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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour gtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film6 d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 32 X 1 2 3 4 5 6 A SHORT HISTORY -OK THE- \ I VKJrORlA RAILWAY — CONTAINING — AN ABSTRACT OF THE SPEECHES OF THE PROMOTERS, AND OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ONTARIO GOVERN- MENT AND OTHERS. J?-? J . I 1884 PUBLISHED BY OKDER OF THK MUNICIPAL CORPOKATION (»F THE TOWN OF LINDSAY. A SHORT HISTORY THE- VICTORIA RAILWAY — CONTAINING — AN ABSTRACT OF THE SPEECHES OF THE PROMOTERS, AND OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ONTARIO GOVERN- MENT AND OTHERS. PlTBLtSHKl) BV OliBRK oP THE MONICIPAL CORPORATION OP THK ^ XOWN OF LIN08AY, 1884. Coui edb affeti who desif comi ofth( on b< bonu Victc formi bonu comp quite theo tion after ties, ; tion I from respc rest i by ei VICTORIA RAILROAD SCHEME. PREPARATORY. As the ratepayers of the Town of Lindsay, in the County of Victoria, feel they have been grievously wrong- ed by the projectors of the Victoria railroad as well as affetced by the inaction of the Government of Ontario who were considered abettors and promoters of that designed railway; as they feel that they are entitled to compensation because they were induced by the promises of the said promoters, on behalf of themselves, as w 'I as on behalf of the said Government, to give a very iaxge bonus in order to secure the completion of the said Victoria railroad, and that after having faithfully per- formed their part of the contract by giving the said large bonus, the said projectors — that is the Victoria railway company — having only completed the said road not quite half the distance from the Town of Lindsay to the objective point of the Victoria railroad at the junc- tion of the Mattawan and the Ottawa rivers, and then after having received bonuses from other municipali- ties, as well as aid from the English Land and Emigra- tion Company, in the County of Haliburton, and also from the Government of Ontario, got rid of their responsibility to all concerned by selling out their inte- rest in the said Victoria railroad to other parties, there- by entailing serious loss and entbarrassment to the r f 4 be their virtual pledges ,mt t ^-l' "'"^ ""^lievecl to but h i J actnXliled ?„7''^'^ ""^ ^•■"d road road from the village of cZ u "^"'^ouraKed a rival "ver, even thouRh ^L H?'7''"\""t to the Ottawa seventeen miles longe from /h '°n'' """'"' ''•''ve been ra'lroad then eiven to t1 ^.^ *^^"''<'« '""cific line of longer to Lake Ontario tWhTv' ''"''■ ''"«>-«-« m/leJ be, and therefore they c .^ ^ Y'"^"!^"' "-ailroad would fded to redress for the os J, ,''■ ''"">' ■■">'' J"stly en sequence of the noi' com! o?'o7^h'^ "^^"^ '" ™"- -Iroad, according to the l:^^^ inttirn" ^"'°"' ITS EAiii.v HISTORY I'remierand other Menihrj J'.l"'' "^'he Provincia ment,containingwhatwa,.n "i**"^ 0"'a"o Govern hat^he said rofd wolTd'a^^fh^T"'''^"--*"- Lind^i "^^ "^^'•' ">■" prove thTt ,K " '^"'"P'eted to ■ Lindsay as well as other m • ' '^^ ratepayers of bonuses to the said road are ^^''^'Pt""'^' ^ho gave com^aint. °^<'' "« "ot without just caufe of . mr.ilr™f --X^fiirrf^if^p-y -^ . Wm '^K^^'Se Laidlaw, John Tnm!. '°''?"'"1S gentle- E'«f ". J. C; ^;ch^"ch"af' I'^r ^- ««--y R.-' W Cattenach. Mr LaiHl.,. •'•'^^'"P'^ell and Alev r' v.ce.preside„t, and mI'T Z'^'ff "ent, Mr. Cali^bii "=«".-« Of .pril. rsn, M-rrraldSwrdro o/fhj^: 'nships and to fnce in prom- ne ratepayers ^^'overnment IS Ijelieved to •he said road, irafred a rival the Ottawa ; have been ''^icitic line of Jy-five miles ilroad would '^' n^stly en- hem in con- t'd Victoria 1. a railroad, seeches of Ja railroad Provincial ' Govern- :uarantees npleted to payers of ^ho gave t cause of . •any was ^ gentle- Stephen, Jt, John R. W. Alex. J. ampbell In the 3r three other members cf the company came to Lind9ay, and while remaining at their hotel made an offer through Mr. S. C. Wood, then a resident of Lindsay and the representative of the County of Victoria in the Legis- lative Assembly of Ontario, 'to certain of the principal ratepayers of Lindsay who had assembled in another place for the purpose of hearing the proposition of the company. This proposition \\ as as follows : — The Victoria railroad company would construct a railroad from Lindsay to the village of Fenelon Falls ; thence further north to the village of Kinmount ; thence north to the village of Haliburton ; and from that place on- ward to the intended line of the Canadian Pacific rail- road at or near the junction of the Mattawan and the Ottawa rivers. This road was to be called the Lind- say. Fenelon Falls and Ottawa River railroad, as in the charter granted in 1872, and that for the purpose of carrying out the project and completing the said road they would require bonuses from certain townships and a bonus from the town of Lindsay of not less than $85,000, besides aid from other sources. Many of the ratepayers assembled \yere surprised at the large bonus required, and when they considered the rather large debt already on the town in consequence of having aided by bonuses other railway proirnls, they were disinclined to give the amount demande, and after some discussion the sum of $75,000 as a bonus was offered. This pro- posal was conveyed to the company, but Mr. Laidlaw at once refused to accept it and threatened to leave Lindsay without further negotiations on the subject. Upon this the matter was again discussed by the rate- payers. The project was thought to be a great one for the interest of Lindsay, particularly as it had been stated that the Victoria railroad would be made a col- onization road— one in which the whole province would be interested — and that the Government of Ontario Though several of the ratepayers still objected to give more than the amount at first offered, a majority de- SPEECHES BY THE PKoMOTERs. . foJlovving remarks •- ^"ended and he made the -y in/;>: hultrn^^t/n-; ?u? ,!':,'' ""' --'^ '° Lind. sidered their pro^rammp In ^\ , "^ '''''>' carefully con- propositions/ g^^h'n sttcheJTh'^ ^'"'^ ^^^' ^-^ the company up to the Das^.•no. r^u ^^ Proceedings of and explained tLt th^yTaT.^of^ot?"''^""^^"^ ^^-"^ from Lmdsay to the Ottaw. l. ^? "" continuous grant was too large^o be d?a&TtThe1'\"''^^-^^^ ^^^eme lie opmion was in its hJnr J ] ^^^^ session. Pub- extent, however that h^ '^^'^''^^^ to such a marked session ^^hen thp r o ^ '''^^ confident that the ntv. give the fuirandc.?e'Ii7r:"^^ """'^ have had ^rn"" burton to the Ottawa. tLTIZ I ''^"''^ ^^'^^ ^«'^*- soon as they got the sectin? T J" ^^^^ Prepared, as to proceed ^if h the survel from H^fK''^' ""^^^ way so as to lose as little time as noss^^i "/'? northward company ^,„j^^^^,^^^^^^^ * The . whether by written or verbal JZ J' ^% ^^'^^^ to do that m them lay to deserve tfcT.'' ^"^ ^^"^^ ^o all of Lindsay after such flo? ^f ^^"ficlence of the peonle was not to^ be Lppos^JXt'rh '"' t'^' ^'^^' ' ned on without beint^f "^'^ ^^"^^^ could be car say They (the X' e orZin'dl1)lT^^^^ ^^ ^^^"■ conhdencein the combinv . i%^^ ^f"^ ^narked their ;;;ost hearty gratitude S^'he^would '^'^ ^^^J: ^^^ ^'s the company would do th^.V ''^''"['' ^^^^^-^ them that ^ the company. 