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Tous las autras axempiairas origiriaux sont film^s an commandant par la T.""'^*^* page qui comporte une amprainte d'impreaaion ou d'iilustration at an tarminant par la darnlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un daa symbolea suivants apparaitra sur la demiAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le c^a: le symbols — ^ signifie 'A SUIVRE ', le symbola V signifie "FIN". Lea cartaa. planches, tableaux, etc., pauvent dtre filmte d des taux de rt^Juction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichA. ii est filmi d\ partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche ^ droite. at da haut an baa, en prenant le nombre d'Imagea n^cassaire. Las diagrammes suivants iilusYrent la m^thocit , 1 2 3 * /^ THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, ITS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND " DOUBLE MAJORKY " QUESTION. tt^^^^^^f^Uitm^^^^^^^^^ti^^^^tM THIS much vexed point has again become one of the leading f[ucslions of the day. (1843,) No measure of colonial legislation, however important, either proceeding from the llomc Government, or originating in the Colony, has been treated with so much importance, or agitated with so much warmth, as the question (jf the ?■>' ,■■- manent locality of the Capital of Canada, — if the measure of that importance uad that warmth be taken from the degree of rancour and scurrility which seems to have influenced the contending parties. The subject lias been universally discussed, in Upper Canada at least, with that indecent heat wliieh ever betrays the predomi- nance of selfish interests over reason and principle. The imaginations of the different disputants have been extremely fertile in the invention of reasons in favor of their own particular localities ; and hence no subject has ever been discussed with a more slavish adheienee to sectional interests, nor a more barefaced disregard of the merits of the question in the abstract. The advocates of each rival locality exaggerate its real or supposed superiority in regard to some one point, which, either from instinct or necessity, they treat as the sole essential requisite, — the sine qua non of the question, to be considered to the exclusion of all other advantages, — disdaining, or more probably not daring to put the question on its true basis, and dispassionately to enquire, — what place or city in Canada ])ossesscs the greatest combination of all the essential requisites for the permanent location of the seat of Government. The simple question is : — Which is the most advantageous place in Canada, for the permanent establishment of its seat of Government, all ihings considered? — In order to arrive at a sound and impartial conclusion, let it first be ascertained what are the main points to be considered in making the selection, without refer- ence to any particular locahty. — The great requisites for the Capital of Canada would sccin to present themselves in the following order: — lo. Security from foreign invasion. 2o. Easy and rapid communication with the Metropcjlitan State in peace and in war. 3o. Ccntrality. 4o. Salubrity. t 5o. The posscsavori of publKJ buildings affortUug suitable ^c<;ommo.iation for tJ\Q sittings ot tho Legislature and tlw rosidcuoc of tho Grovcrnor Genc^rd to"-ctluu- with the necessary GuYCi-uuieut oOicea, or tho greatest facility for tlioir crcctlou on an economical plan. 60. Permanency of eligibility of situation in raspect of ocntraJity of territorv and ])opulation. ^ The foregoing points are given in tlio order of their estimated importonce after tho most mature consideration of tlie subj(>ct, although that order may be deemed an arbitrary one, and may differ according to tli(> opinions andjudgmentof (liflcn>nt persons; but the enumerated requisites must indubitably enter all, more or less into a fair consideration of the matter at issue, which can only be accurately deter- mined by some similar process of reasoning, in order to keep the enquirer within rational bounds, and to wean him fi-om the influence of his partiality lor particular localities. It is obvious that the three first,— Security,— Facility of com miini cation with England,— and Centrality,— are the most essential. The other three— Salu- brity,— -Public Buildings, and Permanency of Centrality,— though by no means to bo overlooked, are yet secondary in importance when compared with the three first. In the consideration of the abovo beads the application will be restricted to Toronto Kingston, Montreal and Quebec, taking it for granted that the small tiiougb flourisliing Towns of Hamilton, Broekville, Bytowu, Sherbrooke, Three Kiyersand Carlisle, are deemed by universal consent to be totally inelio-ible unless indeed m the opinion of the patriotic and ambitious inhabitants of the'little Town of Bvtown.— Let us then take up the rival Cities in this game, and make them run the gauntlet of the foregoing assumed requisite qualifications. TORONTO. With reference to tho first of these Cities the determination is quickly and eoBily come to.— Toronto is palpably deficient in almost all the requisites. lo. ^emriiyfi'om Forcujn invasion.— It is utterly defenceless and indefensible 2o. Commumcahon with England.-— It is too far inland and consequently in- acccissiole from the sea. It has no secure means of communication with the ivlother Country m war, while on the other hand it is in too close proximity to a powerful and grasping people, who "reckon" that "the whole boundless continent is theirs." • '^^•^^f^'<^^^i^I/-—^^ IS situate near one, and tho weaker extremity of the Pro- vince. The annexed Table has been formed for the purpose of affordinr. Next in order comes the Town of Kingston, and its boisterous pretensions to a preference, predicated, it is presumed, upon its possessing the requisite qualifica- tions, in a higher degree than any town or city of Canada. lo. Sccurilij from foreign invasion. — Kingston is a fortified to^vn, and sufficiently strong to bid doliance to surrounding nations in the piping times of peace, but by no means formidable in the event of a war. It is situate on the borders of Lake Ontario, the waters of which are navigated by us in common with a foreign Power ambitious of naval superiority, and not to be contemned. It may be bombarded in summer from the Lake, and reduced to ashes in a few hours. It may be ap})roached by 100,000 men across the ice in Avinter, — invested and taken, whilst its metropo- iitan-minded inhabitants are slrmbering in fancied security. A serious, and by no means impracticable project of this nature, was on foot during the last American Avar, and the "sympathising" inhabitants of the opposite frontier, during the last insurrection, made no secret of their intentions to storm the fortified city of the Lake, with a small band of their loafing ragauiulfins. 2o. Communication zvith England. — Without being so far inland as Toronto, tlic site of the good town of Kingston is sufficiently remote from sea navigation to render it extremely difficult, if not impossible, in time of war, to keep nn an uninterrupted communication between it and the mother country. We could not have a more striking instance of this difticulty than the fact that a few plundering "Patriots" from the "land of liberty, " packed in a windmill at Prescott, and the smuggler, BillJohnson, lurking amidst th'! "Thousand Islands," were suffi cient to interrupt or render dangerous the navigation of the St. La\vrencc. And there are many points between Kingston and Quebec as strong as Navy Island, from which an enemy, however otherwise contemplible, might do incalculable mischief before he could be dislodged. 3o. Gmtralitij. — Kingston, by the Table, is shown to be twenty per cent deficient in centrality, and although preferable to Toronto, is inferior in this respect to all its other contending rivals. 4o. Salubrity. — Of all the localities now in agitation for the honor of the Capi- tal, Kingston is the most unhealthy. * Already have two Governors G-eneral suc- cumbed under the pestiferous influence of its climate, who, inmorc favoured localities, might have long preserved their lives and their usefulness. 5o. Puhlic Buildings. — It has no buildings Avhatever suited to the wants of a Capital. It is true that it has a valuable swamp upon which the necessary edifices may bo constructed at an enormous exj)ense. . It is equally true that they mxiy bo burned down by the Americans in one night, and the vanity of the Kingstonians gratified by the erection of new and more improved models of architecture, and thoir "deserted village" thus greatly embellished at the expense of the Province. 60. Permanency of eligibility. — Of the six assumed requisite qualifications, Kingston clauns to possess one in a high degree, namely, the probability of ita increased centrality at some future period. Should the tide of emigration continue always to flow westward, and the pretensions of Kingston be tested by this prospec- tive advantage as the principal requisite, regardlessly of every other, then indeed the inhabitants of the Midland District might have had some reason to suppose- that (? 1856.) 7 / C/i Lord Sylicnham'a choice of Kiugstou for the CanaJiau Capital was based upon some inherent claini to Bupcriority, xinconnccted with any ruse to reconcile the Upper Canadians to the Union, or " to let that country down easy. " The coloniza- tion, however, of tlic extensive and fertile regions ])ordering upon the Eiver Saguenay and Lake St. John, and the contemplated establishment of a wealthy and powerful company to promote the inexhaustible fisheries of Gaspo Bay, may render the lower districts of the St. Lawrence the most populous, the most wealthy and the most important in the Province. But in the absence of any increase in tho populatiou of the lower extremity of the Province, from these or any other sources, it must bo admitted that Kingston is more likely to possess, hereafter, this single quality of ccntralily in a higher degree than any other; provided always— that the politicians of that portion of the Province do not become move inoculated with Ee- publicanism, and consequently disaffected towards monarchial institutions ; which possible contingency would render the iuturo problematical centrality of Kingston, clogged as It is with many other defects,— utterly valueless. MONTKEAL. "We must now subject "the ftivorcd City of Canada" to the same test:— lo. Secdiuty FjioM INVASION.— The Island City's pretensions to security from invasion, foreign or domestic, are so meager, that it is unnecessary to discuss them. It may merely l)e observed en jpassant^ that it is within less than twen- ty-four hours march of the same colossal and grasping power already adverted to ; -^that the proximitv of its unique mountain, (in the hands of an enemy,) renders its position worse than defenceless, and that the possession of this eminence, which may be acquired by one night's forced march, Avould hold the Capital of the Cana- das,— the two Branches ef'thc Legislature (were they in session,) rnd the Eepe- sentative of the British Crown, in a most delectable state of submission ; — possibly wiuh no other means than the redoubtable Doric Club at their command to retake the mountain ;— and we should then again witness die humiliating spectacle of the Governor General of British North America, like Lord Dorchester, escaping in disguise in a frail canoe to Quebec for personal safety. 2o. Communication with Great Britain. — The situation of Montreal, though not so much inland as Kingston, is still obnoxious to the same formidable objoction, that it would not be easy t^o keep up a communication between it and the Metro- politan slate in time of war, for any practicable purpose. — Having no bulwarks of its own, it is as much beyond the protection of "England's bulwarks" both in •winter and summer, as Penetanguishine on the borders of Lake Huron; added to this — that the naval supremacy of Great Britain would be totally ineffectual as respects Montreal, by reason of the inability of that City to hold out for one day. 3o. Ccntralitij. — As regards centrality, Montreal has the highest pretension of all, with reference to population or territorial extent, its deficiency in this respect being only /w per cent by the table. Tested by the centrality which isbasedupon the facility of communication, or travel between the two extremities of the Province, the merits of Montreal suffer some diminution, as will be shown hereafter. 4o. Salubrity. — In this particular the situation of Montrealis superior to that of Kington, and inferior to that of Quebec. It is sufTiciently healthy to obviate all objection to its climate, and occasionally sufiiciently unhealthy to preclude the pos- sibility of its claiming pre-eminence on that score. 5o. PuUic Buildinrjs. — Montreal has no public buildings whatever adapted for the sittings of the Legislature, or the rcsid'^nce of the Governor General ; nor docs it possess any suitable public ])ro]-)erty within the City available for the uses of the Government, — the "Ecport" of Her 'Majesty's Canadian Executive to the contrary notwithstanding. If so, — Avhcrc does it exist in sufficient extent, without the de- molition of other useful public buildings which must be elsewhere rebuilt at an enormous cost. The oft reiterated and idle boast of tlic Bupcriority of Montreal oh a great — flourishing — counnercial city has, if true, no other bearing on the question of tho Seat of Government, than the proportionate augmentation which it muat ne- 4 •^ i « cessarily cause in the price of the ground u> be purohascd for the erection of publo buildings. 60. Permancru'i/ of dlijihiUlij. — Tlie present eligibility, or ineligibility of the sister City C)f L(nvcr Canada is not likely to be much ulFeeted, either favorably or unfavorably, by the future condition of the I'ruvinee — Its centrality, as co popula- tion, may possibly be enhanced by the amelioration and peopling of the fertile regions to its southward, — hlcn mlaidu, — that the defection of the votaries of republicanism Ibrms no pai't of the vista. QUEBEC. Last, (and certainly not least) comes the consideration of the ancient Capital of the Canadas, the merits and demerits of which shall be tested with all the fair- ness and impartiality which can be expected from a citizen of that place. If tha- judgment of our modern Provincial Statesmen be to be adopted, the discussion may be fruitless. Its abandonment, however, shall not be sealed without one voice being raised in its favor ; and should the various qualifications herein assumed be the true orthodox tests, we shall presently see how immeasurably Quebec outstrips the boasted advantages "of its pigmy rivals, as well in the number of those qualifications as in the weight and value to be legitimately ascribed to each. The object of the writer is to establish, upon just principles, its infinite superiority over Toronto, Kingston and Montreal ; and although he does not assume the character of a jud,<5e, pronouncing, in measured terms, and with affected coolness, upon the comparative deserts of each competitor, it is nevertheless to be hoped, that, divested of any colouring which prejudice or a partiality for Quebec may impart to the discussion, enough will still be left to convince the disinterested and dispassionate enquirer, that that city possesses unanswerable claims to a preference — to be, as it has hitherto been, the Seat of Government of the Canadas, and as such — the metropolis of the British possessions in North America. lo. Semrilyfrmn invasim. — The commanding heights and frowning battlements of Quebec suflieiently attest the justice of its claim to be styled the second fortress on the globe. Nature has done more for it than art, and science, and wealth combined can ever do for any other city or town in Canada. It is a great strong- hold marked out by nature as a site for the Capital of a great country, and rendered impregnable by a lavish expenditure of the wealth of the British nation. Its high character in this respect will be conceded by its most inveterate opponents ; it is only the degree of importance to be attached to this qualification v/hich they will at- tempt to call in question. It woul be well, however, for those who now sing the ))raises of Montreal in disparagement of Quebec, to remember that we have the best evidence of the opinion of the inhabitants of the former as to the comparative value of the two cities in point of security, in the well authenticated histoncal fact, that on the outbreak in 1837 the banking Institutions of Montreal were glad to remove the contents of their coffers to Quebec for sale keeping; and further, that the General commanding the Forces in Canada at that period, with his staft", were rcadf — bag and baggage — to fly to Quebec, on the first intimation of any reverse being sustained by Colonel Weatherall, who was sent out to subdue a small band of undisciplined insurgents in the District of Montreal. 