The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-02 00:00:00

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.
TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOHN PAKINGTON,
BART., SECRETA.Ei OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.
Sir,—One of those periodical political revolutions of
this country—which, whilst they demonstrate clearly the_
elasticity and power, for experiment or progress, testify
also at thesame time, to the great strength of our
glorious Constitution, proving alike the beauty and har-
mony
of ax its working maehinary—has pieced you in
a position the most at might envy, the most
devoted lover of his country be proud to hold.
You era one of a Cabinet, the advent of whose chief
to office is not the appearance upon the stage of a po-
litical adventurer, eager either for emolument or
patronage, nor of one seizing upon power to carry out
recklessly those measures even which he in his heart
believes to be the best for the welfare and happiness of
Britain's sons ; nor has he sought or taken power for
party purposes. He asks to have the worth of his policy
inquired into. If he is right in his idea, he wishes to
carry conviction to the country generally, so as to have
the full sanction of the nation before he makes any
serious move. If ha is wrong, he wishes to know that
his opinion ha 3 been moat decidedly condemned, not
merely by political opponents, who have, either in or
out of offiee, lived for six long years upon an expert-
meat," but by tho intelligent and by the talented, in
short, by the ereat mass of his fellow-countrymen,
before he attempts to lead or to direct their energies for
future operations,
He has come forward, in short,
to serve her
metesty end the empire; solemnly has
he elected to be tried before God and his country, and
such a serious appeal will be listened to with respect,
but strongly tested by his LeFciship's conduct.
Atter this briet preface, Sir, year, who have been se-
lected by Lord Derby to be at the head of our great
colonial emplace at a moment too when we are just
awakening to its vast importance, will not, I think, be
astonished if I consider it unnecessary to offer any
apology for thus abruptly calling your early attention to
what has been considered by many eminent men, and
whet in my humble opinion it really is—the very key-
stone to cur political and commercial existence.
It history had not even taught us how nations rise
and fall, a very litt!e examination into the position and
circumstances of this great empire would show any one
the brink of the precipice upon which we stand—the
rock upon which our vessel may be destroyed. We are,
however, too proud to own our danger, if not too busy
to observe it ; we think, too, perhaps, like some foolish
captain of a noble but ill-fated steamer, that England
can approach all danger, and recover herself unharmed;
that we can back her, ease her, stop her, take a turn
ahead or astern, just as we pteaae. Our prosperity,
since we lost that noble territory, now the United
States, has made us bold in fotly, and we thus venture
on and on, until we shall ell be astonished some day to
find our vases! split, our crew dispersed. Foreigners,
even Germans, ean.see our danger, and point out our
weakness.
" The whole of 'England," says Al. Ficquelmont,
" erem to imagine in'North America a power against
which it can no .I.mgar struggle," and he adds, that to
attempt now to step the United States in her career of
power, prospertytthed uzivereal dominion between Eu-
rope and Asia" would be the greatest case of ,tieing, too
late in the field that would ever have been recorded in
history." This letter paragraph shows our danger as
much as the former cue shows our folly. Far Wit
from us to attempt to stop either the prosperitrayfethe
power of tile ljnitsd States; bat let us exert outselves
to keep pace with her, and univereel dout yion between
Europe and Asia. we can never allow her t) obtain.
With the perneiesion of the editor erne Sun, who
has always entertained a high value of our coluniel em-
pire, I vt ill meke thiS attempt, Sir, thus Mean your immee
diate attention to our North American territories.
Long, too long, iideed, have we neglected that noble
fiekl for British enterprise and British capital; too long
have we trifled with loyal hearts and warm feelings to
old England; too long have we neglected our own inte-
rests in the secondary consideration given to our noble
colonial empire. To be a colonist has almost become a
term of reproach et of contempt. Ouly a colonist: in-
deed, and yet we have men in them as fit to grace our
senate as any lord or commoner in the kingdom—men as
fit to fill our bench, he it of bishops or of judges, as
any men who ever wore the apron or the ermine; men
as tit to form our military or naval heroes as any of
those whose best blood Hoes beneeth our scarlet coats;
men fit for every eituarion in lilt, qua! fled for every
duty. But enough, there they are—colonists—and as
sucn fit for porter or far piece in England. Such things,
however, cermet any longer be. The whirligig of time
brings in i s revenges, and if we do not find scope and
occupation fur the talent and the enterprise of our colo-
nial brethren, particularly of North America, they
will be assuredly forced some day to find an outlet
for themselves; and if we do net direct, aid, and assist
the loyal British feeiicg that yet exists, wofully shall we
rue the day, when indeed it still be too late; fur should
our North American provinces once be induced to j
tee United Staees, England's maritime power, in the
Pacific certainly, in the Atlantic probebly, is gone, never
to return. Twee whole centinent Of North America
under one authority, a protective policy against all our
manufactures and encouragement to their own, and
Enelantrs princely merchants will soon become merely
pour shopkeepers, and her industrious, hard-working
people complete beggars. This is no imaginary picture,
bat a etera reniite—et lees; I think so—and have said
enough, I hepe,'Ser, to thew that I am in earnest. I
may be wrong: as taey the Protectionist or the Free-
trader, bet I 0131:n tsistealy with them sincerity and the
right to be heart!. le we lose our North American con-
lineal, Our notch pen e on the Atlantic and Pacific
octans. it will matter ,ittle then, in ray opinion, who may
rule Eettlend, fee-tho will inevitably sink into a third-
t, er ;tnth-rare viewer; she may struggle ou for a time,
but it trill be en au ebbing WRVO, or down a trouoled
stream—her art:lige gone—arid eitireately to last icr
ever—her sttteseten laineked at, her flag despi yd.
But, Sir, i do not Jawed open snob things hem s.° I
think them ptehatile or possible, but because I,ltestlieve
the moos' of his .rriTti4 when wit may give an impetus.
and an energy to t.tte inciostry of EL:A great ehapirei by
the icamseintte sieveitspmeat of her 10nf,,-nidden resources.
We may exteesnhee commerce, ezaploy her capital, and
increase her revenue to an extent not easily to be cal-
etlatt,t end I upped to seat, Sir, to seize with courage
the pob,, ensieertunity raver offering to Immortalise your
name 'of a 'tow colonial pellets none have vet bad the
good sense to appreciate nor the boldness to bring for-
ward.

