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GREATJTITCHFIELD STREET, MARYLEBONE. 1850. \A \- l)H 0-- o? 43 :v>p I / -> '1^ ' I CANADIAN LAND AND RAILWAY ASSOC I AT] ON. ''' \ ^ REPORT & OUTLINE OF A PLAN DT Wlliril AN EXTENSIVE RAILWAY MAY BE CONSTRUCTED IN TIIR K'^/ ^ BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES, rOMRININO ITS EXECUTION WITH AN TNI. ARCED SCHEME OF COLONIZATION ANU RECLAMATION OF WASTE LAND, I AND EXECUTING THE WORKS SO THAT THE COMPANY AND THE EMIGRANTS SHALL BE MUTUALLY BENEFITED. V^KTB A MAT AITB VXiAN. -ir- Sold at the Office, 18, Aldermanbury (which is open daily from Ten till Four o'clock), and by all Booksellers. I- LONDON : PRINTED BY J. BRADLEY, 78, GREAT TITCHFIEI.D STREET, MARYLEBONE. 1850. ti tf' (^ i'- ^ PRl'FACi:. TiiK lively interest whieh liu» been excited lunoiig the Working Clu«se'< tlir(>u;?liout the country, upon the subject of thecuuHtruction of the llulifux und Quebec lluilway, and the extens, Factories, to combine lufacturing, •moting the ting a good se colonies, ve destina- t prices as ose of free- ze desirous, )n. ment do ?" e not only n Colonies, )e expected c, and that printed and ed a strong therefore, ter-guaran- thereto, in line of the ;ee of 4 per r»t a Royal or carrying on, in con- ly, and for MPBELL, !TARY. idon. TO THE SECRETARY OF THE CANADIAN LAND & RAILWAY ASSOCIATION. Outline of a Plan by which an extensive Railway may be con- structed in the British North American Colonies^ combining its execution ivith an enlarged Scheme of Colonization and Reclamation of Waste Land, and executing the Works so that the Company and the Emigrants shall be mutually benefited. The following appears to be the order and mode of pro- ceeding best adapted to the peculiar circumstances of the case ; and bearing in mind the combined object which the Company have in view, namely, the construction of an extensive line of railway, opening out a vast district of country, and giving value to millions of acres of land now inaccessible, and consequently comparatively valueless, at the same time giving the execution of the railway and other works to emigrants about to settle upon the land, and partly, if not wholly, to pay for it by their labour : — 1 . The hue of railway selected by the Government Com- missioners (and which can only be taken as indicating the general direction of the line) to be carefully examined and permanently marked out upon the ground, so far at least as to indicate the position of the centre hue by a cut through the woodland portion of the country, and by sub- stantial posts through the cleared ground. This first step in the process would enable commissioners to negotiate for the land in those portions of the country where the land is occupied, and to point out the position ahd extent of the waste or unceded land on each side of the railway, which is to become the property of the company. 2. The next operation would be to select sites for the railway stations. This would be a matter requiring con- siderable attention, and should be viewed in all its bearings both as regards the future development of the locations connected with the company and the interests of the colo- nies at large, and also in reference to the most favourable position for working the railway. 3. The sites of the stations being chosen, permanent I 'i buildings would be erected, which would serve the purpose of station buildings and accommodation for the persons during the preliminary operations, and in working the line after the completion of the works. These buildings would be employed as depots for the stores and implements, accommodation for the parties of engineers and surveyors who would be employed in the execution of the railway and other works, and in the sur- vey of the allotments. These buildings would be essentially necessary during the progress of the works, and would, in point of fact, form the nuclei of towns and villages along the line of railway. The ground around the station would be laid out and effectually drained for the site of a future town, in con- nexion with the execution of the railway works and station buildings, and this would be done so as to provide for the future gradual development, without any destructive and expensive remodelling. The eligibility of the site of the station for an abundant supply of pure water will also be taken into account, and the works necessary for the supply of the locomotives would be so constructed as to be capable of extension, to meet the growing wants of the surrounding town without the expense of a separate establishment. 4. From the stations as a centre, and depending upon the centre line of railway as the basis of the operation, the survey of the allotments would commence, and be extended on each side of the line of railway to the extent of land allotted to the company, reserving, as a matter of course, the necessary space for railway purposes and for the sites of towns, &c. The permanent section of the railway and works would also be proceeded with between each of the above stations, and the bridges, viaducts and other works designed and set out upon the ground. The extent of the works on each section of the railway would then be ascertained, the quan- tity and character of labour necessary for its execution would be known, and a proper and judicious allotment of labour could then be advantageously made, but not before. It being one of the primary objects of the company to establish industrious and able-bodied emigrants from the mother country on the waste lands through which the rail- way passes, and to give such an increased value to these \ I purpose persons the line for the 3arties of d in the the sur- .O" y durinj3 ict, form railway, out and , in con- d station e for the :tive and ibundant •unt, and ^es would to meet lout the upon the le survey 1 on each ^edtothe lecessary 1, &c. is would stations, d and set on each he quan- xecution tment of i before, ipany to Tom the the rail- to these lands as will realise a large fund to be applied to the con- struction of the railway, and at the same time to assist to the greatest possible extent the early struggles of these emi- grants by employing them on the various works connected wi' the execution of the railway and station buildings. o will Le necessary, therefore, to point out the manner in which the emigrants may be employed in the execution of the various works with advantage to themselves and without detriment to the general interests of the company. The several preliminary operations, which have already been detailed, connected with setting out the railway works and survey of the allotments, will require a considerable quantity of skilled and unskilled labour, exclusive of the en- gineers and surveyors who direct and superintend the various operations, and the greater portion of this labour is of such a character as is usually performed by day-work. There would therefore be no difficulty in so arranging the whole of this preliminary work, that it would all be executed by well- selected emigrants as day-work, and occasionally giving task work where the nature of the work would admit of it. The station buildings could be executed in small con- tracts by parties of emigrant tradesmen, according to the nature of the structures to be erected, and the materials used, the engineers furnishing the plans and specifications. The emigrants would be offered a preference of the work on fair and reasonable terms ; and if not accepted, the work to be put up to competition, in order to secure the company against imposition. With respect to execution of the rail way works, although it is very true that all the great railways in this country have been executed by contract, and generally in very large contracts, it is equally true that by this means the work has been thrown into the hands of very few competitors, who had great command of capital, and the competition nar- rowed to a very injurious extent, as affecting the interests of the company. These extensive contractors sub-let their work upon very advantageous terms, and frequently several sub-lettings are effected between the principal contractor and the actual workmen, and each receiving a profit at a corresponding loss to the company. It is therefore intended that the works upon the Hali- I I. I: I 8 fax and Quebec railway shall be divided into as small con- tracts as will be compatible with the nature of the work, and that these contracts will, in the first instance, be offered to parties of emigrants, to the very parties who will be ex- pected to execute the work, and not to sub-let it, at a fair and reasonable price, and the competition will be confined to those who emigrate under the auspices of the company, so long as it will appear that no unfair advantage is taken of this mode of procedure. It is quite true that to let work in very small contracts, and to persons of very hmited means, will involve additional supervision and very frequent and punctual payments. But if the combined objects contemplated by the company are kept in view, and their mutual dependence upon, and mutual support of, each other duly considered, and also that the profits usually given to a principal contractor will more than amply compensate for the additional expense of su- pervision, it must be very evident that the company will be considerable gainers by this arrangement. It will be necessary, in order to carry out the above ar- rangements efficiently, to supply the emigrants with imple- ments and tools for the due execution of the work ; the greater portion of these would be paid for by the workmen, and become their property ; but the company must also provide plant, such as railway wagons, temporary rails, crabs, lifting jacks, crow-bars, blocks and tackle, &c. A very extensive and efficient plant could at present be obtained in this country at a very moderate cost, in con- sequence of the great number of contractors who have finished their work, and cannot find more to execute. The ironwork only of the railway wagons should be carried to Hahfax, and wagons constructed on the spot, to fit the ironwork, as a matter of economy in the expense of transit. Very great advantage might accrue to the emigrants if they were to combine, in small bodies among themselves, upon the principle of associated labour and proportional profits, subscribing funds upon some fixed principle of mu- tual assistance, and the members of the body to be drafted over to the colonies as the railway works, or the works upon the allotments, would require. > These bodies of emigrants might be variously composed i I nail con- le work, e offered II be ex- at a fair confined ompany, is taken ontracts, Witional lyments. ompany pon, and also that vill more se of su- pany will ibove ar- ch imple- ork; the workmen, tust also ary rails, &c. 'esent be , in con- ho have ute. lould be the spot, expense [grants if smselves, 3ortional le of mu- 3 drafted e works jmposed I 9 of mechanics, miners, manufacturers, boat builders, fisher- men, agricultural labourers, &c., and they would choose the sites of their locations according to their intended pursuits. Several members from each of their bodies could by ar- rangement be employed in the preliminary operations of set- ting out the railway and works, and of surveying the allot- ments. These men could supply their respective bodies with all necessary information from time to time, which would inspire the necessary confidence in the members at home, and could also direct the proper description of labour necessary to be sent out, as the work and settle- ments progressed. It would be impossible to over-estimate the importance of extensive preliminary operations being forthwith carried out ; the work should also be commenced in each of the provinces through which the railway is intended to pass. This mode of proceedure would tend to create a more lively interest in the colonies in favour of the project as a whole, and give the company an opportunity of selecting in the first instance the most favourable spots for the develop- ment of the combined operation of the location of the emi- grants and the construction of the railway works. ALEXANDER DOULL, No 1, Morden Terrace, Greenwich, June 22, 1850. A. Campbell, Esq., Secretary, 18, Aldermanbury, London. t LETTER L To the Editor of " The Morning Chronicle" Sir, — When I supplied the Committee of the Canadian Land and Railwiy Association with a report, or rather the outlines of a report, upon the mode of combining the exe- cution of a great national work, and the advancement in the social scale of the parties who are to execute the work, I was not aware that my report would be published, other- wise I would have drawn it up more carefully. Such as it is, however, it has made its appearance in your very influ- ential journal ; and if you will be kind enough to allow this very important subject to be followed up, and assist in bringing it fully and fairly before a discerning public, you will be conferring a very great benefit upon the empire at large, and upon the British North American colonies in 10 particular, and deserve the everlasting gratitnde of the labouring classes, for whose benefit this association has principally been formed, and by whose exertions it has been mainly carried on. It would be difficult to select a more appropriate medium for diffusing sound information upon a subject which is cal- culated so extensively to benefit the labouring classes in this country than The Morning Chronicle, inasmuch as that journal has recently and very successfully probed the fearful ulcers of poverty and crime, and exposed the very unsatis- factory state in which many thousands of the labouring classes of the community are placed in reference to the social well-being or even existence of organized society. The existence of so much wretchedness and misery as were brought to the light of day by the exertions of The Morning Chronicle, must eat out the very heart's core of the social compact, unless some remedy be speedily applied. A thorough knowledge of an inveterate malady is said to be half the cure ; this, however, can only be the case when the skilful probing of a wound is followed up by the equally skilful application of an adequate remedy. The execution of the Halifax and Quebec Railway, com- bined with the immense field for profitable colonization which that work would necessarily open up, would be an effectual mode of averting some of the accumulated and still accumulating evils resulting from a surplus population and an over-stocked labour market ; and, considering the many advantages which must necessarily result to the whole of the British North American colonies, to the persons emigrating, to the home labour market thus relieved, and to the whole empire at large, it is very unaccountable that the Government do not see the propriety of at once taking the initiative in this great national work. Viewed politically, the subject is of considerable impor- tance. The British North American colonies are placed in immediate contact with the most industrious, persever- ing, go-a-head nation in the world ; and being of the same race, the same religion, possessing the same intellectual caUbre, and living under the same social institutions, the important inquiries must force themselves upon the minds of the British colonists — " Why are we embarrassed, impo- verished, our energies cramped, our trade all but annihilated. 