The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-07 00:00:00

is everything that can attract the industri-
ous and enterprising settler. Whether his
inclination turns to delving in the earth, to tilling
the soil, or to seek a subsistence from the lower
tribes who inhabit the sea and the land, he has only
to make his choice. The means for a livelihood are
clear before him, and he has but to accept the gifts
and profit by the opportunities which nature scatters
with a lavish hand. The great primaeval forest
indeed rears its towering head and stretches for
miles upon miles over the country. Still this very
forest is another source of wealth, and the number
of trades forms one of the important resources of
the North American Provinces. New Brunswick,
in common with the other British settlements in that
part of the world, has natural wealth enough to
excite the cupidity of an unscrupulous neighbour
without the artificial strength to resist it. The great
resource of all the provinces would, of course, be
their union and joint action ; but, unfortunately,
there are difficulties in the way which, if they do not
produce the failure of the scheme, at least cause
delay and uncertainty. New Brunswick itself has
played a decided part in the postponement of the
question, having displaced a Government and re-
gistered its opinion decidedly against the Confedera-
tion scheme. The members were pretty evenly
balanced, however, and it was only a narrow
majority of 450 votes, which defeated the proposal
and changed the Ministry. The French element
I was not hostile to the scheme, seeing that two
French counties recorded nearly 3,000 votes in favour
of Confederation, and not one vote against it. The
great objection raised against it is the possible in-
crease of taxation. The New Brunswickers have no
inclination to protect themselves against dangers not
immediate or imminent at a cost of additional taxes.
" What they did with yesterday, they'll e'en do
with to-day," and they probably cherish a lurking
hope that in case of a rupture with their powerful
neighbour England will supply all that is lacking.
They forget how much valuable time must be lost
before ;such assistance could arrive, and how incum-
bent it is on them to be prepared to the extent of
their- abilities. The absence of taxation is one of
the great inducements always held out to the in-
tending emigrant, and certainly from all accounts
the settlers in New Brunswick are not inclined to
surrender their advantages. The dread of taxation
makes them turn a deaf ear to any proposals for in-
creased outlay, and those persons who from various
causes were hostile to the Confederation scheme
found no argument so effective as the assertion that
Canada had a heavy debt, and wanted to share her
burden with the maritime provinces. But in this
ingenious train of reasoning one important point is
overlooked, and that is the financial consideration
of the United States, because if New Brunswickers
prefer annexation to taxation they are likely to
have both evils instead of one. The public burdens
in America must grow heavier and heavier, as the
expenses of the war are more strongly felt, so that
it will not be exactly the way to keep out of trouble
to be dragged into the midst of the financial
perplexities. If the local pride of the maritime
provinces shrinks from the thought of the predomi-
nance of Canada in the Confederation, how will it
relish the very insignificant position which will be
allotted to it in the vast and populous assemblage
of the United States ? The politicians of New
Brunswick have an awkward piece of business to
decide, and although the discussion is going on all
through the settlements nothing as yet has been de-
termined upon. Besides the negative advantages to
be gained by the union with her fellows New
Brunswick will derive positive benefit from the
arrangement to be made with respect to the public
works. According to the present system the roads,
bridges, schools, &c., are maintained out of the im-
port duties, and,-consequently, the tariff is so high
that it puts a very serious impediment in the way
of the foreign trade. It is manifest that this must
be a great drawback to a country which must loot
to trade and commerce as the stepping-stones to
wealth and power. The Quebec Confederation so
clearly perceived the dangers of this course, as pur
sued by the colonies, that they arranged that out o:

the general revenue a sum equal to 80 cents per
head of the population sh dbe annually paid to

each province in full discharge of all such claims, so
that whatever additional outlay was necessary for

road-making, bridge-building, schools, or other

works of general local benefit, must be paid
in the English fashion by a local rate

in aid. This clause in the proposed constitution

excited very strong opposition in New Brunswick

but the gentlemen who framed it showed the true

spirit of enlightened and far-seeing statesmen when

they endeavoured to remove all shackles from trade,
and to discourage the maintenance of a tariff which

tends to drive the foreign dealer elsewhere with

his goods. It was scarcely to be hoped that so

great an undertaking would be carried through
without a vigorous opposition, but time and reflec-

tion have already exercised a modifying influence.

The present generation is called upon, as it were,
to make sacrifices for the benefit of a distant and

uncertain future. The British Americans fear that
the new and untried road which they are called

upon to enter will lead them to bear the burdens of

an older civilisation. So considerable a work is
not to be lightly undertaken, and it is well that all

parties should count the cost before beginning ; but

the advantages are considerable, the risks to be

avoided so great, and the grounds for undertaking

it so reasotable, that we cannot believe a self:

governing intelligent British community will long

delay its execution.

Experience has repeatedly

shown that anion is strength. The British Ameri-

can Provinces are too valuable to rely on an isolated
security. They have, both in their soil and their

population, the elements of a great and powerful

nation, which shall carry out in the Western

Hemisphere the high mission of the mother country

in the Old World, preserving her traditions of Con

stitutionalLaw and Liberty, and relying for strength
and riches, like her, not on the spirits of war, but

on the trophies of peace, trusting the schoolmaster
to keep order, rather than the soldier placing the
check on violence and rebellion, in the hands of

the people themselves, and claiming free thought,
free speech, free action, as her inalienable right.
To attain this end two things are especially neces-
sary—the union which preserves peace, and the
liberal policy which encourages commerce. Selfish
and exclusive laws will never make a great people,
and they are certainly but ill adapted to any com-
munity which claims English origin.

Much may be learned from the study of the
transactions that took place in the Health Depart-
ment of the Social Science Congress, over which
Dr. lANKESTER presided. A paper was read by
Mr. P. H. HOLLAND, on the " Unnecessary Ex-
posure of Workmen to Danger of Life and Health,
in Collieries, Mines, and Manufactories." After-
wards a most interesting paper was read by Dr.
HALL, senior physician to the Sheffield Public
Hospital, on the subject of " The Effects of certain
Sheffield Trades on Life and Health." The details
here chronicled are really appallinc, in their extent
and magnitude, and the reader is left in a state of
consternation at the fatal requirements of trade,
which demands so many victims. Few things are
more sad in their way than the pictures here pre-
sented to our notice, of human beino ztriTing to