1. No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation;
grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit;
make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts;
pass any bill of attainder, _ex post facto_ law, or law impairing the
obligation of contracts; or grant any title of nobility.
2. No State shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any imposts
or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary
for executing its inspection laws; and the neat produce of all duties
and imposts, laid by any State on imports or exports, shall be for the
use of the treasury of the United States, and all such laws shall be
subject to the revision and control of the Congress. No State shall,
without the consent of Congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops or
ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with
another State, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless
actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay.
ARTICLE 2.--SECTION 1.
1. The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United
States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four
years, and, together with the Vice-President, chosen for the same term,
be elected as follows:
2. Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof
may direct, a number of electors equal to the whole number of senators
and representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress;
but no senator or representative, or person holding any office of trust
or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector.
3. The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by
ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant
of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a list of all
the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each; which list
they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the
Government of the United States, directed to the President of the
Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the
Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the
votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of
votes shall be President, if such number be a majority of the whole
number of electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have
such a majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the House of
Representatives shall immediately choose, by ballot, one of them for
President; and if no person have a majority, then, from the five highest
on the list, the said House shall, in like manner, choose the President.
But, in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the
representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for this
purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the
States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice.
In every case, after the choice of the President, the person having the
greatest number of votes of the electors, shall be the Vice-President.
But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the Senate
shall choose from them, by ballot, the Vice-President.
4. The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and
the day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the
same throughout the United States.
5. No person, except a natural-born citizen, or a citizen of the United
States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be
eligible to the office of President: neither shall any person be
eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of
thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United
States.
6. In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his
death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of
the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice-President, and the
Congress may, by law, provide for the case of removal, death,
resignation, or inability, both of the President and Vice-President,
declaring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer
shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President
shall be elected.
7. The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services a
compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the
period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive
within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of
them.
8. Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the
following oath or affirmation:--
9. "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the
office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my
ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United
States."
SECTION 2.
1. The President shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of
the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when called
into the actual service of the United States; he may require the
opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive
departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective
offices; and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for
offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.
2. He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present
concur: and he shall nominate, and, by and with the advice and consent
of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and
consuls, judges of the supreme court, and all other officers of the
United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for,
and which shall be established by law. But the Congress may, by law,
vest the appointment of such inferior officers as they think proper, in
the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of
departments.
3. The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may
happen during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions which
shall expire at the end of their next session.
SECTION 3.
1. He shall, from time to time, give to the Congress information of the
state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures
as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may on extraordinary
occasions convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of
disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he
may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive
ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws
be faithfully executed; and shall commission all the officers of the
United States.
SECTION 4.
1. The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers of the United
States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction
of, treason, bribery, or other crimes and misdemeanors.
ARTICLE 3.--SECTION 1.
1. The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one
supreme court, and in such inferior courts, as the Congress may from
time to time ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and
inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour; and
shall at stated times receive for their services a compensation, which
shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.
SECTION 2.
1. The judicial power shall extend to all cases in law and equity,
arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and
treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority; to all
cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls; to all
cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; to controversies to which
the United States shall be a party; to controversies between two or more
States; between a State and citizens of another State; between citizens
of different States; between citizens of the same State claiming lands
under grants of different States; and between a State or the citizens
thereof, and foreign States, citizens or subjects.
2. In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and
consuls, and those in which a State shall be a party, the supreme court
shall have original jurisdiction. In all the other cases before
mentioned, the supreme court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as
to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations, as
the Congress shall make.
3. The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by
jury, and such trial shall be held in the State where the said crimes
shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the
trial shall be at such places as the Congress may by law have directed.
SECTION 3.
1. Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war
against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and
comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the
testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in
open court.
2. The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason;
but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or
forfeiture, except during the life of the person attainted.
ARTICLE 4.--SECTION 1.
1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public
acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State. And the
Congress may, by general laws, prescribe the manner in which such acts,
records, and proceedings, shall be proved, and the effect thereof.
SECTION 2.
1. The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and
immunities of citizens in the several States.
2. A person charged in any State with treason, felony, or other crime,
who shall flee from justice, and be found in another State, shall, on
demand of the executive authority of the State from which he has fled,
be delivered up, to be removed to the State having jurisdiction of the
crime.
3. No person held to service or labour in one State under the laws
thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or
regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labour; but shall
be delivered up on the claim of the party to whom such service or labour
may be due.
SECTION 3.
1. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no
new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any
other State, nor any State be formed by the junction of two or more
States, or parts of States, without the consent of the legislatures of
the States concerned, as well as of the Congress.
2. The Congress shall have power to dispose of, and make all needful
rules and regulations respecting, the territory or other property
belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall
be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of
any particular State.
SECTION 4.
1. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a
republican form of Government, and shall protect each of them against
invasion; and, on application of the legislature, or of the executive,
(when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.
ARTICLE 5.
1. The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it
necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution; or, on the
application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several States,
shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case,
shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this
Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the
several States, or by conventions of three-fourths thereof, as the one
or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress;
provided, that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one
thousand eight hundred and eight, shall in any manner affect the first
and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article: that and
no State, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage
in the Senate.
ARTICLE 6.
1. All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the
adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United
States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.
2. This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be
made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which shall be
made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law
of the land; and the judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any
thing in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary
notwithstanding.
3. The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members
of the several State legislature, and all executive and judicial
officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be
bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution: but no
religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office
or public trust under the United States.
ARTICLE 7.
1. The ratification of the conventions of nine States shall be
sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the States
so ratifying the same.
Done in Convention, by the unanimous consent of the States present, the
seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven
hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States
of America, the twelfth. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed
our names.
George Washington, _President and Deputy from Virginia_
New Hampshire. John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman.
Massachusetts. Nathaniel Gorman, Rufus King.
Connecticut. William Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman.
New York. Alexander Hamilton.
New Jersey. William Livingston, David Bearly, William Paterson,
Jonathan Dayton.
Pennsylvania. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mafflin, Robert Morris, George
Clymer, Thomas Fitzsimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Governeur
Morris.
Delaware. George Read, Gunning Bedford, Jun. John Dickenson, Richard
Bassett, Jacob Broom.
Maryland. James McHenry, Daniel of St Tho. Jenifer, Daniel Carrol.
Virginia. John Blair, James Madison, jun.
North Carolina. William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamson.
South Carolina. John Rutledge, Chas. Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles
Pinckney, Pierce Butler.
Georgia. William Few, Abraham Baldwin.
(_Attest_,) William Jackson.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.
Art. 1. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech or of the press; or the right, of the people peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Art. 2. A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a
free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be
infringed.
Art. 3. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house
without the consent of the owner; nor in time of war, but in a manner
prescribed by law.
Art. 4. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall
not be violated; and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause,
supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place
to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Art. 5. No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise
infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury,
except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia,
when in actual service, in time of war or public danger; nor shall any
person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of
life or limb; nor shall be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a
witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, liberty or property,
without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for
public use, without just compensation.
Art. 6. In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right
to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the State and
district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district
shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the
nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses
against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his
favour; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence.
Art. 7. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall
exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved;
and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any court
of the United States, than according to the rules of common law.
Art. 8. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Art. 9. The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not
be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Art. 10. The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the
States respectively, or to the people.
Art. 11. The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed
to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against
one of the United States by citizens of another State, or by citizens or
subjects of any foreign State.
Art. 12. 1. The electors shall meet in their respective States, and
vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least,
shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves; they shall
name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct
ballots the person voted for as Vice-president; and they shall make
distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons
voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which
lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of
the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the
Senate; the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate
and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes
shall then be counted; the person having the greatest number of votes
for President shall be the President, if such of the number be a
majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person
have such a majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers,
not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for as President, the
House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the
President. But, in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by
States, the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for
this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the
States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice.
And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President
whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth
day of March next following, the Vice-President shall act as President,
as in the case of the death, or other constitutional disability of the
President.
2. The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President,
shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole
number of electors appointed; and if no person have a majority, then
from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the
Vice-President: a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of
the whole number of senators, and a majority of the whole number shall
be necessary to a choice.
3. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of
President, shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United
States.
END OF VOL. II.
VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER ONE.
CANADA.
Of what advantage are the Canadas to England?