4 of the ition has has been medium ich is cal- jlasses in h as that le fearful unsatis- ibouring e to the )ciety. nisery as s of The >re of the jplied. s said to se when equally I ay, com- nization Id be an ted and pulation ring the le whole persons 'ed, and ble that J taking impor- ! placed 3rsever- le same llectual ns, the ! minds , impo- lilated. 1 11 our mineral wealth and our abundant fisheries undeveloped ; our splendid forests and rich wilderness land inaccessible for want of roads, and consequently valueless ; whilst our neighbours are prosperous and enterprising, not simply constructing railways to meet the wants of the population of existing towns and villages, but constructing them in the unsettled and trackless wilderness, in order to the loca- tion of a numerous and prosperous population — in fact, to accelerate the development of the latent resources of the country, wisely guided by comprehensive and not by con- tracted views ? And with respect to immigrants who occa- sionally visit our shores, why do they so frequently remain but to spy out the nakedness of the land, or rather, the man- ner in which the various sources of prosperity are hermeti- cally sealed up, and then scamper off to the United States ?" These and similar reflections must of inevitable necessity sap the foundations of the most unquestionable loyalty, and lead, sooner or later, to the most disastrous consequences, both to the mother country and to her slighted and neglected offspring. There are two modes of preventing discontent, which may be thus generated, from breaking out into actual vio- lence. One mode, irrational, expensive, and ineffectual ; the other rational, profitable, and certain in its operation. The former of these modes — the irrational and brute-force system — has been recently enforced at an expense directly and indirectly which would go far towards constructing the railway from Halifax to Quebec. The present is a very fitting opportunity for a wise, energetic, and paternal Go- vernment to work out with honour and profit the rational system of uniting the British North American colonies to the mother-country by the rational and well understood ties of interest and reciprocal advantage. Viewing the geographical position of the British North American colonies, placed in juxta-position with the ad- vancing power, and the rapidly extending territory of the United States of America, in connection with the mainte- nance of the balance of power among the nations of the earth now being rapidly placed in comparatively close proximity to each other by the application of steam to land and marine locomotion, the subject must be one of absorbing interest to a British statesman. . . . ■ > 12 The great leading feature of the day unquestionably is the perfection of expeditious and cheap modes of travelling ; and as there ever will exist a physical impossibility of ,»- velHng as expeditiously, as comfortably, and as sately through the waters of the ocean as through the air upon land, every effort will no doubt be made to shorten the journeys by sea, and to accommodate the land communi- cation to this new arrangement. These considerations do not escape the eagle eye of the go-a-head American — the untrammelled American. There is, consequently, a movement on foot in the States to shorten the distance of the sea portion of the route from America to England. This project on the American side of the water is the continuation of the existing line of rail- way from Boston to Portland, as far as Halifax ; or, should this movement be left principally in the hands of the inha- bitants of the United States, by the apathy of the British Government, and the inabihtv of the North American colo- nists, it is more probable that Whitehaven, near Cape Canso, would be the terminus of the land communication, or carrying it over the narrow strait of Canso, make its terminus at Le wish wish, in Cape Breton. The sea passage would then be reduced to the distance from Whitehaven to Galway, in Ireland, and the short trip from Dublin to Holyhead. The advantages which this arrangement would give to the provinces and ports of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick would be very considerable, and would hardly be thrown away by the far-seeing subjects of the great Republic without some ulterior views, or at least strong hopes that a general fraternization, at no very remote period, will be the result. Hoping to be permitted to recur to the subject again in a few days, I am, sir, yours truly, ALEXANDER DOULL. 1, Morden Terrace, Greenwich, Aug. 9, 1850. LETTER n. To the Editor of " The Morning Chronicle.'* Sir, — Several years ago officers of the Royal Engineers, with an extensive staff of assistants, were appointed to ex- plore the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada, in order to the selection of a line of railway from 1 Ha tin- to i ionably is 'avelling ; ty of V- as sateiy air upon orten the ommuni- ye of the There States to ute from ican side e of rail- r, should :he inha- e British 3an colo- ar Cape nication, nake its distance hort trip give to unswick thrown without general result, again in OULL. ?ineers, I to ex- ck, and ly from 13 Halifax to Quebec which should serve as a trunk line through the above provinces. The result has been a lengthened and, in many respects, a valuable Report, dated 3 1st of August, 1818, and ad- dressed to Major-General Sir John Burgoyne, which was presented, with despatches and other papers, to both houses of Parliament, by command of her Majesty, in Feb. 1849. This Report, drawn up by Major Robinson, of the Royal Engineers, deserves to be more generally known, and it no doubt would have been had it not been consigned to the oblivion of a parliamentary Blue Book. The Report describes the various means adopted in order to ascertain the shortest and the best route for the pro- posed trunk line, and although the line recommended to be adopted may in all probability advantageously admit of considerable alteration, when the ground has been more minutely examined, in the preparation of the permanent working plans and sections, still the explorations which have taken place have so narrowed the limits to be inves- tigated, that little time need be lost in setting out the line, and the work may also with perfect safety be commenced simultaneously at several points along the line, which is an advantage of considerable importance. Upon the general advantages of the proposed line of rail- way communication from JSalifax to Quebec, and the peculiar adaptation of the route selected for the full development of these advantages, the Report states — " The opening up a large field for provincial improvements, for the settlement of emigrants, and by affording the opportunity, in addition to internal, of external communication by means of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay Chaleurs, it will tend to develop in the highest degree the commerce and the fisheries of the province of New Brunswick. " If a straight line be drawn from Cape Clear, in Ireland, to New York, it will cut through or pass close to Halifax. The latter is there- fore on the direct route, and as the sea voyage across the Atlantic to New York may be shortened by three days nearly, in steamers, it is not im- probable that on that account, when the branch railroad to St. John is completed, and other lines to connect on with those in the United States, the whole or the greatest portion of the passenger traffic between the old and the new world would pass through Halifax, and over a great section of the proposed railroad." These anticipations are now so far realized, that the sub- ject is exciting very great interest in the United States and in the British colonies, and to which I have adverted in my former letter. 14 The Report goes on to state — " Hut the grout object lor the railway to attain, uiul which if it should be able to accomplish its capability to pay the interest of the capital ex- pended would be undoubted, is to supersede the long and dangerous passage to Quebec by the GulTof St. Lawrence. '•To make two voyages in a season, vessels arc obliged to leave England earlier, and encounter the dangers of the ice in the Gulf much sooner than it is safe or prudent lor tiicni to do. "The loss of life and property which has occurred from this cause, and returning late in the autumn, has been enormous ; it cannot be as- certained, but probably it would have more than paid for (he railway. "An opinion may however be formed of it from the rates of insurance, which in the spring and autumn are as high as 10 per cent. — a much higher rate than to any other part of the world. "The navigation of the St. Lawrence is closed for about six months in every year. t)uring the whole of this period all the produce of the country is locked up, and necessarily lies unproductive on the hands of the holders." Several instanses of this might be given, as for example : " In the winter of 1847-8 the price of flour at Halifax and St. John was at 40s. the barrel, and it was being imported from the chief ports in the United States, even from as far as New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time at Quebec, the price of flour was 25s. per barrel. A very great difference, which, had the railway been in existence, would not have occurred." The Report states, page 23 : — " That the enterprise is of general interest ; it concerns the prosperity and the welfare of each of the three provinces, and the honour as well as the interest of the whole British empire may be affected by it. It is the one great means by which alone the power of the mother country can be brought to bear on this side of the Atlantic, and restore the balance of power now fast turning to the United States. " Every new line of railway made in that country adds to their power, enabling them to concentrate their forces almost wherever they please, and by the lines, of which there are already some, and there will soon be more, reaching to their northern frontier, they can choose at their own time any one point of attack on the long-extended Canadian frontier, and direct their whole strength against it. " The provinces therefore, and the empire, have such interest in the formation of the Halifax and Quebec line, that it should be undertaken by them in common as a great public work for the public weal." At page 30 the Report states, that " In a political and military point of view the proposed railway must be regarded as becoming a work of necessity. " The increasing population and wealth of the United States, and the diffusion of railways over their territory, especially in the direction of the Canadian frontier, renders it absolutely necessary to counterbalance, by some corresponding means, their otherwise preponderating power. " Their railway communications will enable them to select their own time and their own points of attack, and will impose upon the British the necessity of being prepared at all points to meet them. " It is most essential, therefore, that the mother country should be I # if it shoulil ; capital ox- tlani^crous 'd to leave Ciulf miicli this cause, rmot be us- railwiiy. insurance, It. — a much X months in the country le holders." example : kI St. John lief ports in the Gulf of as 25.S. per I existence, ! prosperity r as well as It is the itry can be balance of heir power, liey please, /ill soon be t their own n frontier, rest in the indertaken I." ilway must Js, and the tion of the alance, by wer. their own he British should be 15 nble lo keep up her communirations witl» the Canadas at all times and reasons, llowcver powerful England may be at sea, no navy could save Canada from a land force. •' Its conquest and aiiuuxatiou are freely spoken of in the United States, even (m the floors of Congress. •« Weakness invites aggression, and as the railway would be a lever of power by which Great Britain could bring her strength lo Ix'ar in the contest, it is not improbable that its construction would be the means of preventing a war at some no distant period. '♦ The expense of one year's war would pay for a railway two or three limes over." Many more appropriate extracts could be made from this valuable Report, showing the high opinion entertained by Major Robinson of this great work, alter he had been some years in the country, and studied its existing and undeve- loped resources ; but being unwilling to trespass too much upon your valuable columns, I will conclude with the fol- lowing extract from the Report of Lord Durham in 1 839 : — "These interests are, indeed, of great magnitude, and on the course which your Majesty and your Parliament may adopt with respect to the North American colonies will depend the future destinies, not only of the million and a half of your Majesty's subjects who at present inhabit those provinces, but of that vast population which those ample and fer- tile territories are fit and destined hereafter to support. No portion of the American continent possesses greater natural resources for the main- tenance of large and flourishing communities. An almost boundless range of the richest soil still remains unsettled, and may be rendered available for the purposes of agriculture. The wealth of inexhaustible forests of the best timber in America, and of extensive regions of the most valuable minerals, have as yet been scarcely touched. Along the whole line of sea coast, around each island, and in every river, are to be found the greatest and richest fisheries in the world. The best fuel and the most abundant water power are available for the coarser manufac- tures, for which an easy and certain market will be found. Trade with other continents is favoured by the possession of a large number of safe and capacious harbours ; long, deep, and numerous rivers, and vast in- land seas, supply the means of easy intercourse, and the structure of the country generally, affords the utmost facility for every species of com- munication by land. Unbounded materials of agriculture, commercial and manufacturing industry, are there. It depends upon the present decision of the Imperial Legislature to determine for whose benefit they are to be rendered available. The country which has founded and main- tained these colonies at a vast expense of blood and treasure may justly expect its compensation in turning their unappropriated resources to the account of its redundant population ; they are the rightful patrimony of the English people — the ample appanage which God and nature have set aside in the new world for those whose lot has assigned but insufficient portions in the old." I am. Sir, your obedient Servant, ALEXANDER DOULL. 