2o. Communication roilh the mother country. — It has an easy and rapid commu- nication with the United Kingdom during seven months of the year. It is acces- sible to the largest ships of the line, and the whole British navy may ride in safety under its walls. — Its means of communication in winter lie through British territory, and are therefore incomparably superior to those of the other cities, whose only direct route is through a foreign country. So. Ccnirality. — It is more central than either Toronto orKingston, and less cen- tral than Montreal, regard being had to territorial extent or population. Its rate by the Table is minus fcn.—that is, within one of the city of Madxidj the most cen- tral capital of any note in the world.— But of this more anon. .xU 4o. iidiibrUtf.~-lu rcgiu-d to tliB qutkliiioation Quulx>o Ixurs tlie }vUm. Its clcviitcd ])08itiou in tho niitUjt of a iuountuinoua country ensures it a coutinuanco of refreshiiif^' brcezoa, and tho yalubrity of its climate is duuhlv eiiliaiiccd by tliegran-. deur of tlie eurrouuding Hctnory, vhich id U]i.sur])jusscd by that of any country" in the world. 60. Pullic liuMvgs.—ll^ ndvantaf^efl m to tho fifth qualification lirve b(!on attempted to bo underrated by the very impartial 8up[)ortci-s of Montreal. Quebec IM)Ssosses Bj)aciou.s accommodations lor tho sittings of the Legislature, ereCed on a magnificent scale, consisting one half^)r rather mcr.' llian one half— of an elegant ucw cdilice built on the site of a ijortion of tlic old I'alacc of the Catholic Jiishop, and appropriated for the Hall and Offices of the LegiKlative Assembly,— the other lialf, or rather less t'han the hall— of the remains of ^thc same Palace, which havo been occupied by tho Legislative Council and the Offices attached to it, and which were in progress of being replaced by a continuation of the new buildings upon the same elegant scale, when the political dissensions in Lower Canada put a speedy period to all legislation.*— -The completion of this super!) edifice could not necessitate an expenditure of more than a tenth of what must be incurred inthe[)urehuseoftho ground, and the erection of the necessary buildings in Montreal or Kingston. Tho wantof a; suitable residence for the Governor General is common to alb — with this difference in favor of Quebec,— that it already possesses si^acious grounds for that object, commanding one of the finest prospects on this continent. 60. Permanenci/ of eligibility.— V^\l\\ respect to the permanency of the present eligibility of Quebec, it must depend upon tho course of events.— Should the country to its southward and westward become very populous, and retain its alle- giance to the British Crown, the centrality ofQuebeowill be diminished in the ratio of the increase of the population of tho south over that of ihe north.— Should, however, our anticipations m either of these respects prove fallacious, Quebec will then have lost notlnng in importance ; and should it be found necessary hereafter to unite the whole of the British North American Pj-oyinces, it will, under such circumstances, become eminently central ; and the lavish expenditure of the Public Revenue, in the erection of buildings in localities which will have ceased to bo central, or the inhabitants whereof shall have transferred their allegiance to a foreign Power, will then be pronounced to have been an act of egregious— irretrievable folly. ^ Such arc the merits and demerits of the City of Quebec and of the three other aspirants for tho honor of tho Seat of Government. In further prosecuting the enquiry as to which of the localities in question lias the strongest claim to a preference, it may be taken for granted, on the only sound principles which niu;st and ought to govern the choice, that no one requisite is of such paramount importance as to determine the point, in the absence or to the exclusion of every other. In default of any one candidate for the honor uniting all the requisites, it must then be ascertained which possesses the majority in num- ber, OT the preponderance in value of tho given tests. Assuming the foregoing six qualifications to be the true tests, — ^namely, Security from invasion, — Facility of commnnication with the Mother Country,— Centrality,— Salubrity,— Public Build- ings,— and Permanency of eligibility,— it has been abundantly shewn that Toronto la preeminent in the exiguity of its pretensions to the principal requisites, and that its claim to bo the Capital of the new Province could only rest upon the pos- session of a few public buildings,— together with a sufficiently healthy locality,— a (luality very beneficial to the inhabitants of that city, and one in which it rejoices in common with tho Orands Galumds and the Me of Anticosti. — It lias also been made evident that Kingston cannot boast of the possession of one single qualifica- tion in a sufficient degree to entitle its claim to be considered at all, unless we e-xfrept ita prospect of b ecoming, at some fiiture day, more central n-s to pc-pulation. * Siuce bumcel dow-n. tl i i 7 But any ulahu to a preference on this 8c<:>ro haa been for over frastratcd by thi> folly of its (biuul'ji\H, i" not having better provided for tho health of the c.ndjryo A[etropolia. The chuaurous pretciusions ot tlie Kiuf^stonians seem to be fouiuled upon a total want of every other merit than a furtive possession of two years, vouch.safed to it by Lord Sydenlu ^n with a view {ma it is sai(i,) "to let Upper Canada down easy," and probably to counteract the elfoct of the declarations attributed U> him in otlier quarters, "that it was quite preposterous to think of that niud-holo Kingston bein<,' tlie permanent Ca|)ital of Canada. " The choice tlum is Ixjtween Quebec and Moritroal, — Qneboo rielily endowed with every essential requisite, except central ity, — Montreal hi^'hly objectionable in every point of view, save always its vaunted centrality. It will form an import,ant element in the consideration to ascertain the value of this attribute upon whielv alone the sister city rests her claim. In determining this point the lights derived from experience, and from the existing condition of the Capitals of the various States and Sovereignties of the World, more particularly of representative Europe and Kepublican America, in which popular mstitutiona have obtained the sway, must not and cannot be slighted, without a wanton disregard of the results of his- tory, and the respect due to the opinions of the majority of mankind. If the argu- ments in favor of centrality, as a sine qud nm, are to be borne out by the prac^co of other countries, recourse must be had to the constitutional Governments of Europe, and the Kcpuhlics of democratic America, for examples in support of the proposition. If these furnish no data to bear them out, the' flimsy superstructuro erected upon this foundation must crumble to the ground. Tlie results exhibited by tlie annexed table by no means tend to enhance the value of a central position, inuch less to determine its being the primary object in pointing out tlio best loca- lity for the seat of the Government of a country. The rate of centrality, — or rather the average deficiency in centrality, of the different countries enumerated in the Table, is as follows : — The Capitals of British America are 23 degrees removed from the centres of their respective territories, or 23 per cent deficient in centraliy,. 23 " Those of the United States, 30 " Europe, 30 '< Africa, 34 <« Central America, 36 " Asia, 39 « South America, 48 •' The average deficiency of the whole is .81 " Of forty-six European Capitals, seven only arc central cities ! Often British American Capitals, two are central 1 Of thirty United States Capitals, ten only are central. — Three are more central than Quebec, and tiocnty-seven less central ; and their principal Capitals, such as "Washington, Boston, Providence, Albany, Eichmond and New Orleans are far from being central. Of the eleven Capitals of Central and South America, not one is central. The average deficiency in centrality of the Capitals of the States of Europe enjoying constitutional Governments is 29, while that of the Capitals of the States under the sway of despotism is only 28. The deficiency of Quebec as the Capital of Canada is only 10, wh''-? that of the Capitals of Europe and the United States is 30, and of all those enuiucrated in the Table 31. '• Of all the Capitalf of Europe, the hapless City of Madrid alone is central,— a prey to all its enemies, whether foreign or domestic, — the worthy prototype of tho " Island City of the French," !— " the favored City ofCanada," I— and a lasting monu- ment of the profound wisdom of a central situation, shorn of every other requisite. Among the great Capitals of the world we find that Madrid is again the most central City ; tliat Amsterdam, Berlin, (as the Capital of modern Prussia,) Pekin 8 (of tlio Cliinwo Empire) CWstaiitinupU!, (uf tlic Turkish Einj)irc,) Llsbcju find Copoiiliagen, are only I'.rtrtially central, — tluiir (IcIicuMicies runt^'in^ from W to 20 l>cr cent ; — •while Dublin, Vicnnii (|A iLstriun l']mi)irc), Mexico, Now Urleiin.s, Nuplos, and Washington, nearly all of winch arc ^rrcat commercial martw, and under the rule of popular institutions, are far from being central, their distanccrt from their respective territorial centres varying from 20 to 33 per cent. But the Ibllowing Capitals, among which are the greatest and moat populous cities on the globe, antl the great majority of which belong to countries (mjoying eonHtitutional govern- ments, nanely Paris, Edinburgh, Warsaw, (old l*oliind,) London, Boston, Stock- holm, St Petersburgh, Berlin, (old I'ruasin,) Frankfort up<.n Maine, Pi'kin, (China Proper) and Rio Janeiro, seem to have beim placed, and to havt; grown i > llu'ir present colossal grandeur, in localities indicating the utmost contempt Ibi tiio shade vvy advantage called centrality. These little worlds have continnca to be the seats of their respective Governments, wliether constitutioniii f>r despotic, in defiianco of the political changes and revolutions whicli muny v)f them have undergone, altiiougu situate at points closely bordering on the conlinci of their several domi- nions ; — ^thus aiTordmg striking illustrations of the little regard which has been paid to, and the little advantage derived from centrality. There is an additional and a remarkable feature in the position of there great commercial capitals f)f the ■w ^rld, which has a strong beari\ig u})on the (question at issue, and is destructive of the pretensions of the advocates of mere territorial centrality. The Cities of Am- sterdam, Berlin, Pekin, Constantinople, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Dublin, Vienna, New Orleans, Naples, Paris, Edinburgh, London, B(^ston, Stockholm, St Petersburg and Rio Janeiro, seem to owe their origin, their wealth, magnificenee and pcrnnuient locality a? Capitals, to their vicinity to water communications, and their great faci- lity of intercourse with foreign nations ; or in other words — to their eoc nal or international centrality, — utterly regardless of internal. The Capital elect of Canada is said to be endowed in a high degree with this virtue of geographical centrality, limited to the course of the St. Lawrence; and if, denuded of every other requisite, the sister City of the nether Province is to have its claim tested by this single property, then indeed it can only yield the palm to the good town of Three Rivers, which is still more central, nearer to sea navigation, and infinitely more salubrious. But if, on the contrary, the essential requisites for the permanent establishment of the Canadian Capital be all taken into considera- tion, and the choice awarded to that one which possesses a preponderance of advan- tages, Quebec is incomparably superior to all its rivals. Strongly contrasting with the other three, which can scarcely boast each of the possession of one solitary requisite, Quebec possesses, in an eminent degree, four of the necessary qualifica- tions, namely, Securitv, Freedom of communication with the Parent state, Salu- brity, and Public Buildings, all of which give the City of Cape Diamond an over- whelming preponderance over her less favored competitor, — "the Island City of the French, " even were Quebec more deficient in centrality than it is represented or supposed to be. But since the ancient Capital of the Canadas is undervalued, in the eyes of Her Majesty's Canadian Executive, by reason of its want of centrality, it would be well to ascertain what is the precise ratio of its deficiency in this particular. Ccn- . trality, properly considered, embracess three points — First — Centrality in respect to territorial extent. Secondly — Centrality in respect of population. Thirdly — Centrality in respect to facility of communication, or access to and from the other parts of the Pro-v ince. In regard to the first, or territorial centrality, Quebec is about 125 miles dis- tant from the navigable or arterial centre, which at the present dav, and for '^. cen- tury to come, will be. the true one, and is therefore deficient to that small extent. By the table its defect is represented by ten. That of Montreal by five; and the diffc- . renee between the two on this hend is so trifling, that so slight an advantage cannot weigh a feather in the general balance. As to the second, or the centrality of population, Quebec is certainly second to Montreal, tlie mas.s of'tlio population of CanfuJa l)oin rcai^on about the centre of territory or juipulation, Avithout mf u« suring both by the fa(;ilities cf conimunieation or t'no means of travel. Steam an- nihilates di:Uance, and any theory which excIudcM that important element of speed, is but an iniproT)er argument to obtain an improp;:r end, — a mere im])0sture. If it were required to determine the most central point l()r the location of a Capital in a country divided by a lofty range of Alps or A])penines, and having one-tenth T)art of its population on one side, inhabiting an extent of one hundred miles, and the remaining nine-tenths on the other side, occupying an extci^t of nine hundred miles, ; — and further that the larger plane, intersected by rail-roads, were traver- sable in cushioiKHl cars in twenty-four hours, while it would require a week to accomplish the other distance, — would it be consistent with reason, common sense, or " equal justice, " to place the capital of that land at its geographical centre ? Would not the true centre — that ])oint which would be equally centrical for all its inhabitants, — all things considered,— incline greatly , .wards the range of mount- ains and the smaller plane ? Would it not be unjust, on the part of the rulers of that country, towards one portion of its inhabitants, to choose the Montreal of the territorial centre, as the fittest ')lacc for a Capital, by reason of its being a supposed greater mart for trade ? And ,• >w would such a sliallow argument be strengthened by descanting, as in tne Eeport ;f the Canadian Executive, on '^>e dissim.ilarity of the habits and customs "f different portions of the same land — and contrasting the "strangeness" of the appearance of the transalpine Dos hhncs and their City, — with the simplicity of the Sawnics and Jonathans of the Cisalpine region ! I 1 — Would not such a choice be deemed an act of gross injustice, and such reasoning a mockery ! I Yet such is the state of the question respecting the rival merits of Quebec and Montreal in respect of centrality. The distance from Quebec to the Lower extre- mity of the Province, in round numbers, is 500 miles, and its distance fi -n the Upper extremity is about 750. The time required to travel either distauce, in summer or in winter, according to the present mode of conveyance, is greater as regards the Lower extremity than the Upper, and is likely to continue so for a period which will outlive the allegiance of the inhabitants of either section to the British Crown. If the inhabitants of the lower region, numbering about 200,000, be entitled to a participation of that "equal justice," which is the clap-trap of the present day, a due regard must be had to their facility of communicating with the seat of legislation and of the administrative Machine. If the inhabitans of Gasp^, a populous and flourishing district, encounter greater hardships and require a longer time to make known their wants to the Government, supposing it to be situate at Quebec, than the inhabitants of the ''Vestern District ; and that the present rela- tion and circumstances of the two sections be likely to continue the same for a long period to come, then Quebec is decidedly the most central i)oint for the seat of the Provincial Government, upon the only true and rational grounds by which centra- lity can be tested. The report of the Canadian Executive dAvells v/ith a tone of infinite confidence and satisfaction upon the great advantages Montreal possesses as a site for the Canadian Capital, grounded upon its being a large, flourishing and wealthy City, and the supposed centre of an extensive trade. It would be difficult to comprehend upon what principle its commercial importance could ensure it a