The easterly abutment and the six easterly piers rest upon pile foundations. The western abutment, and all the other piers, rest upon solid rock. The eastern abutment was built within an old embankment of earth where the water stood at about the level of the foundation piles; and the abutment on the western shore was built in water seventeen feet deep. The depth of water at the several piers is as follows: at pier one, 21 feet 2 inches, and successively 19 feet 2 inches, 38 feet 5 inches, 7 feet 5 inches, 9 feet 10 inches, 31 feet 6 inches, 30 feet 8 inches, 31 feet 4 inches, 25 feet, 22 feet, 17 feet 6 inches, and 11 feet.

Coffer-dams could not have been used upon the foundations of this bridge with any chance of success, except where the water is shallow, or rather where it is of ordinary depth, for it is nowhere of much less depth than the St. Lawrence, where it is the deepest at the site of the Victoria Bridge; nor could pneumatic piles have been used here but in exceptional cases. It would have been hazardous in the extreme also to have attempted to use the method adopted by Mr. Brunel at the Salrash Bridge. The ruder and more unscientific methods, dependent more or less upon chance for their efficacy, which are sometimes resorted to by engineers in difficult situations, were altogether unavailable here, for various reasons. means actually employed, therefore, for effect ing the under-water work were necessarily somewhat different from the ordinary, and consisted mainly in the use of portable iron caissons sunk upon prepared foundations, partly by the use of screws, and partly by means of guide piles only. Where the foundations were of piles, these were driven as far as was possible with a ram weighing 2,200 pounds, and were sawed off at a level as much below the river bed as was practicable. The sawing was effected by a very simple machine, which accurately did its work in depths of water exceed ing forty-two feet, at the rate sometimes of

The

sixty piles per day. At one of the piers where the water was thirty-nine feet above the foundation piles, a construction wharf was built around the site in the manner shown in the accompanying drawing. The caisson of this pier was

FIG. 2.

fastened to a timber platform, four feet thick. The platform was made to move vertically within guides attached to these constructed wharves. Three arms projected from each side of the platform. Screws of three and a half inches in diameter and fifty-six feet long, secured to simple turning-gear erected upon the deck of the wharves, were passed vertically through nuts contained in these arms. Upon the screws turning horizontally, and having no other movements, the pier was made to dein the opposite direction. This movement is scend, or, if required by any exigency, to move excellently well illustrated by the elevators used at hotels. The caisson was designed to be water-tight. The boiler-plate iron used was three-eighths of an inch thick from the bottom and elsewhere one-quarter of an inch thick. to within ten feet of the surface of the water,

FIG.L.

It was made rigid by angle iron attached to the sides and ends in rows about seven feet apart. During the process of lowering, it was heavily braced inside with oak timber, to strengthen it against the pressure of the water outside, which at some points in the descent was sixteen pounds to the square inch.

The superstructure of this bridge has some peculiarities. It was originally designed to be of iron, but when the time came for its erection that material could not be procured of the requisite quality with that promptness which the emergency required, and, though with great reluctance on the part of the engineer, timber was employed as a substitute. The chords of the trusses vary in their dimen

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, comprising Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. His Excellency Right Hon. Charles Stanley, Viscount Monek, Governor-General of British North America, and Captain-General and Governorin-chief in and over the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Island of Prince Edward, and Vice-Admiral of the same, etc. Denis Godley, Governor-General's Secretary; Lieut.-Col. Hon. Richard Monck, Military Secretary; Capt. Pemberton, 60th Rifles, aidede-camp; Lieut.-Col. Irvine, Provincial aide-decamp; Lieut.-Col. Bernard and Lieut.-Col. F. Cumberland, Extra Provincial aides-de-camp.

The Canadian Cabinet.-Sir' N. F. Belleau, Receiver-General and Premier; Hon. A. J. Fergusson Blair, President of the Council; John A. Macdonald, Attorney-General for Upper Canada, and Minister of Militia; George E. Cartier, Attorney-General for Lower Canada; W. P. Howland, Acting Minister of Finance; William McDougall, Provincial Secretary; Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Minister of Agriculture and Immigration; A. Campbell, Commissioner of Crown Lands; W. P. Howland, Postmaster-General; J. C. Chapais, Minister of Public Works; James Cockburn, Solicitor-General for Upper Canada; Hector E. Langevin, Solicitor-General for Lower Canada. Nova Scotia.-His Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir William Frederick Williams, of Kars, Baronet, K. C. B., Lieutenant-Governor.

New Brunswick.-His Excellency Major-General Newfoundland. His Excellency George Dundas, Esq., Lieutenant-Governor.

Charles Hastings Doyle, Administrator.

Prince Edward Island.-His Excellency Anthony Musgrave, Esq., Lieutenant-Governor.

