TORONTO PUBUC LIBRARIES REFERENCE LIBRARY / ijOu^ <'-^ N0TE8 ON CAF^i>ivv- WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACT f.-7 tiaT!''^*]4, o,J2il^' t » ';'•' •■ .•• .■■■-• A/ , REDUCING THE DUTIES ON CANADIAN WI^yAt AND^^V-tJEA FLOUR IMPOXrED INTO TilE UNITED V;^D(^M, ' ^'^ COMPni«lNG STATISTICAL KM GENERAL INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE PROVINCE, «?TATR^TEXTS FROM OFFICIAL RETURNS SHOWING THE PAST OPERATION OF THE ACT, AND OBSERVATIONS ox ITS PROBABLE FUTCRS RESL^LTS, &c. c^c. liY A MEMBER or THE ESSEX AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION SOCIETY CHEL^iSFORD: D. BURRELL, T. ARTHY. COLCHESTER: T. KNIBB.— SUDBURY : G. FULCHER. LONDON : J. OLLIVIEU, o^. Pall Mall; AND AEL OTKiR BOOKSELLERS. 1845. F A~s-4 So i I NOTES ON CANADA, S)C. S)'c. As the operation of f!iP piesent Law with respect to the nmies on Wheat jjiuI Fl()i:r iinpoited from Canada into the Unit«»<l Kir);;(loni rxcites rr.nch discussion amongst the Ajuritullnrists of this ccuiitry, it is huptul that the followin<;f pagrs will not he coiisid(n'rd iil timed cr useless. Thoy are puhii.-hed for llio purpi>r.e of plucinf^ hrfure the public, Topographical and V-lati.stical iuibrjuation collected from various sotjrces, whith may i;!isist |;orsons in forniing- a ju(lj;ment as to the prtjbaMtj future rosiilfs of the facilities given by the Act of (! — 7, Victoria, c. 2J) —for the impor- tation ol Vv'hcat and M'hcat Flour into the United Kingdom from Canada. POSITION, ARK A, & POPCLATIOX OP CANADA. Canada comprises that portion of the American Continent which is boiunlcd on tlio Kast by the Atkiutic Ocean and the Gulf of St. Liiwrrnce — on the \Vest by the country beyond Lt.ke Superior — on the North by the Hudson's Bay territory — and on tlie South by the United States and a pari of Nrw lirunswiik. The country occupies an area of about 850,000 square mile''', beiri<:f more than six times the area of Enyla'ul and Wales, atul nearly three times that of England, Wales, Scotland, and IrtUind. Lower or East Canao'a occupies 4?05,8tj;i square miles, including G'JOO miles covered by lakes and rivers, and excludinfj the surface occupied by the St, Lawrence and part of the Gulf, which cover 6'^,(^00 square miles, the whole area of land and water beinof 257, POO square miles or lG5,(13'i,3..^0 acres. Upper or West Canada comprises about 144,000 square miles or 9"2.1(J0.00O acres. At present bwt a coniparativfly small portion of the land is in cultivation. Pr. Mc Culloch gives the follow ing table for 1845. Area in Acr«. 1 '^y;;;^,-^ Uu8urveyi?d. 118.983,000 3,l»f).O00 Availablp IV/r .Settlfiiient. 5to«,000,000 3,754,000 Lower Canada 132,000,000 2.734,735 Upper Canada 6i,000.000!l,32G,313 The country is, in lenijth, tVom East to West, about 1000 miles; in breadth, from North to Sou(h. about 300 miles. la 180G the population of Upper and Lower ) ^^^ ^.g Caoada, was 3 ' 181G ditio 33:1,250 1824 ditto 580,450 1831 Lower Canada ♦ 52r>.n20 7 j,.,, o-.. Upper ditto 2J)G,544 f ••*'®'*» 1836 Lower Canada, supposed G00,000 } , ^^^ ««^ Upper Canada 400.000 5 *»"""'""" Mc Culloch makes the population to be in 1842 Lower Canada 700,000 7 , o^^ nn^ „ Upper ditto (iOO.OOO J I'^O^'OOO The Parliamentary returns state the population of Upper Canada in 1842 to be only 480,055. IMMIfillATION. The immi;;ration into the Colony from the United King- dom is considerable. In 1842 the number of Emigrants arrived at Quebec and Montreal from the United Kingdom, was as follows : — From En-land and Wales 12.216 ) Scotland (>.070 J. 43,818 Ireland 25.532) The total number arrived at Quebec from the United Kingdom in 14 vears— IS'JO to 1842, was From Kng-lan d and Wales , D(),34f) n .Scotland 42,3<)i) / Ireland 222.415 V 3G6.181 Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, &c. 4,518 1 Continental Ports 500/ It was catcuiated by Mr. Buchanan the British Govern- ment Agent at Quebec, that the 30,933 Emigrants landed at Quebec and Montreal in 1834, look into the country a capital of at least £1,000,000. xMany of these Emigrants proceed to the United States, but a large number of those who land at New York, afterwards proceed to Canada It is therefore very difficult even to approximate to the relative numbers that finally settle iu each country. CLIMATE- Canada may be said to have but two seasons — summer and winter. Winter has no looner disappeared, which • Census taken in 1831. {generally happens in llie niuldlc of April, ihan tlie wLoIb ▼egetuble creation starts into renewed life with a rapidity and vigour that leava the season of sprinjj with such doubtful limits as to he scarcely perceptible. In the fall of the year, Sepiembor and October are generally fine and summer like, and are succeeded by what is called the Tndian summer, in November, during which the genial temperature of the iitmosph<^re is extremely pleasant. In Upper Cat)ada the frost commences at the end of Noven^her, and continues tiil nrar April: sometimes it is the first week in that month heiure the navigation is open. The climate, especially of Upper Canada, is colder in winter, warmer in summer, and aluays possessing a hrii;hter, clearer, and drier atmosphere tliati that of (jreat Britain, but it is neither so much warmer in summer nor so much colder in winter as to he disagreeable. In Lower Canada, the winter is very severe, the country being covered with snow nearly half the year. In summer the highest temperattjre varies from 96 to 102 Falirenheit, but the purity of the atmosphere abates the heat that prevails in most countries where the mercury ranges so high. The spring opens and the resumption of agricultural labour takes place from six weeks to 2 months earlier at the Western extremity of Lake Ontario in Upper Canada than in the neighbourhood of Quebec. SOIL AND PRODUCE OF WHEAT. In the course of the debates in the House of Commons en the Canadian Flour Bill, it was repeatedly stated by the advocates of the measure, tliat Lower Canada did not grow enough Wheat for its own consumption, and that Upper Canada but barely supplied the deficiency. This was denied by several members. Mr. E. Ellicesaid it was new to him to hear that the Canadians— nay, that even the Lower Canadians did not grow a surplus of Corn beyond their own consumption. Mr. Ellice had engaged in large land speculations in Lower Canada, having one estate 18 miles square, near Montreal, which, some years ago, he bought for less than £10,000, and recently sold to a Company of Proprietors in England for £120,000. A large portion of the estate is under cultivation, and Mr. Buckingham calcu- lates that it may, in 20 years, be rendered worth £500,000. Colonel Rushbrooke said " That in the paper No. 218, laid on the table of the House, there was a paragraph which stated that Canada was now an exporting country, and that in a short time she would be able to supply the mother country with any quantity of corn, provided the British markets be open to her produce."* •MejDoiial of Earl Mountcashel and ihft North American Committee of th« Colonial Society in London, in 1842. Mr. Murray [in his " British America"] states, that the Agriculture of Canada, was in 1 839, most rapidly increasing, and the Province, had for many years exported Wheat and Flour into the United States. A report of the Committee of the House of Representatives gives a return of quantities 80 imporfrd : thev wpre Dubh. >VUe»t. Cwt. Flour, Dush. Wheat. Cwt. Flour. 1831 585 5 1831 1,232 20 183:2 I.1G3 3 isrjj 23G.n»4 28,483 1833 1.581 3(5 18:50 115.850 not known. The amount in value being 374.})3l) dollars. Parliampntfiry Returns give the following particulars. In 1840, Lower Canadaimported 1074 biirrels of Wheat Flour, and exported 157,2()0 bushels of Wheat, und a03,07l barrels of Flour. The total value of Corn exported was £49 1.507 sterling. The total value of imports of uil articles was £1,1303.043— of exports £l.