h productions
of the East, and landing them at the commencement of the West,--to be
forwarded and distributed throughout our North American provinces, and
to be delivered in THIRTY DAYS at the ports of Great Britain? Did his
Grace foresee that steam would bring Halifax within ten days of
Liverpool? That a Railway would make Halifax only ten or fifteen days
distant from the north-west coast of North America, (and that the
Sandwich Islands would not be ten days further off?) whence steamers
might be despatched with the mails from England for Pekin, Canton,
Australia, New Zealand, &c. &c. &c.; and did his Grace look forward to
the rolling masses of treasure that would be sure to travel on such a
girdle line of communication as that? Did his Grace then weigh and
consider that "to the inventive genius of her sons England owes the
foundation of her commercial greatness. We will not go the length of
asserting that she retains her proud pre-eminence solely upon the
condition of keeping twenty years ahead of other nations in the practice
of mechanical arts. But there is no question, that _a fearful proportion
of our fellow subjects hold their prosperity upon no other tenure_, and
quite independently of what may be done by our rivals it is of vast
importance to our increasing population that the conquest over nature
should proceed unchecked?" [_Quarterly Review, December, 1848._] And did
his Grace look forward and foresee that between the north-eastern and
north-western shores of America, and through our loyal, long-tried and
devoted North American colonies,[see Note 10] there might be undertaken
a great, a noble, and a most important work, that would give
remunerative employment to the population, to the wealth, and to the
inventive genius of England? Did his Grace, in short, look forward to a
_grand National Railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific_?[see Note 60]
If not, let his Grace do so now! Let the people of Great Britain do
so!--let her colonial minister. Startling as it may at first appear, a
little reflection will show that England and her children have the power
to make it; that it must be done; and will become valuable property--for
it would increase our commerce and trade to an extent not easy to
calculate.[see Note 11] But such a noble work must not be looked upon
merely as a money question,--although if only considered in that
light,--England must reflect that if she wishes and intends to retain
her high pre-eminenc