The Evansville daily journal., 1859-01-18

100000

four millions. In the order of the above list
of organized provinces, we began on the ex-
treme east and ended on the extreme west.
Between Canada West and the new province
yet under the jurisdiction of the liudson's
Bay Fur Company, embracing all that region
lying between Lake Superior and the sum-
nit of the Rocky Mountains, north of the
international boundary. This region is not
less than 1000 miles in length, from east to
west, and extends northwardIy to the Arctic
ocean. The northern portion of it is too
cold to admit of settlement, butin the south
ern part, from the Lake of the Woods to
the mountains less than 1000 miles,
embracing the basin of Lake Winnipeg and
the valleys of the Assiniboine and the Sas-
katchewan, the land is generally very fer
tile, and the climate much like that of Can
ada West.
The province of Columbia is composed of
what was formerly known as British Oregon,
exte iding from the summit of the Rocky
mountains to the Pacific. Here are the Fra
ger river gold mines, and some settlements
near the coast and on the lower part of Fra
ger river The charter of the Hudson's Bay
Company was only extinguished in this i'm
portant territory in May last.
Vancouver's Island, separated from Col
umbia by narrow sound, known on the
maps rs the Gulf of Georgia, but more pop
ularly known as Pngets Sound, is fine
island, about 300 miles long, and from, 90
TO 80 wide, Of greatly diversified surface,
rich in coal and other minerals, and inden-
ted on all sides with numerous bays and
harbors. This island, with the adjacent
continental shore, is by far the most impor-
taut part of the possessions of Great Britain
on this continent. Canada West, now so
populous and flourishing, can never attain
to more than secondary commercial impor-
tance; but Vancouver's Island is destined
to become, on the western coast of this con-
tinent, what Great Britain is on the western
coast of Europe. 1t is in fact one of the
most commanding positions on the globe;
for in front it has Asia and the whole Pa
cific world, while in the rear it has a vast
domain of which it is manifestly destined to
be the gate and the emporium. A COM
meree exceeding anything the world has
ever seen WILL before many years, centre III
the beautiful and tranquil waters that sur
round that island.
That great line of States extending from
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, in the At
lantic, to Vancouver's Island, in the Pacific,
four thousand miles in length is likely soon
to be united under a Federal Constitution
like our own, under the rule, probably of
Viceroy-an empire in itself, having its own
Constitution, its own Parliament, its own
institutions and laws, its own mint and
treasury, and its oacn Democracy. Already
it's institutions are becoming rapidly assim-
ilated to those of the United States The
legal currency is now composed of dollars,
and their decimal fractions; and in a thous-
and things pertaining to their municipal
and social relations the people are following
the example of their southern neighbors,
rather than that Of their fathers on the other
side of the water.
But the most significant siga Of the fines
is the late treaty establishing reciprocal free
trade between the United States and those
of British America. This was negotiated
in Washington in 1854 between Lord ELGIN,
Governor General fCanada and Mr.. MARCY,
Secretary of State. In this treaty it was
stipulated that all the fisheries of British
America, except those of Newfoundland,
and of salmon, shad, and shell-fish, shall be
open to American citizens that American
fisheries to the thirty-sixth parallel of north
lIblIuuC, Sildll Dt ODtIl W DIltlSH SuDItCtS ,
that bread-stufTs, -four, animals, fresh,
smoked and salted meats, cotton, wool, seeds,
vegetables, fruits fish and products of fish,
poultry, eggs, skins, furs, undressed stone,
unwrought marble, slate, butter, cheese,
tallow, lard, horns, manures, ores, Goals,
tar, pitch, turpentine, ashes, lumber, round,
hewed, or sawed, and manufactured in
whole or in part, fre-wood, plants, trees,
shrubs, pelts, fish-eil, broom-corn, barley,
gypsum, ground or unground, burr OIL
gtind-stones, hewn or rough, wrouglB OF
unwrought, dye-stuffs, rags, flax, and un-
manufactured tobacco, the product of either
Canada or the United States, shall pass the
customs of both Governments free of duty
that the riDer st. Laurence and the canals o
Cdnada shall be open to american VeSSeIs
thai the General Government Of the UaiteC
States shalt urge the State Governments Il
open their canals, also 10 British UesseLs thai
both nations shall enjoy the priOiIeges Of nae
igdticn IN the soaters referred 10 on eguab
terms.
Such treaty between distinct and sep
arate governments is something new in tht
annals of diplomacy, and is equally honor
able to both the contracting parties. 1t is
union to all intents and purposes, so far as i
| goes, and brings the people of both into a!
! close commercial and social relations as i
| they were under one common flag. Tn,
spirit of the American Constitution pervade:
| this treaty-that Constitution which unite:
independent sovereignties in fraternal bonds
without impairing their individuaLindepend
ence. 1t inaugurateS a new era in the rela
tons of Christian nations. 1t is an aband
onmcnt of those harbarous ideas which hav
come down from those dark and blood,
times when every city had its wall, an,
every man went armed against his neigh
| Dor. Up to this time those old ideas hav
entered into and moulded the policy of al
nations They have been adhered to b.
Governments long after the private gentle
man threw away his sword, and long afte
it was deemed unnecessary to construe
works of defence around cities and towns
No people are more loyal to their ow
Government than are those of Canada, an
we love and honor them for it, We woul
not have it otherwise if we could. The POI
| icv of the immortal Eovernmant toyar