'le town hall, he made the )me to Lind- arefully con- 2ir very best )ceedings of mient grant nuous grant ^eir scheme 5ion. Pub- 1 a marked at the next ^ad time to -sired, they ^rom liali- epared, as inder way, lorthward, * * The 'eed to do >uld do all he people "^iven. It Id be car- ■ to Lind- ked their y had his hem that serve the 'Cheers.) stages of ' reports of colonization road for that extensive section between North Victoria, Peterboro and the Ottawa, a road that would develop and render attractive the lands which the Government had offered as a free grant and no- body took up*.- It afforded him great pleasure to see that the people of Lindsay had, by a large advance in the bonus, testified their confidence in the road avd he be.liaved the time would never come when they would re- pent the molution they hut ju»t caiTied * * * It marked a new era in the history «f Lindsay. In submit- ting the by-law the mayor, reeve and other members of the council would see that it contained the condition re- garding the interests of the town, such as workshops, free (train warehouses and other privileges. The scheme had been entered into in the very best faith by the company, and any failure could not be charged upon them, for they had worked faithfully and sincerely, He believed that the fall of 1875 would see a railroad from here to Kinmoun't, with every prospect of being pushed steadily forward to the Ottawa river." (Cheers.) FURTHER GUARANTEES. In private conversations which Mr. Laidlaw and Mr. Wood had with certain leading ratepayers, they stated that they had had satisfactory assurances that the Government would complete the road from Hali- burton. We find in the above report of his speech that Mr. Laidlaw repeated this assurance openly when he said " that he was confident they would receive liberal aid to carry on the road from Haliburton to the Ot- tawa," AND Mr. Wood evidently knew the inten- tions OF THE Government w^hen he stated at a SUBSEQUENT MEETING THAT THE ROAD "WOULD BE- COME A GREAT COLONIZATION ROAD FOR THE EXTEN- .SIVE SECTION^ BETWEEN NoRTH VICTORIA, NORTH " Peterboko, AND THE OTTAWA." There is no doubt but that at the time the company fully intended to do all they promised, and from the speeches of most Ui ■ 8 of the Members of -.h^ r> . • ■ f.f!?f1"«"""'=et,„l a^ST ^r'.^nment made both Mr. Laidlaw and Mr W.^ ""■'*'." -^elebrafons 'ng tnat the road would be m,H ^'^■"«J"="fied in s^y road and be completed to the Ot.al^r''"^ colonisation by the Ontario Government ■"" "^liburton f V ^V^Tbe^Xters SfT.n'd''^' '" '"^ -"'h of "f *85,ooo to the Victoria '-.'"d^'^y granted a bonus ™ay be remarked he etht 'l^^^^ '"'""Pany; and 1 Y«'e to be mentioned n 1 *hen certain conditions debentures to be g°ven to the J'"?"'™ *'"> 'be town were made on the^part o?thecom1>an'"PA"^' °^J«^"on" tliat any stnnirent ronW,f;„ '^'""Pany, it being asserteH ?f the bonds or deben^u ri "'. """'^ '° ^ffec? the sale .n an m,,^,,. ' The p"!pi: o Vf^f " '^"^ ""'^-bt confidence m the assn«„? ■ "''^='>' bavins however made, on behalf of fheV^'f' ?'^«" ^"d '" the pro nles he Ontario Govrrnml,)^'^''^''™*^ company JS bonds as the c'n,""; 'v^T,? '"Ar'^^'' ^ a^c^t "^°h road to Ottawa waTconce™"^" "^ ^"'"P''^"^'' °f '"e "St. i7:z"'!:Z:::::zTof'^^ - '^'^ 5th of au,. struction of the VictOTfarailr^ i*"^ """''' for 'he cof- ^indsay. The Hon C P p^** '™"'d be made at Pubhc Works for Sntari^ officTJf' ^^'"'"i^sioner of 'he first sod and made hefS^n "' " ''^"'- '"™ed Hon. C Frazer said .T'^S remarks .— opinion, and not speakinJ =^ ""'^^ his individual ment, that no betTernlTb ^* '"f'"'"^'- "f 'he Govern advancement of a'^^u" .'tha'^n^t l",^"'''' f-"- " the Province of Onto.; "y bmldinfj railwavQ Dominion 'hey must proTectaTdc" '"'^^ -head in tie rai ways He heartily wished n^*"^ -?"*«««• 'eading to the v'lctoria K^iud..',^" Prosperity and «„^^.„ «,,. "°"- ^'■. Mowat said. ■■«„:..■.„_ --nyway-in-Xh-^^otr^-^'hinkth lere more nment made celebrations, stified in say- colonization ^ Haliburton le month of ited a bonus any; and it 1 conditions h the town ; objections ing asserted -ct the sale ' unsaleable ng however e promises =>anyandof ccrept such ive, which worthless, tion of the th of Aug. f the con- made at ^sioner of e, turned > ; — - ndividual Govern- ed for the railways, id in the leading success . ik there d more usefully employ any portion of the surplus than by en- couraging useful railway enterprises. The Govern- ment had done something in that way already. After adverting in high terms to Mr. Laidlaw, and regretting that he was unable to attend, he (the Attorney-General) concluded by expressing his pleasure in seeing the commencement of this great enterprise." (Cheers.) CONTINUED PLEDGES. At the banquet in the evening Mr. Mowat further said on behalf of the Governmc , "He was not going to say that the Victoria Railioad scheme deserved their support, for of that fact they were already aware. He had heard a great deal about the benefit of th^ scheme, which they were gathered there to fnriher, and their members had proved to a demonstration that the railway was wanted, and ought to have the support of the Government " Hon. C. F. Frazer again said, " They might all feel very proud of what they saw around them in con- nection with the railway gathering, which was one of the grea:_jt he hacj ever had the pleasure of being present at. He expressed the pleasure he felt at being present at their gathering, and said he trusted that the Victoria Railroad would prove not lonly a benefit to the town of Lindsay but to the whole of the country." (Cheers.) - Senator Alexander said, " He expressed a hope that the Victoria Railroad would soon be pushed on to the Ottawa river, etc." Thomas Oliver, M. P., and Arther McQuade, M. P., spoke heartily in favor of the road. D. McCrea, M. P. P., said, " He hoped the Gov^ ernmcnt would be especially able to aid the company in pushing through the line to the Ottawa. He be- lieved this course would be endorsed by the great majority of the House." Speeches favoring the project were also made by lo OOVERNMENT Alp PROMISED. Mr. S. C. Wood, M P P n,„ i. • meeting, said, after havim^ „ii j l <=na'fnian of the displayed by he munidDahti« ^/''c'" "'* ''''^^^'i'y lam, Fenelo; Fails anTT-i dsav •■ Ih'"!"'"'' ^<'™- mount would soon be contt^w^' jl '"<= '» Kin- « w«« 6e, pushed «, ZtZ^^L!,''' ""1 *« *«'' «" '«<>«*« The Govemnent h^d aXd i '^"T*'" '" "'* ^««'«- first portion of its sctmefnH^h''™'''° ?''''