The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-08 00:00:00

of the Government. He was, therefore, a little sur-
prise,i, having stated to Mr. Hinck. end Mr. Ow:Honer
that the whole subject ehoul.f be beeNht immediately
under the consideration of the Government, that ha
himself would explain the papers and communicate
them to his colleagues, and that they would take the
earliest possible opportunity of signifying their decision
—this having taken plane on the 30th of April—to find
the letter tee Noble Earl had adverted to in the papers
dated on the following morning. In that letter Mr.
Hincks said—e• In the intervie we had yesterday we
were given to understand by his Lordship that he would
examine the various, papers on the subject of the rail-
way, and would see us again after the arrival of Mr.
Howes from Nova Scotia. I left his Lordship in the confi-
dent hope that we should receive an early communication
of the intentions of her Majesty's Government." Such was
certainly his intention; but Mr. Hincks having had an
interview with him at three o'clock on Thursday, the
30th of April, he could hardly suppose the Government
would be able to give him an intimation of their inten-
tion before the following morning, when that letter was
written.—(Hear, hear.) He added, tlat from what had
passed in the House of Commons on the same evening,
he felt it his duty to the province, whose interests were
intrusted to his care, to explain frankly to the Govern-
ment that it would be quite impossible for Canada to
continue any longer a negotiation which had already in-
volved her in much trouble, and which would materially
retard other arrangements that might be made for the
construction of the railway. After this, he would ask
their Lordships candidly on which aide was the obstruc-
tion—on the part of the representatives of Canada
or on the part of the Government. He (Mr. Hincks)
went on to say that ho had not been sent to
England as an humble suitor, and he most respect-
fully requested a final answer by the 15th inst., when,
if the Government were unable, either from want of
time, or the necessity of consulting Parliament, to come
to a decision by that period, he begged it to be under-
stood that Canada withdrew from the present negotia-
tion, and he should deem it his duty to enter into ar-
rangements which would put it oat of the power of the
provinces to negotiate on the present basis. He (Lord
Derby) had every respect for the representatives of Ca-
nada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia; but when a
plan was laid before the Government involving an ex-
penditure of seven millions, which they were asked to
guarantee, it was somewhat too much for a gentleman
TOATSU the terms contained in that letter, and say that
Canada would withdraw from an arrangement from
whieh it and the British provinces were to derive the
greatest benefit.—(Hear, hear.) Though a little sur-
prised at the tone of this letter, he (Lord Derby) bad
not deferred executing the promise he had made to Mr.
Hincks. He had brought the matter before a Cabinet
Council, at which it was fully and deliberately
discussed; and it was with great regret they had
come to the conclusion that it was not to the advan-
vantage of the provinces that they should sanctiun the
proposed line, inasmuch as it forfeited !he very main ad-
vantages which led them in the first instance to be anxi-
ous for its promotion. That communication was made
to Mr. Hindu about the 16th or 17th of the same month.
Sir J. Pakington had considered it the most respectful
course to write his dispatches first to the governors of
the colonies, and then to communicate them to the repre-
sentatives of the colonies in this country. In the mean-
time, on the 13th, he (Lord Derby) had received an ap-
plication from another society, who were desirous of en
grafting a scheme of emigration on the general scheme
of the railway known to be in contemplation by the Go-
vernment; and on the 15th he gave an answer, that from
recent communications great doubts had arisen, whether
the negotiations pending between the Government and
the colonial legislatures were likely to lead to the con-
struction of the railway in question; and it appeared that
the colonial deputies had first learned from the secretary
to this society that the plan was not approved by the
Government. As far as personal respect was concerned,
nothing could have been more cordial and attentive than
Sir J. Pakington's treatment of these gentlemen. Ile
received them at his own house; gave them invitations
to her Majesty's, ball, invited them to dinner, and con-
stantly saw them on the same terms as the Secretary of
State would have received any Ministers accredited from
foreign powers. As to the substance of tho negotiation,
ha would say that the Government had been most auxi-
lous to see it carried out; and he had been active in
pressing it on the late Government. But he thought a
better course than giving a guarantee would have been
to make a grant of the waste lands through which the
line 'passed. He meant not to say that the guarantee
would not have been redeemed by the provinces, though
the contribution might have pressed very hard on the
province of New Brunswick. Nevertheless, he had been
quite willing to leave the construction of the line to the
colonial Legislatures, giving the desired guarantee, pro-
vided it was so constructed as to secure those advantages
which werapromised from it. The Noble Earl admitted
that it was a sine qua non that the line should be car-
ried through British territory. It was not a slight de-
viation that was now proposed. But the great object was
in connection with the scheme of emigratioH, to have
opened up a large tract of country in New Brunswick
available for emigrants ; but this had been lost sight of.
(Here the Noble Earl described the course of the line, as
originally proposed, and the deviations, which could
only be understood by reference to a plan.) Major Ro-
binson's line, he observed, had always been taken ai the