This question has been put to me, at least one hundred times since my
return from America. It is argued that the Canadas produce and export
nothing except timber, and that the protecting duty given to Canada
timber is not only very severely felt by the mother-country, but very
injurious to her foreign relations. These observations are undeniable;
and I admit that, as a mere colony compelled to add to the wealth of
England, (sending to her all her produce, and receiving from her all her
supplies), Canada has been worth less than nothing. But, admitting this
for the present, we will now examine whether there are no other grounds
for the retention of the Canadas under our control.
Colonies are of value to the mother-country in two ways. The first is
already mentioned, and in that way, the present advantage of the Canadas
as colonies is abandoned. The other great importance of colonies is,
that they may be considered as outports, as stepping-stones, as it were,
over the whole world; and for the present I shall examine into the value
of these possessions merely in this point of view. We have many islands
or colonies under our subjection which are in themselves not only
valueless, but, moreover, extremely expensive to us; and if every colony
or island is to be valued merely according to the produce and advantage
derived from it by the mother-country, we must abandon Heligoland,
Ascension, St Helena, Malta, and, even Gibraltar itself. All these,
and some others, are, in point of commerce, valueless; yet they add much
to the security of the country and to our dominion of the seas. This
will be admitted, and we must therefore now examine how far the Canadas
may be considered as valuable under this second point of view.
I have already shewn that the ambition for territory is one of the
diseases, if I may use the term, of the American people. On that point
they are insatiable, and that they covet the Canadas is undeniable. Let
us inquire into the reasons why the Americans are so anxious to possess
the Canadas.
There are many. In the first place, they do not like to have a people
subjected to a monarchial form of government as their neighbours; they
do not like that security of person and property, and a just
administration of the law, should be found in a thinly-peopled province,
while they cannot obtain those advantages under their own institutions.
It is a reproach to them. They continually taunt the Canadians that
they are the only portion of the New World who have not thrown off the
yoke--the only portion who are not yet free; and this taunt has not been
without its effect upon the unthinking portion of the community. What
is the cause of this unusual sympathy? The question is already
answered.
Another important reason which the Americans have for the possession of
the Canadas is, that they are the means of easy retaliation on the part
of England in case of aggression. They render them weak and assailable
in case of war. Had they possession of the Canadas, and our other
provinces, the United States would be almost invulnerable. As it is,
they become defenceless to the north, and are moreover exposed to the
attack of all the tribes of Indians concentrated on the western
frontier. Indeed, they never will consider their territory as complete
"in a ring fence," as long as we have possession of the mouths of the
St Lawrence. They wish to be able to boast of an inland navigation
from nearly the Equator to the Pole--from the entrance of the
Mississippi to the exit of the St Lawrence. Our possession of the
Canadas is a check to their pride and ambition, which are both as
boundless as the territory which they covet.
But there are other reasons equally important. It is their anxiety to
become a manufacturing as well as a producing nation. Their object is,
that the north should manufacture what the south produces; and that,
instead of commercial relations with England, as at present, that
American cotton-manufactures should be borne in American bottoms over
all the world. This they consider is the great ultimatum to be arrived
at, and they look forward to it as the source of immense wealth and
increased security to the Union, and of their wresting from England the
sceptre and dominion of the seas.
It may be said that the United States, if they want to become a
manufacturing nation, have _now_ the power; but such is not the case.
Until they can completely shut out English manufactures, they have not.
The price of labour is too dear. Should they increase the tariff, or
duty, upon English goods, the Canadas and our other provinces will
render their efforts useless, as we have a line of coast of upwards of
2,000 miles, by which we can introduce English goods to any amount by
smuggling, and which it is impossible for the Americans to guard
against; and as the West fills up, this importation of English goods
would every year increase. As long, therefore, as we hold the Canadas,
the Americans must be content to be a very inferior manufacturing nation
to ourselves; and it may be added that _now_ or _never_ is the time for
the Americans to possess themselves of the Canadas. They perceive this;
for when once the Western States gain the preponderance in wealth and
power, which they will in a few years, the cause of the Eastern, or
manufacturing States will be lost. The Western States will not quarrel
with England on account of the Eastern, but will import our goods direct
in exchange for their produce. They themselves cannot manufacture and
they will go to market where they can purchase cheapest.
But do the views of the Americans extend no further? Would they be
satisfied if they obtained the Canadas? Most assuredly not. They are
too vast in their ideas--too ambitious in their views. If Canada fell,
Nova Scotia would fall, and they would obtain what they most covet--the
harbour of Halifax. New Brunswick would fall, and they would have then
driven us out of our Continental possessions. Would they stop then?
No; they never would stop until they had driven the English to the other
side of the Atlantic. Newfoundland and its fisheries would be their
next prey; for it, as well as our other possessions, would then be
defenceless. They would not leave us the West-Indies, although useless
to them. Such is their object and their earnest desire--an increase of
territory and power for themselves, and the humiliation of England. The
very eagerness with which the Americans bring up this question on
purpose that they may disavow their wishes, is one of the strongest
proofs of their anxiety to blind us on the subject; but they will never
lose sight of it; and if they thought they had any chance of success,
there is no expense which they would not cheerfully incur, no war into
which they would not enter. Let not the English be deceived by their
asseverations. What I have now asserted is _the fact_. The same spirit
which has actuated them in dispossessing the Indians of territories
which they cannot themselves populate, which prompted the "high-handed
theft" of the Texas from Mexico, will induce them to adopt any pretext,
as soon as they think they have a chance, to seize upon the Canadas and
our other transatlantic possessions.
If what I have stated be correct, and I am convinced of its truth
myself, it will be evident that the Canadas, independent of every other
consideration, become a _most important outpost_ which we must defend
and hold possession of. Let it be remembered that every loss to us, is
an increase to the power of America--an increase to her security and to
her maritime strength; that whatever her assertions may be, she is
deadly hostile to us, from the very circumstance that she considers that
we prevent her aggrandisement and prosperity. America can only rise to
the zenith, which she would attain, by the fall of England, and every
disaster to this country is to her a source of exultation. That there
are many Americans of a contrary opinion I grant; that the city of New
York would prefer the present amicable relations is certain; but I have
here expressed the feelings of the _majority_, and it must be remembered
that in America it is the majority who decide all questions.
To prove that I am not too severe upon the Americans in the above
remarks, let me refer to their own printed documents.
The reader must be informed that the Canadian rebels, with their
American auxiliaries, made incursions into our territory near the
boundary-line, burnt the houses, took away the cattle, and left
destitute those parties who were considered as loyal and well affected,
or, in fact, those who refused to arm and join the rebels. When pursued
by the militia, or other forces, the rebel parties hastened over the
boundary-line, where they were secure under the American protection.
This system of protection naturally irritated the loyal Canadians, who
threatened to cross the boundary and attack the Americans in return. It
was, however, only a _threat_, never being put in execution; but upon
the strength of this threat, application was made to the Governor in the
State of Vermont, requesting that the arms in the American arsenals
might be supplied to the citizens for their protection. The Governor
very properly refused, and issued a proclamation warning the citizens of
Vermont not to interfere. This offended the _majority_, who forthwith
called a meeting at St Albans, the results of which were ordered to be
printed and circulated. I have a copy of these reports and resolutions,
from which I shall now give some extracts. Let it be observed that
these are not the resolutions of a few lawless and undisciplined people,
bordering on the lakes, as the sympathisers are stated to have been.
The title of Honorable denotes that the parties are either Members of
the State or Federal Governments; and, indeed, the parties whose names
appear on the committee, are all of the first respectability in the
State.
"_Meeting of the Freemen at St Albans_.
"Agreeable to a notice circulated throughout the county, about
forty-eight hours previous to the meeting, two thousand of the freemen
from the different towns in the county assembled to take into
consideration a recent proclamation of the Governor, and an
extraordinary letter accompanying the same, and also to express their
sentiments on Canadian affairs, especially such as have recently
transpired in the neighbourhood of latitude forty-five degrees.
"Jeptha Bradley, Esquire, of St Albans, was called to the chair, and,
agreeable to a resolve of the meeting, appointed the _Hon_. SS Brown,
_Hon_. Timothy Foster, and GW Kendall, Esquire, a committee to nominate
officers.
"The following gentlemen were nominated and appointed:--
"_Hon_. Austin Fuller, of Enosburgh, _President_.
"_Vice Presidents_."
+=======================+============+
ÝColonel SB Hazeltine, ÝBakersfield.Ý
+-----------------------+------------+
ÝHON. Horace Eaton, ÝEnosburgh. Ý
+-----------------------+------------+
ÝDoctor IS Webster, ÝBerkshire. Ý
+-----------------------+------------+
ÝWilliam Green, Esquire,ÝSheldon. Ý
+-----------------------+------------+
ÝMartin Wires, Esquire, ÝCambridge. Ý
+-----------------------+------------+
ÝHON. Timothy Foster, ÝSwanton. Ý
+=======================+============+
_Secretaries_.