preference, were it built in Gasp^ Bay, or at the extremity of the Western District ; surely, at either of these points no precedence could be awarded to it on that ground which is ob- viously extraneous to the mainf^uestion. The claim of Montreal to su'iprinTit""' if any it have, must rest on other and intrinsic advantages, namely, its boasted cen- 10 trality, which great attribute is no doubt prodigiously enhanced by the statearaan' tike argument of Her Magesty's Colonial advisers, that Quebec and its people would appear, " strange " to the si'agle-minded, unsophisticated denizens of Upper-Cana- da, and that for that reason they could never think of subjecting the hypocondna- cal temperaments of the latter to the suicidal eflfecta of such a contact 1 1 W hat particular bearir.g this unfortunate blemish in the physiognomy and circumstaiicos of the people of Quebec ha.s upon the question, they have not condescended to show, nor has the degree of weight which has been given to it in Dowmng Street as yet transpired. .» •. i- Again, (says the Report,) '' ike Island of Montreal zaas ^hosenas the site of a " grecaCity by Hie French Oovemvieiit in the early tivxes oftlieQolony"—Certes^''the " acknowledged sagacity and foresight displayed by the officers of that nation in their " selection of positions for either civil or military ocmpation,''~-Vfh\ch is so much ad- mired in the said Eeport,— is at this day amply borne out by two important facts, —namely— that the Executive Council of Canada agree m opinion wth the officers of that celebrated colonizing nation ;pon the eligibility of Montreal " as a position for civil or military occupatim/'' and that the French have been driven almost trom every inch of ground which they possessed on this continent I ! , , i ^ AdmidHt the host of trashy reasons which have been attempted to be palmed upon the British ministry tor the purpose of adding to the fancied embellishments of " the favoured City of Conada,^' there is one with respect to which all badinage must be put aside, and which, if it had any foundation in fact, would give considerab e weight to the claims of V-: at City. Montreal is represented to bo " situate at the '• head ofnavigationfrom ifie sea, andai the foot of the river and canal navigation, not only •' of Canada, but of North Western America. " This must have been an error on the part either of the printer or of the amanuensis emplojed by the Council, it the words~"/or Montreal read Quebec;' had been added in a note, it would have saved the framers of the report from the equivocal position in which this erroneous state- ment—or typographical or clerical error, has placed them. Duringthc season ot navigation, from one thousand to eleven hundred vessels resort annually to the Port of Quebec, of wliich one hundred to one hundred and fifty, of comparatively inferior burden, watm-ced to the aforesaid " head of navigation from the sea. — If towincr vessels against the strong current of a shallow nver of intricate naviga- tion, con°stitute sea or ship navigation,— then there is some truth in the assertion ; and the only remaining difficulty would be,— after the completion ot the fet. l^aw- rence and Chambly Canals,— to determine, upon such acntenon, at what particular point, bfctAveen Montreal and Chicago, the terminus of ship navigation would be found ; and it would be equallv difficult to show in what way this style ot sea o" ghip navigation could differ from the towage of vessels, over a rail-road, hve hun- dred miles into the interior of the country,— whither the author of the Report on the Beat of Government-question, by the same misapplication of terms, might extend the ordinarily received bounds of Old Ocean and " astonish his weak nerves by landing him amidst the primeval pines of the Canadian forest. Could the framers of this statistical deception have possibly imagined that Lord Stanley, or the other Mem- bers of the British Cabinet, ure not as well acquainted as any man m Canada witt» the depth of water, and the nature of the navigation of every foot of the rn-^r bt. Lawrence between Quebec and Montreal ? The man who penned the assertion in question must have known, that Quebec, and ^t^iec alone-wa.s the termination ot sea or ship navigation, and-conversely, the commencement of inland or steam navigation. Any statement in disparagement of the marked position of the City of Quebec in this respect, was a deviation from fact, unpardonable in individuals whose accession to power is predicated upon their supposed mtimate knowledge ot all the circumstances of the country submitted to their rule. •^ , .. 1 ,1 i.i,„j. fU" fJigr-na^'on '^ftT^«TP'l''>tivp. merits . I the dine- isut it may uc uuawcrcu tha.u tnt ^w^^yh,...:}^ -i t -— -^ ,,. . . ■ ,i ^ rent sites above mentioned is now idle, in as much as the Home Ministry in the exercise of the Royal Prerogative, have restricted the choice to Kingston and Mont- real and that having deferred to the Provincial Legislature aa to the selection to { 11 ^. ,< " i i I l:>e made between the two, a decision has been come to in favor of Montreal which IS iri-e vocable. It wili be necessary to combat this new feature of the case, which would ssem to exclude tlio Gibraltar of the American continent from any consi- deration Avhatever in the choice of the future Capital of the Canadas, before it can be shewn that the present discussion of the question can lead to any beneficial re- sult. The expression of an opinion by the Legislature has only been given under a limited choice between Kingston and Montreal, and so far its decision entails no sentence of condemnation upon Quebec— The submission of the point to the deci- sion of the Legislature of two lately United Provinces, composed of heterogeneoua and discordant elements, and differing so widely in languages, laws, and religion, before the separate identity of each section of the new Province or its individual interests could possibly be lost sight of in the minds of their respective deputies, or amalgamated, as they ought to be— with the entierty of the Province as a common country ; — and at a time too when every disturbing influence vrhich could in the least aff'ect the flimsy cicatrice of the recent revolt, ought to have been carefully eschewed,— was a blunder which may be attended with disastrous result,s. But it was an infinitely greater blunder to require the expression of an opinion at the hands of the Legisla- ture, as the supposed best judges of their local affairs and circumstances, in res- pect to the most suitable place for a Canadian Capital,— and at the same time to direct that choice, and to restrict it to one of two localities. The reference to the Legislature was tantamount to an admission of want of sufficient information and means of judging on the part of the Ministry, and was deferential to the Kepre- sentativcs of the people. The exclusion of Quebec and Toronto from their consi- deration was, on the other liand, an assumption of a higher degree of knowledge on the part of the ministry, which was destructive of the wisdom of the reference and of its deferential character.— It was " donner et retenir "—a gaiicherie—VinS. an anomaly, which could only have been the result of the unwise communications on this subject which have crossed the Atlantic from either side, and which are now prudently veiled from the light of day. But at all events the opinion required, and that which ought to have been given on a point of this nature, was a free and unbiassed expression of the sense of the Legislature as upon an open question, not the echo of the previously pronounced opinion of an office — dispensing adminis- tration, or the judgment of a stipendiary House. — For these reasons, then, the decision of the Legislature is deprived af all moral influence. Again the Executive Government have egregiously mistaken their position in relation to this question. They have treated it as an act of ephemeral administra- tion, and as such coming within the legitimate scope of their control as responsible . advisers of the Crown ; \. nile, on the contrary, it was a question of permanent in- terests, deeply affecting the whole of the Province, and not at all dependent upon any principle of political economy, or of the science of Government, and one totally unconnected with the ascendancy of any one party in the state, whetlier French or English, Tory, Keformer, Radical or Destructive, It was an unwarrantable assumption on their part to make it a Cabinet measure, and to throw their influ- ence into the scale in favor of any one locality. The opinion thus extorted cannot, therefore, be deemed to be the free and unrestrained judgment of the Legislature,' which the Home Government had ariglat to expect, and which ought to have been given, and is consequently so much diminished in value as to preclude the possi- bility of its bein;^ taken to be conclusive. The course pursued by the Elxecutive Government sins also in another respect, which seems to indicate not a too accurate conception of their present footing. The reins of Government have been confided to their hands on the introduction into the colonies of the principle of Responsible Government, a system which was ab- solutely necessary to give essence to the representative form of government ps+o- blishedin Canada, and to impart harmonious action to the constitution, by transfer- ring the administration of the Government from the hands of se.r\nle officials, to persons having the confidence of the Representatives of the people ; but the practi- 12 cabilit3r of which system, in a colony, rests solely upon a marked line of demarca- tion being rigidly kept np between questions of an Imperial, and those of a Colonial or local nature. The least encroachment upon this line will instantly revive the old bug-bear objections of the incompatibility of Responsible Government with colonial dependency ; and the "action" (to adopt an Americanism) of the Provin- cial Executive in this matter, was an act of usurpation in which they have been unadvisedly countenanced by the Colonial Office. The permanent good working of the new Colonial constitution will materially depend upon a careful severance of imperial and colonial measures, as well as upon mutual forbearance in working out a system, in which each of the dramatis persona:, instead of pertinaciously insisting upon the uncontrolled exercise of the particular prerogative or power entrusted to hira by his Sovereign, will strive to co-operate cordially with the other servants of the constitution for the general good, holding their absolute Y)oyv era in abeyance, to be exercised only when a jarring of the elements may necessitate a change. The permanent establishment of tlie scai, of Government of the most important of the British North American possessions, was a question of an Imperial, and not of a Colonial nature ; or one at least in which local interests, (if any were involved in it,) were comparatively of so little weight as to become merged in the paramount importance of its imperial character. It was assuredly a question in which a mul- tiplicity of reasons combined to require the decisive and definitive exercise of the prerogative of the Crown by the Home Ministry, in order to prevent thatrancourous rivalry and opposition which its reference to the people of the country was sure to produce. Upon this view of the case then the Provincial Executive have erred — the Co- lonial Office has erred. That error, not being irremediable, must now be retrieved, and the point deemed undetermined and still open, (notwithstanding the late par- liamentary proceedings,) to all the reasons which may be urged in fivor of Quebec or any other locality. Moreover the inharmonious manner in which this question has passed through the legislative bodies, — the contradictory addresses of the Le- gislative Council and Assembly, — tJie ministerial pressure on both Houses, — the fer- ment in Upper Canada, — all aflbrd conclusive evidence that the Metropolitan Govern- ment is not in a less responsible, but in an infinitely more embarrassed predicament, in relation to this matter, than when they first referred the point. There is one additional argument in favor of Quebec, Avhich, though forming no part of the abstract merits of the question, it would still be unjust to omit. This City has not only been the Capital of Lower Canada, the most important British possession on this continent, but it was formerly the Capital of the same extent of Territory as the new Province, under the ancient name of the Province of Quebec, and it has always been the seat of the General Government of all the Provinces. The inhabitants under the pledge implied by acts of the supreme authority, have invested their property in that city ; and this pledge, under an honest and impartial Government, ouglit not to be lightly violated. This reason ought to secure to it at least the enjoyment, ad interim, of the advantages to be derived from its being the seat of Government, until either the explosion or the complete subsidence of the various elements of discord which still simmer in the land, — affi^rd some prognostic of the future political condition of these valuable appendages of the British Crown. It is impossible that the British Cabinet, now under the influence of the sound judgment of the most experienced General of the age, can be otherwise than alive to the value of the Citadel of (Quebec, as the key to the British possessions in North America. For, — of what avail would be the retention of that stronghold, if the Seat of Government, — the person of the Queen's Representative, and the public documents and records of the country, bo placedina sitaatiou in which they may be suddenly paralysed or destroyed, either by the incursions of a neighbouring encmy.or the revolt of the surrounding district ? The establishment oftliebeatof Government and of the sittings of the Lpgislature in the midst of a populous district, would in- .or un- seek All the 13 W Sl^^Jfi ''''^fT'' '^ r ^ ^"f ^' ^'f ''^^ "evading foe, and necessarily cause a need- Pd .,^7 . r'"''^^!' ^'^'- ^1°"^^^*' *^^^^«^""^"«' «° that ground aloue to be avoid- ed of tloTf chosen aftording the best means of defence, and the smallest ootpn,?lJ .''''*''''' ""^ ¥^ ^^,^ property. The defenceless condition of Mos- cXnT^f .1 P ''''^''''*^^'^^^^P|^^^^ the torch to that ancient and magnificent Xdedftno^^^^^^^^^^ ''''''''''' '"^"^^^ calamity, from which its cS^tralityf derivpd frnm^.'f^^^i^''''^.'^'' ''t,?* ''I ^ condition to contemn the advantages to be T^ri I.h ! ^'^T^ '']^^-' fl'-^^^^^n the vicinity of a formidable eiiemy to kSS -i^X^r^' '"^'^ ^^'-^^ the whole of the North' American continent ast^heir sS, f r rS.^ ^ u •?'^ especially whatever portion of it is to be found in the posses- 3r^r.Li ^i-itam.-Canacla cannot look forward with much confidence to a waste^^^j^^^^^^^ The irresponsible rulers ofthe United States, to wit, the " washed bovoreigns of that lawless laud, have always sought and will ever s every oppor unity of embroiling their country in a\v'ar with England All TreS^of^^^^^^^^^^^^ '"^^r -^ ""'''"^ ^'^^^ ^^--^-^ i« '-^S--" ^« --ted L in™ 1 f^i^^"" Territory ; and as tlie urgency of their cfemands is ever in bull odTntn ^.'"l °'' '-^^'^'^ the British Governmeii will again be bearded, and o? hp r .. 7«h concessions, or else into a sanguinary war in which the disirace di.n ^(\Z'f ■' ^^'' '^'-i^ ""^ ^h ^"'"^^^^ Government to place the Seat of the Cana- The recent troubl?'^^^^ against ixternal, as internal foes, know no ll,r ^ ' ^""^^ ^ ^^^ umbrage, are fresh in the memory of all. We .e^' of Unner r'nn'l "? ^^^at quarter, they may again spring up. fhe loyal ciU^ thoSpnf ?fr '' "l^^H^ threaten disaffection on account of the removal of thev bonnl ''•I'^f ,^ ^"^ ^°T' ^'"^^'^^^^- ^^hat may we not apprehend when * rltoraZ^ 3''''^ \ 'T^ ^''' ^™'^"^'''^ ^'^'^^^^^l ^^^ when the year ofthe andtobS o T' '''''^ ^^' g^^^^t agitator is reinstated in his pristine notoriety Sw o-nS^f'''^' '^''^- ""^r^"'^ """"fr opportunity, under the mask o^f CfK',^£nf^^- '"''';'? '"^ the unenviable character ofthe leader of alawless a. n n;nni f !V '^'^'' ''^ Lower and Upper Canada is a trial measure, intended tn^ IZT ^ grievances and political dissensions of the two Provinces. It nal V fSn;?. 1m 'T'{ '""^fir^, ^^ «"^'"ently successful, or which may sig- bo Hni qfoV 1 "" ^° '^'''''^^ ^'''i* *^" contiguity of Upper Canada to the neigE- cM rolftS^ f fi '"! ^" '^*'"'^'*^ ^"""^ line,~the Uaily increasing commi- cial relations of the two countries, and their similarity in language, laws and reli- rVwon op'^°'??''^"^""^^^''^^ ^'''T''' '''^ nautuaf symparhiefknTspTeacSg ^ onnf^o ^^IT^hcanism among the loyal people of I3ond Head. The conces- sion of Ecsponsible Government to Canada, though a just and wise measure is T ow^, P T ^"^ /^'-^ternize ; and should perchancef the demagogues of Upper and the 01 rb^^f r'^^' Its operation ever attain to power, and become restive under wtrjton !•'"'' /''''''''.'