THE BUSINESS WORLD IS A REPUBLIC IN ITSELF. 717

United States, Eastern South America and the West Indies -its mighty River and long line of Lakes, giving a water route half way across the continent-not to speak of Hudson's Bay, which may yet become of great importance in commerce-and British Columbia with the numerous islands and ports on the coast-all these foreshadow for it a special eminence as a commercial country, and promise many markets for all its various productions when its resources are fairly developed.

It is also to be considered that its future will not be as dependent on its own resources and comparatively small and poor population as was the United States at the beginning of the present century. The world of business has, in the last thirty years, become, in a large degree, a republic in itself. It has a constitution and laws of its own which are more and more fully recognized and their operation assisted and protected by International Law and by numerous Treaties between most of the civilized nations. To promote a worldwide business activity and furnish its people the largest possible field for gain under the best possible circumstances has become one of the recognized and leading duties of national governments.

By the operation of these laws of business, the accumulations of capital in a rich country are employed wherever there is the surest prospect of the largest gains. That region

whose resources and development promise most on investments, or open the way best to world-wide activities, receives most attention and aid from the financial world. So hundreds of millions of dollars are invested in railroads, mines, lands and various great enterprises in the United States by the capitalists of Europe. The civilized world, in many ways and to an important degree, has come to the aid of the Republic in the vast undertaking of developing its resources, and the profit resulting has not remained wholly within the region and country so aided. Great incomes in England, in

France, and other countries are derived from property in the United States, directly or indirectly.

After a time growth will become comparatively or apparently slower in this favored country, gains on a given investment in a given time will be less; business will take a wider sweep and require additional fields to open and facilities for still greater operations. Canada will, by and by, receive a considerable share of the attention and aid that is now so largely concentrated on the vast territories and multitudinous resources of its great neighbor. The valleys of the Red River, of the Saskatchewan, of the Peace, of the Thompson, the Frazer and the Columbia will offer attractions similar to those of the Ohio, the Mississippi, the Missouri and of California. Wheat furnishes the best food to the largest number of the human race and the fertile areas of the world where it can be permanently cultivated with more profit and greater certainty than other food plants are limited. The deep rich soil and cool climate of these parts of the Dominion will become the world's greatest and most reliable granary and cultivators, capital for development and transportation facilities will flow there from all parts of the world in abundance almost without limit in due time. Cattle will cover the vast prairies and mountain plateaus to be shipped to Europe and Asia; the product of the mines of precious metals will rise from its present annual three millions to fifty or eighty millions; its splendid forests will furnish lumber to distant countries; and the present large hopes and anticipations of its statesmen and economists will be realized as fully as those of earlier generations of Americans are being realized now, or secured for very near future.

Its inhabitants, descendants of the economizing French, the thrifty Scotch, the bold and enterprising English and hopeful Irish furnish a suitable basis of character and capacity on which to build a great, vigorous and intelligent national development. Their Government will be wise and strong

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMING YEARS.

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enough to promote and protect all the interests that may be attracted to them, to maintain political freedom and social order. The overpowering greatness of the United States, the preference of European emigrants for it as yet, its more genial climate and compact as well as boundless resources, seem to throw Canada and its expectations into the shade. The large future its people foresee seems to the American almost ridiculous. He can discover hope for it only in becoming an appendage of his great and prosperous Union. Yet his own anticipations of what he has already realized seemed as futile and as distant to the citizens of a great European monarchy fifty years ago. The American has three times virtually invited Canada to cast in her lot with him, and Canada as often declined, preferring a political future of her own.

The more her territory is studied the larger and richer appear its undeveloped resources. They are certainly immense, and practically inexhaustible. If Canada wants many of the peculiar advantages of the United States it has many others of its own, and its treasures are being put in the way of development by capital and all the latest instruments of progress which the Republic itself has but lately obtained. Apparently, the period of rapid expansion is approaching for Canada. Immigration to Canada rose by steady annual increase from 10,000 in 1866 to 50,000 in 1873. Since that year it has averaged about 30,000 annually, or not far from 400,000 in fourteen years. Another decade is very likely to introduce a million Europeans and more or less Americans. Then every section of the Dominion will have its railroad system tributary to the trans-continental trunk line, and the various water routes of the east. A massive development may be supposed to have fairly set in by that time-at least its beginnings will have become general-the population increased to seven millions, perhaps, and the aggregate wealth of the Dominion should have risen to ten thousand millions, with

beginnings of rich future increase appearing in all directions. Should commercial free trade have been inaugurated between Canada and the United States for a few years these figures may be exceeded. By that time the great public debt resulting from the Civil War will have been so greatly reduced that the Republic could probably afford to renounce its heavy import tariff especially in favor of its near northern neighbor.

By the close of the century there should be ten million inhabitants in Canada, its wealth of 1890 should have doubled, its trade and commerce have become proportionately large, and its fertile sections well cultivated and smiling in plenty. The Dominion has certainly a great and prosperous future before her.

ENGLAND.

CHAPTER IV.

THE BRITISH ISLANDS AND THEIR PEOPLE.

Great Britain, according to the accredited statistics and estimates available at the beginning of the year 1880, had the largest amount of realized wealth of any country in the world. It has the largest marine tonnage, the most valuable commerce, the most extensive manufactures, by far, of any nation of any time in the world's history. The Government and Parliament of Great Britain extend a more regular and powerful influence over a larger area of the earth's surface than any other government of ancient or modern times. The Chinese Empire counts a much larger number of subjects; yet the policy and decisions of the English ministry exert a far more effective influence on the mass of individuals of the human race than the Council of the Chinese Emperor.

Yet this foremost country of modern times has a small base for such a magnificent superstructure, so far as it is to be counted in square miles. The "Home Country," or Great Britain, as distinguished from the foreign possessions of the British Empire, is composed chiefly of the two islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Several small islands and groups of islands, of less than 400 square miles in surface altogether, lying near it are usually counted in. The largest island contains England, Scotland and Wales. The whole surface of this island is a little smaller than the two States of Illinois and Iowa. Ireland is not quite as large as the State of Indiana. Illinois is about as much larger than England