128 



BRITISH FORTH AMERICA. 



breach of the neutrality laws. Being taken to 

 Toronto for trial, at the preliminary examina- 

 tion before Mr. Recorder Duggan, it was dis- 

 covered that no evidence could be adduced 

 against any of the prisoners except Young, and 

 that against him was of a very unreliable char- 

 acter. All the raiders were finally discharged, 

 with the single exception of Young, who was 

 at length admitted to bail, to make his appear- 

 ance in the event of the charge preferred against 

 him being brought into any of the Superior 

 Courts. No steps, however, have since been 

 taken in this direction. Thus peacefully ter- 

 minated the connection between Canada and 

 tbe Confederate refugees, which, at the com- 

 mencement, gave rise to much ill-feeling be- 

 tween our people and the Canadians, and 

 threatened to lead to serious complications be- 

 tween the two Governments. It is only fair 

 to state, as a proof of the earnest desire of the 

 Canadian authorities to maintain amicable re- 

 lations with this country, that the $50,000 booty 

 carried off by the raiders from St. Alban's was 

 refunded by them, and that an alien bill re- 

 ceived the sanction of the Provincial Legisla- 

 ture, providing for the removal of such obnox- 

 ious sojourners from the province at any future 

 tune. 



In connection with this it is only necessary 

 to mention the case of Burley, the Lake Erie 

 invader, who was extradited to the United 

 States by a full bench of the Superior Court 

 Judges of Upper Canada, but who subsequently 

 escaped from his prison here, and passing over 

 in disguise into Canada, made his way to the 

 nearest open British seaport, and took passage 

 to Scotland, where he is now residing. 



The sudden death of President Lincoln by 

 the hand of an assassin, called forth from the 

 British American Colonies the warmest and 

 most expressive sympathy. Meetings were 

 held in all parts of the Provinces denouncing 

 the act, and paying the highest testimonials 

 of respect to his memory. 



The volunteer militia force, sent to the fron- 

 tier during the excitement which followed the 

 issuing of General Dix's order, was recalled 

 during the summer season, and not replaced. 

 But in November, the Government thought 

 proper, from information which it received as 

 to a probable "Fenian invasion," to provide 

 against such a possible annoyance, by calling 

 out a small body of volunteers for active ser- 

 vice. This force was put on duty at the most 

 salient points on the frontier. 



In the month of September a Camp of Mili- 

 tary Instruction, composed of the passed cadets 

 of the several military schools established by 

 the Canadian Government, was opened at La- 

 prairie, and placed under the command of ex- 

 perienced officers in her Majesty's service. 

 This was an experiment to test the military 

 efficiency and endurance of those who, in the 

 event of hostilities, would be called on to com- 

 mand the Provincial militia. The result was 

 most satisfactory, as the following extract from 



the report of Colonel "Wolseley, the command- 

 ing officer, will testify : 



After a few days' experience I found that the 

 theoretical knowledge of drill was much greater than 

 I had expected it could have been ; I thought it 

 more advisable therefore to exercise them in the 

 battalion, and subsequently in brigade movements, 

 than to keep them long at the monotonous employ- 

 ment of squad and company drill. When the camp 

 broke up I have no hesitation in saying that they 

 compared most favorably with regular troops. They 

 daily acquired increased steadiness under arms and 

 precision of movement which careful training under 

 military officers only can effect. Their conduct waa 

 beyond all praise ; their cheerful obedience and the 

 respect they paid their officers, evinced a desire to 

 learn a soldier's duties in all the various grades of 

 our profession, and the quickness with which th^ey 

 learned showed an aptitude for military pursuits ttiat 

 augurs well for the future prosperity of the militia of 

 this country. The difficulties one always has to en- 

 counter in transforming the citizen into the soldier, 

 in teaching him habits of order, precision, and smart- 

 ness in bearing, were consequently easily overcome. 

 It seemed to be the desire of all to identify them- 

 selves with the army whose uniform they wore, and 

 in my opinion they were most successful in doing so. 



By the " Canadian Volunteer and Militia List," 

 it appears that the number of militia on the rolls 

 in Canada is as follows : 1st Class, 128,827 ; 2d 

 Class, 208,180 ; 3d Class, 88,190. Total 425,197. 



In the month of October the seat of Gov- 

 ernment was removed from the city of Quebec 

 to the new capital Ottawa, where for the last 

 five years* magnificent piles of buildings have 

 been in course of erection for the accommoda- 

 tion of the Houses of Parliament and the sev- 

 eral Departments. It is estimated that these 

 buildings have cost the country more than half 

 a million of pounds, and they are declared by 

 many competent authorities to rival in grandeur 

 and architectural beauty any others on the 

 Continent. 



With regard to the public debt, Mr. Gait, 

 Minister of Finance, said : " The amount of 

 public debt to be redeemed in 1865 was 

 $1,100,000, of which the greater part was the 

 final payment of the Imperial loan. The inter- 

 est on the charges on the public debt was 

 $3,890,000, including the sinking fund. The 

 charges embraced under the head of Civil Gov- 

 ernment amounted to $4,633,000. It was pro- 

 posed to expend for militia during 1865 $500,- 

 000. In regard to the public works, the build- 

 ings at Ottawa and the completion of the en- 

 largement of the Welland Canal, were the 

 chief. It was expected that the total outlay 

 by the board of works would be $600,000. The 

 collection of revenue was put down at $1,350,- 

 000. The aggregate of outlays, exclusive of 

 the redemption of the public debt, was $11,- 

 074,000, against the income of $11,136,000, 

 leaving a surplus of $62,000. In a country, 

 like Canada, increasing so rapidly, there must 

 necessarily be a gradual increase in the cost of 

 government. It was impossible to govern three 

 millions for the same as two millions. The 

 balances on 30th June last, were nearly $3,444,- 

 000. The Legislature had clothed the Gov- 

 ernment with power to dispose of four millions 





