254 CONTRAST OF THE TWO COUNTRIES. 



individual, and heavier on the property ; with us, they 

 are lighter upon the property, and three times heavier 

 upon the individual. As the possessor of realised pro 

 perty, I am better off, as regards taxation, in Great 

 Britain ; as a possessor of health only, and strength to 

 labour, I am better off in the United States. 



Then, again, in the United States every citizen of full 

 age has equal political power votes at the elections 

 and may be sent as a representative to the legislatures, 

 though he do not possess a dollar. With us, a man must 

 have property before he can vote, and more before he 

 can be elected to the Legislature ; those who have no 

 property are excluded both from the elections and from 

 the Legislature. 



O 



Thus the great contrast between the two sections of 

 the Anglo-Saxon race on the opposite sides of the Atlan 

 tic is this on the one side the masses rule, and property 

 pays ; on the other side property rules, and the masses 

 pay. The paradise of the poor man is on the one side 

 of the water, that of the rich on the other. 



From this result we derive a confirmation of the advice 

 which experience enabled the New Brunswick settlers I 

 have already mentioned to give to those who think of 

 emigrating, u If you find yourselves comfortably situated 

 at home, you had better stay there.&quot; 



If it be considered possible or desirable to assimilate 

 our condition as to taxation to that of the United 

 States of America, it is riot to a diminution of the expen 

 diture so much as to a re-adjustment of the taxation that 

 our financial reformers ought to direct their attention. 

 If property rule and expend, it is surely more fair that 

 property should also pay, than that property should be 

 made to pay and yet have no power at all, as is the case 

 among our American cousins. 



Whatever the ultra-democratic rights-of-labour party 

 in the States may say, the principle of human nature 



