Commercial Relations with Canada. 323 
to her population, her trade, and her purchasing power. 
I would pause here for a moment before carrying the 
argument to an issue, and looking back on the ground 
we had gone over I would ask whether this is not a 
country worth bestowing some thought upon, whether 
it would not be wise on our part to connect this country 
in our minds with our own colony,' as possibly holding 
out a brighter prospect than is just now before our eyes. 
Such a thought may be kept well in hand pending the 
settlement of the question whether the United States 
will grant to British Guiana, Most Favoured Nation 
treatment or not ; but such a thought may be entertained 
and discussed, and be ready to leap forth and take effect 
should the occasion present itself. It is an alternative 
policy, and I am happy to remember that the Planters' 
Association has taken this view, and has placed itself 
in communication with Chambers of Commerce in the 
Dominion of Canada for the purpose of eliciting infor- 
mation relative to those wants which British Guiana 
can supply, and of showing a good disposition towards 
Canada. 
The Dominion of Canada has a population of about 
5,000,000, and if the consumption of sugar were equal 
to the consumption in Great Britain and in the United 
States, which is estimated at 40 lbs. a head annually, 
then Canada must purchase 100,000 tons (American) a 
year for her wants ; but it is possible this is too high 
a figure and perhaps it is safer, as a good deal of maple 
sugar is used in the hardwood districts of Canada, to 
reduce the quantity, 25 0/0, to 75,000 tons. Last year, 
the year of our largest exports to America, we sold less 
than 60,000 tons to the United States, and having so 
SS 