+===============+========+
ÝJJ Beardsley, ÝSheldon.Ý
+---------------+--------+
ÝZoroaster Fisk,ÝSwanton.Ý
+===============+========+
"The following gentlemen were appointed a committee to prepare a report
and resolutions for the meeting:--"
+========================+===========+
ÝHenry Adams, Esquire, ÝSt Albans.Ý
+------------------------+-----------+
ÝNL Whittemore, Esquire, ÝSwanton. Ý
+------------------------+-----------+
ÝRA Shattuck, Esquire, ÝSheldon. Ý
+------------------------+-----------+
ÝBradley Barlow, Esquire,ÝFairfield. Ý
+------------------------+-----------+
ÝIB Bowdish, Esquire, ÝSwanton. Ý
+========================+===========+
"The letter of certain citizens of Burlington, and the proclamation of
his Excellency, Silas H. Jennison, were then read by the Secretary, JJ
Beardsley, Esquire After the reading of the letter and the proclamation
the meeting was addressed by several gentlemen, in an eloquent and
impressive manner, and their remarks severally called forth great
applause.
"The committee, on resolutions by Henry Adams, Esquire, chairman, then
presented the following report and resolutions, which were _unanimously
adopted_."
After having in the report stated that threats have been made, they then
attack the legality of the Governor's proclamation and conduct, as
follows:--
"The committee have no evidence to show that the execution of the
threats above-mentioned, or that any invasion of the rights of American
citizens, would knowingly be permitted by the existing government in
Canada, or approved of by a majority of the citizens in the Canadian
townships; but when they bear in mind that civil law is suspended in
Canada, and in its place are substituted the summary proceedings of
military courts and the capricious wills of petty military officers;
when they consider the excited and embittered feelings which prevail
along the frontier, and which some have studied to inflame, and also the
character of a portion of the population which borders upon our
territory, they deem it not improbable that acts of violence might be
attempted, and even that a gang of marauders might be gathered together,
and led to make some petty invasion into our territory, disturbing the
public peace, and committing acts of outrage. If this be deemed
improbable, still a state of suspense and doubt is not to be endured.
Every family on the frontier should live in a state of undisturbed
repose. The ability not only to resist aggression, but to redress
injuries with summary justice, furnishes a certain, if not the only
guarantee of perfect quiet.
"With these views, at recent meetings of the people, a committee was
appointed to wait upon the Governor and request the use of a part of the
arms in the State arsenal. This request has been denied; and the reason
assigned by his Excellency is, that he has doubts whether by law he can
loan out the arms of the State to be used by the people of the State for
their own defence. Without commenting on the technicalities which so
much embarrass his Excellency, or inquiring into the wisdom of that
construction of the law which infers, that because the State arms _are
to be kept fit for use_, therefore _they are not to be used_, the
committee would beg leave respectfully to suggest to the people that,
inasmuch as they are to receive no aid from the State, it is their duty
at once to arm themselves, and to rely upon themselves.
"While the governor has thus declined furnishing any aid for the
security of the frontier, he has issued a proclamation enjoining upon
the citizens of this State the observance of a strict neutrality between
the hostile parties in Canada. The propriety of our Governor's issuing
a proclamation on an occasion like the present, merely advisory, may
well be questioned. It neither creates any new obligations, nor adds
force to those already resting on our citizens. When it is considered
that our relations with foreign powers are solely confided to the
general government, and that if the people of this State should boldly
break the obligations of neutrality, the governor of the State has no
power to restrain at to punish. It must be admitted, that a
proclamation of neutrality issuing from our State executive seems to be
over-stepping the proprieties of the office, and should be exercised, if
at all, only in case of a general and glaring violation of the laws of
nations; and even then it may reasonably be questioned whether the
ordinary process of law would not be sufficient, and whether gratuitous
advice to the people on the one hand, and gratuitous interference with
the exclusive functions of the general government on the other, would
become pertinent by being stamped with the official Seal of State. We
are not aware of any express authority in our constitution or laws for
the exercise of this novel mode of addressing the people; and it can
only be justified on the ground, that the chief magistrate has something
of fact or doctrine of importance to communicate, of which the people
are supposed to be ignorant. In neither point of view is there any
thing striking in this otherwise extraordinary document.
"No facts are set forth before unknown to the public, except that a
representation has been made to his Excellency that `_hostile forces had
been organised within this State_,' of which organisation our citizens
are _profoundly ignorant_.
"To the doctrine of this proclamation,--that the declaration of martial
law, by Lord Gosford, changes the relations between the United States
and Canada, we cannot assent. Our relations with Great Britain and her
colonies rest upon treaties, and the general law of nations, which, it
is believed, her Majesty's Governor in Chief of Lower Canada can neither
enlarge nor restrict.
"To assume that our citizens are ignorant of their rights and
obligations as members of a neutral independent power, is to take for
granted that they have forgotten the repeated infractions of those
rights which have so often agitated our country since the adoption of
Federal Constitution, which led to the late war with Great Britain, and
which have given rise to claims of indemnity that are still due from
various powers of Europe. Every page of the history of our country
portrays violations of her neutral rights by the despotic and haughty
powers of Europe, among whom _England has ever been foremost_. Your
committee do not deem it necessary to enlarge upon this subject."
After the report came the resolutions, a portion of which I subjoin:--
"Resolved--That the safety of the people is the supreme law, and we
recommend to our citizens to arm themselves for the maintenance of this
law.
"Resolved--That the proclamation of martial law in Canada, and placing
arms in the hands of people unaccustomed to their use, hostile to our
institutions, and heated by intestine dissensions, have a direct
tendency to disturb the peace of our citizens, and demands the immediate
interference of the general government.
"Resolved--That our government ought to take immediate measures to
obtain redress for the injuries and insults perpetrated on our citizens
by the people of Canada.
"Resolved--That as friends of human liberty and human rights, we cannot
restrain the expression of our sympathy, when we behold an _oppressed
and heroic people unfurl the banner of freedom_.
"Resolved--That we hope that time will soon come when the bayonet shall
fail to sustain the _last relic of royalty_ which now lingers on the
western continent.
"Resolved--That we concur in the opinions which have been fully and
freely expressed in the British parliament by eminent _English
statesmen_; that `in the ordinary course of things, Canada must soon be
separated from the mother country.'
"Resolved--That it is the duty of every independent American to aid in
every possible manner, consistent with our laws, the exertions of the
patriots in Lower Canada, against the _tyranny, oppression, and misrule
of a despotic government_."
VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER TWO.
THE CANADAS, CONTINUED.
The next question to be considered is, whether, independent of their
being important to us as an outpost to defend our transatlantic
possessions, the Canadas are likely to be useful to us, as a colony, in
a commercial point of view. This requires much consideration.
It must be admitted that, up to the present, we may consider the Canadas
to have been a heavy burden to this country. From what I am now going
to state, there are many, who agreeing with me in most other points,
will be likely to dissent. That I cannot help; I may be in error, but,
at all events, I shall not be in error from a too hasty decision.
That it is wise and proper for a mother country to assist and support
her colonies in their infancy is undoubted. In so doing, the mother
country taxes herself for the advantages to be hereafter derived from
the colony; but it may occur that the tax imposed upon the people of the
another country may be too onerous, at the same time that no advantages
at all commensurate are derived from the colony. When such is the case,
the tax is not fair; and the colony for whose benefit that tax has been
imposed, is looked upon with ill-will. This is the precise situation of
the Canadas, and this is the cause why there is so strong an outcry
against our retaining possession of these provinces.
The bonus of forty-five shillings on a load of timber, which is given to
the Canadas by our present duties, is much too great; and has pressed
too heavily on the people of the mother country. It has, in fact,
created a monopoly; and when it is considered how important and
necessary an article timber is in this country,--how this enormous bonus
on Canadian timber affects the shipping, house-building, and
agricultural interests--it is no wonder that people wish to get rid of
the Canadas and the tax at one and the same time. It is also injurious
to us in our commercial relations with the northern countries, who
refuse our manufactures because we have laid so heavy a duty upon their
produce. This tax for the benefit of the Canadian produce was put on
during the war, without any intention that it should remain permanent:
and I think I shall be able satisfactorily to establish, that, not only
is it unjust towards our own people, but that, instead of benefiting, it
will be, now that the Canadas are fast increasing in population, an
injury to the Canadas themselves.
