIL lir. Buclitowe u Mie. Mary Anne
Beetles.—Wlik (by Aware) LORD DUNDRNARY tRIED
AND DO= FOR. Kr. anthem —And ZANY SHAVING.

LYCZOIL
ON Libor Monday April 11, sad daring the weak. DiMPiION
AND CO. Ilaries. kiss& sad Norman : Mir Ilswarthy and
Yrs. Hortwors.—And T MOUNTIBANI. Yr. lrechter and
Master IrsebtAr, Mr.Wlekliotratb : Mir Ledereq, lUDs. Destrioe.

HIGH WATS" ♦T LONDON-BILIDGII.
TIM DAT Mond's& Sh. 61m.....Attarsoce.
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LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 14.

THI intelligence from British North America is
once more such as to command the serious attention'
of our statesmen. The great scheme of • Con-
federation of all the provinces, on which so many of
us were building hopes for the future of that coun-
try, has failed. The scheme has not been simply
shorn of its proportions, but it has altogether
become a thing of the past or of the uncertain future.
This is • view which we do not find strongly
stated in the Canadian papers for reasons which
will appear. The limited scheme of Confederation,
originally proposed by the present advisers of Lord
MOWCX, was a device for extricating the two
Canadas from difficulties which had grown out of
their legislative union ; it was, in fact, an expedient
for dissolving that union. But would a measure
which promised to effect nothing but the disin-
tegration of a colony commend itself to English
statesmen at the very moment when they must
ardently desire the consolidation of all the
elements of Br►tish power on that con-
tinent I Certainly not. This the statesmen of
Canada foresaw, and hence the eagerness with
which they grasped at the project of a wider Con-
federation, is the grandeur of which the dissolution
of the existing union of the two Canadas would be
forgotten. Thus, when the Canadian Ministers
learned that a conference was being held for the
purpose of bringing about a separate union of the
Lower Provinces, they sought admission to it, and
made those proposals which subsequently led to
the Convention of Delegates held at Quebec, where
the comprehensive scheme with which the public are 1,
familiar was elaborated. Our information respecting
the state of opinion in the maritime provinces is tow
large an extent derived through Canadian channels,
that it is no wonder there is much that is indispen-
sable to a proper estimate of that opinion of which
we have been only imperfectly informed. We have
known for some weeks that in New Brunswick the
plan of Confederation was regarded with disfavour,
bat we were not prepared for an event that is now
reported—the election of • new Parliament in that
colony, three-fourths of the members of which are
opposed to Confederation. New Brunswick exer-
cises considerable influence over Nova Scotia, and
we have not bad to wait long for an opportunity of
observing its operation, According to information
published at Toronto by the organ of the principal
member of the Canadian Cabinet, the Government
of Nova Scotia have taken steps which indicate that
they have abandoned the hope of an immediate union
of all the provinzes, and are about to submit to the
Legislature a scheme for the union of the mari-
time provinces. The semi-official Canadian jour-
nal puts the best face on the matter when it says:—
" It is impossible to conceal from ourselves that
" this action on the part of Nova Scotia is a fresh
" indication that the larger union is a thing of
" the future, not of the present, and it seems to
" us that our Government will speedily be called
" upon to adopt a new policy on the whole sub•
" ject. It is impossible that Canada can delay
" its constitutional reforms for an indefinite
" period, while New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
" are going on with their smaller union, building
" their railways, and speaking and thinking of a
" junction with Canada as a thing of the future.
" The present Government was formed to carry
" the larger Confederation if it was found prised-
" cold.), but, if not, the smaller federal arrange-
" ment of Upper and Lower Canada. If the
" former cannot be had, the latter must, of course,
" be proceeded with, care being taken to leave an
" open door for the Lower Provinces whenever
" they choose to come in."
The Canadian Cabinet may fall back without
difficulty upon its original plan of federating the
two Canadas; but from the Imperial point of view
this plan is an essentially different one from that
which we have been discussing and approving in
England for the last six months. The difference
is not one of dimensions, but of kind. To federate
the two Caned as without the Lower Provinces would
be to destroy an existing union in place of calling •
new one into being. It may be wise, or even ne-
cessary, to repeal the legislative Union between
the two Canada. ; but the measure will have to
be justified by arguments of a totally different
order from those with which we have lately
been made familiar. We have been led to suppose
that there is not at present enough union in Bri-
tish North America. The Canadian Ministers will
have to show the Imperial Government that
there is already too much. It is not sur-
prising that in these circumstances Canadian ate
men are not anxious to be chosen members of t.
deputation which is to proceed to England for the
purpose of negotiating an adjustment of the shares
which the Imperial and Home Governments are
respectively to bear in the defence of the province.
Recent discussions in the House of Commons and
in the Canadian Parliament have shown that the
two governments are very far indeed from having
formed the basis of an agreement on this subject.
Mr. GALT, in his recent speech in the Colonial
Legislature, assumed throughout that the Imperial
guarantee for any sums which the Canadians
might have to borrow on account of their expen-
diture in fortifications could not in decency be re-
fused. " Canada," he said, " had • right to ask
" that for such purposes the credit of the colony
" should be sustained by the empire." Now, on
financial grounds, this is not so clear as Mr. GALT
suppcaee. The QUILN'S Government is much