The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-05-05 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE COLONIES OF ENGLAND. 1 SOCIETY
OS OR
FOR TH
INEFO REI PROPAGATA RION OF THE
L GN PTS.

Glasgow, 2nd May, 1846.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL TIMES.
SIR,—My attention has just been drawn to your re-
marks of Tuesday last on my opinions, and your insinu-
ations as to my loyalty. _ _ _ .

A meeting of this society was held in London on Tues=
day, at which the Duke of Buccleuch presided. There
were also present the Archbishop of Armagh, Bishops of
Winchester, Bangor, Rochester, St. David's, Chester,
Sodor and Man, and Jamaica, the Deans of Westminster,

will . . ,
lam sure you not refuse me the privilege of setting Lincoln, and Chichester, Ven. Archdeacons Manning,
myself right with your readers, and I wish you and they Sinclair, and Hamilton, Lords Cornwallis, Glenelg, Dela-
could be brought as easily to see that you have no more warr, Jermvn, Sondus, Littleton, John Manners, M.P.,
reason on your side in opposing my opinions, than you Rayleigh, R. Grosvenor, M.P., Clive, Howe, Bolton,
have facts, or even appearances, with which to question and Sandon, M.P., T. D. Acland, M.P., Cardwell, M.P.,
my devotedness to the British Government. &c. &c.
If, in Canada, I have not done as much as any one ihe following is the principal portion of the speech of
individual, in sustaining MONARCHIC IN AMERICA, in its the Bishop of Jamaica on the occasion. His lordship said,
hours of danger and extremity, I have the equally proud .. I wish to impress on your minds the consideration that,
feeling that on these occasions I have uniformly done all notwithstanding the exertions of this and kindred socie-
I could. ties, notwithstanding every effort of religious enterprise,
And no one has used greater, or perhaps so great, exer- many of the colonies and dependencies of the British
tions for the last dozen years in a more difficult and, to crown continue in a state of deplorable destitution, and
my mind, ano less patriotic duty—l mean, the purifying that the Incorporated Society does afford, under God, the
and popularising of the administration of the colony, as fittest instrumentality for counteracting the evil we de-
the best, as the only, hope of perpetuating the sway of the plore. But, my lord, is this destitution real and substan-
British crown over its North American dependencies. tial, or is it but an imaginary and exaggerated grievance?
I have always objected to every abuse that I saw to be I apprehend that, if we advance no further than to ascer-
endangering the hold of England on Canada, just as tain the identical truth asserted in the first resolution,
warmly as I now object to free trade, or rather free im- which has passed this meeting, viz. :—that more than
ports only into the mother country and the colony. 40,000 persons, and they principally of the lowest order,
As a proof of my former position, permit me to give are, year after year, across the Atlantic or Australian Freese
the following extract from a defence I wrote of Lord and landed in some one or other of our immense colonies.
Metcalfe, in December 1843, which was the first blow without any means of instruction or of public worship, our
struck in Upper Canada for that most illustrious repre- case will be sufficiently proved. I mean not to impugp°
sentative of her Majesty, and at a time when Canadian the policy of emigration. I mean not to deny that ern'.
public opinion had set in more strongly against his Ex- gration to a considerable extent is necessary, both to the
cellency than the tide of British public opinion is 210 W country to be left, and the country to be peopled. But I
against protection to British industry : do contend that, if the policy and the purpose of the times.
" Situated, as Canada is, alongside of the United States, do compel men to emigrate, the charity and the justice of
we known that Republicanism will, at times, become an the times are pledged to provide the poor emigrants, at
alarming element among us, and its power here is to be least in the early stages of their history, with the means of
dreaded just in proportion that wrong or illiberal princi- worshipping God after the manner of their forefathers.
pies, exclusiveness or Toryism, are fostered and increased But bow has this first reasonable expectation been reali,.
in the colony ; and we believe that, left in its present un- zed ? I seek in vain in our Colonial annals for any proof
popular Episcopal state, King's College is little better of its existence. I look on the mass of our colonial pos-
than a hotbed and nursery of provincial Toryism, which sessions—l read their statistical returns, and I find large
we have always found, both in Upper and Lower Canada, districts still left without clergymen, townships rising
just as impatient of British control, and just as anti- without churches, villages and hamlets growing into com-
British in its views of its peculiar interests, and the pre- mercial and agricultural, and even political importance,
scriptive importance of its individuals, as is the Repub- without the adoption of any predomination ; nay, without
licanism of either province, although the members of the having any instruction, without a local habitation or 1r
former faction have certainly this in common with us name assigned to our national faith. I would illustrate
(which the Republicans have not), that in the hour of this from a little personal experience. It is now some-
the country's need, they stood with us in support of the what more than five-and-twenty years ago since I first
British principles." trod the soil of a British colony ; nor shall I easily forget
I have already said more than I could have wished about the impressions made upon me by that extraordinary
myself, but I hope your readers will see that the public scene. The island to which I refer was in vice almost
object I have in view demanded it. commensurate with our sister kingdom. The residence
With regard to the loyalty of the population of Canada, of the Colonial Governor looks down upon a dim and
I have to request you to republish my letter to the Colo- dingy, but densely peopled town, carries even hustlings
nial Gazette, of 23d March last. on its lofty height; troops were garrisoned on its castled
To see, however, the imminently critical situation of crags, and the proud pendants of England's sovereignty
Canada, if its material prosperity comes to be interfered were waving over its estuaries. In one of its 100 harbours
with (by its connection with England giving the Ameri- more than SCO vessels, having severally the flags of every
cans the run of the Canadian markets, while the Canadi- European power, were collected, waiting to transport the
ans continue to be debarred from selling in the markets of produce of its banks, of its rivers, and even of its desolate
the United States), you have only to consider what I said iceburgs, to enrich the coffers of their parent states. One
(in the above extract) of the unavoidable danger of the in- hundred thousand persons thus find employment on its
crease of republicanism in a country so situated. In fact, shores, while thirty thousand more " went down to thg,
unless the moral effect of the British government on the sea in ships, and occupied their business in great waters,
,
population be happier, and unless it is shown not to stand that colony, my lord, had territory, had commerce, had
in the way of the material prosperity of the country, we population ; and to consecrate that territory to sanctify
cannot perpetuate monarchy in America, nor, as friends that commerce, and to guide into the way of truth that
of humanity, ought we to desire to do so. population, it had two missionaries of our holy Catholic
The Canadians, (1 spenk of Upper... Canada, more espe- Church. Passing thence into another colony, equal le
cially,) would long ago have thrown off the British govern- size, and more considerable in population, blessed with il
merit, but that their devoted attachment to its high and more genial climate and a more fertile soil, and cons!e.
philanthropic principles enabled them to believe that the quently assuming mare of a settled and agricultural chi"
evils, under which they have so long lain, could not be racter, I found eleven clergymen : while in the adjoining
con,equences of the operation of our principles of govern- province, the very earliest scene of the colonist, not one'