^^7^' "PP^^"*^ ^y *^^ metropolitain authorities in XtlnnS f """^^-T^ Imperial and Colonial nature, fresh and factious agitation and discord may be the result, and a future O'Cal aghan or M'Kenzie TZoZ"lt^3Vef^ '\^r^ ^SP^^" ''^'''''''' andpfoduce a collS sib ™ vorv f-^ Of the United Provi.,ce,-a consummation neither impos- sible nor very improbiible and by some devoutly to be wished. It would tLn of tHX'Tv '^^ '%'^''^' the republicanism of the one section and the radicaS of Nova S> { Z^k'^'Z °^ '^" 'YT'''''''^ ^''y^'^'y °^ '^^ '"^^y ^^^^tlsh provinces PP. t; tT li 7 Bniuswick, by means of u federal unioi of all the Provin- t?f .nn .r fr^'^'""? """m ' ''"'^' e^'f ^mstanccs, the City of Quebec would resume ts foimer importance, and become, what thcfmrrer of natnrp h^^ mark^-l i^ -i* t^ of thi'S;'^'^ ""^'""f^?' '?T'^'- Weshouldtlien becomecon~vinced-nay,*cJn;icted Hniplv S''"' folly of having established the Seat of Government^'in a city closely bordering or; ., foreign state-destitute of every means of defence either 14 natural or artificial, — requiring a prodigious outlay of public money in an already impoverished country, an 1 with no better justification or apology ibr the iusensate act than the di 'le sin of having transferred it to such a frail tenement, from a city possessing in an - mi neut degree every requisite for the site of the Canadian Capital, and a^ much distinguished for its intrinsic advantages as Montreal is for its absolute want of them. The gigantic vscale of the Parisian fortifications exhibits a striking instance of the opinion of modern times as to the expediency of securing the capital of a mon- archial country alike from inward commotion and foreign invasion, and that one of the most enlightened nations ofP]urope, alive to the lessons of experience, has directed its attention to the strength and safety of its Capital, utterly heedless of its want of centrality. It is in vain to defend the propriety of choosing Montreal as the Seat of Government by reason of its greater centrality ; and British statesmen will have but a sorry account to render of their stewardship in awarding it a pre- ference upon this ground alone, while they must be convinced of the fact, that it is but twelve hours steam distant from the Gibraltar of North America. * Centrality 1 — What particular evil or inconvenience has resulted to the many great Capitals of representative Europe, which are situate on the confines of their respective States and Kingdoms, from the want of centrality ? Has there ever been a hue and cry raised in those countries upon such a ground ? Who ever heard of such a thing, except amidst a few of the mushroom capitals of the mushroom states of the neigh- bouring Union. Let it ever be borne in mind, that the connexion of these Colonies with Great Britain can only be co-existent with the naval supremacy of the latter. In vain would England continue to be " Mistress of the seas," as regards the protection of the C; adas from foreign or domestic trouble, unless the Capital be accessible to her navy, and possess all the requisites of a naval station, where " the sleeping thunders of Britain may repose on the bosom of the majestic St. Lawrence." If the lessons of experience have any weight, the examples from the principal capitals of the world hereinbefore enumerated, place the cities of Quebec and Montreal in bold contrast, proving to demonstration the possession by Quebec of all the ele- ments which history seems to indicate as the most conducive to the formation of a great and permanent Capital, while the application of the different essential tests to her rival, — " the Island City of the French," — " the favoured City of Canada " — ^results in a lamentable " Proces verbal de carence,''^ — which would justify the issuing of a commission of lunacy against any man, or set of men, who would attempt to palm such a place on their Sovereign as the most eligible site for a Capital. SI ould, however, this act of spoliation or injustice — folly or imprudence, or by whatever name it uay be characterized, be now consummated, and that the course of future events do unhappily realize the dark side of the picture herein hinted at, it will but add one more fatal instance to the many to be found in the minutes of English diplomacy and colonial government, in which the earnings of many a hardfought field have been thrown away by the blunders of British States- men. Qttebcc, 20(h November, 1848. J85«, ti^e hours .'.' ^M 1 ( 1 I KINGDOMS AND STATES. AFRICA. E,!,'ypt, Abyssinia, Algiers, Tunis. Tripoli, AMEIIIGA. Nt'w Brunswick, Nt)V!i Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Lowfr-C.uiadu, Upper-Canada, Canada, do. do. do. do. United States. Maino, Now Hampshiro, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, do. Rhode Island, do. New-York, New Jersey, i'ensylvania, Delaware, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennesee, AJabaina, Mississiijpi, Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Mexico, Guatimala or Central ) Repui)lic, ( Columbia, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, United I' evinces ) (Ai'geiitine Repubhc,) ( raruguriy, BandaO'rientol (Uraguay,) Chili. '^ J J CAPITALS. Grand Cairo, Gondar, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, 120 Frederickton, 125Hulif;ix, TolSt. John, 2.") Charlotte Town, fiOOQuebec, 400Toronto, Toronto, Kingston, Monti-eal, Tiireo Rivers, Quebec, Washington, 400 Augusta, 270 Concord, 280 Montpelier, 610 Boston, 300 Hartford, New Haven, 100 Providence, Newport, Albany, 320 Trenton, 1 400 l-Iurrisburg, 75 Dover, Columbus, 350 Indianapolis, 100 Vaiululia, 140 JelTerson City, 450 Annapolis, 210 Richmond, 700 Frankfort, 750 Raleigh, 000 Columbia, 520 .Milledgcville, 700 Xashville. 310 Tuscaloosa, 140 Jackson, 220 New Orleans, 32 Detroit, 35 Tiilahassee, 58 hiitlo Rock, 80 flouston, Mexico, New Guatimala, a, O = I P cc O C 'C C as: o flO -1 2 _ W 3 4) 30r 50 120 1,30 Of, 3 20 15 o 30 5 5 7 40 30 20 4 4 o G 10 11 1 8 H a o..a ♦J c 5 o 1.2- a £ i ^.0 o « o o 5 0) M '^ S " n-? 1«2 0-3 a) • O a O Co s c; 0« c 500 120 400 200 400 200 320 60 530 240 2.' 4 5 3 IG 3 U 180 230 4001 SO 500| 300 1030 I 880 080 660 750 1800 200,1 160 115 700 300 800 400 110 400 n.airnta. Rio Janeiro. Lima, CluKpiisaca, Uueiios Ay res, \ssomj)tion, .Montf Video, ■San Jago, 150 40j 50 200 ■0 30 80 1 1 2 1 1 o I 10 1 16 1 40) 1 130 75 75 50 40 310 100 210 60 200 170 200 210 180 300 280) 320 150 200 280 300 420 330 260 420 350; 900, 1500 240 1200 230 850 600 1200 70 150 00 60 230 220 220 370 .570 590 500 600 100 35 55 80 50 45 12 1 20 80 90 50 110 150 100 140 100 80 150 180 115 180 200 250 220 90 50 190 320 •JOO 400 150 Oi GO U \. TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL CAPITAL CITIES IN THE WORLD, SH KINGDOMS AHD Population of Kingdoini and States. CAPITALS. OB ■s, CO O °^ a c o a o ii of Capital from t extremity in the e direction to far- oint. a 1 13 *^ a. a ti O a '" 2 of Capital from :e extremity to ; point. .2§ •s a If Distance of Capita from Shif and Steana Navigation 4Q 6TATBS. i a a m § O 03 IS I- 3j Q 00 Distance farthes opposit thest p o CD S Oj s Distance opposit nearest ■T5 1 5^ 6* s eg :;3 a EUROPE. 1 a a a 1 B Great-Britain and Ireland, 26 London, 1500 1 600 280 50 500 —43 Englt^nd Scotland, 15 3 London. Edinburgh, 1500 170 1 2 .320 230 60 110 50 200 130 — 54 —41 Ireland. 8 Dublin, 220 1 200 150 150 —29 France. 33 Paris, 7S0 1 500 150 100 250 —37 100 Spain, Portugal, Italy, Naples, Papal DominioDB, Lombardy, 14 Madrid, 200 1 400 300 160 200 — 9 3 21 600 150 Lisbon, Rome, 240 15fi 1 3 250 450 150 400 20 15 120 100 —24 — 8 15 7 640 Naples, 360 1 450 150 90 — 32 2 650 Rome, 156 1 250 60 15 30 — 33 IS 4 280 Milan, 140 1 220 20 20 220 — 42 80 Tuscany, 1 300 Florence, 86 1 100 80 30 50 — 11 —13 30 Switzerland, 2 100 Berne, 21 2 150 120 30 70 Zurich. 180 100 20 110 — 30 Lucerne, 150 100 40 90 —20 Germany, 85 P'rankfort, 50 4 700 200 100 500 50 —16 on Bohemia, 3 800 Prague, 117 1 120 70 55 65 Mofiivia & Silesin, 2 Brunn, 36 1 120 70 30 90 — 29 Archduchy of Austria & Salzburg, o 60 Vienna, 320 1 180 30 20 40 —41 Tyrol, 800 Inspmck, 110 60 15 60 —•28 Styria, Illyria, 800 Gratz. 40 1 100 80 25 40 —10 1 200 Trieste, 40 100 25 60 —54 Pomerania, 900 Stettin, 32 150 100 20 30 —12 Bavaria, 4 70 Munich, 80 1 200 80 40 ' 100 —32 Hanover, 1 600 Hanover, 30 2 120 80 15 25 —12 Wui-temburg, 1 600 Stuttgard, 30 90 70 20 50 —16 Saxony, 1 500 Dresdrn, 60 1 90 60 25 30 —12 Baden, 1 150 Karlsruhe, 20 2 110 80 5 20 —30 Belgium, Holland, 4 2 300 Brussels, Amsterdam, 80 210 1 1 12C 110 80 100 30 20 50 90 —15 —19 Denmark, 2 Copenhagen, 110 1 250 200 190 —26 Sweden and Norway, 4 200 Stockholm, 85 1 1000 300 450 — 44 Austrian Empire, 32 Vienna, 320 1 500 130 130 500 —29 Hungary, 8 60 Buda, 28 4 300 150 100 250 —34 Poland (Old,) 15 Warsaw, 130 600 250 150 500 —41 Prussia (Old,) 13 60 Berlin, 220 1 500 130 50 300 —50 Do. (New,) 9 500 Berlin, 220 1 5(J0 400 50 300 — 19 Greece (Modern,) 800 Athens, 150 130 40 120 —18 5 5 Turkey (Europe,) 9 Constantinople, 600 1 700 700 -lOO Russia (Europe.) 52 St. Petersburgh, 450 1 1200 1000 240 900 —20 Turkish Empire, 21 Constantinople, 600 1 1300 700 20 200 —20 Russian Empire. 63 St. Petersburg, 450 1 5000 700 240 1500 —49 ASIA. Turkey, 12 Constantinople, 600 1 1300 1300 -100 Siberia, 2 Tobolsk, 25 2 3600 500 200 1000 —48 €hineBo Empire, 360 Pekin, 2000 2500 1500 150 700 —19 China Proper, Japan, 150 Fekin, Jcddo, 2000 iPjOO 1600 1000 10 700 10 150 1600 303 —99 A V Hindostan, 134 Calcutta, 700 1700 1300 80 1200 —25 Birman Empire, 3 500 Ava, 175 1500 400 150 350 —34 Affghanistan, 6 500 Caboul, 80 3 600 400 200 350 —17 Bouloochistan. 2 Kelat, 20 500 300 80 200 -20 Independent Tartary, Persia, 5 12 Boukara, Teheran, 60 140 1 2 1000 1300 600 600 200 100 750 300 —30 —24 1 Arabia, 12 Mecca, 40 2 1250 850 70 650 —23 70 \ 70 1 ES m THE WORLD, SHEWING THE ORDER OF THEIR CENTRALITY. ftc. a. O a o o- «-> U V as ? IS s Q 50 50 100 160 20 15 15 20 30 30 20 40 100 55 30 20 15 25 20 40 15 20 25 5 30 20 130 100 150 50 50 40 240 20 240 200 150 10 150 80 150 200 80 200 100 70 as o H ^ 4). §1 o ^ a — ^ I s 500 200 130 150 250 200 120 100 90 30 220 50 70 110 90 500 fi5 90 40 60 40 60 30 100 25 50 30 20 50 90 190 450 500 250 500 300 300 120 700 900 200 1500 1300 1000 700 1600 303 1200 350 350 200 750 300 650 T s§ Distance of Capital from Ship and Steam Navigation CD ti B3 —43 —54 41 —29 —37 — 9 —24 — 8 —32 —33 42 —11 —13 —30 .20 .50 .16 —29 '41 .28 ■10 54 ■12 1—32 12 —16 12 —30 —15 —19 26 —44 .29 —34 41 —50 19 —18 -lOO —20 •20 —49 100 -48 —19 —99 ■25 —34 17 -20 •30 24 —23 CO 100 15 15 80 30 70 00 70 Other Chief Oitiei and Town*. Dublin. Manchester, Glasgow, Cork, Lyons, Barcelona, Oporto, Naples, Palenno, Bologna, Venice, Leghorn, Geneva, Hambnrgh, Olmutz, Lintz, Trente, Judonburg, Laybach, Stralsund, Nurembourg, 40 Bremen, 40 Leipsick, 41 Manheim, 2ii Antwerp, 70 Rotterdam, 7i( Altona, 26 Gottenburg, 24 Milan, 140 Pest, 61 Dantzick, 61 Breslaw, 90 Adrianople, 120 Moscow, 250 Adrianople, 120 Moscow, 250 Damascua, Irkoutsk, Singuanfoa, Singuanfou, Benares, Pegu, Candahar, Samarcand, Ispahan. Muscat, •3 J5 820 200 210 120 165 120 80 300 170 64 120 50 25 120 15 20 60 200 CO Mo8t Oe'utral City or Town. Liverpool, Birmingham, Perth, Athlone, Bourges, Madrid, Coimbra, Rome, Naples, Verona, Florence, Lucerne, Brunn, Brixen, Laybach, Stargard, Ratisbou, Kirkheim, Dresden, Baden, Louvain, Davonter, Colding, Buda, Buda, Pinska, Posen, Sophia, Moscow, Konieh, Tobolsk, 200 Diarbokir, 30 Kirensk, 1000 Lantcheou, 1000 Kingtclioufou, 700 Jeddo, OOOJAllnhabad, 150 Pegu, 100 Cities in the order of their Oentrality Three Rivers.. Indianapolis, Dover, San Jago, Montreal, Rome, Toronto, Madrid, Gratz, Quebec, Florence, Little Rock, Stettin, Hanover, Dresden, Nashville, Berne, Brussels, Prague, Stuttgard, Hartford, Quebec, Halifax, Trenton, Tuscaloosa, Chuquisaca, Caboul, Athens, Now Guatimala. Giiarlolte Town, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vandalia, Pekin, Columbus, Conitantinople, Lucerne, Milledgeville, Tallahassee, ■ Kelat, Kingston, St. Pctersburgh, Annapolis, Montpelier, Columbia, Frankfort, Goudar, Raleigh, Mecca, Lisbon, Teheran, Calcutta, Copenhagen, Augusta, cfferson City, T.iinn, Inspruck, Jeddo, Dublin, Vienna, Brunn, Tripoli, Zurich, Karlsruhe, 5* a o u o ■a -r< ^ Statbi. 3 Canada, 4 Indiana, U. S., 6 Delaware, U. S., 5 Chili, 5 Canada, 8 Italy, 8 Upper Canada, 9 Spain, 10 Styria, 10 Canada, 11 Tuscany, 11 Arkansas, 12 Pomerania, 12 Hanover, 12 Saxony, 12 Tennessee, U. 8%, 13 Switzerland, 15 Belgium, 16 Bohemia, 16 Wurtemburg, 16 Connecticut, U.S. 17 Lower Canada, 17 Nova Scotia, 17 New Jersey, U. S. 17 Alabama, U. 8. 17 Bolivia, 17 Afighanistan, 18 Greece (mod) 18 Guatimala, 18 Prince Ed. Island, 19 Holland, 10 Prussia, (New.) ■ 19 Illinois, U. S. 19 Chinese Emp. 19 Ohio, U. 8. 20 Turkish Emp. 20 Switzerland, 20 Georgia, U. 8. 20 Florida, U. S. 20 Bouloochiatan, 20 Canada. 20 Russia (Eur.) 21 Maryland, U. 8. 21 Vermont, do. 21 S. Carolina do. 22 Kentucky, do. 22 Abyssinia, 22 N. Carolina, U. 8. 23 Arabia, 24 Portugal, 24 Persia, 25 Hindostan, 26 Demmark, 26 Maine, U. 8. 26 Missouri, U. 8. 26 Peru. 28 Tyrol, 28 Japan, 29 Ireland, 29 Austrian Emp. 29 Moravia & Silesia, 29 Tripoli, 30 Switzerland. 30 Baden. S9- KINGDOMS AND STATES. AFRICA. EjJiypt, AliyssJiiiB, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, AMERICA. Now Brunswick, Novii Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island. Lowor-Canadu, Upper-Canada, Canada, do. do. do. do. United States. Maine, New Hiimpshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, do. Rhode Island, dn. New-York, New Jersey, I'cnsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Mifisouri, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Noi'th Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennosee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Mexico, Giialimala or Central Republic, Columbia, Brazil, Pern, Bolivia, United Provinces (Argentine Republic,) Paraguay, Banda Oriental (Uraguay,) Chili. Population of KiDgdoms and States. r,oo 701) 700 CAPITALS. Grand Cairo, Gondar, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, 15 120 Fredrrickton, 11>5 Halif-ix, 7r» .St. John, Charlotte Town, fiOO Quebec, 400 Toronto, Toronto, King.ston, Montreal, Three River.'?, Quebec, Washington, Augusta, Concord, Mont[)i^lier, 400 i>70 280 610 Boston, 300 Hartford, New Haven, Providence, Newport, Albany, Trenton. Ilarrisburg, Dover, Columbus, Indianapolis, V^andalia, Teff'erson City, Annapolis, 100 320 400 75 .350 KJO 140 450 210 Richm(md, 700 750 (100 520 700 310 140 220 32 35 58 80 rankfort, Raleigh. Ooluiiihia, Miiledgeville, \ashville, Tuscaloosa, Jackson, >f('W Orleans, D(>troit, Talahassee, Littlo Rock, Houston, Mexico, New Guatimala, O 2 5 o 300 50 120 130 3 20 15 o 30 40 30 20 4 4 05 10 11 1 8 25 4 700 300 800 400 110 400 Bagota, Rio Janeiro. Limn. Chuquisaca, Buenos Ayres, Assomption, Monte Video, San Jago, U o 50 9 1 150 40 50 200 .•■■'.)\ 30 80 10 16 ta a SI eS 33 3] ,J o US a. 1 1 1 2 2 3 1 12 1 1 101 1 500 400 400 320 530 180 230 400 SO 500 300 1030 880 680 660 750 1800 200 160 115 130 75 75 50 40 310 100 210 60 200 170 200 210 180 300 280 320 150 200 280 300 420 330 260 420 ,350 900 1500 240| 1200 230 6C0 1200 75 600 ill V. B o "3 Ka !S S " ■■^ K'B ■ 2«2 0-2 120 200 200 60 240 70 150 60 60 23'J 220 220 370 .570 500 500 600 100 35 55 80 50 45 12 1 20 80 .00 50 110 150 100 140 100 80 150 180 115 180 200 250 220 90 50 190 320 300 400 150 700 800 550 500 25 900 750 ta ■ O a o ^ •J 4) ^ 3 v IB a SB a la * *^ • 35 190 50 50 10 50 30 30 10 35 100 50 100 35 35 25 20 3 20 42 90 70 45 90 20 80 40 60 65 70 35 60 75 40 20 180 50 160 jO 200 250 250 100 150 100 SO 350 40 a _^ ti —I 44 22 -37 -41 -29 Distance of Capital from Ship and St(;atn Navigatio;i. 500 90 45 35 130 35 50 20 40 310 40 100 10 120 75 60 200 60 300 100 140 140 200 70 200 260 50 170 30 300 900 200 100 -32 -17 -7.-5 —18 17 — 8 —32 20 6 — 3 —10 « —26 55 —21 —13 16 —.33 —44 —99 —88 —17 —30 5 19 — 4 —19 —26 •21 30 500 500 380 180 90 30 150 30 10 34 —21 -20 -12 -17 -30 -30 -61 -20 -11 •60 -30 200 1200 230 800 200 550 IDO 600 40 600 75 75 ■ —18 -40 100 -20 —17 —35 —45 100 120 140 100 300 30 160 40 30 a a CO 45 35 Oil Chief ail Tow Alex^ndr: Conatanti 10 80 85 45 75 30 25 40 6 230 75 St. John, Pictou, Princetow Montroal, Kingston, Montreal, New York Portland, Portsniout Burlingtoi Salem, MiddletOM Warwick, New York Newark, Philadelph Wilmingto Cincinnati, New Albai Chicago, St. Lewis, Baltimore, Norfolk, Louisville, Newbern, Charleston, Savannah, Kuoxvillo, Mobile, Natchez, Donaldsons Monroe, Pensacola, Arkansas, Bexar, Guadalaxat Coban, Quito, San Salvadf Aroquipa, Potosi, Cordova, Conception, Valparaiso, 1 r 3 Distance % -^ cc 3 of Capital 2 from Shi >y 2 a ■ S c Other 2 ^^1 > and St(;ar < Navigatio; 1 - 1 ' ] Chief Cities Moat central Cities in the order S of 1^ Statk*. e of site > and '3 C City or Town. their Centrality. -1 S 0.5 i Towns. j: "2^ ;2 oi z (» «3 1.E- o Ilarrisburg, 30 Pensylvanift, U.S. 30 Mississippi, 30 Mexico, ) 200 ) 250 ~4 —2! 1 Alexijndria, o_ J Tiout, .Jiukaon, Mexico, ) 250 ) 100 -3- -4 r 1 Coiiatuntiuc, 6( ) Houkiira, Now (Jrluans, 30 Indpdt. Tartnry, 30 Louisiana. ) 160 —2! ) Naples, Munich, Frodericktou, Toronto, rtome. 