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/19

wilderness, from the old settlements in Lower Canada along the St. Lawrence: thy have very little intercourse or community of interest wit the body of His Majesty's subjects in Lower Canada; as is the case in Upper Canada, their supplies of articles, of the nature of those which are dutiable on importation at Quebec, are either manufactured in these townships, or brought across the American line; their interests and feelings correspond more with the population of Upper Canada, than with that of the Lower Province. Thus, if ten Members were given to these townships, and as it only requires that there should be six Townships to form a County, whatever may be the population to give one Member in that quarter of the Province, the representation of the two Provinces might, in reality, be considered as about equal immediately. A few votes would put it into the power of the Representation of Upper Canada to impose all new duties, so that they would fall almost exclusively on Lower Canada; or to dispose of the proceeds of all duties, to the exclusive advantage of Upper Canada and the aforementioned Townships. It is probably, indeed, that the spirit of liberality and justice, which, it is well known, distinguishes the majority of the people of Upper Canada, and the common feeling which prevails between them and Lower Canada, in opposition to this Bill, would find means of preventing the