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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd d partir de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. n 22 1 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 THE >- CANADA COMPA.Ny. FEELIlNra IN TJECE WEST. 1^ mmm mm STILL HELD BY THE COMPANY. IN 1865 THE COMPANY SOLB LIS THAN 20,000 ACRES AXD OOT BACK AS FORFEITED Zf,,m ACRES. •VUiTEROCSLY SIGNED MEilOlUALS PRESENTED TO PARLIAilEN'T A9AINST THE COMPANY. THE COU.VT? COD-yCILS OF PERTH, HURON AND BRCCE. REPRESENTING lOO.POO S0UL3, PETITION FOR AN INVESTIGATION, DAVID . GLASS, OF THE CITY OF LONDON. C.W., BARRISTER AT LAST. February, Ua;, v PREFACE. The following sheets contaiu the substance of most of the Letters. Editoruil Remarks, Petitions and Parliamentary Proceedino's, in reference to the Canada Company, published during the summer of 1866,— in addition to which are some further remarks on the subject by the author. The object in having this pamphlet printed is to preserve, in a concise form, some record of the very general expression of public opinion on the subject of the Canada Company ; and in some degree to constitute an answer to any attempt on behalf of the Com- pany to belittle the movement of last year ; and further, that the peo. pie's representatives in Parliament may have in their possession, in a compact form, the whole of the proceedings, with a view to some defi- nite action on the .subject at the earliest possible moment . 1 THE CANADA COMPANY. The people are long suSbrinK- and slow to make any united effort for the removal of a public evil. Each man's private affairs so fully engross his attention that groat public wrongs may long exist without any one being found willing to enter the arena in opposition to them- Of this the case of the Canada Company furnishes conclusive evidence. For thirty years of the present century this Company, und the opera- tions of it, have been felt by the people of Western Canada to bo oppressive, and damaging to the natural growth and prosperity of the country. And yet those who were not backward, when opportunity offered, to give expression to this view, allowed so many years to pass without any general uprising in opposition to this monopoly. It is true that time and again the matter has been mentioned in the House of Parliament, and in some cases urged— not, however, with that success which the people, through the High Court of Parliament, might fairly expect. The history of the Company may bo briefly adverted to, as follows : — About the year 1820 a few men of some moans and influen' ' visited this country. They cast their eyes over the land, and saw th. ^ it was good ; and, as the result soon after proved, they determined to possess themselves of it. They at once returned to England,^ and entered into a combination with other men of means and political influence, with a view to getting an act of Parliament passed there, under the authority of which they might obtain possession of the most fertile parts of Upper Ca^iada. The success of that combination is familiar to all, and the fruits that it has borne for this country are too well known, and have been too severely felt for the last forty years, to require explanation at this late day. Suffice it to say that the looked for Imperial Act was passed on the 27th June, 1825, by which King George IV. was authorised, under certain safeguards and restrictions, to grant to " the Canada Company" lands as therein specified. The Act recites that, Whereas, large portions of the lands of Upper Canada have been set apart as Clergy Eeserves : '• And whereas, the greater part of the said Clergy Keserves in the said Province of Upper Canada have ever since continued and are now TlIK CANADA COMPANV. waste and unprodactivc ; and i, is crpalinX thai mra.s .ho.1,1 he ,] rf M'l'fv: /' ' '""/'«7*«'' to .sell and dispose of certa n parts thereof to the Company (o ],c established as herein mentioned ; and whereas, certain other lands m the said Province of Upper Canad,. have been reserved for the use of his Majesty, and are known in the sa.d Provmce by the nan.cof the Crown Reserves; and u'hereas, diver, persons have ,nntcd Uuj,tha- to rsfah/id a Con^pavy for purchnsln,, improving ,ctlUn„ .nd disposing of Imds m I'pper Canada, and espeaaly for purchasing and settling the whole of the hej ore-mentioned lands known by the name of the Crown He.ervcs, and such parts of the said lands hnoicn by the name of the Clergy Reserves, as his Mainly may he so authorised to sell and convey to them, and for such other awful purposes as his 3Iajesty shall deem meet." And further on, in the same Act, the following words are found (and nothing to the contrary Vt ^^^^ V^'^^'r"''^"'^ ^' '^ ^''''^^'' •^"^°t^ to be found :— '•And IVku-au, the mid Lettcys PateiU mre iv uil rupCcts in,jmr- saano- of, ami in uuifortnify with, the pnjn'sion^ of th(J .vaiV/ Act of Parliament.' In dune, iS64, the " Whitcwaahing Act," was pas.sed in our Parlia- ment— in which may be found the followitig words:— All leases made at any time by the said Canada Company, or by their attorneys for the time being, or by one or more of them, for the benefit of the said Com- pany, are hereby confirmed as to the power of the making, and the due exccutiou thereof by the said Company, hut to uo fui-thcr or other extent whatsoever. 8 THE CANADA COMPANY. Why the necessity of passing this Act to confirm the making of these lenses, if the Compnny, prior to that time, had the power to make them ? Stronger proof need not be rocjuireJ of the illegality and imposition of the leasinp; system. This Act will h.ivc the effect of confirming the lenses made prior to 1864, but not after ; and the sooner the leasing system is put an end to the better for the country. As to the question of roturns ; during the early history of the Company they never refused to make returns to our Parliament, In 1829 they gave a statement to the House of the sums stipulated to be paid by them for (ho lands. This statement was referred to a Com- mittee of the whole House, but from some cause was never acted upon- Again, in 1833, a statement was given to the House, showing the sums they had then expended in public improvements, with an extract from their agreement with the Homo Government, showing the authority for such expenditure. In 1836 they made a return of all lands surveyed by them from the first; also, showing tho sums expended by the Com- pany in improvements, and a -eturn of the lands purchased by the Company, with the terms of purchase, and a list of the settlers placed apon the lands, before and after Ist October, 1828. Also, in 1837, the number of settlers they had located in that year, And tho same in 1839. But from that time forward a determined stand seems to have been taken by the Company, to hold themselves no longer answerable to Parliament or to the people, and to act as a close corporation, qui*P regardless of the public purposes for which they were created, as is clearly specified in the Act of Parliament and the Charter which brought them into existence. During the session of 1852, a return, embracing a demand for detailed information, was ordered by the House ; but the only reply it elicited was a letter from Mr. Commis- sioner Widder, refusing to supply the required particulars, on the ground that they included matters in which the personal and private interests of the " Proprietors" were concerned ; and he refers those requiring information to the Reports sent home to head-quarters in London. No doubt this is what the speakers referred to in the Parlia- mentary debates during last session. See Parliamentary Proceedings. During the session of 1854 a Committee on Public Lands was appointed, and the report of that Committee contains a short letter from the same Commissioner, Mr. Widder, but no general infor- mation in regard to the Company's affairs. Therefore, this public Company, formed for public purposes, and acting ur.der a Charter granted to them expressly for these purposes, has, up to the session of 1866, succeeded in setting at defiance the Parliament of this country, and, regardless, of the public interestp, they have, up to the present, ■r. TU4 CANADA COMPANY. succeeded in construing thut Charter iiibueh a way as luay be most »or the rccuniary advantage oi" the " Proprietors. ' T.. all such usurpa- tion of rower and abusf of privilege an end must come. The dis:;atihfaction f^o lonu felt by the peoitlo of the west, seemed to culminate in the movement of lu.=t year. Public oi)inion was so ripe upon the subjoct, that the legislatun' was flooded with memc- rials, nuniorouf'ly ei'^tied, from Huron, Perth and Middlesex, demand- ing an investigation into thu workings of the Company, ire, &e. And the County Councils of Perth, Huron and Bruce, representing 100.000 souls, mcmoralised tho Legislature for an abatement of the ' evil'. The journals of the Western Counties, of all political shades, lent their columns and able support in the same directioi.i-so that even the lower of the Company could not counteract the tide of public opinion. On the 8th duy of August, 180G, Mr. MacfarUne. M.P.P.. Hon John Carling, M.P.P-. and others, inr,isted in their places mthc House that the time had now conio when it should be shown to the country whether tho ParliaiMcnt of Canada or the Canada Company wero the most powerful. Tho vote then laken-in which only uix Upper Canadians were found to vote against the investigation,— showrt clearly that not only the people, but their representatives, arc ao longer to be trifled with on this subject. The question now remains to be solved: Will that solemn act of the Legislature be respected'.' Will it meet with the response it descrves,or that the people nvn- fairly expect ? I regret to say I fear not, without the exercise of thu most stringent measures; for during the discussion which preceded the vote, and at the time the vote was taken, I am informed, one of the Comrais- Bioners of the Company stood outside the Bar of the Hou.se, and when it was over hevauntingly declared thut the Compan would never make a return to the House.and with a display of some temper boastfully set at defiance the memorialsof tho peoplcand their representatives in Par- liament. It remains to be seer whether these " Proprietors" with their few office-holders in Toronto, will bo permitted to ride " Rough-shod" over the rights and liberties of the people of this country. Let them take warning. Parliament has the power, and that power will be exer- cised to enforce the making of these returns, to the most minute particulars. The people have spoken, and they must be answered. Let the answer be full, fair at; 1 open : then a generous and even liberal construction will be put upon their acts. Ample time will be given them to sell the 700,000 acres they now hold, and to wind up their affairs in this country. But so sure as the full expression of public opinion, and the solemn act of the Legislature last year, continues to be disregarded, tho crushing power of Parliament will be brought to bear upon the Company, to put a limit to their practices. 