(j;>j,(>8r). Cattermole, a gentleman, who gave Public Lectures in 1831, on the advantages of Kmigrulioii to ('aiiadu, speaking of the Upper Province, «ay« "it would bo dillicult— perhaps impossible, to find in any othor region of the globe, a tract of country of the same magnitude, with so many natural udvan- tages as that part which lies between Lakes Ontario, Krie, Huron, and the Ottawa river, nine-tenths of the whole of which are calculated for the exercise of almost every descrip- tion of agricultural labour, and with such a prospect of success as perhaps no ol'ier part of the Continent could realize. A part of this tract of country commencing in the npi<>;hbour- hood of Kingston, and running westward nearly 500 miles to the Sandwich frontier by a depth northward of about 100 miles, is of itself capable of supplying all liurope withgrhin." Mc Culloch also says "That part of Upper Canada which •tretches from Lake Sitncoe and the rivers Trent and Severn, westward to Lake Huron and the St. Ciair river, and southward to Lake Frio, and part of l^ake Ontario, has a soil of extraordinary fertility, capable ©f producing luxuria)it crops of wheat and every sort of grain. The soil is more genial for vegetation than Lower Canada." A •writer in Black wood (Vehnvdry, lb:38) observes that "The quantity of good soil in Canada is proportionate to that uf any other country of the globe. It is in some places singu- larly fprtile ; 50 bushels of wheat an acre are u frequent produce. In some instances 100 bushils have been ob- tained. The soil of Upper Canada is chielly composed of brown day and loam intermixed with marl." In the Colonial 3Iaffazinc (Mar'^h, 1840) are the following observations, "The soil, although of almost every variety, is mostly fit for agricultural purposes, being rich and deep with the spoils of the forest, acuiiniulatiiig for ueuturies. With rejjard to the effect of climate ort ug;riuu!ture, it may be Buid, that pluiighin;^ for spring crops generally comtneiices in Upper Cuiiuiia the first Meek in April, and teruiiiutes in June, although instances are not infr>)quent of ploughing and sowing in the latter end of March ; and such was the mild- ness of the season in Decembrr, lb3(}, that a great deal of laud was ploughed in that mnnth. Agricultural opr rations may be considered suspendi-d from St. Andrew's Day, (:iath November) to St. Patrick's Day, (March 17). The fall wheat is generally sown by the 10th of October, although there is a case on record in the township of Ancuster, on a farm belongiag to F. Sufer, Esq. of wheat sown on the 5th of November, and producing a beautiful satnplc of spod wheat in the following year." There can b« little doubt that, with the continual accession of enterprising emigrants iu>d their capital, together with the impetus of the Act of 18l;J, t!(e agricultural produce of Cana<1a will grtfatly and rapidly increase. In a Petition from merchants, millers, Ui^ricniltuiisis, and others of the Home District of West Canada, iti Ajuil 181'2, it was said, ••The cultivation of Wheat is undoubtedly the object to which more than any other the Canadians are destined to devote their exeitions : the climate and soil are alike favorable to its growth. It is proper to add that many parts of Canada are, front t!te pie- vaL'ncc of a destructive fly, less favourable to the growth of wheat. It is also to some extent disadvantageous that the rich and heavy land of Upper Canada, is not to be found in general upon the immediate banks of the lakes and rivers. It lies for the greater part from t'i to 20 mites inb>nd. In 1840, there were in Montreal District 4,0UU acres of Wheat, producing AO.OOO bushels, and the price at Montreal was 5s. sterling per bu>hcl. In 1842, the produce of Wheat in Upper Canada was 3,221,990^ bushels, and the price at Toronio and Montreal markets was 4s. 5d. per bushel. The Canada Company wfilch is u very prosperous one, was incorporated by Act of Paillautent and lloyal Ciiarter in 182G, for the purpose ol* purchasing, holding, improving, clearing, settling, and disposing of, waste iuid other lauds in the Province of Upper Canada; for opening, making, improving, and maintaining roads and other internal comiQUuicatious fur the benefit thereof, Slc. CURRENCY, REVENUE, &c. The paper currency in 1841 was for Lower Canada from 8 £400,000 to £r>00.000 sterlinjr. In Upper Canada the umonnt of Government Debentures outstanding was £1,232,880, iis. Id. sterling^. All the Banks issue notes for Cu, and there is no Colonial metallic currency. In Canada, accounts are kept and sales and purchases made in pounds, shiilinj^s, and pence, Halifax currency. This currency is about 20 per cent inferior to the British, though the denominations and proportions are the same. The pound currency is four Spiuiish dollars, each dollar being called 5s. But ttie avcriige value of the dollar in the London market is only 4s. 2d , hence 4s. 2d. sterling is equal to fis. currency ; or 1(h. 8d. sterling is equal t« £1 curr^^ncy ; or £100 sterling is equal to £120 currency. When exchange is really and wholly undi<^turbed, or in other words at par (£100 sterling selling for £120 currency) it is said to be at 8 per cent, per annum. The average exchange on London in ISll, was 12^ to 13 per cent, in 1842 9* to 11 per cent. It was stated in Blackwood (1808). that the British Government pidd directly more than £200,000 a year for troops and public works, but there is reason to believe that for the jast 8 or 1) years the annual expense of Canada to this country fur military and other matters, has been about £800,000 per annum. In 1831, the revenue and expenditure of Canada is thus given in the Parliamentary tables of revenue, population, &c. Revenue. Expenditure. Upper Canada, £102.289 £101.0:?5 Lower Canada, 157,134 J7ii,778 Total £259.443 £277,808 Murray makes the Revenue and Expenditure in 1834, to have been Revenue. Expenditure. Upper Canada, £108.841 £102,430 Lower Cauada, 15G.589 108,188 Total £2(55.430 £270.618 Cattermole, writing in 1831, sayi "All the taxes or assessments put together on a farm of 100 acres only amounts to a few shillings." An emigrant at Guclph, Upper Canada, about that time says •* Our taxation here is moderate : a man with 100 acres does not pay a dollar a year altogether." In August, 1844, the following particulars were given in a Parliamentary return moved for by Mr. Leader. The gross total charge on account of Canada in respect of the Armv, Navy, Ordnance, Commissariat, &c. was in 9 £. £. 183G 1(J5,8;U 1840 1.31:3,884 1837 189,048 1841 8y8,<)88 lH3h3 510,248 1842 884. {)98 1839 1,029,070 1843 806,007 Total £(;,398,077. The special grants on account of the rebellion of 1837 wero £ £. 1838 50O.(H)0 1841 108,000 1839 1,000.000 1842 108.000 1840 35l.74(> 1843 25.300 Total £2,090,04 (). In the official return of the public expenditure for the year ending 5lh January, 1843, we find au item of" Insur- rection in Canada £253,343 12s. 4d." The British Army maintained at the present moment in Canada, consists often re;^iinpnts or battalions, viz. the 14th foot, reserve battalion of 23rd foot, 43rd foot, 52nd foot, 2nd battalion GOth foot, reserve battalion 7lst foot, 81st foot, 82nd foot, 89th foot, 93rd foot. There is also u Colonial Corps — the iloval Canadian Rifle Regiment. The Militia in l«42, amounted to lG0.^30--viz. for Lower Canada 90,5G2. Upper Canada 75,208. IMPORTS, EXPORTS, MANUFACTURES, &c. In the Petition of merchants, millers, agriculturists, &,c., of West Canada, April, 1842, it was stated, that Canada, at that time, purchased a lirgcr amount of British manufac- tures, and furnished eniplovmeut to a much greater number of British ships, than several of the most populous kingdoms of Europe combined. The declared value of British and Irish produce and man- ufactures exported in 1842 from t!io United Kingdom into th« British North American Colojiies, was £2,333,525. In that sum are included. £ Apparel, slops, and haberdashery 282,551 Cotton manufactures 485,490 Hardwares and cutlery 128,181 Iron and steel wrought and unwrought 145,744 Linen manufactures 108,548 Silk manufactures 74,074 Soap and candles 50.736 Stationery 44,750 Sugar refined 55,109 Woollen manufactures 425,122 £1.806.965 10 In 1830, Canada imported of British munufactiires, in value as under (.'otton. Linen. Silk. Woollrn. Iron. £544,110 £(»7.4C8 £95.772 £:h'9,59« £111,C0S Total £1.1 18,55-i. Mc Culloch says, that in the year ISHD, the total valiio of imports into Canada from al! parts was £2,l'J7,l.i74, of exports £1.090,3:^7; the Colony in 1^41 had 4H2 ships, the tonnajre of which was 53,' 12. Tlie value of ashes, grain and timber (the most impor- tant articles of Canadian product;) exported in lS3f), was Aslips. Oniiii, lOct. Tinibrr. Totul. £142,457 £32.05'> £bS0.403 £l,U5l.f)l2. In Upper Canada there were in 1841, 'J804 mills, of which 414 were for corn. Of manufactories there were 22 iron works, 10 iron hammers, (i nail factories!, 147 distilleries, 9(i breweries, 1*61 tanneries, 1021 pot and pearl ash manufactories. Woollens for domestic pnrpose.s are munufactured throughout the province, lu iHl'i -were manufactured 433,537 yards of fulled cloth ; ICG,88'i yards of linen, cotton, and other thin cloth; 727,2^8.