>' ""' 'he to *^ made, for it was never i^f!,' T^"'' '"»"« *«»<•' stop at KinmbunT. * . '«ended for a moment to scheme of a merelv q^ib.,!, V "°'' therefore, a tnroughan unsettled counl'v t ,!,' T'^^, pass necessm-y to come to the OoZrnJl Z""', ""''"''"-''■ ** lieved the good sense ^Z J'" f?^ ""^' and he be- woald4ppro^eofahb;r:il»"=^ "^ ">« P-P'e to Mn Uidraw?th^pri„"raf ^''^^^""« '" "igh terms Railroad and the mah, '^,r '""''^"^'°'' °^ the Victoria formed to effect its con ?ructfon"'T "i ""= ^-^P^OJ' sources of that company necess^'^ ?" ^T" *" '^e re- off he road. He admitted th»Tt{^ the completion they had gathered tXther wL ^ enterprise which the members for the Local He ^L^S-J^' ""e, and that monstration that the ra^wL „ '"'' P™^**" *» a de- have the support of th ' G^rm?nr''rr' °"^'" '" therefore, Mr. Mowat mii«f h,, V^ '' '= assumed, support required from X Go? "°"'" ""^ '^e main road shnnlH h^ ._™™ .^"? Government was th,t ft,.; „..„;;;:-7:_"- -...piecea trom Haliburton afteT t'he municipal resources had been that place. For on that exhaust occasion ed in getting to Mr. S. C. Wood nt-Governor), irtiian of the the h'berahty erville, Veru- line to Kin- had no doubt the Ottawa. ^iry out the n was about would have 1 moment to therefore, a *r ims it a l^rstood that '-r it passed would pass therefore, be and he be- the people high terms he Victoria i company all the re- ^pmpletion "ise which '» and that id to a de- J ought to assumed, the main that fK«i ... iiivj after the getting to ^. Wood II then plainly said in the presence and hearing of Mr. Mowat, Mr. Frazer and all present that the line would exhaust municipal aid after it passed through Halibur- ton, that it would pass through an unsettled country, and that, therefore, it would be necessary to come to the Government for (ml. COMPLKTED TO KINMOUNT. Near the end of 1876 the Victoria Railroad was constructed as far as the village of Kinmount. Early in November of that year there was a banquet in Lind- say to celebrate the event. Mr. S. C. Wood and Mr. Pardee, both then members of the Ontario Govern- ment, were present, besides members of the Dominion and the Local Houses, and many other persons of dis- tinction. The following are some of the speeches made on that occasion: The Hon. Mr. Pardee said, " The Victoria Rail- road was one that had attracted a good deal of atten- tion, not only from-the people of the county of Victoria but also from the people of the Province oj Ontario, as it was a road that had more than a local significance. It was a railway that was calculated to open up the great heart of this country. As they were aware, the greater portion of the land in the province still unset- tled lay between the river Ottawa and the Georgian Bay. Without such a railway to penetrat.i into the in- terior of that wilderness it might be a century before it would be settled, but, with one, any man who had the opportunity of seeing this country ten years from now would hardly know it from a portion of the old settled portion of the Province of Ontario. * * * He thought he might say that the town o{ Lindsay hxid a hfltlht fnt.ill^/1 lt/l-t/\1>M at It- Vtr\A r\i~Kt- r\r\^%t rrj-\i- 4-V>a \7i/-« ■'■ "Ij-'-v y !.vtttr V fc-vyj-r '-• cf. iL Z2CS.VS HVJV xjtitj ;^Vt Vlic T i%-- toria Railroad, but he believed it was going to get a railroad from Port Perry also, the former leading to the Ottawa river, which he bel* :v<2d wc^s its objective ixtintj" 12 OF PBOVINCilAI. IMPORTANCE. , guestlte"e°nt .^[h ^°Th'' "^7'"^ *° ">« ■"""«™'« see thp trtwn IV r ' :i ^^^yj"i ""t come merely to see the town of Lmdsay or the county ; no, thev came th"'' HM *K- ^' ^"^ "''^'"'■"^ 'he Victoria Rki ro?d a"d they did this BECAUSE THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH ^Nn BREADTH OF ONTARIO THAT RAILWAY WAS CONSIDERED OF MORE THAN LOCAL IMPORTANCE. It WaSa roadwAch had a PROVINCIAL IMPORTANCE, because it was thTone f'rt""'.'"'?' 'M^K^^r.™^ O"*^'^ «■"-« Ail 't ■ .1. '"*''^ o' a road which : was the one PAWA River nost eastern he Northern, people who :he construc- 3wards their ria had not hern county, ly new coun- y road was orthern por- imunication. (the railway would have 1 within it, uld get from $2,400,000, ry road, the 3 |»2oo,ooo> uses. (Ap- prayed to lers to the vas because esources of apply to it ilso it had ilroad and when they isk them if 13 when the town of Lindsay voted $85,000 to that enter- prise it had not shown that it had faith in its own future, AND ALSO IN THE FAIR PLAY OF THE PARLIA- MENT OF Ontario. He himself had been somewhat mixed up with that ranway. He had held a few meet- ings along with his friends, and he would say this, that in the whole work from beginning to end, there had been nothing political in that railway. They had worked, Reformers and Conservatives, for the benefit of the country. They were aware that the road from the very inception was intended to be BUILT ACCORDING TO A SCHEME OF HIS FRIEND, Mr. LaIDLAW, AND THE PEOPLE? OF THE CoUNTY OF VIC- TORIA, TO THE Ottawa RiVer. No sane man in THE Town of Lindsay would ^ave voted to give A BONUS of $85,000 TO BUILD A ROAD TO KiNMOUNT (or Haliburton) only. * * * * Believing it to be consistent with the past policy of the Victoria rail- way company he, in common with the Government, took the ground that until this road reached the village of Kinmount it could not be considered a colonization road. * * * * In Lindsay and throughout the county he had on many occasions had great pleasure in speaking of the character and ability of the gentle- men composing the Victoria railway company, and on no occasion had he so much pleasure as in doing so that night. But the railway had another difficulty to get over, that was the English Land company. But he asked them who knew George Laidlaw's persistency in asking for money, his having gone up from $40,000 to $85,000 in Lindsay, and the manner he had gone throughout the province on similar errands, was there any other man so persistent and urgent in get- ting money out of the people ? * * * He might state that he (Mr. Wood) had advocated the Victoria the town of Lindsay, but outside of that he had sup- ported the enterprise because it pointed to the north- ern country and was likely to be the f^rst road F ^4 TO REACH IT. * * * u^ r , , , Fenelon Fallt h.