nipeg and the Upper Saskatchewan (which appears preferable), still the advantages which would accrue to Great Britain, consequent upon the entire service being performed through British territory, are beyond all calculation. The establishment of such a line of communication would not merely open up to civilisation a large territory in British North America, hitherto almost unexplored, but it would open up to the cultivators of the soil (in Minnesota and on the Red River, for example, the isolation of which appears to have been hitherto the only bar to progress and extension), as also in Canada, a means of transit to all the markets of the Pacific, and an open passage to the China seas and to our possessions in the East Indies, Australia, and New Zealand.

Truly it has been remarked that our political and commercial supremacy will have utterly departed from us if we neglect these very great and important considerations, and if we failed to carry out to their fullest extent the physical advantages which the countries in question offer to us, and which we have only to stretch out our hands to grasp. The United States, if but possessing our capital and resources, would do it directly.

Luckily that we have at such a crisis a minister at the helm of our colonial affairs who at once understands and appreciates the whole bearings of the question.. "In glancing over the vast regions devoted to the fur trade," said Sir Bulwer Lytton, "which are said to be as large as Europe, the first thought of every Englishman must be that of humiliation and amaze. Is it possible that so great a segment of the earth under the English sceptre has so long been abandoned as a desolate hunting-ground for wandering savages and wild animals-turning our eyes from a trade which, unlike all other commerce, rests on its profits, not on the redemption, but on the maintenance of the wilderness? It must cheer us to see already, in the great border lands of this hitherto inhospitable region, the opening prospects of civilised life. Already, on the Pacific, Vancouver Island has been added to the social communities of mankind. Already, on the large territory west of the Rocky Mountains, from the American frontier up to the Russian domains, we are laying the foundations of what may become hereafter a magnificent abode for the human race. And now eastward of the Rocky Mountains we are invited to see in the settlement of the Red River the nucleus of a new colony, a rampart against any hostile inroads from the American frontier, and an essential one, as it were, to that great viaduct by which we hope one day to connect the harbours of Vancouver with the Gulf of St. Lawrence."

In every aspect, whether viewed politically, socially, or commercially, the colonisation of British Columbia, and the opening up of communication between that great westerly continent, with its giant islands, its noble harbours, and its productive lands, lakes, and rivers, with Central North British America, must undoubtedly give a progressive impulse to the affairs of the world, which, in its results, would eclipse anything which has been witnessed even amid the extraordinary development of the present century.

Already encouraged by her Majesty's government and the Royal Geographical Society, Captain Palliser is leading an exploring party to the sources of the South Saskatchewan, and the passes westward through the

Rocky Mountains. Colonel Elliott, at the head of fifty engineers and as many soldiers and voyageurs, is moving eastwards from Vancouver Island, determining the natural line of communication through British Columbia to Central British America. Simultaneously, a joint commission of the English and American governments are engaged in running the international boundary from Puget's Sound to Lake Superior, commencing at the Pacific terminus. Although the enterprise of individuals will anticipate these scientific labourers in opening a communication between the two countries the moment the news of the gold discoveries shall spread through the backwoods, still it is to them that we shall look for future information as to the difficulties and facilities, the advantages and disadvantages, of the different routes. In the mean time, that such a communication will infallibly be opened is as certain as that we are now anticipating the pleasure of placing that communication on record. It is a mere question of time, and that happily abbreviated by a tempting and alluring discovery. It does not require to be a prophet to predict that, when the resources of British Columbia are fully opened up, and a communication shall be established between the Atlantic and the Pacific, there will be traffic enough to employ a fleet of steamers and sailing vessels at Vancouver Island that shall rival the most stirring and active ports in the Old World, and may one day surpass them.