ment, but are only evidences of their not being in opera- tenth part of the people had the means of attendirlg
Lion in the colony. church. Now, it must not be supposed, that during this
The endurance of practically bad government, purely period the society slumbered and slept, that she was tin'
through their devotion to British principles among those mindful of the deficiency and did not strive to apply the re'
of British origin in Canada, may be judged of by the medy. Had this been the case, the resolution which I advn,
following facts, which all go to show the danger of our cate would be wholly untrue and the society unworthy' e'
doing away their peculiar advantages in the, English your confidence and support. But on the contrary, unclet,
,
market : the auspices of this, the much-neglected society, I have seep
Ist.—Prior to Mr. Poulett Thomson's administration the clergy of Newfoundland increased from 2to 28, while
of the government, so little vitality or popular power and those of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have been tre;
eictivity was there in our colonial decoction of monarchy, bled in amount and greatly improved in usefulness.,_;
that every man in the country knew that his property have witnessed the first introduction of its missionaries
would be worth four times as much were Canada made a into the Bermudas, the practice of the western world,
state of the American union. the restoration of its missions, after an interval of near le
2nd.—Even to this moment, the avant of active or 100 years in the distant islands of the Bahamas. lin
business-Pke government, not to say misgovernment, is seen proselytes won from heathenism, converts reforgne.
such, that even the improved value of property in Canada from Rome, and multitudes confirmed and educated '''
would be doubled by its now becoming a state of the the faith of their fathers by this valued institution. 're
union.
the character and conduct of its missionaries I can ale
3rd.—The population are soured by the British govern- bear personal testimony. They have been carefully se;
ment winking at things being attempted to be forced lected either by the committees at home or by the bishop!,
down the throat of the colonists which dare not be origi- abroad. They are, for the most part, whatever may be
nated at home in the present day. I allude to the former the few and painful exceptions, men strongly imbued withf
almost successful attempt of the Church of England to the missionary spirit, men of faith and prayer, men
grasp for her own exclusive use the whole ecclesiastical consistent and energetic piety, men devoted to no straneoa
endowment in Upper Canada, although the members Cf and energetic opinions either of theology or church pa,r'oli
the Church of Scotland, together with the evangelical sanship, but intent upon one simple and leading ohjeeL.„,
dissenters, are more than twice as numerous, and to her the society the propagation of the gospel in all its purT.,
present more audacious attempt to do the same thing with On a recent occasion we have heard it asserted by a d_1,3,,
an immense educational endowment granted by George tinguished statesman, who has exhibited, both in his pubs
111. to the people of Upper Lc:nada. lie and in his private capacity, a strong affection for Lel
4th.—The Canadians know that, while a colony of Eng- Colonial Church ; and the argument has been re-urg_ro
land, their farms are the natural battle-field for the settle- to-day to a certain extent by the right hon. gentleman 'Cy
ment of European and American quarrels—a disadvantage preceded me, that " that which has been hitherto doll,_
so great as to be in itself the greatest proof of their loyalty, princes and governments must now be left to the spirit v,
although they feel that in England it secures for them no associations to effect." Entirely concurring with these
greater consideration. illustrious statesmen in assigning such a duty to our se;
I do not however argue for England giving Canada ciety, lam very far from assenting to the inference alp
advantages at the expense of the people of England. My the state is thereby ahquitted of its responsibility to pre
idea is that Free Trade (not being a system but a mere vide any further for the sustentation of a national chorea
departure from system) will come to be departed from within our colonies. I know, indeed, as a melanclioq
after a few years trial, and I therefore think it a monstrous truth, that the Legislature hale, in the exercise of tbV.:
pity, in a national point of view, that to make what ap- wisdom, seen fit to withdraw from the society their PI,
pears to me so baseless an experiment, the risk of the loss tance which for years had been allotted to her stewar.
of that noblest appendage of the British Crown, British ship, and consecrated to the promotion of religious Wl'''.
America, should in the meantime be run. But I know also that the wisdom of the LegislatN, n
The following extract from my letter of the 14th March,
in the Scotch Reformers' Gazette, will show exactly the though claiming our respectful consideration, is not We'd,
lible, nor are the acts of the Legislature, though dernesenel
views I expressed : in g our entire obedience, like the law of the Med
,i.7oi
"In a former number it was shown that free trade must the Persians, which altereth not. If, then, the clarnen,!to.
necessarily, in its very nature, lose us the colonies, be- an unrighteous multitude, if the complaints of the ILIO
cause, the principle of protection abandoned, the colonial dinarian and infidel could enforce upon our rulers. 01
system (which is a mere branch of it) falls also, or, what adoption of what I must call a mistaken and unbolt! re,
is to my mind far worse (and could only last a year or economy, it surely is not too much to expect that th,e, ocl
two), the colonies become a drag on the empire, having monstrances, the humble, the respectful, but earne"etes
ceased to benefit the mother country in any way after they reiterated remonstrances of the churchmen of the it of
have thrown off the Imperial Parliament's right to legis- pire, may in time induce a wiser and more liberal sPirosti.
late for their trade, and commenced free trade with all the legislation, a spirit more congenial to the christian ee„er
world. tution of the country. But, whatever may be our 0;00
" But I argue for the retention of the colonies only, tations of future assistance from the state, it is ee.oess
because it is the interest of England. that the hour has arrived when the church must SI (Of
"I hold that it were better for England to lose her cold- herself to a pure, energetic, and condensed exertiotnte to
nies, magnificent though these be, than to forbear doing her own perpetuity and extension; and Ido not hesitartios,
to ensure her perpetuity must be to extend
anything which is shown to be clearly in favour of the say that one of the first and best modes of this c%` e
oppressed population in this country. the g° st
, oil ,
"Though I before pointed out that the adoption of free through the medium of this society. Our appeal ots'
trade would necessarily lose the colonies (whose markets t lerefore be to every pastor, and through ever/. seen
there is no reason for us going to the expense of defend- to every congregation in this land. For more than alevis
ing, unless our manufactures are protected there), Ido ter of a century, the better part of my natural niereciegia
not pretend to argue that, to save the colonies, for their had the privilege to he a fellow worker with this Sy lc
own sake alone, should prevent us adopting free trade in I have worked humbly with its committees at hoteee'bee:
England, if the greater and more immediate interests of I have worked with God's grace, I hope nerseverinst es'
its the mother country would be advantaged thereby. a to.
missions abroad ; and probably no person prey
Far, however, from this being the case, I view free trade I been so intimately acquainted with all its mocewberei;
as tending to reduce the extent of our own manufactures, I
1 Its errors and deficiencies, whatever they may linee_.,,
to degrade the condition of our own manufacturers. * I are trifles light as air in comparison with the ilniPsitl)
* * * 4. * * good it has accomplished and is accomplishing. ell Jr`
mit, therefore, that the incorporated Society is W
serving the confidence of the meeting."