1, Morden Terrace, Greenwich, Aug. 13, 1850. m 16 LETTER III. To the Editor of *' The Mornhifr Chronicle." Sir, — Before entering upon the subject of the probable cost of construction of the Halifax and Quebec raiUvav, and the anticipated returns of direct income derivable therefrom, as well as the collateral results which are siu*e to follow its construction, it may be as well to make a few remarks upon the Report of the Commissioners of Railways, to whom Major Robinson's report upon the proposed Halifax and Quebec Railway was referred on the 22nd of Nov. 1848. The Report of the Commissioners of Railways is dated January 12, 1849, and appears upon the whole to be a very oracular kind of document, as it will admit of almost any kind of interpretation. It bears internal evidence of an intention to throw cold water upon the project, but still not so completely to over- whelm it as to exclude all hopes of being resuscitated by the application of the drags and other appliances of some humane society at some remote period of time. The Commissioners profess to have but little other data on which to rest their opinion " but the facts contained in the report of Major Robinson ;'* still they draw different conclusions, if they can be said to have drawn any legiti- mate conclusions at all. The Railway Commissioners at this time were no doubt writhing under a consciousness of having, by their recent sins of omission, allowed railway speculation in this country to run riot to such a degree that companies were allowed to spring into existence without any rational pretence (unless the disreputable pretence of gambling in letters of allot- ment), and, having attained a sort of spurious existence, were then allowed to devour each other in contesting the most contemptible nonsense in undergoing the ordeal of a standing orders committee. Major Robinson states in his report, " that there are very good general grounds upon which to form an opinion that ultimately, if not at once, the line will, in a commercial point of view, be a very productive one." The Railway Commis- sioners, however, are " disposed to think that, although in a military and political point of view the completion of the railway between Halifax and Quebec may be of great im- \ UJg^ I 17 le prol)ablo fiilvvuy, and thcrc'fVom, i follow its (Uirks upon ), to whom alif'ax and r. 1818. s is dated > be a very dmost any ;hrow cold ly to over- :itated by s of some other data contained V different any legiti- no doubt eir recent is country illowed to ce (unless of allot- 3xistence, 3sting the rdeal of a e are very inion that •cial point Commis- ;hough in on of the great im- portance, as a connnercial undertaking, it is very doubtful wlicthcr it can, at least for a long time to come, prove profitable." The llailway Connnissioiicis being composed of military and political parties, it could hardly Im^ considered unrea- sonable if they had made considerable allowance (when weighing the piobable utility of this railway in all its bear- ings) for the two it(ms "military and political," to which they attach "great importance," and more particularly when the report was submitted to them as a whole, and when these important particulars were so prominently brought out in the report. Why, then, did they not recommend the "military and political" aspects of the project to the paternal care of the Home Government, to whom they of right belong, and not to have contracted their views to the mere abstract ques- tion of the line as a commercial undertaking ? Their range of observation should have, at least, extended to all the phases of the subject treated in the report — military, po- litical, social and commercial. To narrow the basis upon which the project legitimately rests, iii order the more easily to demohsh it, seems hardly fair. The Railway Commissioners state " that as a commer- cial undertaking it is very doubtful whether it can, at least for a long time to come, prove profitable." This, to say the least of it, is very ambiguous. Does it mean that the railway will not pay " for a long time " after it has been constructed ; that it will, in fact, require con- siderable time to develop traffic sufficient to make the line pay as a mere commercial speculation ? If this be their meaning, the sooner it is constructed the better ; and whilst it is in this incipient, infantile, unde- veloped state, let it be supported by the Home Government in consideration of the important "military and political" bearing of this great undertaking ; and by the Colonial Governments in consideration of the vast improvements which would inevitably result to the provinces from the construction of the fine. - If, however, as is most probable, the meaning intended to be conveyed is, that the construction of this railway must not be attempted, " at least for a long time to come," then it simply amounts to this — the construction of the railway B i lii 18 should not be attempted until the country is thickly popu- lated, the agricultural and mineral resources fully de- veloped, trade, manufactures, commerce and fisheries all in the most prosperous and flourishing state, so that the railway would pay as a commercial speculation only. This would indeed be placing the construction of the rail- way at a very " long time to come ;" it being a well-esta- blished axiom in poHtical economy that no new country can be colonized, or prosper to any great extent, without roads ; and as for old countries, in which the invention of roads, like that of almost all other things, has graduated through all the phases of road-making, from the rudest beginning to the present climax of perfection — from the footpath, in which the pedestrian could with difficulty scramble along, through all the stages of the bridle-road, the pack-horse, the sledge and the wheel carriage road, the Roman paved road, the macadamized, and finally the railroad — so inti- mately does the prosperity of any country depend upon the introduction of roads, that this one class of improvements has always been held as an unerring criterion of the degree of prosperity and civilization of any country. Speaking of roads, the Abbe Raynal justly remarks, ''Let us travel over all the countries of the earth, and wherever we shall find no facility for trading from a city to a town, and from a village to a hamlet, we may pronounce the people to be barbarians, and we will only be deceived re- specting the degree of barbarism." Sir Henry Parnell, in his treatise on road-making, states that "the making of roads, in point of fact, is fundamentally essential to bring about the first change that every rude country must undergo in emerging from a condition of po- verty and barbarism," to a state of affluence and civilization. The Railway Commissioners would, therefore, appear to be reasoning in a circle. The railway cannot, say they, be constructed until the provinces are in a high state of pros- perity, sufficiently so to make the railway remunerative, and this desirable result can only follow, and not precede, the construction of the railway, or some equally efficient mode of intercommunication. It would not have been necessary to remark upon the un- fair mode of treatment which Major Robinson's report has received at the hands of the Railway Commissioners by con- star and oft tha ver Bui clai whi the ckly popur fully de- leries all in that the only, of the rail- well-esta- onntry can out roads ; of roads, id through ginning to )otpath, in ible along, ack-horse, lan paved 1 — so inti- upon the ovements he degree irks, ''Let wherever ;o a town, )unce the reived re- ing, states amentally very rude ion of po- vilization. appear to y they, be B of pros- merative, precede, ' eflficient •n the un- 3port has s by con- 19 stantly harping upon the commercial view of the question, and leaving untouched the many more important bearings of the project so fully treated in that report, had it not been that the Report of the Railway Commissioners has had a very injurious effect upon the success of the undertaking. But even conceding to this report the utmost that can be claimed for it by its framers, the circumstances of the case are now so much altered by the very large concessions of valuable land, and a guarantee of money for a term of years, which the Colonial Governments have granted to promote the undertaking, that the report should no longer be looked upon as bearing upon, or materially affecting, the question of the construction of the railway under these altered cir- cumstances. Hoping to be permitted to recur to this important sub- ject in a few days, I remain. Sir, your obedient servant, ALEXANDER DOULL. 1, Morden Terrace, Greenwich, Aug. 17, 1850. LETTER IV. To the Editor' of " The Morning Chronicled Sir, — Major Robinson has derived his approximate esti- mate for the construction of the Halifax and Quebec Rail- way from railroads which have been constructed in the State of Massachusetts. This State he considers, from climate, the physical features of the country, and other points of similarity, to afford the most accurate data upon which to base an estimate ; and by making some abatement in favour of the Halifax and Quebec Hne, he considers JC7,000. per mile amply sufficient: which for 635 miles would amount to the sum of ^4,445,000., and allowing the ample sum of .£555,000. for contingencies, the estimate would amount to .£5,000,000. in round numbers, for a single line with the necessary stations and plant. In consequence of the very great reduction in the price of iron, since the report has been drawn up, a very consi- derable reduction may now be made from the above esti- mate. Locomotives and all the necessary appliances for the eflficient working of a railway are also now not only cheaper but in constant progress of improvement. The Railway Commissioners substantially admit the va- b2 4 * • 20 licHty of Major Robinson's estimate, and the mode in which he has deduced it they consider to be " good data for an estimate," and only throw in a few lurking suspicions, cal- culated, to some extent at least, to neutralize, by insinua- tion, statements which could not be directly controverted. They "beheve that with prudent management a single line of railway, between Halifax Harbour and the St. Lawrence, opposite Quebec, if gradually constructed from each end, might be properly completed and supplied with a moderate plant for c£5, 000,000." " Prudent manage- ment" is, of course, essential in all such undertakings, and an opposite course is hardly ever calculated upon in the formation of an estimate. But why, " if gradually con- structed from each end?" Could there be any difficulty, for example, in commencing those portions of the line at several points which pass through Nova Scotia, that pro- vince being nearly all settled ; and the first hundred miles out of Quebec along the banks of the St. Lawrence, which extended village," for the whole of the above distance. IS an would be most favourable for a simultaneous commencement of the works through the whole of this elongated village ? It is quite clear that in the prosecution of railway works once commenced the quicker they are executed the better, otherwise the money expended is lying unproductive, and as the above portions would be the most remunerative portions of the line, as far as local traffic is concerned, they should be executed as rapidly as possible, and opened for traffic, so that the money expended would not be altogether unproductive. And what possible difficulty could there be in commenc- ing at several points along the coast from Bay Verte to Restigouche Bay, or how could there be any additional expense incurred when the whole of this coast is so amply supplied with good harbours and rivers navigable to the points crossed by the proposed railway, where parties of emigrants, provisions, tools, and implements of all kinds could be landed at or near to the scene of operation ? This section of the line would also be the most favourable for the commencement of the combined operation of con- structing the railway works and colonizing the adjacent lands. The Commissioners state that " they fear that the sum of ^5,000,000. would not be found sufficient, if it be en- pa th le in which data for an icions, cal- by insinua- ntroverted. it a single id the St. acted from oplied with it managc- ikings, and ipon in the lually con- ■ difficulty, the line at ,, that pro- dred miles nee, which e distance, nencement village ? ^vay works the better, ictive, and [lunerative rned, they )pened for altogether commenc- Verte to additional so amply ,ble to the parties of all kinds tion? ^ivourable on of con- sent lands, t the sum f it be en- 21 deavoured, by locating large working parties on different parts of the proposed line, to expedite its construction, for the expenses attendant on forming the necessary establish- ments for the labourers, on forwarding them thereto, and on providing for them during the season when their labour could not be fully employed on the line, would probably be very great, and any expenditure which may be then incurred can hardly be considered as provided for in the above estimate." It is not very clear how the commissioners intended to obviate the difficulties which their fears have conjured up with respect to "the necessary establishments for the labourers," if their favourite mode of " gradually construct- ing from each end" had been adopted. It can hardly be suppG3ed that they intended the process of construction to be so slow, or that they anticipated the effect of the con- struction to be so instantaneous and so salutary, that the colonization and settling of the country would move on- wards, pari passu, with the construction of the railway, so as to obviate ** the necessity of establishments for the labour- ers," and counteract the other evils which they enumerate. It is quite evident, however, that the Railway Commis- sioners did not consider the construction of the railway in connection with a system of colonization and the free grant by the colonies of land amounting to nearly 5,000,000 acres to a company constructing the line. This so completely changes the whole features of the case, that instead of the report of the Railway Commissioners being allowed to operate as a very great discouragement to the project, it ought not to be considered as having any bearing upon the subject at all in its present altered position. The emigiants being located along the line of railway at the several stations, as pointed out to some extent in my report upon the mode of construction, would be enabled to employ themselves in clearing their allotments, and pre- paring them for a crop when the railway works could not be proceeded with. So much for the estimate ; and as the expected traffic and consequent income from a distinct and very important branch of the inquiry, I will reserve it, with your permis- sion, to a future opportunity, and remain, sir, your obedient servant, ALEXANDER DOULL, 1, Morden Terrace^ Greenwich, August 24, 1850. 