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ecree。　　Albany；　in　this　way；　is　the　capital　of　the　State　of　New　York；　as　authorized　by　the　State　government；　but　New　York　has　made　herself　the　capital　of　America；　and　will　remain　so。　　So　also　Montreal　has　made　herself　the　capital　of　Canada。　　The　Grand　Trunk　Railway　runs　from　Portland　to　Montreal；　but　there　is　a　branch　from　Richmond；　a　township　within　the　limits　of　Canada；　to　Quebec；　so　that　travelers　to　Quebec；　as　we　were；　are　not　obliged　to　reach　that　place　via　Montreal。　Quebec　is　the　present　seat　of　Canadian　government；　its　turn　for　that　honor　having　come　round　some　two　years　ago；　but　it　is　about　to　be　deserted　in　favor　of　Ottawa；　a　town　which　is；　in　fact；　still　to　be　built　on　the　river　of　that　name。　　The　public　edifices　are；　however；　in　a　state　of　forwardness；　and　if　all　goes　well；　the　Governor；　the　two　Councils；　and　the　House　of　Representatives　will　be　there　before　two　years　are　over；　whether　there　be　any　town　to　receive　them　or　no。　　Who　can　think　of　Ottawa　without　bidding　his　brothers　to　row；　and　reminding　them　that　the　stream　runs　fast；　that　the　rapids　are　near　and　the　daylight　past？　　I　asked；　as　a　matter　of　course；　whether　Quebec　was　much　disgusted　at　the　proposed　change；　and　I　was　told　that　the　feeling　was　not　now　very　strong。　　Had　it　been　determined　to　make　Montreal　the　permanent　seat　of　government；　Quebec　and　Toronto　would　both　have　been　up　in　arms。　I　must　confess　that；　in　going　from　the　States　into　Canada；　an　Englishman　is　struck　by　the　feeling　that　he　is　going　from　a　richer　country　into　one　that　is　poorer；　and　from　a　greater　country　into　one　that　is　less。　　An　Englishman　going　from　a　foreign　land　into　a　land　which　is　in　one　sense　his　own；　of　course　finds　much　in　the　change　to　gratify　him。　　He　is　able　to　speak　as　the　master；　instead　of　speaking　as　the　visitor。　　His　tongue　becomes　more　free；　and　he　is　able　to　fall　back　to　his　national　habits　and　national　expressions。　　He　no　longer　feels　that　he　is　admitted　on　sufferance；　or　that　he　must　be　careful　to　respect　laws　which　he　does　not　quite　understand。　　This　feeling　was　naturally　strong　in　an　Englishman　in　passing　from　the　States　into　Canada　at　the　time　of　my　visit。　English　policy；　at　that　moment；　was　violently　abused　by　Americans；　and　was　upheld　as　violently　in　Canada。　　But　nevertheless；　with　all　this；　I　could　not　enter　Canada　without　seeing；　and　hearing；　and　feeling　that　there　was　less　of　enterprise　around　me　there　than　in　the　States；　less　of　general　movement；　and　less　of　commercial　success。　　To　say　why　this　is　so　would　require　a　long　and　very　difficult　discussion；　and　one　which　I　am　not　prepared　to　hold。　　It　may　be　that　a　dependent　country；　let　the　feeling　of　dependence　be　ever　so　much　modified　by　powers　of　self…governance；　cannot　hold　its　own　against　countries　which　are　in　all　respects　their　own　masters。　Few；　I　believe；　would　now　maintain　that　the　Northern　States　of　America　would　have　risen　in　commerce　as　they　have　risen；　had　they　still　remained　attached　to　England　as　colonies。　　If　this　be　so；　that　privilege　of　self…rule　which　they　have　acquired　has　been　the　cause　of　their　success。　　It　does　not　follow　as　a　consequence　that　the　Canadas；　fighting　their　battle　alone　in　the　world；　could　do　as　the　States　have　done。　　Climate；　or　size；　or　geographical　position　might　stand　in　their　way。　　But　I　fear　that　it　does　follow；　if　not　as　a　logical　conclusion；　at　least　as　a　natural　result；　that　they　never　will　do　so　well　unless　some　day　they　shall　so　fight　their　battle。　　It　may　be　argued　that　Canada　has　in　fact　the　power　of　self…governance；　that　she　rules　herself　and　makes　her　own　laws　as　England　does；　that　the　Sovereign　of　England　has　but　a　veto　on　those　laws；　and　stands　in　regard　to　Canada　exactly　as　she　does　in　regard　to　England。　　This　is　so；　I　believe；　by　the　letter　of　the　Constitution；　but　is　not　so　in　reality；　and　cannot　in　truth　be　so　in　any　colony　even　of　Great　Britain。　　In　England　the　political　power　of　the　Crown　is　nothing。　　The　Crown　has　no　such　power；　and　now…a…days　makes　no　attempt　at　having　any。　　But　the　political　power　of　the　Crown　as　it　is　felt　in　Canada　is　everything。　　The　Crown　has　no　such　power　in　England；　because　it　must　change　its　ministers　whenever　called　upon　to　do　so　by　the　House　of　Commons。　　But　the　Colonial　Minister　in　Downing　Street　is　the　Crown's　Prime　Minister　as　regards　the　colonies；　and　he　is　changed　not　as　any　colonial　House　of　Assembly　may　wish；　but　in　accordance　with　the　will　of　the　British　Commons。　　Both　the　houses　in　Canadathat；　namely；　of　the　Representatives；　or　Lower　Houses　and　of　the　Legislative　Council；　or　Upper　Houseare　now　elective；　and　are　filled　without　direct　influence　from　the　Crown。　　