basis of a negotiation ; but the proposed line, instead of
making the circuit of the northern and eastern coast,
made two right angles, passed by St. John's, and was
carried further to the west. It was true that by this
scheme there would be a less length of railway to be
constructed ; but Major Robinson's line would
not involve a greater distance between Halifax and
Quebec. The line by St. John's might offer greater
commercial advantages, but it abandoned the scheme of
opening up New Brunswick to emigrants. The
St. John's line, for nearly its whole length, ran
within a few miles of the United States territory, and
there was no security that it wonid not pass on the
United States side of the St. John's River. Such a rail-
way, in an open undefended country, would not differ in
the least, in the event of war, from a railway carried
through the United States territory.—(Hear, hear.) It
tended far more to open up the United States than the
British territory; and in some parts it was cut off by the
rapid torrent of the St. John's River from communica-
tion with the British territory. Under these circum-
stances the Government did not think the project one
which so carried out imperial objects us to justify them
in giving a guarantee fortiea
the proposed
To have undertaken
roposea expenditure by
the colonial legislatures .—(Hour.)
such a liability without consulting Parliament would
have been highly
improper, and he doubted whether Par-
liament would have sanctioned it. However much he
might prefer the plan of granting waste lands,
have hesitated to recommend guarantee
had he
wouldt
not
te
been such as to secure those other and more im-
portant objects to which he had referred. On these
grounds the Government had thought it their duty to
inform the
governors. of the provinces that they were
compelled, with regret, to refuse the guarantee, believing
that the line did not promote really and truly British
The Government had nothing to conceal, and
objects.
there would be no opposition to the production of the
hear.)
papers.---(Bears
Earl GREY said be had not meant to bring any charge
against the Government for the abandonment of the
project. After what the Noble Lord had said, he would
add a few worth to the negotiation. Having IP, r e
rly
had much communication with Mr. Hincks, he had .
always found him frank and straightforward' in all his
dealings;
and it was
to be regretted that two persons
of such weight and station in the province as Mr.
Hindu and Mr. Challoner should have learned the
decision of the Government from a subordinate officer.
It
was,
only a short time Bitted the Emigration Commis-
sioners had thought it necessary to put an advertisement.
into the papers, cautioning the public not to listen to
schemes put forth by this person without adequate
authority ; but he (the Noble Earl) was quite ready
to admit that the, manner In which the decision of the
Government had been communicated to the delegates
had been the-result Of accident. The really important
point in the matter, however, was that a line of railway
communication should be established in the British ter-
ritory. No doubt the line of Major Robinson *would
have been infinitely preferable in many respects; but as
the railway would have to be constructed by the colo-
nists themselves, with the assistance only of the credit
of this country,. it was but natural that they should pre-
fer the line which offered the greatest commercial ad-
vantages.—(Elear, hear.) It was said that it would
hale swallowed up the whole of' the surplus revenue of
the colonyi but he thought that, -directly and indirectly,
the returns of the railway would, have covered the in-
terest.-a(Hear, bear.) On the ;20th of February, he
(Earl Gray) had hurriedly, written to. Lord Elgin, on
the eve of the departure of the, mail, stating that it
had not been possible for 'him to consult his col-
leagues, but that, as far as his own opinion went,
though he greatly preferred Major Robinson's line,
it would be better that' the' line which the pro-
vinces. had been with such .great difficulty brought to
agree to should be made, rather than that there should
be no railway at all.—(Hear.) Tee lice of the colonists
would certainly be more insecure in ease of war; but in
the time of peace it would have offered us the great ad-
vantage of an independent mail, as well as great facilities
for the conveyance of our troops.—(Hear.) With re-
spect to the papers, he 'should certainly prefer to move
for their production.

H Earl FITZ WILLIAM looked on the question of whe-
ther any, offence had been given 'to the ,;elegates as a
matter of little importance compared with that of whether
there should be a line of railway from one of the At-
lantic ports to connect the provinces of Lower and
Upper Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. He
very much regretted the course whinh her Majesty's
Government had thought it right to pursue; because
'Frderal.Government of the United States gave
great
encouragement to such prokcrtr, end he should greatly
deprecate anything that would lead the colonists to
drew an unisvouruble contrast betwtcn the conduct f
the mother country and of the Unied States.—(Hear).
The question of annexition was already discussed in
.Canada, and though he was tar from thinking that it
was at all in the ascendancy, yet the subject was one
that halt a et-aitury ego could not base Wen broached in
the colony.—(Hear, hear.) He though', therefore, that
it was very un&struble to thwart the opinion of the co-
lony; and, beside;, 4hato ver line should ID, chosen, it
would be'open to the objection of being near the Ame-
rican homier. The lino along the valley. of the St.
Lawrence would be within only twenty•tive miles from
the northern frontier of the United States.

The Earl of DERBY—But the lino of the John
would pass within three miles of the frontier.—(lesr.)
Earl FITZ WILLI All 4 —At all events, the objection
was only one of amount, and be very mush doubted
whether the one railway would be much more secure in
the ease of war than the other.—(Hear, hear.) He
should think it a matter of very great regret if the idea
'should be created in the provincial mind that the olaims
of the colonywere disregarded, or treated as of.‘ slight im-
portance; and he treated that the Noble 14r! at the
head of the Government would so shape his future