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HESeiiVTIONS OF ▲ PUBLIC MEETING At Brockville, 27th Oct. l«3'-2, AND PEimoif •10 IHE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, WITH THE ACCOMPANYINQ REPORT* PRINTED AT THE RECORDER OFFICE, BROCKTILLE, V. 0. t ;<'= 'm.i€W%.:, ,&■ %,i:Jk A' -'*i ^'^^ .,';.i Vf'Oi^Ci''-' "• ,' *. .• "i. ■ /*; •■ ■# * ;* At 11 }>u ill Bi-ockvi inlopung h Glixsford,! ihe follow! 1. Reso: importance with extre; •tlesirable a Resolvec ft>r the Imp this meetin X Resol' Daniel Jon .^ohn McD Elanathan J signatures t '•ollectlnfor to the conte they may < attend any i 4. Resolvi District. At a meet PAUL GLA I'f thoComm IMPBOVEMENT OF THB BT. IiAWBBNCE. PUBLIC MEETING. At u ])u'.j!ic mecthi^ of the Inhabitants of the District of Johnstown, held at the Court House; in Bi-oukviDc, pursuant to notice, on Saturday the 27th day of October, 1832 for tlie purpose oi' juloptiiig liicasurcs for promoting tlic improvement of the navigation of tlie St. Lawi-ciicc, Pau' <.{lii£ford,Esq. having bceu vailed to the Ciiair, and David B. O. Ford, Eaq. appointed Secrctoi-y. the followiii;; resolutions v/eio unuiiaaoualy udo])tjd. 1. Resohred, Thai as the Improvement of the J^avigation of the St. Lawrence is o{ the first importance to the Agricultural and Commercial interests of Upper Canada, wchave vimvc!: with extreme regret the delay vrhich has orcurred in entering on the aeccnipliglimcnt of ■^n ^lesirable an object. Resolved, That the Petitions to the diffcrciit branches of the Proviiuit.I L.e:'slaturc, prayin; ftr the Improvement of the Navigation of the St. Lawrence, submitted lo the consideration fi:" this meeting, be adopted. 3. Resolved, That Jonns Jones, Alexander Morrlr, V7illiam L. Wliiling, George Cra-wford. Daniel Jones, Andrew N. Buell, Paul Glasford, John Bogert, George Longley, George Malloeh, John McDonell, Justus S. Merwin, Alfred Hooker, Alexander McMillr.n; Alilieiis Jone:i. Elanathan Hubbell, Samuel C. Crane and William McQueen, Esqrs. be a committee to obUiin signatures to the Petitions and transmit the same for presentment lo the LegislaU'rc; also to <'oIlect'!nformation and prepare a statement, or report, to accompany tlic said Petitions relative to the contemplated improvenient of the St. Lawrenoe ; and to adopt such other means as they may deem advisable to accomplish the object desired, of whom such members as may attend any meeting called after notice, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business. 4. Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be published in the newspapers of tliL District. PAUL GLASFOIID, Chalr.nan. D. B. O. FORD, .'■;;'f.-ff-r/;. — ^O^— At a mcctina: ol' tlio Comniitfcr, heU tlie next week at the Court TToiiic in Drockvilit' PAUL GLASi-'ORD, Esq. -.vas ehostu Chdrimn, and ANDREW K. liU:]JJ^ Ky.r., ,Vfn-f/3)„ f'f the Committee. «■> KJ'tlP 87 PETITIOBT. TO THE HONORABLE THE COMMONS OF UPPER CANADA, 1\ PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED. THE PETITION' OP THE UXDERSIG^TED, I^'HJIBIT^^TS OF THE DISTRWr OF JOHXSTOWJ^, Humbly Sheweth: That your petitioners , deeply impressed with the importance of improving the navigation of the St. Lawrence to the agricultural and commercia} pros- perity of Upper Canada, beheld with regret the close of the last and prior Session of the Provincial Legislature without the adoption of measures for the accomplishment of so desirable an object: That though your petitioners duly appreciate the motives which have hitherto caused a disappointment of their wishes, yet they believe the period hag arrived when your Honorable House cannot but be satisfied of the impolicy of further postponing an undertaking calculated to produce the most beneficial results to the Province That your petitioners conceive the superiority of the St. Lawrence for com mercial purposes, and the advantages which must result to the Province from the removal of the difficulties of its navigation, are so obvious as scarcely to require enumeration; nevertheless, as the accompanying report or statement embraces a more particular view of the subject, your petitioners will not trespass on the time of your Honorable House by dwelling on the matter: but, referring your HonorabL House to that statement, together with the documents, plans, estimates and evidence laid before the House of Assembly during the two last sessions of the Legislaure, your Petitioners humbly pray your Honorable House to take the same, with their petition, into consideration, and to adopt such measures for the speedy improvement of the navigation ol the St. Lawrence as may be deemed advisable And your petitioners will «ver pray, &c. District of Johnstown, I2th November, 1832. • imposing ffiven be the weis (luring to Monti that floiT quantity cstimatiq through Montrel quantiti by whiJ on dowl £67,83f The! ihatwli .•savingJ To] tluga£| lDA, 1\ \niSTRICI improving rcia) pros- and prior ires for the petitioners )intmentol' Honorable tponing an e Province: ce for com- ovince from scarcely to •r statement irs will not the matter; ler with tlit: f Assembly umbly pray nsideratioii avigation ol itioners will itTiSPou/a'. THE COMMITTEE appoinle:} ul « PuUic .Meeting l.tld at the Cowl House hi BroeknUe on l^ 27(/i vUimOf lo prtpare a Stattmcut or Report on i/i; subject 0/ Improoing the J^uvigation oj the St. Lawrtnct, after mature consideration unite hi the following REPOR'I' : The Committee cannot but express the regret wl" ich they, in common wit)) those ivho liav* iiandidly viewed the subject in its miftortnntlwnringH must fcel^tlmtnn improvement so intimately connected \vith the commwce and agriculture of Uppir Canada, as the removal ol' tlie difficulties (>'■ navigating the St. Lawrence, has been so long de ayed. • As the great natm-al oiulct and iniei of the Province, it is to be lamented that so little attention 1ms brendevot<'d lothcnnitclyot thosi difficulties"and securing to the countiy u cheap, safe, certain and expeditious ciiant.tl of transi: for our cxjjorts and imports. TheCommittee have witnessed with much pleasure the prosecution of other prnjoci> for fucilitatiii/.'