Up to the present period, timber has been the only article of export
from Canada: we certainly have had the advantage of a large carrying
trade, and the employment of many thousand tons of shipping; but, with
this exception, the timber trade has been injurious, not only to the
mother country, but to the colony itself, as it has prevented her real
prosperity, which must ever depend upon the culture of the land and the
increase of population. The first point to which the attention of a
colony should be directed, is its own support, the competence and supply
of all the necessaries of life to its inhabitants; it is not until after
this object has been obtained, that it must direct its attention to the
gain which may accrue from any surplus produce. In what way has the
timber trade benefited the Canadas? Has it thrown any wealth into the
provinces? most certainly not; the timber has been cut down, either by
those Canadians who would have been much better employed in tilling the
land, for every acre cleared is real wealth; or by Americans who have
come over to cut down the timber and have returned to their own country
to spend the money. That the profits of the timber trade have been
great is certain; but have these profits remained in the Canadas?--have
the sums realised been expended there?--no; they have been realised in,
or brought over to England, shared among a few persons of influence who
have, to a certain degree, obtained a monopoly by the bonus granted, but
the Canadas have benefited little or none, and the mother-country has
received serious injury. That the parties connected with the Canada
timber trade will deny this, and endeavour to ridicule my arguments, I
am aware; and that they are an influential party I well know; but I
trust before I have concluded, to prove to every disinterested person,
that I am correct in my view of the case, and that the prosperity of the
Canadas is a very different question from the prosperity of the Canadian
timber merchants, or even the proprietors on the Ottawa.
When the protecting duty was first imposed, there was no idea of its
being a permanent duty: it was intended as an encouragement for ships to
go to Canada for timber, when it could not be got in the Baltic. It
was, in fact, a war measure, which should have been removed upon the
return to peace. The reason why it was not, is, the plea brought
forward, that the taking off the protecting duty would be a serious loss
to the emigrant settler, who would have no means of disposing of his
timber after he had felled it, and that the emigrant looked to his
timber as his first profits; moreover, that it gave employment to the
emigrant in the long winters. That those who have never been in the
country were led away by this assertion I can easily imagine, but I must
say that a more barefaced falsehood was never uttered. There are
varieties of emigrants, and those with capital speculate in timber as
well as other articles; but let us examine into the proceedings of the
emigrant settler, that is, the man who purchases an allotment and
commences as a farmer--for this is the party to whom the supposed
philanthropy was to extend. He builds his cottage and clears two or
three acres, that is, he fells the trees; as soon as he has done this,
if the weather permit, he burns them where they lie, the branches and
smaller limbs being collected round the trunks as fuel to consume them.
This he is compelled to do, for the land having been so long smothered
by the want of air and sunshine, arising from the denseness of the
forest, has a degree of _acidity_ in it, which the alkali of the wood
and ashes are required to correct, previous to his obtaining a crop. I
do not believe that a settler ever sold a tree when he was clearing,
although if water-carriage was convenient, he may afterwards, when he
was in competent circumstances, have done so. Having raised his crop
from the first year's clearing, what is his employment during the
winter,--cutting down timber on the Ottawa for the English market? no;
cutting down timber on his own property as fast as he can, so as to have
it ready for burning in the early spring, and having a crop off this,
his second clearing. And so he continues, with full employment on his
own farm, until he has cleared sufficient for the growing of his corn
and the pasture for his cattle. When he has become independent and
comfortable, and has a few thousand dollars to spare, then he will erect
a saw-mill, and work up his own trees into lumber for sale, but by that
time he must be considered as a rich man for a settler. The _timber_
trade, therefore, is hurtful to the Canadas, in so much as it prevents
them from clearing land and becoming independent people, who by other
means would become so. The timber which is cut down for exportation, is
chiefly from the forests on or near the Ottawa river, and the emigrant
settler has neither interest or concern in it.
It may be argued that, as settlers do, as soon as they are in better
circumstances, erect saw-mills, and work up their trees into _lumber_,
that it would be unfair to deprive them of that advantage. I will grant
that; but the fact is, that you will not do so; for of the quantity of
timber and lumber exported from the Canadas, it is only one-half which
is sent to the British market, the other half is divided between the
West Indies, the United States, and their own consumption; and the
demand of the United States will so rapidly increase, that, in a few
years, the Canadians will care little for sending their timber to
England, even if the present duty were kept on. I consider that this
bounty upon cutting timber is very injurious to the American provinces,
as it distracts their attention from the real source of wealth, which
must consist in clearing the country; for, to show how great a
difference this makes to them, it must be observed, that a farm which
was only worth two dollars an acre when the settler first came to it,
will, as soon as others have cleared around him, rise to twenty or
thirty dollars per acre. Every man, therefore, who settles and clears
land, not only benefits himself, but increases the value of the property
of those all around him; while the feller of timber on the Ottawa only
puts a few dollars into his own pocket, and does no good to the
province, as the timber-dealers in England reap all the harvest.
It would appear very strange that the ship-owners should have joined the
Canadian timber merchants in persuading the government to continue these
duties, were it not from the fact that the ship owners appear,
invariably, to oppose any measure advantageous to their own interests.
That the carrying trade to the Canadas is of importance is certain; but
of how much more importance to the ship owner is the reduction of
expense in building his ship, which must ensue if the timber duties were
reduced. The ship owner complains that he cannot sail his ship at as
low a rate as foreigners; that he must be protected, or that he cannot
compete with them in any way; and yet he opposes the very measure which
would materially assist him in so doing. But the fact is, that, as I
shall eventually show, the carrying trade with Canada would not be lost,
though the cargo would not be the same; and there is every reason to
suppose that the employment of the shipping would very soon amount to
the same tonnage as at present.
The next consideration is, to what should the duty be reduced, so as not
to affect our revenue? This is a question easily answered.
In the Report on Timber Duties, Appendix Number 10, we have. in round
numbers, for the year 1833:--
+==========================================+========+==========+
Ý ÝLoads. ÝDuty paid.Ý
+------------------------------------------+--------+----------+
Ý Ý Ý (pounds) Ý
+------------------------------------------+--------+----------+
ÝTimber exported from Canada and American Ý Ý Ý
+------------------------------------------+--------+----------+
Ýprovinces, calculated in loads Ý 719,000Ý 300,000Ý
+------------------------------------------+--------+----------+
ÝTimber from the north of Europe, in ditto.Ý 444,000Ý 985,000Ý
+------------------------------------------+--------+----------+
Ý Ý1463,000Ý 1,285,000Ý
+==========================================+========+==========+
Now it is certain that, wherever the timber may come from, the same
quantity will be required; we have, therefore, to fix a duty upon timber
coming from all parts of the world, by which the revenue will not
suffer. A duty of 25 shillings per load will give, upon the whole
importation, a revenue of 1,453,000 pounds, not only an increase of
revenue upon the timber at present imported; but there is every reason
to suppose that it would occasion a much greater consumption of timber,
and of course a great increase of revenue. I do not consider that it
would be advisable to make this reduction immediately. There is a large
tonnage, employed in the Canada trade, which might as well wear out in
it; and it would be but fair to allow those who have embarked their
capital in the trade, to have time to withdraw it. As the Canadas are
not yet prepared to send other produce to the market, we can, with great
propriety, confer this boon upon the present timber trade. The
reduction of the duty should be gradual, and extended over ten years, at
which period the final reduction to 25 shillings per load should take
place; by which time, if Canada be cherished, she will have other
produce for the market.
The more I consider the question, the more I am convinced that this
alteration would be a benefit to all parties. We then should be able to
build ships at a moderate price; we should have a fall in house-rent;
and, indeed, it would be of advantage to every class in this country;
and, however interested people may argue, the removal of this protecting
duty would be the greatest boon and kindness which we could confer on
our transatlantic possessions.
Let us now inquire what are likely to be made the future prospects and
produce of the Canadas as the population increases, and the resources of
the country will be developed.
Lower Canada is a sterile country; not that the land is in itself bad,
but from the severity and length of the winters. The climate of Lower
Canada is precisely the same as that of Russia, and so might be its
produce. The winters are tedious, but not unhealthy, as they are dry.
