, 1866-12-10
THE VALUE OF BR1TlsH AMERICA,
Annexation from a Br1tiah Standpoint.
lFrum the L1rdtn RsylsWJ

From ths London Rev1ewI
General Banks Of Massachusetts. out of
bis own State, Is nor known to tame. IN
the days OF the American civil war he -,ras
head OF foE momenK rs the cause Of ,sno-
Minious failure and disgrace to the Federal
arms and he subsequently attracted some
attention BY bis absurd conduct in connection
With the Paris Exhibition. lie now comes to
the snrfacc agaiu, and We find him bringing
Dill before Congress to annex British Mort
sal, however, that the3TnIted States should
purchase British NORTH America did not
orisinatelu the brain of Banks. The General
merely gave tho coinage currency. The
author is 4lr. James W. Taylor, special
agent Of the Treasury Department in Munnc-
preached the subject in the spirit Of q
Statesman. Nor is it put forth with the least
unffiendly feeling to this country, for !" the
overture" is avoredly to be made "upon
the fullest coasnlta'ion with the Govern
ment OF Great Britain" But nevertheless
We have 4 scheme perfected. The lands uu-
conceded. the hatboss. the lighthouses, the
canals, the river and lake improvements, All
TIE property Of the Canadian and
9Th HtheF m Goxis5nments. esi,nnne L.. with theft
oyer to the United States Government who who
will thereuPon assume the debts OF the
Province. The transfer has only to be made
for the territorial divisions are already es.
tablished. Even the number Of members to
be sent to NashluRton Is determined, and,
the population Of British America and the
concurrence of the Imperial Government.
there Is nothing to impede the measure
bnt as there may be eomc difficulty in OBJ
tanning these conditions, the schemes have
been temporarily allowed TO drop, to be r,-
vived. doubtless from time to time, when
the Massachusetts manufactures desire to
extend their mhrkcts, and think they have
chance Of doing 20.
We cannot have better proof of the ya1ue
attached by the United States to British
America. that they urge the general Govern
mint to assume the Provincial debts, and to
annex the territory. Mr.. TAYLOR possessed
atatemanship enough to provide for an i'm |
provemcnf 70 Ahich the Canadian Govern |
ment hase shown most repsrhens,Ne indif-
canals. Mr.: Taylor proposed to aprropri-
ats tifty millions ofd9llars ~ to aid tic nayi.
Eatlcn Of the ST. Lawrence and tie Great I
Lakes, that vessels Of 1,5U tons burden shall
pas from the Gulf Of st. lawrence to Lakes
Michigan and Superior" Although ignored
md neglected by the Canadian Government,
tue scheme Is quite feasible. At present
the produce OF the West passes by the cEe1t |
lakes to tho foot Of Lake Eric, wtere Il has
an entrance at Buffalo which Is the point Of
hand, 1t takes the WeI1and Canal On the
Canadian side to Lake Ontario-toO Oswego-|
passing BY the canal Of that namc to the |
main Erie Canal. The laxcr connects Lake
SOL Such Is the pressure OF the trade that
Vessel Is eleven and twelve days passing
from Lake Eric to thc Hudson. New YORK
Is TINS the one seaport Of the West, but It |
would cease to bc 80 to grea. extent If the
Canadian canals were deepencd, and The
nayi.ation improved, as Mf. Taylor, who is
a.Wcstern man, had the sasacity to see. No
little Of the trade would then be transferred
70 Boston, which, indeed, might become the
depot Of the Wes1. 4
this would accrue to Canada. II the canals
were deepencd SO that a sea-gaing vessel
could PASS, without breaking bulk IL its car.
go, 70 the Far West. the maritime highway
would be through that Province. For It |
may be said that the Eric Canal can be i'm |
proved only 10 a very limited degree, owing
to the difficulty of obtaining water, which IS
now admitted to be barely sufficient. It Is
true that the work wou(A cust some millions
efdollars, and TINT the shallow waters OF
Lakes 81. Louis and St. Francis would re-
quire Large expenditure to drcdge tLem;
further, the necessity of Ike cplu. the nayi.a-
tlon oEen while the enlargement Was in rru-
Gress would add greatly to Its expense. But
no one has doubted the feasibility OF the
scnmt, Of, at all events, has put Ills obicc.
tions In such form that they can be exam.
med and answered On the other band, the
condition Of Improving the navigation has
been examined both By American and Can
adian writer's Of emfnence, at length, and
with ability. to the extent that the fnIurtoa-
ttnn at the disposal Of lhc writers would ad-
NIT. It Il plain that the American authori-
t1cs are conversant With the value Of the
St. Lawrence as a highway, and General
Banks may be considered to represent the
public opinion Of his State when hc proposes
bat 1t shall be developed. Hero lies the
yalue Of Ills extraordinary proposition to the
EnSllsh statesman. Even Its ridiculous slds
disappears when i Is 60 considered. The
"ei,~i isher Of Canada ought, therefore, to
be thankful. Bat to Judge hy The tone Of
Indignation, which without execution. .charac-
eFizes Canadian Journalism, British America
IS not particularly grateful to the Cen
eral At the offer Of incorporation In the great
HcFnhltc- II, however, Cnnala and the
Provinces would examine 1t from
our sta1llng- point, tAey might think differ
ently- Very probably the attention Of Eu-
.lish statesmen may be directed to thp sub
eet by 1t : and, What evidently Is more DIFF !
icult to effect, Canadian politicians NAV b..
turued away from their chickering's aud in
r'.ues TO consider policy which will nd
rance every interest III the Province, and
VIII Etye healthy stimulus to trade, 50 that
progress will really be effected. Il Is hard,
indeed, to understand the difference with
Fhieh this Important project has been
Fhe AumrVntSon ~ C,un1r I