New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-11
CANADA.
Stom ouI Own CorrespOncent

kef T.
OF Parliament have returneI and the o'her will
be here in a few days. T,hat they have done, or
no, done, is not fully r.ade known. Their business
va, 10 urge the Imperial Government to grant
certain aid 70 IA ntercolonisl railroad, OF which
the Atlantic terminus should be Halifax, Nora
xco,is. and which would unite that Province with
New. Brunswick and Canada. This was one OF the
subjects which they went to urge on the attention
OF the Imperial Government: but IT was not all.
AEother object Of their mission was Ia arrange
with the Imperial Government the basis oi a Fed
crpl Union of all the British American Provinces.
II il doubtful whether they have met an! consider
able measure of success either OF these que-
tions ] believe il will be lodnd that they have
not. II is understood they have got some civil
promises thet these matters shall bs taken INTO con
alteration, bat that Il ail
These periodical embassies from Canada 10 the
Court of -. James are yery curious operations.
colony like Cansda has not representative in
London as foreign countries have. The ordinary
communication between the two countries - kept
NJ by dispatches between the GOyernOr-Gencrdl
and the Colonial Secretary. Sometimes the Cana
dian Legislature memorialzes the Queen upon
some particular question: partly Colonial and partly
imperial. But these special embassies are thing
Of modern growth. Their movements are AS
erTatc as those oi comet, snd as irresponsible as
detpotism. Ministers take IL in their heads TO 90
~ England curing the Parliamentary recess and
without further authority than their own whim
away they 90. When they get there, they enter
into all sorts Of negotiations and arrangements
sometimes committing the PrOyince upon the most
vital matter, without shadow of authority from
the Legislature. They return few weeks before
the time for the reassembling of Parliament, and
they have not begun TO think Of the measures 10
be submitted to that body, with the exception OF
such as they were arranging about in England.
fb.ir Non. hay.
committed to the saiebeepiug of clerks; and, when
they return, politics 10 entirely absorb Their attcn-
tion that they have no leisure TO look into the
actual business of their Departments. Appoint
ments have IL be made to all the vacant offices,
including such as were created by the acts of the
previous session. This done, the question of Minis
terial changes has to be discussed and settled.
And here the Government is In Il chronic state of
chaDgc-eveTy siX months it needs patching up
atresh. This dOne-sOmc one or two Ministers
having been sbelyed in judgeships, or, if these
not 10 be had, inferior offices, such collector
ships, or even registershps, are not 20 he des-
pited- Parliament must be faced; u speech must
be put into the mouth of the GOyernOT-GeneTal
Nothing has been maturely considered; but some
thing must be said. To commence with, all the
usual cOmmonpaces, excepting only the Wcather,
are exhausted, and handiIl Ot promises is thrown
M along with them. me House meets. The
debate on the Address III answer To the Speech
lasts fortnight; the faction of the Opposition fully
matching the hap-haZaTd conduct OF the Govern
nent. The House SITS ali night, and the Members
cree TO their obscure lodgings about O'Clock in the
morning. This is kept up for SIX or seven months,
when Parliament is prorogucd, aud Ministers are
again on the wing, across the Atlantic Such is a
picture of Government III Canada, the first colony
Of the British Empire.
The Government is reported 90 BE- in state of
dissolution. 1t has been announced in the organs
of the Government that Mr.. Macdonald is about TO
retire from the Attorney -Generalship OF Upper
Canada aud the Cabinet, aud II has been more Than
hinted that several others will follow bis example
The Lower Canada section will probably undergo
no change. Mr. Cartier will probably retain the
Premiership, if he be allowed; if not he VIII retire
with DO small reluctance. Some SPEAK OF MI
Sicote, the present Commissioner OF Public
Works, as the "cOnliUg man." IT Is evident
however, that Mr.. Cartier viii not relinquish the
Premiership so long as he can hold on to It.
This Mr.. Cartier, who was not particularly con
spcuous for his loyalty tweniy-one years ago,
having, among other things, tried 10 persuade ma
cOuntIynrn not to consume any more british mall
ue ctuTcs, but to be content with dCto Il" p0yS IN
order 10 break down the finances of the Govern
ment-,Lis Mr.. Cartier, now Premier, was, Whllo
in England graciously invited by Queen Victoria
10 Writ Windsor Castle, and spend night within
its walls. The Queen honored hn with ttte-d-
tete conversation OF halt an hours DURATION and
Prince Albert then did the amiable, extending the
cunlab to foriy-hye minutes. The rebel Of l-31 Is
The intimate of Queen Victoria to-day-prooi Of
conversion, cOndescenson hypocrisy, or some
thing else of an extremely edIying nature. The
other two Ministers, who were merely present
ed TO her Mriesty must have felt Sighted that they
were not also invited to Windsor Castle.
During the last session OF Parliament an act was
passed for converting the public debt of the
Province into species of c0nsOls-securitlcs bear
ing four and half per cent interest, and not pdya-
bic at any particular time, unless at the option OF
the Government. The debt, at present Is chiefly
10 the shape Of Provincial debeutures, payable N
2l years, and bearing six per cent interest. Ihe
conversion Of this debt into the description of
securities was one of the objects OF the Inspectors
Generals mission TO England. But in this, well
as the InteTcoonial Hallway project, he has failed
The public shows small confidence III any exist
ing party organization. The Opposition appears 20
have lost in popularity during the Parliamentary
recess They commenced the campaign by series
of indignation" meetings. at which IT was intended
10 get up addresses to the Queen praying for the
recall OF the Governor CeneIal, for having refused
to dissolve Parliament TN the advice vi Ministry
which held Office for two days. This movement
turned cut a wretched failure. IL was followed by
a series of public dinners To the members or
friends of the late two-days' Cabincnt, az which
intermnable speeches were made and nothing said
at least nothing beyond little hearty abuse of the
Goyernor-General aud Il few unmeaning threats OF
rebellion. We have had dozen Legislative COuu-
ell elections, more than half Of which have gone
against the Opposition.
There is n resolution of the House requiring
PsrismeDt 10 meet ia the middle of January; but
whether il will do SO i very problemstical, and
what II will do when il does meet nobody can AZ
presept conjecture To be sure there Is a promise