The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-11-19

promugation of the Munroe DoctrineEon
this continent the representatives OF four mil
| lions of people should elect for themselves
| and their posterity, monarcbieal form o
Government. Cheers. We would have now
| an opportunity of contrasting the working
| OF two forms of Government MonarChia
| and Republication this continent.
Mr. MCGEE is quite right; that opportunity
is before us; but he is very careful not to tell
US whether the choice OF institutions made
by the Representatives. of four millions OF
people" is quite satisfactory to the four mill
ions themselves. On that point must depend
IN a great measure the nature OF the final sol
utlon which his problem is to receive.
Monetary matters are in very unsatsfac-
tory state. A Toronto letter says:
The failure of the Commercial BANK has
had very predjudicial effect, and the mer-
chants are in a predicameut. The Fall i'm
portations were unusually heavy, aud tue eri-
sis coming. the merchants were not prepared
for it; but, to make matters worse the Bank OF
Montreal came into possession Uf a considera-
bic amount of the paper OF the customers OF
the Commercial Bank, when that institution
obtained loan from the Bank Of Montreal
which bank now refuses TO renew the same.
This places many business firms in bad po-
sltiou. One in Hamilton that OF Messrs. F.
Gates y Co., a wholesale dry-goods establish
ment, has been compelled 10 yield under the
pressure, aud Others ale expected to follow.
The conduct OF the Bank OF Montreal is Sc
verely censured. 1t seems that the manager
has no sort OF feeling for anything outside of
Montreal. 1t is feared that the approaching
Winter will be hard one for the business
community generally.
BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Mr.. Seward is the bette noir of our Canadi-
an neighbors. They seem to imagine that he
is in the habit of daily devouring a slice of
foreign territory as his regular desert after
dinner; and they are in state of perpetual
an xiety as to when 1t will come their turn to
be swallowed. Some recent advices from
British Columbia, to the effect that pub
lie sentiment in that region favors annexa-
tien to the United States, having been COM
mented upon by the New York papers, the
Toronto Globe takes the alarm, scents Mr..
Stewards footsteps in the business, and holds
forth as follows:
wrapped in mantle of selfconceit no OBJ
Ject Is more absurd than Yankee posing
himself to expatiate upon the extreme desire
OF all surrounding nations to help to pay the
United States war Gebt, and aid In that ex-
tremely simple and easy job-reconstruction
When the American Government Is able to
collect 25 per cent of its whisky tax, it will
be time enough to talk OF extending the bless.
'ings of Washington administration over ad-
jacent territories. The talk of Mr.. Sew
ards organ affords an additional reason,
however, for uniting British Columbia to
Canada at the earliest opportunity Very
large numbers of Americans have lately
settled In the Hudson's Bay country, on this
side OF the mountains, and 1t Is not to be
doubted that Mr.. Seward cherisbes unfriend-
ly designs In regard to the whole western ter
ritory. The sooner it Is annexed to Canada
and opened up for settlement the less danger
OF future complications.
II tie yankee talk" about a-desire for an
nexation is really so absurd and unfounded.
pray where lies the necessity "for uniting
British Columbia to Canada at the earliest
opportunity" 1t looks as if the Globe fear
ed there might be something in this thing after
all.
The Ship-builders of Quebec, maste'- and
men, are about to arrange tho oirncuities'
and recommence work Hne employers have
agreed to make sopse concessions to the work
men. on the condition that each party shall
enjoy perfect liberty of action, the employees
Withdrawing from the Society, which has orig
mated all the strikes.
The Protestant papers of Lower Canada
complain bitterly Of the abuse of their posi-
ton by the Romish clergy to promote the in
terests of one political party and belle the 9TH
ings of M. Dupois, cure of st. Antoine, VITO
for three morths before the election, preach
ed little but politics, and who on one occasion,
gave his parishioners the following remark
able precept:-
Remember, my brethren, that il theft is a
great sin, and adultery a greater to vote
Tor Rouge would be even greater sin than
both the others.
A Montreal paper, commenting on the ex-
traordinary position of Nova Scotia in the
Confederation, says:
That Province is poor Jonah, swallowed
up against her Will by the Canadian whale
and she is now prodding the stomach of the
whale in the hope OF being cast up again.
A movement is on foot in the new Domin-
ion Senate to petition the Imperial Parlia-
me1t to make change in the Constitution
so as to provide for the election of Speaker
OF the Senate by that body instead of by the
Crown.
1t is understood that the Government poll
icy on the militia question is to drill 100000
men annually twenty-five days. This makes
the militia expenditure about SO 100000 per
year.
The Hamilton Spectator thinks the recent
emigration returns show anything but a
sati tisfactory result. 1t says:
Out OF 2,6S6 emgrants who have arrived
in Hamilton during the last month, only 450
remained, while out of ,4S1 who arrived
here during the corresponding week OF last
year o06 persons renamed. This is certain
ly anything but encouraging, ard shows how
highly necessary it is that some steps should e
immediately taken with a view OF attracting
emigration here. There is something at
once absurd and at the same time melan-
cboly in the sight OF SO many persons being
carried through rich, fertile and lightly
taxed country to another which certainly is
not possessed of any advantages OF climate
or soil, and is cursed with an immense burden
Of taxation besides. How long is this anom-
alcus condition of thins $ to last?
Ihe GioDe's ottawa dispatch says 1t Is not
yet settled whether the Grand Trunk Aid
Bill is to be introduced before the adjourn
ment or not. 1t is proposed by the bill to
provide for the second equipment bonds, TO
rank after those already issued, and in this
way to raise two millions and half dollars.
There is report at Ottawa that the Gov
eminent have it in contemplation to expeDd
the $3,000,0O0 for the construction Of the In
ter-colonial Railway, under Board of Com
missioners, to be appointed from each Prov
ince. D. Tupper's name is mentioned as
Commissioner for Nova Scotia.
Democratic Arithmetic.
If we may believe the Bangor Democrat,
the Republican majority in the United States
| Senate is going to be summarily reduced to a