Commercial Relations with Canada. 313 
not invite a peaceful invasion of sugar hogsheads and 
rum puncheons. 
First, on account of its populations, its wealth, and 
its wants, comes the continent of Europe. Protection 
under a highly artificial system shuts the door against 
us here. 
Next we come to Asia, where semi-barbarous king- 
doms, and nomadic hordes, and Russian exclusiveness 
hold out no inducements of trade. Only India is worthy 
of notice and her wants are chiefly supplied by Mauritius. 
It is plain we must look to settlements and colonies in- 
habited by the Anglo-Saxon race for any adequate de- 
mand of that commodity which in Great Britain and in 
North America constitutes one of the necessaries of life. 
Having traversed the east we reach Australia and New 
Zealand, where the consumption of sugar and meat is 
greater per caput of the population than in any other 
countries under the sun. In these colonies the ground is 
occupied by Mauritius and by home-grown sugars. The 
same may be said of the Cape and Natal, they make 
their own sugar, and are supplied by Mauritius. The 
opening up of the Congo does not at present affect our 
commercial interests, nor does any other part of the 
" Dark Continent" attract our sugar-laden ships to its 
shores. 
In South and Central America the different countries 
grow what sugar they require, or import it from their 
neighbours, or from Europe. 
Only North America is left, which is, as Lord DERBY 
described it in replying to Lord CARNARVON from his 
seat in the House of Lords, " the natural market for 
West Indian produce." 
