The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-29 00:00:00

time past been favoured by leading minds in the
Canadas and other British possessions in North
America. A central parliament at Ottawa would
give that real unity of action which could not even
be attempted by the distant influence of the Colonial
Minister in London. At the same time the weak-
ness which has been shown by experience to be in-
herent in a federal union of equal states would not
be dreaded in a combination of peoples who owned
a common allegiance to the central authority in
England. The confederation of our American
provinces would be a development of our colonial
system ; it would tend to simplify it, and reduce it
to working order. It need scarcely be feared that
it would lead for a long time to come to a separa-
tion of these dependencies from the mother country.
It is a far greater thing to form a part of a great
nation, whose subjects are numbered by several
hundred millions, who takes the lead in the van of
civilisation, whose power is felt everywhere, and
whose flag covers the seas, than to be the mere citi-
zens of a puny republic whose weakness would leave
it a prey to the first aggressor who might turn his
attention that way. What is more important, perhaps,
is, that these provinces, looking to the mother coun-
try as a common centre and arbiter, would escape for
all future time that conflict of interests which has
led to this bloody civil war in the United states.
The heart and core of British America is in the
twin provinces of the Canadas. They are the
most thickly populated and most fertile of the
British possessions. There is Lower Canada, bor-
dering on the St. Lawrence, in which the French
element still predominates, in which the old respec-
tablility, the aristocracy of North America, is con-
centrated. There is Upper or Western Canada,
bordered by the great Lakes, peopled by British im-
migrants, very modern and progressive in character.
These two countries, historically antipathetic, and
far from having yet forgotten their century of
rivalry, are united in a sense of common danger and
a common aspiration. The danger lies in the well-
understood fact that in any invasion from the south
it would be their cities that would be aimed at, their
fertile fields that would be the first to be devastated,
their country that would be made the battle-ground
on which the quarrel between England and America
would have to be fought out. It is to their interest
that the surrounding states should make common
cause with them, and be ready to confront this
danger with a universal armament. Again, the
Canadas are inland countries, and, unlike other
inland countries, desire before all things a ready com-
munication with the outer world, as a means of de-
veloping their commerce and extending their in-
fluence. It is their ambition to gain a seaboard, by
at once establishing intimate relations with the mari-
time provinces. They offer to these provinces a fair
share and equal representation in the central Go-
vernment. But the chief advantage of the union
would be evidently theirs, and the maritime pro-
vinces, which have little to gain by it beyond the
gratification of a sentiment, are now pretty clearly
the master of the situation. Out of the total popu-
lation of British North America, the Canadas con-
tain two millions and a half, the seaboard countries
about one million of people. Thus, on the eastern
coast, we have New Brunswick, with a population
of 250,000; the
.peninsula of Nova Scotia, with
350,000 ; Prince Edward's Island, with 80,000
souls ; and the island of Newfoundland, with
130,000. In the eastern maritime provinces
there are about 900,000 men. In the western
maritime countries, the newly settled re-
gions of British Columbia and Vancouver,
on the Pacific, with splendid harbours, and already
a vast trade, there are some 100,000 inhabitants.
The majority of these seaboard countries have con-
sented to a measure of which the practical effect
will be a considerably increased taxation and absorp-
tion in Canada. The principle of confederation on
which they have agreed has been cordially approved
by the central Government in London. Messrs.
Cartier and Galt, members of the Canadian Go-
vernment, have come over from Canada to confer
with our Government on the subject. There is,
however, an awkward fact, which is likely to operate
as a bar to this arrangement at the outset. New
Brunswick, with its population of a quarter of a
million, has been polled, and, by a small majority,
has refused to agree to the Federation. New
Brunswick is at present independent of the other
colonies,and we cannot fairly force her to consent to
an union of which she disapproves. It happens,
however, that St. John's, in the Bay of Fundy,
and Fredericton, and the capacious harbours in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence are regarded as of vital im-
portance to the projected Acadia. What is to be
done in this dilemma ? Perhaps the stalwart New
Brunswickers will change their minds, if they are
convinced that public opinion condemns them for
their mistaken policy of selfish isolation. If not it
may be possible to form an Acadian Confederation
without including this province, leaving New
Brunswick for the present out in the cold, in the
hope that on the first threatening of an American
invasion the little colony will be only too glad to
throw herself repentantly into the arms of her more
powerful cousins.

The Metropolitan Board of Works.

-o

The weekly meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works
was held yesterday at the office in Spring-gardens. Mr. J.
Thwaitea, chairman, presided.
FINANCE.
- _

The financial statement was presented, which showed
the following cash balances in the hands of the treasurer :
Current accounts, £284,614 16s. ld. ; deposit accounts,
£297,300; total, £581,914 16s. ld. Government securities
£51,371 10s. 10d.
THE STATE OF THE RIVER AT THE OUTFALL SEWERS.

The CHAIRMAN said he wished to call the attention of the
Board to a subject that had seriously affected the health of
their officers at the outfall works at Crossness on the south,
and Barking on the north—the. effluvium from manufac-
tories of glue and other offensive substances. Those manu-
factories were a great nuisance and an injury to the health
of the officers, and he had hoped it would have been abated.
He had visited the place, however, and found the nuisance
almost unbearable, and, so far from it having been dimi-
nished, it had greatly increased. It was of great importance
that this should be made known, or the public might en-
tertain the notion that these offensive smells were caused
by the sewerage works, and .not by these manufactories.
That had been the state of things long prior to the sewage
being discharged into the river, and he thought the engi-
neer ought to report upon it. The nuisance had greatly in-
creased during the past two months. He wished to men-
tion that within the last few days a friend of his, a whar-
finger on the Thames, had caught a very fine jack in the
Pool, nearly opposite to the Custom-house—(hear, hear)—
which showed the improved state of the river in conse-
quence of the Main Drainage, works.
Mr. CARPMAEL said he could also bear his testimony to
the fact that fish were again making their appearance at
points higher up the river, where for many years they had
never been seen.
Mr. LE BRETON said he should move that the subject be
referred to Mr. Bazalgette, the chief engineer, and Dr.
Letheby, to report on the best means of getting rid of the
nuisance.

Mr. EVANS seconded the motion, which was carried una
nimously.

PRESERVATJON OP COMMONS AND OPEN SPACES.

A report was brought up from the Streets Committee on
he subject of the preservation of commons and open spaces

for the use of the public. The committee stated that they
had given the subject their most serious consideration, and
had unanimously arrived at a resolution that it was highly
desirable to preserve the open commons and spaces near the
metropolis for public recreation and enjoyment, and that
the board should compensate the lords of the manors and
the commoners for any rights of which they might be de-
prived, such open spaces to remain unenclosed ; also that,
towards meeting the expenditure to be incurred, power
should be given to the board to sell certain portions of such
open spaces for building or other purposes.
Mr. PHILLIPS moved the adoption of the report, which
was seconded by Mr. D'IFFANGER.

Mr. ROCHE moved, as an amendment, " That the report
be printed and circulated, and taken into consideration at
the next meeting."