THE DOMINION OF CANADA.

Southland Times, Issue 863, 11 December 1867, Page 2

THE DOMINION OF CANADA.

The Panama Mercantile Chronicle says t — "The new Confederation has begun its course under as favourable auspices as could be desired. Whether the "newDominion" will yet bud forth into a new Kingdom remains to be seen. A limited monarchy under the powerful aegis of Great Britain, with a British Prince for its head, is decidedly possible eTen in the face of a Monroe or any other doctrine, but whether such a verdant institution on this American Continent would have a long existence is another question, that remain* to be seen. That Canada, or whatever name may be given to the Confederate Provinces, would flourish just as well under the free institutions of a limited monarchy — institutions fashioned after the model of the mother-country — as it would under the unlimited license of a so-called Eepublic, is a quosj tion open to discussion, upon which we are not prepared to augur. Time will work out the problem. Threats and timidity will have no effect on the future of that particular country. The new Confederation — a possible Kingdom, if you like — is constituted of four provinces : — Quebec (late Lower Canada, or Canada East), extending over 210,020 square miles ; Ontario (late Upper Canada, or Canada West), 121,260 square miles ; New Brunswick, 27,105 square miles ; Nova Scotia, 18,660 square miles ; making an area of 377,045 square miles. The population was 3,090,561 in 1861, and may now have reached 3,800,000. At the census 1861 the number of men capable of bearing arms (between the ages of twenty and sixty) was 753,567. The mercantile marine composed in 1863 6575 vessels of 943,533 tons of the value of 32,814,069 dollars, a marine exceeded by only three States ; the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. The imports amounted last year to 75,270,566 dollars; the exports to 71,951,699 dollars. The public debt of the Confederation •mounts to 77,500,000 dollars. The ordinary revenue in 1864 was 13,023,169 dollars; the ordinary expenditure 14,173,071 dollars. If the Confederation should eventually include Newfoundland, Prince Edward's Island, the Hudson's Bay and North- West territories and British Columbia, the total area will amount to 3,369,800 square miles, and will exceed the whole territory of the United States. The destiny of Canada is now in its own hands. Faithful to the mothercountry and it will progress, -but following the evil counsil of demagogues will as certainly prove its Tarpean Rock."