^H !u ''°''''' "'»' "^^ village of ships of Verulam h»H"H """ !f T' ^"^ """ «he town- todo/that the Victor! r. -I '"""^ '"•''"''' ^ '^'i"''''^ and honestl'y ^7'^^'^et n^Th^ei^ 1,'ne'To' K?' '"^'^ carried onf f»v^r„ ^« """^'"K meir Jine to Kmmount, pre ent moment ^that^'^'T^V't^ ^'^ '"''^'^ '» "'« given e.or;7^L%'tfurlfJ;T\'''TT ^f, COMP..V ™k Goy..::,l"„Zl ™kTho.s'',^Xb OF THL Province of Ontario " *-^^it.LAruRE sponslb^^ foTrte'comXbn X 'V'"^^ ""^ - on the comoanv T„^ n °^ ""^ Victoria railroad the Ontario Governm.nf ^ "'' ^^"^^ *' * "'^"''er of another member of the/am? ^/nv '"" "! "^u ''''"^-'- ted that the road h»H fl? government, who admit- whole nrovincetndhfthl""^'* ^"f""™ f™'" ">« bled at that ceiebrat on ^? presence of all then assem- Mr. VVood Lew thit k' *^ '^"">' ""^erstcod that knew from whomTL comXt,'"''''';",! '''"'"'' ='"1 ^'=o pected, "when "as Lh^/ "( ""= '■°*'' "'as ex- aid would be exhausted ^'"'"°'''^'' ''''"'■ ""'""i'^ipal A COLONIZATION KOAD. the sIcL"t",;.v)^^.**?P^>;ean.said, "Having' seen Victoria 7iiwa;comDa,ir"w k""= °Pf ^ions-Qf the of the policy on the part o^fth-r""^ "idications H I > on me part of the Government^ "a policy 15 with which he might say at once he heartily agreed, very little was required in the way of arguments with regard to the future. He regarded the future of the Victoria as safe.that it would now be regarded as a colonization rood in which light he always regarded it, and that the Gov- erment would give it necessary aid after proper efforts on the part of the company had been made as would carry it to the Ottawa River." Mr. D. D. Hay, M. P. P., said, ** Mr. Wood was correct in saying that the Government would be sus- tained in assisting the Victoria to push forward." Dr. Barr, M. P. P., and Duncan McRae, M. P. P., advocated the completion of the road on the part of the Government. Judge Dean said, " They had now the best assur- ances of the Government and the Opposition that it (the Victoria railroad) would now be carried through to the Ottawa." Mr. Hector Cameron, M. P., said, " He hoped be- fore long to see the Victoria railroad pushed further north to Haliburton, and even beyond the head waters of the Ottawa, and he hoped a great era of prosperity Would result from the project." It is evident from the remarks made at the festivi- ties on the opening of the road to Kinmount that fur- ther implied assurances were given by members of the Ontario Government, at that celebration, that that Gov- ernment would substantially complete the road to the Ottawa river after the resources of the railway com- pany as well as those of the ratepayers had beett exhausted, and that all present fully expected this action from the Government as so "frankly and fairly" indicated by Mr. Wood. As to the nature of the country and the quality of the land north of Kinmount to the Mattawan river, Mr. Tamps Rnss. the enpfiriftf^r of the Virioria rai1rna.H rom- pany said, '* He had travelled through the country to the Mattawan and felt confident that they had only to get to the land of valuable timber, and the Province of i6 Ontario would get its money back. The further harL- nn7tTr,''''^''''/' r' °"'^ ^- ^he timbe but for the fine^track of land they would throw open for settle! HALIBCllTON AT LAST. T^l.f !i".^T"'Mf ' '^78, the Victoria railway was com pleted to the village of Haliburton. Another banort" was given to celebrate the event in thatX. a lar.e number of persons from Toronto Lindsav .*nH ^?k^ railroad company) had encountered and overcome n by thTcomLt 'ii!'7^{J'' '\« ™terprise°ma„°S:. d £§e73«es''."i^Jf .•']; to^ :?^fiS^ JLt s re ?h7tXXctot ^f ^h^"""*'' ^""P^" ' ^'^^ way entitled tn ,1,» f coppany were in every thU occasion." ^""g'^'^'^^'-ons offered them on such tr ot- ?:i&t1ett 'o^'^"^^^"^ -.?^, on wnat avail ,- Though now January, 1884) more than fion T/ V- Y' •''''■'*?>• P^'^^^d «'■"« this asTcelebra towards tlfon" '■*''™*'' '"'^ •"'"^^ no further progress Mr Ross' exnln ""r '° ""* """'• »= 'J<=«'="bed Tn ulaJed" -ht^' . •°" '■^•?ort are still " virtually unpop mated, he Victoria railroad company which waVfo 'jtS'f.^ '^>'.!"«™bers of the Ontai?o Government L" mv..i;.,=.^ ut me ijoininion Parliament and oftheLe^ Mr Wood'H^r'^'.,''^' "'"."^"^ collapsed, and thougl,' Mr. Wood distinctly stated that " after ihe road hfd 17 passed Haliburton county municipal aid would be ex- hausted, that it would then be necessary to come to the Government for aid," though he said that when the ratepayers of Lindsay had voted $85,000 to the enter- prise they had shown that they " had faith in the fair play of the Parliament of Ontario " ; and though Mr. Wood " admitted frankly and fairly that the responsi- bility for the completion of the road to the Ottawa river now rested with the Victoria railway company, the Government and the Legislature of Ontario," yet that road is still only at Haliburton, not one mile to- wards the Ottawa has since been added, and the people of Lindsay and of the other municipalities, and parties who confidingly voted ^id aftd performed their part of the contract, have virtually been deceived, have been forced to learn by costly experience the value of pledges and promises made by railway companies and others, and are now left to meet the increased annual demands of the tax collector as best they can. PAID FOR BY THE LAND. A further evidence of the intentioii of the Ontario Government to have the Victoria railroad completed to the Ottawa river may be gathered from Hon. Mr. Pardee's speech on ' railway aid in the Legislative As- sembly of Ontario on February 22nd, 1877. Mr. Par- dee said, " The next road to aid would be the Victoria railroad. This road was considered to be a coloniza- tion road, and was completed from Lindsay to Kin- mount, ss miles. The objective point was the conflux iOf the Ottawa with the Mattawan river. * * If hon. gentlemen would look at the map they would find this road was proposed to run from Haliburton to the mouth of the Mattawan, through the very centre of ...sas. iatgc pv/muii ui uui iciiiiury, wiiicn ai ine preseni was unsettled and which was likely to remain so' unless - some such road as the Victoria v s built through the district. In connection with th' ^^-'^ -"d -Jain unti^^ the Victoria railroad is either completed, or iust and fair redress be given them for the default ^ iJ JP» the Gov- ndsay, and >oration of position of le Premier 1 this great rs of Lind- tion of Mr. Parhament y " for the t and the This they g:ain, until r just and 21 APPENDIX , BOND. Know all Men by these Presents, that we, the Victoria Railway Company are held and firmly bound unto the corporation of the town of Lindsay in the penal sum of one hundred and seventy thousand dollars of lawful money of Canada, to be paid to the said the corporation of the town of Lindsay or to its certain attorney, successors or assigns ; for which pay- ment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our successors and assigns, and every of them for ever firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seal this sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and jeventy-four. Whereas, negotiations are pending between us and the said corporation of the town of Lindsay, in refer- ence to the granting of a bonus of eighty-five thousand dollars by the said corporation to us in aid of our rail- way, and it has been agreed between us that if such bonus shall be granted and accepted, we shall do and perform the several matters and things hereinafter set out and contained, namely : I. To join in cancelling a certain by-law made by the said corporation for a bonus of sixty thousand dol- lars in aid of our predecessors, the Lindsay, Fenelon necessary on our Dar7'i^!