10 THE CANADA COMPANY. The discussion was coraraeijced by the publication of the foJlowinj? bliort letter : ° Letter No. ]. THE CANADA COMPAXY. To the Editor of the Free Prets. h.v '^"^-'T'^e iiaiiio of this Cuuipaiiy lian been .mj loii- rroiiiiuciulv before the people ot the West, that it is lu.w si.okr;, ol" inoreas a iliin:- ot the past than n present existing land uiunoiH,iv. This, however, if^ not correct; for at no previous period of the Compnuv's history hav<> tfie baneful influences of it been more severely felt. The orisinal grant to theCompany was about two and-a-luilf million acres of land much of wnich is stil unoccupied. One has but to glance over the maps ot Huron and Perth, to observe that a ^.-reat injustice has been allowed too long to exist-an injustice to the hardvbackwoodsman.who by years of oil has made himself a comfortable home, as well as an injustice to the whole municipalities-in the former -reatlv diminish- ing the value of property : and in the latter, srreatly icducing the amount of taxation which would bo collectable, if all the lands were brought under cultivation in accordance with the term of the charter upon which they were granted, for, bo it remembered, that the grant to tfiis tomnany was no ordinary one, but was made (as expressed in the Act of 1 arhament authorising it. and the Charter founded on the Act) witli the express view to immediate colonization, and to redeem- ing them from their " waste and unproductive" coudition.and adapting means for 'clearing and cultivating" the said lands The Charter was granted in 1827, by George iV., ui-on the authority of an Imperial Act passed about the same tune, but the laudable purposes for which the Act was pa.ssed and the charter granted, viz.. •' Eedeeminir waste and unproductive land.s, and clearing and cultivating them," have been totally disregarded by the Company. From year to vear-for more than thirty years-those lands, which were the legitimate right of the emigrant have been grudgingly doled out at such prices as to materially impede the natural growth and settlement of many western counties, but more particularly the - Huron Tract" comprising most uvi.^?^v^}^%^\ ^l"^^'^'" ""^ ^^^''•'^ "^'-ere it will be seen bv the last published list of the Company, they still hold on speculatiou'consider- abfy more than two hundred thousand acres of land. In ISHl our larhametit passed a whitewa.shing Act for tlu; Company, dechiriu" valid a thirty years chain of illegality, since which time I r;.mongs't otlicrs) have given some attention to the foundation and general work- ing of the Company through a long course of vears~the result is that in my humble opinion, the injuries done to these western counties bv this imperial Company, is beyond any calculation ; and I maintain tha't V If: , ^ "°^ '^°™?. ^^^°" "■"' Kxecutivo Government or .Legislature should take measures lor the strict fulfilment of the charter, and that the whole of these lands should be brought into market at a lixed price to actual_ settlers, ( ; be put nr. to public competition, and sold to thr. highest bidder. f.u^"/?^^ ^^^^ ^ 1"'^ 'f^^'Y^ ''"^''^ particularly to the general working ot the tonipany,whereby thousands of actual settlers have been pinched ruined and driven out of the country. In the meantime, I make nn THE CANADA COMPANY. 11 apology for drawing attention to a subject of such interest. I would farther add, that any reply to my letters on this subject, except over the signature of a known person, will not be answered by me Loudon, May 16, 1866. David Glass. Ul'INlUNS OF THE I'KESS. From tho Lialowcll L.iniicr, >)uno 2, 186ij. THE CANADA CU.MI'ANV. no A generation ago, when mnnoiiolies weiu not yet cxjiloded in political econouiy — and when, without responsible jfovernnient, it was easy to gain exclusive privileges fcr the few, at the expense of ihe interests of the many, a corporation calling itself the " ('uiiada Company," obtained, at a iiominal figure, some millions of acres of by far the richest and most beautiful land in Upper Canada. The charter, by which tlioy were op'-nwered to enter upon the possession of a territory which has often and jus een called "the gar- den of Upper Canada," recited that this was for the purpose of "cultivating and settling waste lands." The lands wore surveyed, the chief stockholders of the Company immortalising their names by having them bestowed tipon the various townships of the " Huron Tract," as the Company's territory was called; and the work of making money out of their speculation commenced. Emigrants were beset withagent.s and induced to buy land of the Company. Two or three leading roads were opened into the territory, progress along which was soHiething like the journey of human lil'e— once at the end there was no getting back. Those who had not foresight enough, or lacked faith in their ability to pay, were induced to settle on long leases; which meant that a settler on a hundred acres of the Company's land might live there for ten or fifteen years, pay the taxes and labor on the roads, and after the place was pretty well cleared up, have the privilege of moving olV and ■ 'yiug himself a wild lot somewhere in the bush. The ■' "ttling and cultivating the waste lands " has, during the forty years of the (company's existence, been done to a large extent — as could scarcely fail to be the case, from the crowding of emi- gration to the Province, the natural excellence of their lands, and the favorable Ijosition of the territory — fcfut a precious little of the credit of this belongs to the Company. They liave proved ihcmsolves a grasping ;ind obstructive monopoly. They still hold about townships of the provincr vipair roads through the Cf _ _ burdens, while the lordly absentees wait patiently till the toil of the actual settlers had rendered their remaining lands so valuable that they can get tilmost any price for them. Is there any injustice in compelling this Hiono])oly to make alate fvmend, and bring their lands into tho market at a reasouabh- price, as the only colorable excuse that can now be made toward fulfiling the laudable provisions of their charter, " the settling and cultivating of waste lands,' Let Parliuuien', now about to assemble, compel them to pay some respect to the condition^ of their charter, by immediately dispos.-essiug them- selves of the remnant of their lands, and allowing them to go into tho hand.^ of those who will " settle and cultivate" them. Everyone interested in muni- cipal affairs knows the great injustice done to townships by absentee wild lands in their midst. It i? one of the "Tcatct obstiicles to tlin prngrp;:; oftlir country. The principal part of the Company's lands compose a wedge-shaped territory with a blunt point to the east of Stratford, and its larger end abutting o" Lake Huron. It includes all the County of Perth, with the exception of It two hundred tlunisaud acrc^ in .soiuc of llic bc.-l\ r>o. The settlers in these townships have to make and 1 Company's lands, and bear nearly rU the municipal ( 12 THE CANADA COMPANY, MonngtoD, tlma and Wallace ; all the couniy of Huron, with the exception of th(. nothern tier of townships ; and portions of the counties of Middlesex and Lambton. Jn Huron and Middlesex petitions are being got up prayine Parliament to interfere in this obstructive locking-tip of valuable territory u ,!il° "°' ^'^^"^ ^'^"^ anything has yet been done in Penh ; but the matter shotild be taken up.and a simultaneous effort made to have this matter righted, (n this immediate neighborhood we arc not specially interested in this matter It does not exactly strike at us ; but we are interested in whatever affects the welfareofthe county and the West; and we strongly advise all those withii the bounds of the Company's territories to get up petitions at oneo. rVom the . Mitchell Advocate, 20th JuLv. 1856. THE CAN' DA CO.MPAXV AFFAIR We are pleased to notice that Mr. Glass etforts to put a stop to the mono- poly of this company have been so far successful. A. large number of nu- merously signed petitions have been forwarded to Parliament from Huron and Perth, which have resulted iuMr. Macfarlanc giving notice to move an addres» for a copy of the charter of the Canada Company, of the a;/reement entered into in 1826, between the Government and the Company, uambcr of grants made to the Company in Upper Canada and dales, number of acres granted and price paid per acre, with conditions nf settleraont. roads, bridges tr Mr. Carling is to second the motion. Prom the Clinton New Eru, J no 19, IStiG. THE C.VXADA COMPANY IS THE HOU.