The　power　of　self…government　is　as　thoroughly　developed　as　perhaps　may　be　possible　in　a　colony。　　But；　after　all；　it　is　a　dependent　form　of　government；　and　as　such　may　perhaps　not　conduce　to　so　thorough　a　development　of　the　resources　of　the　country　as　might　be　achieve　under　a　ruling　power　of　its　own；　to　which　the　welfare　of　Canada　itself　would　be　the　chief　if　not　the　only　object。　I　beg　that　it　may　not　be　considered　from　this　that　I　would　propose　to　Canada　to　set　up　for　itself　at　once　and　declare　itself　independent。　　In　the　first　place　I　do　not　wish　to　throw　over　Canada；　and　in　the　next　place　I　do　not　wish　to　throw　over　England。　If　such　a　separation　shall　ever　take　place；　I　trust　that　it　may　be　caused；　not　by　Canadian　violence；　but　by　British　generosity。　　Such　a　separation；　however；　never　can　be　good　till　Canada　herself　shall　wish　it。　　That　she　does　not　wish　it　yet；　is　certain。　　If　Canada　ever　should　wish　it；　and　should　ever　press　for　the　accomplishment　of　such　a　wish；　she　must　do　so　in　connection　with　Nova　Scotia　and　New　Brunswick。　　If　at　any　future　time　there　be　formed　such　a　separate　political　power；　it　must　include　the　whole　of　British　North　America。　In　the　mean　time；　I　return　to　my　assertion；　that　in　entering　Canada　from　the　States　one　clearly　comes　from　a　richer　to　a　poorer　country。　　When　I　have　said　so；　I　have　heard　no　Canadian　absolutely　deny　it；　though　in　refraining　from　denying　it；　they　have　usually　expressed　a　general　conviction；　that　in　settling　himself　for　life　it　is　better　for　a　man　to　set　up　his　staff　in　Canada　than　in　the　States。　　〃I　do　not　know　that　we　are　richer；〃　a　Canadian　says；　〃but　on　the　whole　we　are　doing　better　and　are　happier。〃　　Now；　I　regard　the　golden　rules　against　the　love　of　gold；　the　〃aurum　irrepertum　et　sic　melius　situm；〃　and　the　rest　of　it；　as　very　excellent　when　applied　to　individuals。　　Such　teaching　has　not　much　effect；　perhaps；　in　inducing　men　to　abstain　from　wealth；　but　such　effect　as　it　may　have　will　be　good。　　Men　and　women　do；　I　suppose；　learn　to　be　happier　when　they　learn　to　disregard　riches。　　But　such　a　doctrine　is　absolutely　false　as　regards　a　nation。　　National　wealth　produces　education　and　progress；　and　through　them　produces　plenty　of　food；　good　morals；　and　all　else　that　is　good。　　It　produces　luxury　also；　and　certain　evils　attendant　on　luxury。　　But　I　think　it　may　be　clearly　shown；　and　that　it　is　universally　acknowledged；　that　national　wealth　produces　individual　well…being。　　If　this　be　so；　the　argument　of　my　friend　the　Canadian　is　naught。　To　the　feeling　of　a　refined　gentleman；　or　of　a　lady　whose　eye　loves　to　rest　always　on　the　beautiful；　an　agricultural　population　that　touches　its　hat；　eats　plain　victuals；　and　goes　to　church；　is　more　picturesque　and　delightful　than　the　thronged　crowd　of　a　great　city；　by　which　a　lady　and　gentleman　is　hustled　without　remorse；　which　never　touches　its　hat；　and　perhaps　also　never　goes　to　church。　　And　as　we　are　always　tempted　to　approve　of　that　which　we　like；　and　to　think　that　that　which　is　good　to　us　is　good　altogether；　wethe　refined　gentlemen　and　ladies　of　England　I　meanare　very　apt　to　prefer　the　hat　touchers　to　those　who　are　not　hat　touchers。　　In　doing　so　we　intend；　and　wish；　and　strive　to　be　philanthropical。　　We　argue　to　ourselves　that　the　dear　excellent　lower　classes　receive　an　immense　amount　of　consoling　happiness　from　that　ceremony　of　hat　touching；　and　quite　pity　those　who；　unfortunately　for　themselves；　know　nothing　about　it。　　I　would　ask　any　such　lady　or　gentleman　whether　he　or　she　does　not　feel　a　certain　amount　of　commiseration　for　the　rudeness　of　the　town…bred　artisan　who　walks　about　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets　as　though　he　recognized　a　superior　in　no　one？　But　that　which　is　good　and　pleasant　to　us　is　often　not　good　and　pleasant　altogether。　　Every　man's　chief　object　is　himself；　and　the　philanthropist　should　endeavor　to　regard　this　question；　not　from　his　own　point　of　view；　but　from　that　which　would　be　taken　by　the　individuals　for　whose　happiness　he　is　anxious。　　The　honest；　happy　rustic　makes　a　very　pretty　picture；　and　I　hope　that　honest　rustics　are　happy。　　But　the　man　who　earns　two　shillings　a　day　in　the　country　would　always　prefer　to　earn　five　in　the　town。　　The　man　who　finds　himself　bound　to　touch　his　hat　to　the　squire　would　be　glad　to　dispense　with　that　ceremony；　if　circumstances　would　permit。　　A　crowd　of　greasy…coated　town　artisans；　with　grimy　hands　and　pale　faces；　is　not　in　itself　delectable；　but　each　of　that　crowd　has　probably　more　of　the　goods　of　life　than　any　rural　laborer。　　He　thinks　more；　reads　more；　feels　more；　sees　more；　hears　more；　learns　more；　and　lives　more。　　It　is　through　great　ci