NICHOLAS MICHELL'S NEW POEM.*

THE poem, or rather series of poems, which is now presented to the public by Mr. Nicholas Michell will, we think, be the most popular of all his works, for we find in it the same talent and grace, the same facility of versification united to deep feeling, much learning, and redundant fancy, as in the others, whilst the themes are decidedly more inviting, and indeed perhaps better adapted to display the peculiar genius and temperament of the author. Aware that every one views Pleasure from a different light, and has his own peculiar ideas as to its enjoyment, Mr. Michell has wisely proposed to himself less to examine the reasons why certain objects cause sensations of delight than to consider at once the Pleasures themselves. Pictures are presented illustrative of their character, and of their debasing or ennobling effects on the mind. Commencing with the delight we experience from a contemplation of beautiful and sublime scenes in Nature, the poem treats of the pleasures indulged in by various races at different periods of history; the pleasures in relation to the fine arts, to our actions in life, our pursuits, and, more than all, our passions, closing with the graver consideration of the pleasure that fills the exalted mind anticipating immortality, and a nearer commune with that universe, whose magnificence and glory are now but dimly comprehended. A noble theme, ably, delightfully treated.

Pleasure: a Poem in Seven Books. By Nicholas Michell, Author of "Ruins of Many Lands," "Spirits of the Past," "The Poetry of Creation," &c. Tegg and Co.

THE ASSIZE CAUSE.

66
BY THE AUTHOR OF ASHLEY."

I.

A CROWD of busy idlers was gathered round the guildhall at Riverton, and a dense crowd, both of workers and idlers, was packed inside it, especially in the Nisi Prius court. The spring assizes were being held: they had commenced that morning, Monday, and the great cause was on, Carr v. Carr·

Not that the cause was anything so very great in itself; only the good citizens of Riverton had chosen to take it up and magnify it into one. It turned upon the legitimacy of Robert Carr, now dead; if that could be proved, his widow and children would inherit the fortune of his grandfather: if not, that fortune went to more distant relatives, Squire Carr and his son Valentine.

Robert Carr's father (whose name was also Robert) had written a document upon his death-bed to the effect that he had been married in Riverton, at the church of St. James the Less; but this document had been mislaid until after the death of Robert Carr. His widow found it, and despatched it to Mr. Fauntleroy, the Riverton solicitor who was conducting their cause. Mr. Fauntleroy, upon receipt of the important letter, sent a clerk to search the register of St. James the Less, and there the marriage was found, duly entered. This was the previous autumn and Mr. Fauntleroy hugged himself and buoyed up Mrs. Carr with the certainty of success; when, just upon the assizes, the unaccountable discovery was made that no entry of the marriage was in the register. Mr. Fauntleroy-though he had not himself seen it-asserted that it had been there, and must have been taken out; and the other side held to it that the marriage had never taken place, and the entry had never been there.

The trial came on about two in the afternoon, and it progressed equably up to five; then there arose the fierce discussion touching the register. Mr. Fauntleroy's counsel, Serjeant Wrangle, declaring that the marriage was there up to very recently; and Mynn and Mynn's counsel, Serjeant Siftem, ridiculing the assertion, Mynn and Mynn being the lawyers for Squire Carr. The judge ordered the register to be produced.

It was brought into court and examined. The marriage was not there, neither was there any sign of its having been abstracted. Lawrence Omer was called, Mr. Fauntleroy's clerk, and he testified to having searched the register, seen the marriage, and copied the names of the witnesses to it. In proof of which he tendered his pocket-book, where the names were written in pencil.

Up rose Serjeant Siftem. "What day was this, pray?"

"I forget the precise day. It was in October."

"And so you think you saw the marriage of Robert Carr and Martha Ann Hughes there?"

"I am sure I saw it," replied Mr. Omer.

"Were you alone?"

"I looked over the book alone. Hunt, the clerk of the church, was present in the vestry."

"It must appear to the jury as a singular thing that you only, and nobody else, should have seen this mysterious entry," continued Serjeant Siftem.

"Perhaps nobody else looked for it; they'd have seen it if they had," shortly returned the witness, who felt himself an aggrieved man, and spoke like one, since half the town had publicly accused him of having gone down to St. James's in his sleep, and seen the entry in a dream alone.

"Does it not strike you, witness, as being extraordinary that this one particular entry, professed to have been seen by your eyes, and by yours alone, should have been abstracted from a book safely kept under lock and key?" pursued Serjeant Siftem. "I am mistaken if it would not strike an intelligent man as being akin to an impossibility."

"No, it does not strike me so. But events, hard of belief, happen sometimes. I swear the marriage was in the book last October: why it is not there now is the extraordinary part of the affair."

