the day brought forth. The Canadians
were happily disappointed. The imperial legislature was not checked in
the enactment of its free-trade measures by this memorial; good was done
to Canada in spite of herself; the legislators of the parent country
understood the interests of Canada better than her own provincial
parliament did, and the great prosperity of that country may be said to
have begun with free trade. The year was one of alarm and discontent
in both the upper and lower provinces. A dreadful fire in Quebec, which
nearly destroyed the city, added to the other causes of disquietude.

_Nova Scotia._--This colony also suffered some commercial depression,
and endured apprehension of a war upon the North American continent. The
fisheries were comparatively unproductive, and the potato crop failed.
Happily the corn crops prospered, relieving considerably the pressure
upon the resources of the people. A militia bill, occasioned by the
apparently hostile policy of the United States government, provided
for the defence of the province. Certain differences arose between the
legislature and the crown, in connection with the crown revenues and
the civil list, but the year closed upon the colony in peace, and with a
fair measure of prosperity.

_Newfoundland._--The affairs of this colony were characterised by
nothing remarkable during the year, in a political point of view, but a
great social calamity attracted the attention of the American colonies
and of the mother-country. A conflagration broke out at St. John's, which
laid nearly the whole city in ashes. The fire happened on the 9th of
June, and as the houses of the town were mostly built of wood, it
soon spread beyond the power of any efforts which the population
could command to restrain it. The Custom-house, Roman Catholic Church,
Protestant Episcopal Cathedral, Court-house, jail, ordnance store, all
the newspaper and printing-offices, the banks, the Hall of Legislature,
post-office, and police-office, were all burnt clown, together with
two whole streets, each more than a mile long, leaving 12,000 persons
without a habitation. The shipping, near the wharves also caught fire,
and some of the vessels were destroyed. The loss of property exceeded a
million sterling.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

_The United States._--On another page sufficient reference has been
made to the circumstances attending the chief subject of dispute between
Great Britain and the North America