3( 31 3::. 3C 3; ) Naples, > Bavaria, .New Brunswick, Canada, Papal Druninions, 100 —35 30 St. John, IC Fredorickton, Washington, 311 United Stales, SO -17 Pictou, 3 Windsor, Newhaven, 33 Connecticut, U. S, 350 -7." IJuda, 3 Hungary, 40 —IE Princptown, Ava, 31 Biinian Emp. N.lIiMn,«pliirf,U8 —17 Montroal, 40 Quebec, Concord, sr, — « 500 Kingston, 7 liuenos Ayres, 3.5 United Piuvinco.i, — :« 500 MoMtreal, 40 Three Hivers, (Arg( mine Rep.) France, —20 380 it I'aris, 37 — 5 180 t* Algi('rs, 37 Algiers, — 3 90 tt Bagotii, 4( Columbia, —10 4t Edinburgh, 41 Scotland, 500 — 13 New York, 250 Lexington, Warsaw, 41 Poland (Old) Austria Proper, Tunis, 90 —26 30 Portland, 13 Urownville, Vioiuia, 41 45 —35 45 Portsmouth, 8 Plymouth, Tunis, 4J 35 —21 35 Burlington, 4 Bethel, Milan, London, 42 43 r.onibHrdv, Gt. Brit & Ircld. 130 —43 Salem, 14 Worcester, Boston, 4.3 Massachusetts, 35 —16 Middletown, 7 Middletown, Stockholm, 44 Sweden & Norway Ifhodu Island, 50 —33 do. I'rovidcnce, 44 20 —44 Warwick, 6 Greenwich, Grand Cairo, 44 Egypt, 40 —99 do. Assomption, 45 Paraguay, Siberia, 310 —88 150 New York, 250 Dtica, Tobolsk, 48 40 —17 30 Newark. 11 Trenton, St. I'etorsburgli, 49 Russian Em i. I'russia (01. ). 100 —3(1 Philadelphia, 200 Bellefont, Berlin, 50 10 — 5 10 JO Wilmington, 7 Dover, Frankfort, 5(1 Germ. Ooufedtn. 120 —19 80 Cincinnati, 30 Mount Vernon, London, 54 England, 75 — 4 85 New Albany, 3 Indianapolis, Trieste, 54 niyria, 60 —19 45 Chicago, 5 Springfield, Richmond, 58 Virginia, U. S. 200 —26 St. Lewis, 26 Jefferson City, Houston, 60 Texas, 60 —21 Baltimore, 80 Annapolis, Detroit, 61 .Michigan. U. S. 300 —:.s 34 Norfolk, 10 Lexington, St .Johns, 75 Newfoundland, 100 oo Louisville, 10 Springfiehl, Albany, 8(«' New York, U. S. 140 ~h 120 Newbern, 4 Jaleigh, New Port, 99 Rhode Island, U.S. 140 -21 140 !]lharleston, 30 [Columbia, Pekin, 99 vhiua Proper. Turkey (Eur.) 200 -20 100 jiavannah. 3 Vlilledgevillo, Constantinople, 100 70 -12 Knoxvillo, 3 Vlurfrecsborough. do. 100 rurkey, (Asia,) 200 -17 300 Vlobile, 3( Uentreville, Rio Janeiro, 100 Brazil, 260 -30 75 Vatchez, 3. ackson, Monte Video. 100 Baiida Oriental, 50 - -30 Donaldsonville, ( Dpionsas, (Uraguay.) 170 ■ -61 . VTonroe, 3i S.dn, 30 - -20 30 30 I 'eusacola. 3^ ^lachos. 300 - -11 { Arkansas, 1 -.ittle Rock, 900 - -60 25 I Bexar, 4t Austin, 200 - -30 160 C juadalaxara, 801 iurango. 100 - -18 40 40 C /obun, 14 C Jomaygua, 1200 - -40 G luito. 70 230 - 100 s an Salvador, 120 C 'unha, 300 - -2f; 6 / kroqiiipa, 421 'ampiunasqtii, 550 - -17 230 f otosi, 30 C huquisaca. 600 - -35 9 C ordova, 14C ordova, 40 - -4;-) 30 c onception, 41 onon, 600 - 100 2S t. Maria. 75 - ± 75 V 'alparaiao. 25 S an Jago. m ■a Distance O O S t ofC( from and Navif ipital Ship Stf.'am 'ati()(i Other Chief Cities Towne. ■SI Molt central City or Town. Cities in the ordei of their Centrality. 1; STATKf. >> . 3 i" R 13 'si a O J= i.^ i» 73 3-H o liiirrisburg, 3( I'cnsylvaiii.'i, U.S. .Mississippi, 44 Aloxijiidria, 25 Tiout, .laekson, 30 212 Mexico, 30 Mexico, 37 Constuntinc, (i( Boukara, 3( rndj)dt. Tartary, 41 Now Orleans, ;)( Louisiana, 29 Niipli.'s, Munich, l''iodoricktou, Toronto, Rome, 3( 32 32 32 33 Nii[)l:>s, Baviiria, .New Brunswick, OMnaila, I'apal Dimiinions, 3i2 30 St. John, 10 Prederickton, Washington, 33 L'uited Slati.'.H. 17 Pictou, 3 Windsor, Xewliaven, 33 Connecticut, V. ,S. 75 H.ida, 31 Hungary. 18 Piincptown, Ava, 34 BiMMMii Rni|i. 17 Montmal, 40 Quebec, Concord, 3:, N.Hiinisphire,L'8 8 500 Kingston, 7 Buenos Ayrea, 35 United I'lovitices, ?2 500 Montreal, 40 Three Rivers, (Argentine Hep.) »0 380 n I'aris, 37 I''rance, 5 180 «t Algiers, 37 Algiers. 3 90 .4 Biigotii, 40 Coluniiiia, 10 !• Edinburgh, 41 Scotland. i3 New York. 250 Lexington. Waisiiw, 41 I'olund (Old) !fi 30 Cortland, 13 ISrownville, Vienna, 41 .\ustria l'i;,p«ir. 15 45 I'ortainoulh, 8 I'lymouth, Tuids, 41 Tunis, !] 35 Burlington, 4 Bethel, Milan, London, 42 43 Lombardy. (it. Brit & Iivld. 13 Salem, 14 Worcester, Boston, 43 MaBsachuKetts, 6 Middlotown, 7 Middlotown, Stockholm, 44 Sweden fe Ncuway 13 do. Trovidciice, 44 Rhode l.-iland, 14 Warwick, fi Greenwich, ftiand Ciiiro, 41 Rgypt. 19 do. Assoniption, 45 1 iiraguay. i8 150 New York, 250 Ptica, Tobolsk, 48 Siberia, 7 30 Newark. 11 Trenton, St. I'etersburgh, 49 Russian Era ). Philadelphia, 200 Beilefont, Berlin, 50 I'russia (Oli ). 5 10 10 Wilmington, 7 Dover, Frankfort, 5(1 Ocrm. Oonfedtn. 9 80 Cincinnati, 30 Mount Vernon, London, 54 England, 4 85 New Albany, 3 Indianapolis, Trieste, 54 Illyvin. 9 45 Chicago, 5 Springfieid, Richmond, 58 Virginia, U. S. fi St. Lewis, 20 ■lett'orson City, Houston, 00 Texas, 1 Baltimore, 80 Annapolis. Detroit. 01 .Michigan. U. R. 8 34 Norfolk, 10 Lexington, St .lohns, 75 Newfoundland, Louisville, 10 Springfield, Alban". 88 New York. U. S. 2 120 Newl) -n. 4 Raleigh. New i'ort. 99 Rhode Island, U.S. 1 140 Charleston, 30 Columbia, I'ekin. 99 Oliiiia I'ropcr. 100 Savannah, 3 Milledgevillo. Constantinople, 100 Turkey (Eur.) Knoxvillc, 3 -Vlurfreesborough. do. 100 Turkey, (Asiii,) 7 300 Mobile, 3 Centreville, Rio Janeiro. 100 Brazil. 75 Natchez, 3 laekson. Monte Video. 100 Banda Orient;il. Donalusonville, Oplonsas, (Uragiiay.) 1 Monroe, 3 Ada, 3 30 30 Pensacola, 3 Alachos, 1 Arkansas, Little Roek, 1 25 3exar, 4 Austin, ) 160 Suadalaxara, 80 Durango, t 40 40 ( [Joban, 3uito, 14 70 Comaygua, ,) . 5an Salvador, 120 3unha, (; 9 fi J 230 ( \i'efli1!pn, 'otosi, I!ordova, 42 30 14 ( rainpianasqui, Jhuqiiisaca, Cordova, ' 30 ( 75 1 i^ouception, Valparaiso, 4 2 ' 25 f 'onon, 3t. Maria, 3an Jago. 15 I AUGUST 1856. The foregoing observations were written twelve years ago. — Their chief aim was to demonstrate that the small superiority of Montreal over Quebec in mere territorial centrality, was no equivalent for the other great advantages possessed by the latter for a seat of Government. Since then " a change has come over the spirit of our dream. " Railways and electric telegraphs have annihilated distance, and centrality has ceased to be a question, — thus adding materially to the prefer- ence already due to Quebec on a fair consideration of all the requisites for a proper site for the Government of this Province. Nor has the superiority claimed for Quebec been in the least impaired by any new or adventitious circumstances super- vened since 1843 ; on the contrary its value has been enhanced by the couise of events. No sane man will deny that security from foreign aggression is a paramount question in time of war ; and no impartial reasoner upon the subject will contro- vert the proposition, that however profound may be the peace which we now enjoy, and however durable it may promise to be, the prt>cautions necessitated by a statu of war must be looked forward to, and provided for in time of peace. This has passed into a maxim as the settled policy of all the nations of the globe. Then how stands the question of peace or war at the present moment ? Has the probability of war diminished since the Union? Have our ambitious neighbours become leas aggressive or grasping? Have they manifested a more amicable disposition towards Great Britain? LettTieir conduct in respect to the recent European contest answer for them. — England and France, as the leading Powers of Europe, have been engaged in a gigantic and costly war, not in defence of their own individual rignts, but of the civilization and the liberties of Europe, against the aggressions of Russia, and in reality against the despotism of the northern hordes, who now as of yore, are ready to overrun the more polished nations of the south. With whom have the people of the land of liberty par excellence — the disciples of "Washington ■ — sympathised? Whose cause has been espoused by the movement party of the Union, — they who ride rough-shod over the intelligence and respectability of their country, and effectually govern its destinies for good or evil ? — ^They have openly and unblushingly sided with the advocates of despotism and barbarism, and only seek a pretext to array themselves against the chivalry of France and England, and the heartfelt sympathies of the various nations and peoples of Europe who still pant for liberty ; — thus destroying root and branch — the prestige of their much vaunted revolution, imprinting an indelible stain upon their republicanism and se- riously damaging the cause of civil liberty throughout the world. On every occasion on which England happens to be threatened with a war, or actually engaged in one, whether in defence of her rights, in vindication of the national honor, or as the champion of the liberties of the weaker nations of the great European Family, American statesmen, Avell knowing the bent of their people, will furnish their diplomatic tools with some subterfuge likely to produce a rupture, of which the one now under discussion is perhaps the most flimsy and the most disingenuous ; — and american ingenuity will not fiiil to discover some pretext for a quarrel, by which the proud position of England may be lowered, and they themselves possibly raised a little higher in the scale of nations. Their inordinate national vanity, and their jealousy if not hatred of England would be gratified to the full, and no sacri- fice either moral or material would be too great, could they succeed in making their advancement coeval Avith the downfall of England, the country from whose people and institutions they imbibed the first principles of that liberty in the excessive indulgence of Vt'hich they are uov,- runnmg riot, i\tt'?rly ragardless of the eternal laws of justice and honor. ^M I 16 If such be tlic conclusion to wliicli our experience ot the [wlicy past and pre- sent of the United States neeessarily lea.JH UH, there can be no question that we are bound to aeh-ct that phicc for a pernuuiont scat of frovoriunout, which, it it be bcrfcctly compatibh) with th.; reasonable and probable fxi-cn.-ics ot peace v.- ill vffbrd the crreatest sreuritv in time of war fur the protection ot the persona ot the Governor, the members oV the Executive and Legislative Bo.lies aud the unicer^ ot the Government, as well as the pivservatiou of the public archives of the i ix)- vince. In the event of a war, th^ scat of poverntneut wherever it may be, will assuredly be the first and main object of attack. Would it be wise now to incur an expenditure of a million of dollars fur the erection of public buildings suitable to the rank and importance of this Province, and in accordance with tlie wishes o the people, in Morr eal, or in any other placc^ west of Quebec, only to be lau^ n ashes on the first outbreak? The ])osition of Montreal, -now as before the mos ambitious rival of Quebec, instea.t of being strengthened, is ^'^ ^^^^.j^^^^^r^^^^^y seriously iinpaire.l by its material improvements. The numerous railroads unit ng there would grcatlv I'iicilitate the advance and concentration of a hostile lorce and lu 80 brief a spScc of time as to take the city by surprise : and that stupendous un- dertaking,ithe Victoria bridge,-so eredftable to the Province, will when com- pleted, af^uredly render Mcmt'eal more defenceless than bof. >re. On the approach Sf an invading army, whether composed of regular., militiamen or marauders, one of two things must inevitably oe.-ur; either the railroads and the great Bridge must be destroyed, or the Government must again repeat its disastrous liight from that city. and vanished: ana wnai woiuu lut; ui.rauiV7HJin<^.ii'-""" "■ _ i In the event of a war the enemy would measure the strength and position of eveiy pkce on the chessboard, anl in all probability the f^^' « l^f ^^^f ^^Yv would cut off all communication between Quebec and the fortified inland city by Xch the Governor and his Executive, and the Members of the Legislature if i Tes^ion, would become the first prisoners of war. An incalculable loss of blood andrcalure would then be inkirred in order to regam the position which the exercise of a little wisdom rmd foresight would have secured before hand In such a lamentable plight the Queen's Vicegerent might indite despatches to the Home GovSnment without number, but would they ever reach (Quebec or any othci nlace frSm which their transmission to England might be effected ? The Legislators of the day who strenuously contend respectively for Montreal, Ottawa, Kmgston and ToS^^^ venturing to advance one solixl argument to sustain their views will a iswer-" that we arc not now at war nor likely soon o be, and that it wTirbe lime enough to guard against its evils when we are menaced with invasion !^resorting moreover to a host of similar arguments and reasons entirely Reside e Question andwhichbecome unanswerable solely by reason of their puerdity. The quesuon, diiu wm.. o^ nirHhrt.nnnto.— thouuhbv no means h SS on the Green Mountains of Vermont. II.s governmental staff might adopt t^e Tlternative of followmg his fortunes by the same aerial medium, or "'Xt'us contrast Ottawa or any other eity, town or village of Canada with t^^^^^ fortress of Quebec under such untoward circumstances. Should the enemy first St his attention tov -;• 1. Quebec, it requires very little knovyledge of military Scs to divine what ixis , ^m of campaign must be. The invading army must be rmSsedTa rl<^ular---well disciplined body of troops, accompamed with Artil- lerT^^En^inLrs and a well supplied Commissariat, ivery necessary preparation m^t be'm^de and precaution taken for investing the town and maintaining a pi o^ SdsiTge. The organization and equipment of such a force could not be IT or ;Mxy^mj>liKhc'<\ iu secrecy. Itt* mjuvli throu^'li tlicir own territory iind over ona hiimlred miles of ours, would atronl tlie lUitliorities iiiul ])Coplc of ('iii)iidu a littlo timo to mnrslial their forces niid make i)iv]iaratic)nfe for attiiek or dt'jeiiec, and thus ^niard apraiiist.^nrpiise; aixl ero the iH-lea^'uered fortress eould 1)0 at all suhjeeted to any (»f the ordinarv ]>rivations of asierre. the British pennants wonld bo flouting from tlio "wooden walls of uM KTif^lar.d" iu the harhoiir of (Quebec. Wi(' ^ly dilferent would bo the uspei't of alfaira hIiouUI tlio enemy first inarch npon Montreal or the embryo Metropolis of the Ottawa, or even upon Kingston or 'lOronto. Thecharr.etcr ami eviuipmcnt of the invading force would bo a matter of bttlo moment. All that would seem to be necessary would 1)0 a (■inmltancoufl rising, s(;erotlY t)rganised, of th(! fdlibustering population of the States bordering on (Jnnacla to tho oxtimt of si^mc iitleen or twenty thousand, without, Artillery, Kngi- neersor Commissariat, each man shouldering liis musk(>t or his rido, with tivedays j>royisions on his hack. Such an undisclplineu — unoflicered horde might march 'o the Province in forty eight liours, and by a coup de main take possession of any one of the other localities which now as'i)ire to liave the seat of government hicated among them, fcir the express purpose, one would su})por;e, of attracting tlic enemy to a Aveak and yidniu'ablc point. Witbin tlio walls of Quebec tho Governer General would be able calmly to review the condition ofafl'airsand to conunit the result to pajier, without apprc- bonsion of being ingloriously incarcerated within the limits of his government, (a most unt(nvard misha]), Avhich would of itself tarnish the honor of his country;) and with the certainty that, his messenger', in a few minutes thoreai'tcr, woidd step on board an armed British Steamer, and wend his way at once to the !^^otropolis of England, without danger from any of those casualties by which a land communi- cation would be beset, and in full confidence that as long as Kngland remains "Mistress of the Seas," the destinies of €anada would not be .abandoned to a horde of filibusters without relief from the other side of the Atlantic. The mighty arma- ment which anon awaited but the order to demolish the adamantine defence.*? of St. ] Petersburg, could rapidly transport the gallant army of tho (Ji'imca to the citadel of Quebec to wnn fresh laurels in expelling the invaders from our midst. Quebec is confessedly tho key to tlu; Canadas; t/ir// conv.titute the stronghold of British ]K)Sriession in North America ; and on tho day on which, either by the apathy or the ; tolidity of our statesmen, this important appendage of the Crown is losTt to Great Britain, away go the other K«n'th American l^'<)viuees and cvimtually all her empire on this continent. Tho salutary admonitions of history suilicicntly warn us of the certain consequences of such a calamity. In addition to the reasons already assigned for tlio eligibility of Quebec as the peat of tho Canadian Government, there are other considerations involved in the choice which are assuredly not undeserving of notice. The union of Upper and Lower Canada was decreed for the purpose, as it in generally believed, of setting oll'tiic reputed loyalty of tho Knglisn Inliabitnnts of the former agahist the disaffection of the Lower Canadian French, and of put- ting a "strait -jacket" u[xm Lower Canada. The population of the nether Pro- vince was then greatly superior fo that of the Upper. 