The Reciprocity Treaty between Canada and the United States.-This was the subject of a conference between a delegation from the Colonial Government of Canada and the Committee of Ways and Means of the United States House of Representatives, in January, 1866. The interviews took place at the Treasury Department, Washington, with the approval of Hon. Mr. McCulloch, Secretary of the Treasury. The Colonial delegates were the Hon. Messrs. Galt and Howland (Canada); Henry (Nova Scotia); and Smith (New Brunswick); and the Congressional committee, Messrs. Morrill, of Vermont; Hooper, of Massachusetts; Brooks, of New York; Garfield, of Ohio; Wentworth, of Illinois; Conkling, of New York; Moorhead, of Pennsylvania; Allison, of Iowa, and Hogan, of Mis

souri.

After a general discussion upon the subject of reciprocal trade, Mr. Morrill submitted, on behalf of the committee, the following list of articles which he thought should be admitted to the United States with no higher duty than the pressure of the United States internal revenue tax: Fish of all kinds; products of fish; hides, furs, skins, and tails, undressed; horns, manures; pitch, tar, turpentine; ashes; coal, firewood; plants, shrubs, and trees; fish-oil; rice, bark; gypsum, unground; burr and grind stones, unwrought; rags, except woollen, unwrought.

The articles mentioned below he thought should be made to bear a higher import duty

than the pressure of the United States internal revenue tax: Grain, flour, and breadstuffs of all kinds; animals of all kinds; fresh, salted, and smoked meats; cotton, wool, seeds, and vegetables; undried fruits, dried fruits; poultry, eggs; stone or marble, slate; butter, cheese, tallow, lard; timber and lumber of all kinds; pelts and wool; dyestuffs; flax, hemp, and tow; unmanufactured tobacco; woollen rags; burr and grind stones, wrought.

There were three other points embraced in the proposition from the House committee. First, the mutual use of the waters of Lake Michigan and the St. Lawrence. Second, the free transit of goods under bond between the two countries, and in that connection the abolition of the free ports existing in Canada. Third, the concession of the right of fishing in provincial waters.

The Hon. Mr. Galt, on behalf of the Colonial delegates, stated their objections to the proposition with frankness and ability. He thought that all the articles on the free list of the reciprocity treaty, and such others as might be agreed on, should be dealt with on the basis of imposing custom duties as heavy as the internal taxes of the United States. With reference to the fisheries and navigation, he took the ground the transit trade, he agreed that it would be that no new arrangements were required. As to desirable that the regulations for passing goods under bonds should be reduced to the form of a law, and there seemed to be no reason why a uniform system should not be adopted. With reference to the assimilation of duties between the two countries, he said that it would be the desire of the Colonial delegates to unite with the committee in making the duties upon spirits, beer, tobacco, and cognate articles affected by the excise duties upon them, such as might be determined to be the best revenue standard. As to other articles, the Colonial Government was disposed to make mutual arrangements on a satisfactory footing. Mr. Galt expressed the hope that the time would come when the policy of the United States would not be as restrictive as now. With regard to the navigation of the internal waters, it would seem to be advantageous to both sides to have the trade free. He also expressed the willingness of the Canadian authorities to assimilate their patent laws to those of the United States.

On the 6th of February, all the questions involved having been discussed at numerous sittings, the Colonial delegates rejected the American proposition as a whole, and expressed a feeling of disappointment at the unsuccessful termination of the conference. Mr. Galt stated that the Canadian Government were prepared to let the present trading facilities continue without asking for any further security from the United States, or giving any assurances on the part of Canada. The question of the fisheries they would leave, as it would be left at the termination of the treaty, to be dealt with by the several Legislatures of the United States on the one

hand, and of the British Provinces on the other, as they might please. On the subject of fisheries, Mr. Henry (representing Nova Scotia) said that it was one upon which, above all others, the population of Nova Scotia were divided in opinion, as to whether they were not the losers under the present condition of things. He considered, at all events, that to yield the right of fishing within the prescribed limits is a very large bounty given for the opening of the United States market for the single article of mackerel. Before the treaty, the duty on mackerel was about $2 per barrel, and the United States now proposed that on condition of giving up the exclusive right of the fishing, mackerel should be admitted with no higher rate of duty than the pressure of the United States internal revenue tax; but this would amount to $1.50 in gold, or about $2 in currency. The question was, therefore, really on the same footing as before the treaty. Under that treaty also a good deal of cheese and butter were admitted into the United States, free; but under the proposed new tariff these would now be taxed. The people of Nova Scotia would therefore feel on all accounts that, in acceding to the proposal of the committee, they would be giving up a decided advantage without any equivalent whatever. Mr. Henry stated, as the opinion of himself and associates, that the object of the committee was apparently not merely to devise a plan for collecting revenue from the Canadian trade, but to put in force the principle of protection.

