The Portland daily press., 1868-04-23
Dominion of Cana
EMIGRATION.

NO one who reads the CanaC papers can
be unaware that good deal of anxiety is felt
in that country on account of the steady flow
Oh emigration across the boundary into the
United States. There is ON the part of many
journals an evident desire to conceal the ex-
tent of this drain of the population, but the
facts viii crop out. The very anxiety display
ed in finding satisfactory reasons for the phe-
nomenon is proof of its extent Especially is
TINS true OF Lower Canada, or Quebec, as
the froVlnce is now called For years past
there has been steady exodus from that Prov
ince to the States, and within the last twelve
month the tide has greatly increased. For
this there are assigned various reasons. The
lower rate OF wages as compared with this
country; the bad system of farming which
diminishes the productiveness of land the i'm
poverishing effects of faulty system of land
tenure, dividing and subdividing holdings
but none of these seem sufficient to account
for the evil. One Protestant paper has per-
haps come near the truth in declaring that il
is the lack of liberty in Lower Canada which
is to be blamed for the existing state of things
Of course such an assertion calls down the
Wv 49, NhSAatlOhs upOu Iu0 UOlu JOuFUdl,
the idea being secuted that liberty is not en-
Joyed in Can ada. But the author of the as
sertion reiterates it in this manner:
The Mt1eTUe treats as supremely ridiculous
the assertion that liberty is not enjoyed in
canada; and, doubtless he is right SO far as
political and civil rights are concerned; but
the MsnerUe knows well that socially and spir-
!tuaily there is no liberty in the country par
lshes OF French Canada. Everything there of
social and spiritual nature is under the one
man despotism of the cure, and that official
mas latterly sought to add politics to his do
main. 1t is this despotism-a paternal one if
you choose to call it so, but still a despotsm-
against which SO many rebel, who not being
aole To snake 1t of at home, go abroad for lib
efty: But 1t is just this greatest canse of emf
grafton that politicians aud newspapers gener
ally, Will not even hint at much less attempt
to remedy
In the last session of Parliament a member
OF that body took occasion to make similar
statements, accompanied by the assertion
that great efforts had been made to bribe him
not to speak out on the subject. His efforts
have, however, been so far rewarded that we
ind the journals of the country more in
chned to leave their improbable attempts to
deny OF explain away disagreeable fact and
to discuss the question of remedying the evil
A suitable homestead law, to give poor and
industrious young men start in building up
thelr own fortunes, a foreign immigration So
clety, TO turn toward Canada a greater por-
ton of that great tide which annually flows
westward from Europe, and the opening up O.
new lands to cultivation by means of i'm.
proved facilities for transportation are among
tne most Judleious of the measures proposed
A NECESSITY.
The Toronto Globe, referring to the recent
movement in relation to British Columbia and
to the chaotic condition of that colony, which
it is greatly feared will drop into the hands Of
the United States says:
Unless the British Government be Willing
to be shut out from the Pacific to a very greai
extent, If not altogether, the retention of Brit
lsh Columbia is an Imperial necessity. With
out IL, Britain would not have a single harbour
along the whole West coast of America. which
might not be shut against her fleets: while in
Esqulmalt she has the finest and most commo-
dlons one to be found, with abundance OF
coal, and the capability of affording every kind
OF supply to any amount. Were there no such
reasons, then, as we have lately mentioned in
| detail, such as for securing the Asiatc trade
| and maintaining British influence on this
| Continent, what we have now mentioned Is
sutnclent to show that British must hold on tC
BRUSH Columbia at all hazards
THE ASSASSIN.
w halen, the man accused of being the mur-
derer of MCGEE, is the theme of much news
paper comment. He would seem from all ac-
counts to be a dashing sort of bravo, who has
got himself up much after the pattern of John
Wilkes Booth. He is described as handsome
welldressed fellow, very active and daring
| and carrying bimseIf with entire self-posses
sion and assurance, the very ideal of bold
Fenian. He recounted readily his history
stating that he was in Capt. SCOTS Volunteer
Company, in Quebec, two years ago, and that
he served during the Fenian raid. Subse.
quently he removed to Montreal, where he
followed his occupation of tailoring. In Mon.
treal he married, and twelve months since re.
moved to Ottawa, and was working at Eagle
sons tailoring establishment. The proofs O
his completely with the murder appear t
thlcken as the investigation proceeds.
THE INSURANCE BILL
The Finance Minister has consented to s,
amend the. bill relating to Insurance Comma
MES as to remove the worst objections wbicl
were urged against it,