dents of irregularity and uncertainty, and great commercial
disadvantages."--(_Wyld's Geographical Notes._)

Surely then there would be no difficulty with Parliament to encourage
and facilitate the formation of an Atlantic and Pacific Railway Company,
by obtaining its sanction to the loan of L150,000,000 in such sums as
might be required (to be issued under the sanction of a board appointed
for that special purpose), particularly when it is recollected that the
expense of the greater part of her own convicts could be provided for by
that advance.

It will easily be seen that it would be impossible to complete this
Atlantic and Pacific Railway, without at the same time giving great
encouragement to the emigration of labour; and this "is only practicable
when its cost is defrayed _or at least advanced by others_, than the
labourers themselves. Who then is to advance it? Naturally it may be
said, the capitalists of the colony, who require the labour, and who
intend to profit by it. But to this there is the obstacle, that a
capitalist, after going to the expense of carrying out labourers, has no
security that he shall be the person to derive any benefit from them."
To those who would object to Government interference in a case like the
present, we can only say, in the words of Mr. Mill, that "the question
of Government intervention in the work of colonization involves the
future and permanent interests of civilization itself, and far
outstretches the comparatively narrow limits of purely economical
considerations; but, even with a view to these considerations alone, the
removal of population from the overcrowded to the unoccupied parts of
the earth's surface, is one of those works of eminent social usefulness
which most require, and which at the same time will best repay, the
intervention of Government." "No individual or body of individuals
_could_ reimburse themselves for these expenses." Government, on the
contrary, _could_ take from the increasing wealth _caused by the
construction of this Railway and consequent great emigration, the
fraction which would suffice to repay with interest the money advanced_.
These remarks apply equally to the governments of the North American
provinces as to those of the Hudson's Bay Company and Great Britain.[see
Note 57]

Let us now personify our Atlantic and Pacific Railway, and endeavour
more immediately to apply some of the reasoning as regards colonization
to the money part of the