Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-22
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
Address Last Evening by Mr.. John Charlton,
Member of Joint Commission.
Early History of the Dominion
Geographical, Physical and
Political Conditions.

Mr.. John Charlton, one Of the British
members of the joint high commission, gave
an address at the Hamilton last night on
the subject of Canada, Historical, Geo
graphical Physical and Political" Mr.,
Charlton referred TO the romantic early
history of Canada under the French regime,
to its discovery by Jaques Cartier in 1884
and TO the combined feudal ecclesiastical
and military character of its government
The enterprise and daring of it's early eX-
plorers formed a theme upon which Mr.
Charlton dilated with much enthusiasm.
The battles of Louisburg, Monongahela
and TicOnderoga, he said, were episodes In
the clash of arms between rival aspirants
for the control OF a continent. In 1859 the
question of supremacy was settled upon
the plains of Abraham, where both Wolfe
and Montcalm laid down their lives, and
an empire, the result of English VIC
tory, passed from the hands of France into
those of England English occupation of
Canada followed. At the time of the con-
quest there were 10000 French colonists in
the country. The colonial rule established
by the English mild and the people
were permitted to retain their language,
their institutions, laws and religion.
A Separate Province.
Gradually the development of the country
progressed. In 1871 upper Canada, with a
population of 5000, was organized into a
separate province In 1871 upper and lower
Canada were Joined in union, which failed
to work satisfactorily. In 1867 the prov
inces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick entered into confederation.
In 1870 the great Canadian northwest was
| purchased and added to the dominion. In
| 1871 British Colur bia was annexed and
| Prince Edward Island was admitted into
| the confederation IN 1873
The geographical features of the country
| We're rapidly sketched by Mr.. Charlton,
| which presented, he said, four great natural
| divisions-the maritime provinces, st. Law
renee basin, the great northwest, which
| might be subdivided into other divisions,
| and the Pacific slope. These different geo.
graphical divisions bore close geographical
| affinity to American territory. The mari
| time provinces to the seaboard states the
| St Lawrence basin to the western and mid
| die states, the great northwest to the Mis-
| sissippi valley. and British Columbia to
| the states on the Pacific slope The total
| area of Canada was 3,460. 900 square miles
| 1t was larger than the United States with
| out Alaska.
| The agricultural capabilities. he said.
/ were greatly in excess of general belief
| The Mackenzie basin possessed an area for
| the growth OF potatoes of $4,000 square
! miles. an area suitable to the growth of
| barley of 400 600 square miles and an area
| suitable for the growth of wheat of $4,000
| square miles. The fertile area of the do
/ minion Mr. Charlton estimated at / $50 .0eo
| square miles. which he regarded as a mod
| crate estimate. or 640oo0,000 acres. enough
| for 64G0.0o0 farms of 100 acres each The
| country was capable of supporting pop
| uiation of f5.000.0 600. West of the Rockies
a rich auriferous region extended from the
american boundary line to the Klondike,
! Loo miles in length and 400 in width
| There was also promising gold and silver
| producing region In the region of the Lake
OF the Woods, and the country had enor-