^ yard.^ of flannel or other woollen cloth not fulled. Wool 1,30-2,5101 per lbs. The great shippin*^ ports of Canada are Quebec and Montreal. Quebec is situated about 340 mites from the mouth of tbe St. Lawrence, and in 1842 had a population of 31,801). It is the capital of Canada and of the Kritish possessions in North America. Moj)treal is the second town of Canada, and is situated on the St. Lawrence about 180 miles from Quebec. The population in 1842 was 40,203. Vessels of (500 tons burden ascend here. Toronto, the capital of Upper Canada is near the head of Lake Ontario. IlIVERS, LAKF.S, AND CANALS. The rivers of Canada are very nnmcrotis and spread over the country like the arteries and veins of the human body, and are the channels tliroiifih which the trade of tbe country (lows. The principal rivers are the St. Lawrence, the Ottawa or Grand River, the Gatineau, the Saguenay, the St. Maurice or Three Rivers, the Champlain, the Chaudiere, the Richelieu, and the Montmorency, Of these it is unnecessary here further to notice more than two or three. The St. Lawrence is a river of magnitude scarcely to be conceived by an Englishman who has not "seen the world." In length it nearly ecpials any river on the habitable globe, and perhaps in magnificence and beaiity, surpasses every other. It rises in the great basin of Lake Superior, in Upper Canada. Its course to the sea is nearly 3000 miles, the width varying from more than that of the 11 Thames in its widest part to 80 miles. For nearly 2000 miles, including the Lakes Ontario, £rie, and Huron, it it navigable for ships of200 tons burden, and the remainder of its course for batteaux, (flat bottomed boats,) of from 10 to 20 tons burden. It docs not preserve the same name throughout its course: from the Sea to Montreal it is called the St. Lawrence ; from Montreal to Kingston the Cbtaraqui or Iroquois ; between Lakes Ontario and Erie the Niagara; between Lakes Erie and St. Clair the Detroit ; between Lakes St. Clair and Huron the St. Clair; between Lakes Huron and Superior, the Narrows or Fails of St. Mary. The first steam boat that plied on the St. Lawrence was launched in 1812; there are now many — some of large burden— employed conveying goods and passengers between Quebec and Montreal and between Quebec and Halifax in Nova Scotia. The navigation at Quebec closes by the freezing of the river at the end of November, or beginning of December, and opens in April. Below Quebec, the river is seldom frozen over, but the masses of floating ice agitated by the tide, render navi- gation impracticable. The Ottawa originates in Lake Temiscaming. more than 350 miles N.W. from its junction with the St. Lawrence, near Montreal. In 1839 a survey was made to ascertain the possibility of connecting the Ottawa with Lake Huron by navigation. Numerous smaller rivers amply supply the communication between the several districts of each province. One of the most singular rivers is the vSaguenay which falls into the St. Lawrence near Quebec. The depth at its mouth has never yet been ascertained ; it is probably the deepest of rivers, having been tried in vain with 330 fathoms of line. The height of the banks rising from 300 to 2000 feet is as extra* ordinary as the depth of the stream. The Lakes or inland seas of Canada, chiefly in the Upper Province, are innumerable ; the principal are Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. The following is a statement of the size of these magnificent " meetings of the waters." Lfngth, Width. Circumference. Depth. Lake Superior 360 miles 140 miles 1500 900 feet Huron S50 220 1000 900 Erie 270 G3 C58 200 Ontario 172 59 467 600 The Erie Canal * connects the waters of Lake Erie with those of the Hudson. Lake St. Clair, the smallest of •The great United States* Erie Channel is a vast achievement : it is 363 miles lonfr, and was eight years making, being completed in 1825, at a cost (including the Champlain Canal) of 9,000,000 dollaii : (he ex^)ense was born« chiefly by the State of New York, C 12 th» Lukes, iH oval and ralh^r less tiian 109 miles in circnin- ference. 'Vh« Bay of Quiiit« nmn parallel with Lake Ontario 80 miles, and is sepiiratt'd from it by U»p Prince Edward District. Ihe houudary, dividiiisj Canada from the United States, runs llirough the ^rreai Lakes. The British Government has expt'nded a very large sum upon the Rideati Canal, as much with the view oliinproving the military defences of Canada as of benefititi^; its com- merce, in which latter respect it has been of considerable utility. The Welland Canal bus also become a well fre- fjuented commercial channel, and is every day inrreasinu in importance. 13y means of these Canals an uuinlerrupJed line of steam communication is established between the Atlantic and Aniherstbnroh, one of the remote settlements of Upper Canada, a distance of more than 1500 miUs, which we may soor« erpect to see extended to the liead of Lake Hnron, and eventually to the Western extremity of Lake Snpeiior, about 700 miles beyond Amherstburgh, giving to Quebec aconnniitid of internal navigation inferioi ordy to that of N< w Orleans. The Ridean Canal com- mences at the ft>ot ofthe Chaudiore Falls, in the Ottawa river, and ends at Kinfjston, on Lake Ontario, and by thn.s connecting that liver with the St. Lawrence it aflords a jate, easy, and expeditious communication between Kingston and Montreal ; fiatural livers or lakes are in great part nia<le use ol for this Canal. The exjvense to the iirifish (jrovern* menthas been upwards of. CI ,000.000: the oiiojnd estimate was £1(19,000. The Cniid is 1;J5 miles in length. Tho tolls collected more lh;in pay the cost of its support. The Welland Canal was (brmed to connect Lakes Erie and Ontario, the navigation of which was rendered impassable by the Falls of Niagara. It is 53 miles long, of which about II) required excavation, the remainder being a natural navigation of rivers and reservoirs. This Canal was originuliy a private undertaking a-sistod by Loans from Upper and Lower Canada. It has since been purchased by the Colonial Government, who with the tissistance ofthe British Government, are enlarging and completing it in a ▼ery substantial manner. The tolls in a few years will pay an interest of £5 or £t> per cent. The cost when complete is estimated at £500,000. Twr» other very use- ful Canals have been formed — the La Chine and the Granville. The La Chine begins at Montreal, and extends up the side of the Island until it gets to the still water at the head of the rapids of La Chine : it cost about £120,000 which was defrayed by a Company of merchants, assisted by the British Government. The Canal of Grenville is aitout 40 miles from La Chine, at the rapids called Lang 13 SdtiU and Cbute of Blundeau, in the Ottawa river: It is fqnul in luagnitude to that of La Cliine, and the expense -was defrayed hy the British Government. DIVISION AND UK-UNION OF THE PROVINCES. For a coiisiJerable period the French were masters of Canada, but the invasion of the country by the English, in 1759, ended by France (in 1703) ceding" the whole of (vanadd, Nova iScofia, New Brunswick, Cape Breton, and Newfoundland to Great Britain. Much dissension r.nd many political difficulties subsequently arose out of the jarring interests and opposite views of the inhabitants of Canada, the Cpper Province haviijoru British and Protestant population, and the Lower a IVench and Uonian Catholic. Mr. Pitt