Mr. Morrill replied that the rates on the part

of the United States were fixed with a view to revenue only.

After a further general conversation, the conference broke up, and, on the next day, the following memorandum, embodying the views of the delegates, was presented by them to the

committee:

WASHINGTON, February 6, 1866. Memorandum.-In reference to the memorandum received from the Committee of Ways and Means, the Provincial delegates regret to be obliged to state that the proposition therein contained, in regard to the commercial relations between the two countries, is not such as they can recommend for the adoption of their respective Legislatures. The imposts which it is proposed to lay upon the productions of the British Provinces on their entry into the markets of the United States, are such as, in their opinion, will be in some cases prohibitory, and will certainly seriously interfere with the natural course of trade. The imposts are so much beyond what the delegates conceive to be an equivalent for the internal taxation of the United States, that they are reluctantly brought to the conclusion that the committee no longer desire the trade between the two countries to be carried on upon the principle of reciprocity. With the concurrence of the British minister at Washington they are, therefore, obliged respectfully to decline to enter into the engagements suggested in the memorandum, but they trust the present views of the United States may soon be so far modified as to permit of the interchange of the productions of the two countries upon a more liberal basis.

The delegates also submitted the following report to the British ambassador at Washington:

WASHINGTON, February 7, 1866. To His Excellency Sir Frederick Bruce, K. C. B., etc.: lency that the renewal of our negotiations for recip SIR: We have the honor to inform your excel. rocal trade with the United States have terminated unsuccessfully. You have been informed from time to time of our proceedings, but we propose briefly to recapitulate them.

On our arrival here, after consultation with your excellency, we addressed ourselves, with your sanetion, to the Secretary of the Treasury, and we were by him put in communication with the Committee of Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, After repeated interviews with them, and on ascer taining that no renewal or extension of the existing treaty would be made by the American authorities, but that whatever was done must be by legislation, we submitted as the basis upon which we desired ar rangements to be made the enclosed paper (marked A).

In reply, we received the memorandum from the committee, of which a copy is enclosed (B). And finding, after discussion, that no important modifi cations in their views could be obtained, and that we were required to consider their proposition as a whole, we felt ourselves under the necessity of declining it, which was done by the memorandum also enclosed (C).

It is proper to explain the grounds of our final

action:

sions of the expiring treaty relating to the free inIt will be observed that the most important proviterchange of the products of the two countries were entirely set aside, and that the duties proposed to be levied were almost prohibitory in their character. The principal object for our entering into negotis tions was therefore unattainable, and we had only to consider whether the minor points were such as to make it desirable for us to enter into specific engagements.

These points are three in number.

of the waters of Lake Michigan and the St. Lawrence With regard to the first-the proposed mutual use

-we considered that the present arrangements were sufficient, and that the common interests of both countries would prevent their disturbance. We were not prepared to yield the right of interference in the imposition of tolls upon our canals. We believed, moreover, that the privilege allowed the United States of navigating the waters of the St. Lawrence was very much more than an equivalent for our use of Lake Michigan.

Upon the second point-providing for the free transit of goods under bond between the two countries we believe that in this respect, as in the former case, the interests of both countries would secure the maintenance of existing regulations. Connected with this point was the demand made for the abolition of the free ports existing in Canada, which we were not disposed to concede, especially in view of the extremely unsatisfactory position in which it was proposed to place the trade between the two

countries.

On both the above points we do not desire to be understood as stating that the existing agreements should not be extended and placed on a more permanent basis, but only that, taken apart from the more important interests involved, it did not appear to us at this time necessary to deal with them excep tionally.

With reference to the third and last point-the concession of the right of fishing in provincial waters -we considered the equivalent proposed for so very valuable a right to be utterly inadequate. The admission of a few unimportant articles free, with the establishment of a scale of high duties as proposed, would not, in our opinion, have justified us in yielding this point.

While we regret this unfavorable termination of the negotiations, we are not without hope that, at no

distant day, they may be resumed with a better pros pect of a satisfactory result. We have the honor to be your excellency's most obedient servants,