^.!i ""/^J^'^S, that may be cancel tlfe said b/Lw ' ""^ ""'' •^^'"P'^tely to a goodTsubstentra? "''d"'"'" "' ^""^ '°^'' "^ Lindsay exceed one cent per bushel ^™""«' '''='" ""' Lindty'^our" workE"for"'tb" ""^ f <* '"-" °f lished on oit,5r?o'; th? ^u'rp^ ofcU!^."^ <=f ^''■ porary repairs of an emergenfnature;'"^'"^ °" '"'"■ one DirIcrr:„'rl::'^orCctV"sth^- A° T be,ng appointed by the council ofTheTaidTotn''""""" from'LildsaTto antoTt' ""1^ ^°^ ^^'s'^' P" ""'e two hundred pounds weight ^^^ ""'^^'" main^n^io^th'^^Lns^^ril^^^^^^^^^^ Lt' c*^" '"^ L^IlTl^Toronto or Por[ Per,!y"bV''„^^'a'„rofT'?.?f: nntn irS^esTre^ra7S.rT^o'ro=„r'' ^/ '^'^''■^^^^ excepting however spur^;t^JC[rprpose':f'S . and to do hat may be ^mpletely to of Lindsay icted ware- )tion of pro- louse to be d fifty feet lie event of ^e arrange- f shall not i town of turing and icture any r, that we elsewhere, ined shall ually done be estab- : on tem- f to have Director vn. per mile d line as int north extended ^ver, that ht under t on the • connec- Lindsay rt Perry, f reach- 23 ing mines or water communication north of Lindsay, and which spur lines do not intersect the Nipissing railway as now built. . 7. And in the event of the corporation ot the said town of Lindsay giving us and our accepting right of way on the street in the said town known as Victoria Avenue, from the point of intersection of our line from the south to the point of leaving said street north, then to have our passenger and freight stations and free warehouse situate on said Victoria Avenue at some point within the limits of Melbourne street on the south and Wellington street on the north. But it is under- stood and agreed that the corporation of the town of Lindsay shall not be called upon to indemnify any person or persons for damage done to property by the construction of our railway within the corporate limits of the said town. And that we shall indemnify such person or persons as may have any claim for damages in respect of the same. And it is further understood and agreed that if we do not locate our line on Victoria Avenue we shall not locate our line or freight and passenger stations or free grain warehouse further west than Essex street, or further south than Mel- bourne or north Wellington streets. 8. To have the work on our line in operation under our own control and superintendence; or to have it under a bona fide contract within twelve months from the date of the delivery of the debentures representing the said bonus to the trustees in that behalf, provided the other municipalities fiom which bonuses are ex- pected, namely : the township of Somerville, the town- ship of Verulam, the township of Fenelon, and the village of Fenelon Falls, shall grant aid to the amounts following, or any less sums which the company may accept from the said municipalities respectively. And it ic alcn aaT<3i3r1 tViof \kto cV»o11 Vjrtxro ntif o-nlA W^^ ^.^^ A^A and fit for the reception of rolling stock within two years from the said date to Fenelon Falls, and within three years from the same date to the Bobcaygeon road. 24 • said bonus of eigh U^five thousr^ 'h",, P^^'"*"' °f t^e liver up, or cause to h J V„r j ''°"''"' ^nd to de- the debentures which mfvh?'"*'^ "?'• *^^^ <=«n'=ellation, . municipal aid referred ToTnthf^l '" °" ^^''°'- 'fh^ shall not have been Irlntln "*.^'.P'-«'=«ding section from the date of thTsinSent"''" '"''^* '"°""'= from'^tiJe" irtime' 'Hther™' °^ V"^'''^'^ ^PP'^'"? which may be ne^essarv ol^Jf'f. ^°'- ^"^ '«Sislatiof and every part of the Dr«l'^"' '" S'™ ^Ae'^t *« each thethne^n^entand'mSgtbfrror"'' """^"^'"^ '° in th^:"enf of"tt"°ranl'f an°l'''^^''°" '^ -<=•■ '"at bonus, if the said thfvktori r" n ^"^P'^"" o{ such and will well and trufv abide L?^ company, shall the foreging terms sJ^lm,l,t1 ^' ^'1°'"' ^"^ ^^"'fi' all this oblilation rail hl^ -^ "J ^'"^ conditions, then it.shall S"n tt^VrttXin": '''^'- °"'""'- Signed, sealed and delivered ) Sec.V.R.CoJ ^-t!!,... ion that7f'e^ecut'ed'aT]!"„" '^"''l' ^"^' '^"'^ ''™ °f °Pin- bond, and SetnlnAnVK''"'^" ■' *'" •"= « ^^"d and effect accirdb'gt itrp° ^ptr ''''"^ '" ^"•'^'''°" i6th May, 1874 °- MOWAT. £5- aid town of nent of the and to de- ancellation, favor, if the ing section Ive months in applying legislation ect to each cording to such that :e of such any, shall i fulfil all ions, then otherwise ^, [l.s.] dent V. R. Co. 1 of opin- i a valid ubstance 25 AT. :^5. REPORT. Report of the Special Committee appointed under reso- lution of Council under date 17th August, 1883, copy of which is hereto attached. To the Mayor and Council of the Town of Limisay : Gentlemen, — With reference to freight charges Your Committee have to report that they consider they will make this matter more explicit by laying before you a statement of the rates existing. 1. During the period between April, 1878, and November, 1879, at which time the Whitby, Port Perry and Lindsay railvv^ay was an independent and conse- quently a competing line. 2. The period between the month of November, 1879, and April, 1882, or during the pooling 01 the earnings between the Whitby, Port Perry, and Lindsay and Midland railway companies, and 3. The period commencing ist April, 1882, and the present date, the former being the date upon which the amended tariff of the several roads amalgamated by an act of the Legislative Assembly of the Provin^^':, and assented to by His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor, on the loth of March of that year, appears to have been generally adopted by the Midland railway of Canada. CLASS OP GOODS PER 100 LBS. First Period.... oeoond reriod. Third Period... Increase per cent . . Ist. 2Dd. 8fd. 4th. sm'lB 80 25 20 15 60 do 2» 24 18 50 32 27 23 16 60 62/8 8 16 7 1" Between Toronto andLindsay On reduced rate adopted by amalgamated group . 26 fnot?{ ^^^V*-"^'" i?^ ^^^" ^^^^ ^" increase as follows took place during the period of pooling of ^ 4 . Tn per 100 lbs. on first, second, third Ld fourth class gooQs respectively between Lindsav and Toronto which rates were reduced by ^ 2 i zctTv^f^rr^^^u ^Hll ^vh-K-r ' ^^ *® amalgamated roads, but which firs seco^d'?hir?'''!