thought tbtt this evil might he remedied by dividing the country into 2 Proviuccs to be called the Upper and the Lower, each haviii<; a separMe Legislature. This division took place in 1791, by what was called Lord Granville's Act. The measure appeared to answer the desired end for some years, but in the autumn of 1837 a rebellion burst forth headed by M, Papineau in Lower Canada, and by Mr. Mackenzie in the Upper Province. A host of fabricated grievances were assigned as the cause of the outbreak, but the conduct and declarations of the rebels showed that tlieir real object was, with the assistance of the United States, to throw off the sovereignty of England. Much bloodshed was the result of this revolt, but it was suppressed. Sir Uobert Peel stated in the House of Commons in May 1843, that the expense of sup- pressing the rebellion had beon little less than £3,500,000. The Canadian constitution was suspended, and the Legisla- latures dissolved; and Lord Durham was sent out, as Governor General, if possible, to restore tranquillity. The principal recommendations of his Lordship were— the re- union of the two Provinces into one, the assembling of the English and French races in one Parliament, and mingling thcni in other bodies for the transaction of public business. These recommendations were ndopted, nnd on the 23rd July, 1840, the " Act for the union of the Canadas" was passed. The Act provides, that for the United Provincef there shall be one Legislative Council and one Assembly, to be called the Legislative Council and Assembly of Canada; and that all laws passed by those bodies, and assented to by her Majesty, the Queen of England, shall be binding within the Province. The Members of the Legislatira Council, (not fewer than 20 in number) are nominated by th9 Crown; and each member is entitled to hold his seat 14 for life unless forfeited by peculiar circumstances. Ho may however resign. Tiie members of lUe Assembly are elective, fiut aIthoua;h tbe Provinces are united, they are commonly designated Upper or West Canada, aud Lower or East Canada. THE CANADA CORN LAW OF 1843. We now come to the principal subject— that of the Canada Corn Law of 1843, which we will divide into 4 parts, 1. The previous state of the Corn Law affecting Canada in the articles of Wheat and Flour. 2. The passing of the Act of 1843. 3. The operation of the Act up to the present time, 4. The probable futurtj results of the Act. PREVIOUS STATE OF THE LAW. By the Act of 1815, 55 Geo. 3, c. 2(), all importation of Wheat from any of the British plantations of North America was forbidden except when the average home price was at or above 67s. per quarter, when it might be imported duty free. An Act of 1822, 3 Geo. 4. c. (50, permitted the impor- tation of Wheat and Flour from British North America, at the following duties Wlicat, per qr. Flour, ptr D«r, If under 07 12 Q 3 at 67s. but under 71 5 17 at or above 71 1 4 With an additional duty after the first three months. By an Act of 6 Geo. 4, c. 64. (1825), Wheat, the produce of any British possession in America was admitted for one year at 5s. It was enacted by the 6th Geo. 4, c, 73, that the follow- ing duties should be paid ou Wheat and Flour, not the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United Kingdom, or of any British Possession in North America, or the West Indies, or within the limits ofthe East India Company's Charter, imported into any British Possession in North America or the West Indies, viz. 8s. per quarter ou Wheat and 5s. per barrel on Flour. The Act of 1 Wm. 4, c. 24, repealed (after the 15th April, 1831) so much of the Act G Geo. 4, c. 73, and subsequent Acts as imposed any duty in any of the British Possessions in North America, on the importation of Com or Grain unground ; or on the importation of Wheat Flour into Canada. In 1828, 9 Geo. 4. c. 60, an Act was passed by which the duty on Wheat imported from British possessions in North America was fixed at 5s. per quarter, when the price 15 of British Wheat was under 67s. and 6d. when it was at or above 678. Tlie barrel of Flour of 196 ibs. was charged as 38^ gallons of Wheat. In 1842, 5 Vic. (c. 14.) an Act was passed alterio;; the Import duties on Foreign Corn. That Act provided that the following duties should be charged on Wheat and Flour the produce of and imported from any Dritish Pos- sessions in North America or elsewhere out of £uropo into the United Kingdom. s. 8. s. Wheat under 55 5 per quarter ,, at 55 and under 56 4 „ 66 .. 57 3 „ 57 .. 58 2 ,, „ 58 and upwards 1 Wheat Meal and Flour for every barrel (I96lbs.) a duty equal in amount to tbat payable on 38| gallons of Wheat. By 5—6 Vict. 1842, c. 49, s. 7 and 8. it is enacted that certain duties shall be paid on certain goods, wares, and merchandise, not being the growth, production, or nian> ufacture of the United Kingdom, or of any British possess- ions in America, or of the Muuritlas, or of any British possession within the limits of the Kast India Company's Charter, or the produce of any British Fishery, imported or brought into any British possession in America, or tbe Mauritius, by sea, or inland carriage, or navigation. Among the articles charged is Wheat Flour 24. per barrel. Corn and Grain ungrouud, Meal or Flour except Wheat Flour are exempted. If we look to the state 'of things with regard to Canada, from the year 1831 to 1843, we shall find that during the whole of that period. Wheat might be imported into Canada duty free, not only from the United States but from any other Foreign Country and after being ground into Flour in Canada, be imported into the United Kingdom at a small duty, viz. up to 1842 varying from 6d. to 5s. per quarter, and in 1842, varying from Is. tu 5s. When the United States* Wheat ground into Flour in Canada was paying here the maximum duty of 5s., Wheat coming here direct from the United States would pay a duly of 18s. But it was stated by Lord Stanley in 1843, that tbe duty paid on Colonial Wheat and Flour, had, on the average of the last 5 years, been only 2s. Id. per qr., that in 1842, it was 2s, 5d., and that in only one of the 5 years it had been so much as 4s. American Wheat unground could not be legally exported from Canada at Canadian duty inasmuch as that duty was only applicable to the produce of Canada* 16 THE PASSING OF THE ACT OF 1843. Our next consideration is the passing of the Act of 1843. Fur many years tho Canadians had sought to obtain a remission or reduction of the duty on their Wheat and Flour imported into th9 United ECingdom, but they did not attain their object until the year 1843. From Parliamentary Papers of the last Session, we gather the followinj; particulars. It appears that the Canadian Le- o-islalurc had, up to the year 1842, declined laying a duty oil the importation of Foreign Wheat. On the 21sl February, 1812, Sir C. linrrot, the Governor of Canada, forwarded to Lord Stanley, the Colonial Secretary, a Petition to the Queen and Parliament, from merchants of Montreal, and a memorial from the Board of Trade at Montreal, praying for a repeal of the duties on the importation of the produce of the soil of Canada, into the United Kingdom. In the Petition it was stated that from the great distance from which the Wheat and Flour were transported, the remunera- tion afloided to the Canadian Farmer was not sufficient to allow evej) the smallest impost — that the expense of inland transit and freight across the Atlantic was greater in pro- portion to the produce of the soil in C'anada — than were the rent and taxes paid by the Farmer for the produce of the soil in Great Britain to tlie produce of the soil thereof — and that Canada took almost exclusively British manufactures. Lord Stanley replied that the Petition would, by command of Her Majesty, he presented in the House of Peers by Earl Ripon, and in the Commons by his Lordship (Stanley.) On the 2nd March, 1842, Lord' Stanley addressed the following dis})atch to Sir Charles Bagot, which is the doc- ument so frequently referred to during the Parliamentary discussions in 1813. Lord SxANLbY to the Right Honourable Sir CharlEI Bagot, G.C.B. Sir, Do-*nin|,' Sircet, 'l\ M.iroti IS 12. In the anxious