A. T. GALT, Minister of Finance, Canada. W. P. HOWLAND, Postmaster-Gen'l, Canada. W. A. HENRY, Attorney-Gen'l, Nova Scotia. A. J. SMITH, Áttorney-Gen'l, New Brunswick. Canadian Trade with the West Indies, Brazil, and Mexico.-When it became evident that the reciprocity treaty between the United States and Canada would be abrogated, a confederate council of trade was held in Quebec September, 1865, at the suggestion of the Imperial authorities, and a committee appointed to. investigate the trade of the West Indies, Brazil, and Mexico, with a view to obtain new commercial advantages for Canada. This committee, which proceeded on its mission in December of that year, was composed as follows: From Canada, Hon. William McDougall, M. P. P., Provincial Secretary; Hon. Thomas Ryan, M. L. C.; J. VV. Dunscombe, Esq., Collector of Customs for Quebec, and A. M. Delisle, Esq., Collector for Montreal; from Nova Scotia, Hon. James McDonald, M. P. P., Financial Secretary, and Hon. Isaac Levisconte, M. P. P.; from New Brunswick, William M. Smith, Esq., Collector of Customs at St. Johns; from Prince Edward Island, Hon. Wm. H. Pope, M. P. P., Colonial Secretary. The party sailed for St. Thomas, West Indies, and there divided into two; Messrs. Dunscombe, Levisconte, and Pope going to Brazil, and the others visiting the West Indies. The services of a war-steamer were placed at the disposal of the latter body by the admiralty. The commissioners were instructed to report "the nature and extent of the productions of the respective countries they visited," and particulars as to their "trade, tariffs, and all other burdens imposed upon commerce, the ordinary prices current," etc., and to offer suggestions tending to remove obstructions to the rapid increase of direct trade between British America and tropical regions.

In the West Indies, the commissioners made an agreement with the Governors of Demerara, Trinidad, the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, and Jamaica, that "customs, duties, and port charges on the produce and shipping of the respective colonies, should be levied solely for revenue purposes, and for the maintenance of indispensable establishments; and that the several governments will be prepared to consider, in a liberal spirit, any complaint having reference to imposts that may be preferred by another government, on the ground that such imposts are calculated to obstruct trade." They also made a conditional agreement to aid in the establishment of improved postal communication. In Brazil the commissioners hastened the throwing open of the coasting trade of the empire, and other concessions were promised, to follow, in due time, the close of the war with Paraguay. On their return, the commissioners submitted to the Provincial Parliament a report containing the desired de

tails of information, and offered the following suggestions:

1. To establish promptly a line of steamers suitable for the carriage of mails, passengers, and freight, between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St. Thomas, in the West Indies, touching (until the completion of the Intercolonial Railway) at Portland, in the United States, so as to insure regular semi-monthly communication between the ports mentioned.

2. To make a convention or agreement with the postal authorities of the United States for the prompt transmission of letters, etc., from Canada and the which leaves the ports of Boston or New York for maritime Provinces, by every United States mail the West Indies, Brazil, Mexico, etc., and also for the transmission through United States mails of correspondence originating in those countries. 3. To establish a weekly line of steamers between Montreal and Halifax, and to complete as soon as possible the Intercolonial Railway.

4. To procure, by reciprocal treaties or otherwise, a reduction of the duties now levied on flour, fish, lumber, pork, butter, and other staple productions of British North America, in the West Indies, and especially in Brazil and the colonies of Spain.

5. To obtain, if possible, from the Spanish and Brazilian authorities a remission of the heary dues now chargeable on the transfer of vessels from the British to the Spanish and Brazilian flags. thorities, an assimilation of the tariffs of the British 6. To procure, by negotiation with the proper auWest India colonies in respect to flour, lumber, fish, and the other staple products of British North America, a measure which would greatly facilitate view of the assimilation about to be made in the commercial operations, and may well be urged in tariffs of Canada and the maritime Provinces.

7. To promote by prudent legislation, and a sound fiscal policy, the rapid development of the great natinces, and to preserve as far as it lies in their power, the advantage which they now possess, of being able to produce at a cheaper cost than any other country, most of the great staples which the inhabitants of the tropics must procure from Northern ports.

ural resources of the British North American Prov

Fenian Disturbances.-The colonies were much agitated at times during the year by raids, actually made or expected to be made, by Fenians upon their soil. A concerted and formidable attack from that mysterious organization was anticipated on St. Patrick's day. Fourteen thousand volunteers responded to the call of the Canadian Government within twentyfour hours. The towns and villages along the frontier were strongly garrisoned. The United States authorities acted promptly to prevent an invasion across the Maine boundary. The day, which was awaited with much anxiety on both sides of the line, passed off without any hostile demonstration. The volunteers were gradually sent home. On the 1st of June, however, an invasion of Fenians really took place. A band of between 1,000 and 1,500, under General O'Neil, crossed in canal-boats near Buffalo and took possession of Fort Erie. Volunteers from various portions of Canada were hurried forward to meet them; and on the 2d of June the battle of Limestone Ridge was fought, in which nine Canadian volunteers were killed, and a large number wounded. The volunteers retreated, and the Fenians, after remaining a short time in possession of the field, fell back, and, receiving no reenforcements, for the most