'J'hc marriage contract, however, was drawn upon just and fair principles, and the two Provinces became one on an equal tooting in respect of re])rcsentation. ]n 1840 some Lower Cana- dians in Parliament made a move for representation on tho basis of population, which wa.s very properly, and — it must l)o admitted, very magnanimously negatived by an overwhelming majority of the delcga+es of their section,' — all those of Upper Ca- nada deliborately, but very improvidently as it turns out — voting Avitli them, — thus refusing to acknowledge this pretension, and solemnly ratifyhig the governing ]irinci]-)le of the Act of Union. This principle has since been disturbed, and des potjcally, though possibly unwittingly infringed by the Imperial Parliament in their repeal of the Proviso of the Act of I' nion, requiring a vote of two thirds of the Legis- lative Assembly and Legislative Council avS a condition precedent to the sanction- ing of any Tiill altering the number of Peprc.^entatives, — a trick in all probability 18 secretly hatched by some deci) — plotting knave of the Province in tlio interest of a party, palmed upon the Metropolitan Government and smuggled throngli Parlia- ment witliout the knoAvledge or consent of the people or Government of this Coun- try — , a high-haiuled and daring act calculated to endanger tlie allegiance of i\ vmole people who, though by no means an independent — consenting party to the contract, had every reason to rely upon the justice and the honor of the Parent lie- gislature to bo treated as such in any subsequent legislation on this vital ques- tion. Upper Canada obtained considerable advantages by the I'liion. It was beneilciat to it in a financial point of view. It conferred vipon it a new political existence by the subsequent and consequent introduction of llesponsible Govern- ment, — a concession wh;eh never could have been extorted from England in favor of either Province, while Lower Canada was supposed to be in a condition not to be entrusted with self-government. — Fifteen years have since elapsed ; and no sooner have the two sections approached an equality in numbers, than cettain agitators in Upper Canada begin to resuscitate the cry of Eeprcsentation by jiopu- lation, under the expectation that in a few years their section will far outnumber the other ; and tliis agitation seems not to be iinacce})! able to a certain portion of their people, and to be participated in, moreover, by some prominent ])olitieians of the old Family Compact party, whom the "greatest good of the gieatcst nun^bcr" had never before induced to condescend to " «ji7ate " on any matter or thing cal- culated to arouse })ublic opinion, adversely to the existing order of things, however unpopular or reprehensible! it might be. Of course this new band of patriots, although composed, it is true, of somewhat heterogeneous materials, choose to forget the solemn refusal of Upper Canada by the unanimous voice of her representatives in l\irliament, to concede the same principle to Lower Canada when it possessed, that w' ich Upper Canada has jiot i/et acquired, a large majority over the other section, .i icy complacently " disremcmber " that they were the only consenting part;y to the bans; that a union of two countries differing totoaeh in language, laAvs, religion, customs, manners and traditions, was imposed by the supremo legislative authority upon Xo^/'er Canada, and that the prineiplc of a perfect equality became a necessary ingredient of the contract, with tho wise and just intention of guarding against any undue advantage behig taken by the one over the other. This principle of the Union must now be reversed, and the same reasons which presided at its consummation trodden under foot in the interest of one section of the Province, which now ha]-(pens to be, or is expected hereafter to become, diametrically opposed to what that section contended for but a few years ago, Avlien it suited their purj)Ose. Such a fratricidal covirse nmst neces- sarily tend to the dismemberment of either section, A time may come when tho preponderance of Upper Canada in population will be so great that it can no longer be overlooked Avithout endangering the peace of the Province. AVhattlien will be the condition of that country whose financial and political rights were rudely as- sailed to meet the exigencies of the day ! — Again the social and political condition of the neighbouring Ecpublic by no means prognosticates its permanency. Elements of discord contirme to simmer in the national cauldron. The curse of slavery on the one hand, and the still greater curse of ungodly fanaticism and intolerance on the other, suggest the jiossibility of a disruption at no very distant jieriod. The invasion and subjugation of Canada by the Unitc^d States, or a severance of the Northern from tlie Southern States of that country, might lead to very dilfercnt results as regards our relations with them or the adjacent Provinces. Whatever may be the issue, the inhabitants of Canada and the other Provinces contemplate with horror the bare possibility of witnessnig the degrading spectacle of the execution of the fugitive slave law hi their midst ; and this plague spot in the vista Avill long kee}) their hearts right towards the standiud ofVietoria, in whose dominions a man's freedom ia not measured by his color. In order tlie more securely to prevent our being absorbed by the Great Pejniblic under any contingency, tliese Provinces may come to the conclusion that the high and honorable degree of freedom which thev 'now enjoy may bs best guaranteed and i 19 transmitted unimpaired to tlieir desc3ndants by a federal or legislative union of the Avliole. Tlie ob.stacies interposed by distanee arc, from day to day, being fast surmount 3ity. Kevertmg again to the prosjieetive numencal superiority of the jjopulation of Upper over Lower Canada and its tln-eatened consc(picnccs, Ave would seem to glide naturally and imi)erceptibly towards a general union, as the ordy sedative to the elements of corctaokion, external and internal, whieh now overshadow tlie future of this Pro- vince. Assuming that the union of all the North American Provinces is an event not at all improbable, but one to Avhich various progressive ehangi>s in our political existence seem to point as a haven of refuge from the storms wiiieh may follow upon tlic small spceksnow visible in the horizon, then are we bound in common pru- dcmee to reflect ere we put the linal seal upon the choice of a seat of Grovernment, It is obviously the duty of our public men to take these possible contingencies into their serious consideration, and to select some place which, Avhile it meets the wants oftlie now Province of Canada, will also be adapted for the seat of Government of all the British Provinces. The mere contemplation of such an important change in our condition at once suggests the city of Quebec as not only the fittest, but the oulij lit place for that purpose. Bi\sides — and this is by no means the least impor- tant feature of thcicase,' — X\w. heavy expence to be incurred in the erection of suit- able edifices would then be borne, ni)t by the Province of Canada alon(>, — but by all the Provinces ; and these buildings^ if conuncnced now, could be laid out in such a nuumer as to render them susce[)llble of being erdarged on a scale comraen- Burate with the wants of the United Provinces without infringing or destroying the original plan. The ])ropriety, therefore, of selecting Quebec as the Seat of Government cither of Canada or of the United Provinces, is eminently enhanced bv a contem- ]ilation of all these possible contingencies; and the "finger on the wall" points mena- cingly to the folly of establishing it in any other place, Such are a few of the coiisiderations which present themselves to the most unreflecting mind at the present juncture and which are amply sufficient to con- vict our metropolitan and Colonial Sti'tesmcn of 1848 of the fatal error ofdefeiTing to tlie j udgmcnt of a ])opular body, who o1)viously could never be expected to tender to tlie Crown a strictly dismterested and patriotic advice, sustained hj a large or decisive majority, upon a question so fatally embarrassing to their popularity indi- vidually as delegates of particular localities. IMie writer has committed thorn to the })ublic in the hopes that those who uphold the superiority of Toronto, Kiugston, Montreal and Ottawa will not disdain to enter the arena and advocate the eligibility of their respective localities by argunivMits and reasons addressed to the common sense of mankind, and the best calculated to lead to a wise determination of this long Tuootod point. Since the foregoing was wTitten, the question of the Seat of Government has passed through the Legislative Assembly, tcrnunating on the iGth April last infavor of the City of Quebec by successive majorities of i?«en/y/oi»- over llainilton, twentij one ovar Toronto, Jo wk'Cii ovcv Kingston, /■(-;-!, over Montreal, and ////?■/_!/ four over Ottawa, thus establishing the order of eligibility in theopinion of the Assenibly asfol- lows: — Quebec, Montreal, Kingston, Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa. On the same day and before the votes were talcen, the Ci < )vernor General, by a message to the Assem- 1)1 y delivered by the Attorney GeiuTal for Lower Canada, informed the House that His Kxeellency was ready to discontinue the present system of convening Par- liament altei'nately at Toronto anil (iuebce when the necessaiy information as to what was most convenient to the Legislature, and the re([uisite means lor carrying" out its wishes, should bo in the possessitju of His Excellency. On the 18ih April, Mr. Macdonphl, member for Glengary, having previously given the required notice^ moved an Address to the Governor General praying that in consequence of the vote of the House, His Excellency would bo pleased to rccommcud an appropria- ] 20 tioii to bonmdc for tlie coastructiou of .uitablc builcUngs for the accomiriocktion of he Legislature and Guvcvnment in the CLtv of CiucLec. The Attoriu:y (.eucTnl lor Uwer Cauadu, iu his seat, declared that tlie Goy.rmnen xvould be prcj.ared v.. ask during the ].rJ..cnt Session for an appro]mation in accordance ^ylh the decision of the House, upon which anuounccruent the Address was Avithdrawn as being unnec^sarv ^^ ^^^,^_^^^^ ^^^^.^^ ^^^^.^^-^ ^^,^.^,^^1^ ^^ , ^^^p^l B^^^^eh hy successive maiorities, was\leemcd to have been finally put at rest by the pas.mg in that House of he Bill of supply contahiing an item of £50 OUO as an n.^almei.t of he iinount required for thV erection of suitable public buihhngs at Quebec for the Tco he ^Government and Legislature. The Eepresentatnx^ _o the People beu.g thus committed to a vote whieh they and every right imnded ndiaoitant o Ca u irbellcved in his heart to be a just one, and the Goven.or Gene lal and tu i^m nSration of the day having publicly ph^lged tlieiu selves to is l^lthful an Drompt execution, no individual throughout the length and breadth of the land cvS ii-eamed that the intentions of either u.aild be perverted by the other Branch o • thctSsiiture. Nevertheless the people of this l^^^mce ^vere ^dM)^ kenedbvthe astoundhig intelligence that the 7.^^^. <,i^rc_ Ctzi^^cv^ /-tl at Body td o^e Instorieal aunals are but \ tissue of acts of subserviency to the Po^vcrs of u dav had concluded to thwart the Avishcs of the people and of the Crown and 0^1^ cftSi to fe s nister views of i)articular loc.dities, by nothing less than a 10 gi\o ciiei^b iKi tiiv^ ^_ ^ I ^^ ^^^ ^^^ -n-inrl-iMl !i. re.volutioiiarv cha- it to xne sinjsLui vie\, dvjx |u.j Li^^.^^.- --- -- , j . resolution to stop the supplies !-a movement of so marked a revolutionary cha^ netei Ir t the Cummons of Kngland and of the Canadas have never resorted to n exceit i fti es of ^^ convulsion. This bold detenninat.on they took on the sK^h of a majority on/.nc/ in a House reduced by absentees to twenty one meXrs and\)n the hollow pretext that they had not been consulted. The ^^^^c^ tluit body who wcri absent from their Legislative duties, more mrticSv those from the Lower Section of the Province, who have thus by their £hy a ci want of patriotism or other more unworthy motive or cause, produced t£s nto^iidresiilt,\vantonly and heartlessly damnifying the material interests of e C ty ^^^^ Di^tric of Quebec, if not of Lower Canada and penmttmg a faction m t e Council to take a most unusual and unconstitutional course which mav be preg- anu'Sliiure disaster to the whole Province ;-these/am^«.te-who though i^- eatedly vxrc^ed to repair to their posts, sent their paltry excuses instead, and aba - &low(T Canada to its fate in i'ts hour of need, must stand prepared to render an account ci' heir stewardship at the bar of public opinion. Every individual mem- ber of that Chanibei|knew,\ind if he did not know, las ignorance would have en- titlcd h m to a pub4 flagellation, that the selection of a place lor the permanent Scat of Go 4'u\ienfTappertained 'exclusively to the Prerogative oUhe vo^yn a ^M prini>lVt^e wisdom of which has been but t- orci% d ush-ated bveach Braueh oflhe Legislature m tins very matter. ilie> well knew that 2i£ B^^i^h coull set up a claim of right to ^e consulted ;--tlia^theLe^ A'^^emblv, the sole constitutional exponent of the wishes of ^he peopk o this p;;vi^^ce had. e^ been consulted, nor had arrogated to themselves the ngh t bo consulted Thev tendered their advice to the Crown as it was their indisputable ru^to do; the-Legislative Council might have adopted a similar eo;^^^ ;! J^^J irTfiict did in April of^lu. preceding year, when thc.r w.siu^s arn^ .X^ Ht^th^ Avith those of the Aslnbly of the present year. But nol the> pK^Uied aUlu^ eleventh hour to tat advantage of a tl.m House and . ^o Mg a l/c tha^ transition from a state of independence to one ol pusil animous ;|'-ead-«^^ c uat^h ofthcDCODle bv Daiidlring to the clamors ol i)ohtical agitatois put loit i in tic terei of eek un\ caUties? This conduct on their part is the more reprehens.Ue '^^::'^itA theiraddress to the Crown on the same sub,ect in 18oo, n'oord'^ iirthc 3S7th page of tlieir .hM.rnals, in wluch---sage and smy by turn., adit would appear, they enunciate the following sentimeuttf: 21 " TO His fiXCELLEKCY SIR EDMUND WALKEli HEAD, &0. " " We, Her Majesty 'a dutyful and loyal subjocts, the Legislative Council of " Canada, in Proviucial Parliaiueut itssembled, bog leave respeetfuUy to represent *' to Your Excellency that, iu our opinion, the time has arrived when the Koval '' Prerogative .slioulcl he exercised in determining upon a permanent seat "f Go- " vernnientin this Province; that the system of hokling alternate Parliaments at " Quebec and Toronto is objectionable and detrimental to the Public Service, on '* account of its manifest and extreme inconvenience, that it involves a large ex- ** penditure of the Public Funds, and that by the frequent transportation from " place to ])lace of the several departments connected with the Government — the " security and safe keeping of the Libraiies, Kecords and Archives of the Countiy " are seriously endangered. " We therefore ]r a counterpoise betv.'ecu tlie Crown and the i)eoi>le, 1 >ut of individiuds alto- gctl'ic'r subservient to the will of the Executive. The Council having thus be;como obnoxious to the people and placed under universal ban, it was determined to substitute election by the i)eople to nomination by the Crown, from which change it is very reasonably anticipated that its personnel Avill be improved. Ko one of ita members, however^ must lor a moment imagine that its functions as a braTich of the Letds'lature have been in the least changed or extended. The process of elec- tion ])laces the individual elect Avilhin the bar of that House, in like manner as a similar process confers tho entrk to the Assembly ; hut (here the unalofjij ends. The Councillor will not carry with him one iota of tiiat representative character which is the pecuhar faculty of the Lower House. Were he allowed to do so, it would operate as a diminutiou, in an equal ratio, of the privileges of the latter and would at once create a constitutional anomaly. .,..-, ,.