Consideration which it has been t!ie Duty of Her Majesty's Government to give to the important and com- plicated Question of the Importation of Corn into this Country, they have, of course, not overlooked the Interest which is felt in this Question by the Province of Canada, and which has been expressed in Memorials from the Legislative Body, and from other Parties, addressf d to Her Majesty and the Legisla- ture of this Country, and although, in present Circumstances, Her Majesty's Government have not felt themselves justified in recommending to Parliament a compliance with the general Request of the various Memorialists, that Canadian Corn and Flour should be imported at a nominal Duty into the United Kingdom,! trust that the Steps which we have taken, and the Grounds upon which we have declined to advance further io 17 the same direction, will convince the People of Canada that the Course which we have pursued has been dictated by no unfriendly Feeling towards the Interests of Canada, and es- pecially of Canadian Agriculture. The Steps which have been taken, so far as they go, have been decidedly in favour of those Interests. By the Law, as it has hitherto stood, Canadian Wheat and Wheat Flour have been admissible into Great Britain at a Rate of Duty estimated at 5s. per Quarter, until the Price in the lMii<lish Market reached 07s., at which Amount the Duty fell to 6d. By tho Bill which is now before Parliament the Duty of 5s. is leviable only while the Price is below 55s., and at 58s. falls to Is. only. But, in addition to this Reduction in the Amount of Price at winch the lower Duty becomes payable, it is proposed to take oft' the Kestrict'on which has hitherto been imposed upon the Importation of Canadian Flour into Ireland, iind thus to open a new ^larket to that which may be justly con- sidered as one of the Manufactures of Canada. In the Measures which they have adopted, not without the most anxious Attention to the various Interests involved. Her Majesty's Government have been desirous, while they gave a general Facility of Admission to the British Mi.rket, of dis- turbing as little as possible the relative Aivantajies possessed by the Colonial and Foreign Suppliers of that Market. In this Sense, while they have continued to the Channel Islands the Facilities which they have heretofore enjoyed, of a free Importation of their own Produce (liuiiied as it necessarily is in Extent) into Great Britain, together with the Means which they at present enjoy of having their own Supplies furnished from the neighbouring and cheaper Market, they have not felt themselves called upon to remove fioin the Isle of Man the Restrictions which have been recently imposed on that Island as to its Foreign Imports, while it possesses the Advantages ©fan unrestricted Commerce with (^reat Britain. The same Principle has guided Her Majesty's Government in the Course which they have felt it their Duty to pursue with regard to Canada. It is impossible to be more fully convinced than are the Members of Her Majesty's Government of the Importance to the Interests, both of the Colony and of the Mother Country, of Maintaining between the Two the most unrestricted Freedom of commercial Intercourse. Even a cursory Examination of Facts and Figures must demonstrate the Value to be attached, in a commercial and much move in a moral and political point of view, to the Continuance and Improvement of that rapidly increasing Intercourse: and Her Majesty's Goverument would have had much less Difficulty in approaching the Question of an unrestricted Admission of Canadian Wheat and Flour into the British Markets, if it had been in their Power to look at that Question as one of Intercourse between Great Britain and her most important Colony, and independent of all Considera- 18 tions of Foreign Trade. But it was impocsible for Her Majesty's Government so to regard it; it was impossible that they should not advert to the geographical Position of Canada in reference to the great Corn-growing States of the West of America ; it was impossible not to see, that, however desirable it might be even to encourage the Transit through Canada of the Produce of those States, with the Advantage to Canada of any manufacturing Process which it might undergo in the Transit, a Relaxation of Duty to the extent of free or nearly free Admission would have been a Relaxation not limited, as in this Case it ought to be, to the Produce of a British Colony. It is true that the Imperial Parliament, at the Time that they admitted Canadian Produce at a Nominal Duty, might con- stitutionally have imposed a corresponding Duty |upun the Import of American Wheat into Canada, and might thus have placed a Check upon the undue Influx of Foreign under the Name of Canadian Produce ; but looking back to the Proceed- ings in the last Session of the Legislature of Canada, I find that such an Impost was considered and ultimately rejected ; and whatever might be the view taken by Her Majesty's Govern- inent under a different State of Circumstances, in which a Tax imposed by Colonial Authority, and of course receivable into the Colonial Treasury, upon Wheat imported from the United States, might secure the Agriculturists of England against the Competition of Foreign Growers, they have been unwilling to impose such a Tax by the Authority of Parliament upoa a raw Article which might be required for Home Consumption in Canada, and in the Absence of such a Tax have felt it im- possible to propose to Parliament a further Reduction than that which they have submitted in favour of Wheat and Wheat Flour shipped from the Ports of Canada. I have to request that you will take an early opportunity, after the assembling of the Provincial Parliament, of laying before them so much of this Dispatch as may put them fully in possession of the Principles on which Her Majesty's Govern- ment have proceeded in reference to Wheat and Flour imported from Canada in the general Consideration which it has been their Duty to give in the most Impartial Spirit, and with an earnest Desire to consult and conciliate alt conflicting Interests to the Amendment of the L\ws regulating the Importation of Com into the British Islands. I have, &c» (Signed) STANLEY. On the 28th April, 1842, Sir C. Bagot forwarded to Lord Stanley a petition from " sundry merchants, millers, agri* culturists and others of the florae District, West Canada," in which it was stated, that as the law then stood the average price of grain in England was such as generally to subject the Wheat of Canada to a duty of 5s. The quantity of bread required for England, was so immense that what 19 Canada could furnish for many years would he too small to be felt as an injury, and yet the privilege of a free market for Wheat, supplying but a few days' lonsumption. would speedily elevate the Province to a condition she must other- wise be very long' attaining. On the r2th October, 1842, the Canadian Le^^islature passed an Act imposing a duty of 3s. per quarter on Foreign Wheat. It stated that the objection of the British Govern- ment to the free importation of Canadian Wheat and Flour arose from the free admission of Foreign Wheat into Canada, and that Lord Stanley's dispatch of the 2nd March, 1842, afforded strong ground for expecting that on the imposition of a duty on Foreii;n Wheat, her Majesty would recom- mend to Parliament, the removal or reduction of the duties on the importation of Wheat and Flour from Canada into the United Kingdom. It was, therefore, enacted that 8s. duty should be charged on all Wheat except British ; the duty, fines, &c. under the Act to be paid to her Majesty's Ileceiver General for the Province, and form part of the Consolidated Revenue Fund thereof. On the 27th January, 1843, a Petition was forwarded by Sir C. Bfigot from the President and Council of the Quebec Board of Trade. It complained of the 2s. per barrel dut? being imposed by the General Corn Law of 1842 on all Foreign Flour imported into the British North American possessions. If the Queen assented to the Canadian Act for imposing a duty of 3s. on Foreign Wheat without con- ferring on the Province some countervailing privilege in their