CANADA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 7, 8 January 1875, Page 4

CANADA.

The Governor-Gdneral of the Dominion, 2Jord DufferiD, on his return from a tour through the Western provinces,' tfaa ejatertalhed at a banquet in - Toronto. In the coarae of his speech, Lord Duffer in. said:— It is bat a few short weeks since I left Toronto, and yet I question whether r many born GaoidianjahciVei ever se'en or learnt more of the western ' parf of the' Dominion than I h,ay.e during that brief period. ,'lMenaory itself scarcely, suffices j to reflect the" shifting vision of moun- j tain, woodland water, inland seas, and silver roiling rivers, golden' cornlands, and busy, prosperous townß through which we hiiye'' held our way; but though the mind's eye fail to, ever again readjust the dazzling panorama, as long as Hie endures not a single echo of the universal greeting With which we have been .wel(a9,med v wiU r be r b,ußhed within bur hearts. Yet deeply as! am sensible of the personal kindness ;• of. which I have been the .recipient, proud as I feel of the honor, done to my office^'Jmdyej3:!ia > ..I i .hftve been by" the devoted affection shown for our Queen and for our common country, no one is better aware 'than myself of the imperfect return liiave made to the generous enthusiasm which has been evoked. But, gentlemen, though the language of gratitude may, fail, the theme itself supplies me v%h that of congratulation, for never, has the^ head of any Government passed through^a so replete with contentment lh the present, so pregnant With promise in the future. From the northern' forest i whose primeval ' r^ss'es^are " being pierced and indented with the rough and ready cuitivatioifjof theftee grant settler, to the trim' enclosures and wheat laden townships that' smile along the lakes, from the orchards of Niagara to the hunting grounds of Nepigon, in the wigwam of the Indian, in the homestead of the farmer, in the workshop 3 of the artizao,tn the Office ot his employerhave I learnt that the people are satisfied' — satisfied with rhdir own individual prospects and with the 'prospects of their own country-— Satisfied ; with their Government, and witlh the institutions under which they prosper— satisfied to be the subjects of -the Queens-satis-fied to be members of the British Empire. Indeed I cannot help thinking that, quite apart .from the advantages' to myself, my yearly journeys through; the provinces, will have been of public benefit, as exemplifying with what spontaneouSi .unconcerted unanimity of language the entire Dominion has declared its faith in itself, in its destiny, in its connection with the mother country, and in, the well ordered freedom of a Constitutional Monarchy. And, gentleman, it is this very combination of sentiments which appears to me so wholesome ' ll and satisfactory. Words cannot express what. pride I feel as an Englishman in :• the loyalty of Canada to England. Nevertheless, I should be the firat to deplore this feeting if it rendered Canada disloyal to herself— if it either d war fed or smothered Canadian patriotism,; or generated a sickly spirit of dependence. Such, however, is far from being, the case. The legislation of your Parliiment, the attitude of your statesmen, the language of your press, sufficiently show how fir mly*and intelligently you are prepared to accept and apply the almost unlimited legislative faculties with which you have been endowed— (hear, hear) •—while the daily growing disposition to extinguish sectional jealousies and to ignore an absolute provincialism^ proves how strongly) the young heart of your confederated commonwealth has begun to throb with the consciousness of its nationalised existence (grdkjt cheering). At this moment not ashilling of British money: finds its; way to Canada, the interference of tbe Home Government with the domestic affairs of the Dominion has ceased, While the Imperial relations between two countries -are regulated -by a spirhmf such mutual deference, forbearance, and moderation, as reflects th« greatest credit upon the statesmen of both. Yet go far from this gift of autonomy having brought about 'any divergence of aim or aspiration on either side, every reader pf Our annals' must be aware that the sentiments of Canada towards Gre«t"Britain; are infinitely more friendly now than inViboie early days when the political inteVcoutse of tbe two countries was disturbed and complicated by an excessive 1 and untoward tutelage—that never was Canada more united than at present in sympathy of purpose and unity of interest 'with 'the mother country— more at one with her in social habits and tone of thought— more proud of her claim to , share in the heritage of England's past— more ready to accept whatever obligations may be imposed upon her by her partnership in the future fortunes of the Empire (tremendous applause.) For many, years past I tiaW^een a strong advocate of emigration, in the interest of the British': population. I believe that emigration is a benefit both to those that go and to those that remain, at the same time that it^fe most effectual and 'legitimate weajipn with which labor can contend wilh capital. I haye > " written a book upon the subject, and have been very much scolded for wishing ;to depopulate my native country, but, however strong |n advocate of emigration fi r 6m the English standpoint, I am, of course, a thousandfold more interested in the' subject as the head of the Canadian Government. Of course ; I am not in a position, nor is it desirable ■^tbat I should take the"- responsibility pof jr&ying 'Anything on , thia ocaaslon

which should expose me hereafter to" the reproach of having- i drawn" 5 a. false picture or given delusive information in regard to the prospects and opportunities "aitfortfed'/'by Canada tq the 1 intending pettier, r The subject; is so serious a one — so. much depends upon the individual training, capacity, health, conduct, and antecedents of each several emigrant— that no one without an intimate and special knowsledge 1 of the subject -would be justified in authoritatively enlarging upon it ; but this, at all events, I may say— I wherever I have gone I have found numberless persons who came to Canada Without anything, and have-since risen to competence and wealth, that I have met no one who did not gladly acknowledge himself better off than on his first arrival, and, that amongst thousands of persons with whom I have been; brought into contact, no matter whatj their race or nationality, none ' seemed ever *to regret that: they had come here. This fact particularly struck me on entering the log huts of the settlers in tbe more distant regions of the country. Undoubtedly their hardships ' had been very great, the difficulties of climate and ! locality frequently discouraging, their ; personal privations most severe, yet the language of all was identical, evincing without exceptionjlpride in the past, content with the present, hope, in tbe future; while combined with the satisfaction each 1 man felt in his own success and the improved prospects of his family, there shone another and even a nobler feeling, namely, the delight inspired by the consciousness of being a. co-efficient unit in a visibly prosperous community, to whose prosperity he was himself contributing. Of courge these people ; cpuid never have attained the position which I found them wid|j|ut tremendous exertions.: Probably the agricultural laborer who comes to this country from Norfolk or Dorsetshire will have to work a great , deal harder than ever he woTked in his life before, but if his work is hardSr he will find a sweetener to his toil of which he could never have dreamt in the old country, namely, the prospect of independence— of a roof over his head for which he shall pay no rent, and of ripening corn fields . round his homestead, which own no master but himself. Let a man be sober, healthy, and industrious, let him come out at the proper time of the year, let him be content with small beginnings, and not afraid of hard work, and I can scarcely conceive how he should fail in his career.