Page:Letter from L. J. Papineau and J. Neilson, Esqs., Addressed to His Majesty's Under Secretary of State on the Subject of the Proposed Union of the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada.djvu/31

 necessary nor practicable that the inhabitants of countries lying on the same extensive rivers, forming their natural outlet to the sea, should be under the same Government. Europe shews many countries so situated, even under independent Governments, where a good understanding on matters of trade and revenue has never been interrupted. The United States of America exhibit a great number of Local Governments, having no communication wit the sea but through other states. If it were indispensable that countries on the waters of the same river should be under one Local Legislature, the United States of America would have the best possible argument for uniting the Canadas to these states, which have now on the waters of the St. Lawrence a greater population than that of all British America. The present Constitution of the Canadas has, however, provided for the settlement of any differences which accidentally might arise between the two Provinces respecting trade or revenue. It is perhaps to be regretted by both Provinces, that the recent complaints of Upper Canada were not laid before the Legislature of Lower Canada, and that the latter Province had not, as well as the Upper Province, a Commissioner in England to support its interests, before any decision is, however, made, and the law is now in operation; and we