trade with some other parts of the empire, the Petition- ers believed the result would be the utter prostration of the trade of Canada. They, therefore, prayed that her Majesty would withhold her assent to the Canadian Act until the British Legislature had passed a law for admitting^ all grain and flour from Canada, duty free into the United Kingdom and other Colonies. The Governor General in his dispatch sent with the Petition, said that the Canadian Bill was passed with the expectation that all duty on Canadian Grain and Flour would be removed ; and Sir Charles added, that the rate of duty fixed upon American Wheat was that originally proposed by the Vice-President of the Board of Trad« on the introduction of the Colonial Customs' Bill. At the same time was forwarded the report of a Special Committee of the Legislative Assembly of Canada, on the subject of Free Trade with Great Britain in agricultural F reduce and protection from competition with Foreigners, t contained a series of resolutions which it recommended to the Assembly. They were in substance — that to treat D 20 Cuiiada us an ititf gral p.irt of tlic empire, cuiild only be dune t»y rciuovitig all duties oa jjrain and flour, llie produce of tlio Province, duty free into the United Kingdom, and that when tiidt was done, so soon as the linances of the Province for the support of the Government and its enj^agemeuts for the security of the public debt would admit, it was ro- «ommende»l to remove all duties on the manufactures of the mother country when admitted into the ports of Canada from sea.* — that the Petitioners were confident that the revenue from Foreign commerce, and tolls on canals, would enable the Government to make the reduction tn a few years after the great leading commtmications to the Ocean were opened. They also stated that to secure the transit of tl»e Western States of America through those waters it was indispensable to allow a drawback on all grain and flour shipped to Great Britain from the ports on the St. Lawrence, whenever the price exceeded 30s. sterling per barrel at the ports of Montreal and Quebec. To these documents was appended the evidence of several gentlemen engaged in the forwarding trade, given on the iiOth September, 1842. Amongst other matters, it was stated in this evidence, that the average price of Wheat io England must be 60s. per quarter, to ensure the trade by the St. Lawrence; when over that, the Americans could send their own Wheat more advantageously to England via New Vork — that there was not a suHjcient quantity of bread stuff' grown in Canada to supply the consumption of Dritith North America, and that Wheat could not be exported from Canada when the price was so low in England us to bring a duty on Colonial. In these papers we And the Canadians claiming to be put on a level with Ireland so far as regards the exportation of their own produce to the mother country. This may be very reasonable and just, but the great difliculty has been to give full encouragement to Canadian procluve without giv- ing a large bounty for the importation oi' American Wheat into the United Kingdom, to the great injury of the British Agriculturists: this was the problem to be solved. On the 20th March, 1843, Sir C. Bagot wrote a dispatch to Lord Stanley, stating that he had received an application from the Council of the Quebec Board of Trade on the 4th of March, requesting information as to the fate of the 3s. •The duties on imported goods levied in Canada are imposed partly by the authority of the British Government, and partly by that of llie Colonial Lef^is. lature. Thecrown duties are principally on wmes,spiriis,cofrt'c, cocoa, sujjar, and tobacco. They appear to have been framed rather for forcing trade into particular channels than for revenue. The Provincial duties have only th«- •l)]ect cf revenue. 21 duty bill, and rHattve to the abulition of duty on Canadian roru ; as the season of husiiiess was now upproacliiriu^ it was of great importance to tlio iitli.ibitants of the Province generally, tliat tlioy .slioulil receive untheutic infurniation on those questions with tlie least possible »lelay. In 1842, Sir Hubert IVel carried hi» memorable alterations in the Crcncrui Corn Laws, ;ind the llight Honourable Uaronet stated in the next Session, tbat in the month of February, IHA'J, Lord Statiley bad announced tu the Ilouso of Curiuiiriiis, tbe position in wliicb tbe Ministers stood with reffard to ibi? pledj^e n>iven to tbe Canadians* Manyoflbo Members denied all reollecJiun of sum a Statement, and it probably was not made in a very particular or formal manner, or when there were many Members in the House, and tliem'ore passed unnoticed amidst tbe great and excitins; discussions on tbe main question at issue. In May, 1843, Lord Stanley presented to tbe House of Commons his proposition for reduci)i<r tbe import duty on Canadian Wbeat and Flour to Is. per quarter. The proposed measure created great ularm amongst the Agriculturists, and the debates in the Leg^islature during; its progress were very animated. The Ministers declared themselves pledj;ed to the Canadians to exert their influence to carry tbe measure, and stated tbat altliough th<'ir pledge was not binding on tbe Btitisb Legislature they, the Ministers, were bound in faith and honor to do their utmost in favor of it. Sir Robert Peel observed ** You must govern Canada by the good will of her people : on every other principle, the weakest point in ail your Empire would be Canada, and tbat danger would aO'ect all the other provincts of British North America." The grounds of opposition to the measure were principally these — that large quantities of Wheat would be smuggled into Canada, and being there made into Flour would be poured into the United Kingdom at Is. per quarter duty. It was said to be impossible for the Canadian Government, with so small a revenue, to keep up a sufficient force to prevent corn being smuggled over a line of 1500 miles. There were mills on both sides of the river St. Lawrence, and tbe factors in Canada being almost all Americani, every facility would be given to the smuggling of Wheat and even of Flour in barrels regularly marked. They vrould be put on board boats in tbe creeks and come down the river from the West. It was impossible to prevent large shipments coming down from Point Niagara, into Lake Ontario, and thence into the St. Lawrence, (perhaps by transhipping it once,) and indeed they could get the Wheat 22 ground into Flour in the United Stutes and not manufuc* lure it all in Canada: much Aniericun flour had already so come into the country. Tiu Niag^ara was so narrow that a stone might almost be thrown across it, and there was only a fort at one or two places. In reply to thif. Sir Robert Vee\ asked who ever heard of smu(;rglii)g corn i'rom France, when the duty was even 25s. or 2iis. per qr. ? If then, with a Channel only 20 or :)0 miles across, there was no smugrnrlitipr Qf com (Vom France or Hel^iuni, was it to be imag^ineil that with the interest ul the Canadian grower to watch for himself, and the influence of the Canadian Treasury to lake care that the duty he paid — with the extent of the Lukes, and with the expense ofthe navi^r^tion smuggling would be carried on i A quarter of Wheat weighed 500lbs., and the profit of 3s. would not tempt a .smuggler. Mr. Gladstone observed that the line of frontier where smuggling was practicable was in a part of the country, which produces no Corn. This observation does not appear to he correct. Mr. Kllice said tiuit his personal knowledge of the frontier, satisfied him that 200 quarters of American corn annually, would be the maximum that could escape the duty in Canada. It was also urged by the friends of the measure, that it was unreasonable to suppose that more L'nited States' Wheat would be imported into Canada when there was a duty of 8s, upon it, than when it was duty free. Mr. Mitchell objected to the measure because the 3s. duty would be received by the Canadian Treasury instead of the British, and the Canadian consumer would have to pay 3s. per quarter more for his Wheat. It was also to be borne in mind that the present duties ranged from