22 LETTER V. To the Editor of " The Mornmg Chronicle" Sir, — When railway speculation was in full bloom in England, a race of very ingenious gentlemen sprung into existence as if by magic, called " traffic-takers," and many voluminous tables were compiled for the enlightenment and guidance of parliamentary committees. These tables proved, however, perfectly fallacious in every instance. Traffic-takers, at the time of their existence — for they have now as a race become extinct — were considered as legitimate descendants of the renowned Major Longbow, and as being highly creditable to his memory. They collected all the possible traffic under the most favourable circumstances of their case, and generally quad- rupled the amount as the available traffic on the proposed railway. This was considered at the time as an outrage upon the faith of the age — a barefaced exaggeration to catch share-jobbers, and to test the patience of parliamen- tary committees. The voluminous returns, however, which pass annually under the inspection of the Railway Commissioners, esta- blish the astounding fact that traffic-takers, who were con- sidered exaggeration personified, would have been much nearer the mark if they had increased the aggregate of their traffic erghty, ninety, or even one-hundred fold. Still it will be perceived that the millions of railway travellers which have passed in review before the Railway Commis- sioners in compiling their annual report, have rather con- tracted than expanded their views when considering the probable traffic on the Halifax and Quebec Railway. Major Robinson, in his Report, states, in reference to traffic, that — ** The direct communication between the two termini, Halifax and Quebec, is of a very limited nature. By land it is confined almost to the conveyance of the mails. Passengers proceed generally by way of the United States. By sea, in 1847, the communication was by 17 ves- sels, which arrived at Quebec, having a tonnage of 1,257, and 18 de- parted from that port for Halifax, whose tonnage amounted to 1 ,386 tons. " This amount of intercourse does not, at the first view, appear en- couraging to expect receipts, but when it is made to appear that this limited intercourse arises entirely from the want of good means of inter- communication, such as would be afforded by the proposed railway, it 23 becomes a strong argument in favour of making the line, rather than against it. ** The communication of the provinces with each other is cramped and restricted beyond measure by the sime want. *' By sea the amount of intercourse may be judged oi by the return given in Appendix No. 6, furnished by the Quebec Board of Trade." This Appendix contains a list of 154 vessels, of 8,185 tons, arrivals, and 201 vessels, of 9,623 tons, clearances, all communicating with portions of the coast lying con- tiguous to the line of the proposed railway. The Report goes on to state, that " At the extremities of the line, and for some miles along the St. Lawrence, there is an abundant population. External commerce there is in an eminent degree. In that of agriculture its deficiency is great at present, but as there are millions of acres of good productive land, only wanting for the hands necessary to cultivate them, and the means of access to which would be afforded by the railway, this very circumstance may be made to conduce to the advantage of the line, and pay a large portion of the expense of its construction." Upon the subject of traffic the Railway Commissioners state that they " agree with Major Robinson in not at- taching much importance to the direct intercourse between Halifax and Quebec." Major Robinson makes no such admission in his Report, nor any statement that can be construed into such an ad- mission. He states, " that the direct communication be- tween the two termini, Halifax and Quebec, is of a very limited nature." No one doubts but this is the case at present^ and Major Robinson states the reason to be " that this limited intercourse arises entirely from the want of good means of intercommunication, such as would be afforded by the proposed railway." This statement does not therefore undervalue the traffic which would flow be- tween the two termini after the communication by railway has been effected, for the report shows how it flows at pre- sent through the United States on the one hand, and along the dangerous navigation of the St. Lawrence on the other, and it is very nearly as unfair to judge of the traffic which would be attracted to this trunk line of communication, when constructed, by comparing it with what exists upon the present imperfect communication, as it would be to compare the amount of traffic which will be attracted to the projected tunnel through the Alps with the amount which now passes over these natural barriers. 24 III i i But to show still further that Major Robinson does not undervalue Halifax and Quebec as the termini of the pro- posed railway, or the traffic which would flow between these important places, he states that •' The population of Halifax (the Athmtic terminus) is estimated at 25,000 souls. It is the capital of the province, the seat of government, and its commerce extensive. The value of its imports and exports is estimated at £2,500,000. Halifax may be considered to be the nearest great seaport to Europe. *' Passengers travelling between England and the Canadas would adopt this railway as the shortest and best line which they could take. Emigrants would do the same. *' The mails, troops, munitions of war, commissariat supplies, and all public stores would- naturally pass by it, as the safest, speediest, and cheapest means of conveyance. "The city of Quebec (the oiher terminus, according to the census of 1844, contained (including the county, which is not given separately) 45,000 persons. '* But this city derives additional importance from its being the one great shipping port and outlet for all Canada. By its port passes the whole trade of that province. It may be regarded as the focus of com- merce for a million and a half of souls. The value of the imports and exports together may be estimated at £5,500,000. sterling, giving em- ployment to a very great amount of shipping." In addition to these important termini, the intercourse between the British North American colonies and England, or rather Europe, ouglit not to be lost sight of, as it would unquestionably be very considerable, and would nearly all fall into this line of communication so soon as completed throwghout. The intermediate and collateral traffic which would flow into the railway as its most natural and most legitimate channel, are stated at length in Major Robinson's Report, comprising " St. John's and Prince Edward's Islands. The former with a popu- lation in city and county together, of nearly 44,000 persons, with a commerce of the value of £1,800,000. in exports and imports, giving employment to a great amount of shipping. The latter, with a popula- tion of 50,000, engaged principally in agriculture and the fisheries. The exports and imports of this island are about £200,000. annually. " Between the city of Quebec and the river Metis there are settled along the south bank of the St Lawrence 75,000 inhabitants all engaged in agriculture," and all in close proximity to the proposed railway, and. forming " one long and continued village for 200 miles. "A more favourable "disposition of a population (comprised of small farmers) for contributing to the way traffic of a railroad could scarcely have been desired." . f Of this amount of population, and of its peculiarly favour- all and 25 able disposition along so extensive a portion of the proposed line, the Commissioners of Railways take no notice what- ever, although they, at the same time, remark prominently upon the paucity of the population of New Brunswick, and that when endeavouring to establish this singular proposi- tion, they observe that " The successful result which has attended the construction of railways in the United States affords no grounds for anticipating similar results at present in British America." This may be taken as a fair sample of the Report of the Railway Commissioners throughout, and of the unfair manner in which it treats the whole subject. However necessary and useful the Railway Commis- sioners might have been in England, when railway specu- lation was running down a fearful incline with a destructive and an accelerating velocity, had they put on an efficient break to have reduced the motion to a safe and steady pace — but having neglected this very obvious and important duty, they are now found employing their influential posi- tion by every possible means to retard, " at least for a long time to come," a project requiring, from the nature of the circumstances and the unfavourable time of its introduction, every encouragement, at least fair play, from all parties. The Commissioners of Railvyays labour hard to show that the agricultural produce of Upper Canada, and in fact nearly all communication and traffic, have hitherto passed and must continue to pass through the United States. This would be all very intelligible if it could be supposed for a moment that it was intended to send the British colonies to the States after their most profitable traffic. The Quebec Board of Health state, on this part of the subject (Appendix, No. 6, of Major Robinson's Report), that "Among the almost numberless ad vantages that would follow the building of a railroad, both politically and commercially, your committee would point out the certainty of a transportation to a seaport in either New J3runswick or Nova Scotia, during the period our navigation is impeded with ice, of a large portion of breadstufFs which every winter is locked up in Quebec and Montreal, to the great injury of the province at large ; to which may be added the advantage that would follow by the transmission of the mails by the road, for which the Government now pay so large a sum for the transmission through the United States, which for many weighty reasons is objectionable, and, we may add, offensive to the feelings of a large portion of the inhabitants of both Canada East and Canada West." , . . I 26 The Railway Commissioners take no notice of the con- veyance of the mails for which Major Robinson allows ^20,000. per annum for passing over 400 miles of the line, nor do they make any allusion to the conveyance of troops, the great advantages of which are pointed out by Major Robinson ; still they say, that they " have carefully consi- dered the subject referred to them." I remain, sir, your obedient servant, ALEXANDER DOULL. 1, Morden Terrace, Greenwich, Aug. 29, 1850. LETTER VL To the Editor of " The Morning Chronicle" Sir, — Recurring again to Major Robinson's estimate, which has been stated as five millions sterling, it is neces- sary to point out the manner in which he proposes to reduce this sum to three millions sterling of actual outlay, and also to show that had he been aware of the much larger concession of land granted by the colonies to a com- pany constructing the railway than he calculated upon, that he would have reduced the actual outlay in money to less than two millions sterling. After adverting to the propriety of the provinces and the empire undertaking the execution of this great work, he states that ** If so undertaken, the provinces, supported by the credit of the mother country, could raise capital at a rate of interest which could not be done by any company of shareholders. And if to this advantage be added the disposal, for the exclusive benefit of the railway, of a portion of the wild lands along the line, and in the immediate country which it would be the means of opening to settlement and cultivation, then it is highly probable that it would be constructed for three millions sterling." The Report goes on to state — " That there is in the counties through which this line will pass four- teen millions of acres of land yet ungranted, and therefore remaining at the disposal of the provincial government. " The ordinary price of an acre of wild or uncleared land is about 2s. 6d. or 3s. per acre ; but where public roads are made through them, the value immediately increases, and it will not be considered an extra- vagant estimate to suppose that the land along it, or in the immediate vicinity of the railway, will be worth £1. per acre. " With this amount of capital the three millions proposed to be raised by loan, ' and two millions of acres to be reserved and sold from time to time, it is conceived the railway may be made.' *' Upon the strength of these two millions of acres, and the loan as a if 27 basis, a large amount of notes ntight be issued in payment of the wageii unci salaries of the labourers, and other persons employed on the works of the railway. They should be made receivable for taxes and customs duties. The amount authorised to be issued might be limited to the extent cf the acres, and as these were sold an equal aniount of notes should be cancolled. *• The issue of a number of notes which would pass current over the three provinces, would be conferring a greai 'lefit upon the community at large. The currency is not the same throughout, and persons who travel from one province to another are now put to inconvenience, and have often to pay a discount upon exchanging the notes of one colonial bank for