16 MAY 1969, Page 32

A hundred years ago From the 'Spectator,' IS May 1869—The

Canadian House of Commons has taken the earliest oppor- tunity of expressing its views on the relations between Great Britain and America. On the 26th of April Mr. Galt made a speech in which he showed that, whatever the sentiments of her people, Canada as a state had adhered to the Northern side in the war, had repressed raids organized by Southerners within her border, had passed an Alien Act to help the pursuit against the murderer of Mr. Lincoln, had suffered 40,000 of her people to join the Federal Army, and had allowed the transit of incalculable supplies to the North. . . . As for the Dominion, if separated from the mother country she would not, become American, but "would claim the right to dispose of her own,

destinies." . . ,