The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-09
THE CANADIAN FEDERATION.

THE CANADIAN FEDERATION.
For some years past the people of Canada
have been growing more and more impatient
Of their provincial condition, and desirous to
sever their connection with the Imperial Gov
ernment at London. That Government has
certainly earned the ill-will OF the Canadians
by the very disproportionate amount Of aid
and protection II has afforded them, as COM
pared with the benefits and revenue it has de-
rived from the colonists. Our civil war ap-
pears TO have given fresh stimulus to the idea
of Canadian independence, and admission of
all the provinces into our American Union.
The project, however, Is violently opposed
by the aristOcratic class, who are politically
recognized as and denominated the conserya-
tives; and they are, II Is said, greatly alarmed
just now by the influence which the result Of
our pending Presidential election may have
upon the question of separation from the
mother country and annexation to the United
States. There is every reason, we think, to
believe that the large and influential portion
of the British people, as well as statesmen,
would not much regret the independence of
the North American provinces, or offer much
opposition to it. 1t is only short time since
the London Spectator, an organ of the Lbs
rails in England, spoke out very frankly and
boldly upon this subject.
1t said that in either House of Parliament
not five votes will be given AGAINST peaceful
secession, and not voice raised for coercing
them-the people of British North America
or fighting them, or bribing them, or doing
anything else in connection with them, except
Withdrawing the large fleet or small army now
paid for their defense. That journal even ad-
vises the Ministry to bring forward a law
"decreeng that any British colony numbering
a million of English-spealling inhabitants may,
by a vote of its Parliament, ratified by an
appeal to the electors dd hoe, or by two
thirds majority, without such appeal, declare
itself free and independent"
4 his is quite significant, and may possibly
| indicate the happening, at no very distant
date, of the very contingency which the Min
istry are advised to favor whenever 1t may
occur.
As respects the question of admitting the
provinces, or any Of them, into the Union, in
case they secure their independence, it may
be time enough te consider it when tho prOpo-
sition is duly and formally submitted TO oar
Government.
There is no certainty that the people OF
Canada will seek such association with us
upon the dissolution of their political connec-
tion with Great Britain. Indeed, the leading
papers in Canada are now discussing the es-
tabiishment of a federal government by a
unIcn of all the Provinces; and such a con-
federation, if once formed, would, rs few
statistics will show, constitute the second
Fewer on this western continent.
The Toronto Leader claims for the proposed
federation a territory embracing with that oil
British North America an area of 2,033,O7S
English square miles The two Canadas
occupy an area estimated variously from 100000
to 100000 square miles.
The population OF che Provinces by the
census Of 1861 was Upper Canada, ,308091
! Lower Canada, 1,110,G0f; Nova Scotia .330 s57
New Brunswick, 252O47 Prince Edward
Island, S0552. The two Canadas, according
to these figures, contained 2,5O5,7j5 people
and the other three Provinces, 503 456. II
thus appear, that three years ago the popula-
tion Of the two Canadas was nearly lour-afths
Of hat of the whole FIVE Provinces.
five turn 90 the finances and the commerce
| Of the various Provinces, we find that very
much Of the same proportions prevail. The
| imports of the Canadas have for some years
averaged about S42OOO,OOO year. In Nova
Scotia the average has been about s7,5OO,OOO
| l., u 81 II. a
Prince Edward island, S1,1OOOOO-in Other
words, about $14O0O,0O0 against S42,OOOOO0
The exports of the Canadas have for some
time past averaged about $33,0O0,COO year
The average in Nova Scotia has been about
! s5,500COO in New Brunswick, 84,500,OOO; anC
in Prince Edward Island, s1,2l0,O0O-a little
over S11 100000 in the three Maritime Pro
vinces, against $33OOO,O00 in the Canadas.
five take again, as a point OF comparison
! the quantity Of land under cultivation in the
different Provinces, we reach a result very
similar 10 those shown by previous compare
sons. According to the census Of 1861, Upper
Canada had 8,Oj1 ,5l0 acres under cultivation,
and Lower Canada 4,sO1,285 acres; together
1856. .235 acres. In the same year we find il
stateda that Nova Scotia had l,O2l,i02 acres
under cultivation, and that in the same year
| New Brunswick had under tillage e3j,lOS
acres.
From the above statistics Il win appear
that the two canadas Of themselves would
ipahe a STRONG Gogernment especially with
al the advantages they have IN arabic soli
and commercial facilities.