The summers, like all the summers in the northern regions, although
short, are excessively hot. It is owing to this excessive heat of the
summer that the maize, or Indian corn, which will not ripen in this
country, can be grown in Lower Canada, and it is the principal corn
which is raised. The French Canadians who inhabit Lower Canada are but
indifferent and careless farmers, yet still they contrive to live in
apparent comfort: but the question is not whether the inhabitants of
Lower Canada can support themselves, but whether they are likely to be
able to produce any thing which might become an article of export to
England. I should say yes: they may produce _tar_ and _hemp_, two very
important articles, and for which we are almost wholly dependent upon
Russia. Tar they can most assuredly produce; and, with the same climate
as Russia, why not hemp? Hemp will grow in any climate, and almost in
any soil, except very stiff clay, and I consider the soil of Lower
Canada admirably adapted to it. Up to the present time the French
Canadians have merely vegetated, but as the country fills up, and they
gradually amalgamate with the other settlers, there is no doubt that
they will rapidly improve.
Upper Canada has been, and is still, but little known. At the close of
the war, there was not a population of 40,000 upon the whole province:
even now there is but 400,000 upon a territory capable of receiving and
supporting many millions. It is, without exception, the most favoured
spot in North America, having all the fertility of the southern and
Western States, without being subject to the many and fatal diseases
which are a drawback upon the latter. Although so far north, its
climate is peculiarly mild, from its being so wholly surrounded with
water, which has the effect of softening down both the cold of the
winter and the heat of the summer. It abounds with the most splendid
timber; is well watered; the land is of the richest quality; the produce
is very great, and the crops are almost certain. I particularly notice
this as I consider Upper Canada to be the finest _corn country_ in the
world.
At present the resources of the Canadas are unknown; the country has not
been explored; it is without capital, and I may add without credit, but
its prospects are very favourable. The timber trade to England will in
a few years, even allowing the present bonus to be continued, be of
little advantage to Upper Canada; they will find a much better market as
the Western States fill up, as then there will be a great demand for
lumber, which will be obtained cheaper from Canada than from any portion
of the United States. Even now lumber is sent over from Upper Canada to
those portions of the United States bordering on the lakes. I have
pointed out the want of timber in the Western States, that is, of timber
fit for building; they have some in the State of Wisconsin, which will
soon be absorbed, and then the Canada timber and lumber will be in
demand, and I have no doubt that there will be a very extensive
exportation of it.
The next article of produce to which the Canadians should direct their
attention is the fisheries on the lake, which may be carried on to any
extent and with great profit. The trout and white fish, both very
superior to the Newfoundland cod, are to be taken with the greatest
ease, and in vast quantities. I have mentioned that the Americans have
already commenced this fishery, and the demand is rapidly increasing.
As the West fills up, the supply would hardly keep pace with the demand;
besides that it would also be an article of exportation to this country.
There are millions and millions of acres to the north and about Lake
Superior, fit for little else than the increase of the animals whose
furs we obtain, and which will probably never be brought into
cultivation; yet these lands are rich in one point, which is, that the
maple-tree grows there, and any quantity of sugar may be collected from
it, as soon as the population is thick enough to spare hands for its
collection. A maple-tree, carefully tapped, will yield for forty years,
and give six or seven pounds of sugar, fully equal to the best
East-India produce, and refining well. A few tons are collected at
present, but it may become a large article of export.
The United States appear to be rich in most metals, but particularly in
lead and iron; [note 1] the metal which they are most deficient in is
copper. It is said that the copper mines in New Jersey are good; those
in the West have not yet proved to be worth working. Canada, as I have
before said, is as yet unexplored, but I have every reason to believe
that it will be found rich in minerals, especially copper. I argue,
first, from its analogy with Russia, which abounds in that metal; and
secondly, because there is at this time, on the shores of Lake Superior,
a mass of native copper weighing many tons, a specimen of which I have
had in my hand. We must not forget to reckon, among the other products
and expected resources of Canada, the furs obtained by the Hudson Bay
Company. Of course, if the Canadas are wrested from us, we shall have
to depend upon the Americans for our supply of this necessary article.
The value in Canada of the furs exported to this country, by the
company, amounts, as I have observed in my Diary, to about a million and
a half of dollars.
I now come to what I consider will be the most important export from the
Canadas. I have stated it to be my opinion that Upper Canada will be
the first corn country in the world, and in a very few years we may
expect that she will export largely into this country; already having
had a surplus which has been sold to the Americans. It must be
recollected that America, who used to supply the West-Indies and other
parts of the world with her flour, has, for these last few years, in her
mania for speculating, neglected her crops, and it is only during these
last two years that she has redirected her attention to the tillage of
her land. She will now no longer require assistance from Upper Canada,
and the yearly increasing corn-produce of that province must find a
market elsewhere. After supplying the wants of Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick, this surplus will find its way into this country. As the
population of Upper Canada increases, so will of course her growth of
wheat be greater, and in a very few years, we have reason to expect that
there will be not only a constant, but even a more than requisite,
exportation of corn to this country. Now what will be the effect? Corn
from Canada is admitted at a fixed duty of 5 shillings per quarter,
therefore as soon as the supply from thence, is sufficient, the corn
laws will be _virtually_ repealed, that is to say, they will be
exchanged for a permanent duty of 5 shillings per quarter.
I think that the remarks I have made will incline the reader to agree
with me, that the reduction of the duties on timber will be a real boon
to all parties: to the Canadians, because at the same time that the
supplies of lumber to the West Indies and elsewhere will give a certain
profit, they will no longer have the true interested of the colony
sacrificed for the benefit of parties at home; to the mother country,
because it will relieve the expenses of the builder, lessen house-rent
and agricultural expenses, and at the same time increase the revenue;--
to the ship-owner, as it will enable him to build much cheaper, and to
compete more successfully with foreign vessels, with the prospect also
of the carrying trade soon reviving, and the freight of the corn proving
an indemnification to him for the loss of that on the timber. That a
few interested individuals would complain is undoubted, but it is high
time that a monopoly so injurious in every point, should be removed; and
the profits of a few speculators are not to be for a moment considered,
when opposed both to the interests of the colony and of the nation.
I may as well here remark that it would only be an act of justice to the
provinces, and no less so to ourselves, to take off the prohibitions at
present in force against the importation of goods from France and other
countries. The boon itself would be small, but still it would be a
stimulus to enterprise, and the time has gone by for England to impose
such restrictions on her colonies. I say that we should lose nothing,
because all these articles are imported by the Americans; and if the
Canadians wish to procure them, they can obtain them immediately at
Buffalo, and other American towns bordering on the lakes. At present,
therefore, all the profits arising from these importations go into the
pockets of the Americans, who are the only parties benefited by our
restrictive laws. We should therefore remove them.
I shall now support the arguments in this chapter, touching the relative
value of the corn and the timber trade to the Canadas, by some extracts
from the evidence given in the Report of the Committee on the Timber
Duties.
_Q_. "Have you ever formed an opinion of what rate per quarter wheat
could be exported to this country, so as to yield a profit to the
exporter?"--_A_. "I cannot call it to mind accurately, but I think the
estimate I once made was between 40 shillings and 50 shillings."
_Q_. "Would it not follow that, unless the price of wheat in this
country were to rise to 40 shillings or 50 shillings per quarter, the
population that your former answer would transfer front the timber trade
to the agricultural would not be able advantageously to employ
themselves?"--_A_. "No; I do not think it follows necessarily. If all
our population were devoted to agriculture, our settlements would be
more dense, and their roads more perfect; in fact, all the social
offices more perfectly fulfilled; which would enable them to bring their
wheat to market at a more moderate price, and thus they might obtain a
larger profit even with a lower price. We should bear in mind, in
relation to their agricultural produce, that the farmer of course first
feeds his own family, and that price affects him so far as it relates to
his surplus produce, and that price rather affects his luxuries than his
means of subsistence. I am not aware that the present prices would
prevent a farmer obtaining that return which would enable him to
purchase at least all his necessaries."
_Q_. "What do you suppose is the average expense of the conveyance of
wheat from the remote parts of Canada to Montreal?"--_A_. "I believe
the cost of bringing wheat from Niagara to Montreal was about 15 pence
colonial currency, but I am not certain; it is not now lower. I once
made a table showing the cost of taking produce of all kinds from three
points on Lake Ontario and on Lake Erie, and sending up articles to the
same places."
_Q_. "What is the freight from Quebec to England?"--_A_. "The ordinary
rate has been from 8 shillings to 8 shillings 6 pence a quarter for
wheat."
_Q_. "Do you know the price of wheat in this country?"--_A_. "I
believe the last average was 40 shillings."
_Q_. "If at 40 shillings you would probably allow 10 shillings a
quarter, by your present statement, as a fair deduction for the expense
of bringing it into this market?"--_A_. "I should think so."