"You will thus see clearly my position to be, that (us
it is only by their labour that the people can attain pro-
visions) the self-evident proposition is, that no amount of
" FOOD IN THE COUNTRY" would be of benefit to the
poor if it is rrat paid for in BRITISH LABOUR."
If I have any reason for anticipating that the loss of
British America will flow from the adoption, by England,
of Free Trade, it becomes a very serious matter when we
consider that the following will be among the effects to
the mother country, even though we be prepared to put to
one side the consideration of the outrage to the feelings
of the Loyalists in Canada of our forcing them, (for it
amounts to no less, situated, as have explained them to
bed into the arms of the American Republic.
lat.—The vastly extensive region, now British America,
which is scarcely begun to be peopled, will, instead of
every year taking more and more goods, take British ma-
nufactures only to the comparatively insignificant amount
of the average per head that the United States now take
them.
2nd.—England would be cut off from a supply of tim-
br, even in time of peace, for the timber lands are Go-
vernment property, and the United States want it all, and
more, for their now twenty millions of people. It is
therefore evidently Canada, and not Oregon, that the
Americans are now driving at.
&A.—The command of the St. Lawrence and the Bay
of Fundy, with Halifax as an impregnable depot, would,
in less than ten years, make the United States a greater
naval power than France, and, in less than twenty years,
a greater naval power than what England, without Colo-
nies, will be, or have any object in being.
4th.—ln giving up. or doing anything which practically
is giving up, British America, we cede millions of acres
of the finest wheat lands in the world, the birth-right of
the poor of the mother country, and of which, to the dis-
grace of the Government, it is found that little or no use
has hitherto been made for their benefit.
I am, Sir, your obedient humble servant,
ISAAC BUCHANAN.

