The Portland daily press., 1869-03-04

Thursday Morning, March 4, 1869.
Canadian Items, /,
PORTLAND.

O&MHunHm Items.
The condition of the roads in Canada is
such that no trains arrive on time, and we
received our mails from that region with
what an Irishman might describe as uniform
irregularity. There is an immense quantity
Of snow on the ground, and the drifts are
hard and deep. Business is much impeded
by the imprscticable condition of the reads,
and so the good people amuse themselves
with snow-shoe races.
In Nova Scotia Mr.. Joseph Howe is carrying
on the HantsCounty campaign with energy.
He made aspeech in the other day in the
course of which he told the electors that IL
they could reject him now, with his record OF
services before them, he would so no more to
Ottawa, but abandon Office, "put his family in
hired lodgings, and support them with his
pen, as he had done before" This dreadful
picture seems to have made very strong
impression upon his listeners. The election
is to take place early in March.
The Halifax Chronicle recently published
an article headed, SIS Repeal hopeless ?" 1t
quoted Earl Carnavon and John Bright to
show that the Imperial Government repudi-
ates coercion, and Ministerial papers in On
tario and Quebec, which stated in defence ol
of the late negotiations that Nova Scotia had
to be reconciled to the Union or permitted to
withdraw. From this the Chronicle argues
that the people of Nova Scotia have only to
be determined not to be reconcled, and re-
peal will be obtained.
A rumor is circulating in Quebec that Sir
George E. Cartier is to remain in London as
Plenipotentiary to the Dominion of Canada,
and also as attache of the Colonial Secretary
and that he is to be made a nobleman-Mar-
quis de st. Denis, perhaps.
This is the way in which the St. John
Globe refers to the recent movement on the
part of Newfoundland to enter the Canadian
Union:
A year ago the announcement that New
foundlaud was about to enter the Union
would have "thrilled the great Confederate
heartr-we think that is the correct express
sion-from one end of the Dominion to the
other. What is the feeling now? Small, in
deed, is the number to do the Island rever-
ence for her act. The majority Of the people
here can only feel pity that Newfoundland is
so deluded as to expect to improve her condi-
tion in any way by entering Confederation
from which this Province would gladly es-
cape, ii she saw the chance to do SO. But
tor Newfoundland there is an excuse. Her
condition is most deplorable; her people
starving by thousands; the mildew OF mac
tivity destroying her. She probably feels, as
did New Brunswick, that she can be no worse
in the Union than she is now, and so she
tries the experiment. 1t is well, we think,
that she should give Union trial as we are
now doing, that she should groio as sick of
it as zoe are gr0acing, that she should find 1t
as bitter as aoe hare found it. She win then
be ready to escape with US from it in the full
ness of time.
The "befter terms for Nova Scotia" secur-
ed by Mr.. Howe as part of his bargain with
the Dominion government, have had the eff
feet to create dissatisfaction in New Bruins
wick. That Province thinks she is as we'll
entitled to better terms as Nova Scotia, and il
is suggested by some of the papers that the
Dominion ought to assist in building the
railroad from Woodstock to Riviere du Loup
The new militia enrolment orders have
produced an excitement in some parts of the
AAONAASO Va &aCbSSs &AAdAy VI tAC HUOttUfts
are so alarmed that they are preparing to gel
married, while others are volunteering in
large numbers with the old French enthusi
asm.
The Ottawa correspondent of the Toronto
Globe reports the following: "Mr. Roses
mission to Washington has reference to the
settlement of claims by the Hudson's Bay
Company for property, which by the settle
ment of boundary on the Pacific coast was
thrown into the United States territory"
Complaints continue to be made regarding
the encroachments of Americans on the Bay
of Fundy fishing grounds. The St. John pa
pers assert that their fishermen are driven
off from every place which the Americans
choose to appropriate.
There is a strike and lockout among the
stone-cutters of Montreal
The New Brunswick Legislature assemblies
for the despatch of business on the 4th of
March,