those of another. Advantage might be taken of the measure to assimilate the currency of the colonies to each other, and make it * sterling,' the same as in England. *' By a little arrangement also, these notes might be made payable at the chief ports of emigration in the United Kingdom ; and in that case a very great convenience would be afforded to a large class of persons on both sides of the Atlantic. ** To remit small sums now requires the intervention of bankers or agents. This has the effect upon persons resident in the settlement (and no doubt also often in towns) of preventing their sending the assistance which they otherwise would do to friends at home. Many a small note would be put up and sent in a letter, which now is never thought of for want of the convenience. " In remitting sums from Halifax to England the banks do not like to give bills at less than sixty days' sight. These notes would therefore become a great public benefit, and there would be no fear of their being kept in circulation almost to any amount." This very safe and humane proposal by Major Robinson to aid the superabundant population of the United King- dom, and to give to the colonies an invaluable and an indis- pensable public work, has been met by the railway commis- sioners in the same manner in which the other portions of this valuable report has been treated. They state that ** Major Robinson only considers it necessary for the receipts to be sufficsent to return an interest upon three millions, as he proposes that the remaining expenditure shall be met by an issue of notes. But the commissioners understand that paper is at present extensively used in the currency of the three provinces, and they consider that any advan- tages which can be derived from an alteration in the principles on which it is issued may be obtained independently of the construction of the railway, and that if it be possible for such alteration to be accompanied by an increase in the pecuniary resources of the three Governments, the returns to be expected from any proposed application of those additional resources should be as carefully considered as the return from the em- ployment of capital under any other circumstances.'' Looking at the three names of the Commissioners of Railways, and making every necessary allowance for want of practical knowledge in connection with the stability and adaptation of railway structures, there can be no reasonable • 28 ground for making any such allowance upon a subject of pure finance, a mere pounds, shillings, and pence question. It appears, however, that greater carelessness, if possible, has been shown in considering this part of Major Robin- son's report, than any other portion of it. Major Robinson simply proposes to create j£2,000,000. of paper currency upon the basis of a loan of jG3,000,000., and the 2,000,000 of acres of land given gratuitously by the colonies, (and which he supposes to be equal in value to ^2,000,000. of money), as a security. The £2,000,000. of floating currency thus created would only be put in circu- lation by the payment of the workmen employed in the construction of the line, and the amount would conse- quently be in proportion to the amount of work executed. Suppose, for example, that the whole two millions were paid away to workmen for the execution of the works, and to parties for the supply of materials ; that the best paying portions of the line were thus constructed, and also the portion passing through and giving value to the allotments of land ; and further that the whole of the paper-money was exchanged for the land, and the paper-money cancelled. There would then remain no property invested in the por- tion of the railway constructed, and consequently no divi- dend to pay. But how do the Commissioners of Railways view this sub- ject ? They " understand," for they do not profess to know much about the matter — they only " understand that paper is at present extensively used in the currency of the three provinces," and they consider that any advantages derivable from this source, or from an increase in the amount, " maybe obtained independently of the construction of the railway." But why may not these advantages be derived in connec- tion with the additional advantage of a railway ? Why may not one advantage be made conducive to the produc- tion of another advantage ? The Commissioners of Railways state that " the returns to be expected from any proposed application of these ad- ditional resources should be as carefully considered as the return from the employment of capital under any other circumstances." . This is by no means the case ; the two millions expended, as above explained, require no returns to be carefully con- ^ •*. ▼ ^ » sidered," or to be considered at « II f* wbole sum has been hud out in the construction oftht wo ks, ; nd tli n p'udually invested in land, which the promoters /f the ra vay recwived gratuitously from the coh)nies, ami he wor > may *h« -re- fore be considered as havinjjj been constructed hv t; Jaud without the investment or intervention of any capit i. It wouUl a])pear by some of the correspondent .n the report of the Commissioners of Railways for 1 84ii, that, t fiey considered themselves bound by law to act in accordance with the recommendations of their reporting officers, whe- ther these recommendations coincided with their own views or not. This being the case, why have they not done honour to this wise provision of the law when reviewing the report of Major Robinson, who collected his informa- tion on the spot, and whose judgment on the various topics on which he treats must be of more value than the opinion of the Commissioners, who cannot be expected to be con- versant with the subject, and for which incapacity the law appears to have wisely provided ? Hoping to be able to show in my next communication, notwithstanding the homoeopathic treatment of this subject by the Commissioners of Railways, that a more judicious, ra- tional, and scientific treatment would produce the most de- sirable results both to the colonies and the mother country, I remain. Sir, your obedient servant, ALEXANDER DOULL. 1, Movden Terrace., Greenwich, Sept. 4, 1850. »» LETTER VIL To the Editor of " The Morning Chronicle,** Sir, — Major Robinson's views upon the probable income of the Halifax and Quebec railway have already been stated to a considerable extent ; it will be necessary, however, to concentrate those views, and to furnish additional state- ments upon this part of the subject. He assumed that 2,000,000 acres of land would be given by the colonies in addition to the breadth of way necessary for the construc- of the hue, and blocks for stations to the Imperial Govern- ment, or to any private company that would construct the railway. The colonies, however, have not only granted a free I- I 30 breadth of way for the construction of the railway for the whole length from Halifax to Quebec, and also blocks for stations, whether through private property or through the public domain, but they have also given ten miles on each side of the line through the whole of the unceded lands, amounting, in the aggregate, to about 4,800,000 acres. In Kngland the overwhelming parliamentary and law ex- penses, together with the immense sums spent in contests with rival companies, the money expended in buying off' the opposition of powerful landowners, and also the excessive prices paid for land, conveyancing, arbitrations and litiga- tion in every shape and form, placed in juxta-position with the above free and extensive grants of land in the colonics without any law expense whatever, leaves no sort of com- parison between the two cases ; still it is to he feared that not only have the Commissioners of Railways, when con- sidering the construction of this important railway in the colonies, been unable to divest their minds of the many at- tendant evils which follow in the train of railway construc- tion in this country, but that many others have been led into the same error. The very term railway, however, justly or not, appears to be connected in almost every one's mind with distrust at least, if not with something worse. As Major Robinson reduced his estimate by the sum of 2,000,000/. sterling in consequence of the assumed grant of 2^000,000 acres of land, leaving to be raised for the construction of the line only 3,000,000/., the grant of 4,800,000 acres would consequently warrant a reduction of the estimate by 3,000,000/. at least, leaving only 2,000,000/. to be provided. But waiving this very important advantage, as the whole of this great quantity of land could not be disposed of ad- vantageously for several years after the construction of the railway, still it would be a valuable property belonging to the company, and as it would be sold off the proceeds would be applied to dividend, or the land would be ex- changed for the company's stock at par. Four per cent, per annum upon 3,000,000/. would amount to the sum of 120,000/.; and as the maintenance of a double line of railway in England averages at present about 100/. per mile per annum, and this in general with numer- ous trains, heavy locomotives, and high speeds, 60/. per 31 mile per annum would be sufficient tor the maintenance of the jkiilifax and Quebec railway, it beinj^ a single line. This would amount for the distance — ().'35 miles — to the sum of 38,100/. Takinji; two trains each way daily, and the carrying charges at 1.?. Sd. per train per mile, the sum wcmld amount to 77,258/., and allowing tlie sum of 14,()'I2/. for contingencies, there would be the sum of 250,000/. to be provided for by the receipts of the railway. In Major Robinson's report, it is stated that " The net earnings of the railroads in Ma ssachn setts for the year 1847 were 2,290,000 dollars. The population of that State, over whose area railways are everywhere extended, and the whole of which may therefore be considered as tributary to them, being at the time about 800,000 — this gives 2^ dollars per head, equivalent to II5." •• Applying the ratio of 10.«. per head to the 400,000 inhabitants who are within the area, and likely to become tributaries to the Quebec and Halifax Railway, it will give £200,000. as its probable revenue." But the circumstances of the two cases not being simil '^ as respects traffic, half of the above sum will be taken i^^: applying to passenger traffic, namely 100,000/. For the carriage of the mail, and the removal of trorp. , with the munitions of war, commissariat supplies, pnl.K: stores, &c., 30,000/. This may be considered a very low estimate for these important services, as it is hardly possible that any troops, military supplies, or public stores, would be sent by the circuitous and dangerous route of the St. Lawrence after the completion of the railway. The Cumberland coal-field, from the superior quality of the coal and the great demand there would be opened out for it in the United States, and for the supply of steam-boats, &c. when a ready mode of transport would be formed for its conveyance to Halifax or any other point of consump- tion or of shipment, may be estimated at 10,000/. The lumber trade is at present carried on very extensive- ly in the colonies, and under very great disadvantage. The timber is very generally floated down the mountain streams and precipices, and much injured. The construction of the railway would greatly facilitate this branch of industry, and the improved mode of transit would preserve the tim- ber so as to render it much more valuable. And in order to increase the traffic upon the railway, and also to derive the greatest possible benefit from the land ceded to the 32 company by the colonies, the timber would be cut down, conveyed by railway to the nearest or most convienient port, and shipped for England, taking advantage as far as practicable of the return of vessels which have brought out passengers or stores for the company. This would render the land even moio valuable to set- tlers of limited means, as they would be enabled so much sooner to put in a crop, and to meet their wants at an earlier period. The traffic to the railway from the lumber trade, when thus improved, may be put at 100,000/. The provision trade, agricultural produce, cattle, &c., passing along this line, would doubtless be very extensive when opened throughout its whole length, as the great supplies from the settlements on the lakes of Upper Canada and the adjoining portions of the States, would either find a ready market in the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, or pass along the railway to an European market. Such are the imperfect modes of conveyance at present during the interruption of the navigation on the St. Lawrence, that with an abundant supply of provisions at one end of the proposed line of communication, there has been a very near approach to famine at the other. The revenue derived from this source may be put at £60,000. Minerals, grindstones (which are largely exported), limestone, mineral manures, &c., when fully developed, may be put at £30,000. In the report of the Colonial Land and Emigration Com- missioners for 1850, it is stated that 299,498 emigrants left Great Britain in 1849 for North America ; 219,450 to the United States, and 41,367 to British North America: — "The relative proportions of emigration to British North Am«^rica and to the United States have very much changed of late years. In the ten years ending with 1839 inclusive, of 613,258 persons who emigrated to North America, there went to the British colonies 320,766 ; and to the United States, 292,492. ** But in the ten years ending with 1849, of 1,340,496 persons who emigrated to North America, there went to the British colonies 428,376, and to the United States 912,120. ** Of this disproportion the greatest part has arisen in the emigration of the last two years, in which, of 480,115 persons who emigrated to North America, there went to the British colonies 72,432 ; and to the United States, 407,683." 