Is. to 5s. whereas by the proposed measure this country would never receive more than a fixed duty of Is. The reply to this was a reference to the state- Hk- tt of Lord Stanley, which we have before noticed that the average of the last five years had only been 2s. Id. per quarter. It was rejoined that the cause of this was that the price of wheat hero had been high, and that if it had been at the present price, the duty on Canadian wheat and flour would have not been less than five shillings. Mr. Handley thought it would be equivalent to a fixed duty on all corn that would be imported into this country. On Dantzic Wheat the fixed duty would be about 15s. per quarter, and shipowners could easily be found to carry Dantzic corn to Canada and bring it hero as Colonial corn. As an argument in favor of the measure. it was said that under the existing law no duty was payable until the article was taken from the warehcuse here for con- sumption. Under the proposed Act, 3s. would be paid by the 23 Americans on the grain many months before it could come here, and form a charge upon it in the process of grinding and during the time of transit. On the other side it was said that the 3s. duty would make the corn dearer to the Canadian consumer; and that to increase the expence of living in the country would check emigration. It was suggested that the Canadian Legislature might, at any time, repeal the Ss. duty, but that was met by the fact that such a measure could not ho adopted without the consent of the Queen. The discussions terminated in the passing of tliu Bill, which received the Royal Assent oo the 12th July. IM'3. The following is a copy of the Act An Act for reducing the Duty on Wheat and Wheat Flour, the produce of the Province of Canada, imported thence into the United Kingdom.— V2th July, 1843. •' Wliereai on the I'iih Jay of October, 1812, an Act was passed by the " LL'}.'i>laUve Council and Lngislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, " and reserved by ilic Governor tieneral for the si^jnification of Her Majesty's " pleasure, imposing a Duly of 3s. sterling money of Great Ihitain, on each " imperiil qnurier of Wheat imported into Cii/iuiia, except from the United '• Kinjjdom d;- any of Her Majesty's possessions, and beinj; the growth and " produce thereof. And wiiereas it is recited iii the said Act that it was passed " in the confident belief and expectation, that upon the imposition of a Duty " upon Forei^M) Wheat imported into the Province, Her Majesty would be •* graciously pleased to recommend to parliament the removal or reduccion of " the Duties on Wheat and Wheat Flour imported into the said United " Kinj;domfrom Caituda. And whereas in consideration of the Duty so imposed '« by the said Act of the Legislature of Canada, it is expedient that if Her " Majesty shnll be pleased to give Hei> sanction to the said Act, the Duties " imposed by an Act (5 anil 6 Vic. c. 11.) ma:le and passed in the last " Session of Parliament, intituled An Act to amend tUe Laws for the impur- " tatiun of Corn, upon Wheat and Wheat Flour, the produce of and imported •■ fiom the Province of Canada, entered for home consumption in the United ** Kingdom, should be reduced as hereinafter mentioned," lie it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent M.ijt'sty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords s[)irilual and temporal and Commons, in this present Parliamentassembled, and by t!ie authority of the same. That from and after the 10th day of October, 1813, and thenceforth during the continuance of the Duty so imposed by the said Act of the Legislature of Canada as aforesaid, there shall be levied and paid upon all Wheat and Wheat Flour, the produce of the said Province of Canada which shall be imported thence into the United Kingdom after the said 10th day of October, and shall be entered for home con- sumption (the same having been shipped and imported with such declarationi and certificates as are required in respect thereof, in and by the said Act passed in the last Session of Parliament) in lieu of the Duties charged thereon by the said Act of Parliament, the Duties following, (namely) For every quarter of such Wheat Is. and so in proportion for a less quantity. For every barrel being 196 pound;! of such Wheal Flour, a Duty tqudl in amount to the Duty which would hereby be payable upon 38 gallons 24 *n(l a half of Wheat, fiml so in proportion for a less quantity. And thr* said Duties hereby charged shall ho levied, collected, paid and apf<licd, in sucli and the same manner in all respi'cf;, as if the same had been imposed by the said Act of Parliament, provided always, that nolhin;^ in this Act co::taiiiod shall repeal, reduce, or alter the Duties payal)lp undar the said Act of Parlia- ment upon Ylieat or Wheat Flour, the produce of Cttntiln, which "-hall be imported into the United Kingdom previous to the said 10th day of October, 1843, notwithstanding the same shall not be entered from the warehouse or otherwise for home con-;uiiiption until after that day. And be it enacted, that this Act may be amended or repealed by any Act to be passed in this present ^^essinn of Parliament. OPERATION OF THE ACT UP TO THE PRESENT TIME. From the varied forms in which the Parliamentary Refnrns relative to the subject are given, it is difficult to present anything like a complete synopsis of them, but the following particulars will be tound to bear upon the question at issue, by showing the quantities of Wheat and Flour imported befoie and after the passing of the Act, the rate of duty, &,c. Thev are all taken from oflicial documents. Until the 10th October, 1843, when the Act G— 7 Vict. c. '2d, came into operation, the oflicial returns combined, without distinction, the importations of Wheat and Flour from Canadi with those from the other North American Colonies. Wheat and Wheat Flour imported into the 10 principal ports of Great Britain, and entered for home consumption from the 28th April, 1842, to 5th January. 1843. Foreign 2,383,431 qrs. Colonial 177,414 qrs. The highest rate of duty on Foreign was 20s. the lowest 8s. The average duty on Foreign was 14s. 34d.; on Colonial 2s. 8id. Wheat and Wheat Flour imported and entered for home consumption in the year ending 5th January, 1843. Qrs. Qrs. Foreign before the 2,9th April 4,719 ) ^ 77c oio ditto after ditto 2,770,594 5"^'^'°"^^'* Colonial di lonial before the 29th April ' l>o',269 \ «,. ««-, iitto after ditto 194,062 3 ^^^"^"^^ 2.989,644 Wheat and Flour from all parts imported and entered for home consumption in the United Kingdom in the year, ending 5th January, 1844. 25 Quarters of Wheat 872.715; cwts. of Flour 425,098, together equal to 904,343 qrs. of \V heat. Of these quan- tities 24.81G qrs. of Wheat, and 39(1,479 cwts. of Flour (together equal to 138,095 qrs, of Wheat) were from the British Colonies, The following are the countries from which the much larger part of the Importations came. Qis. of VVlinat. Cwts. of Flour. Prussia (558,711 5,1G4 Germany r2(),105 2,298 Denmark 09,707 887 Russia 33,060 6 Ki?vpt 11.540 United States 2,383 91.317 East Indies and Ceylon ... 021 11,310 Wheat and Flour entered for home consumption from all parts, in the 11 months ending- 5lh December, 1844 812,721 qrs. of Wheat: 087,700 cwts of Flour; too-ethei equal to 1 ,009,208 qrs. of Wheat. " Wheat and Wheat Flour entered for home consumption, Mith the average rate of duty, from 29th April, 1842, to 5th January, 1844. Qrs. of Wheat. Average latc Cwts, of Flour. Average rat« ofiiuty. of duty. Foreign 3,404,018 iji 10 554.559 3 Colonial 40.210 2 3 737,311 8 From Canada, | from 10th Oct. f i.-i 4io « n r^->/^-.^- 1843, to 5th ( ^^'^12 ' ^ 220,117 4^ Jaiuiary. 1844, .• Together equal to 3,955,242 qrs. of Wheat. Colonial Wheat and Wheat Flour entered for Lome consumption, Qrs From January 1841 to December 1841 259,001 In the year up to December 1842, Qrs. Before the Act of 1842, 20,209 After the Act, 194^002 214,331 Entered for home consumption of Colonial Wheat and Wheat Flour, from the 15th July, 1828, to 29th April. J842 Wheat 597,700 qrs. Wheat Flour 1,744,591 cwt. Together equal to 1,090.154 qrs. of Wheat, of which 681,188 paid 6s. duty, and 414,906 paid 6d. duty. 26 Qrn. 01 VTIiftt. From 29th April. 