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

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.
TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOHN PAKINGTON,
BART., SECRETARY 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 the same time, to the great strength of our
glorious Constitution, proving alike the beauty and har-
mony of ail its working maadnery—has placed you in
a position the most ambitious might envy,
the most
devoted lover of his country be proud to hold.
You are 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 he is wrong, he wishes to know that
his opinion has been most decidedly condemned, not
merely by political opponents, who have, either in or
out of office, lived for six long years upon an "experi-
ment," but by the intelligent and by the. talented, in
short, by the great mass of his fellow-countrymen,
before he attempts to lead or to direct their energies fur
future operations. He has come forward, in short.
to serve her. Majesty and the empire; solemnly has
he elected to be tried before God and his cuuutry, and
seen a secious appeal will be listened to with respect,
but strongly tested by his Lordship's conduct.
After this brief preface, Sir, you, who have been se-
lected by Lord Derby to be at the head of our great
colonial empire, 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
what in my humble opinion it really is—the very key-
stone to our political and commercial existence.
If history had not even taught us how nations rise
and fall, a very little 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 onr 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 Vense. Our prosperity,
since we boat that noble territory, now the United
Stator. has made us bold in folly, and we thus venture
on and on, until we sham) ell be astonished some day to
find our vest•el spilt, our crew dispersed. Foreigners,
even Germans, can tee our danger, and point out our
weakness.
" The whole of England," says M. Ficquelmont,
"seem to imagine in North America a power against
which it can no longer struggle," and he adds, that to
attempt now to stop tree United States in her career of
power, proeperty, and universal dominion between Eu-
rope and Asia " would be the greatest case of being too
late in the find that would ever have been recorded in
history." This letter paragraph shows our danger as
much as the fattier one shows our folly. Far be it
from us to attempt to stop either the prosperity or the
power of the United States; but lot U 3 exert ourselves
to keep pace with her, and universal dominion between
Europe and Asia we can never allow her to obtain.
With the permission of the editor of The Sun, who
has always entertained a high value of our colonial em-
pire, I will make this attempt, Sir, thus tomtit your imme-
diate attention to our North American territories.
Long, too long, indeed, have we neglected that noble
field for British enterprise and British capital; too long
have we trilled. with loyal hearts and warm feelings to
old England; too long have we neglected our own inte-
reste in too eceonilary ooneideration given to our noble
colonial empire. To be a colonist has almost become a
term of reproach or cf contempt. Only 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 till our bench, be it of bishops or of judges, as
any men who ever wore the apron or the ermine; men
as fit to form our military or naval heroes as any of
thoee whose best blood flows beneath our scarlet coats;
men fit for every situevion in life, quaLfied fur every
duty. But eneugh, there they are—colonists—and es
such tit for power or for place in England. Such things,
however, cannot any longer be. Trie whirligig of urns
brings in is revenges, and if we do not find scope and
occupation for 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 not direct, aid, and assist
the loyal British feeling that yet exists, wofully shall we
rue the day, when indeed it will be toe late; for should
cur intarrai American provinces once be induced to jein
the United States, England's maritime power, in the
Peciric certainly, in the Atlantic probably, is gone, never
to return. The whole continent of North America
under one authority, Q. protective policy against all our
maeufactures and encouragement to their own, and
England's princely neerchan's will soon become merely
poor shopkeepers, and her industrious, hard-working
people complete beggars. This is no imaginary picture,
but a stern reality—at least I think so—and have said
enough, I hope, Sir, to show that I am in earnest. I
May be wrong, as may the Protectionist or the Free-
trader, but I claim equaily with them sincerity arid the
right to be heard. It we loses our North American con-
tiuorit, our roble- ports on the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. it will matter little thee, in my opinion, who 'nee
rule Eentlied; feet she will inevitably sink into a third.
rat, ur thertn-rete power; the may struggle on for a time,
but it sail be en an ebbing wave, or down a troubled
stream—her prcstiye gone—and ultimately to last for
eter—her statesmen laughed an her Rig despised.
But, Sir, I On not 6,01 upon such things because I
thiele them; proheble or posiibL, but because I believe
the moment has arrived when we may give an impetus
and an energy to the industry of this great' empire, by
the imineeilete development of her song-hidden resources.
We may extend her Le:two:ewe, employ her capital, arid
increase her revenue to an extent not easily to be cal-
culated; and I appeal to you, Sir, to seize with courage
the nehle. opportunity now oiTering to immortalise your
name by it now culoniel policy none have yet bad the,
good tense to iippeeciate nor the boldness to wring fur-
wai d.