33 The primary cause of this diversion of the stream of emigration from the British colonies to the United States is unquestionably the greater facilities for proceeding to the interior from the ports of the States than from those of the British colonies, by the extensive introduction of railways into the States, and their total absence in the colonies ; and also the extensive labour-market created by the introduction of those public works in the former which have been neglected in the latter. This state of things must be very injurious, not only to the interests, but also to the feelings of the British colonists, and calculated powerfully, though silently, to alienate their minds from British connection. Of the 41,367 persons who annually emigrate to the British North American colonies, the greater portion would travel over the HaHfax and Quebec Railway ; and it may fairly be assumed that at least one-half of the emigrant traffic diverted to the States from the colonies, as above shown from official documents, would return so soon as a stimulus was given to the labour-market by the construc- tion of the railway, when in progress, and by the facilities aiforded by it when constructed and opened for traffic. The facilities afforded by this line from its favourable Atlantic terminus at Halifax, as giving the shortest sea- passage from England, would attract a very great share of the emigration from the Continent of Europe to America, and also much of that better class of travellers who are frequently passing and repassing between the old and the new worlds, and who would numerically increase in pro- portion as facilities of comfort, expedition, and economy were afforded to them. The whole of these sources of revenue, which may be termed external passenger traffic, may be put at .£40,000. per annum. The aggregate of these sums amounts to j£370,000. ; from which, if £130,000., are taken for maintenance of way and working expenses, there wiU remain the sum of ^240,000., equal to 8 per cent, upon an expenditure of je3,ooo,ooo. But even admittinor that the income above the workincj expenses only amounted to 4 per cent, upon the required outlay, this should not any longer retard this great and important work. c 34 But when it is considered that the colonies jointly have granted .£60,000. per annum, for twenty years, to make up any deficiency there might be in the income of the company to pay 4 per cent, upon an outlay of £3,000,000., in addition to the very munificent grant of land already adverted to, this sum, together with ^30,000. for the con- veyance of mails, troops, &c., would amount to j£90,000., leaving only £30,000. per annum to be guaranteed by the Imperial Government to make up 4 per cent. ; and as it is highly improbable, indeed almost certain, that neither the guarantee of the colonies nor of the home Government would be called upon in aid of the revenue of the line, it is difficult to conceive of an opportunity where any British ministry had it in their power to do so much good with so little means, also of conciliating so great a number of loyal subjects with little more than fair words. Some governments, however, have the misfortune never to grant even the smallest favour with a good grace, but always require more or less pressure from without. Whe- ther this results from an inherent pugnacious disposition which will on all occasions, even the most trivial, go a certain length in refusal, and then give way when the pressure becomes rather alarming, this is an extremely dangerous spirit to evoke in these days of agitation and turbulence. The feeblest are thus taught to assume an importance to which they have no just claim. It is true that the reply of the Colonial Secretary to a petition from the colonies to her Majesty, embodying a re- quest for a grant from the Imperial treasury of i£ 1,000,000. towards the construction of the Halifax and Quebec rail- way, has been (and that rather unfairly) taken as decisive proof that the present Government is altogether averse to the undertaking. This is by no means the case ; for although it cannot be strictly said that the Government has refused to counter- guarantee the colonial guarantee of .£60,000. per annum for twenty years, and add thereto an equal amount, £30,000. of which would be met by the carriage of the mails, &c., neither can it be said that the Governme)it has consented to give the required guarantee. The case appears to stand in this rather childish position : Government. We highly approve of your plan, it is of 35 vital importance to the colonies, and also to the empire at large. Who are your men ? Promoters. Our men, overwhelmed with capital, groan- ing to find a i outlet, will be forthcoming so soon as we can inform them what the Government will do. Government We cannot exactly tell you what we will do until we know who your men are. Promoters. Our moneyed men are men of business, and proceeding in a business-like way ; they cannot, therefore, be induced to waste their time in this business, unless we are authorised to state to them explicitly what the Govern- ment intend to do. — Exit. In conclusion it may be well to state that it is taking a very contracted view of this question to suppose that the Halifax and Quebec Railway is to terminate at Quebec. There is nothing extravagant in the supposition that some spacious harbour on the Pacific, in the neighbourhood of Vancouver's Island, is, at no distant period, destined to be the terminus of this important line of communication. This desirable result being accomplished, with probably a daily steam communication between England and Halifax, would give to the Halifax and Quebec portion of this highly im- portant trunk line more traffic than would be enjoyed by any other railway in the world. Even the initial portion of this great project being once completed, the onward march of mind of the present day would be strongly attracted to the bold scenery, the majes- tic rivers, the expansive lakes, and the sublime water-falls of the American continent, where the grandeur of nature and the enterprising energy of man are the exponents of the fiiture, whilst in Europe all are exponents of the past. Apologising for the length of this communication, I re- main, sir, your obedient servant, ALEXANDER DOULL. 1, Morden Terrace, GreenwichySept, 14, 1850. LETTER VIIL To the Editor of " The Morning Chronicle." Sir, — The project which I have by your kind permission feebly attempted to advocate, if impartially examined and fairly treated, may be allowed to rest upon its own intrinsic c2 36 merits. There are, however, many important collateral circumstances connected with the construction of the Halifax and Quebec Railway, or which may be very advantageously combined with it, which greatly enhance its importance. However practical the present age may claim to be, it would be very absurd to attempt to reduce every transac- tion to a mere debtor and creditor account, a simple post- ing of the mercantile ledger. Any one who has studied the rise and fall of empires, the great leading features of the events which have been transacted upon the stage of time, must see the visible impress of an all-wise, powerful, and beneficent Being, who governs and controls all the efforts of man to some wise end. The destiny of nations appears to be shadowed forth with sufficient clearness for the wise and reflecting to interpret, and happy it will be for those nations whose governors or watchmen understand the " signs of the times." The present is no ordinary epoch of the world's history. It appears to be a period of action, both mental and bodily, the ushering in of that era when " many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." That the destiny of England, with her widely extended and highly important colonial dependencies, is of no ordi- nary character, can hardily be denied by the most superfi- cial observer. Can any one, who has a heart to feel, direct his thoughts along the visla of futurity without experienc- ing a glow of satisfaction springing up within him, from a consciousness that the language, the religion, the laws, the institutions, and the literature, as well as the scientific and mechanical genius of his native land, will roll onwards through the length and breadth of this vast colonial empire, and that England will thus be reproduced in its most essential features in every quarter of the globe ? In order that these desirable results may be brought about in a manner to prove the greatest possible blessing to the mother country and her numerous dependencies, it will be necessary for statesmen to be governed by enlarged and enlightened views, and not by mere time-serving expe- diency. The system of staving off difficulties by the hour must be abandoned, and they must consider that everything in the present age is in rapid motion, flowing onwards to fresh developments, and that their duty is to direct this 37 onward tendency, in order not to lose all control over it — sometimes checking, and at other times encouraging and assisting, by which means they will still be able to guide, control, and govern. But to attempt to stop the onward march of improvement by the mere petulenCv, of inaction will simply be to lose all power over the movements of the age. The conquests which England has already achieved in sanguinary conflicts, both by sea and land, may be taken as sufficient in that particular direction, and she ought now to take the lead in the dissemination of the blessings of religion, civilization, and liberty, which have raised her to her present position among the nations of the earth, and which blessings have unquestionably been bestowed as a talent to be improved, and the non-improvement of which would be the prelude to their forfeiture. The Exhibition of the industry and skill of all nations in 1851 is doubtless a movement in the right direction. It is a taking stock of the science, the art, and the mechanical genius of the whole civihzed world — a friendly invitation to the whole human family to cast aside their differences, political, religious, and social, and bring to one spot all the triumphs of mind over matter which the world at the present time can produce ; and thus the concentrated ge- nius of every caste and every clime will be placed in juxta- position, and all will start from this grand era of comparison upon equal terms, to achieve fresh conquests in the wide, or rather boundless, domain of science and art, by simply knowing what has already been accomplished. This well-conceived project must, however, be followed up by finding an outlet for the growing enterprise and ex- panding genius of the country, as well as for its redui iant population ; and happy should the country and its rulers be to reflect that the colonies are so extensive, and many of them so accessible. - -■ The construction of the Halifax and Quebec Railway would open out an extensive and an important field both for skilled and unskilled labour, not simply in the construc- tion of the railway and the works connected therewith, but in bringing into cultivation and occupancy many millions of acres of valuable land, under the auspices of a company who would have an opportunity and every motive to act t ^ 38 upon the most comprehensive plans with reference to the complete development of these combined operations, and also to treat those locating upon the lands of the company with greater liberality than settlers generally experience. The many branches of industry which are at present in a languishing state, or altogether undeveloped, connected with the extensive coal fields and the rich mineral districts which would be intersected by the proposed railway, and also the timber trade, the fisheries, and several other branches of industry, which only require the stimulus of a cheap and rapid mode of transit to place the whole in flou- rishing activity, would also employ and amply support numerous intelligent and active hands. The laborious, hardy, and in many respects ill-used race of men, who have constructed the numerous railways in England, have not become extinct with the almost total extinction of their employment in this country. There would, therefore, be no difficulty in collecting several thou- sands of these hardy sons of toil, who would be most happy to place themselves in a position where they could cherish a hope of being able, at no distant period, to gain a small independency for themselves and families on the land which they could easily acquire in the British North Ame- rican colonies, in connection with the construction of the Halifax and Quebec Railway. It may be said that the English "navvy" is an improvi- dent man ; but let his accusers consider the circumstances in which he has almost invariably been placed, and how few of those who have made princely fortunes by the sweat of his brow have treated him even so well as the pampered steed who may have been seen drawing the loaded wagon along the railway embankment to the tip. Let this class of men be snatched from the tommy-shop or the sub, or more generally the sub-sub-contractor ; let sobriety and habits of economy be considered a recom- mendation, and not the certain prelude to dismissal from work ; let them be no longer treated as beasts of burden, sent into the world for the express purpose of making for- tunes for a few wealthy contractors ; let them associate into communities of from twenty to one hundred men ; let them be treated as principals in the execution of the works, their temporal and eternal interests cared for, their children 39 educated, their savings invested in land, upon which the whole or any number of each associated body may locate when they think proper — and it may safely be predicted that the result will prove most satisfactory. The principle of associated labour and proportional pro- fits ought to be adopted also by bodies of mechanics in- tending to emigrate. This has been very briefly alluded to in my report, and the principle is very much approved of by numerous bodies of workmen, and much importance attached to its efficient working out. Numerous inquiries are daily being made to the secretary for information upon this point ; but while there is so much doubt and uncertainty, or, at all events, indecision con- nected with the movements of Government, the promoters of the undertaking cannot incur the responsibility of giving any definite instructions upon the subject. Hope deferred is consequently rankling in the bosoms of many who would gladly embrace any opportunity to avert impending and inevitable poverty, and try their fortunes in a more extend- ed field of operation, where there is more elbow-room for jostling their way through life. As these parties are well accustomed to hard labour in this country they do not delude themselves with the idea that they can escape the same fate in the colonies. They are not the white-handed and provisionless gentlemen who live on their wits in this country, but the horny-handed sons of toil, whose only ambition it is to get a clear stage and fair play. As the question of the construction of the Halifax and Quebec Railway can only be considered a question of time, it being quite clear that a work so essential to the prosperity of the colonies, and even to their existence as British colo- nies, cannot long be delayed, it would be impossible, there- fore, to over estimate the importance of having the line of railway definitely marked out upon the ground, and the permanent section taken at the earliest possible period. The difficulties to be overcome would then be a matter of absolute certainty, the quantity and the nature of the works on every section of the line would be ascertained, and it would also be known what branches of local industry could most advantageously be connected with the construction of the r ailway in any particular locality. It would be too absurd to suppose that any Government would put the colonies to the expense of survey and ex- amination of an important public work, and take no further interest in its execution, and more particularly when their own officers employed on this particular duty so very strong- ly recommended its execution. Such conduct as this would be a gratuitous and senseless tantalizing of the colonies, and calculated to alienate their affections from British connection. Let us therefore hope better things, and that the Govern- ment may yet be induced not only to countenance, but even substantially to assist in the execution of this great national undertaking, which would prove a stronger bond of union between England and her colonies than proclamations backed by armies, as well as less expensive, more rational, and more in accordance with the spirit of the age. I am, sir, your obedient servant, ALEXANDER DOULL. 