^E. Recent discussions on the question of the Canada Company, which was set on foot by Mr. David Glass, has had one good effect at least, viz., the intro- duction of a motion concerning it. Mr. Macfarlatiegavc notice that on Mondar he would move, seoonded by Mr. Carling, for an address asking for a copy of io '^'J^'"'-^'' '^f ^''e Canada Company, and the agreement entered into in 1829, between the Government of his Majesty George the Fourth and the said Company, the number of grants of land made 'to the Comnanv in Upper Oaneda, and date of the grants, the number of acres granted and the price paid per acre, by whom and to whom the grants were made, and all other con- ditions connected therewith, such as to reclaimancv iraprovin'^, clearing and cultivating the said lands, aud what roads and bridges were to bo built, or money appropriated by the grantees for such improvements, together with what amount, if any, of such improvements us have been done by the grantees and when, where and by whom such improvements have been made ; what amount of such imprr emeuts remain undone, and bow soou the latter are expected to be completed by said Company, together with full and complete returns of what portion of said lands have been conveyed away by the Com- pany, and the names of all persons to whom such conveyances have'been made, and a full and detailed account of the price per acre received by the Company' together with a statement of the full amount received by the Company for such lands, and showing whether said Company has ever been in the habit of leasing' any portion of said lands, or making conditional sales of the same, or at the time of making the sales, leases, or conditional sales, the company had been in the habit of reserving to itself any reversionary rights in the minerals or other productions which might he fc'ind upon said lands, together with the form of lease, or agreement for conditional sales, if any, used by the Company and the number of years the same have been in use by the Company, the mm- ber of acres leased to or parted with by them under any form of conditional sale, and to whom the same have been made, with a number of other particulars. THE CANA!)A OOMI'ANY- 13 From the Mitchell Advocate, lat June, 18G6. A MOVE IN THE EIGHT DIRECTION- All honor to David Glass, the respected Mayor of London, for calling the attention of the public to the injustice practised by the Canada Company on the hard-working settlers of our backwoods, and the stumbling block which they have set in the way of emigration. Now that the stone has been started, we hope that the press, and every public man in Canada, will take the matter up, and keep the stone in motion till it strikes the very foundation of the Company and brings it to proper terms. Nothing, we contend, has injured this part of the country more than the Canada Company. The exorbitant prices at which they hold their lands have driven the farmer, the mechanic and the speculator from our doors, and hundreds of families, after hewing out a home for themselves in the heart of the wild woods, were so crimped up by this same Company as to be forced to seek a more congenial place to live. We need not go beyond our own village for instances of this conduct. " hile private parties ask say $200 for building lots, the Canada Company asks just double that amount. And instead of encouraging the extension of our town, byoflering their rough lots, which are now in commons on the outskirts of the village, at about $60, they actually ask from $100 to *300. This state of affairs should not be allowed to go on any longer. It is high time some- thing should be done in the matter. It will be remembered that those lands were granted with the express view to immediate colonization, und to redeem- ing them from their waste and unproductive condition. Has tb.; been done? No. It has been totally disregarded, and the legitimate rights of. the emi- grant have been sacrificed to the private interests of this Company. The counties of Perth and Huron are the main sufferers, as there are over two hundred thousand acres of land yet held by the Company in those places. The time has now arrived when something must be done. Let petitions be got up throughout the county, calling on the Executive government, or the Legisla- ture, to take such measures as will secure the strict fulfilment of the charter Mr. Glass has put the ball in motion, and we have no doubt before long every corner of the Huron Tract will be supplied with blank petitions for signature. As the injuries done to these Western counties by this Imperial Company are beyond calculation, we have no doubt but almost every settler in the district will lend his aid to the object. Letter No. II. THE CANADA CO.UPANY To the Editor of the Free Press- Sir,— As stated in my !-st letter, this Company was fprmed in England- and a Charter granted to it by George the Fourth, m 1827. The Company received in all about two and a half millions of acres of land— the price paid for the land being about 3s. 6d. per acre; but one-third of this merely nominal price was held back by the Company to be expended in making roads, building bridges,&c., m order to make the lands accessible for immediate colonization^ and to induce a rapid emigration and settlement of the norma ; and to facilitate the _ clearing and cultivation" of the said lands. And for another portion ot the grant to the Company, for every lot remaining unsold after a certain date (now long passed) the Company was to pay a large sum toward^ the making of road.«i, building of bridges vc, opposite such unsettled lots. \\ TIIK ('\S.viiA t-'O.MPANY. (. .. vv .iM ^"' "", """• ;'l'/''r'^^-^'»« coiKlition.sand restriction^ (.., ;. wliokO havo beoi. .iisrci^-.r.lo,! hy tlio Conipany. It is true that a l.nv m,s.ra .!o corduroys w.-r.. ,u,ulc at an carl v day in some lace. H. order that access .ni.ht h. oh.aincd to the lands uH pretend lat.th.. road.s have hcen nude, or that ' the bridges have Wen built he m.ye.t .noekerv, and .s,u-h ;: trillin,; with a public truS s I o;,l i be held upto eon.lemnation in every part of Tpper (^anad^ Tl' liuf Ihe f :"^^-Tr '' ^'"'l ^r i"''I^'itous frauds upon the tn i,ra, but the shameful disrc.i;ard of the ...,nditions of these -rants j^ hm-- lojd refn-ehensiblo. ■.'>nii^ i> uin ( - It is needles at, thi.-? moment tu ^o into details us to the pretences upon winch some subsequent grants of lands were obtained by e Com l.any; how _,t was represented that large tracts of the originaUran ts •mr Vr'^"™ M^"''"^ ""'^•''' ^'f':"^^'' '^"^^ "•'-'••^ substituted^ forS PIH VuVr^'r.^''^'" ''''^' 'r'-'-'«''»'"abIe, lands in Jfuron and PcrthV'n^c field by the Company at from $3 to $20 per acre. The fact is tie whole proceeding from first to last, has been a continual outrage upon hopubhc, in order to keep up the wealth and splendor of a fSn .i3fr M^ ^''^hr •^'•'-^traeted. and will be protracted (if not p?e vented) tor the next hf ty years, in order to support the Banking Hou'e n lorontp with is extensive stn I!" of clerks, inspectors, commissioner" and solictors, enjoying, as they do. the "sweets" of the Co, Mnv while they are far removed from its baneful influences. "'"P^"-^' This Company, by their Charter, never had the right or power to hv *U,V ( r':'^ "^'v [Z^'' 'r^ ^"^'^ ^'-"'''^^ ^'■'■^ "^^-'-^r contemplated by the_ir Charter, \ettlicy have pursued these illegal la-actises f^)r over thirty years. The very idea of an illiterate cmignuu enteriiSinS a lease to pay an annual rent lor a piece of forest land, and being nnn^A" 'rV'' '!•""?"! ^''V "' '^^^' ^"<^ ^"^"^^ ^he sau e'Snd then pay the f nil price for the land ai. the end of the lease, is too repulsive to contemplate, and could only have originated in the brains'of the n.o t astute speculators, let such has been the practice of this Com- pany for so long a tune, simply because no one liked the unpleasant task of exposing it. It is true the • whitewashing Act" of 1864 confirmed these leases : but tins mak.«tho moral wrong none the less, and «™ves only to prove that before that time they werc'cntirely illegal. " f ■.=. M^'" V'r' r''''° ^?^"t'^">'- "-ith the workins- of which from the hrst he public have a right to be thoroughly informed. If I mistake no the temperof the people of the west, they will not longer suS to ^'iZ'^'f *'"•? 'f^Jf^- ^^ ^-^ ""^ '^^.'"'^^ ^^'^^ '^^' Companv, origfnal ? formed (neaHy forty years ag,)) with the pretended object of " re elamiuig waste and unproductive lands," and " clearing, cultivating improving and settling" the same, has failed in the object intended and has proved to be a narrow minded speculating monopoly, and up to Its lands by htindrcds of thousands of acres. It now rests wit the people to say, through their representatives in Parliament,' whether to kee^ up the wealth of a company across the ocean, and a few hangers- on ml u_i on lo, the natural growtii and pro.-perity of these western counties is longer to be retarded. In any case it is but right To ha ve full re urns of the operations of the Company from the first, with Jhe ands they have owned or now hold, Jiow, when, and from whom they t:rocured these lands,,and the prices they paid an^ liave received for the TirK CANADA COMI'ANV, lii KUiiu, witli llic names of stockholders :ind the dividends [mid t( iVdui tlie lir-t. made to !\ii'Ii;inuiit and flio country. It is tu lie liupcd that tlic iiiiimiaehinjj; session will imt Le a to pass (iver without this boirii: done- Whichever one of our w iiiembors will take the matter in hand, demand the returns, and iifxin their being made— will deserve well ol'the |,ieople. and their will not be overlooked by any ela^f? of s.icietv. Jjondoi), .liii l.-^iiC J)Avnj Gi. them Uowed csterii insist pftbrts A'-S. fif'lMoNs III' Tin; PRKSS. From tl)«> LuhUuii l-'ioe PitiJ, Juiie tV Isiii.i. THE riroK movopolv. -petition-^ IT- ABATEMKNT. A Ifcitti- which Mr. Uavid Glaus commutiicaled to thi? journal a lew davi since on the subject of tbe Canada Company, has attracted considerable atten- tion and favorable comment in the section In Tfhich the Great Monopoly holds its sway. Jii our issue of to-dny another letter appears on the same subject, which we commend for perusal. Tlie fact .?eems to he that either by design or necessity the Canada Company no loii;,^pr performs the functions expected of it, for the due exercise of which it obtained its immense tracts of !.nd. lyin^ chiefly in the counties of Huron and Perth. At present it occupies the. position of a huge monopolist, otVering lands for sale, it is true, but at such prices that render occupation of them impossible to the settler. Two hundred thousand aeres of lar.d are now hel.l by tlmm, in these two specified counties alone, thus retarding occupation, and obstructing the due advancement of the country. When a company holds such n position it becomes a public nuisance, and should be treated as such. Ft was so held in the case of the Clergy Reserve Lands, which, by lying in large blocks, retarded settlement. Public feeling and general Necessity became too strong, and the Reserves were abolished, even though a ?trong s.'utiraent of a'religicus kind was arrayed against buch action. And the people in Perth and Huron feel that thatime has come when Forae comiuilsory steps should be adopted in the case of the Canada Company. The Company has degenerated from the position of a useful association, opening up roads, attracting emigration, assisting the settler, and disposing of its land at a fair price, to that of a huge speculation. It no longer is content with a reasonable advance upon its lands, but holds out, after the manner of speculators, for the highest price it can obtain. It fattens upon the improvements going on around its domain, and fills its coffers by means entirely at vairance with the objects its charter professes to have in view, viz., the opening up and settlement of the country. The hardships practiced under the irresponsible officers of this corporation would fill volumes, and no more heart-rending tales of settlement, of years unrequited toil and subsequent dispossession of lands, can be found in the annals of Canada, than the history oS the operations of the Canada Company affords. It has ceased to improve and now obstructs. It has ceased to assist the settlement of the country, and now bars its progress. It has ceased to be satisfied with a fair return for its capital, but demands usurious prices for its lands, in order that tadiviJual shat'euuiders may be benefitted, and a numerous and tyranuieai executis-e in Toronto may be fed and grow rich. It is no wonder, therefore, that the public mind in Huron and Perth is agitated on the subject, and that memorials are about to be presented to Parliament, praying that the Company may bo compelled to dispose of its lands, and no longer bar the progress of the country. 