. internal communication through the country; and while they heartily up} ifivpofthor.ialinimiicstw^ by tlie Legislature in their promotion, they cannot but avow their fears that the desiru for ndvancini other objects has in too great a degree led to the ovtrlooking of wh;it they c( Uio country. Indeed, when considered as it should be, it cannot but be deemed the most' pop ilir and pi-ofif,al)le improvement in which the Legislature could embark. The Commit tue are aware that the advocates of the Rideau Canal will object that the latter, when tlie works on the Ottawa river are completed, will produce equal advanta^^es to tin; Province with i iic improvement of the St. Lawrence. But thoiujh the Rideau route, if completed, rnay slightly dcract from the preceding deductions by a partial lessening of the price of froi towing path f.^im Cornwall to Prescott ; the otlior for steam-boats of a large class dmwing ci -or nine feet w;if.cr. The latter has generally been thought on too large a scale to be undirtakc with the present resources of the Prevince, while the attention of the Lcgi.sla.urt; has been moic immediately o.lled to the former. The committee, however, are of opinion that neither mode i- at present ttie most desirable. The great facilities in speed, safety and certnintv aiihrdcd Ic jsteam navigation give it a decided preference ; bf sides, merchandize conveyed by-its nieaiia uuiy always be Kecu.ed'from damage by rains and inclement weather, to wlrfch in open b(^-its it w •almost unavoiiiably more or less exposed. These con;iidcr.\lions have led the roniniitt(;e to tl:c •tionclusiou tliat an improvement adapted to steam-boats for iiavi-^ting in,,'f!'e feet depth of w.-ur , -.vould coaibine the most beneficial rcnult.s. A change from the previously contemplated Durluur. iiboat improve^iivrit of fourfceJ water to that of a steam-boat navigation of fire feet water will n.n ^ery materially increase the costs of construction. The saving on the towhig jiath, which wil ffiot be required in a steam-Wat imjirovemeut, will go far towards j^aying thr cxini c.\p'jn*; - But even, sh( 10 £80,000, :id vantages. passengers, i flour, at the Montroul, an But to pro cheapness, an begin wiUi * 1. Allthoc !»ndPrcscott causes. 1. 1 to wet while leakaga, the precaution. uf the river. until the wo lulvantageoi St. Lawrenc improvcmeii 1)8 caually s mercnanuiz( wet or dam! iftheywoul With the 05 in the St. Li repasfi eacli Rideau (Jan ■Boats with 'grounding, ( Iloss. So li^ extremely ' In ]mnt of not only l)c 2. Next, ■Montreal, I !li.>n def-i'.o!i I'unher dcs j(ii num; tir, in 0, when till' issustuinc'd nvince ovrj ber and wr )itant,eacli 10 number d be about nd tlio loiiK than £1, nam, upon as a very :h male iii proVi3ment aubjectini; ic rem aval 10 Province up the St. c not tikfii )vc rcsultB. ra^ about y in aboiii. he niunboi' rimis to thr important fimincntly be deemnd the latter, ges to tlu; ■completed, ) of fro. it;;] I r II thn scido [iwrcnco* — nmciUiittly of tlie vast iwrenr.u r.o >pro;ioh^t!ic ro they .itrc iroving^ ille Ic to advcrl , th nmoh ci : yc:ir IB.'iO :!ni>!y,) fu:' [Iter and ;> Avinf; ci^Iil indtrf(ik( i; Heen inoic' nrinodc i- (Ihrded I_v ueana mny JfVlfS it K t(;e (o tlic hof viUri d Durluup trwi!! n'li !\-liich wii: xponsc-- Hut even, shouW the cost lie raised from E 15, 197, (the pstimeitc ftirth'-nm-ham-bottt imnrovcmont.) 10 £80,000, or £100,000, the difl'ercncc will be far more than conni< rbalanced by the .superior advantages. This change will enable forwardin;^ to be done by Kiiam-boats adapted to convoyin;: passengers, and each boat towing two covered barges containing freight equal to 4000 barrels o? (lour, at the low prices for the latter of 9d. per bbl. from Proscott, or lOil. from Kingston, t<» Montreal, and up of 1 Id. from Montreal to Prescott,_or la. to Kingston. But to proceed to the comparison. Tli« chief objects to be nttamed arc mfety, expedilioii, cheapness, and certainty. In considering the comparative merit* of the two routes the committee begin wiUi tcjety. 1. All those who are conversant with the mode of navigating th« St. Lawrence between Montreal *ndPredCott are aware thutthe losses and injuries to freight have chiefly arisen from one of three causes. 1. Lealcai|ti ol bouts. •?. Removal of goods from the boats uf the portages and exposure to wet while undergoinc; r.iriajErc. 