312 



been on the verge of a war," says the London Times, "wkh a nation 

 which, from its identity in race and language with ourselves, would 

 have proved a truly formidable enemy — a maritime and commercial 

 people, who would have met us with our own arms, on our own 

 element, and visited our commerce with mischiefs similar to those 

 which we should have inflicted upon theirs. So closely are the two coun- 

 tries united, that every injury we might inflict dn our enemy vmuld have been 

 almost as injurious to our merchants as bombarding our towns or sinking our 

 own ships." And it continues : " It is no exaggeration to say that with this 

 people we were on the very verge of war; for, had we persevered in 

 carrying out with a high hand, by seizure and confiscation, our own 

 interpretation of the treaty, a~ collision with the American commodore* 

 was unavoidable; and such a collision must almost necessarily have 

 been followed by a formal declaration of hostilities. Now, what is the 

 question which has so nearly led to such serious results? It is simply 

 whether a certain quantity of salt-fish consumed in these islands shall 

 be caught by citizens of the Unitetl States or natives of our own colo- 

 nies. The question whether American fisherm,m shall be allowed to spread 

 their nets in the Bay of Fundy is one in which the psople of this country 

 have no imaginable interest : they will neither be richer nor poorer, 

 stronger nor weaker, more admired nor more feared, should they 

 secure the monopoly of fishing in these northern waters to the inhabit- 

 ants of the seacoast of our North American colonies." 



These are significant declarations. Still further, says this powerful 

 press: "We are, in fact, in this disagreeable position, that, according 

 to the present compact between the mother country and her colonies, 

 she is obliged to take up quarrels in which her interests are in no way involved, 

 and is bound over as surety for the good behavior of governments and legis- 

 latures actuated by ft clings, principles, and interests totally different from her 

 own, and over whose actions she has renounced all efficient control." 



It is precisely so; and the London Times might have spoken of one 

 of these colonies as did Mr. Burke.t " The province of Nova Scotia," 

 said he, "is the youngest and favorite child of the board.t jS^ood God! 

 what sums the nursing of that ill-thriven, hard-visaged, and illfavored bra^ 

 has cost this wittol\\ nation! Sir, this colony has stood us in a sum not less 

 than seven hundred thousand pounds. To this day, it has made no repay- 

 ment: it does not even support those offices of expense which are miscalled its 

 government. The whole of that job still lies upon the patient, callous shoul- 

 ders of the people of England." 



I have not designed, in the strictures which have appeared in this 

 paper, to include the great mass of the people of Nova Scotia. Terms 

 ■of severity, whenever found, have been designed entirely for the busy, 

 restless politicians of that colony, who originally stirred up, and have 

 ikept alive, the existing strife. The people, as a body, I am persuaded, 

 'entertain no feelings of hostility towards us. If cdlowed, they would 

 ;afFord us all possible aid in conducting our enterprises in their waters, 



* Commodore Perry, in the steamer Mississippi. 



tt Speech on economical reform, House of Commons, February 11, 1780. 



% Board of Trade and Plantations. 



II Witol, wittal, or wittol: an old Saxon word, signifying a contented cuckold. 