16 TJIK CANADA COMPANY. From the (Jodorich Sf ir, June 22, ISdj. THE Cx\XADA COiiPAXy. Our exchanges in the adjoining County of Perth ars loudly complnining of the manner in which this Company are, and have for some time back, been treating those who have become settlers on lands held by the Company as originally granted to them by the Crown in the time of George the Fourth. Xo part of the policy of the British Crown, in regird to the early settle- ment of her Colonies, has been so injudicious as the system of granting large tracts of land either to speculative companies or private individuals; nor has any measures introduced into our own Parliament been more unpopular than those having a tendency to retard the settlement, and as a natural effect, the prosperity of the province. The evil, however, has not been confined to the manajjement of the lands which the Government still retain control of, and less advantage, has, as a general rule, been taken off the settler in cases where forfeiture had occurred through failure on his part to fulfil the conditions of purchase, than would have been the result in dealing with speculative companies or private indivi- duals; and it is of these we complain, and the Government for encouraging their formation, or permitting them'jto exist, an incubus on the welfare of the coun- try, the self-interepi-ed speculators into whose bloated coflfers has flowed so much of the proceeds of the Canadian settlers elbow grease, simply that a few might meet 'd their otVice at London, hear reports from Provincial agents, and declare dividends on their capital, the lands of Canada With thoae, who act as the agents we liave no cause of umbrage, some who are known to us, are known as real gentlemen, upright and alfable in the management of the trusts bestowed on them by their employers, but we complain that there are such employers, and, as having more immediate influence on this and ths neighboring County of Perth, the Company named above As we have said, the system of granting immense tract's of land, whether adapted for agricultural or mining purposes, is in most cases reprehensible, but much more so as regards the lormer class. In such no immediate or future equivalent is secured, nor can even the paltry excuse be given that they have been aiding in the development of the resources of the country, only in so far as to enhance iho value of their own property, and thereby reali.?o aa advanced price for the unsold portions of their grants, when the axe of th« pioneers has cleared the way for the plough on the "run" of the deer.cordu- royed the swamp, before resonant only to the howl of the wolf, and determined by often, dear-bought experiment, that the climate will permit (without the chilling frosts of a late spring, or the oarly ones of a short summer, blight- ing), his reaping that which he has sown in hope, and from the sale of which the means are to be raised wherewith to support his family, and meet the demands, whether in the shape of purchase or rent, of those drones who, like the lilies of the valley, toil not, nor spin, who sit in high places and sleep on soft beds, who— '' Eat the fat and drink the sap, nor care nor pain. And haply ej'c the lowly hut with proud disdain." . Although named as a public Company, formed for the purpose of aiding, by invested wealth, the emigrant to create a home for himself by honest and persevering industry, the course pursued has been quite the reverse, and this method of leasing has given back into their hands thousands of acres, after improvements has been made, and buildings erected thereon. It may perhaps be said in their behalf that they are only doing what they like with their own ; but though they did purchase from the Crown at a time when little was known of the value of land in Canada, there is no reason why so gross an injury •hould be continued, when it is well known they have not kop* faith with the THE CANADA COMl'ANY. V complaining e back, been Company as the Fourth. earlj* settle- Mting large ,1s; nor has opular than al effect, the of the lands ;c, has, as a ad occurred than would ivate indivi- iraging their of the coun- is flowed so aply that a icial agents, With thoie , re known to aagement of a that there this and tha aad,whethei iprehensible, ite or future It they have only in so y realiio aa le axe of th« deer.cordu- I determined without the mer, blight- ila of which id meet the es who, like md sleep on if of aiding, honest and 56, and this acres, after lay perhaps I their own ; was known 13 an injury litb Witt the How much of twrimfb„„l"^'^ ,.!„■; ■""'.'■"^!'°«, '°"" "^ """8" house, aud w),OT Iho ciunlv h., „,id E ", ""!'='' "''"' ""'• '» "" « ^«»„. „d fo, ,h, rs'"of»s,f :,siri..f ? ."f,ivi^.uro?r.r. we head From the London Ilorald, Juno 16, 1806. THE CANADA COMPANY A PUBLIC CALAMITY. of wh!ch^:^j^,;r;n^'^S'i:urs:^ '^;^i^^^"^ 'r ''''''' ^'^ --°^ to the gross imposition which s and ha." bee br n' ''"°° "^ '^' P"''"<= the Canada Company, to settlers in tluCo„nHn?V"" P'-^'^t'^ed by where .ho Company holds imne. so tr, o^ Zd " ."";-°"/?d Perth,- sale at prices that^ effectually vcnl<^^tlcme„.'"TS',? '*°? '] °^'" ^°' structs the advancement of the countn ~T1 U Cn ^n ^^'" '"l!"'^' *°^ °^- forty years ago, and if it had bee carrieci on ...'^r"^ was formed nearly Charter, viz., to attract emiarntio^t?],, "" "eeoi'dmg to the tenor of its lands f;om a wL'teS nnSl' iV ?ond tionlLfro ml^^H^° '''''"^ '''' for immediate colonization-it wo ih ZvJiT' ^"^^ "'^^ accessible facilitating the settlement of hrcVu^ Zt tWsTL'oM^ ^r"^^'"'^ '"^ being a useful institution it has de"encVatP^I „ 1 u '°''' ?°"''- ^'°'^ lands which it obtained at a me^ehnnS ■ -^ '"'" "h-^t^'ctive-and the effectually bars the progress of t£ sec" on ofTho 'tr^'''"''t ''' '^''^ ""^'^'^ is held. It is time this was put as ton ^n am "?."'^ '''''"'' '^^ *J°"'a5° a huge land monopoly, S as tl e C nada CoZr '? "' ^^^S^^ons, and doubly dangerous-inasmuch as inot only tn-ernHL "T ^'"''^'> '' vation of the land, but serves to (hi-rfmm tin. ""P'''''°'' *°<^ «="!"- otherwise become good citizens. '"^'•^ "'""•^' ^''" ^°"ld itn.u^fbJr;s^^';^t'Sn(i^^h'i;;:;s: r^'^""'^'^"^«' -^ - «-h prices, it has for many years i^iuttPHin^ r f/^"?' *' '"'^'^ extortionate at an Annual rent, th^ ^ S Ye 11 Sd to . \' '^ '''' ^^"ds and at the expiration of the Tease nav the f.m '"^''"'^'« ."""^ ^ence the same, toiled for so many years. \nd bv thi r,/?i ^ f\°' '°'^ '^^^^ they had come back to theVompaoy tSfs >e^ar thanTt . «'* V"'^^^^''' "°^^ ^^^^ ^<^^ evil and one that should no be ^allowed tilr'°'^^ .^'^'^ " "^ monstrous of these lands have worked for a home tlev iZ!^ ^^ J°' F"' ^''^ '^^^^^^ fenced, and built houses, and LdrevervoosiL'^^^^^ cultivated, and e-tpiration of the lea.e, after havinrpaId\'Le'Sa'ilf™r-- "• ' '^"'^ '^'h"^^ t^^^^l^rT''''''-'' ^^' ''' P-P-'^- — to^tl.' Comiany^S'^:,^ are iaLnsJl'^agSeronf/irsutS^t^ iT 'T'^. ?' "^^^^ -^ ^^^^^ .atu.e to ford ^^ Oo^^P^^Z^^^Xt^^^^^liS: Ifl THE CANAt»A r;o.M]'ANV tTlc^^utetlJrV''^* ''"'""" "'^""'^ '"'*' ^^ " '"'" "" """''''•' "* *" *'''''■ '"■''■■' From the Canadian Freeman, Juno U, ISiW;. THE CAXADA COMPAN'V- -A HUGE MONOPOLY. secoJc?lH^r'^'f",h^"M ^'^'"^^^ "'i^''^ 6lh inst,, in an able article, as wo Has the becond letter of the Mayor of that city, reviewing i.t groat longth the hutre ledge of tlie working of this instuutiOD, we ccrt.iinly agree with our contetn- ZaTI "7'" ^\^\ ihe people of Canada should be made aware of Infforl^t. '■^^'■«^ad>- '°"';h harm has been done by i,, the poor farmers have n osneritv 0^1'*^"'°?°^ ''' TV'"^^^''^ '°-'^'^^' ^''' '1'^ advancement and prosperity of the country, are held wifliia its clutches. From the Perth Herald, 20th June, 1iiJ6. THE CA.N'ADA COMPANY. Iwo letters from the pen of Mr. Glass, on the suhjeil of the Canada company in their dealings with the people, have been published in our col- TJ'r.r.S T'' '•^^'^"^h'^^'/o/eJ their contents they will have learned that the Canada Company have failed to comply with the conditions cf their char- ter, and have become obstructives to that part of the country in which they hold larids. .No one that intends to really hold the land wfll now think of fil'ri^r^'"" '?f/°» '''°" *^' Company. They ask a price entirely beyond the rea value of he property-a price, which, in most cases, the property will not realise after the unfortunate settler, or dupe, has vastlv enhanced its Taluo by clearing and improving it. The leasing system is undoubtedly a gross fraud upon the Ignorant emigrant. Just think of the idea of leasing wild land, in many cases low and swampy, to an emigrant at the rate of $15, $20 and ho an acre-the lessee to pay an annual rent, in advance, of si.x per cent, on the original amount. That is $130 a year for the privilege of improving the Company 3 ands; becaiuse, as a general thing, the lands revert to the Com- pany ,_-tbe lessee being unable to keep up the rent, much more to pay the principal. The Company should be compelled to sell their wild lands at a air i.rice, .and on (air and reasonable term.s. Were they to sell their wild iands at a fair price,taking the original cost in regular yearly instalments with- out interest, unless whore the locate failed to meet his payments punctually, then here would be some cliance for poor men securing a homestead. And this would not bo unfair to the Company ; because so long as the land remains wild and unsold, it is no source of revenue to them. Take a wild lot valued at $20 nL^ ©TiTo" '^"^'^'"^ 100 acres-that would be $2000. Say the purchaser is to paj^iooa-year, ^ax- lands, we believe, and the pmpo^ed ra Sj^^'-'*^^^^ ""'"■ tract they hold on speculatiL^Ser^mi h'° "'"'• ^'"^ '""^^"^ its market value to actual sett er= who ^'n,?i^- "'^^^^.l^es or selling it at the district. The Company-to (?i;e U iuXi no '','°?. v.' '"°^ '^'^'^ ''^"^fi' the counties by openin-^ up roads such nVit" ^°"'^,''^'^ originally benefit their general p'oli'cy has heenTo:nS\'lVm yTfo^ t oMhfseS '"' fXiVnT ^b^^r^a^iLXs'Sn 2;^:^^^^^^^^^^^ fact th^ people who suffer beg no "e'e and have^rl'.f '^ ^^Tr'""''''- ^his mate means, to remove the dead wef^htunon ,£"'''' ^'- '^'^'"^ '^^iti- possible. To this end petitions have feen drafted and ^Z^'T. "f T-'t'^^ "' no doubt, be numerously signed by all clas^e Tn ti "^^"'^t^?, which will, terests are affected more or le.s bv tlie f^aiSe of tL 1 ^"""""""J' ^'^^ose in- conditions of their charter. ' of the (. ompany to act up to the .uggSdtdtcrtSet^Srlt^rrain'rm^"^^ meetings Lave been pression of public opinion upon the Jolicy and co^dnc?"'"