• i The Councillors, like the Lords, re]ircscnt their own individualities ;— tho Members of the Assembly tho entire body of the ]ieople. The Constitution can- not tolerate two representative bodies. Their simple recognition m the State would produce a dangerous conflict, and the essential attributes of the Lower House and their imprcscrii)tible rights and their efficiency as sole representatives of the peoiile would be seriously impaired. In a word— the Crown with the con- sent of b^th Houses of Parlianicnt. has surrendered a portion of its ]>rerogativo Which entitled it to make ap])ointments to the Legislative Council ; but in doing soithas never been conteini)lated, nor can the law legally or constitutionally be tortur- ed to intend, that the Legislative Assembly consented to abridge, or even to share wth any other body or poAver in the State, its own peculiar attributes as guardians of the monies of the people and their tvk representatives in rarliament,— rights for which its great prototvpe the House of Common has battled, and which it has maintained inviolate Ibr centuries. It would be passing strange if an enactment which was expressly designed to impart wholesome vitality to the Members of the LeKislativc Council' and render them more acceptable to the peo])le, could be in- terpreted as investhig that liody with a ])Ower beyond the constitution, and tlicre- bv rendering it as king Stork, ui finitely more mischievous than it had ever been askin-^Loo-. and neutralizing at the same time the most important privileges of tiie Lower llouse and paralising the whoh^ machine of Government. _ J lie members of the Upper House nominated by the Crown constituted the Legislative Council of Canada: clcctrdb, the i>cople-tlK^y constitutethe scli^saine Ikanch-ncUhcr more nor less. Although more independent of the Crown, and less independent ot the people they arc clothed with the same i)0wcrs and i>xercise the same functions, and they 'must be held— and fenced and IcLtercd if need be— within the strict T, If' vH y i 23 I ~t i III limits of thoir conRtitutional beat. Tame RuhmisaivcncKS to tlic cliotates of the Crown and mean subserviency to the ca])rices of the ])eoplo, were tlic evils to be guarded ap;ainRt. The future eharaeter of the Council, and the peace and welfare of the Province will depend upon the wisdom of the men who are chosen. Tlieir course will shew Avhether we have hit the happy medium, or the constitution liaH lost its balance. It is a remarkable coincidence that this recalcitrating spirit of the Legislative Council should have been inaugurated contemporaneously with the birth in tlio Jjcgislative Assembly of anotlusr monster ycleped " the (h)ul)le majority," Should the Upper Branch persist in their nsur[)ation of the rights and privilegi^s peculiar to the Lower, and arrogate to themselves a representative caj)acity to such a. de- gree as to insist u])on the Administration of the day bcnig subjected to a veto in tlieir House, it will form matter of amusement, perhaps of sorrow to contemplate the possibility of l/icir being inrected with this new political epidemic of a certain party in the Lower House, and the consequences which it mny entail upon our administrative system. Let us iigurc to oairselves for a moment a ministry unable to gcn'crn the country becau.^(>. they cannot command four distinct majorities in Parliament! Such a "dead-lock" would certainly make us the "eighth" wonder of the world. Of the various tlcpendencies of the Crown endowed with a repre- sentative constitution, Canada was the first to evolve the principle of Responsible Government, which though inherent in the constitution, had lain dormant for half H century. Should she follow in the wake of certain ])olitical demagogues of the day, she may possibly be also tlie first to gratify the enemies of constitutional liberty by making an exhibition of her inal)ility to carry out or even to con)prehend thi^ system; and instead of leading the vim in colonial reform, her folly may serve averiiing ])rip.eij)le, it is obvioua that in carrying it out the Province must be considered as a political whole, and aa the voice of a decided majority of the popular Branch in Parliament must to all intenti* and purposes be accepted as lilie constitutional index of the voice nf the majority of the people, so also must the Executive Council be taken and considered as a whole, enjoying the confidence of the majority of the peo|)le without reference to sections, so long as they command such decided Tnajority in Parliament. Evc;ry member of the Assembly, the instant he takes his seat in the body of that House, ceases to bo the mere re]irescntative of the particular -eonstitiu;ncy by whose suffrages he has been elected a member of Parliament, a faculty with which the constitution has invested him solely for the purpose oC constituting him an integral — indivisible portion of the entire representation of tlie I'rovince; and should he cease by d<\itli or from any discpialifving cause to hold the office, the constitu(mcy which deputed him still continues to be legally and constitiitionally ri>preseiited equally as much as if he had not lost his seat, subject only to a dimiiriution of that representation in the ratio of one to one hundred and thirty, a defect which tlu> constituency in question shares in common with alHho others whose delegates continue to retain their scats. Theoretically this principle Ls undeniable, and in practice it is manifest that no other can be salely acted upon without derangement of the whole fabric of the constitution, in as much as if the administrative functions of the Government, which of themselves hi eflbct alisorb the entire essence of the constitution, are not exercised and maintained in their in- tegrity and with rigid adhesion to the principle that tlie majority mn:^t rule the minority, the const-itution would relapse into the state of paralysis in which it lan- guished before a healthful ;'ction was imparted to it hy the application of the prin- ciple of the responsibility of the members of the Cabinet to the i)eoi ile. A Ithough the inhabitants of the two sections constituting the Province of Crnada dillcr widelv in language, laws and religion, nevertheless politically they constitute but one people, and tlie majority, as in all countries enjoying representative institutions, must legislate for the minority, always of course with an equal and undeviating regard ?o the rights of all. Tiie ]''r(-nch and Catholic majority of LoAvcr Ctmfida, and the English and Protestant majority of Upper Canada, legislated for their respective minorities before the Union witliout any jarring of the constitution, ami generally with due respect for the riglita and" privileges of their res]icctive minorities. . pit ■ t -i But the most conclusive argiimc^nt in proof of the necessity of dealing with the inhabitants of the two sections and their P(>presentatives in Parliament, as well as the Executive Council of their choice — each in their ivspt^ctive spheres — as one whole, is derived from the self evident truth that any other jidmini.strative system Avhich'is based upon sectional divisions is utterly impracticable. Let us review the C(m3cqucnces of the aiijilication of the double majority system. If it should happen for instance upon the vote in tlie Legislative Assembly of a fair working majority of the whole House in lavor of the Administration of the day, that a majority of the Re- presentatives of UpperCanadais found'^.vr/iw.snheGovernnicntsidc of tlie measure, the members ofthe Administration elected in UpperCanaxla must, upon the '•double ma- joritv'' prineiple, take sueh vote as declaratory by Upper Canadaof its want of eon- 4 i\ 25 fideiicc in the Government, and tliereui)on retire from ofHoo Tlw.n ,^^o«;„. i u crnmenti. thereby broken up, and tlie mdividu7reLctSTv t^^^^^^^^ new AdmhiLstration has all tlie portfolios at hisXnoS l^.ft f, fS i f- ""^ "l the double majority system, wLn, for LstanL C iloi i?in *^^^^^^^ f si.b and the PremL Lppens to be an I~i'£^^^^ the Upper Canada seetiou of the Administration niust all retirp P.rr.^nJ ti ^ ' mjeralongwUhthem,whiletheWerCanadasee;irrf^^^^^^ bitmg the strange inconsistency in practice of the retirpmnnt nf +1,0% ' ^!^"^.^^"^ .a.stancc dissolving the eatiro t/ovor^mentl le in hS.Se r^i^S^o? 21 same ■mportant political ehief, togetlier wMi half his Gov^nnLT S ri"e J t a phed. K for instance it were the case of Lower Canada alone in the enlovment of Hasponsiblc Government, and that all the Members from tKLtrict TCrp^i withdrew their confidence from the Government, it woSd be nece s^^^^^^ same principle that all the Members of the Adrliinistratir jrtSSrfet a' any there happened to be,) should at once resign. If not-Avhe^e Tthe constitu tioual line of demarcation to be drawn? Then again, althouJh Jound u^^^^^^ equal justice require that the Administration shoSld be compo ed^n eaud ^^^^^ Upper and Lower Canada Members of Parliament, there is n^con t^tuO neces s^ty for such a composition of the Cabinet. The majority, or indeed tie entire Government may be selected from one section ;-and ii case of an™h dTsoa^^^^ K t^bf foffi ^-^^^b^'? ^^^^^^^ ^"^i^°^^^^^^ nor unconS^lonat w& rule IS to be followed with respect to a vote of want of confidence exuressod bv hat section which is unrepresented in the Government? For, hZove^TZdZ supposed consequence, the rule, if sound in principle, mus be a Jn icabl^^^^ possible emergencies. The more we attempt to car y ouT this governmental doc v^^^:^:^"" '' '~^' ^^^ *^- ^^ - -^ ^o ?h: ubrdil' To ■R.J^^^ ^'aII ^^^0^'^tio^ of this character occurred in 1851, when the Hon Eob^rf Baldwin, Attorney General for Upper Canada, resigned his office and s2at in tW Cabme , in consequence of a vote of the House upon^he GourofCWv wW^ gave a large ma^n^rity to the Government, but in which a majonty of S cta dians were f^und m the opposition. The unconstitutionality of Set of ?^^^^^^ in the face of a large majority of Mr. Baldwin's Governmeiit was prScalTv CX home to the breasts of the supporters of th. Government frSwefcS fXeles" ''-'' "''^"'^^^' ^^' ^^^" '''' ^^^^' '''''' -^- -- treattSTslugi^and rity and tbe ™f 'Vr.o'if T ^''''^1'^'' ^'"^^^" ^'^ ^ ^^^«^ Canada majo- my, ana vice yoscl. lliere is a iundamental error in speakinn a constitutional fallacy, and no iegitfmate t nSr ernTeirj;^^ f l,nf ]? n"" ''^^''^ °^ """J ^'''".S thriven to submit to the double majority system and that the Government of the day, while sustained by a majority of \heJdiole House, 26 h-ive the mislbrtuno to cncouutor :m adverse vote from tlie Tnaiority of the Meia- w^ ekheTTL'ppCT or Lower Cauada, and that this sectional derangement is to irdeemed a conStional impedhnei^t they must dissolve Parhanicut and appeal to the coltrv nS^ that fU the usual legitimate dmgnoses m such matters they may be perfectly justi tied in assuming that their T)olicy-already ap^ proved by a majority of the House, is also in accordance witli the views o the people 'Tliey would thus exhibit to the world the lingular anomaly of a GoAern- an tL menEs of the section of the majority, and a great many members of the ^ct on 5 the mfnority, as well as their most unoffending contituencies, to the yexa- Srandhams^^^^^ ordeal of a general election, merely because a ^nw.ov-Jy who tSp i^^onrietv of brinoino- p^iblic opinion to bear on the recalcitrants, m order to IrevCt^tS eve^^^^g^a n"afteinpting to arrogate to themselves the power of disar- FJ^a?na the whole machinery of Government, and destroymg the efhcacy of Parlia- r^Sf ren S'ng t s^^^^^^^ to the caprice or the venality of a few d-conte^s^ ?n a 1 popuk^^ constituted Governments the majority m^tst l^^^vail and constrain tbe minoritv whether it be in Conventions, at the Hustmgs, in Legislative Bodies S^pTris^meklnT This is the essence of responsible or constitutional Govern- ment When t"£ Crown can no longer command a majority ^ the Assembly of nient ''^^\\^^;^, !\f ;, -^^^^^^^ what the mathematicians call a reductto ^S,^m '^^^^^^^l^tZns of expcrience-we rnust retrace our ad «^^^™' ;|;^ ^ ■ ^ the o,ver to dissolve the section, then, as alread^^ SS welommha g^cs's n ^t of o^ession towards the section of the -ajonty ana Sac( 'the m^«y of the House at tlie mercy of the minority. Scylla or Charybdis ! ?r^4e be er to throw the "double majority" "notions" overboard into the vor^x md reton to port for more ballast. The instant you confer the power on AfSnority to fetter the action or arrest the course of the majority, you must go "^''""^'ouldAVS^^^ of the Council betray a second attempt to coerce the S^BraX trerdirectf^ or indirectly, into th\rejection of any measure Ippertatog to^B own exclusive jurisdiction, and which it had Feviously sanc^ appemining lu J ^. ^ ^^^ g^^^ ^^ture which at . ad already ZSat Jd"^^^^^^^^^ ^ts Lai and solemn disposition of the peoples mSnies -should any portion of its Members-under the pernicious influence of the Seamen or utoxiated with the notion that they possess some ^"^agi^^y-,^- defined rq>r..ent.ative c.pa aty, venture to super^c^e or embarrass he fo^ctio". o^ rSeSive Assemblv the /will produce a confnct which may be fatal to heir o ,n SeSce The people' of Canada are resolved to preserve their Coasti utiui m- tS S'will not blindly abandon the fruits of the victory achieved by th.e ntro^ Sion of Responsible Government. It is said that " to be forewarned is to be 27 i forearmed." Tlie first attempt of the Council to poacli upon tlic domaiu of tl»c people and thereby to mar the harmonious action of the constitution, must bo cruslied in the bud. But if persisted in — the shout of an aroused and indignant people will be " d la lanteme. with the ofl'Miding excrescence ; their political exis- tence — individual and collective — will be snapped by the fiat of an avenging pub- lic, and the " crack of do4lp " will ring in their ears ere they be again allowed to have an opportunity of tramjiling upon thesaorod rights of the people. Among the advantages which have recently eminently enhanced the eligibility St. Charles at the Village of Lorette, nine miles from Quebec, ot an elevation capable of discharging the pellucid waters of Lake St. Charles at the heiglit of one hundred feet above the top of the Flag Staff on the citadel, and of completely inundating the highest building in the Cit}'- with a force surpassing that of the most improved Fire Engine on "the most improved principle of modem invention," and afford- ing, at the same time, a facility of dramage and sewerage altogether inappreciable. Compare the means of cleanliness of such a City and its purified atmosphere — in the heart of a mountainous region, — having its .shores laved twice in twenty-four hours by the ocean swell which upheaves the broad Atlantic, — with the tropical climates of more inland cities, situate in champagne countries scarcely broken by a single undulation of mother earth. In vain do the inhabitants of tliese look round for the commanding altitude of a St. Charles or a Montmorency to furnish the means of cooling tlieir incandescent streets and pavements. In vain — rumi- nating upon the borders of their low marshes and swamps — do they fancy that they overlook, or affect to look down u])on the promontory of Cape Diamond. In vain, arc they surrounded or bathed by miglity rivers and lakes, most of them the fruit- ful source of perennial aches and agues. These inland seas would furnish an ever- lasting deluge for the wants of the inhabitants, could they first reverse or over- come the laws of gravitation, and invert the established order of things to the same degree that they violate the dictates of reason and common sense in their labours to depreciate tlie position of Quebec and puff up their own sultry or humid loca- lities as eligible sites for the permanent '^cat of the Government of Canada. Amidst all the plotting and intriguing against the City of Quebec in and out of Parliament by persons actuated by interested motives, and utterly reck- less of the general welfare of the Province ; amidst all the mancevring of politi- cal adventurers seeking to make capital out of the prejudices and the selfish views of the inhabitants of particular localities, the most unscrupulous of these advocates of outre popular notions, — whose career is stereotyped in acts of political fraud and imposture, have not dared to enter into a comparative estimate of the eligibility of the various rival Cities. They have restricted their comments and their strictures to the one oft repeated a.ssertiou tliat Quebec is situate at one ea-iremi(y of the Province, — an olycction which every schoolboy knows to be unfounded. Quebec is distant some five hundred miles from the eastern, and about seven hundred and fifty from the western limits of United Canada. The sources of wealth derivable from numerous and valuable water powers for manufactuj-ers, and rich and inexhaustible fisheries in Eastern Canada, are incalculable ; while the means of settlement of the western Section, extensive and f -rtile though tliey be, have yet a visible limit assigned to them. Political jugglers and empirics may continue to predict and declaim that in a given number of years, the population of the Upper Province will far outnumber that of the Lowei' ; but our wants and obligations are with the present, leaving the future to the course of events, and the dispensation of a Higher Power of Avhicli the dogmatical chai-latans of the hour do not even pretend to know any thing. Unless we assume that the rights of the vast population in- habiting the northt;astorn and less congenial portion uf the Province are to be utterl}' disregarded, we cannot with any semblance of justice establish the Seat of Oovcrnment permanently in a place infinitely less ace ssible to them than to their I 28 more lortiinatc iuul prosperous brctlieren of the west. Tlie jounicv from Labrn- dor or Ga.spd to Quebec, is yet a matter of several days, if not of vveci whi e nt Irorn the uuner hnuts of the Province, is but a question of a few ho The writer ea Wmdsor, the western limit, on Monday the 14th of July, at Io/a M., and reached Quebec on the following day, at 10^ P. M.,-thus am. nolishim; the distanee of seven hundred and fiftv miles fn thirty si. lu>urs. In the S of S tion of the ancient Capital of tlie Province, presume to impmruitselimbilitvon the Elf to^r^'^^.r"*''^''^-^ ^^'^'¥^ ^'"^^'^^^^ to^refterate tSs Z^ on Irom dav to day in their veracious mouth-pieces, and exhibit to the world j o" verse ar licreiu^e to error, winch can only be sustained on the assumed gno an^e of those Avhom they address, and whose monies they filch in return Ihe Assenriblv is split up by sectional interests on this disturbing question The Cabinet, whic i is constitutionally the reflex of the policy of the Pepresenta-* tives of the people, cannot possiblv be united when its source is so extSrvelv schismatic, and must of necessity feave this an open question. The EepreSX live of the Sovereign thus depn .ed of liis Councif cannot act. There seems to be but one issue to tlie present dilemma. The matter must revert trthTmrent |Uithontv. The question is one palpablv of an imperial nnd not of a colonirchar acter. l^he ultimate object can only be test attained, without damaging or embnr- ra^smg tlie position of anv member of the Executive' Government o? of the I o^^s- lature, by an address to iU Councils of the Empire praying them to resmne U at of which thev ought never even partially to have divested themselves thr/le or mination of tie fittest place for tl!e permanent Seat of the Goveran2 of Catch' Under such circumstances let the inhabitants of the City and District of Quebec rouse from their lethargy ; let them for once break the ^chry sal s of thdr proverbial apathy, and carry a respectful representation to the iCne se tine forth fairly and impartially the grounds upon Vhich they claim the rSeifce fh^^ Quebec, and at the same time challenge every other rival locality in Siada to c?