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Ne Gene PeEemary to keep up garrisons in time of pence for that purpose. Ne invasion 27 Cansde L7 our power bat the Americans ls even concoivable; and no serious irons" Mae ne mn t#e Americans can be made without many months of preparation. The have no machinery or organization for such an enterprise: While in mueh shorter time could send troops there, If we wished it and could spare them, Against incursions filibusters"” or “sympathisers,” the Canadians ought to be, and are, quite able to

was 60,000; but which was in the singular!y unfavorable position of being the only French colony in that part of the world, and attacked, therefore, not only from the saward, by a power superior nt sea, but by a warlike population of British colonists on its land frontier,

We repeat then that the real and sufficient protection to the independence of our Colonies consists, either first, in their remote and Insulated positions, which make it highly improbable that AnY power could or would organise naval and military expeditions sufficientiy powerful to take and keep them, or, secondiy, in local cireumstances, such as the nature of the country and the character and numbers of the population, which render ft practically impossible to invade and conquer them, at any rate before assistance would arrive from this country. The West Indian Islands come under the

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Finally, we believe that if we take upon ourselves the initiative in the defence or our Colonies, by assigning to them garrisons, however small, those garrisons will be

and extend the arrangement referred to, we submit, as the resuit of careful and anxjous deliberation, the following plan for the consideration of Her Majesty's Government :—

Bermuda, and a few more of similar character. So long as these posts are held at all, they should be adequately fortified and garrisoned, but we are of opinion that as the &arrisons of them are maintained without reference to the wants and wishes of the inhabitants, they should be deait with exceptionally, and not included in any general scheme of Colontal contribution.

The second class wou.d comprise all the rest of the Colonies, that is, all those where troops are stationed primarily, if not exclusively, for the defence of the lives, liberties, and properties of their inhabitants. We propose that, as regards these Colonies, the system of defence should be founded on two simple principles, colonial management, and joint contr'bution at a uniform rate, We propose that the Imperial Government

amount of its garrison, and should offer to assist it by bearing a share (say, half, or any other portion which may be fixed), of the entire cost; specifying at the same time a maximum sum beyond which this country should not be called upon to contribute

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There is one objection which js likely to be urged against our plan, which we think

| where berties, es, the jement, rnment nd the aif, or e time tribute

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H better to notice by anticipation, We mean an objection to laying contribution, 1t may Possibly be said that one Colony le ann ele throush poverty or the nature of its populations de je amacenother, and that we ought to apportion our aid 4e the eue the amount of its own efforts, The objection in question à founded on M me nent And Ground of the obligations of the mother Ponntee w

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i neediess to observe, is uniform and common to every Colony is

empire; but it is not in necordance with possibility that we should equalise the disadvantages, whether in relation to military or civil affaires

vs respectively. Just as the richer and more favorably etreumsare able to have more expensive and complete systems of civil

that they should have, if they Please, more effective and defences. Poor nations, like poor individuals, must be contented to be less well off than rich ones; and, as regards the Partieular disudvantage now In question, it is to be observed, that the Poorer the Colony the less {s the temptation to attack it. Practically, too, the difficuity of estimating the respective needs and resources of