^H^n '^°'''''^''^ ^^■ suggestion is a good one, anLught to be adopted we Jl^^ ^""'P^"^- The 20 THE CANADA COMPANY. From the Clinton Now Era, Juno 14, ISGC. TIJE CANADA COMPANY. On our loiirih page will be f(Mind another letter tVoni Mr. Glnas, and an article from tiiC London Fhee Piiess, on the subject of tlie greiU injus- tice that 1ms been doni- to the settlers of Upjier Canada through the monopoly in liinil that the Canada Company has enjoyed. The subject hofl been so fully Kono into and well handled by Mr. (Jlass, in the uvo letters that he has given, that it is unnenessary that we should do more than urge upon the people, and their representatives in Parliament, action in the premijes. All that is asked by those who are desiring the extinction of the Company is simply justice. Let the Company be compelled to fulfil the conditions of its charier to the letter, and no more will be required of it. About si.xtcen or seventeen years ago the Company was offering land at $1.50 to ?3 per acre, and was purchased at that rate by a great number, but as soon as the IJiiflalo and Lake Huron Railway was finished, and greater faciliiics for travelling had been made by the poor settlers themselves, the Company raised the price of their lands to >1j or S20. Of course this pre- vented a great many from taking land that would have otherwise done so, and they have gone to the M'esteru States to find cheaper land, and by that means many are lost to Canada. If the Canada Company will of its own accord put its lands at a reason- a'le fignrp, or offer it for sale by auction, without reserve, to actual fcttlers, no inteiferencc with its afl'airs would be advocated, and a reasonable amount of time would be given to close up its business and leave the country. It is hoped that now the matter has been brought to the notice of the people, it will not be allowed to rest till suchaction is taken by Parliament as will bring about a speedy settlement of this matter, to the satisfaction of those most deeply interested in it. To the Editor London Free Press. THE CANADA COMPANY .VGAIN. Sin,— Although a stranger to Mr. Glass,! feel it my duty to say something in regard to his letters to the Fhee Press, headed " The Canada Company." I, as well as a large number of others in the West feel the force of those letters, I can assure you, sir. "We feel proud to find that there is one man in Canada West ready and willing to plead in behalf of the poor settler, and for the advancement of this western section ; also in his frowning down upon the actions of the Canada Company. Within a few miles of Park Hill the Company holds a large tract of land, CN'occcpiED for the very reason Mr. Glass mentions— that is holding them so high. I know lots that are covered with hemlock, which the Company holds ntSl2 perncre actually not worth Si for farming purposes. Uther 1 cs they hold f.om Sl2 to §18 per acre, which no man can afford to pay. I feel satis- fied that wore the Company to sell their lands at a reasonable price.this section would become one of the best in Canada— take it fiom Park Hill to Payfield. 1 know a man here who has offered the Company .fl, 400 in cash for 100 acres, without an acre cleared upon it ; but before purchasing he wanted to read tiieir deed. He was told that the deed was like all their deeds. Being a cautious man, he was determined to know what he was getting for his money : so, after reading it, he found that oils, minerals, &c., were reserved by the Company, when he told them that he could not buy. This confirms Mr. Glass* letters. Not satislied with an exorbitant price for their lands, but must TUE CANADA COMPANT 21. Glass, and great injus- le mPtiopoly oeen so fully e has given, people, and li.at is asked ply justice, utpr to the ring land at number, but ind greater nselves, tliei •se this pre- 3e done so, nd by that t a rcason- lal fcttlers, blc amount try. )tico of the iliament as sfactlon of something !3ompany," 2 of those le man in etiler, and lown upon ct of land, : them so any holds ? \ 13 they feel satis- !ii3 section I Payfield. 100 acres, i to read Being a is money : d bv the Mr. Glass' but must reserve oils, &c., dec. I trust that, as Mr. Glass has undertaken Iho task so manfully, ho will not leave a stono unturned until the grand object in view is accompliibed I am glad to sc« that the Free Phe.ss Iwu taken huld, to Btrengtben h,3_ bands in this cmisc ; althougji it is nothing mere than I expected from it, for the reason that I fthvuys find it grasping; wiiL anything and everything that tends to tlic advancement and improving of the conntry. I merely write to show you that these letters are approved of in this section. I have the honor to be, sir, yours respecifully. Park Hill, County of Middlesex. June, 18CJ Jon.v .Voble. Lbtter No III THF CANADA COMPANY. To the Editor of the Frei Press. K ?,' Ml'^^^i^^"^® ^f^^!^ Stock of this Company is now and has always been held by ,, f , w capitalista m Enijland They are called the " Pro- rinnlriofK -P Persons in office under them make their annual FnSf, n' v/'^^K^^'^r -^y ^'"^ '"'' '•°f"'"^ "I'^'^o in London, England, in November, 181,5, it appears that the Company arc tho owners in fee M^pie of over 718,000 acres of land in Western Canada, exclusive of 11,000 acres reported at present to be irreclaimable swamp: 1 his enormous quantity is a portion of the original grant, and const - utes something less than ono-third of all the lands then acquired by the Company These lands arc worth vastly more than could have been realised from the whole grants if the terms of the charter had been coinphcd with and the hjnds "cleared, cultivated," and brought rapidly into market, at very low prices to actual settlers-.sav $1 per acre. Ihis small price would have given them a profit of $750 000 n^ nn'7'r'''"'"^ r*' ''^''' ""«V'"S ^0'- the expense of blazing s, mo her^nnnnv7"^v"'"':r'? "^^J'^^'-^y^^ claimed to have been done bv ae?Ps .t ' o?V ''''• ^''' ^'","f "^ r.'"'^''?* '"^'^ ^'y them, viz , 718,000 acres,, at .say Sj per acre, would realise $3,590,000. beinir $1 8-10 000 in excess of the cost of the whole ori.'inal grant.s. This. Sf course s n addition to the enorinous sum.s received by them for the last forty'years out of lands sold, forfeited, .sold and sold over and over again, to the great loss and damage of the actual Eottlor. I know that a great deal of manipulation has taken place with Canadian Executive cflicers, and h™ 'l "'.^^''l'^'7.t'''^-^n*¥ ^^ompany may in some degree ciuini to Strict ^nftoV^'i*'"'^''.}^,^?^^ \^'' ^'^ "^t ''^'^'^^ th^'» l'o»Vthe stnct and due fulfaliiient of their charter. Wo, as Canadians aie not going to sit ciuietly by and allow our lands to be excessively axed h order to enrich those " Proprietors' ' rolling in case and afflLnce we are not wiUmg longer to bow ourselves before these monopolists and tamely submit to their fattening upon the fruits of our indust' simply because, through toadyism, or undue influence, at an early day They Canaff S^t'f '^' '"ost beauteous and fertile parts o?^ Upper Canada. If we do, we are not worth v of the frep home- «,., .n;n" or l;n7.r'l°" ''^' T^i*^V« boast Of this the people aVe'now sensible T piS? ^''''^ ^''^^^ ^"^ ^^ '^"""'^ »" ^'^"'^•"S forward petitions to the Legislature, and success is certain. Take for example the Huron I'Tfi"" ^c'''' ^^' 1°?. ''''^T''^ ^y tfa« ratepayers? i? is supPoSd that the Company holds at the present nearly one-quarter of all the •^> TIIK 'CANADA COMPANY. and thcyalui3oi «sses.sablc persS m^norfl^i^^^ '''''''"'«'• '""t^ •ncroascd, thereby rcducinLMbe r , c o "Tv, f- '" '^ bopro),ortionatcly least one-fifth. This i. a ,, fto of n n'^"V? "' '^''"'''""^ ^''^"fi'^^J. "> only that ho should Bot iusf or> In . 'ntcrcst to every ratepayer, not he-should be freed Ln"reortL'a'n;;"'n7 '^"'"'•"•^" ^'^^ but "that perhaps, the greatest iniustie? ♦? *•"' f^'^'^"'^" wrong. But frauds." AVhen thTcha t^r was Jrantorj'?''""''"^^'^^^^^ ' '°««i"^ ted for what purpose the gran w worn nS ""''7 P^ticu arly designa and the very words givcn™ercbv Sr "1 ' '"'' ,P«i:t'cuIarly speeified, vcy away their right to tcand^ «■ Company had the power tooon- they have disregarded thL specific rni'? ^'-^"'T ^^ '^^^ Chartor. all their interest in the lands '^ and hi?' ■ ' ^"•' ^'^ """""t ^"^ "onvey to giving leases for lonrtcrms Tho V"' T['^' ^'"F^ h«fl recourse moBel document, avowedly dmwn.n ^^''"."^le^sc is considered a away from the settler any r^ghlTido'lnr f'^''^ '''■ ^'J effectually out ever in the land, or the iirfproVcn n'?Jr'* °' ^^'"''^.b'c estate what- in the prompt payment nf tic annT.i ren^^^ n"'^' ''''H' '" ''^' °^ ^"^^'ng Kcnt conditions of the leasrandthis?.?r;,r ^"y « ^cr of the strin the report of November last "that in tv I ^'"^i Inn^ '' ^^ »'<=v«=aJed bv were forfeited and ixvertcd back t"/'^%'°^'^ ^^^^ "« ^^s than 36,000 families desolate and homeless with th.^""!'-"''' ^'^^l"^, ^^ •°'^st 360 quenched upon their heShV^on'-Tt"' ■f''"''>^'^ ^^^ the fires drivenoutinthatvearofKrc, f'antlla ' ^ ■^'^ "^1^°^ ^ero thuf- been the extent of forfcituro and V,» ^ u-"'''''^'*"*^V ^'^^^ '»"st have through thefailureof orop"'«carc1tv St ''' ''"'i'^ i" ^?™'^'- y^^'^ In the same year, viz., 1865 the fW-.^ 'i'l^""^ n^'i"'" ^''^^ ''^"^^s ? T^^ ^L^^"^' «° that having received bS'opnnn" ''M'"'- ^^«" 20,000 ?^ 20.000 acres, they found^heSX^ at the on'd'^rfYh"^ "^''^''-'^ Ib.OOO acres more than nf ;*c ^'"■'^'*^*' •^i tnc end of tho year with will the Company be in wtdfnruTus"^-"*^ H'^^' ratoLwC "never "for their lands are^on^ r.nfdTn " F^' »"swer is simply coffers flowing over with gold out nPt if; 'i.T^""^'''^ increase, and their tunes of ihe emigrant leeinfthL ' -^^H" '^'^"^^ ^"^^ broken for- people of these Vestern 'Sties' IW K ^' '''''^r^ ^* ^^^^ the effort to cast offforeverthi^s incubus nn^""'^ ?'''' "''^^^ ^ determine,! to Its baneful influences PeSa^f; T*^ ""^ f "^^"^^o ^V^mit in silence this matter than any other tSMvorhnfT r ^^'^ ^^^P ^"terest "n ha« for many yearsWensubSTto and t^^^^^^^ 'u «'''* ^^ ' ■ and being possessed of what I belicvotn^ ^'t^^^.to.be continued, the matters in question I felt ihnW ^u^ {!»t^.''"tic information oi iromthepW,:e/j,,„,i[^^t^bat..