The Washington union., 1858-02-11
n 1. tor tlle Inloh
THE PROSPECT FOR THE FUTURE TRADE In THE
NORTH PACIFIC.

present treaty between the United States and Russia
by which such trade could be regulated
This movement the part of Russia aud the recon
mendation Of the President in his message to Congress
relative 70 Pacific railroad have awakened the interest
of the English who to think that Russia is medta
ting stroke against China either for the purpose of
annexation else in cooperation with some one of the
great powers meaning evidently, the United States
to get possession of all the trade of Asia hest Peters
bugh Ziag i'm reply to article in the London Times
about the inevitable snsgonism of England and Russia
in Asia says 'Whlc we willingly and readily recog,
Mise England righul caim to work out her historical
mission in southern Asia, maintain equally firmly that
northern Asia has been made over to Russas hands.
Russia has however, in northern Asia ncomlarably
difficult task 10 accomplish than England in
southern Asia Siberia is giant that lies muscle bound
in rancewhose pulse scarcely beats whose breath is
hardly drawn but whose enormous vital powers awaiting
only the moment Of waking The time has for us TO
proceed enegcticay to work. and call into existence the
life that everything is yearning for On the whole from
tier of South Siberia from the Ural to the Pacific
ocean, must have good safe roads of communication,
that shall open up intercourse with southern Asia
The Boston Post referring to the above says This
vision of prosperity and civilization to be conferred
Siberia justified to very considerable extent by the
progress already made" At the close OF 1856 postal
stations had been erected all along the whole line the
Amoor river from Srelotscaia to Nicholaf the mill
tary station at the mouth of the Amoor. During the
month of November of that year. American ship the
Europa arrived at Nichoaif having board two iron
steamers intended for the navigation of the Amoor
These steamers named the Amoor and Lena, were put
together during the winter The former has &C horse
power the latter 49, and draws only 81 of water
that she ascend the Amoor Ust Srcotschnaa
Some idea of the of the country which
the Amoor may be inferred from the that
the first trip of the Lena up the stream in July last
she thirty days reaching the point Of confluence of
the two rivers that subsequently bear the of Amoor
although she met with no accident or detention In
Nchola there had arrived up to the 18th of last july
two vessels from Boston, two from Hong Kong, and two
from San Francisco with goods to the amount of 3s2 900
silver roubles Some Japanese vessels alsoexpeced
letter from Irkutsh, August 27 states that two
towns in that district -Werchnolensk and Baagansh
had been inaugnatcd the past year Ilutsh itself
expanding rapidly and gaining in life and wealth from
the constant passage through of large numbers of mill
tary to join the army the Tansbaika territory and the
AMOR Inns and cgfs with strongly developed western
comforts were described having been thus brought
into existence
The mouth of the Amoor river is at the head of the
Gulf of Tarary and lies In about latitude $50 north
and longitude 14Oo wst The point the Amer
lean to this river is the cntrace to the straits
of Fuca in Washington Territory which is in latitude
4so 3O north and longitude 1910 80 wcsta difference
In latitude of only 270 miles and distant 900 miles
1t is to Fucas straits and yancouvcrs island that the
English turning their attention, with the hope
to this great trade to themselves The London
Post of December 25th says
The message of the President Of the United States
recently communicated to Congress recommends the
strucon of railroad the continent purposes
of military defence IT must be obvious to the most
percia understanding that the opening of any inter
oceanic line through the territory Of the United States
rouH eoa grem ,eruon in he trade Of the ,cord that
,chich brought about By the discovery Of Me Gye Of Good
Hope route 10 India and 10 Tie oer countries Of the East The
trade Of China Japan and Of regions comparatively un-
known, would o impecd to the Pacific terminus Of the
railroad whence ii would be carried to the great Atlantic
ports to be afterwards distributed America and Er
rope. Hong Kong, Shanghai Canton, and the other
mars of China trade would he brought by steam within
few days distance Of the great American emporium
which would spring up the coast of the Pacific II
facility Of this kind cd he lucyd,re trade IN the uord
'coud fall io Me hands Of The people Of Me Und States, and
the long voyages round the Cape round the Horn,
would rarely be undertaken for any purpose of
cal gain.
''Whlst the citizens and the government of the Uni
ted States perfectly alive to the advantages which
their country would derive from the possession of this
great highway Of nations, the merchant princes and
rich capitalists of England appear almost to have forgot
that in British North America there exist vast
gions admirably adapted for the construction of rail
ton of the world The position of British North Amer
lea is peculiarly favorable both regards physical ge
ography and means of water communication The dis.
between the northwest point of Lake Superior and
the straits of Fuca the Pacific is estimated not to
cced sixteen hundred eighteen hundred miles just
double the length of the great trunk railway OF Canada
From the recent Investigations of Professor Pallisc it
appears that large portions of the territory through which
the line would pass consist of level prairie lands and
that the most formidable difficulty which the projectors
of such undertaking would have to encounter would
be the discovery of some pass gorge in the Rocky
mountains permitting the construction of a railway
But hold such obstacle to be nsupera~
bic whcn on the same continent the science of a Ste
phcnson has spanncd by bridge of two miles in length
the waters of the mighty ST. Lawrence"
The same journal then proceeds to show that the
project Of railroad through the British possession to
the Pacific is not
In 1851 the scheme of which we have given an out,
line was submitted to the legislature of Canada by
gentleman named Allan Mcdonald The scheme was
rejected by the committee the technical ground that
the protector had obtained the necessary capital but
the report distinctly stated that The construction of such
railroad not only desirable, but practicable and
that IL ought at future time to be undertaken.
''The construction of such n railway from Halifax
running to the northwest OF Lake Superior and onward
to the Pacific would cost has been estimated about
ten twelve millions sterling Insignificant when
compared with the profits of that of wealth that
would flow from the East through British territory to
Britain herself The abolition of the IIudson's Bay mo-
nopoly and the constitution of Yanoouvcrs island
British colony will attract hardy and entcrprsing set
tles to the hitherto neglected regions bordering the
north Pacific and, whether not the formation Of this
protio to ppflp