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128 party. The late and the present House of Representatives, though governed by a Democratic majority, have done nothing to promote free trade.

The Americans are able to say, therefore, that if the Canadians want to procure admission to the markets of the Republic they must accept protection as an established fact and make terms with it accordingly. The correspondent of the Times asserts that the United States government is considering proposals to be addressed to the government of the Dominion, not for a renewal of the Reciprocity Treaty, but for the inclusion of Canada and the States in a customs union with a uniform tariff. Undoubtedly this would open the American markets to Canadian trade; and, if the advantages are so great as the Americans contend, the Canadians may possibly be tempted to look at the offer. But we have no doubt that upon consideration they will see, what is perfectly obvious, that, even supposing the advantages to be as clear as any one ventures to assert, the price demanded is too high. In the first place, Canada by entering a customs union would abandon her freedom of action altogether. Commercial treaties may be abrogated or altered from time to time, but when once Canada had become a partner in the American Zollverein she would find it impossible to withdraw. The frontier customs line and all the organizations connected with it would be abolished — an excellent thing in itself no doubt; but plainly it would be hard to re-establish the system when people had once got used to its absence, and freedom of trade across the St. Lawrence had become as familiar as freedom of trade across the Mississippi. Canada, however, is not inclined thus to burn her boats. Even if she were, the rights of this country would have to be regarded. The correspondent of the Times is of opinion that "if the Dominion were assured of perfect liberty of action" the American proposals would have considerable chance of acceptance. The testimony of the writer, no doubt, may be trusted so far as the prevalent views of politicians in the United States are concerned, but we hesitate to place implicit confidence in his evidence as to Canadian feeling. Citizens of the United States are generally wrong in all their notions about Canada, and we fancy they are mistaken in thinking that the mass of the Canadian people would be prepared, on any inducement, to enter into relations with the United States which would operate against this country as if it were a foreign power. It is true that Canada has legislated in a protective sense against British manufacturers, but there has been at least an equality in the treatment of all commerce outside of the Dominion. Under the proposed Zollverein Canada would keep out British products, for the benefit mainly of the cotton-spinners of Massachusetts and the iron-merchants of Pennsylvania. We doubt, as we have said, whether such a scheme has the slightest chance of being entertained by any important section of the Canadians, protectionist or free-trading, conservative or liberal. It is well to observe that the protectionist party in Canada, which might naturally be expected to favor a project of this character, is mainly composed of conservatives, who look with extreme dislike upon American institutions and are warm supporters of the imperial connection. But, whatever might be the opinion of the moment in Canada, it is quite clear that the sanction of the Parliament here to the creation of an American Zollverein could not be easily obtained.

 

  — A portrait round which a very exceptional amount of literary interest clusters has, according to the Athenæum, been offered to the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery for purchase. It is a likeness of Charles Lamb, painted by the artist and essayist, William Hazlitt, and presented to Coleridge; Coleridge left it to his friend and host, Mr. Gillman, and from the widow of Mr. Gillman it has come to its present owner, Mr. Moger. The likeness has been spoken of with special approval by Crabb Robinson in his diary. This picture represents Lamb at the age of about thirty, in a sixteenth-century Spanish costume, half length and full size; the amount of lifelike, variable expression in the face is very considerable, and the execution is sufficiently good to show that Hazlitt, however superior he may have been as a writer, was not by any means without capacity as a painter. A duplicate of this portrait is in the possession of Mrs. Moxon; there cannot be a doubt that the original is the one now offered by Mr. Moger for purchase. It has been engraved in one of the collections of Lamb's letters, but the oil picture is vastly better than the engraving. 