^by^.^^^^^^^^^^^^ Upon tl.. .oi^d. I l^vogiven tl..e lettersto the pre. ; and for the reception / -Tlhem b'v^'wstJin ' • ^'"'? *° *^^ ^'^'^ ' and for bc^^/ta. ;^. Ttm^v'T^m^L.-'Twl'' Sencj-'^Uy, I have to to mal-. , .wit" • e lS .^i?.te P!5P^- V Petition or return my „v-.. , ,;. otherwise, to mat", , .y^A t" , ,p T o',rrc,'u*""'"xi"'^ pcupio, oy petition or redress may be -J Jair d ?;,;* thesf "^^^^^^^^ '°«rder that such bitter fruit f,, ih. poar settler f/^^/'^"^' "^^^ ^'^ase to bear driven from the ontxritrv Ws * *" monstron. evil may be London, June 23, 1866, David Glass, TIIK f ANADA foNtl'\N\ & ifty farmers, greater rate, i)'ortionfitcIy t charged, ut itepayer. not 'w, but that ivrong. But ic " leasing rly (lesie-na- rly specified, lower to oon- at Charter. '■ and convey 1 ad recourse onsidcrcd a actually cut !stato what- se of failing the strin- cvealed bv than 36,000 i least 360 nd the fires were thuf. must have "Bier year?: ke causes ? ihan 20,000 g disposed year with how long r is simply and their rokon for- ' that the eterminfi^. \ in silence interest !n eat wr ^i 3ontinued, n.ation on formation ! ; and for 1 have to etition or rder that 36 to bear 11 may bu iii'[Mu.\> m- ijii: i'iii:.«s. Glass. TVom th« Lcrnl'i, I"i,e l'«.'.<, June I'S. Ihi"*. TIIK CAKATiA i '< ).Ml'A.\ V. Wo iltv-irc nliiiitiiJii lo the iliiiil li t u;r l^y Duvi'l (.ilu.is, Esfi , or. the sub- ject of the " Huge .Moiini)uly,"—tlii' (Jiinuda CumiMiiy. .Vcarlv nil ihi> iiaper* pubii:>heil i 1 ilif Wtsl liiivu iipiilauil^U llsc I'fi'orU uT .Mr. Gluss to put t4 period ti the illi'gal iiiid ixtoiiiiinute (loniunil.-> of llit' Couipaiiy — ''a ronsuinmntioa •levoutly Til \w widhnil for, hiuI whifli nri-t cnini' cr" loiijr Tioni tliu .Mit.;lH II Ailv....ato. r!(h TIIK CA\ Inly. Ih'lil. .I).\ COMHA.W I.AVDa, On 'Jill- liiai p.i^'u^iU Ijl' round ilif iliinl of a 'Pries of letters from the able jicn of Mr. Glii,-3. iSiii'.o iliis gt'ntliTii in tnidertuok the ventilation of the hngf luonuiioly iwu-riod ou for years by "ic Canada Oouipany lie has made many friend", especially ill this [inrt of the (•ouutry. No pltiee have people been more opprtssed by tlie iron heel of this (Jomi any than in tlit County of Perth. Hundreds of licr settk'r.s have been driven from their homes, and forced to give lip •heir all to add to the coft'LT.^ (;f the proprietors of this shameful monopoly. The Canada Company have lu'eu most exorbitant in their terms with the dettler8, and jii^t nf. tyrannical in enforcing them. Go iuLu any of our back townships, and you will hpar tales related of their oppression sufficient to make the blood run cold through the veins of the riiost hardened. Uomeles,-, familiod in those townshipa trace their troubk-j nnd ruin to ilit ^lililess and unfeeling policy of this Miomalous corporation. If the fact.-, which hav«> brought many of the indu.-jtrious and hard-wurking peopk of ilif Huron Tract to a desolate condiliun were made known, the public would be r^artled, and become indignant at iIkhc absentee mouopolists, who, by their griping ava- rice, have brought ruin ami desolation upon so many iudustrIou.=i people. — The "scheme" is a high-handed one, and the people and Government should leave no stone untnrneil until the thing exploded. The country demands it, and will not rest satisfied until the monstrous monopoly is crushed. Without one exception, we believe, tiie press of Perth, Huron and Kruco unite with Mr. Glass in exposing nnd endeavoring to wipe oul tif exirtence the baneful practices of this company. From the Canadian Freeman, A\\ ,fuly, 1S66. A HICK AXD ClUJEL MONOPOLY. We publish, to-da\ , on our fird page, the third of a series of letters that have appeared in the Fme Press, from the pen of David Glass, Esq.— The writer has undertaken to vcntila'e the transactions of the Canada Land Com- pany, and he has accomplished his task very successfully.— This Company have been an incubus on t::e country for a number of years. They have de- rived immense revenues from Canada, and like the absentee landloVds of Ire- land, they have made no return for the hundreds of thousands of doUara that annually flow into their coflers. They have been as e.Yorbilaut in r terms with the settler as they have been tyrannii al and oppressive iu arcing them. No Sbylock ever exacted his pound of flesh with more uniuienting cruelty than have the Canada Land Company the strict fulfilment of their cne-sided arrangements with those who had the misfortune, at any time, to get into their clutches. Many a bruised heart and many a homeless fam- 24 THE CANADA COMPANY. deserving families, nnd have Sv '/r? ^^^ "P°\'° m«Qy industriou 'Lnd o^uo^n!™.^ j;r-™K '^»i^'.';^^^^^^ would compel these " Proprietors >''o inn! ?'5' enactment be passed tha From the St. Mary's Argus. July 5, 18C6. THE CANDIDA COMPANY. '^""" ■•'•"■"" B«»™'. s.„„«.,, j.t;;;;^, THE CA.VADA COMPANY swsmemA From the Goderioh Star, July 6, IS6C. THE CANADA COMPANY. however, <'ffi„H»r -M?''""^*''^''eto strict] V .^^l/ . K'^ made by 2 pitiless and ' bro'ight to spread indig- heii- giiping istrioiis and growth and IS one, and d have been lie lands, in passed that to sell the hem to the intended to ve articles I the public Bookstore. itter from the peti- 'Id of the r business 'I' been a 'g'lrcs in Iriren off ing back Its made, nding up in these onopolv- '. Glass I. The possible ade by ring is, camel's e even in the y have 4i< THE CANADA COMPANY. 25 grown overbold. Not that some efforts have not been made to procure an investigation into their mal-practices before this present ventilation of their mode of dealing with the helpless and unwary, but their influence with the ruling powers has always been so great that the enquiry has been burked in Us infancy. From the very first it was known to some of the more shrewd and intelligent that papers such as the settler or lessee was required to sign left him at the Company's mercy. Fancy the idea of any private individual giving tt bond or lease, with the right to purchase, to another, and inserting the°rein a provi3o_ that the purchaser, ortenant-at-will, for he virtually is no more,should be required to bind himself to submit, not to. the conditions which he then is aware of, but any which the grantor may see fit to make :n fcti-re. We have seen but one yet who has had the temerity to att<>mptto defend the Com- pany, and that only in a left-handed way and over a fictitious signature. We have no wish to strain facts to obtain a desired end. Our opinion is based on documentary information kindly furnished by u gpntleman in town, and ag tor the writer of the letters he is of a;jo and capable of speaking for himself -0- PETITIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE AGAINST THE CANADA COMPANY DURING THE SUJLMER OF 1860. The following form of memorial was the one genorully used :~ To THE HOXORABLE THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF CaS'ADA. The Petition of the Undersigned, residents and property holders of tbo Counties of Huron and Perth, humbly shcwoth :— Thatvery large qimntitics of wild and unproductive lands are r^wheld in the said Counties by the Canada Company, and that the said land.s havo so iiiiiained waste and unproductive ever since the formation of tho ?nid Company, contrary to the terms of the Charter upon which the said lands were gran*' ' to tho s.nid Company, .and proatly to the daningeofyourpetitioners. and totho who! . tho Countio.? in which the said lands arc 9!tuated. Your petitioners, therefore, humbiy iiray, That your Honorable House will take such stei-s in tho premises os will force the said Company to a strict fulfilment cf the snid Charter, and that the said lands may bo brought intothom.arketataHxod price to actual settlers, or bo put up to competition and eold to the highest bidder. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. By the votes and proceedings of tho Legislative Assembly of Canada, at Ottawa, on Monday, 25th June, 1866, it appears that a petition was received and read from James Show and others, of the Counties of Huron and Perth, in the words of the above form. See page 60, Journals Legislative Assembly, 1866. On Wednesday, the- 11th July, 1366, at Ottawa, a memorial was received and read from Thomas Ballyntine and others, of the Counties of Huron and Perth, in the same words. See page 125 Journals Legislative Assembly, 1866. 26 TUB CANA1»A COMl'AXY. On Ind . the 1 th day of th. «.ne n.onth. a n.cn.orial fVon. mam S. fiercer and other., of the Counties of Huron and Perth. -n the .auie words, was received and road in the House. . On the ,sa,nc day. another menu.rial from W. McLean and others On the san.. ,Iay. another n.omonai, in the .an.o words, iron. S I- Iverr, and others, of same place, was read to the House ^.^^rtt'' ^'^ '''' J^'^'^^ July, 18G6, a numerously .i.ucd ^ onal. n ho same words, was received and read, from Isaac Carhng and other.^. „f Kxeter. Clinton and Trowbrid.-e. worf'fSfift^T'^'^Vt ^«^'-— -'' ^n the same On the same day, namely, 20th July. 1866. another memorial i,> read to the House. ^"'"^'""•'' "'''^ '"''''^'^^ «"^1 On Monday the 2,3rd of .J-W,, 1866, a memonal, hy John Noble L quzre, and others, of Middlesex and Huron, again.s the Can da Company, was received and read. ^.anaaa On Wednesday, the 15th of August, 1866, a memorial again==t the Canada Company, .n the form first given, from H, Young and he' ofthe^Count.,,, of Huron and Perth, wa. received and%ead to the In addition to all these memorials, the County Councils of Perth, Huron and Bruce, representing 100,000 .souls, .^ent forward pe.i i.^ to the Legislature, praying for an investigation into the affair! of the Canada Company. 0„o of the petition.^ was received and road i„ Parliament on the 11th, and the other on the 16th day of July, 1866. The Huron ^.,«aZ, of the 17th July, 18G6, says:-The following petition wa.. read in the Legislative Council on the 9th instant : W THE CANADA COMPANY 27 iiemorial from ran and Perth, in and other?. ', was rcceivecj I'ordf^. (Voiu 8. i,so. rously .-jigucd ■ tioni Isaac :'iicd. against was received in the same received and memorial, in was received aodman and eccivcd and lohn Noble, the Canada against the and others, read to the Is of Perth, d petition.^ !"airs of the nd read in ily, 1866. 