Let me entreat of you, Sir, to turn your serious
attention to the vast field of wealth contained in
oar North American provinces. Let a grand
effort be wade fer tae development of their rich
resources, end far a move beyond Free-traders, and
do ewsy with that huge wall of mono. the Had-
polv
110/f3 Bay Company Which, to the disgrace of the Whigs
they hare' kit behind them, a territory between the
Cauadas and New Caledouia, into which no man can
enter, with which no man can trade, unless by leave of
the lludsoa's Bay Company. A new state will speedily
spring h..) there, and the whole belt of that territory,
from &
Lasenior to the Pacific, about five degrees in
e
""4", will be teeming, with emigrants, and covered with
Beitish manufhoture3; and we shall have an easy route
1.1"1 Iblifax to Veucenver's Island, which wculd " coun-
ter bets n se,"
bays the editor of the New Monthly Maga-
zine, all present, end possibly mony prospective, dissd-
vantige3 of the sea-board power of America in the
Pacific.
The language held by
his remari.a on the commercial andpolitical aspects of
Mr. Squires, the American, in
the intereceanic canal 02 Nicer ought to be enough
, auda
to grouse the indignation
apsthetic Minister, and would affathe
gut
int
• nt excuse to
of the most
this coat:try for any, the most active
sures he might think nee,ssary tuvtutend energetic, men"
me entreat of you also, Sir, to .a
step
Parliamentary reform, and let all 'ou go beyond
responsible government has been r
uctolonies in which
working well be at once represenitedrionduced and is
Parliament; at all events, let the colonists have the Imperial
and let colonial property be a qualification in:
the offer,
—and do not let a colonist any longer supposen. England,
not considered as an Englishman. Where r that he is
Government has been successfully established, it
glways be one who represented the then majority of
colonial legislature who would represent it at homsli;
for
if their Ministry resign, he of course would lose his seat
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. Hicks, is
now in England. as a delegate, on the subject of the
Great Trunk Railway. Last year there was one from
Nova Scotia, Mr. ilowe, who is expected again im-
mediately, as well as Mr. Chandler, from New Bruns-
wick. This, depend upon it, will be the last attempt
made—the last appeal to Britain. It would bo melan-
choly, indeed, to go into all the details of the treatment
of the North American colonies on the subject of their
railways ; year alter year has rolled 00, yet nothing
done ; ebange after change may coma 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 given; indeed, worsethan none; and these
magnificent colonies, hemmed on one side by the United
States, on the other by the impenetrable country of the
Hudson's' Bay Company—and checked by the obstinacy
' or stnpidity of English rulers in the development of her
resenro.s—remain a blot on our commercial and indus-
trial escutcheon. An insulted and degraded people, the
men of the north—who might form a mighty kingdom
themselves froth the Atlantic and Pacific—are now
saareely acknowledged, neither in name nor iu fact.
Can they consider themselves Englishmen? You, Sir,
have a noo,le field before you—you have the men either
, new, in the country, or who soon will be, to give you the
best advice; take Is bold, comprehensive view of the
whole luestion--so may God dircct and proer urear
exertions and your plans.—l have the honour tain,
48ir, lour most obedient humble servant,
AN ENGLISHMAN.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
,
Oa Tuesday, a large meeting was held at ono or the
r"rna in the northern entrance to the transept, adjoin-
ing the Peat refreshment court, pursuant to an adver-
tisement of the committee now organising, having for
its otiect the prcucrvation of the above iding. The
hour named was
bminutes a that time tiler.) was a 6"ntf attendance, bat
twelve o'clock, and up to within a few
y u few minutes utter
were colle Aged, the auk twelve o:elock about 4 00f paervs.eornys
elegant compan Tree being composed °
number of working men. ire
worn also present a urge
Sir Joseph Paxton was cid.L.4
loud cheers; and with A 4—....,. to the chair, amidst
Mr. Gordon Gryll, Sir g 1110, 1 Sir G. R. Sartorius,
Evans, Mr. Le Neve Foster, ant\n, Mr. Oliveira, Dr.
the meeting, at which a series of —r. Rules, addressed
raously passed in favour of its viersertliutions were
The proceedings proceedings concluded with a (s. of thanks
d:t4.lthe Compli-
Sir Joseph Paxton, who, in "know:frig
mantisaid that if. this lulldicg wqr,
tits
_would clndemn fn.? T;rn2nt ptiersti9--14eA-P"te- .
Ql3* The Lion,