17 



Brunswick, and yet, notwithstanding, their public 

 offices are for the most part filled by a pack of 

 needy Canadians. 



The sixth huge humbug, but plausible bait to 

 attract the attention of our labouring population, 

 who form so large a portion of the Electors of this 

 Colony, is the project of building a railroad through 

 the country from St John's to its Westernmost limits, 

 there to meet a line of Steamers to and from the 

 Dominion of Canada, and another line of Steamers 

 between St John's and England, for the purpose of 

 a passenger and traffic communication with these 

 respective countries. Could anything in our age 

 and in this Colony be more utopian ? It is well 

 known that passene^ers will travel and that goods 

 will be carried by the cheapest, least inconvenient, 

 safest and most certain route. Now, there is nobody 

 in his senses will say that such a route can exist 

 through the Island of Newfoundland. That tram- 

 roads may be established for mining purposes, in 

 like manner as the Proprietors of the Tilt Cove 

 Mine have a short line of this description from 

 their Copper Mine to the place of shipment, is a 

 very practicable and even probable thing — the 

 expenses of such a road being comparatively tri- 

 fling when compared with the immense cost of a 

 proper railroad, with its rolling stock and necessary 

 engineering establishment. What traffic for cen- 

 turies to come is likely to pay the interest of the 

 cost, or even the annual expense of such an under- 

 taking ? 



There is another bait, I am told, to be offered to 

 the non-Confederates which, the authors of it say, 

 is sure to be swallowed by them, namely — *' that 

 all articles Jit and necessary for the fisheries are, 

 under the Dominion Government, to be admitted 

 duty free V Is this tne basis on which the pro- 



