invested in Railways advanced from L65,000,000 in 1843 to
L167,000,000 in 1848--no less than L100,000,000 in five years." And
why should we not look forward to an equal--aye--and to a much larger
investment--on such a magnificent Line of Railway? joining, as it would,
all the northern dominions of the old world--crossing, as it would, the
northern territories of the new, and making an easy opening to the rich
and thriving world that may be considered of the present day. For "the
word has been given, an active and enterprising population will be
poured in, every element of progress will be cultivated, and the
productive countries on the shores of the Pacific, heretofore isolated,
will be brought into active and profitable intercourse. It may truly be
said that a new world has been opened.

"Our fathers watched the progress of America, we ourselves have seen
that of Australia, but the opening of the Pacific is one of the greatest
events in social history since, in the fifteenth century, the East
Indies were made known to Europe; for we have not, as in America or
Australia, to await the slow growth of European settlements, but to
witness at once the energetic action of countries already in a high
state of advancement. The Eastern and the Western shores of the great
Ocean will now be brought together as those of the Atlantic are,
and will minister to each other's wants. A happy coincidence of
circumstances has prepared the way for these results. Everything was
ready, the word only was wanted to begin, and it has been given.

"The outflowings of Chinese emigrants and produce, which have gone
towards the East, will now move to the West; the commercial enterprise
of Australia and New Zealand has acquired a new field of exercise and
encouragement; the markets which Chili and Peru have found in Europe
only, will be opened nearer to their doors; the north-west shore of
America will obtain all the personal and material means of organization;
the Islands of the Pacific will take the place in the career of
civilization for which the labours of the missionary have prepared them;
and even Japan will not be able to withhold itself from the community of
nations.

"This is worth more to our merchants and manufacturers, and to the
people employed by them, than even the gold mines can be; for this is
the statement of certain results, and the working of the gold mines,
however productive they may prove, must be attended with all the
inci