3 following tant: "Of the Municipal Council of the United Counties of Huron and Bruce, praying that measures be taken to compel the Canada Landed Company to fulfil the terms of their Charter, by putting up for sale their lands in the said County, either at a fixed price or to the highest bidder at auction.'' -0- IX THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. At Ottawa, on Wednesday, 11th July, 18d0,— Mr. Macfarlane, seconded by Hon. .John Carling. gave uotie'c that a', an early day they would move that an humble address be presented t>: his JCxcellency the Governor General, praying Lis Excellency to cause to be laid before the House the following return, vi/.. : — A return of a copy of the Charter of the Canada Company, and oi'thc jigrcement entered into in 1826 between the Government of his Majesty King George IV. and the said Company ; the number (jf the grants of land made to the Company in Upper Canada: the dates of the grants; the number of acres granted, and the price paid per acre; by whom and to whom the grants were made; and all the conditions connected therewith, such as the reclaiming, improving, clearing and cultivating the said lands ; and what roads and bridges were to be built, or money appropriated, by the grantees for such improvements, together with what amount (if any) of such improvements have been done by the gra ices, and when, and where, and by whom such improvements have been made; what amount of such improvements remain j'ct undone, and how soon the latter arc expected to be completed by the .said Company ; together with full and complete returns of what portion of the said land.s have been conveyed away by the said Company, and the names of all persons to whom such conveyances have been made ; together with the form of conveyance used by the said Company when parting with the said lands ; and a full and detailed account of the price per acre received by the said Company for any of the said lands conveyed away by them from the time the original grants were made ; together with a state- ment of the full amount received by the Company for such lands ; and whether the said Company has ever been in the habit of leasing any portion of the said lands, or making conditional sales of the yame ; or at the time of making sales, lea.ses or conditional, the said Company has been in the habit of reserving to itself any reversionary rights in minerals or other valuable productions which might be found upon the said lands ; together with the form of lease or agreements for condi- tional sales (if any) used by the said Company, and the number of years the same has been in use by the said Company ; the number of acres leased or parted with by them under any form of conditional 28 THE CANADA COMPANY. to year been f 'rfehod^llV^ettr/ W^^^^^^ number of years in all cases which lunl 1 !,'''"/' ""^ '^'' possession of the occupants befo,. thTe! ,r t \oT"r' " ^5'^ quantity of such reverted lands have been .!il -^^^''^ ""^"^ often such resales have taken ZcTl^T °'^"' ""'^°' "»^ '^o^" received by the said Comp ny 0'^'-^^ '^""^''^■"' "^ '"°"'' ^'' ^'°" with the number of ac^Tland t fe "atd Co:''' i-^^- together where such lands are located, and thpric 'asked K^T '°^'' ^"' the purchase of the same • the numhpr Z -o ^ ^° Company for Company as irreclaimub e' wamn tl e n^'''' ''^, ?^'> ''' '^^^'^ ^y the subsequent, Proprietors IrsSolde. i:Te^:d"cor^''" ".' ^" annual dividend paid to them fmm fLi J''^ , °^"P"">'' ^n^ the costs of working^ sl^Conifany or ov^ry y^^^^^^^^^^^^ T ^ ^""""' said Charter to the Present 'timV;tirnu-b f'T t'^'^^^' ^'^ granted over lands asroed to b^ Jhl ■ !i "^ "°^^ "^ timber-licenses lieu of lands declared echimable and H '' '"'^^^ "' ^'''' ^^^'^^ '" for those lands so representitot' i^ da ^S" ' Th"", 'r^f'' above to be given with dates, and the iSl a,' n. ! ?°'t °^ '^^ in townships and towns. " ''''"' *'' ^"^ classified fi' IN THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY At Ottawa, on Wednesday, the 8th d.v of Au<^ust 1866- PARLIANE.VT. n^ »* . , Legislative Assemblt, Auff 8 isrr Mr. Macfarlano moved for a codv nr fh„ ru . . , ^' ' ^ sundry returns as to the operations of tlcoLpty' "''' ^""^^"^ ^^'^P'^^^' "^ had presumed to write to this House ZySLtfJiTr ''"' ""^ ^""''^"''^ Company their affairs, because they c.nsUloZVofl'Z^''::^^^^^^^^^ -'f- --^Peeti '. muni-noiding tiiOii- charter from th« Imperi'il Tp^^m".^;; . ^'^° Coiomal Qovorn- mado returns to the Provincial GoverS on f nn r^- "'"•^°°" ''^''' "'<'>' ^^d Company forholding large tracts of landlekerup from Jm T-' "' «°--'demned the they had obtained .and under condition oftrmrHeSmr' Thrieiron tS ntity of such has from ye.'ir any; and the lained in the place; what !iin, imd how >ney has been ds: together 'w hold, and Company for down by the :inal, and all 'ny. and the !i the annual i date of the dber-liecnses nd given in e demanded fhole of the bo classified \6.~~ Cameron, cllency the laid beforo 5tice, upon e Globe .-r- n POtJ IN- ig. 8, 1866 ompany, and !S, and cries a Company. as respeetins lial Qovorn- 3r thoyhad tlemned the he fact that s on which THE CANADA COJIPANY. 29 the company insisted wore of a nature to obstruct settlement, and the leasing system pursued was particularly objectionable in this respect. AVhcn a settler had lived on a farm ten years, purchased from the company, he was liable to bo turned out and deprived of all he had advanced, and the value of all his improvements, if the whole purchase money had not been paid- The oiTect of the bill introduced by the member for Peel, had bDentogive the company a privi'e?e nevei- contemplated by their charter, namely, tho right to lease their lands. Mr. Macfarlane said that at this momsnt they held in bis (Mr. Maofarlanc's) dis- trict, 300,090 acre? of eood land, obtained on tho rcprosent.ntion of their bein? irrcclaim- abir. Hon. Mr. Broun was understood to .rcooommena that turthcr consideration be not now given this matter, but that its settlement be left till after Confederation. Mr. Maefarlano 8aid he would go on with hi.s motion. IIo complained that the oampany, in further violation of their ehartor. had issued timber licenses for their land. Hon. Mr. Carling said tho returns ought to bo brought down, some fifteen petitions from a large number of persons having been presented for tho returns He thought there wore some 500,000 or (300,000 acres hold by this C'lmp.any, and wo should have returns jiving US information respecting these lands and tho Company's Charter- ( Hoar.) Hon. J. H. Cameron said that the Company did a great deal of good, by paying at this moment to various municipal Corporations in Upper Canada, i3, 000 a-year taxes. It was wrong te say the Company was ratarding Fottloment of the country. He contended thatthellousehadnoright whatever to ask for information respectin':; the operations or affairs of this Company, which had been released years a?o from any responsibility to Government. No ono had any right to interfere with their charter, cf which he denied there had been any violation. "^ Mr. Scatchcrd said that the land tho Company held in Huron, Perth and Middlesex had been made valuable by tho labors of settlers. The Company obtained their land for a trifle, and after keeping it locked up for years, they asked an enormous price for it; as much as $15 and S20 an acre. Hon. J. H. Cameron— Why should they not? Mr. Scatchcrd argued that tho House had a right to ask every corporation doing business in the country to furnish returns.. The ta.'ccs they paid amounted to nothing on tho question. It was the large tracts of land they held locked up from settlement that formed tho cause cf complaint, tho Company had got theoo lands, not to keep them shut up from settlement for 20or 50 years, but to promote colonization. They now refused to dispose of this land to settlors. (Hear.) He thought that the member for Perth deserved tho thanks of tho public for bringing this matter before tho House Mr. Macfarlant stated that in tho time of the Draper Administration it was deci- ded that it was impossible for a Government to give a Company release from tho obligation of settlement. Only an Imperial Act. sanctioned by a Colonial Act. could release them from the obligation into which they entered at the time their charter was given; and that, so far as any release they might give would have effect, it would simply bo available with a view of thereby obtaining tho consent cf tho Colonial Legislature to that release- He challenged tho member for Peel to deny it. Hon. J, H. Cameron said ho did not agroo with that (rontleman in a single particular The release was an absolute discharge on the part of tho Government, which hada right to discarge the Company from any obligation imposed on it. There was nothing in tho 30 I ii niE CANADA COMPANT. ;*...^;:;.S;™:s<;;'':;:s£x^-;;i;.-:,;; ■ •- "« -" -..-j After .■•ovrrul t'ric" i.l' •■ ,ir,-,nnr.,i ,„ f»kin,H,ov„,o y'"'"^' ^■^n-cl." .te., Mr Maefarlane in,i,fed on »- poll the qiiestioii hr-iiwr .„■* *i 1 ,. . bein. ealM tw', .„,. ,1,™ ;\r'sienl^'. -f.li Cockburn. DeBouoheiville Diiokett. Diifresne, Ferguson, •.laiidet. Higginaon, Langerin, -MacdonakKA.Gen.). Pinsonneault, Pouliot, RnEs(Charaplain). Shanley. ,?omerville, Street, Tasehereau, Tremblaj', unJ O'J / his ESei;n;;rIS;';,rS:;S-.2r'r'^'^^^^^^«^ bepre.entedto able the Executive Council of U^^PrLtcl ""'^''^' ''''^''^ """'''''■' "^^ '^e Hono;. they .ill be enforced. VtZlTe .^Tthat hi C J ^r^r ""'^^ was the only member of the House wh-lVi "' ^""'^''" the demand. He contended that ''tT,Tr .'^?'"'' ^''^^ J^^^i^e of to ask for information rspt'n. the ^'1.^'^^' "^^t whatever Company, which had been re sed * ' r'°' '' '^'''' '^' *^^'^ to Government.- " ''" "''" ^'■«"' ""i" responsibility But 3Ir. (.'amcron failed to sav I.oflr ^i It that rolease noise. After it power for any f.'i.