If the frontier line became the sea coast,
what might be looked for then? Scarcely three years had elapsed since
Mr. Cobden declared that if there had not been a plentiful harvest in
America he did not know where food could have been procured for the
people of this country.
"Now, the corn-growing fields of Upper Canada alone ranked fifth in
point of productiveness. Did England not wish to preserve this vast
storehouse? Suppose that Canada belonged to America: in the event of a
quarrel with England there was nothing to prevent the United States
from declaring that not an ounce of food should leave its territories,
which would then extend from the Arctic regions to the Gulf of Mexico.
He had hoped that upon this Bill, not only both sides of the House, but
every section of the House, might have been found in unison.
"It was no use blinking the question. This would not be a decision
affecting Canada merely. We had sympathies alike with Australia and the
other Colonies. If it were seriously proposed that England should
denude herself of her possessions - give up India, Australia, North
America, and retire strictly within the confines of her own Islands, to
make herself happy there, - the same result might be brought about much
more easily by those who wished it. They might become citizens of some
small country like Holland, and realize their ideas of happiness in a
moment. But he hesitated to believe that the people of England did
really favour any such policy.
"If any one were to hoist the motto, 'Severance of the Colonies from
the Crown,' he did not believe that one per cent. of the people would
adopt it. He believed that the people of England felt a deep attachment
to their Empire, and that not a barren rock over which the flag of
England had ever waved would be abandoned by them without a cogent and
sufficient reason. Every argument used in support of the necessity of
giving up the Provinces, which lay within eight days of our own shores,
would apply with equal force in the case of Ireland, if the people of
the United States chose to demand possession.
"Was this country prepared to give up Gibraltar, Malta, Heligoland, all
its outlying stations, merely because some strong power took a fancy to
them? He did not believe that the people of England would ever act in
such a spirit.
"As to the argument of expense, if Canada chose to pick a quarrel on
her own account, clearly she ought to pay the bill; but if she were
involved in war on Imperial considerations, then he maintained that the
Imperial revenues might properly be resorted to.
"The British Empire was one and indivisible, or it was nothing. And
what was the principle upon which the United States acted? If any
portion of the territory of the Union was touched, were there one of
its citizens who would not be ready and forward to defend it? Should we
then be less determined to maintain intact the greatness and the glory
of the British Empire?
"He, for one, would not give up the opinion that Englishmen were
prepared to maintain, in its integrity, the greatness and glory of the
Empire; and that such a feeling would find a hearty response in that
House."
"CANADA RAILWAY LOAN.
"[March 28, 1867.]
"In reply to Mr. Lowe and others, "Mr. Watkin said that, in following
the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Lowe), he felt very much as a quiet Roman
citizen must have done on passing the chief gladiator in the street -
inclined to pass over to the other side, and to have nothing to say to
him, for fear of the consequences.
"But some years ago he was requested by the late Duke of Newcastle to
make inquiries, which convinced him that the hobgoblin fears expressed
that night in regard to the construction of this 375 miles of railway
were unfounded.
"Let hon. members remember that Her Majesty's American dominions
extended over an area equal to one-eighth of the habitable globe. This
Railway gave us communication, not only with Canada and with 10,000
miles of American railways, but with the vast tract of British
territory extending across to the Pacific. The consequence of making
this Railway would be, that two days would be saved in going from
England to the northern continent of America, including the great corn-
growing district of the West.
"If the House had seen, as he had seen, the Canadian volunteers turn
out in bitter winter to repel a threatened invasion, without a red-coat
near them, they would think that the right hon. gentleman's taunts
might have been spared.
"The British Provinces had taxed themselves 360,000l. a-year for
the execution of these works, which Lord Durham had proposed in 1838,
with the object of binding together, by the means of physical
communication, the varied sections of the Queen's American dominions.
"The evidence of every military man, including Sir John Michell, the
present Commander-in-Chief in Canada, was that this Railway was
absolutely necessary for the military defence of the Colonies. It was,
however, to be defended not only on that ground, but upon the ground of
its great commercial advantages.
"There were now in the Government offices memorials from many of the
large towns in the three kingdoms, concurring in the commercial
necessity and advantages of the measure which the House was now asked
to agree to. Therefore, originating as it did with Lord Durham, -
sanctioned as it was by Lord Grey's proposals of 1851 - adopted by the
late and present Governments, - demanded for purposes of defence, as
also for the more genial and generous objects of commerce and peace, -
he hoped the House would support the construction of the Railway by a
guarantee, which would not cost this country a shilling."
The motion for giving the guarantee was carried by 247 votes to 67 - or
by a majority of 180.