3. The duiifi^'ra of the niivigatifm. To the first cause of damagr leakage, the boats on l)oth loutcs will bo equally liable and it can only be avoided by care .and precaution. The second and third causes of loss will bo done awajr by the proposed improvements of the river. To the two last forwarding by the Ridcau route will continue to be liaole, at least until the works on the Ottawa rivor arc completed. At prctent it is found cheaper and more advantageous to ycnd ] r(.d!ic(! from the iicif^hborliood of Perth, round by Kinyslon and down the St. Lawrence to Montreal, than by the Rideau Canal and Ottawa river. But supponin;: the improvements contcmplaud on both routes are accomplished. And will not the St. Lawrence he eaually safe for forwarding as fJio Rideau Canal and Ottawa river? Will not produce and inercliaiiuizc in cfjvercd IJarges towed by Steam Boats on the St. Lawrence, be as secure from wet or damage as if in lilco Steam BoiUu iiiid Bar^':es on the Rideau route? It would be strangr if they would not. But further, would tlicy not bo less liable to loss on the St. Lawrence? With the exception of some short cutsljy eannid to avoid the rapids, the broad expanse of water in the St. Lawrence ami its Lakes \rouU enable ahnotil any number of Steam Boats to pass and repass eacli other with jierfect ease and safety. Could this be the case along the line of the Rideau I 'anal? Far otherwise. Pent up in a narrow, and generally .shallow channel, Steam There would be constant d'Miger of and is extremely doubtful if it cmdd bo navigated at all by them during the least darkness in the night. In point ofKttJrty, t'loreforo, it is evident, that for fonvarrling, the St. Lawrence improved, would not only be fully equal, but somewl'.at. superior to the Rideau route. 2. Next, OS to expcdiUnr. A Steamboat leaving Kingston with two Barges in tow for Montreal, by tlie Rideau Canal, must ascend 185 feet of Lockage to attain the summit level, !h.^n descend about 290 feet more to arrive at the Ot.'awa river. In the Ottawa there must be a furiiier dcsneiit by Locka?:e and another in the Laebine Canal. Assummg the two last descents to be 43 feet, (they axe probably more,) and thern would be on the whole line SOO feet of Locic;i,";c, pn whieli thern are about BO Locks. In ^oing and returning between Montreal and 'Kingston, bJjWbi.-; route, P.oats mufit pabs 500 feet of Lockage and 60 Locks twice, making equal 10 TtiOO feet fflfyti»ockage nn(n20 Locks. Now considering these Locks to be scattered along vhe ^hol'! liiVof tli(! route, the time requir^ii lo unfasten and fasten the Barges in tow, lottin^-^ oft.-ttui gettin*iii]) fiteuni and otlier delays, and that each Boat and Barge must |iass every Lock >im?ai"6*( '.y, it nmst be admiued that 10 minutes to c.aeh Boat and Barge in pa.ssing a Lock is a .'very small aliowaiiee; making toa SteH.mboat r.nd its two_ Barges 30 minutes. At this rate t isii^jimboat with its Barnes would occupy each trip from Kingston to Montreal and back again mJivo days (ind a half in pas.iing the LocLt oidy ! rf* 'Again, Gupposu)g}>roduce and mcrrhanili/e are to be transmitted Tietwecn the country above I Ivin.'iston and Montreal. A lurjio Steam Boat laden arrives at Kingston from above, and her .' ♦loading is transfcired to l!;C Ridcau Cuial Steamboats and Barges. From Kingston tw Montreal, via. the Ridcau Ciuial, the distance is estimated at 254 miles. Going and returning, ' ,")08 miles. Allowing each, Steamboat with its two Barges in tow, to progress at the rate of 120 miles per dav, (v.'l^ic.h is certaiidy a great speed for a small Steamboat, towina; 2 Barges with o *Veight eqiud to 4000 barrels of flour, subject to be delayed by passing other Boats with Barges III tow and dark nights in a narrow channel and by waiting for other Eoat.s to pass the Locks,) iim] it Avill rcquin) something more than 4 days and 5 1-2 hours to go and return. Add, say ■;J 1-2 hours for hindrance from, currcntis, in ascending from Montreal, and the account for one :i]i stands tlius : Kingston to Montreal and back again, 4 diiys, .5 1-2 hours, Tlindranee from currents, in ascending, " 61-2 " J'ossing Loek«, 2 1-2 days, f)r 2 «* 12 " Boats wif.li Barges in tow would pasa with si;mo difliculty grounding, or coming in contact and causing leakage and exposure of the loading I o wet ar loss. So liable, indeed, would the Boats of the Rideau Canal be to such accidents that it Total> 7 days. 8 Now, to ealimatc the time required for the same trip by the SU Lawrence, alier tho river i*« improved, the distance beinc; S4 miles shorter and there being 70 miles of navigation bctvrrrti Kingston and Prescott for the largest class of Steamboats. It is well known that nearly all thr large Steamboats which ply the waters bf Lake Ontario, especially those last built, move at the rate of from 10 to 13 miles on hour. In every new Boat built for the purpose, the spirit of competition will lead to an endeavor to increatin (his s[)eed. But, assuming 10 miles an hour ft» tho ratio of movement and the same large Steamboat coming from above Kingston, instead of Htopping short at that place, woidd glide on down th« St. Lawrence, 70 miles further, with its passengers and lading, in 7 hours to Prescott, where her loading would be transferred to the river Steamboats and Barges. From Prescott to Montreal, considering the acceleration of speed from the currents, the Steamboats .md Barges would easily progress at the rate of eight miles an hour, and as the distance is but 130 miles, would descend in 16 1-4 hours, probably in muf h less lime. When the river is improved, there will be, in the distance, about 13LockK, soy Ifi. At the rate allowed on the Rideau Canal, .30 minutes in the aggregate for a Steamboat and its two Barges to pass each Lock, to pass these Locks would require 7 1-2 hours. From Montreal to Prescott, at the rate of 5 miles an hour, as on the llidcau Canal would require 26 hours. As the • urrent is stronger than by th(s Ritleati route, instead of 6 1-2 hours, ollow for retardment by ••urrents, say 12 .3-4 hours. Passing 13 locks, 7 1-2 hours; from Prescott to Kingbton 7 hours nnd the result of such a trip, by the St. Lawrence, is as follows : Kingston to Prescott, 7 hours, Prescott to Mrmtreal, 16 1-4 " Passing 15 locks, 7 1-2 " Montreal to Prescott, 2C " . Prescott to Kingston, 7 " Passing 15 