< uc()uainted Canada (.'oni - rtiinefo brin« ren?tnljlisheci. inpi^fed on tlie names :e, indas), • Edwards), n. Be. nj K. York), -f.tj u, and presented to the Honor- anded i.n -li which Cameron istice of vhatever of this n.sibilitv )n), that anadian THE CANADA COMPANY, :il Executive Government, for they certainly never had any power to grant it; and further, the Company pretend.s to bo independent of the Canadian Legislature, becau.se of holding their Charter from the Imperial Government ; then if they could not bind, they certainly could not release. It could not have been by the Imperial Er^ecutivc Government, for it had just as little power to grant it; and as no legislation for that purpose has taken place in England or Canada, from whom this release came would be a matter of niucu interest to the people of Canada. The King had no power to grant the Charter, and tlie lands with it, without an Act of P.arliament. For that reason the Act of 1825 was passed, whereby the King was authorised to grant the lands, but only on such terms and with such restrictions and safeguards as the Act itself pointed out, and the Charter was granted in strict conformity with the Act (as stated in the amendment to the Act passed in 1823). Therefore, it is quite clear that there was no power capable of releasing the Company from the restrictions and safeguards embodied in that Act, and the Charter of the King granted in pursuance of it, except the Imperial Parliament, from which we do not fear so great an injustice. But \yhatever the release is, surely it will .stand the light of day. Thousands of people in Western Canada feel a deep interest in it. About 700,000 acres of the best land in Western Canada are still held in fee by the Company. This being a large portion of the whole original grant, the opinion is gaining ground among all classes that the Company has no intention of diminishing these lands.but to establish an obnoxi- ous lea.sing system to be perpetuated for many centuries to come. But why all this secresy ? Why this holding back of information ? If the Company really wish to dispose of their lands, and to comply with the terms of the Charter, the more publicity they can give to their operations the better for them, but they are not sincere, and it will be found that, behind all tliis, underlying all these pretensions, one ol' the reasons for not giving the information is the danger of an expo.sure of this very bogus release business, in which some of the public men of Canada may be found to be involved. It is to be hoped, however, that better counisels will prevail, and that information may be given at the nest session of Parliament, in accordance with the demand made at the last meeting of the House. OPINIitN!^ OF THE PRE!«S. From the London Free I'ress, lOih August, 18G0. THE OA-NADA COMPAXY : 1XVE3TIGATI0X ORDERED, The letters of Mr. Glass, on the subject of the Canada Company, and the determined efforts of a, few members, who had resolved to 33 THE CANADA COMPANY. ha^e the matter routed up, have already worked to a useful end. In the House on the 8th instant, Mr. .M^cfarlane, the member for Perth, moved for a copy of the charter of the Company, and sundry returns as to its operations On a voie of 5G to 23,the House ordered these returns to bo prepared and pS sented The debate published in another column will show that'^tS is anir le ground for a searching investigation. The Hon. Mr. Rose, Mr. Macfarlane Mr fecatchcrd and Hon. John Carling all look strong ground against the continued abuse practued ,y the Canada Company, of their oppressions, of the vast tracts of laud which they hold in an undeveloped state, and refusal to grant to settlers It is h,,c(h time as we have on several occasions asserted that the affairs of this Company were investigated and made public, and if the allega- tions made arc fully proven that the Home and Colonial Governments should be petitioned eithei.'io declare the charter forfeited, or that some guarantee should be given tuu better faith with the public should in future be kept. It would be well ,f Parliaraenl insisted on the lands of the Canada Company being Hirown open (or public sale, in the same way as the Crown Lands are now offered to the public. In the debate in question, the Hon. J. H. Cameron, thebohcitor to the Company, in vain came to its aid. He endeavored bv specia pleadings and " bamboozling" to divert the attention of the House Irom the consideration of the evils complained of; but it would not do. Mr Macianane stuck to his motion, and carried it by a majority of 33 We con gnttulate those gentlemen who have given their time and attention to this matter on thiSitheir first success, and trust they will persevere until thev get justice done the thousands of poorsettlers at presentin the grip of the Canada Company and who are scattered over the vast tracts of land held in Huron, rtrth and Middlesex. All our local members were in tavor of the called-for in- vestigation and,as will be seen from the report. Mr. Scatcherd.Mr. Carling, and Air. Macfarlane took part in the debate. Our Mayor especially de=.erves credit tor the manner in which he has ferretted out this business, and brought the subject so prominently before the attention of members of the Letrislature From the Goderich Star, August 17, 1866. THE CANADA COMPANY. The agitation of the subject by the Mayor of London has at least produced one beneficial result— the appointment of a Parliamentary Commis- sion to enquire into the manner in which the conditions of their charter have been complied with. This object was once before sought, but owing to the influence brought to bear by the ^.Commissioners of the Company, many of whom were members of the E.xecutive, the question was for a time staved ott. Mr. Glass deserves the thanks of every settler on lands once held by this Company for bis manly course in coming forward as the advocate for their rights. From the Clinton Xow Era, August 23rd, 1S66. GOOD NEWS FOR HURON AND PERTH, THE CANADA COMPANY. It is with some degree of satisfaction that we give insertion to the two following extracts, not only because they announce the reduction of $4 per acre by the Canada Company on their lands, but also that they give expres- THK CANADA COMPANY 33 sion to sentiments towards Mr. David Glass which he is well worthy of. Some one who is well acquainted with the alFairs and workings of the Companv will be needed to follow np the matter in the Hoii3e, and we know of no one so well qualified as Mr. Glass, and we hope the first opportunitj will not be let slip in returning him as one of our members. We really cannot see wherein the dompany can be called generous; the reduction has not been aubmiUed to willingly, but it is made because there is a likelihood if thov do not soon dispose of their lands they will have to submit to a far heavier reduction, as it is evident, by the largo majority that voted for the returns being made, that they will soon bo compelled to wind up their affairs and leave the country Those desirous of setilin;,' will find no better place in Canada wherein to take UD their abode than in the County of Huron ; its climate being salubrious and its soil exceedingly fertile, and there is no county in Canada that is better, if equally as well, supplied with good roads. There is no part of the county that is far distant from a good gravel road, so that there is no dithculty of access. From the Mitchell Advocate. We are informed upon reliable authority that the Canada Company have made a uniform reduction of four dollars per acre on the whole of their lands ; this will make a ditr.'renco of about a m.lion dollars to these two counties alone This generous act speaks well for the Company, and shows an earnest disposition to bring their matters to a close in this country. It the informa- tion proves correct; and the Company, even at this late day, throw their lands into the market, at low price?, it will be a great blessing to Canada Wc cannot, however, close those few remarks without returning thanks to Mr. David Glass for the noble stand he has taken in this matter, and trust that the bold work so nobly and ably commenced by him may bo pressed until, like the above-natnf-d. otli^-r good results may flow from his exertions. From the Stratford Herald. The report ban g.iiueil currency, and we believe upon the very beat au- thority that the Canada Company ha.^ made a reduction of §4 an acre upon their land This will benefit the Huron Tract over $800,000. To do justico to the Compnnv, wc must say they deserve credit for thi.s step, but it is to be honed they will not slop short here, and;that if it is found that the lands are not quicklv taken up at the reduced prices, that still further reductions will be made "in order that the business of the company in this coun'ry may be soon brou-rht to a final close. We have no desire to shut oar eyes to the fact that this great benefit has been brought about through the skill and perseverance of Mr David Glass ; he deserves the thanks of the people for the efiorts he has nut forth to bring about these good results. It has been suggested that soma tanftl>e monopoly of the Canada Company. Mr. Macfarlane moved for a return of the Charter ii 'i THK CANAPA CCAIPANY. |ind 01.,-nUion.. of the Comrnny. whicii Avas cair.cd rv .•, Inrgp mnioritv WIu'u the papers iii'c bninrrtit in ii-r. ,v,^,. ,. .„.i ,• .: *'. '"".i""i\. n iicu LAXD MO.VOPOLY. Ue liavc noticed vrhii T'lcasure a series of letttri ti,-,t i,„.-^ , . various papers of the ProviL., ^AiicCr^Dc^J'S^:,XiT^:S'^Z raonoi)oly and retention of lands held Iv the Canada Com ' n AVp hn,^ asked b\ the Canada Company, and otlier large land SDecuhtinff indiv ,!■ ni. or Ccmpanje.. We ,vould like to see an act passed tax- n^ S S" ed S^^ Jul^^Si^all \o 'l"'r'"!i^f";i',^'""^ Z'''''": '"H"'--"nents. We have r Prom the Clinton Kra. Aiii.' It. ]M (,. TMK CANADA COMPA.W. On our tourlli page will be found a report af the debate in i|.e Lower House on the motion of .Mr. .Macfarlane for a co„v of the cba ter of th^ Can„,?^ Company and sundry returns as to the operations of the Compa„ •''' u Ti p o^pect ot a thorough investigation being mad... Owing to the late or°oi i^ lie session in which the motion has been made it is nor no-'«n,u ,' . .hing further can be done thi. session, but tl e Comp n ° M-'n^ '0° "a 'X feeling of the country is against them, and tliev will act accordinclv if ,1 ! tne they were compelled to throw it open for settlement in the Sie wa ■ al M the Crown Lands are now offered to the public. ^ W It appears by what Mr. Rose said that the Company had written to th^ » .1 eir aff'd "'"t."^ '' ''""' ^'"•^'^'^^ "°^ ''''' ""''^'"''^ ^^ "^^''^^ returns "pectnE hen affairs. This was certainly a very strange move on their part What nVhf md they to address the House refusing to do'a thing thav hU not be n aXd to do. It certainly evinced a fear that if tliev were comt elled to n\^i-, .„, . ..ate of thing.s would le revealed that would work aglinlt 1^™' "'''" Prom thel'arracrs' Advocate. Feb , ISO", f THK CANADA COMPANY. 3(> ani.roveme..t,s ^ *= ' ''"'' tla'nion.y llu..v ImvopakI, and losoll.cn duo to tho MRitutiou that Mr. Glas. Ins cluseJ U't f ■ f '■'-' '"''''"''"^ '^ country to la- „nIo. ad to 1.3 '"'""'" "'^' '""^^ i" tl^isi I'Vom the Perth IIerii(d, 29th Ai-.jt., 18(lo. TIIK CANADA OOMPAVY We arj jr|a,| to their 'Town Lota •lenco for whole of poor peopl )wn Lot. ' Vr p'"^ ""• V"""^" tJon^pany is leaucing tl»e oru-i- ot tl.t. Con,,..n3' 'ro c y v'm ,c S '!': "j^"^'" *-'^" ^^'•"^ '"'I-' «'-• ,