1, Morden Terrace, Greenwich, October 2, 1830. PLAN Of an extensive System of Colonization, in connection with the construction of the Halifax and Quebec Railway. Dear Sir, — Agreeably to your request, I have drawn up the following statement of the mode by which an extensive system of colonization may be combined with the construc- tion of the Halifax and Quebec railway, in such a manner as to admit of a safe, steady and gradual extension of the several settlements along the line, and thus to avoid the calamities which frequently result from an indiscriminate mass of settlers alighting down in great numbers upon a spot of unreclaimed land, with very inadequate if any pre- arrangements. There is one very important advantage connected with colonization in the districts of country through which the Halifax and Quebec railway would pass, and indeed in all the unsettled portions of the British North American Co- lonies, which appears to be almost if not entirely overlooked, and that is the undisputed title to the land, and conse- 41 quently the undisturbed occupancy thereof; whilst in many colonies the titles to the land are disputed by the aborigi- nal inhabitants, who, whilst they are driven back by a pro- gressive army of colonists, hold the vanguard in perpetual alarm, and frequently retaliate upon them by the commis- sion of cruel and extensive murders. In colonies where this state of things exists there is a paramount • :cessity for settlers to congregate together in large numbers, for mutual safety, very much to their dis- advantage in other respects ; but no degree of isolation which is compatible with the most advantageous arrange- ments need be guarded against, in reference to the opera- tions of the Canadian Land and Railway Association. The centre line of the railway being permanently marked upon the ground, and the site of the station chosen, the next operation would be to erect, and that permanent- ly, such portions of the station buildings as could most readily be made to accommodate the parties engaged on the works, and this would be proceeded with until the whole station buildings were completed. The site of the town would now be marked out ; a know- ledge of the locality would at once point out the extent to which it would be necessary to reserve land for that pur- pose, and for the various industrial establishments which would be likely to spring into existence in any particular district. The proposed settlements would be about ten miles dis- tant from each other, measured along the line of railway, and extend ten miles from the railway into the country on each side, giving an area of twenty square miles, or 12,800 acres, to each settlement. In a purely agricultural district the town would not necessarily be extensive, as there would be numerous small villages and homesteads placed in the most convienient positions for efficiently and economically cultivating the above extent of land. As the railway stations would be the central point to which all the produce of the district would be brought for conveyance to a market, and from which all necessary supplies would be obtained, it would probably be found very advantageous, and more particularly in agricultural districts, to increase the store accommodation at the railway 42 station, so as to serve the purpose of storing up all the surplus produce, until the most suitable time for conveyance by railway to market, or for exportation. The pursuits of the settlers in the several settlements would vei*y considerably vary according to the resources of the locality of each particular station. The whole would be more or less agricultural ; some agricultural and mining ; in many cases agriculture would be combined with various kinds of manufacturing industry. Several of the stations could conveniently be placed upon navigable rivers, where ship and boat building could be carried on, and also fishing operations to a very great extent. The accompanying sketch of a town is not proposed in the expectation that it would be carried out without con- siderable modification, according to the varying circum- stances of the locations above alluded to, but principally to suggest that some well considered plan for the arrange- ment of the streets, the drainage, the position of the public buildings, factories and workshops in connection with the railway and station buildings should be acted upon, and should gradually extend outwards from the station build- ings, so that to whatever extent the town would ultimately extend, there would be no necessity for that expensive re-modeling which would be inevitable if no well considered plan was acted upon. The simplest arrangement of the streets has been adopted, as being most susceptible of gradual extension. As the interests of the Railway Company, and the pros- perity of the settlers on the lands appropriated by the Provinces to the Company, would be intimately combined, one establishment of water-works, gas works, and probably saw mills, would be common to all parties, and would be most conveniently estabhshed by the Railway Company, and in connection with the station buildings. In the accompanying plan the railway passes through the town, the station being in the centre of the town, and consists of the necessary station accommodation, with ample store room for goods and agricultural produce of every description. At the angles of the station buildings there are houses for the accommodation of the several parties connected with the management of the station, and a sec- tion of the li'^iC of railway. 43 A A is a chinch and chapel, with adult and infant schools attached. These huildings would not he required until considerahle progress had been made in tlie settlement, as temporary accommodation could be obtained in the station buildings. B B a public hall, library, museum, infirmary, reading room, and coffee room. D D, &c., stores for the sale of various articles necessary for the settlement, and to be partly occupied by the lighter trades, and in the manufacture of various minor articles. E E public buildings, such as baths and washhouses, lodging houses for single or married men, coffee houses, &c. &c. Some of these might advantageously be erected in the earlier stages of the settlement, as affording accom- modation for a great many persons, either families or single persons, at comparatively httle expense. The area or space enclosed by the stores, and not re- quired for the purposes of the railway, would in the first instance be cleared and cultivated to meet the immediate wants of the settlers, but ultimately it could be laid out as ornamental ground, with bridges crossing the railway where necessary. The greater portion of the site of the town could also be brought under cultivation until the erection of the buildings was rendered necessary by the gradual increase of the settlers. The ranges of buildings marked in the accompanying plan, if set out in distinct dwellings, varying the frontage and character of the buildings so as to produce the neces- sary diversity in the amount of accommodation suitable to the several classes of occupiers, would produce about 1400 houses, and allowing five persons to each house, 7,000 persons would be accommodated. This is a much greater amount of accommodation than would be necessary in an agricultural district, and would probably be the maximum under the most favourable circumstances, unless perhaps in mining and manufacturing districts. The spaces M M M M are reserved for the erection of factories requiring the use of steam engines, and such heavy machinery and materials as would be most conveniently placed in connection with the railway sidings. Cattle markets, slaughter houses, and the manufacture of any offensive substances, would be placed at any conve- 44 nient distance from the town and railway which would be considered most desirable. A cemetery would also be placed at some convenient distance from the town. With respect to drainap^e, much would depend upon the altitudes, and upon the manner in which the railway would pass through the town. It would however be of the sim- plest character for promoting cleanliness and health, as well as for saving and applying the liquid and other ma- nures, as valuable fertilizers for agriculture, and would progress as the town extended. Much inconvenience has hitherto arisen in the British colonies generally, in consequence of emigrants arriving before the surveys of the land allotments had sufficiently advanced to enable them to take immediate possession, and to commence the construction of their dwellings, and such agricultural or other operations as would most readily and most effectually meet their immediate wants. In the case of the Canadian Land and Railway Associa- tion, the centre line of railway being marked o. t upon the ground which would become the basis of operation for the survey of the allotments and the site of the stations chosen as the nuclei of the several settlements, the operation of surveying the allotments would be reduced to the simplest possible form, and consequently to the minimum of expense. Sufficient space would in the first instance be reserved along side of the railway for the construction of a common road, and the several roads which would be laid out at right angles to the railway, and extending from each side of it, would serve as dividing fines for the allotments, as well as for the purpose of affording the means of commu- nication with the railway stations. *> The very great facility with which a considerable num- ber of allotments could be set off from the railway, and the ease by which the number could at any time be increased to any extent, on each side of it, to meet the growing wants of the several settlements, will be sufficiently apparent to any person at all conversant with the matter, by the bare inspection of the accompanying plan of a town and adjoin- ing allotments. Much however would depend upon circumstances as to the shape and the size of the allotments. 45 These circumstances are in the tlrst place physical. Bivers and streams winding throuj^li a district or country would have to l)c considered in layinjT out the allotnu*nts, in order to give the advantages of water frontage to as great a numher of allotments as possible, and to extend the benefit of water power as much as possible. Portions may also be unfit for cidtivation. Limestone, slate or other formations may intervene, which could be ])rolitably worked hy the railway company, or let to individuals with capital, or to an associated body of settlers in connection with land. Farmers of capital, who are filled with gloomy forebod- ings as to the future in the nu)ther country, might be dis- posed to occupy from 500 to 1,000 acres in one lot in the colonies. Gentlemen of capital also, who can neither find elbow room nor a profitable investment for their capital at home, might find it convenient to transplant themselves, with a considerable nimiber of retainers, and occupy one of the twenty square mile districts. As far, however, as the interests of the labouring and operative classes are concerned, the principle of associated labour and proportionate profits ought to be adopted. The associated bodies to be formed in these kingdoms, governed by such bye-laws as they may choose to adopt, so that they are not incompatible with the general interests of the un- dertaking, and the moneys subscribed to be guarded in the best possible manner, at their own discretion. The particular location to be chosen with reference to the occupation and pursuits of the associated bodies. The members of these bodies would be drafted off as required, so soon as the works on the portion of the railway passing through the district selected had been set out ; and whilst those best adapted to the various operations connected with the construction of the railway works were prosecut- ing these works, others would be clearing and cultivating such portions of the land as would be most easily brought into cultivation, in order to render the settlement as early as possible self-supporting. The members of the associated bodies remaining at home would be supplying those in the colonies, from time to time, with such tools and implements as would be most useful in carrying on the various operations ; also small 11 46 high-pressure steam engines, with couplings for connecting the necessary apparatus for sawing, grinding or pumping. By this means the progress of the settlements would be so gradual as to avoid the many evils which appear almost necessarily connected with emigration in large bodies, un- connected with public works, and with very inadequate facilities for obtaining possession of the land upon arrival at the place of destination. One or more of these associated bodies would occupy one entire block of land, of twenty square miles in extent, which would be gradually laid out in the most advan- tageous manner as the clearing progressed. As the construction of the Halifax and Quebec line of railway communication can only be considered by the most apathetic and the most desponding as a question of time, it appears clear to a demonstration that no time should be lost in having the line and works permanently laid out on the ground, so that bodies of intending settlers might choose their respective locations, and make the necessary prepar- ation for taking gradual possession. It is very true that the Portland line is at present excit- ing very great attention in the United States and in the British colonies, and deservedly so, as it will be a very im- portant line to both interests. It appears, however, that the Portland hue is advocated by the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick simply as an alternative, upon the supposition that the British Government will give no aid or sanction, either directly or indirectly, to the con- struction of the Halifax and Quebec railway, and that under these circumstances the aid of the States would be the only means of enabling them to make any progressive move- ment whatever. These British provinces appear therefore to prefer an alliance with the United States in order to obtain the Port- land line, or more properly speaking the Annexation Line, as an imperfect substitute for the Halifax and Quebec, or British Connection Line, which they have no hope of ob- taining without the assistance of the British Government. It remains to be seen whether the British Government will drive the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Bruns- wick to the adoption of the Annexation line, with all its immediate and remote c< ?equences, or give ight 47 their support by a simple guarantee (which most assured- ly would never be called for) to the British connection line, and by this means permanently to fix the now wavering loyalty of the British North American Provinces to British connection, establish a numerous, respectable, loyal and self-supporting body of settlers on the waste and now un- productive lands in the provinces, relieve the home labour market, and thus lessen the amount of pauperisir and crime in the mother country. I am, dear Sir, yours truly, ALEXANDER DOULL. 