2 THE EMIGRATION QUESTION. 



quickly." So he takes a patriotic tone, and laments the 

 loss to his country of so much vigorous and youthful life. 

 Those who talk in this way of the emigration of British 

 subjects from one part of the empire to another part are 

 men of narrow views. England is their world, money is 

 their god, and to the general interests of the empire 

 they are altogether indifferent. It is all one to them 

 whether men emigrate from their neighbourhood to 

 foreign countries or to British provinces. In either case 

 they have to pay their work hands higher. A certain 

 portion of the old country press, which is in the pay of 

 the manufacturers and the employers of labour, does not 

 scruple to make use of gross misrepresentations to use a 

 mild word in order to check emigration. Men, however, 

 who take a broad view of the matter, and think of the 

 welfare of others as well as of their own shops and mills, 

 are glad to know that by emigration their fellow-subjects 

 will not only better their own condition, but the condition 

 of those they leave behind them. And they will con- 

 gratulate themselves on belonging to a nation whose sons 

 can emigrate to any quarter of the globe without changing 

 their flag, their allegiance, or their language. An Eng- 

 lishman beginning life has great advantages over the 

 citizen of any other country. He has the choice of half- 

 a-dozen splendid countries to live in, of every variety of 

 climate ; he may choose according to his fancy, and re- 

 main an Englishman always. At least I hope this is the 

 case. All the best men in the colonies, and I venture to 

 say the majority of Englishmen, would consider it a great 

 misfortune if their magnificent colonies were reformed 

 away out of the empire ; and I may here remark that if I 