locks, 7 1-2 « Retardment from currents, 12 3-4 " Total only 84 hours or 3 1-2 days. As the time required for the trip by the Ridenu Canal route, when finished, would be 7 dnj ,<„ there would be the astonishing soving of 3 1-2 days, or one half, by preferring the St. Lawrcnrr when improved! How vastly superior, therefor*, would be the St. Lawrence in point uftxjttdiliou when that superiority wo\dd allow of 60 such trips l)eing made by a steamooat and its two barges, while in the same time by the Rideau only 2.') could be accomplished, cause an immense .saving of valuable time each year during tlie boating season and enable produce and merchandize »o bo forwarded by the St. Lawrence at rates far lower than by the Rideau, at one half the outltt\i in boats, barges and expenses, and in mie halj the time! Imagine the important beneficial <;ffect these superior advantages of the St. Lawrence would produce on the trade, commerce nnd agriculture of the Province ! 3. But, to advert to some of these beneficial results, at the same time toexaminethe two routes as to cheapness. Supposing that 12 steam-boats at the cost of JE2000 each und 24 barges at£25(» each were required to do the forwarding by tlic Ridcuu route. These in the aggregate would cost £30,000. As by the St. Lawrence two trips could be made in the time of one by tlie Rideau. onlt^ Aa(/' the number of steam-boats and barges would be required on the former, thus savins; i n cost of first outfits £1 5^000 or $60,000. Again, as steam-boats and barges will not in general last more than 10 years this siun of .C 15,000 would be saved every 10 years. Aigain, tlie daily expenses of navigating a steam-boat with two bniges may be estimtxlpH a ibllows: £ «. Steam Boat, Master, 15 Engineer, 10s. Assistant Engineer 78. 6d 17 4 Firemen, 3s. 9d.eaoli, 3 Sailors 3s. each,.. .. 1 1 1 Cleric, 3 7 Cords Wood, 6s. 3d 2 3 Barges, 8 men 38. each, 1 4 Bbardofabove 18 individuals. Us. 3d. per week, 1 8 Extra and other expenses say, 2 12 The interest of capital expended in building steam-boat andbarges£2,500, at 6 per cent per annum, is 8s. 2 3-4d. As the boats will navigate only half the year this sum will be doubled, making daily expense of capital, 16 As boats must be rebuilt once in 10 3rears, add, therefore, for loss in wear. &c 1 7 .(. G 9 9 11 3 6 1-9 Daily expenses of a steam-boat and two barges say £13 10 Would the sar Fron to Moil iVom rales, equal I and forwajl •profit profit when I be at the tol shoultT remail exper may : all, «^onse routcl Ithc river i" Ion bctAfrrti Inrly ull thr [move at the [the spirit of an hour ft» Ji, instead of kcr, with its lerrcd to the jtion of spfcd Ight miles an In miirh Icm (Noy I;i. At and its two I Montreal to lurs. Asthc Jtarilmcnt hy iBton 7 hourj. lid be 7 tlay.c, St. Lawrcnrr It uferpediliou t and Its two B an inuncnsf d inerchandize \ half the outlaij Lant beneficial commerce nnti the two routes mrges at £25(1 :re{;atc wouKI bylheRidcau, ', thus savin j; s this siun of c estimatpd a- • Now a 3tnum-l)0iit and its Iwirpes in going from Kingston to Montreal, via the Ridcau route, wcupie87d»yM. Ali;l2 10«.adaythnex|)«'nsc8foratripamounttoi;87 Uh. AliowingSSlripsdiirin^ tlu! bouting neabon and the ammnu would bi!X3187 10N.makingthecx]unHcM for l28tcam-ljoat8 ami their bargcii each year, (nuppoHing lluni to be employed,) during tnc boating scaxon £86,250. — How 'lifli'nnt the ixptnses of couveyin;» the same quantity of freight carried by tliese 12 steani- l)oa'8 and thrir burKcs, if forwuidcd by tlic St. Lawrence wlicn improved ! As n trip by the St. Lawrcnre, (im|)rovedi would occupy but half the tlnu; of a trip by the Ridcau, consequently the same amount of frein-ht nmy bo forwarded through tlic fcmicr by one lialf the number of uoats an 1 at a saving of oui half tlio oxpcnsrs. Thus alfording a char saving in trpmara done tarh year in favor of the St. Lawrencf. route oj £li,\i5\ Surely licrc is u most powerful reason for imnroving the latter! The fominiltee, however, feel bound to take another view of the matter. Admitting the exports hnd imjiorts of the country uhould be sulFjcicnt to give employment to twelve steam-boats and their twenty-four bargcH, on the Ridcau, during the season of boating, at the freight price of la. 4d. ixir weight of a barrel of flour down, and Is. 7d. u|), (see calculation as to price of freight post,) tuid the cost of the freight convnycd would be £)75,000 each year. The transport of the sanio freight by the St. Lawrence, at lOd. per Bbl. down, and Is. up, (vide post,) would be £110,000, thereby producing >j/ ftr^ftrting the fit. Lawrence, a dear itaving every year of £65,000 ! But again, the daily expense ofu steam-boat and two barges is emimated above at £18 IDs. and for a trip up and down, by the Rideau, between Kingston and Montreal, at £87 IDs. Alluwine a Kteam-')oat and its barges to take down what would equal 4000l)nrrels of ftonr, and to bnng up the same quantity, making up and down equal to 8(KU) barrels of flour. The tolls imposed by the proclamation of His Excellency the Lieutenant Govcrnf)r is B 1-8d. per barrel of flour, from ICint';ijtonti> Bytown. After the improvemer.tH in the Ottawa arc completed add 2 l-2d. ])er luirrel fur a loll m Lower Canada — in all 5d. Tlio tolls on 8t)00 barrels would therefore be £160 1.33. 4il. Add tn this the exnonsesoflhe trip as above, £87 lOs. and the aggregate actual costs of such a trip withoiu any profit to the fbrwartlcrs would Imj £254 3s. 4d. Now dividr ihis sum l»y 8000, the number of Iwi r. 1h, and the result is 7 C-Sd. per h;Mrel. Allow the tolls by tho St. Lawrence to Ijo, tl.e s.unp, vi/,. 