It was no use to cross-examine the witness further: he was cross and obstinate, and persisted in his story. Serjeant Siftem dismissed him ; and Hunt was called, the clerk of the church, who came hobbling in.

The old man rambled in his evidence, but the point of it was, that he didn't believe any abstraction had been made, not he; it must be a farce to suppose it; a crotchet of that great lawyer, Fauntleroy; how could the register be touched when he himself kept it sure and sacred, the key of the safe in a hiding-place in the vestry, and the key of the church hanging up in his own house, outside his kitchen door? His rector said it had been robbed, and in course he couldn't stand out to his face as it hadn't, but he were upon his oath now, and must speak the truth without shrinking.

Serjeant Wrangle rose. Did the witness mean to tell the court that he never saw or read the entry of the marriage?

No, he never did. He heard say as it were there, but he never looked.

"But you were present when the witness Omer examined the register ?" persisted Serjeant Wrangle.

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"Master Omer wouldn't ha' got to examine it, unless I had been, my lord judge and jury," retorted Hunt. to Serjeant Wrangle. "I was a sitting down in the vestry, a nursing of my leg, which were worse than usual that day; it always is in damp weather, and

"Confine yourself to evidence," interrupted the judge.

"Well, your reverences, I was a nursing of my leg while Master Omer looked into the book. I don't know what he saw there; he didn't say ; and when he had done looking I locked it safe up again."

"Did you see him make an extract from it ?" demanded Serjeant Wrangle.

"Yes, your worship, I saw him a writing something down in his pocket-book."

"Have

you ever entrusted the key of the safe to strange hands ?"

"I wouldn't do such a thing, your reverent worships. I never gave it to nobody, and never would; there's not a soul knows where it is to be found, but me, and the rector, and the other clergyman, Mr. Prattleton, what comes often to do the duty. I couldn't say as much for the key of the church, which sometimes goes beyond my custody, for the rector allows one or two of the young college gents to go in to play the organ. By token, one on 'em-the quietest o' the pair, it were, too-flung in that very key on to our kitchen floor, and shivered our cat's beautiful chaney saucer into seven atoms, and my missis

"That is not evidence," again interrupted the judge.

Nothing more, apparently, that was evidence could be got from the witness, so he was dismissed.

Call the Reverend Mr. Wilberforce.

The Reverend Mr. Wilberforce, rector of St. James the Less, minor canon of Riverton Cathedral, and head-master of the collegiate school, came forward.

"You are the rector of St. James the Less," said Serjeant Wrangle. "I am," replied Mr. Wilberforce.

"Did you ever see the entry of Robert Carr's marriage with Martha Ann Hughes in the church's register?"

"Yes, I did." Serjeant Siftem pricked up his ears.

"When did you see it?"

"On the 24th of last October."

"How do you fix the date, Mr. Wilberforce ?" inquired the judge, who recognised him as the minor canon who had officiated in the chanter's desk, the previous day in the cathedral.

"I had been marrying a couple that morning, my lord, the 24th. After I had entered their marriage, I turned back and looked for the registry of Robert Carr's, and I found it and read it."

"What induced you to look for it ?" asked the counsel.

"I had heard that his marriage was discovered to have taken place at St. James's, and that it was recorded in the register. Curiosity induced

me to turn back and read it."

"You both saw and read it," continued Serjeant Wrangle.
"I both saw it and read it," replied Mr. Wilberforce.
"Then you testify that it was undoubtedly there ?"
"Most certainly it was.'

"The reverend gentleman will have the goodness to remember that he is upon his oath," cried Serjeant Siftem, impudently bobbing up.

"Sir!" was the indignant rebuke of the clergyman. "You forget to whom you are speaking," he added, amidst the dead silence of the court. "Can you remember the words written ?" resumed Serjeant Wrangle. "The entry was properly made; in the same manner that the others were, of that period. Robert Carr and Martha Ann Hughes had signed it; also her brother and sister as witnesses."

"You have no doubt that the entry was there, then, Mr. Wilberforce?" observed the judge.

"My lord," cried the reverend gentleman, somewhat nettled at the question, "I can believe my own eyes. I am not more certain that I am now giving evidence before your lordship, than I am that the marriage was in the register."