Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-09-26

was at the most western point of their
journey that the newspaper section of
the Willard party had ono of the most
peculiar experiences. Upon arriving At
Victoria the principal resident members
of the provincial government of British
Columbia were invited to meet them at
lunch or board the steamer North
Pacific, which Mr.. Willard had furnished
for the journey. Among those present
were the prime minister the Hon.
William Smith, the Hon. John Rober-
son, provincial secretary and min
lister of finance, Mr.. Kedfern,
American consul, and Mr.. Higgins, the
editor of the Colonist, of Victoria. In
replying to the toast Of "The Queen"
Premier Smith made speech which was
evidently the expression of views which
had been long pondered, and no doubt
represented the opinions of large part
of his constituency. The annexation of
British Columbia or any part to the
United States he declared impossible,
but the future would certainly bring to
pass the annexation of part of the Pa
cific Coast section of the United States
to British Columbia. It was IN
that province with it's vast deposits
of coal, with exhaustless timber,
with its unparalleled harbors, with illim-
table wheat fields behind it, and with
the new type it was breeding OF men and
women of unapproachable physique, that
the Star of Empire was to reach it's final
zenith. Through British Columbia the
pathway of Asiatic trade was 1000 miles
shorter than by San Francisco. That
fact and the absence of coal in Califor-
MIA and the speedy absorption of all the
arabic land tributary to it showed that
San Francisco had ABOUT reached it's
highest development. Portland could
not carry across the bars of the Colum-
bia the magnificent commerce that Asia
is Offering us. It was in British Colum-
bia that the northwestwardly march of
civilization was to reach its culminatioD.
Passing beyond the delineation of the
future glories of this province, the
premier, with less tact than might have
been expected, proceeded to prophecy
the certain dissolution of the American
Union. lit is," he eaid, ga matter Of
deep conviction with me aud with many
others who have attenively considered
the drift of affairs in the United States
that that country cannot continue undi'
vided. Its elements of population are
too varied, the interests of it's different
sections are too diverse. The day viii
come when it must go to pieces
and when that day comes British
Columbia will be glad to tax,
into her arms that fragment of i
which is her natural nelghbor." Tht
Indignation of the Americans at the utter
ance of such sentiments was great
though as hosts they forbore to express
it. Part of his subject to which Premie
strong feeling which has always existed
in British Columbia for separation iron
the British Empire. This reached feve
heat when it seemed a few years ago tina
the Canadian government would no
carry out the project of the Canadia1
Pacific Railway to connect it with Can
ada and the Atlantic. Minister Of Fl
nance Robertson, who spoke after tn
premier, and deprecated the tone of hi
speech, was one Of a number Of promi
nent Victorians who signed a petition t
President Hayes to take British Colum
bia into tue United States, documen
which, with his signature and numbe
of others of his fellow.citizens, is now o.
file at Washington. Editor Higgins
of the Colonist, who sat at the sam
table, was at the head of the movemen
which had it's plans all laid at tha
time for seizing the government an
government buildings of British Colum
bia ard seeding from Great Britain as
preliminary to applying for admissio
into the American Union. Had the
carried out their plans the United State
would now be in posse session of that in
dispensable overland approach to Alas
ka, which we will now have to get hol
} of in some other way.