5d i)er barrel. Huch a trip by the latter, as ha? been shewn, would require but luilf tlio time of the Rideau route ; and consccpicntly the expenses would bo but half as much, or one iialf of £87 10s. being £4!J 15?. Add the same amount of tolls as by the Rideau, viz. £166 13. 4d. and the acunl cost cf the freight of 8000 barrels would be £210 8t;. 4d. or £43 Ifir;. OJ. less than by the Ridcau. Knw, if the forwarders by the St. Lawrence were to charge at the rate of 7 5-8d. per barrel of flour, on their flown and up freight they would gain on such a trip £43 15s. in 3 1-2 days, or on two trips £87 10s. every seven days, while forwarders on the Ridcau could niiike but one trip in 5;even days and actually gain nothing ! Again, a Rideau canal forwarding steam-boat with its barges would forward frerght in seven days equal only to 8000 barrels of Ilour, while a St. Lawrence steam-boat and two barges wo\dd forward equal to ICOOO!' Again, in six months a RideaiicanRi steam-boat wiih its barges would only make about twenty-five trips between Kiufrston and Muntreal ; and at the price of 7 5-8d. i)er barrel i';r the freight, without any profit wlintever to ihc owner, while in the same time a St. Lawrence stc;im-boat and its barges could perform upwards of fifty puch trips, and gain to the owners £2187 lOs. which on six slcnm-boats and their barges by the St. Lawrence ■Would be £13125, while on twelve or any number of stcum-boats and barges by the Ridcau, at the same price of freight, the gain xcould be nothing ! From these calculations it may be readily seen that freight may be fonvarded from Kingston to Montreal, by the St. Lawreiice, when improved, at aljout lOd. per barrel of 220lbs. or 9d. from Prescott ; and up at aliout 12d. from Montreal to Kingston, or lid. to Prescott. At these rates, the freight equal to 4(M),000 Ixirrcls of flour sent down, and 10,000 tons of merchandise, equal in weight to 101,818 barrels brought up, in 1831 would have amounted to £21,767 lis. 4d. and have yielded, (after p.xyini'; a toll of 5d per barrel) a clear profit or gain to the forwarder, if the St. La^/rcnce were improved, of at least £8168. This would be such a return of profit as could not but satisfy the reasonable wishes of any forwarder. To produce a similar profit to the forwarders on the Ridcau route, (allowingj the tolls never to exceed 5d. per barrel, when the works on tho Ottawa arc completed,) the freight price from Kingston down, must be about Is. Id. and up, ls.4il. per weight of a barrel of flour. But when it is considered that the tolls now imposed in Upper Canada, if the whole exports and imports of the Province should pass through the Ridcau canal, (a matter extremely improbable even if the St. Lawrence remains unimproved,) would not raise a revenue more than half sufficient to defray the annual expenses of lock-keepers, repairs, &c. of that canal between Bytown and Kingston, (see post,) it may fairly be concluded that tlic tolls in Upper and Lower Canada, on that route, will not in all, eventually, be less than 8d. or 9d. per weight of a barrel of flour, (see post,) and th«i •lonsequently to allow the same gains to the forwarders as would be obtained by the St.Lawrence route, at the low price of freight al)ovc stated, after paying 5il. pcv barrel toll, the price of freight 10 wiU eventually be, by the Rideau, Is. 4d. per barrel from Kingston down, and Is. 7d. from Montreal up. At these rates, the freight of the exports and imports of tlie Province in 1831 would have amounted to the sum of ;£34,726 Ss. 2d. while by the St. Lawrence it. would have amounted to £21,757 lis. 4d. only ; and the Province would have been saved in freight £12,968 13s. lOd.! In ten years this sum would amount to £129,686 18s. 4d.! Ami considering the increase of population perhaps not less than £170,000 or nearly double the probable cost to Upper Canada of the proposed improvements of the St. Lawrence! ^sto cheapness and expedition, therefore, the Rideau route, when ^.ompleted, must remain vastly inferior as a channel for forwarding to die St. Lawrence when improved. 4. The next point of comparison is certainty. It is of the first importance to tlie country that its great highway of commerce should possess a certainty of duration. In constructing the Rideam Canal immense dams are used, upon the stability of which tlie only chance of forwarding produc( and merchandize through that medium depends. But as it is well known, that however great the care and precaution exercised in their construction, dams arc always liable to give way in times of flood or sudden rise of water, there is no certainty that the Rideau Canal dams will continue. Again it is a well attested fact that there have been in past years several seasons of such drought as to cause the waters of the Rideau to leave the bed of the river in parts nearly dry. Since the commencement of the Rideau Canal the seasons have generally been wet ; but even tills year there has been a complaint of want of water in the route of theCanal near Kingston and a consequent stoppage of the Stean^ Boat Union in its ascent to that place. It is therefore but reasonable to anticipate future failures cf tJie necessary siy)ply of water for the purposes of navigating the canal. In short that between the danger of Dams and Locks, from their number and nze, giving wouand dry seasons, there is no certainty that the exports and imports of the country can be forwarded through thai diannel. Now supposo ihe works on the Ottawa should be completed and that in consequence ofthenon improvement of the St. Lawrence, the whole forwarding