<%°^ "v"' ?' ^ <=''• P«^ '»° '"s on the d?v nf T . »"d fourth classes of goods between the city of Toronto and the town of Lindsay. Your committee have to report that the tariff as t'he ariff'of'th''' ""T""* ^!,""'y ^™= -corpora fd fn the tariff of the amalgamated roads without alteration Your committee, with a great amount of labor and at the expense of much time have personally exam d some thousands of the advice notes placed at theTrdis ?h^r'.h^ 'u" ■»1.'-<=hants of the townind have to report Aoril rls^r r"'l/'l? '""^ ^"'''P'^d on the isfof April, 1882, hy the Midland Railway Company carried out and acted upon with the exception of ffew ttems of a trifling character, and which appeared to voTr committee to be the result of carelessness^ on the par of the parties who prepared such advice notes This refers to the published tariff rates, but your commtoee have to report that certain rates m tlan tZTfTrall hitherto allowed to some of our merchants and business TcreasT Fo? rT'^^"' 'hereby exhibiting a maS increase. For instance, car bads of lumber aonear t^ from ul Zfi ''""" '^'^l^'"" Fa"" to lS; I° trom $3.84 and $4 per car load of 24,000 lbs or at on thrv*.'* ^" "^f '"j"^ ■'^^^ *''*" the printed Urifl on the Victoria railroad, are now charged at $7 20 per car load of 24,000 lbs. ^ *" The printed tariff of the Midland railway is ^icts per 100 lbs. or|8.4o per car load of 24,000 lbs' be tween Fenelon Falls and Lindsav. * ' Your committee have no printed or other data as to he rates per car load between the city of Toronto and the town of Lindsay duringthe first and second periods J VIZ.: as follows 4, 4, 3cts. ►urth class Toronto, 2r loo lbs. 2r the 1st but which oo lbs. on s between i tariff as jorated in iltera'tion. labor and exam; .d their dis- to report he 1st of ly carried jw items to your the part ;s. This )mmittee nf raten business . marked ppear to idsay at 5., or at sd tariff It $7.20 s 3i cts. lbs., be- Lta as to nto and periods 27 above referred to, but have been informed on good authority that a class of goods rated at $24.00 per 20,000 lbs., or 12 cts. per 100 lbs., is now rated at and charged at $32.00, or 16 cts. per 100 lbs., the latter being the published fourth-class rate as shown above. Your committee have to remind you that owing to the neglect of the directorate of the Victoria Railway to erect a free grain warehouse stipulated for in their bond to the town of Lindsay the corporation, through their solicitor, obtained a decree of the Court of Chan- cery, dated 30th March, 1880, ordering the said com- pany to have the said warehouse erected within two years from that date, but which has not yet been car- ried out. The matter is now in the hands of the town solicitor, with a view of an immediate settlement of this question by the new proprietors of the said Victoria Railway. During the period from the appointment of your committee up to the present date very many of the residents of the country in the vicinity of Lindsay and from remote districts served by the Midland Railway, particularly between Whitby and Haliburton, have brought to the notice ot your committee that sufficient facilities have not been provided for the conveyance of the produce of their fields and forests to the front, and that the accommodation extended to them generally had not been that which they were promised and which they were prepared to expect when voting aid by way of bonus to the Victoria and the V^'hitby, Port Perry and Lindsay Railways. Your committee have here to express their entire satisfaction and thanks to the directorate and manage- ment of the Midland system for the improve^ and satis- factory manner in which the town of Lindsay is now served with train accommodation and commercial laciiities smce the publication of the last time table, viz.: 26th of November. Your committee have had under consideration a petition placed in the hands of the Premier of this 28 faT/iSiin^""^'^' 'f '' ^"^ ^^^ of opinion that the ter of Pnn • f .T^ ^'^^^^^ ^^^^'^ *^« ^^^""^ and mat- ter of enquiry of this committee, and beg to suggest that said petition with certain additions beadop?eTby the council and placed in the hands of our parLmen- cXdTrT^M'/"'* submission to the Co^mn: 2 of nnflrtr. Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario as may be required to meet the merits of the case* The original petition with draft of the amended aTdTpp:!,;ir^ ^"^"^^"^^ '- y^- --^-tt' ascerTZnrwT/r"" ''^'"* '^.t' '^^^ ^^^ "« "'^^"s ^f ascertaining with accuracy the rates existing from eastern points, and consequently confined their labors to such routes as the people of Lindsay aided by bonus compe'titL7?n%h^ "'"*^"^ " ""'^^'^y ^"^ "^--^'"" competition in the carrying trade for the town and country tributary to it for trading relations. Respectfully submitted, J. W. Wallace, J. Deacon, i John McLennai^, George Crandell, W. McDonnell, S. Irwin. n that the i and mat- o suggest dopted by )arliamen- 'mn: .ns of ■ovince of ■its of the amended sideration means of ing from r labors to by bonus necessary own and CE, DELL, LL, 29 PETITIONS. To His Honor the Lieut.-Governor-hi-Council. Province of Ontario : The petition of the municipal co'incil of the Town of Lindsay respectfully sheweth : That on the construction of the Port Hope, Lind- say and Beaverton, now the Midland Railway of Canada, the town of Lindsay and the township of Ops then forming one municipality, aided the extension of the said road by taking stock to the extent of $80,000, and that on the separation of the town of Lindsay from the said township of Ops your petitioners had to assume one half of the said amount, viz.: $40,000. That on the adjustment of the municipal loan in- debtedness your petitioners were deprived of the capi- tation allowance granted to the surrounding munici- palities, the residents of which shared equally with your petitioners all advantages derived from the said railway without having, except in the case of the town- ship of Ops, contributed one cent towards the con- struction, extension, or equipment of the said road. That in addition to the deprivation of the capitation allowance of $2.00 foi every man, woman and child resident in the town of Lindsay your petition- ers were, under the act of adjustment, compelled to issue debentures in favor of the Government for about $20,000. That in 18/4 the town of Lindsay aided by way of bonus the Victoria Railway by the sum of $85,000 in order to comolete thp. rnaH tn fh^ f^r^^rr^n^^ ^f 4^1 , II' i --- .,v.,,.,v.^^ .^i trie UiUWU iands lying north of the village of Kinmount on the Bobcaygeon road. That two years subsequently your petitioners were 30 "groupetV with certain surrounding municipalities in ?u x'irV^?'"