ANOTHER PARLIAMENTARY SCEN

On Thursday last, in the House of Lords, Prl
„ftesj
WILLIAM moved for a return of the bilis and esti°!;.,
the several railways for which petitions had been

during the preient session

Lord CAMPBELL rose, and was about to as'- te
house, when
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, " Will you alloy(
put the question."
ei° tiee
Lord C AMPBELL.—I the sorry to speak on .0
The LORD CHANCELLOR.—But there is the 01
which the noble lord (Nlonteagle) has in his 1131'° the
has to be put. uto
Lord CAMPBELL.—Henceforward we are toll 11,ti.
woolsack for order. We usually jog on very boe'"
observe that the most irregular quarter in the r,
de
generally the woolsack. (Hear, hear.) to et° oe
The LORD CHANCELLOR.—My cords, rl ee,bis :11 (/
(Hear, hear.) I have no more authority io Dow„ ee
than any other individual in it. We are dissirhil ofedot
constitution to the House of Commons. pea 04
authority to call noble lads to order; but it noble ,
authority I should every day have to call the,eo
learned lord to order. (Hear hear )
lorLord a
bad not
tPhtteEauthority
n A lel9,
toowcal hllat orderih e
but be has at least the power of abstaining fin 00, the
disorder, and after this I must repeat, that t":egrerior"
orderly quarter of this house is that which ig eCe°'
woolsack. (Hear, hear.) The noble and 10/ it
then added that, in his opinion, it is inclispeneLy der
nary that before long there should be a flu"
ment established. ti%°mbitebae:ol;°es°loll.6lll!.

