British North America [pp. 156-166]

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.
abundant water power, seems to have been specially designed
for a manufacturing country, manufactured nothing. Some of
her public buildings were built of granite brought from Scotland.
They were erected, however, many years ago, when the Colony
was in its infancy. But it is not very long since she was importing bricks from New England; although within a few hundred
yards of where the vessels discharged their cargoes at the port of
Halifax, was an abundance of brick clay, directly at the water's
edge. She exported lime-rock, and imported lime; and so with
many other articles. And so it was with the other Provinces.
The clock which ticked on the mantel over the huge country
fire-place; the pensive Susans and Marys, and the unpleasantly
suggestive print of a tomb, shaded by a weeping-willow, which
adorned the walls; the good-wife's rocking chair; the commonest
utensils-all came from the United States. Although Nova
Scotia is one of the finest fruit-growing countries in the world,
the people were imbued with the idea that there was some peculiar virtue in " Boston apples" which did not belong to those
which ripened and blushed crimson, or gleamed like gold through
the green leaves in native orchards. But, as Boston was the
great mart for Nova Scotian produce, it was shrewdly surmised
by some people that the "Blue noses" actually imported their
own fruit.
In ante belliwm times, there was much smuggling into the Lower
Provinces. Now, the smuggling is the other way; and Provincial revenues are doubly benefited. First, by the cessation of
smuggling into the Province. Secondly, by the revenue accruing from the increased imports to supply this illegal traffic.
And, so great is the extent of territory to guard, that nothing
short of a very costly cordon of custom-houses can possibly prevent smuggling on the Canadian frontier. For this reason alone,
our former free trade with the Province was both politic and
valuable.
In ship-building, the Provinces now seem likely to equal if
not excel the United States, owing to the greater cheapness of
labor and material. It is said that in Maine, which has always
been the great ship-yard of the Union, ships cannot be built to
pay; while timber may be exported from the South to British
North America, and ships constructed at about one-half their
cost in this country. The same holds good with regard to many
manufactured articles; and while in Canada last year, the writer
learned, with some astonishment, that many of the factories were
taxed to their utmost to fill orders from the United States.
Since then many large manufacturers, ship-builders, and lumberers, have removed to the Provinces, and there established themselves. Such emigration as this is of incalculable value, and its
results are already apparent.
The termination of the Treaty leaves the fishery question once
more in a most undesirable state. American fishermen are al
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