1831.] Ships, Colonies, and Commerce. 417 



jthey are equally in point as regards the anti-colonial feeling, manifested 

 by at least a great part of his majesty's present ministers. These fre- 

 quent departures from former pledges, and the bad consequences which 

 always result from suddenly changing fixed channels of trade, retard 

 the prosperity of the mother country by paralizing the efforts of her 

 colonists, and deranging her commercial relations. 



With regard to the Canadas, we would observe, that the feeling enter- 

 tained of their value by the advocates of ultra free-trade in this country, 

 is somewhat different from that of our lynx-eyed rivals on the other side 

 of the Atlantic. t( It is very desirable," say they, '* that the people of the 

 United States and of the British provinces, . should become better ac- 

 quainted and be led to take a more lively interest in each other. Their 

 fathers were united by the bond of a common country ; and it needs 

 no spirit of prophecy to foresee, that the time must come, when, in the 

 natural course of events, the English colonies on our borders will be 

 peaceably dissevered from the remote mother country, and the whole 

 continent, from the Gulf of Mexico to the coast of Labrador, present 

 the unbroken outline of one compact empire of friendly confederated 

 States." Be it so ! but let us not by injustice accelerate that period. 

 Let us rather try to bind our colonies to each other by promoting, and 

 guarding a mutual intercourse and interchange of commodities, amongst 

 them ; and, above all, let us strengthen their attachment to the mother 

 country, by that good faith and sound political justice, which can alone 

 uphold our eminence as the first nation in the world for " SHIPS, COLO- 

 NIES AND COMMERCE/' 



OXFORD ; A POEM. BY ROBERT MONTGOMERY. 



. SUCH of our readers as are conversant with stage affairs, must often 

 have remarked the adroit manner in which nine out of every ten theatri- 

 cal campaigns are brought before the public notice. For weeks previous 

 to the commencement, the newspapers are filled with accounts of some 

 extraordinary star, who is to surpass all his contemporaries, and even to 

 throw into shade the recollection of his predecessors. In the fulness 

 of time this extraordinary star makes his appearance on the theatrical 

 horizon. Of course, nothing under a first-rate character suits his tower- 

 ing ambition ; so he steps forth, we will suppose, by way of illustration, 

 in Hamlet. On his entrance he is overwhelmed with applause; the 

 audience have made up their minds to be astonished ; expectation is on 

 tip-toe ; and after the usual clamorous testimonies of congratulation, 

 silence reigns throughout the house. And now comes the trial. In the 

 first one or two acts the new tragedian fails in every point. This, how- 

 ever, may be timidity. He is young, he is nervous, he is inexperienced, 

 or perhaps he is reserving himself for the closing scenes. So says the cha- 

 ritable audience. But, alas, the third the fourth and even the fifth act, 

 passes, and still no point, still no display of superior talents. The next 

 night, however, may be more auspicious for the young candidate's 

 renown. Accordingly, he makes bow the second, as Macbeth, and with 

 precisely the same success as before. For a week, or perhaps a fort- 

 night longer, he perseveres in his ambitious career, till the increasing 

 vacuity in the pit-benches, the significant absence of the usual box fre- 

 quenters, and, above all, the abrupt abridgment of the newspaper criticisms, 

 warn him that he has mistaken his forte, and that it is time to descend 

 M.M. New Scries. VOL. XL No. 64. 3 H 