^"^^^^^""' °f $85,000 towards extendiiig the Whitby, Port Perry and Lindsay Railway to Lind- say, the proportion of which borne by your petitioners amounted to about $15,000. Your petitioners bej? leave most respectfully to call attention to the comparatively small sum contributed by the thickly populated and wealthy municipalities the residents of which share equally with " your petitioners all the advantaRes..afforded by the construc- tion of these hnes of railway. And as the public spirit shown by the people of the town of Lindsay has been mainly instrumental in connecting the waters of lake Ontario at Whitby with the domain of the Crown .at and near the village of Hahburton, in the township of Dysart, and have con- tributed largely towards connecting the waters of the Georgian Bay with the lake at Port Hope, and public spirit and enterprise has very materially promoted the prosperity of the Province generally by affording vast facilities to the lumber trade, the promotion of agricul- tural settlement, sale of crown lands, and the recent development of an infant but important branch of in- dustry in bringing to the markets of Canada and the United States the vast mineral wealth to be found north of rhe village of Kinmount, on the Bobcaygeon road, this industry cannot in the opinion of your petitioners possibly fail to be a source of great provin- cial and national importance. Your petitioners in thus bringing to the notice of Your Honor in Council the material advantages accruing to the Province by the construction and extension of this "colonization, road'' beg leave most respectfully to point out that the advan- tages, although of vast importance to the Province are by no means commensurate with the outlay and in- ^ „ .-v.i..v uy juui pcuiioners; that the payment of the interest alone has very largely retarded the progress of ^ocal improvements so much needed in I alities in ixtendiiig to Lind- 2titioners ly to call itributed :ipalities, ith your :onstruc- eople of >ental in tby with illage of ave con- rs of the d public oted the ing vast agricul- 2 recent 1 of in- and the e found caygeon 3f your provin- otice of antages on and ? leave advan- rovince, and in- hat the etarded eded in 31 a young town like Lindsay, as well as suspended the power of encouraging deserving enterprises. Your petitioners having already laid this matter before the Government beg leave most respectfully to urge further — Tliat recent legislation on the subject of the amal- gamation of the Whitby, Port Perry and Lindsay and the Victoria Railways has practically given legislative sanction to a system of pooling of the earnings of the Midland and the Whitby, Port Perry and Lindsay railways to the material injury of your petitioners and the residents of the line between the city of Toronto and the town of Lindsay by depriving them of the com- petition for which they voted the bonuses, and for which the funds of the Province have been so Hberally disbursed. That it was expressly understood that the Victoria Railway would, as provided for in its charter, have its northern terminal point in the neighborhood of Mat- tawa, the valley of the Ottawa, or point of its intersec- tion of the Canadian Pacific road, thereby placing the town of Lindsay on the shortest possible route between the Canadian Pacific line (some 205 miles) and the city of Toronto. ^Aa^ the act of 1871, known as the Aid to Rail- ways Act, was quoted largely by the promoters of the scheme of constructing the Lindsay, Fenelon Falls and Ottawa River Railway, and to a great extent induced your petitioners to grant the aid required from a feel- ing that they were co-operating with and seconding an enterprise apparently approved of by the Government of the day in the promotion of provincial interests, and which was fully endorsed and confirmed by the assur- ances of the members of the Government who attended the ceremony of turning the first sod at Lindsay and subsequent celebrations at Kinmount and Hahburton, Your petitioners having thus brought the subject again under your notice for favorable conjideration and decision, respectfully pray — First. That Your Honor in Council will take such steps as you may deem expedient towards Jiavmg the said Victoria Railway extended to the terminal point originally intended, thereby form- ing a junction with the Canadian Pacific road, faihng which your petitioners venture to say that; the amount of their bonus should be refunded by the Province in a nianner similar to that in which the bonus voted by the town of Pembroke to the " Canada Central Rail- way " was recently refunded to that municipaUty by the Dominion Government. Second. That the injury sustained by this section of the country owing to the loss of competition in rail- way freights caused by an act of the Provincial Legis- lature, gives your petitioners a further claim on your favorable consideration, as although the act of amalga- mation of the present Midland system may be one of great provincial and national advantage, it has been seriously detrimental to the interests of th . town of Lindsay and that portion of the country identified with It for commercial relations. You have only to refer to the existing Midland tariff to see that your petitioners have sustained a loss by an increase of railway freights between the city of Toronto and the town of Lindsay Of. 8, 15 and 7 per cent, on the actual carriage of first second, third and fourth classes of freight respectively,' and that on specialties, or special rates hitherto granted on certain classes of goods, an increase of some 50 per cent., while at the same time an increase of nearly 100 per cent, has been made on one line of industry between the village of Fenelon Falls and the town of Lindsay, the latter comparison being solely confined to special and not the tariff rates existing prior and subsequent to the act of amalgamation of the Midland system. Third. That the prayer of the petition above set torth may at an early date receive your kind, earnest ana ^avorable coiisidcfation, and your petitioners will ever pray. pass, ■ill take towards to the y form- I, failing amount ice, in a oted by al Rail- ality by section in raii- 1 Legis- 3n your amalga- one of as been own of ed with refer to itioners freights -indsay of first, ctively, a^ranted 50 per rly 100 •etween indsay, special lequent ;m. )ve set sarnest rs will 33 /o His Honor thn Honorable John Beverly Robinson, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Ontario in Council : The petition of the municipal council of the cor- poration of the county of Victoria humbly showeth : That in the year 1870, during the period of the construction of the Toronto and Nipissing Railway, the promoters and directorate of that company practically abandoned it as a colonization road by applying for a charter for a new line known as the Fenelon Falls Railway, which line was to be constructed from any point in the