poVsitAivNellTyY
assured co F Loa u Ds
tPhAatLI:EIiSTON. fOt
Nommaiimmemmill=mml..... 6 00/
r
ve 0J
surprise (we sa it sincerely) our Paris letters e apeLAI.I9,
etiquette, and all ordinary personal modest/lot Inors
been committed by Lord Palmerston ; aefi to liniat de,;
actually take upon him to write a letter--0" actl'ei"
in waiting—though that would have been o°oo Free'
ficient in conceit and self-sufficiency—but Of th- e i 0
Louis Phillippe, by the grace of God, King ° ceerf°,4 t'g
and one of the most illustrious and most P.°o 0-o°s
reigns in the world ! We venture to belireocersleoof
stands at the very head of all the acts ° watl'iaties e
vanity and presumption ever committed bid be e cel'o
and what is Lord Palmerston, tbat he. iTdentigiferei4e
all the millions whom his Majesty's provii.
..0 s? forie
delighted, should write the Kingthe illustrioila se oi%
—a letter ? Were there no other EnglP'hriiillia tails,
who felt grateful to God on the occasion • derri,coos to
of Montrose, did the Marquis of Lond°° and tieg tti
Marquis of Lanseowne, did Lords CautiluPe of io,eseS,„
write to the King, or so much as drearnip or, 01c3
him ? Nay, did Lord Cowley, who actua' fatterea liPo,
our Queen at the French Court, write arl,„ust °P,ed °,,tl
• tbe w en' S''
serve, the Court of the Tuileries is been pres_iag,,,
accessible in Europe ; all who have b;eri eviginier• 01
monstrousolig ,'; la,
received there without any ceremony. e Lord and Pest
see the King, the Queen, and the famly.
utrYir'lle tbe OP
could have gone with the rest of his coo
and,
lil eon,
.li,
of his countrymen he could,
his respects, for he had been preseted, 0.. .ed po ,ratsio
because in the usual manner, have tender . the itorei
nut n°' --•0"
itions to the King and the family. ,iaaces.
whig was far above such ordinary coculu
Herald. ii, a modes,Lerped hi roes 4

[The letter addressed to the Colonial Gazette, referred
to by Mr. Buchanan, •was formerly published in the
Standard.]

THE ELECTION FOR THE FALKIRK BOROUGHS.—
This election took place on Friday, when, at the close of
the poll, Lord Lincoln was declared elected by a majority
of eleven. The votes for his lordship were 506, and for
Mr. Wilson, a radical, 495. The Montrose Standard,
whose opinion we give as coming from a quarter not far
distant from the scene of action, says—" Lord Lincoln's
peculiar situation as a member of government, without a
seat in the House of Commons, and his somewhat offensive
opposition to his father, the Duke of Newcastle, during
his late contest for Nottinghamshire, invested the election
with some interest. It is certainly a somewhat curious,
if not an humbling spectacle, to see the Secretary for
Ireland taking refuge in a Scotch burgh, and entering
into negotiations with Radicals and Free Traders for the
purpose of strengthening the hands of a Conservative
government! The inconsistency of such conduct is ren-
dered still more striking, from the circumstance that his
proposer at the nomination, while he introduced him as a
fit representative for tle burghs, nevertheless took an
opportunity of declaring that he differed with him on the
subject of those measures which, as a member of govern-
ment, Lord Lincoln was desirous of supporting—this
consistent gentleman thus recommending a person to be
sent to Parliament for the purpose of opposing, not for-
warding, what we are bound to believe are his conscientious
principles. This is fitting logic to be advanced in support
of a member of the present government."