_Q_. "Do you think the price of 30 shillings would pay the agricultural
producer in Canada for the production of wheat; would afford a return
for the investment of capital in the production of wheat in
Canada?"--_A_. "I should be loth to speak to a point on which I have
not sufficient knowledge."
_Q_. "Is it not indispensable to form an opinion upon that point to
justify the opinion you have already given?"--_A_. "I think not. I
have that feeling, that the consequence of their not having the timber
trade would be, that they would produce other articles, and that their
condition would not be deteriorated. I am led to that conclusion by
seeing the present condition of the State of New York, which once
depended on the timber trade; I look also to Vermont; and when every man
tells me that he laments and has lamented that he ever meddled with the
timber trade, I think that I am justified in my opinion, for no one will
pretend to state that the land of Vermont, or even of New York, equals
that of Canada. While speaking of the soil of Canada, I would observe
that Jacobs has estimated the average return for wheat on the Continent
at four to one, of Great Britain seven to one, and Gourlay has estimated
the return of Upper Canada at _twenty to one_. Many state that Upper
Canada is _unrivalled_ in comparison with any other piece of land of
equal extent."
_Q_. "Are you aware of the extent of exportation of agricultural
produce from Canada?"--_A_. "I am; I can state it from memory. The
largest quantity of wheat exported in any year was in 1831, and I think
amounted to 1,300,000 bushels."
_Q_. "Can you make the same statement with reference to corn and
provisions as to other articles?"--_A_. "Canada exports a great deal of
corn."
_Q_. "Which Canada?"--_A_. "Both Upper and Lower Canada."
_Q_. "Does Lower Canada grow corn enough for her own
consumption?"--_A_. "I should think Lower Canada did, and more."
_Q_. "Does Upper Canada?"--_A_. "Upper Canada a great deal more."
_Q_. "Have you the amount of the exports?"--_A_. "I have the exports
of 1833; the two Canadas exported 650,000 bushels of wheat."
_Q_. "How much flour?"--_A_. "About 91,000 barrels."
_Q_. "Have you any account of the imports of flour from the United
States into Lower Canada?"--_A_. "I have not with me but can give it
very nearly."
_Q_. "Do those exports of which you have spoken just now comprehend the
United States flour?"--_A_. "No, they are exclusive of Colonial
production."
_Q_. "Is not Lower Canada, as well as Upper Canada, in the habit of
supplying herself, to a certain degree, with American flour and wheat,
and exporting her own produce, on account of the state of the corn laws
last year?"--_A_. "Yes, it is done to a certain extent. I have some
indication as to the quantity which comes from the United States into
Upper and Lower Canada being small. In the returns of the traffic last
year through our Welland Canal, about 265,000 bushels of wheat passed
through, of which 18,000 British and 22,000 American only went to
Montreal. All the rest went to Oswego, for the New York market: but the
destination in future will probably depend upon whether the internal
communication is improved in those colonies, and on the state of the
market in New York and in the Canadas."
_Q_. "If there is sufficient capital, is there any reason to suppose it
would not be beneficial to engage in both?"--_A_. "I do not think it is
a question concerning the abundance of capital, but the good to be
derived from the preservation of the Canada timber trade by enormous
protecting duties. I am confident that _the timber trade is inimical_
to _the best interests of the Canadas_; it would be possible to make the
timber trade more beneficial than any other pursuit in the country, and
the way to render it so would be to give immense protecting duties to
the timber trade of Canada, allowing all other articles of produce to be
open to general competition; but, by such a course, England would not be
benefiting _Canada_."
_Q_. "Can you state the average prices of wheat at Quebec the last four
or five years?"--_A_. "I think 5 shillings or 6 shillings. Canadian
currency; the latter rate is equal to 5 shillings sterling, which is 40
shillings a quarter; but I do not suppose an average of several years
would be over 4 shillings, 2 pence, that would be 33 shillings, 4 pence.
There are peculiar circumstances that attended the last three or four
years."
_Q_. "Has it been higher the last three or four years than the three or
four years previously? _A_. Considerably higher than the ten years
previously."
_Q_. "Do you think 30 shillings a quarter would have been the average
of the ten years preceding?"--_A_. "I should think so, but I cannot now
speak positively."
_Q_. "Are the committee to understand it to be your opinion, that if
the timber establishments were broken up and no more timber exported
from Canada, there would be no loss to that country?"--_A_. "There
might be an immediate loss, and a _very great subsequent gain_. I think
there would be an immediate loss attending on the mills, possibly
150,000 pounds to 200,000 pounds."
_Q_. "Has it not been the fact that there has been a constant and
gradual increase of tonnage into Quebec for the last fifteen
years?"--_A_. "Yes."
_Q_. "Presuming that those establishments were to be broken up and no
more timber exported, do you think that gradual increase would still
continue?"--_A_. "No; the first consequence, I think, very possibly
would be a very material decrease."
_Q_. "Subsequently the _same tonnage_ would be required for the
_carriage of corn_ as at present?"--_A_. "Some years hence, for corn
and other articles."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note 1. The following description of the iron mines at Marmora are
worthy the attention of the reader. It is from the engineer who was
sent to survey them.
"To Isaac Fraser, Esquire
"The water power at Marmora, and its sufficiency for all hydraulic
purposes, may be better imagined than explained to you by me, from the
fact, that the falls occur upon the Crow River, at the foot of untold
lakes falling into Crow Lake, the deepest inland lake in the province,
and just below the junction of the Beaver River, which latter has its
source in the Ottawa or Grand River, or the waters flowing parallel
therewith, and by the outlet at the Marmora Falls: these head waters, on
the confluence with the waters of the Otonabee, and Rice Lake in Crow
Bay, six miles below the works, form the great River Trent, second in
importance and magnitude only to the St Lawrence. It is sufficient for
me to add, that I deem the water power at the works abundantly equal to
all the purposes of machinery and manufacture, which can for centuries
be established there.
"Immediately adjoining the works there is an ore bed, from the partial
development of which, and from the opinions I have received of its
superior quality, it would appear to be of the purest kind of iron ore,
except native iron, in the same veins with which is an admixture of red
paint and yellow ochre, and in separate veins and beds at this locality,
those paints occur in some quantities, several barrels of which,
especially the red paint, Mr Hayes disposed of at 25 shillings per
barrel, at the works, and it seems probable they would become profitable
articles of commerce. Here also there is a bed of purely white marble,
not seemingly stratified, but in large blocks; and a quarry of superior
stone for lithographic purposes, the quality of which has been tested
and reported favourably upon. This ore bed would be from its situation
within any wall constructed for the custody of the convicts, but from
the great jumble of mineral substances, which the careless opening of
those veins has occasioned, it is not possible to hazard an opinion as
to the probable extent of minerals here, but from, if I may judge by
appearances and from geological analogy, the few acres surrounding, it
is probable they are sufficiently extensive to be an object of
consideration--several hundred tons of ore have already been taken out
for the furnaces. There is at this place a well-built bridge and a
wharf at which the ore brought from the lake ore beds is landed, and
from thence carted or wheeled up to the ore bank.
"_At a distance of four miles by water, that is at the Crow Lake, in the
township of Belmont, Newcastle District, the principal ore bed occurs_.
I may confine my observations respecting this ore bed to the qualities
and varieties of the ores to be found there, and of the extent of the
deposit give you an idea, by fancying my feelings when I first saw the
mountain. My surprise was great, and _my first conclusion was, that it
would be more than sufficient to supply the world with iron for ever_.
The ore here is in great variety of magnetic ore, easily quarried and,
in fact, it can be quarried, loaded, and transported to the works,
roasted on the ore bank, broken up into particles, and put upon the
furnace, at an expense not exceeding 2 shillings 0 pence per ton; as I
observed it is strongly magnetic, and although mixed considerably with
sulphur, it is easily freed from that deleterious mineral by exposure to
the atmosphere, and to the action of air and frost, and by this species
of evaporation, a new and valuable commodity could be procured in great
quantities, namely, the copperas of commerce.
"With a boat of fifty tons burthen--and there is depth of water enough
for a 74 gun ship from the wharf at the works, to this mountain of ore--
navigated by four men, 150 tons of ore could be brought down in two
days--so readily is it quarried, and so handily put on board.
Intermediate to this bed and the works, several other deposites of iron
are discovered--one of a superior quality, surpassing in magnetic power
any other ore yet discovered, possessing what mineralogists call
polarity--and near to this, meadow and bog ore, not a mile distant from
the works, is to be found in great quantities. The works are to the
north-north-east and eastward, surrounded by beds of ore, of which five
have been tried and brought into use--but as they are inland, and
consequently more expensively procured, they merit but this passing
observation, that in quantity and quality they are valuable.
