The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-02 00:00:00

CANADA-A NATION.

On Tuesday the Confederation of the North
American Colonies Bill was read for the third
time in the House of Lords, and passed. This is
the first great step towards the formation of the
new nation. The Confederated Provinces will bear
the name of Canada—and Canada henceforth
will be, to all intents and purposes, a nation. One
tie only will exist between the mother country and
the nation she has brought into being—the Sove-
reign of Great Britain will remain the Sovereign of
Canada—represented by a Governor-General,
with a salary appropriated from the Colonial
Fund, and fixed at not less than £lO,OOO a year.
The Government of Canada is, in some measure,
modelled after that of the United States, though
there are important differences, and the theory is
wholly dissimilar ; the one being Monarchical, and
the other Republican. The Upper House is termed
a Senate, and will consist of 72 members, nominated
for life by the Governor-General. Of these, Upper
Canada will supply 24, Lower Canada 24, Nova
Scotia 12, and New Brunswick 12. It has been
thought it would have been a wiser policy
to have framed this House more closely on
the model of the Senate, at Washington. The same
machinery will be in existence to supply Senators from
the Legislatures of the Provinces, but the fact must
not be overlooked that it would be a very different
matter to supply the Upper House of the Supreme
Government with members from four instead of
from nine times that number of states ; and
experience perhaps would have shown that it would
have been impracticable to have acted on the great
example furnished by the neighbouring nation.
The Lower House will be termed the House of
Commons, and will consist of 181 members, of
whom Upper Canada will return 82, Lower Canada
65, Nova Scotia 19, and New Brunswick 15. This
House will bear a closer resemblance to the House
of Representatives than the Upper House will do
to the Senate of Congress. The number will vary
with the census—taken every tenyears—being based
on population. There is a very singular provision
for re-adjusting the representation. Lower Canada
is to have the fixed number of 65 members, and each
of the Federal divisions shall have that number of
members, which shall bear
_that proportion to the

population as 65 bears to the population of Lower
Canada. This House will last for five years. The
local Legislatures will remain, but with a restricted
jurisdiction ; each having surrendered into the
hands of the supreme Legislature a portion
of its power. Over each province will pre-
side a Lieutenant-Governor appointed by the
Governor-General, and retaining his office for
five years. The bill classifies under four heads the
distribution of power between the supreme and
local Legislatures.
The first includes those subjects which are placed
under the control of the Colonial Parliaments
affecting the country at large, as the national debt,
trade and commerce, the revenue, and taxation,
both direct and indirect, and on this latter subject
the fullest power is given. These points embrace
currency, coinage, banking, collection and issue
of statistics, as well as criminal legislation, shipping,
navigation, harbours, quarantine, and so forth.
Secondly. Those subjects which are entrusted to
the local Legislatures. Chief in importance among
these is the power of raising revenue by direct taxa-
tion. The PrOvinces surrender their right to levy
indirect taxes, and will retain only the power of
direct taxation. The management and control of
their charity and other institutions will remain to
them, and they will be allowed from time to time
to alter and amend their Constitution.

Thirdly. Those subjects which are termed con-
current legislation ; such as Agriculture, Immigra-
tion, and Public Works.

And, lastly, those which are dealt with excep-
tionally, which is intended to provide for extra-
ordinary cases arising from difference of religion,
and the difficulties which may spring from differences
of language and race. These are the principal features
of the bill that will presently be debated in the
House of Commons, and as the measures have re-
ceived the most mature consideration on the other
side of the Atlantic from all interested, it is not
likely that an amendment will be attempted. We
may, then, confidently look for the new nation- to
come immediately into being. Lord CARNARVON
said they were laying the foundation of a great
State, perhaps greater than that of England. In
revenue, in trade, and in shipping it already ex-
ceeded the thirteen colonies which eighty years ago,
at the time of the declaration of independence,
became the United States. He regarded the
future of the Federation as one of great and happy
promise, and he hoped that a State would be
formed worthy to take its place by the side of one
of the greatest nations of the world. It is con-
sidered by many that each province should have had
the power of electing its own Governor, and that
some provision should have been made by which
the people could have returned their Senators.
Without a particle of real control—on Eng-
land will still rest no small share of respon-
sibility. The QUEEN will appoint her Vice-
roy, and this officer will now perhaps take
the highest dignity of any functionary nominated
by the Crown as one almost sovereign in his func-
tions. The only connection that will exist between
the young nation and the mother country will be
through this Head of the Administration. Still as
Great Britain appoints him, and he appoints the
Lieutenant-Governors and Senators, the responsibi-
lity of these nominations will in some measure rest
on England. Though the step is by no means
perfect, yet it is a long stride towards inde-
pendence. The next step, we presume, will
b 3 the appointment of a member of the
Royal Family as Governor-General, and the office
made hereditary, which will secure a monarchy and
t!,e complete independence of the country. We
believe that it would have been better both for the
colony and the mother country for the Provinces
to have enteredtas States of the Union ; but, failing
this, the clear course is towards an independent
sovereignty.---Anglo-American Times.

TREAT RICAL INTELLIGENCE.

LIVERPOOL THEATRES.
PRINCE OF WALES.

When Mr. Henderson announced his intention of de-
voting his beautiful house for a time to the legitimate
drama, and of inauguretinga series of S haksperian revivals,
by the production of ono of the most beautiful although
perhaps the boast known of the great dramatist's works,
there were many headfshaki egs and many doubts expressed
as to the pecuniary success of the venture. The disastrous
results of the celebrated Kean revival 'at the Princess's
some years since, and other notable examples, might have
deterred other managers from venturing out of the beaten
.track of sensationalism and burlesque, which seems, ac-
cording to the present day notion, to be the only safe road
to a full treasury. But Mr. Henderson had never known
failure since he put in an appearance in Liverpool, and
his previous success and known liberality in the produc-.
tion of everything he attempted, led many to predict that
another triumph would be added to the many he had
achieved during his managerial career. Truly have these
predictions been verified by the production of " Anthony
and Cleopatra," which for grandeur and magnificence
stands unrivalled by anything over attempted on the
English stage. The scenery, by the Messrs. Grieve, pre-
sents a series of beautiful pictures, each a perfect master-
piece of art, painted with a conscientious and truthful ad-
herence to historical accuracy, and bringing vividly before
the imagination the luxury and splendour of the period
in which the incidents are supposed to have occurred.
The last scene in the third act, representing the Island of
Philac on the Nile (where Anthony and Cleopatra, sur-
rounded by their Court, hold high festival,) is a marvel of
scenic effect. The graceful movements of the dancers,
the beautiful music and clashing of cymbals, the richness
of the costumes, the deep blue of the noble river, over
which the rising moon sheds its silvery light, the exquisite
grouping of the figures, altogether presents a scene of
gorgeous magnificence which beggars description. Mr.
Walter Montgomery sustains the character of Anthony
with considerable dignity and effectiveness: his manly
and graceful carriage, and rich and beautifully-modulated
voice, enable him to fully realise the noble Roman war-
rior pictured by Shakspere. The Cleopatra of Miss Rein-
hardt is a majestic conception, and rendered with a rare
grace and finish; possessed of great personal beauty and
a commanding and exquisitely moulded figure, she full'S,
looks the beautiful and fascinating Egyptian Queen, whose
wiles led the unfortunate Anthony to sacrifices, power,
station, honour, and life,