business should be diverted into the Rideau Route "and the boats 'on the river go to decay or be removed to other parts, suppose all tliis should happen and then one parhaps more of the great dams on the canal sliould in a freshet give way!" or that in a dry season tlie necessary supply of water on that route should fail ! As the Rideau canal boats will not bo adapted to the navigation of the St. Lawrence between Prescott and Montreal when vmimproved, imagine then, in eiilier case, " the apuailing efffect on Upper Canada ! Her forwarding business at a complete stand — her commerce checked — her produce locked up in the country perhaps a whole year, at least until the breaches in the Canal are repaired" new boats 1)uilt to navigate the rapidsof the St. Lawrence, or the showers of Heaven replenish the waters of the Rideau! — "The merchant calls for his pay. The farmer is unable to sell his produce, because there is no way of sending it to market, therefore he cannot pay. The merchant, pressed by his creditor^*, sues. Executions follow, the property of the farmer is sacrificed, destitution and misery ensue, and all because the forwarding business was left to depend on the Rideau Canal ! This is but a faint picture. The consequences would be ftur more serious. The losses on the exports of the country would be immense. For instance on wheat and flour, which a few years hence will probably equal in a year 500,000 barrels of flour, the loss in price, deterioration in quality, dormant capital and otherwise, might far exceed 5 shillings per barrel ; but at this rate oa that quantity, would amount to £125,000 or $500,000! The "crash of mercantile establishments, the ruin of forwarders and general distress of the country which would ensue such an event would perfect such an exhibition of wretchedness, desolation and dismay as can better be conceived than described ! When there are certain means of obviating the possibility of sucli disma! consequences, tlie adoption of which would otherwise produce the most incalculable benefits to the country, it is hardly probable that the Legislature would assume the responsibility of leaving the inhabitants liable to, or venture to court these alarming evils, by neglectuig the adoption oi" those means, or in other words, by omitting the improvement of the St. Lawrence. Such a failure of the waters of the latter as to render it incapable of being used for forwarding was never known j and but few dams and those of little height and easily repaired will be required in tlie contemplated improvement of its navigation ; and should one of these give way, the worst possible inconvenience to which forwarding would be liable would be from half a mile to threr miles of cartage during tJie short time occupied in the repair. The St. Lawrence, therefore, when improved would be a morally certain while the Rideau would be a very uncertain channel for the forwai'diiig of the country. Wiiile a dependance on the latter might subject the country to frightful evils, the improvement of the St. Lawrence would avert the possibility of those evils mid produce the most happy results to the commerce and agriculture of the Province, Although the Committee conceive that in reference to safely, expedition, cheapness and cerlainty tlic great superiority of the St. Lawrence over the Rideau route for forwarding and in beneficial results are so manifest as to render any furtlier remarks unnecessary to satisfy the public of tlu necessity and good policy of proceeding at once with the former, yet there are other points, niaiij Dfthcmofgrei Committee th( 5. That the of ships and St to desert such steam boats ai 6. Sails ma not to any ben 7. The inhi Kingston and chet^), certaii receive merch 8. "Merch earlier in tht advantage. ] might be seni 381,000, Bes the Fall, the f Rideau Canal 9. The St. the Rideau ai of the Ridei cflnsideralion 10. The c will be so gr< judicious Pro part "of the and the great Occam ; whe correspondiui to be overlo probably yiel yearly reven 11. Lastl; encouraging made, freigh up for Is, per that these ra the forwarde freight equal weight to 10 the tolls at 5( the annual a of this amoi Province, an This sum, 1 improvenien few years w all necessarj i)e paid into annual exp* £18,000. ^ same rate of to £7,840, IJ the expense and imporU Province to amount to 8 Governmen keep it up a by the SL 1 made good 1 annually as Is. 7d. from ince in 1831 iawrcnce it, en saved in .4d.! And double the ence! ^sto main vastly mtry tliat its the Ridecni ling produc( wever great give way in dams will seasons of is nearly dry. ; but oveu lar Kingston is therefore purposes of mtmber and the country I should bo , the whole the river go )ne parhaps season tl\e i will not be mimproved, ing business perhaps a bavigate the Rideau ! — 3 there is no lis creditor^*, isery ensue, 'his is but a :portsof the hence will in quality, rate ov] that hments, the ;vent would B conceived sucli dismal benefits to y of leaving adoption of e. Such a ', was never iiired in tlic , the worst lile to threr t, therefore, in channel he coiuitry those evils \id certaintti a beneficial ublicof th( lints, man V 11 of them of great weight, which add much to the arguments in favor of the St. Lawrence. Thr Committee therefore further remark: 5. That the 70 miles of natural navigation between Kingston and Prescott for the largest class of ships and steam Idoats ought to give the St. Lawrence a decided preference. It would be folly to desert such a navigation for an artificial and comparatively contracted one, adapted to small steam boats and barges only. 6. Sails may be used on the St. Lawrence in facilitating the progress of boats and barges but not to any beneficial extent on the Rideau route. 