of communication between the United States and
Europe, at least for passengers, mails, and express traffic. With a
line of steamers from Halifax to Galway in Ireland, it was held that
the journey from New York to London could be cut to six or seven days.

In July 1850 a great convention assembled in Portland, attended by
delegates from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as well as from Maine and
other New England states. Intertwined flags and fraternal unity, local
development and highways to Europe, prospective profits and ways and
means of construction, were the themes of the fervent orators and
promoters. The convention was enthusiastically in favour of the
project. The 550 miles from Portland to Halifax--222 in Maine, 204 in
New Brunswick, and 124 in Nova Scotia--would cost, it was estimated,
$12,000,000, half of which might be raised by private subscription and
the rest by state and provincial guarantee.

The delegates from the Maritime Provinces {62} returned home full of
enthusiasm, but increasingly uncertain about the securing of the
necessary capital. At this stage Joseph Howe came to the front. He
had much earlier, in 1835, before entering parliament, taken the lead
in advocating a local railway from Halifax to Windsor, but had not been
prominent in recent discussions. He now urged strongly that the
province of Nova Scotia should itself construct the section of the
European and North American which lay within its borders. He proposed
further to seek from the Imperial government a guarantee of the
necessary loan, in order that the province might borrow on lower terms.
The Colonial Office, while expressing its approval of the Portland
scheme, declined to give a guarantee any more than a cash contribution.
Nothing daunted, Howe sailed for England in November 1850, and by
persistent interviews, eloquent public addresses and exhaustive
pamphlets, caught public favour, and in spite of Cabinet changes in
London secured the pledge he desired.

In the official reply of the Colonial Office Howe was informed that aid
would not be given except for an object of importance to the Empire as
a whole, and that accordingly {63} aid was contingent upon securing
help from New Brunswick and Canada to build the whole road from Halifax
to Quebec. Major Robinson's line need not be followed if a shorter and
better could be secured; any change, however, should be subject to the
approval of the British government. 'The British Go