1, Morden Terrace, Greenwich, Oct. 23rd, 1850. To Alexander Campbell, Esq., Secretary to the Canadian Land and Railway Association. Continuation of the Railway from Quebec to near Vancouver* s Island, in the Pacific. Dear Sir, — Agreeably to your request, I will attempt to offer a few remarks upon the subject of extending the pro- posed Halifax and Quebec Railway from Quebec through the British North American Provinces, and the territory of the Hudson's Bay Company, to some commodious harbour adjacent to Vancouver's Island, on the Pacific. You are not Utopian enough to expect me to enter into details upon this gigantic proposal, nor can you expect a minute description of the best route, the difficulties to be encountered in the selection of the line, or in the execu- tion of the works. It is quite evident that so far as regards that intimate knowledge of the country (with its geological formations) to be pervaded by the railway, which would warrant an engineer to attempt a description of the diffi- culties to be overcome, or the expense to be incurred, the whole region from Quebec, across the great rivers and their numerous tributaries wending their way southward to the great chain of lakes, or northward to Hudson's Bay, and across the Rocky Mountains, may be looked upon as terra incognita. The subject is by no means new ; at the same time it may be doubted whether the project has ever been seriously considered by practical men, with a view to deduce any- thing hke a comprehensive practical plan for the execution 48 of so great an undertaking. As far as I am aware, the greatest body of information contained in small space upon this important subject is to be found in Major Robert Car- michael-Smyth's pamphlet. (20, Parliament street, 1849.) This pamphlet breathes loyalty and philanthropy of the purest inspiration ; still it is not, nor does it profess to be, a practical treatise upon the subject, and the proposal to execute the greater portion of the works by convicts, guarded by soldiers, is highly objectionable in many respects, and to say the least of it, it would be placing the construc- tion of this great work at a very remote period indeed. In the compass of a letter, which it is hoped will at least possess one good quality, that of brevity, the great leading features of the project can only be glanced at, leaving the fiUing-in to the more mature development of the subject. And first, as to the mode of selecting the line. No branch of railway engineering has been so little attended to in this country, and consequently so little understood, as the selection of a line of railway. This does not arise from engineers not attaching sufficient importance to a judicious selection. They are well aware that thousands of pounds may he saved by shifting a line of railway a few yards only, but so much depended upon the nature of the property to be passed through, the opposition to be avoided on the one hand, and the support expected on the other, some courting the sound of the railway whistle, and others deprecating the near approach of a train as the worst of evils, together with the great haste in which many impor- tant lines were got up to meet the time appointed by the Standing Orders of Parliament, scarcely ever gave engineers an opportunity to act upon well established principles, or to study the details of this important branch of their pro- fession. *•.., ^..■.... *.;..->,>,...-.„,.. .S^. .^V:^- '^■.. • Whatever difficulties there may be to contend with in the selection of the line from Quebec to Vancouver's Island, there will be no powerful landowners to drive an engineer from a line of country which nature appeared to have scooped out for this modern medium of locomotion, and to drive him to the expedient of a tunnel or a steep incline ; on the contrary, the quietude of Nature's untrod- den domain lies before him, and his difficulties will only be those of a physical character ; and the engineer who R 49 « will be fortunate enough to have the selection and execu- tion of this great undertaking will find ample and unfettered scope for his genius ; and if that genius have been hallowed and refined in the crucible of genuine philanthropy, he will be stimulated in his arduous undertaking by the con- sciousness that he is not merely serving the interests of one country or creed, but the cause of universal man. The operation being rather an extensive one, the most judicious plan would be to cut up the distance into sections, by ascertaining and fixing the points at which the principal obstacles, such as rivers and mountain ranges, would be most easily overcome. These sections would then be treated as integral lines, although forming portions of the whole, and would thus become much more manageable. By referring to the accompanying map, you will perceive that I have taken nearly a direct course from Quebec to the rocky mountains, leaving the important towns of Mon- treal, Kingstown, and Toronto, which are now favourably situated upon the lakes and the river St. Lawrence, to be supplied by a branch railway. I have adopted this plan as being the most direct course for the great trunk line, but principally in consequence of the project being essentially a colonization scheme, and to be executed principally by the land through which the line will pass. In selecting the position of the line of railway, the most eligible points for crossing the great leading rivers, as the St. Maurice, the Three Rivers, the Ottawa, the Red River, &c., as well as the best point for crossing the rocky moun- tains, would first be determined, and thus the operation would be very much simplified. Having determined the points at which the railway would cross the great rivers, and also having obtained some knowledge of the intermediate sections of country, these points would be the most eligible for railway stations ; and the portion of the line across the river, and for some distance on each side of it, being traced out so as to deter- mine the position of the station buildings, the construction of a portion of these would be the first operation, as form- ing the nucleus of a settlement, and as giving shelter to the first settlers, without resorting to temporary buildings. These settlements would be taken up at the earliest possible period after the winter, and whilst some of the D 50 settlers would be engaged in clearing the ground around the site of the railway station, and preparing it for crops to be available by the coming winter, as many as could be spared from these indispensable operations would be em- ployed in tracing out the line of railway to the right and left of the point thus taken up. A sufficient portion of the line being traced out, the railway works would be com- menced, and as the crops were put into the ground a greater number of hands could be put upon the works, and by this means the operations of agriculture and the con- struction of the railway would be carried on together. Until the several sections of the railway were connected together, and made passable for the conveyance of provi- sions, the rivers upon which the settlements were severally placed would afford the best means of communication with the sources of supply. The disposal of con\dcts is unquestionably a very impor- tant consideration, and one which must seriously occupy the attention of the Government; the prevention of crime, however, is doubtless better, and more humane than its punishment. Still it is lamentable to consider how little is done in the way of preventing crime, either by educating the ignorant or finding work for the unemployed. These parties must qualify, by the commission of crime, before they have the most remote chance of receiving the patro- nage of the Government. The extensive railway works in these kingdoms have given employment, for several years past, to thousands, or rather tens of thousands of railway labourers, or navvies, drawn principally from agricultural labour. These men, from the circumstances in which they have been placed, have acquired roving and improvident habits ; they cannot now return to agricultural labour, even if their services were required, which they are not ; — they are consequently wandering about the country in gangs, frequently begging their way, and occasionally being passed along by the unions, and doubtless many of the recent clumsily-executed burglaries are executed by this description of unfortunates. The execution of the works on the Halifax and Quebec Railway, and the prolongation of that railway through the fertile fields and rich mineral districts from Quebec to Vancouver's Island, affords to the Government an oppor- I 51 tunity of absorbing the whole of this unemployed labour ; and before these extensive works were finally executed, the great mass of the persons employed would become settlers upon the lands through which the railway passed, or be engaged in the working of the mines and such other industrial operations as would be called into existence by the railway communication. To attempt to execute such extensive works, as those referred to, by dogged, reluctant convicts, many of whom are from the class of London pickpockets, and unaccus- tomed to labour, or emaciated, dispirited paupers, would simply be absurd, impolitic and cruel. Absurd, because impossible ; — impolitic, as being by far the most expensive mode, and calculated to alienate the best feelings of the colonists from the mother country, who would only cast upon their shores the criminal and the pauper ; — cruel, because the able-bodied but unemployed labourer is left, unpitied and unassisted, to fill up the ranks of the criminal or the pauper, as misfortune or despair may chance to drive him. It would be all very well if parishes, unions, or charitable associations were to assist poor but respectable able-bodied labourers, who are out of employment and likely to become chargeable to the parish, to emigrate with their families, and to acquire small portions of land in connection with the execution of the Railway works, before these persons have become contaminated and dispirited by the contagion of the workhouse and its many concomitant evils. In this money-getting and money-loving age, the some- what complex question of ways and means must not be altogether overlooked. It is however to be regretted, that whilst money is so universally sought after, that its essence or representative character is not better understood than it appears to be. There can hardly be a doubt but that a belt of land, ex- tending ten miles on each side of the railway from Quebec to Vancouver's Island, together with certain portions of the mineral districts passed through, to compensate for those sections of the line which are too elevated, or not sufficient- ly fertile for cultivation, would be sufficient for the con- struction of the line ; an extensive issue of paper money, based upon the prospective value of this land and mineral [ 52 wealth, and endorsed by the guarantees of the Home and Colonial Governments, being made use of as the medium of exchange, until ultimately absorbed in the land and other property accruing to the company constructing the line. The Hudson's Bay Company at present employ almost exclusively a paper currency as a medium of mercantile transactions, understood and accepted by numerous tribes of Indians, whom we are in the habit of looking upon as only fit to understand and conduct the rudest and most primitive kinds of barter. Who will undertake to say that the discovery of an abundant supply of excellent coals in Vancouver's Island does not point to this position as the terminus of a great chain of land and water communication, destined to become the great Highway of Nations ? lam. Dear Sir, : * ; ' Yours truly, ;;. \; . Alexander doull. 1, Morden Terrace, Greenwich, Ath Nov. 1850. To Alexander Campbell, Esq. Secretary to the ' Canadian Land and Railway Association. Si I Note. — The Committee are now preparing to enrol a Society, under the Friendly Societies' Act, to enable the Working Classes to subscribe funds for defraying their ex- penses of transit to the Colonies, as soon as the Association is in a condition to begin this great national undertaking. 1 -•> :jI<.. <■ 'I ■/ 'Jill "ivJ. J. Bradley, Printer, 78, Great TitchOwld-street, Marylebwie. ' I ' / fil ^d^ I If iii . i i ' , : ^ ■■<<4^'-*- h\ •+ 50 ACRE ALLOTMENTS R Q A P ^ -♦-I - 100 ACRE ALLOTlV^E^ ACRE ALLOTMENTS 50 ACRE ALLOTMENTS tk'dle/ el }reii tSffC nf A -H f -_-. j: 'J : ., v/ _' ( tf ' I'.i/w ^ ■t^-v -•►• -.». y /■- (f *^/ 100 ACRE AL LOTiyiENTS %