7. The inhabitants residuag in the fertile country bordering on the St. Lawrence, between Kingstoii and Montreal, (200 miles) would by the improvement of the river possess a safe, che(^, certain and expeditious channel through which to send their produce to market and receive merchandize in return. The Rideau route would not yield them such an advantage. 8. " Merchandize and produce can be forwarded by the St. Lawrence at least a fortni;^^ I l. earlier in the Spring and later in the Fall than by the Rideau." This is a very important, advantage. Durmg this gain of time, v/ith 6 steam boats and their barges, 192,000 bbls. weight might be sent down the St. Lawrence to Montreal and the same quantity brought up, in all 381,000. Besides the advantage of being early in the market and of bringing up goods late in the Fall, the forwarders v/ould gam by this additional time of navigating about £7SW0, while tl'.c Rideau Canal boats would be laying idle ! 9. The St. Lawrence route possesses the superior advant.iije of being 54 miles shorter than the Rideau and is free from tlie surplus ascent of 165 feet of Lockage to attain the siunmit level of tlie Rideau Canal, and a descent by Lockagf of a greater extent ; both of which are cansiderations of great moment in reference to cheapucss and expedition. 10. The cheapness and facilities of forwarding througli the St. Lawrence, when improved, will be so great, and so fur exceed those of the Rideau or any other route, that, fostered by judicious Provincial enactments and regulations, there can be but little doubt that the greater part "of the produce of the extenbive country bordering on the South side of the St. Lawrence and the great Lakes, intended for foreign markets, would be sent through this channel to the Ocean ; whence the Province might reap the benefit of an extensive carrying trade and a corresponding increase of tolls on the passage down tJie St. Lawrence." This is an object not. to be overlooked. Indeed, the quantity of freight obtained from this source alone woukl probably yield not only an annual gain to the forwarders of 10 or 12 thousand pounds, but a yearly revenue to the Province on tolls, of eight or ten thousand pounds. 11. Lastly, as a source of revenue, the St. Lawrence improved would ensure the most encouraging results. It has been estimated above that when the iciprovements of this river arc made, freight may be sent down from Kingston to Montreal at the low price of lOd. and brought up for Is. per weight of a barrel of flour, (and it is probable that it may be done for less,) and that these rates would allow of a toll of 5d. per beu-rel, and still yield a very handsome profit to the forwarders, besides an immense saving to the public. Taking the data of 1831, viz. down freight equal to 400,000 barrels of flour and up freight 10,000 tons of merchandize, equal in weight to 101,818 barrels more, making a total of frei^T,ht equal to 501,818 barrels of flour, and the tolls at 5d. would amount to £10,454, 10s. lOd. Allow this sum to double in 10 years, and the annual average toll for 10 years to come would be £15,681 16s. 3d. Now, allowing one half nf this amount to go to Lower Canada, as abou half the improvements w juld be in that Province, and the proportion of revenue obtained by Upper Canada would be £7,840, 18s. 1 l-2d. This sum, besides paying the interest of the capital, expended in constructing the river improvements, would aflbrd a considerable sinking fund for the repayment of the principal. A few years would effect a repayment of the principal and then this sum at least, over and above all necessary disbursements attending the maintenince of the improvements of the river, would ijc paid into the Provincial Treasuiy for pubHc purposes. The committee are informed that the annual expenres of the Rideau Canal octween Ixingston and Bytown alone will amount to £18,000. Now, if the whole freight of the Province were to pass through that route, at tlic same rate of toll estimated by the St. Lawrence, it would only, as stated for the latter, amount to £7,840, 18s. 1 l-2d., which taken from £18,000 would leave aimualy £10,159, Is. 10 l-2d. of the expenses of that part of the Rideau Canal uvipaid ! Therefore, though the whole exports and imports of tlie Province should pass that w ly, the tolls would require to be raised in this Province to nearly triple what they now are, which, with those in Lower Canada, would amount to 8d. or 9d. per barrel ; otherwise this Province, if it should, (on an offer of the British Government,) assume the property of the canal, must pay out of the Provincial Treasury to keep it up and defray its expenses about £10,000 annually ! But on the other hand, if the tolls by the St. Lawrence were raised to the same ammint, instead of there being a deficiency to b(* made good by other means, there would be at least £12,000 or £15,000 of surplus tolls paid annually as a revenue into the Public Traasiu-y. iW 12 To recapitulate tlic chief points of superiority and advantage which the St. Lawrence, when, imjproved, would possess over the Rideau Canal route. As a channel of transit it would be 1st Mter; 2d, more expeiUtious ; 3d, cheaper; 4th, more certain ; 5tli, it has 70 miles of large Steam Boat and Ship Navigation, whicli the Rideau route has not ; 6th, sails may be used ni its navigation more advantageously than on the Rideau ro\ite ; 7th, the inhabitants on its border between Kingston and Montreal, would have by it a more certain, cheap