"For the present I am, Sir,
"Your obedient servant,--_Engineer_"
VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER THREE.
THE CANADAS, CONTINUED.
To one who has a general knowledge of the various English colonies, to
which emigration is constantly taking place, it appears very strange
that people should emigrate to such countries as New South Wales, Van
Dieman's Land, and New Zealand, when Upper Canada is comparatively so
near to them, and affording every advantage which a settler could wish.
Of course the persuasion of interested parties, and their own ignorance,
prevent them from ascertaining the truth. Indeed, the reports upon
Upper Canada are occasionally as highly coloured as those relative to
other colonies, and nothing but an examination of the country, I may say
a certain period of residence in it, can enable you to ascertain the
real merits of the case. I have neither land nor interest in Upper
Canada, and, therefore, my evidence on the question may be considered as
impartial; and I do not hesitate to assert that Upper Canada promises
more advantages to the settler than any other English colony, or any
portion whatever of the United States.
I shall now make a few remarks upon emigration to that province, and
point out what the settler will have to expect. I have read many works
upon the subject; they are very inaccurate, and hold out to the emigrant
brilliant prospects, which are seldom or never realised. The best work,
independently of its merits as a novel, is "Laurie Todd," by Mr Galt.
And first, I address myself to the poor man who goes out with only
twenty or thirty pounds in his pocket.
If he credit the works written to induce people to emigrate, all that he
has to do is to build his log-hut, clear his land, and in three years be
an independent man.
It is true that he can purchase fifty acres of land for one hundred
dollars, or twenty-five pounds; that he has only to pay one-tenth part
of the sum down, which is two pounds ten shillings sterling. It is true
that he will collect a _Bee_, as it is termed, or a gathering of
neighbours to run up the frame of his house; but, nevertheless,
possessing his fifty acres of land and his log-house, he will in all
probability be starved out the very first year, especially if he has a
family.
To a poor man, a family is _eventually_ of immense value. As soon as he
has fairly settled, the more children he has the faster he will become
rich; but on his first arrival, they will, if not able to work for
themselves, be a heavy burthen. If, however, they can do any thing, so
as to pay for their board and lodging, he will not be at any expense for
them, as there is employment for every body, even for children.
The only article I should recommend him to take out from England is a
good supply of coarse clothing for his family; if he would take out a
venture, let it be _second-hand clothes_, and he will double his money
if he sells them by auction, for clothes are the most expensive article
in Canada. I once saw some cast-off clothes sold by an acquaintance of
mine in Upper Canada; a Jew in England would not have given five pounds
for the lot, yet, sold at auction, they cleared twenty-five pounds, all
expenses paid. He cannot, therefore, take out too much clothing, but
the coarser and more common it is the better. Let him supply himself
from the old clothes shops, or the cheap stores. New clothes will soon
become old when he works hard. Having made this provision, let him buy
nothing else; but change his money into sovereigns and keep it in his
pocket.
As soon as he arrives at Quebec, he must lose no time in taking the
steamboat up the St Lawrence, and landing near to where he has decided
upon locating. If he has made no decision, at all events let him leave
the city immediately, and get into the country, for there he will get
work and spend less money. Instead of thinking of making a purchase of
land, let him _give up all thoughts of it for a year or two_; but hire
himself out, and his wife and children also, if he can. If he is a good
man, he will receive four pounds a month, or forty-eight pounds a year,
with his board and lodging. The major part of this he will be able to
lay by. If his wife must stay at home to take care of the children,
still let her work; work is always to be found, and she may not only
support herself and children, but assist his fund. By the time that he
has been eighteen months or two years in the country, he will have his
eyes open, know the value of every thing, and will not be imposed upon
as he would have been had he taken a farm immediately upon his arrival.
He will have laid by a sufficient sum for him to begin with, and he will
have become acquainted with the mode of farming in the country, which is
very different from what he has been used to in the old. He may then go
on and prosper.
The next description of emigrant settler to which I shall address myself
is he who comes out with a small capital, say from two hundred to five
hundred pounds; a sum sufficient to enable him to commence farming at
once, but not sufficient to allow him to purchase or stock a farm which
has a portion of the land already cleared. The government lands fetch
at auction about ten shillings an acre, and they are paid for by
instalments, one-tenth down, and one-tenth every year, with interest,
until the whole be paid; of course, he may pay it all at once, if he
pleases, and save the interest. He must not purchase more than four
hundred acres. He can always procure more if he is successful. His
first instalment to government for the purchase of four hundred acres
will be eighty dollars.
His next object is to have a certain portion of his land cleared for
him. The price varies according to the size and quantity of the
portion; but you may say, at the highest, it will cost about sixteen
dollars an acre. Let him clear ten acres, and then build his house and
barns. I will make two estimates, between which he may decide according
to his means.
_Estimate_ 1.
+====================================+========+
Ý ÝDollars.Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝInstalment to Government Ý 80Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝShingle-house Ý 400Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝFurniture Ý 100Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝBarns and sheds Ý 400Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝTen acres clearing Ý 160Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝOxen Ý 80Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝCow Ý 20Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝPigs and poultry Ý 20Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝPlough, harrow, etcetera. Ý 20Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝSeed Ý 50Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝHorse and wagon Ý 100Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝAbout 300 pounds Ý 1,430Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝTo this (if you have no family Ý Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
Ýable to work) for a man and his wifeÝ 300Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
ÝExpenses of living the first year Ý 200Ý
+------------------------------------+--------+
Ý400 pounds Ý 1930Ý
+====================================+========+
_Estimate_ 2.
+=========================+=======+
Ý ÝDollarsÝ
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝInstalment to Government Ý 80Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝLog-house and furniture Ý 100Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝBarn Ý 60Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝClearing Ý 160Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝOxen Ý 80Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝCow Ý 20Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝPigs and poultry Ý 20Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝPlough, harrow, etcetera.Ý 20Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝSeed Ý 50Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
ÝHorse and wagon Ý 100Ý
+-------------------------+-------+
Ý150 pounds Ý 690Ý
+=========================+=======+
But choosing between these two estimates, according to his means, that
is, by reserving, if possible, one hundred pounds for contingencies, he
has every chance of doing well. He must bear in mind, that although
every year his means will increase, he must not cripple himself by an
outlay of all his money at first starting. After the first year, he
will be able to support himself and family from the farm. I have put
every thing at the _outside expense_, that he may not be deceived; but
he must not expend all his capital at once; his horse or oxen may die--
his crops may partially fail--he may have severe illness--all these
contingencies must be provided against.
But the settler who goes out under the most favourable circumstances, is
the one who has one thousand pounds or more, and who can, therefore,
purchase a farm of from two hundred to four hundred acres, with a
portion cleared, and a house and offices ready built. These are always
to be had, for there are people in the Canadas, as in America, who have
pleasure in selling their cleared land, and going again into the bush.
These farms are often to be purchased at the rate of from five to ten
dollars per acre for the whole, cleared and uncleared. In this case all
the difficulties have been smoothed away for him, and all that he has to
do is, to be industrious and sober.
When I was at London, on the river Thames, (in Upper Canada I mean), I
might have purchased a farm, lying on the banks of that river, of four
hundred acres, seventy of them cleared, and the rest covered with the
finest oak timber, with a fine water-power, and a saw-mill in full work,
a good house, barn, and out-buildings and kitchen garden, for six
hundred pounds. In ten years this property will be worth more than six
thousand pounds; and in twenty more, if the country improves as fast as
it does now, at least fifteen thousand pounds.
In looking out for a property in Canada, always try to obtain a
water-power, or the means of erecting one, by damming up any swift
stream; its value will, in a few years, be very great; and never
consider a few dollars an acre more, if you have transport by water, or
are close to a good market. You must look forward to what the country
_will be_, not to what it is at present.
Half-pay officers settle in Upper Canada with great advantages, arising
from the circumstance, that their annual pay is always a resource to
fill back upon. A very small capital is sufficient in this case; and,
if prudent, they gradually rise to independence, if not to wealth.
There are, however, one or two cautions to be given to these gentlemen.
_Never go into the bush_ if you can help it: accustomed to society, you
will find the total loss of it too serious. If you have a wife and
large family, they may partially compensate for the loss, but even then
it is better to locate yourself near a small town. If you are a single
man and sit down in the bush, you are lost. Hundreds have done so, and
the result has been, that they have resorted to _intemperance_, and have
died ruined men.
