lished by
Great Britain and her colonies.

Let us reflect, lastly, my dear friend, that "the world now contains
several extensive regions, provided with various ingredients of wealth,
in a degree of abundance of which former ages had not even an idea."
Your native land, and the other North American provinces, have, even by
their own exertions, made rapid advances in wealth, accompanied by moral
and intellectual attainments, and can look forward at no very distant
period (if even left to their own exertions) to be enabled to take a
very prominent position in the affairs of the world. But the Hudson's
Bay Company's territory is still nearly in its primitive state, and much
indeed is to be expected from its advancement, when it shall have taken
its proper station in the general trade and commerce of mankind; the
position of Vancouver's Island is such that there is little reason to
doubt its wealth and consequence will place it high in the scale of
England's offspring.[see Note 59]

But, my dear friend, unless your mind has become as fully impressed as
my own with the vast importance of this great Railway undertaking, I
shall only tire you the more and detain you to no purpose by dwelling
longer on the subject; and indeed even should your mind be satisfied
with the importance of the work, it may yet conceive it to be of an
impracticable nature. "Who (I have been asked) in the living generation
would be reimbursed for the outlay? and without that, who will undertake
a national work, however grand or remunerative to future ages?" To this
I answer fearlessly, that thousands of human beings of the present
generation would benefit by the outlay; that the employment would be a
quite sufficiently lucrative one and visibly so, as to induce the
English capitalist to come forward and undertake the formation of a
Company; for even at this moment Railways are in contemplation,[see
Note 40] if not actually commenced, from Halifax to Quebec and from New
Brunswick to Halifax; and how much more would these Lines be paying
Lines when they had also an opening to the Pacific! But no individual
nor combination of individuals could have sufficient influence with, or,
if they had the influence, could have the necessary power to induce, the
Hudson's Bay Company to open its territories, and to enter into all the
arrangements and all the agreements that would be necessary to be made
with that Company, with England, and with the North American Colo