township of Eldon on the line of the To- ronto and Nipissing Railway to Fenelon Falls or any point in the vicinity thereof on the waters of Gull river between said Falls and Sturgeon lake, with full power to pass over any portion of the country between the points aforesaid, and to carry the said railway through the crown lands lying between the points aforesaid. That on the petition of the directorate of the said Toronto and Nipissing Railway Company the said charter was amended as follows : — The third section of the said act is hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof it is enacted that the said company shall have full power to construct a railway from a point on the line of the Toronto and Nipissing Railway between the village of Uxbridge and the unincorporated village of Sunder- land, both in the county of Ontario, to the town of Lindsay, in the county of Victoria, thence to Fenelon Falls, or to any point in the vicinity thereof, on the waters of Gull river between said Falls and Sturgeon lake, and thence in a north-easterlv direction to a' point on the Ottawa river, with power to carry their railway through any crown lands through which it may pass, and to construct a branch connecting with the 34 Port Whitby and Port Perry railway, thereby obtain- inf» direct communication with and into the domain of the Crown. That on the promulgation of the scheme author- ized by the enactment above recited, several of the municipalities in the County of Victoria were appealed to for aid by way of bonus, and about the time herein referred to the name was changed to that of the Vic- toria railway. In response to the appeal — The town of Lindsay in the month of April, 1872, voted a bonus of $60,000 in aid of the enterprise. The village of Fenelon Falls being desirous to grant aid which the township of Fenelon refused, asked for and obtained separation from the township, and granted a bonusof $15,000 in aid of the same enterprise. The township of Verulam also granted a bonus of $7,000 to be levied upon parts of the municipality which would be benefited by the said railway. The township of Somerville granted a bonus of $15,000, and Certain parts of the county of Peterborough being desirous to obtain railway accommodation, and having applied repeatedly to the council of the said county for the right to aid the Victoria railway by way of bonus, but having been peremptorily refused that right in an arbitrary manner, applied for and obtained separation from that county and formed anew municipality known as the Provisional County of Haliburton, whicn new municipality granted to said Victoria railway aid by way of bonus in the sum of $55,000, and A private corporation known as the Canadian Land and Emigration company also aided the enter- prise by a bonus of some $40,000. That the Directors of the said Victoria railway company having failed to obtain sufficient municipal aid were compelled to delay the construction of their line until 1S74, i" the spiingof which year the Directors of said company informed the people of Lindsay that owing to failure to secure aid from the townships of i obtain- imain of author- l1 of the Eippealed e herein the Vic- il, 1872, se. irous to :cl, asked lip, and terprise. •onus of icipality )onus of :h being having unty for " bonus, It in an paration y known icn new i by way anadian 3 enter- railway unicipal of their irectors ay that ;hips of i 35 Mariposa, Ops i*nd 1'. nelon, they could not estabhsh a satisfactory financial basis without a further sum of $25,000 from the said town of Lindsay, which addi- tional sum was at once granted. That the work of construction on the line of the Victoria Railway was commenced in 1874, and was completed in the winter of 1878-9 to the village of Hal- iburton, in the township of Dysart, in the said pro- visional county- of Haliburton, which is at present the northern terminal point of the said line. That in the year 1876 it was considered expedient by the directorate of the Whitby and Port Perry Rail- way to extend their line to the town of Lindsay, there- by connecting the waters of lake Ontario at Whitby with the domain of the crown in the vicinity of Hali- burton, and to aid in the construction of said extension a group was formed composed of the townships of Mar- iposa, Ops and Fenelon, and parts of p:mily and Veru- 1am, and the town of Lindsay, and the sum of $85,000 was granted for that purpose. Your petitioners having thus traced the financial history of this purely colonization foad from its mcep- tion beg leave most respectfully to point out that the public spirit and liberality of the municipal and other corporations which have thus granted such material aid for the promotion of the enterprise in question have added vastly to the value of the domain of the crown in the Province of Ontario generally. That your petitioners have learned from the re- ports of an exploratory party sent to examine the line between Haliburton and the waters of the Ottawa that there exists a vast fertile belt of land extending from the Maganatawan in an easterly direction towards the Bonnechere and along the valley known as the Bonne- chere valley, and that the report of D. D. Hay, Esq., to Your Honor in Council represented the section of the country referred to as being a splendid lumbering district and eminently suited for agricultural settle- ment. 36 That the said railway has given an impetus to lumbering operations, thereby adding to the provincial revenue. That very large quantities of square timber, lum- ber, railway ties, telegraph poles, fence posts, tan bark and other products of the forest, and also iron ore and other minerals have been carried out on the line of the said railway, thereby creating a demand for crown lands bearing such marketable and remunerative articles of trade. . Your petitioners on careful review of the entire subject respectfully urge that the advantages accruing to the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada generally are of greater magnitude and importance than those afforded to your petitioners, and they ven- ture most respectfully to beg that Your Honor in Coun- cil may at an early date devise a scheme somewhat similar to the municipal loan fund, by which your petitioners may obtain a reasonable amount of relief from the heavy burden of taxation under which for rail- way purposes they are now suffering. And your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. (Signed,) THOMAS SMITHSON, Warden. Passed at Lmdsay this Twenty-fifth day of Janu- ary, A. D. 1884. (Signed,) T. MATCHETT, Clerk. h npetus to provincial ber, lum- tan bark 1 ore and ne of the )\vn lands rticles of be entire accruing Canada port an ce hey ven- in Coun- Dmewhat rch your of relief 1 for rail- vill ever ON, Warden, of Janu- '