But the settlers most required in Upper Canada, and those who would reap
the most golden harvest, are men of capital; when I say capital, I mean
those who possess a sum of four or five thousand pounds--a sum very
inadequate to support a person in England who has been born and bred as
a gentleman; but in Canada, with such a sum, he can not only farm, but
speculate to great advantage. At present the Americans go over there
every year, and realise large sums of money. Indeed, capital is so much
required in Upper Canada, and may be employed to such advantage, that I
wonder people, with what may be considered as small capitals here, do
not go over. The only caution to give them is, not to be in a hurry; in
the course of a year or two they will understand what they are about,
and then they will soon become wealthy.
When I arrived at Toronto, I was called upon by an old friend who had
often shot with me in Norfolk. His father had once set him up in
business, but the house failed. He resolved to go out to Canada, and
his father gave him a _thousand pounds_ as a start, and allowed him two
hundred pounds a year afterwards. He had been in the country seven
years when we met again. I accepted his invitation to dine and sleep at
his house, which was about seven miles from the town. He sent handsome
saddle horses over for three of us. I found him located on a beautiful
farm of about four hundred acres, the major portion of it cleared; his
house was a very elegantly built cottage ornee, every thing had the
appearance of a handsome English country residence; he had married a
beautiful woman of one of the first families. We sat down to an
excellent dinner, and, in every respect, the whole set-out was equal to
what you generally meet with in good society in England. He was really
living in luxury. We returned the next day, in a handsome carriage and
as fine a pair of horses as one would wish to see.
I could hardly credit that all this could have been accumulated in seven
years--yet such was the case, and it was not a singular one; for the
whole road from his farm to Toronto was lined with similar farms and
handsome houses, belonging to gentlemen who had emigrated, forming among
themselves, a very extensive and most delightful society.
Although they do not go ahead as fast as some of the American cities,
(for instance, Buffalo,) still Upper Canada has, within the last ten or
fifteen years, taken a surprising start, and will now, if judiciously
governed, increase in wealth almost as fast as any of the American
States. About Toronto, most of the gentlemen have incomes of from seven
hundred to fifteen hundred pounds per annum, and keep handsome
equipages; but there are many other towns which have lately risen up
very rapidly. Peterborough is an instance of this. "Peterborough in
1825 contained but one miserable dwelling; now, in 1838, may be seen
nearly four hundred houses, many of them large and handsome, inhabited
by about fifteen hundred persons; a very neat stone church, capable of
accommodating eight hundred or nine hundred persons, [see Note 1] a
Presbyterian church of stone, two dissenting places of worship, and a
Roman Catholic church in progress. The town has in or near it, two
grist, and seven saw-mills, five distilleries, two breweries, two
tanneries, eighteen or twenty shops (called stores), carriage, sleigh,
wagon, chair, harness, and cabinet-makers and most other useful trades.
Stages run all the year, bringing mails five times a week and steamboats
whilst the navigation is open; there is one good tavern (White's), and
two inferior ones. Families may now find houses of any sizes to suit
them, at moderate rents. The roads in this neighbourhood are being
greatly improved. The towns of Cobourg, Port Hope, Colborne, Grafton,
Brighton, River Trent, and Beaumont in the Newcastle district, are all
equally prosperous, and, like Peterborough, are surrounded by genteel
families from the United Kingdom; in short, the advancement of this
district is almost incredible."
But there is one important subject relative to emigration which must be
considered; if it be, as I trust my readers will be inclined to think
with me, a national question, it is highly expedient that it should be
not only assisted, but controlled by government. At present the
mortality is tremendous; and I very much question whether there are not
more lives sacrificed in the _transport_ of the emigrants, than
subsequently fall a prey to disease in the western States, bordering on
the Mississippi. With those who would emigrate to the United States, we
have nothing to do, neither do they so much require our sympathy. The
American packets are good vessels, and they suffer little; and when they
land at New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia, the charity of the
Americans is always ready for their relief. But with the poor emigrants
who would settle in Canada, the case is very different. It must be
understood, that the Quebec trade is chiefly composed of worn-out and
unseaworthy vessels, which cannot find employment elsewhere; for a
vessel which is in such a state that a cargo of dry goods could not be
entrusted to her, is still sufficiently serviceable for the timber
trade--as, `allowing her bottom to be out' with a cargo of timber she of
course cannot founder. But if these vessels are sufficiently safe to
bring timber home, they are not sufficiently good vessels to receive
three or four hundred emigrants on board. Leaky, bad sailers,
ill-found, the voyage is often protracted, and the sufferings of the
poor people on board are dreadful. Fever and other diseases break out
among them, and they often arrive at Quebec with sixty or seventy people
who are carried to the hospital independently of those who have died and
been thrown overboard.
Sometimes their provisions do not last out the voyage, and they are
obliged to purchase of the captain or others on board, (who have
prepared for the exigence,) and thus their little savings to recommence
life with, are all swallowed up to support existence. I believe that
what they suffer is dreadful; and if ever there was a case which would
call forth patriotism and sympathy, it is the hardships of these poor
people. Allowing emigration not to be a national question, still it is
a question for national humanity, and all this suffering might be
alleviated at comparatively a very trifling expense.
If two or three of our smaller line-of-battle ships now lying at their
moorings, were to be jury-rigged, without any guns on board, and manned
with a sloop's ship's company, they would not decay faster by running
between Quebec and this country than if they remained in harbour. One
of those vessels would carry out 2,500 men, women, and children. Let
the emigrants take their provisions on board, and should their
provisions fail them, let there be a surplus for their supply at the
cost price. Under this arrangement, you would have that order,
cleanliness, and ventilation which would insure them against disease,
and proper medical attendance if it should be required; you would save
thousands of lives, and the emigrant, as he left the ship, would feel
grateful for the benefit conferred. But the assistance of government
must not end here: the emigrant, on his arrival, is adrift; he knows not
where to go; he has no resting-place; he is a perfect stranger to the
country and to every thing; he exhausts his means before he can find
employment or settle: other arrangements are therefore necessary, if the
work of charity is to be completed. Indeed, the want of these
arrangements is the cause of a very large proportion of the Canadian
emigrants leaving our provinces and settling in the United States, where
they can immediately find employment; and Americans, agents of the land
speculators, are continually on the look-out in Canada, persuading the
emigrants, by all sorts of promises and inducements, to leave the
provinces and to take lands in the States, belonging to their employers.
Every emigrant lost to us is a gain to America; and upon the increase
of the English population depends the prosperity of the Canadas, and our
best chance of retaining them in our possession.
Both Upper and Lower Canada have one great advantage over most of the
other territories of the United States, which is, that they are so very
healthy; the winters in both provinces are dry, and, in Upper Canada,
they are not severe; and the summers are cool, compared with those of
the United States. Indeed, in point of climate, they cannot be
surpassed; and I rather think, independently of its fine soil, which
enables it to grow every thing (for even tobacco grows well in Upper
Canada), that in mineral richness it is not to be exceeded. It abounds
in water-power, and has several splendid rivers. As soon as the roads
are made (for that is the present desideratum in the Upper Province), I
have no hesitation in asserting, that it will be, of all others, the
most favourable spot for emigration. It is a man's own fault if, with
common industry, he does not, in a few years, secure competence and the
happiness arising from independence, when it is accompanied by that
greatest of all blessings--health.
There has been so strange and continued a system of misrule on the part
of the mother-country with respect to these provinces, that I am not
surprised at any thing which takes place; but it is certain that the
emigration to the Canadas has been very much checked by the Government
itself.
The price of land in the United States is fixed at a dollar and a
quarter per acre; be it of the best quality, full of minerals, or with
any other important advantages, the price is still the same. The set-up
price in Canada is two dollars per acre. If no more is offered it is
sold at that sum, but at no less. Now, whatever the Government may
imagine, I can assure them that this difference in the price is
considered very important by those who emigrate, and that thousands who
would have settled in Canada, have, in consequence, repaired to the
United States, much to our disadvantage; and this appears so
contradictory, as the Government have very unwisely parted with enormous
tracts of the best land, selling them to a Company at a price which,
with facilities for payment, reduces the price paid per acre by this
Company, to, I think, about one shilling and three-pence, and for which
the Company now charge the same price as the Government; thus giving a
bonus to speculators which they refuse to those who wish to become _bona
fide_ settlers. I never could comprehend the grounds upon which they
were persuaded to so unwise an act as that. The lands were sold to the
Company before the present Government were in power, but why the price
of the land still in possession of the Crown should be raised higher
than in the United States I cannot imagine. Sound policy would reduce
it lower, for the increase of wealth in the province must ever consist
in the increase of its population.