The Portland daily press., 1870-04-22
THE PRESS.
Feiday Morning, April %, 1870.


The Provincial Lion i'm Trouble.
Not exactly the British lion, for that noble
animal seems to give himself very little unea-
siness about transatlantic affairs,-but the
subordinate, deputy, imitation lion that
ramps, couches. and does every other heraldic
thing as the representative of our good friends
at Ottawa This provincial lion is in decided
trouble-in sea of troube,' indeed, ii we
may use metaphor which time and usage as
well as Shakespeare have legitimatsed.
From one end to the other of the British
possessions in North America, including all
the outlying provinces as well as the Domin-
ion, there is not only antagonism to the mofh-
er country, but jealousy and even positive
hatred on the part of each province toward
most of the others.
Newfoundland. to begin with, absolutely re-
fuse, TO be absorbed in the Dominion. More
over If has lust now special grievance in the
withdrawal of troops by the imperial govern
ment. The House of Assembly has recently
presented an address to Earl Granville, the Co.
lonial Secretary, in which it is stated that the
fisheries are for the most part carried on by
merchants residing in Great Britain. and that
almost all the shipping of the island is the
property OF Englishmen. 1t is now proposed to
tax the poor people of the island for the pro-
lection Of the property of these rich aliens.
Ihe Colony was the first possessed by Great
Britain in America" the address patheticalIy
adds, and if Nova Scotia is to have troops
Newfoundland also should have them" And
these complaints do not seem to be without
foundation when we consider the poverty of
the people, and their small number, for New
foundland, including the French shore and
Labrador, only has population of 1866.
In Prince Edwards Island there is a like
unpleasant state of feelings. The House oil
Assembly has just voted 10 to against con-
federation, though recently in receipt of
very arrogant note from Earl Granville advis-
ing union with Canada. The people of the
little island know that their commercial rela-
tions are naturally with the United States and
not the Dominion, and are DESTROYS of estab-
fishing intimate business relations with US
project in which Gen. Butler seems dispos-
ed to help.
Everybody, knows the woes of the Acadi-
ans. Nova Scotia was forced into an unwel-
come alliance with the Canadas, and has been
in chronic state of quasi mutiny ever since,
notwithstanding Mr.. Howe's desertion to the
government party. The adjustment of the
pecuniary affairs Of the provinces entering the
confederation have been modified for the sake
OF the pacfication of Nova Scotia, but the on
~ ehect has been to excite the intense Jealous
yof New Brunswick without having any ap-
preciable effect on the disafected Acadians
NO longer ago than last Saturday the Attorn-
ey General of Nova Scotia introduced resolu-
tons reciting the wrongs OF that Province,
and most solemnly and firmly protesting
against the Province being any longer coer-
c'vely and unwillingly held in the Confedera-
ton under the British North American Act;
and further declaring that, if not released
from such Confederation, it will be through
tie oppression Of great and dominant powers
against weak and helpless people, and will
be contrary to tree constitutional privileges
and national and civil right, justice and free
DOM"
New Brunswick, as we stated the other day,
Is IN state bordering on revolt because the
new tariff protects the industries of Ontario
and Nova Scotia, while its own are ignored.
As for the Provinces of Ontario and Que
bee, though they are both nominay faithful
to the Dominion, they ale nevertheless in
particularly hot water. For the last week
the whole world has been amused at the
fright OF the Ottawa authorities in anticipa-
ton of the advent of mythical Fenian le-
glons. Regulars and volunteers have been re-
morselessly kept under aims and hurried
from place to place, till the brave fellows are
entirely out of patience, and, if we nav be-
lieve the Toronto Globe 1.-THE best paper in
the Dominion) have grown horribly profane.
The Globe says that the government is to
blame for this disastrous loss of dignity which
IN itself is an invitation to the invader Il is
utterly incredulous about the "Fenians cross
ing the BORDER as reported by telegraph from
one quarter, and thinks the display CT military
strength disproportioned to"the straggers1hat
are prowling around" according to the Jews
from another point on the frontier.
Passing further west, we do not find the
possessions of Her Gracious Majesty in the
slightest degree more peaceful under the p1o-
tecting folds Of the flag on which the sun
never sets. In the Red River Territory Riels
rebellion Tor Bishop Tache's, if some author
tiles are 10 be creditedj is now to be compli-
Gated by Fenian raid in the interest of the
q. surgents.'
Arriving at the extreme Western limit of
British America we find the Inhabitants OF
British Columbia at one moment petitioning
for annexation to America, and complaining
that their government costs them more than
it is worth, and the next advising the Domin-
ion to buy Alaska and the State of Name
This capriciousness Of feeling on the palt of
the worthy citizens of the West-this alterna-
ton of extreme dependency with arrogant
and aggressive self ccmplacency-would seem
to indicate that the chaotic State of every
thing British in America had impaired their
intellects and that they mad gone mad to a
man.