^ the same. Let them not by their su^inenesi damage the va Le otou^^^^^^ they have recently rightly and justly acquired, nor be deterred Vthe Ins dk,is accusaions of their eneuues,-that they are moved by self-intei7st eS and all of the a-spiring locahties are equally so moved, witli this preeminent advan tage m favor of Quebec that its position is justified by a host of unanswerable ar- guments enabling it to laugh to scorn all the disingenuous imputations of Hseom- ^^^^^J^t^^S^^ '''"''''' ^^' '''^ ^^^^ ^^-- «^ any?ationalVrVutdsTo Quebec and the surrounding District are inhabited by a ijcaceful moril and loyal population. The demon of intolerance luis neve^r yetXturberthe general tenor of their social relat ons. The ^eat mass of tho"^ n1,.i5fo!,?r posed of numberless sects, dwell together arotSL"' r^l't^Tl^t tenstic of our people is as universally known and recognL;TL the Geo- graphical position of the country. There is not an individual of stan^nfTn lowe Canada who would stake his reputation u])on a contrary assert o7tS French and Catholic Legislature of Lower Canada gavo-ycans a ■ i# T ,iwBi wii P Hit easgSM JlC i t : i 29 the Pi'olcstant minority, ^villingly grant them separate schools; the Ronmu Catholic rZV ^"^^^';^=^'V«'-''' "V"^'^^t.Ml ],y the sanfe eonseientioi'iH scruples in e3 .. W^fi P " 'YV'-'^\ ^"^\\^ ^vith great dillieulty <-xtorte.l the same privi^ v.f ,!; Jn ' ^"'^''^'f^ "":.)^"ty of that Seetion, ,,,mong whom a horde of Ih mtL ye novo heaven and earth to wrest this previlege from them, and to re-cnaS of 3 o v'r r''. 'r '"T^''' '^ o freligio^u. rights. The Roman Catholic dignitaries ot J. owcr Canada, m tJieir jmblie mandates to their own tu-ople ever m.4e men .on o Protestants by the highly ehristiau designation it ^-lykl .|,S' of Iw^ 'r Tm' ';'"'V'''"' '']'"'' ""J^ ^'dminate, generally eany out the principks of he r (rreat Master V speaking of their fellow christians as -U,ot, mulklolaters^^ and lop sh, and every other offensive epithet which can be gleaned from he vocabulary of the worst times of religious persecution and intolerance. wC therefore, ccrtmn religious and disuonest political zealots, with the macS vehHh design of depreeiatmg the character o/ Quebec in the eyes of the pSe of Upper Canada, hazard the bold and lying ass,>rtion, that the cL of Quel irthe seat of popevv, and that its population ..fall origins are held iii bondage by the <^' PrXsiant ;:.^ils1^^^^^^^ T mind of every, honorable man, whether^clolt and rnJmSy. ' '"^' """ ^^^'^^'^^trng point of brazen impudence Whenever the Im]iorial Government decides which place in Canada is to be mm^^'ltZ'^' ^'"' « , /^^^^^•'\"^^^^t. ^^1. --^tention and rivalry on tbe subject will immedia ely cease. The various sections of the Assembly who are now con- .stiamejl to ma.n .,.., against their judgment and th.>ir conscience, the candidature _)f locjdities which they know to be utterly defenceless, will rejoice to be rSved from tlu3 embarrassment of such a position. The attention of both Houses w 11 be directed o the discharp of those cluties to which the constitution and their oaths have called them That hann.my which is so essential to these ends wil be res' tored to the Legislative Assembly ; for it is a matter of notoriety tharon evcA occasion on which this monstrous question has surged up, the landmarks of politi- cal parties, and the efficiency of the preponderating party in the House, were com- pletely shivered and invariably gave pface to that extravagant zeal Ibr sectS interc>st« wduch Members displayed, or conceived themselves cornpelled to aS and to that undignified rancour which is the usual concomitant of such a state of nrf-.l '^'' *'^^'''^^°v^"" of t^ie party in power, whoever they may be, and how ever otherwise acceptable to the majority of the people, will be rendered ve^ precarious ,f they be doomed to be assailed from Session to Session by the tu? moil caused by a subject upon which it is hopeless to expect that any "Adminis- tration can be unanimous. '' '^'^'""'' _ In whatever light then this question is to be regarded ; whether in respect to he abstract point of the superior eligibility of any one place, or its dJmSg e^ Ice upon the Queen's Government in this Province, all parties unite in demfndinff and every reason presses for its speedy adjustment. Should however the Metro! politan authorities-^arrymg a little too far their indisposition (otherwise judicioiL and praiseworthy) to intermeddle in Colonial affairs, still decline to exercise tS Koyal 1 rerogative m this matter, and be unwilling to assume the responsibility 6f governing a Colony with that firmness which ought to preside at the telm of State lu regard to all points strictly Avithin their competence, more particularly one of so urgent and important a character as the key to their Empire on this continent let them-m default of any other mode of decision, appoint a commission of com potent persons to determine once for all, which is the most eligible place-all things considered-for the permanent Seat of Government in thik Province Such a commission might be composed of an experienced Officer of the Line, an Officer of Engineers and a British Statesman, to be selected by the Home Government to gcther Avith tivo Members of the Provincial Parliament, one from Upper and one from Lower Canada, to bo chosen by the Governor Ccncral. In so far as Quebec is cuuccrued, and whatever be the mode of adjustment, it 30 will be no hcrculcnii Uwk to eHtablish to the satislliction of our gracious Sovereign and the enlightened Statesmen of England, as well as of every rational and unpre- judiced beiiig from Dan to Beeraheba, that the interests and the permanent wel- fare of the Cit3' of Cape Diamond, as well as of the Canadaa and the sister Prov- inces, and indeed of the Empire at large, are as one upon this great question, and that any error committed now in the choice of the permanent Seat of Government of the Oanadas, may be fatal to the prosperity and jeopardise the safety of one and all of them. Quebec, Au^st, 1856. MKMBERS WHO VOTED FOR QUEBEC Hon. Messrs. Tuch<5, Quesnel, Bouret, Ross, Panet, Belleau, Armstrong, Cartier, Perry,-(9.) .^GAINST QUEBEC : lion. Messrs. De Blaqui^re, Crooks, Ferguson, Hamilton, Ferric, Goodhue, Morris, Gordon, Matthieson, Bolton, » Seymour, Dickson, — (12.) ABSENT i Hon. Messrs. McGill, Caron, McCaulay, Mills, Dionne, Walker, Irving, Bouchervilk, Widmer, Pinhey, Ferrier^ Viger, Leslie^ De Beaujen, Methot, Wiko7i, Turgeon. 31 Members who culuocated and voted for a permanent Seat of Oovernvient " in any place between Penetanguishine and Anticosti " / a7id who, when they hud jnrv- ailed upon a majority of the Hottse to vote vntit them, voted against Quebec after the sense of tJie House had been pironoxtnced in rte favor by a majority of (en,- very large one an such a question : Times. Messrs. Bell, U. C, — 2. Church, «' —2. Crawford, " — 1, Crysler, " — 1. Daly, " ~1. Delong «' —1. Ferric, " — I. Macdonald J. S., " —1. Macdonald R,... . " — 1. Mattice, " —1. McCann, " — 2. Patrick *' —2. Powell " —1. Rankin «' —2. Shaw, " —1. (16)— Yeilding, «' —1, Darche, L. C, — 1. Ferres, «' — 1. Holton, <' —2. Rhodes, " —0.—( Absent.) Sanborn, " — 1. Somerville, *' — 2. Terrill, " —1. ( 8)— Young «' ~1. (24) I 32 DIVISIONS IN THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY NAMES, AikiiiB Alleyn Bell , Bellinghiun , Biggar Dourassa Bowes Brodeur Brown..... Bureau Burton Cameron Curlier Casault Cauchon Caylcy Chabot Chapais Chisholm Chrystie Church Clarke Conger Cook Cooke Crawford Orysler , Daly Daoust, C Daoust, J. B , Darche , Delong Desaulniers De Witt Dionne Dorian, A. A Dorion, J. B. E — Dostaler Drummond Dufresne Egau Evanturcl Felton Fergugson .. FerreB Fen 1 Foley Fortier, O. C Fortier, Thos Fournier Frazer Freeman . Gait Gamble Gill Gould GuevremoTit Hartman Holton Huot Jackson Jobin Lubelle Laberga 17 Mar" '56. Prnianeiicy postponi'foi thissossion. For Afit i7 Mur' '56. Tost pone estimates. For Agt 14 Aprl 50. Prmanoiicy post pone lor ciiis session. For A"t 14Aprr5(i I'crnia- ucncy. For Agt Hi Aprl '5(i Quebec a^'t Hamilton. For At,'t 16 Aprl '56. Quebec „ agt Toronto. For I 1 1 1 l" 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Agt 'or Agt 1 i ... 1 1 i I i 1 1 a •• ■ 1 - > . 1 I I I I 1 I I 1 1 1 1 .... • ■ 1 ■- •■ ..... .... 1 1 I ..... -- ..... .... 33 ON THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT. l()Ai)ll '5G Queliec Kin^^stou. 16 A|)ii '5() Quebec llfTt Montreiij. icApi-rso.j Quebec ngt Ottiivva. i IC Apil '5G. U. Canada ngt L. Cuiiailii. IC Apil '56. Final Vote for Quebec. 25 June '5(3. Ottawa agt Montreal. •25 .fiinc 1856. fo rescind vote n fuvor of Qiw- bee iiiid insert Moiiticnl. 25 Juno '56. Vote on £50,000. For Agt I'oi- Agt For Agt For 1 Agt Foi- Agt Fiu' Agt For Agt For Agt 1 ..... i 1 ..... l' 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ....... ..... I 1 ] 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ..... . 1 1 i' 1 1 ..... J. ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 i .... 1 1 i' 1 1 ] t ..... I 1 .... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i' 1 ..... r 1 1 1 1 ..... i 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 ... 1 1 1 ..... ..... 1 1 1 1 1 ' Y 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 .... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ....... 1 l" ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 a 1 1 1 1 J 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 "i 1 "l" 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I .... 1 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 "i 1 ; 1 ..... 1 * " * " ' 1 1 1 fi"" ' 1, i I 1 i !••;•■ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 ..... i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ....... 1 i 1 ....... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i "'i' ..... i 1 1 1 "i I i 1 1 1 1 ]"'"-" j : 1 1 '"{ i i 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ..... " i' 1 1 1 1 1 1 ] 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 "l 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 "i i 1 1 i 1 "i "i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 ....... i ! 1 1 1 ....... i i 1 .... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 "i 1 1 'i i' 1 1 ! 1 ! 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ...... 1 1 1 .... * E h 34 DIVISIONS m THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY NAMES. l7Mar"5C Prmancncy postponpfoi this session 17 Mar' '56 Postpone for estimates. 14 Aprl '56 Prmanency postponofoi this session 14 Aprl -56 Perma- nency. 16 Aprl '56 Quebec agt Hamilton 16 Aprl "56. Quebec agt Toronto. Foi Agt For Agt For Agt For Agt i i' ..... For Agt For Agt Laporto 1 ..... 1 1 1 ..... 1 i 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 i 1 ..... I 1 1 i ..... 1 ..... 1 ..... 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 .... ..... i' r 1 1 1 1 1 ..... ..... 1 ..... 1 1 1 ..... i i 1 ..... 1 ..... 1 I .... ..... ..... 1 ..... ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 J 1 ..... .... 1 1 1 i' 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 .... 1 1 1 I Larwill 1 1 1 Le Bouthillicr 1 1 Lemieux Loranger.. ........... 1 1 Lumsuen 1 Lyon( Fellows) 1 1 ..... Macbeth 1 1 1 1 1 Macdonald, Atty. Gen 1 I Macdonakl, J. S 1 1 1 1 Macdonald, R...... 1 i ..... 1 1 1 Mackenzie 1 Marchildon. . ........ 1 1 1 1 Masson Mathieson 1 i 1 1 Mattice 1 1 1 1 1 .1 1 1 McCann 1 i' I 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 Meagher 1 1 Mcrritt ..... 1 .... 1 1 Mongenais Morrison, A 1 1 Morrison, J. C Miiuro i 1 1 Murney Niles 1 1 I 1 O'Farrell 1 1 1 1 1 I i 1 1 1 1 Pupin 1 1 1 1 1 1 Patrick Polotte 1 i Poulin 1 ..... 1 i i" 1 1 i Pouliot 1 1 ..... ..... I 1 1 Powell 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Prevost Price 1 Rankin I Rhodes 1 1 ..... 1 1 I 1 1 ..... .... Robinson ......... . .... ..... i 1 1 1 1 1 1 ..... r 1 Rol.bin 1 1 1 Rulph 1 1 1 ..... I 1 1 i 1 i "[ 1 i 1 1 1 1 i 1 R. ss, Sol. Gen Ross, Jas Sanborn 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 Scutcherd 1 i' 1 Shaw 1 1 Smith, Sol. Gen 1 1 1 1 Smith, Jas Smith, Sid Soiiierville .... 1 1 1 1 1 i" Southwick 1 I 1 .... Sponce I 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Stevenson Supple I 1 1 1 1 1 "l 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 Tache 1 1 ■i 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 ! 1 1 i : 1 08 Terrill Thibaudeau Turcottc I 1 Valois Whitnoy 1 1 1 1 i 1 Wilson 1 1 i" I 1 Wright r 1 1 1 1 Ycilding 1 1 1 . 1 . fit Young — r/.i (i2 .%■!, i^ r,i 70 Ki 71 50 A 1 Quebec agt Toronto. For Agt 1 1 I I 1 .... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 > ■ ■ a . 1 1 ] 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 ..... r i 1 1 1 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 71 50 35 ON THE SEAT OF GOVEENMENT. r Ifi Aprl "56 Quebec agt Kingston. . l6Aprr56 Quebec agt Montreal. . 16Aprr56 Quebec agt Ottawa. • 16 Aprl '56 U. Canada agt L. Canada . I4Aprr56 Final Vot( for . Quebec. 25 June '56 Ottawa Montreal. 25 June 1856. To rescind voti in favor of Que bee and insert Montreal. 25 June '56. Vote on £50,000. Fot Agt Foi Agt For Agt For Agt For Agt For Agt For Agt For Agt 1 1 ..... .... i ' 1 ..... "i" 1 r .... ..... 1 ..... ..... ..... .... 1 1 1 1 1 i' 1 .... 1 .... 1 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 ..... 1 ..... 1 ..... ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 .... ..... ..... 1 ..... ..... ..... ..... " i i 1 1 1 ..... ..... ..... 1 1 ..... 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 .... ..... 1 1 ....... ....... 1 ....... 1 1 1 ....... 1 1 1 1 1 ..... 1 .... I 1 1 I 1 1 l" 1 1 l" i ..... 1 1 ..... 1 I 1 1 i" 1 I 1 .... i" 1 ..... 1 1 r 1 ..... 1 1 1 ..... l" 1 1 i' 1 1 .... i" " i"' ..... ..... ..... i ..... i" 1 1 1 .... ..... ..... 1 1 ..... 1 ..... ... .... 1 1 i ..... 1 . 1 1 1 1 1 ..... 1 .... 1 1 ' • ■ • ■ 1 1 1 "i 1 ..... ..... ..... I I 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 i* .... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ....... 1 .... .... J 1 1 1 ' 1 1 ..... i ....... 1 1 I 1 1 .... i" ..... i ..... 1 ..... 1 1 i ..... 1 i" ..... 1 1 .... 1 I l' 1 ..... i' 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 i ..... 1 1 - ..... 1 1 1 ..... ..... 1 1 1 ....... 1 ....... 1 ..... .... 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 i" i* ..... 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 i .... ..... ..... 1 1 ..... ....... 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 i 1 I I ..... i 1 1 1 i" 1 ..... 1 1 ....... 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 ....... 1 1 1 1 ..... i i" ..... i .... 1 1 1 I 1 1 ..... 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 .... I 1 .... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i' 1 1 1 1 1 1 — I i i' 1 1 1 1 1 1 i" 1 1 1 1 1 ....... ....... 1 1 1 ....... ..... 1 1 I I I 1 — 1 1 1 T] .... 1 — — 1 1 .... 1 1 1 . 1 . .... (;7 .... 64 .... "i* 56 1 ..... 1 ....... ...... i 1 1 1 — 1 1 1 (17 ."■I (i.') .-.,'-, 1 77 5;} 19 74 ■ 29 67 50 46 ■ ERRATUM. In the column of Members wlio voted for Permanency and afterwards against Quebec Mr. Rhodes has been inserted by error. He votc^l on everv division in favor of Quebec, except the one from which he was absent.