and expeditious mode of going to and returning from Montreal with produce and merchandize than by the Rideau Canal ; Sth^ it is open a fortnight earlier in the Spring and later in the Fall than the Rideau ; 9th, it is 54 miles shorter and has not that inj^urious ascent of 165 feet and greater descent of Lockage of the Rideau Canal; 10th, its superiority to the Rideau route or any other, in cheapness and facilitiesof transport of freight would draw down its channel tlie produce of tlie country on the South side of the St. Lawrence and great Lakes, to the great advantage of the Provincial carrying trade and increase of the Revenue in tolls; ilth, and lastly, it would yield a largo annual revenue to the Province in tolls, while the Rideau would only help to drain its cqffera. As the St. Lawrence presents such prominent poipts of superiority and its improvemeni, promises such important benefits to the country, the committee trust that the Legislature will no longer hesitate to sanction an undertaking so highly desirable. Attempts indeed, may be made, originating from sectional interests to thwart its consummation, but the committee cannot believe tiie Legislature will consent to gratify any local and unreasonable endeavors to monopolize tlie carrying trade of the country, at the expeiise of public good and general Provincial prosperity. If particular interests are to weigh down the scale, assuredly those of Gananoque, Brockville, Prescott, Cornwall, with the other villages and the great extent ol fertile country bordering on the St. Lawrence would exhibit a claim far superior to any other that could be advanced, with the additional advantage of being consonant with the interests of the public. The improvement of the St. Lawrence would prevent the deterioration in value ol" property aloiig its borders, and cause the forwarding to continue as hitherto through the great na^iral highway of the country. The difficulties to be overcome are trifling compared with thf important public benefits which will follow. An experhnent of this year has shewn that an imprpvement of the river from the head of the Long Sault to Cornwall, about nins miles, would open a practicable steam-boat navigation from Prescott to Coteau du Lac, a distance of upwards of ninety. Lower Canada has already shewn her anxiety to improve the river by granting a year or two since several thousand pounds towards its accomplishment, and there; cannot be a doubt, that, if Upper Canada does her part, the whole may he completed in a short period of time. The Committee are aware that their report has been drawn out to a considerable length ; but they look for their apology to the importance of the subject examined, the difficulty of domg it justice without some degree Of latitude,' and the necessity of placing the matter in its true light in order to defeat all interested attempts to produce n false impression on tho public mind, in favor of the Rideau Canal route and to the prejudice of the St. Lawrence. Although they by , no means consider that they have adverted to every point of superiority of the latter over the former, much less that they have brought in view all the great and lasting benefits, present and future, which tlie country will derive from the Improvement of the St. Lawrence, yet they can- not but believe that sufficient, (and more tlian sufficient,) has been adduced to satisfy any can^ did mind that such Improvement ought no longer to be delayed. The vast saving in cost o freight to the Inhabitants of Upper Canada and consequent increase of prices for tlieir produce; the facilities of trijiij porting our exports and imports in reference to safely, certainty, cheapncsi and expedition, and tlie activity, spirit and enterprise which they will cause in the Trade, Coni' merce and Agricullm-e of the Province ; the accommodation to Emigrants and the Public a; regards conifortable, cheap and rapid travelling ; and the immediately considerable, and eventu ally immense Provincial revenue from tolls which will result from the improvement of the St Lawrence, afford the most powerful and conclusive arguments in favor of the undertaking, the promotion of the general prosperity of the Province be t|esirablc, no project of internal ini provement can produce more hi}p])y results, none can bo more popular aivl none 'viil go dovi to posterity with greater approbation and eclat. Its benefits will be felt by ever>^ succeedin] generation of our Inhabitants in accumulated degree and cause them to revprt with greatfu pleasure to the Legislature whose wisdom and forcsijrht lort them to consummate a work liighly fraught with blessings to the country- PAUL GLASFORD, Chairman of Committee. District of Johnstown, lilh .Vw. 1832. rcnce, whein would be 1st ilea oflar^F y be used ui on its border ditious mode y the Rideaii Rideau; 9tli, t of Lockagf: iheapncss and untry on the he Provincm] yield a largo cqffers. improvement le Le^slaturo empts indeed, tion, but the unreasonable ublic good and assuredly those great extent ol or to any other the interests of it ion in value ol' ougli the great npared with the sliewn that an 13 miles, would ance of upwards r by granting a ere cannot be a rt period of time, ible length; but culty of doing it in its true light public mind, in though they by- latter over the fits, present and :c, yet they can- satisfy aay call' saving in cost or their produce; ainty, cheapness the Trade, Com' ind the Public ai ible, and eventii smont of the St undertaking. I :t of internal ini anc 'viil go dovi every succeedin n't with greatfu unate a work & ASFORD, I 0/ CommHtec. £i