Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-24 00:00:00

CANADA.

Of all countries Canada has reason to be proud of two
things—her banking institutions and her system of national
eduoation—subjects which are not yet mastered in E*
land. The chartered banks of Canada have
wealth
fimlt
nas prdgrilssed more rapidly in the ratio
of wealth and
population than even the United States. The causes of
this solid progress are ascribed by authorities who have
studio l the history of this advance, to the natural re-
sources of the country and its new commercial geographi-
cal position, since the spread of population in the Western
States of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and the
projected connection by ineana of the Grand Trunk Rail-
way with the Eastern Stares of the Union at Portland, the
most con-imodieus harbour in the United States, which
makes Canada the middle piece of the whole frame-work
through which the vast trade of the West with the sea-
board and Europe must eventually pass by water and
railway, so far as the capabilities of both can accommodate
it. When the Victoria Bridge at :Montreal is completed
in 1860, the line of transit will be the most complete;in the
world. Some idea of the magnitude of this work may be
formed when it is compared with the Britannia Bridge•
its length being five times as great, and yet the cost,
spread over the whole railway mileage, wiil not be mere
than £lO,OOO per mile. But, for the settlement of the
Western: States, Canada would have ratnained.a cal do
sac, and might have been left for years without a Trunk
Railway or a Victoria Bridge, Prom the trunk system
the country is being. openel otat by municipal railways
running at right angles, roa Is attract settlers, the forests
are soon cleared, and thriving farms are the reward of
labour. Tae bank charters in Canada are sufficient',"
stringent in compelling specie convertibility of the note cir-
culation, but they have the power of suspending for 60 days
without forfeiture of charter. This privilege, however,
has never been exercised, except during the rebellion of
1837, when all the bullion was sent to Q tebec as a matter
of safety. A bad harvest in England or Earope i 9
Canada's opportunity—what cripples trade in 'EuroPe
advances the prosperity of Canada aril the Western States
in money. Every crisis in Europe has also tended to an
exodus of the labouring classes, and 1 .45`,1 13 expected to
furnish a large immigration. This great traffic hag
hitherto chiefly gene by the way of New York, but next
year fully one half is expecte 1 to be diverted to tbe
eastern ports of Portland and Qaebee, as the nearest and
cheapest route. It is, indeed, a singular but remarkable
fact that the capabilities of Canada have not hitherto been
sufficiently appreciated or under .tood.—Lmcian Globe.

PENINSULAR MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, \Yr DNESDAf•

The steamer Alhatnbra arrived with the Penill:
sular Mails, and specie value £18,073. The nen
from Gibraltar was anticipated. At Lisbon, on the
19th, fever was al- ating, but cases were very
lent. Exchange, 54a.

DARTNO GAROTTE ROBBERY.—On Monday afternoon. *
daring fellow, known by the cognomen of Bils!on Bill, was
Apprehended by Mr. Superintendent Radford, of Of
Chesterfield borough police, charge.] with committing
garotte robbery on the parson of Thomas Bray, a COfu„;
wainer, at Brampton, near Chesterfield. May attetto'
the Chesterfield market on a Saturday, with shoes, for 6.2111:
and between eleven and twelve o'clock on Saturday
he was returning home with a basket of shoes on his arm'
when he was stopp d by two men, one of whom greVek
him by the throat, and held him whilst the other too
eleven pairs of boots and shoes from his basket, and .
in money from his person. Bray struggled with Pl.
assailants, and gave an alarm, but they had retreated'
His neck was much injure I, and he bled
profusely at do
nose. Two pair of the stolen boots have been fount' the possession of the prisoner. Oa Tuesday moraiogm' •
man named Thomas Watton, alias Bilston Tum, a keeps
of a house of ill-fame in Archer's Yard, Chesterfield as
charged with this garotte robbery. The prosecutor, ' °OO
violent,
received, whose face was much discoloured from the
received, is a shomaker, living at Brompton, near Che
field. Superintendent Ra3ford produced two pair of 1/3eity,
which ware identified by the prosecutor a 3 his proPmati
The prosecutor said there were three men and a I°° bat
connected with the robbery. HO did not sea there.
gle
one of them came behind him and attempted to
‘l,st.rii*:, it
him. 'The woman made a 110i93 to induce a belie' 'd'ad to
was a mace drunken brawl. The prisoner was „Diitt
rain.
Thursday. He said h 3 bought the boats from
whom he could swear to if he saw him aPin;,,tity of
prisoner's house was forte.' a gun, and a large qt,—,„ the
nets for poachers.--Thu maw strata before whom
prisoner prisoner was brought comlimeated Sups:intendant
oc,
id-
ford, of the Chesterfie/dborough 1' f r 013 °4l r
po ice, o woo '
he had shown in his speedy apprehension of the Pfde the
who is one of the most notorious fellows which 13.-
neighbatirhOOd of Cheeterfiell, a littleln
the