.f.e-tt me entice, of you, Sir, to turn your serious
attention to the vast field of wealth contained in
our North Americaw provinces. Let a grand
Wert be made fur the development of their rich
resources, MI tbr 3 move beyond Free-traders, •and
do rvky with; that huge
Bay toteteee, wall of monopoly. the. Huth
son
which to the disgrace of the Whigs
they have-left ,beitiotribein a territory between the
Canadas and 1.11!orr into which no man can
enter, with h
can trade, unless by leave of
the Hudson% Bay Ceatpatiy. A new state will speedily
Bring uP inc,ro„.a:.4l the whole belt of that territory,
from Lake Suaethe to the pit-
"Ifie about five degrees in
breadth, will he teeming with
emigrants, and covered with
British manufreturci; and we shall have an easy route
from Haliffm to Vancouver's Island, l_
"coun-
terbatauco," says the editor Of the whichwould M
•
zone, all present, and possibly man New Monthly aga
vantages of the sea-board y Prospective, disao
Pacific. .. 7: PoWer of America in the
The langusge held by Mr. Snnires, the A
his remarks on the commercial and ixilticitinetican,. in
the interoceneie canal of Nicaragua ought to b'epee enoup. of
to arouse the indignation, and the spirit of gh
apethetic Miulswr, and would afford sufficient et" nuut
this country for trgetic , al
any, the most active and en etilie to
sures he might think necessary to take.
Let me entreat of you also, Sir, to go a step beyond
Parliamentary Worm, and let all our colonies in which
responsible government has been introduced and is
working well he at once represented in the Imperial
Parliament; at ill events, let the colonists have the
and let colonial .erroperty he a qualification in England,
—and do not let-s colonist any longer suppose that he is
not considered .as,an Englishman. Where responsibie
Government. bas been suocessfully established, it would
always be -one who represented the then majority of
colonial legislature who would represent it at home; for
if their Ministry resign, hi of course would lose his sett,
as it should always be one of the Cabinet who should be
sent home to represent the colony.
At this momeat, as you are well aware, Sir, one of
the first and present leaders of Canada, Mr. Rinks, is
now in England,. as a delegate, on the subject of the
Great Trunk Railway. Last year there was one from
Nova Sootia, Mr. Rowe, who is expected again im-
mediately, as. well as Mr. Chandler, from New Bruns-
wick. This, depend: upon it, will he the lest attempt
made—the lab, .aptest tO Britain. It would be melan-
choly, indeed, to ge into "all,tha details of the treatment
of the North Awe ten coliihies on the subject of their
railways ; year Ater year has rolled on, set nothing
done ; ohaugo after change may come at the Colonial-
office, still a deaf ear appears to be turned towards
it—governor after governor appears, yet no advance is
made, or help indeed, worse than none; and these
magnificent colonies, hemmed on one side by the United
States, on the othei• by the impenetrable eountry of the
Iltidson'a Bay COMpany—and checked by-the obstinacy
or stnliiii4Y of *gfiA inlet; in the development of her
re9ources—rein*ln.a blot. on our commercial and irides- I
trial esoutch'elaii:- ;An insulted and degraded people, the
men of the north-,-who might form a mighty kingdom
to themseleita from .thrt- Atlantic and Pacific—are now
scarcely 2eknowtedged,l neitliar in name nor in fact.
Can cont;itlar theinatlves'Englishment You, Sir,
have a n' -ask; field b*iti you—you have the men either
now in the con
utej•• or •
wbo soon will be, to give you the
best advice;-teke a bold, comprehensive view of the
whole questroyu—ao mesy God direct, and prosper.your
exertions era your plao2;.—l hate the honour to remain,
hi r, your moat obedient; humble servant, •
AN ENGLISHMAN.
-

THE
,Cjiy—s-TAL PALACE.
On Tuesday, a large meeting was held at one of the
rooms in the norrneCU entrance CO the transept, adjoin-
ing the grek4 refreshment court, pursuant to an adver-
t%sement of the committee now
oeganising, having for
its object the pre4vorvation of the above building. Tne
hour named wts twelve o'clock, and up to „dada a few
minutes of that time there was n scanty ttendance, bat
by' a few rnietitea :After twelve o'clock aboutaudience 4OO parsons
being ec,D3posed of a very
number of work comp
inany.g (WM. Tom were also present a loge
thr Joaeph Paxton was called to the •
"au% arutdst
addressed
loud cheers; and with Admiral Sir G. R. Sane ,
Mr. Gordon Gull, Sir H. Webb, Mr. Oliveiret,rD r 3
and Dr. Roy les, Evans, Mr. La Neve Foster,
the meetin::: at which,a aerie* of resolutions wero
mously passed in favour of its views. ,i
The pros-edinge concluded with a vote of thanks to
Sir Joseph Paxton, who, in Acknowledging the compli-
ment, said that if this bnihlieg wne demolizhed, pom4,
ill would crAegau t itcrect genersti,4. The,fift:

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