1842, to 5th Jan. 1813. iiii,m> Cwts. of Flour. Ditto ditto 560,86(> Together equal to 194,061 qrs. of Wheat, of nrhich 170,703 qrs. paid Is. duty, 6,602—38. snd 16.756—68. The total quantities and average rate of Duty received on Wheat and Wheal Flour imported and entered for home consumption from the British ColonieK into the United Kingdom, from the 15th July, 1828. to the 6th January, 1843. Qrs. of Avernffe rate Wheat, of fluty paid. Whiat rioiir per cwt. Averaarft n te of duty paiil. a tk 18-28 14,908 4 7 14.214 1 8 1829 7,232 1 6 4,965 1 8 1830 46,419 10 48.132 3 1831 112,699 2 88,725 1 4 1832 163,964 4 10 105,147 I 9 1833 61.215 4 10 74,093 1 8 1834 45.631 4 U 65.212 1 8 1835 15,302 5 2 42.349 1 8 1836 18,583 5 36,656 I 8 1837 22.538 5 37,873 1 8 1838 7,740 1 11 76,381 8 1839 32 6 44.478 2 1840 4,704 4 380,668 8 1841 64,690 1 9 676.477 9 1842, to 29th Ap. under Act9,") >. 4. c. 60. 3 8.688 6 3 71 40,534 1 8 Total Ge( 594,345 1,735,904 1 Total under Act 5,^^ Vict. c. 14. from/ ^ThApriCIsiaTo^ 33,809 1 7 500.886 6 5th January, 1843.) Quantities of Wheat and Wheat Flour, the produce of Canada, imported (for home consumption) from the 10th of October, 1843, to the 5th of July, 1844. Wheat. Wheat Flour. Qrs. bus. €wts. qrs. lb«. Into Great Britain... 18,199 6 262,606 1 2 Into Ireland — 4.007 110 Total 18,199 6 266.513 2 12 Together eqiial to 94,345 qrs. of Wheat. 27 Fluctuations of duty on Coluulul WLeat, from 1838 to 184?. 1838. From 5th Xantiary to I3th July 5 O — SOih July to 28th September (J — 5th October to 2nd November 5 — 9th November to 28th December 6 1839. — 4lh January to 20lh December 6 2(jlh December , 5 1840. From 3rd January to 13th March 5 — 20th March to 25th September 6 — 2nd October to 25th December 5 1841. — 1st. January to (Jth August 5 — 13th A-ugtist to 1st October 6 — 8th October to 24th December ;. 5 1842. — 7th January to 29th April 5 — <5th May to Jrd September 1 10th September 3 From 17th Srj)? ember to 31st December ... 5 Colonial Wheat and Wheat Flour imported and entered for home con.sumptiou from 5th November, 1842, to 5th October, 1843. WHEAT. FLOUR. Month cnJiiij. 6 Nov. 1842 5 Dec. 5 Jan. 1843 5 J eb. 5 Mar. 5 Apl. 5 May t> .lune 6 July 6 Aug. 6 Sep. 6 Oct. Imj)ortf<l . OlS. 1 us. 858 2 415 (! G,464 7 1,914 7 1 ,2im 1,573 4 IGfi 5 S14 « 700 4 268 3 1,076 1 — 15,019 6 I'.iitiroJ f or Home ( Dii- i sumption . Wis. L us.; 243 *i 574 3.492 II 1,911 2 1,095 3 1,070 4 925 (i 1,128 G 1,291 C82 2 2,121 5 895 3 15,482 V IinjxtttoJ, Cuts, t. 2 13,827 20,355 2 65,954 2 25,814 2 1,489 3 &,970 2 711 2 35 2 15,411 2 31,770 2 21, GIG 2 4.280 2 206,441 1 I'.nteieiJ for IJome Consump- tion. Cwts. Qis. 8,785 3 12,922 1 22,251 2 13,080 2 14,738 1 14,000 2 21.880 1 6,517 3 21,281 30,820 37.369 3 8,949 3 212,654 a The above quantities brought into quarters of Wheat reckoning 2 barrels of Flour (each weighing 196 lbs.) equal to a quarter of Wheat, give the following totals. ImpoiteiL EiUered for 11. Coa. Cwts. Wheat 15,019 15.432 Flour 206,441 equal to 58.983 212,654 ditto 60.758 Quarters 74,002 76,190 Offirial Return of the Total Qiianlities of \Vli»'at and Wheat Flouf Imported under tht* Act (J and 7 V'lr. r, *2ii. from Ciuiadit, into the priii- eipal Ports ot Great Britain, vi/. London, Livrrpowl, Hull. Newcastle. IJristol, (Jloticester, l^lvmouHi, Leith, Dundee, and Per(h,*iii t!te several weeks followiufif tlie receipt of tlio ccrlifuMte of thoaveraf;p prices. WlitMi and ImiKmc'I f'^'- i Wheal iiiij Liiteit'tl lor Wcfks rii.lin;r, t l<vii- Home ('oil- ' Wt'i'ks ciulmj;, flour Hoint' n> i-iuiiiitioii. i 'nn|tnitt>il. Qrn tins. Con'iimpiion. i 12 Oct. 1013. 1 11 April. 1044 tjrs. Hu*. 02 3 3 1 ^« 1001) 1 10()f> 1 18 — 4 2 ! 2(; 3178 C 8178 a 25 ; ~— 120 2 '■ 2 Xov. 1)G22 l)(V2-i 2 May — -— t> .'>H2J 6 r>»i3 4 9 — i — _ Ji »« 195) 2021 4 iO — — . 1 2:1 3240 ti 4uaj> 7 28 — ; 30 G2(U{ 2 58J8 30 — ^_ { 7 Dec. 4720 ()• 8.') 18 a .lune — M^w 14 8»1« 4 8708 13 i.ojn 3 1,151 4 21 6G77 «(>8.» 1 20 7.705 7 8.859 6 28 5at5« 1 5807 5 27 l,2:vt 1 ,853 7 4 Jan. 1814. in(>l 3 2227 2 4 Jidv 12,258 5 11,588 7 11 l(J(M 2101 7 11 19,087 20.215 4 Hi 2*>f>fJ i;)88 3 18 12,788 13,652 5 25 2712 1074 3 2.> 20,875 10,830 (J I Feb. 878 5 582 1 I August lOimi C 16.421 2 8 23;J 2 281 4 8 3,829 4.874 5 15 1I.*» 7 428 7 15 25.384 4 28,000 C 22 52 A 62 :* 22 9,8211 I 10,258 4 21» — 48 I 2;> 7.92G 1 6,009 5 7 March 1 2 1 2 5 Sept. 11,287 2 0.511 2 14 3 5 3 5 12 28,099 5 20.593 I i- 2^ — 24 « 10 3.928 5 3,(J8| 2 ill 28 10 G 10 (J 28 6,190 7 7,504 4 4 April 60 I 1813, to . 3 Oct. 3rd Oct. 1044* 9,284 0.00c Total from 12th Oct. 288,808 3 205,406 « 10 Oct. 4,098 7 3.597 6 1? 8.081 3 4,008 24 858 5 858 2 31 2.223 7 3,022 fl 7 Nov. G.803 5 4.814 7 14 3.128 4 3,887 6 21 2.874 5 2.882 28 3,558 2 2.821 3 i 5 Dec. 41 I 709 7 1 12 725 7 1,366 Total from 12th Od. 1843, to 10 19th Dec. 1844 688 4 695 . 206,154 290,047 • These 10 are the only ports which make a return to the Inspector General of exports and imports. The quantity of Wheat anil Wheat Flour from Canada imported into other places in thii country is very small. The whole imported into Ireland from 10th October, i843, to rjth July, 18 U, was but 4007 cwts. of Flour, 29 Quantities of, an<l rates of Only on, Wheat and Wheal Fluur entereil for hotiiP coiisiunptioii from a!! the Biiliih Possessions ia North Americu, except Ciioadu. Qrs. I From 28th Sept. to :28th Doc. 1843 3372 — 4lh Jau. 184 1, to 21st Mar. 1814 ^25 — 28th Marih. 1844 (i2 — 4th April to Uth April 1^03 ~ 18th April to 25th July 47(i3 — 1st August to IDlh December :HS-22 l.;s. Dmv. 5 6$. i 6s, 7 4s. 5 Us. I 4s. 8 5s. rn 13.450 3 In 1811 thft population of Etijjlaiul and Wales was 15.911,72.3. Mr. Charles Smith, in his celebrated '* Three Tracts on the Corn Trade and Corn Laws," estimated the annual consumption of Wheat in England and Wales, at one quarter per head lor each individual, and JMc CuUacii considers that ostimate tolerably correct also for the present time. Takinif this for granted ond adding 800,000 as the increase of population up to the present time, it appears that in the 12 months (ending; 5th October, 1843) previous to the Canada Com Law of 1843 coming into operation, the quantify of Wheat and Wheat Flour from all th© British Colonies, entered for home consumption in the United Kingdom, was equal to the consumption of England and Wales for a little more than one day and 16 hours. The quantity of W^heat and Flour /rowi Canada alone, since the Canada Corn Law came into operation (the 10th October, 1813) to (he 3rd October, 1844, entered for home consumption in the United Kingdom, was equal to the consumption of England and Wales for 5 days and 19 hours. Monthly average duty on Colonial Wheat entered for home consumption in 1842. January 5 April 1 3 July 1 Oct. 4 4 February 4 11 May 1 Aug. 1 Nov. 6 March 5 June 11 Sept. 2 5 Dec. 5 THE FUTURE OPERATION OF THE ACT. The next branch of the enquiry is the probable future operation of the Act of 1843. With this is connected the consideration of the following circumstances : — The Agricultural capability of Canada — the prices of Wheat grown in the Colony — the expense of inland and foreign transit — the supply of United States' Wheat — and the probability of the latter being smuggled into Canada. In ;i former page particulars are stated relative to the natural 30 ffirtiiity of the soil, particularly ia Upper Canada, and it niust be expected that, with the rapid iucreaseuf the popula* tion, the tide of British capital and luboor year after year flowing thither and the impetus given by the Act of 1813, the Canadians will be induced to raise much more Wheat than hitherto. The accounts from Canada, last season, gave abundant proofs of the increasing^ attention paid to the agriculture of the country and of its success. "The Times of the Kith September, referring to the Montreal Papers says " The Prospects of Agriculture this year are stated to be very good. The Wheat raising in the Lower Province had been particularly successful, the crops havings suffered but little from the Fly, the usual curse of the Canadian farmers, and hardly at all from the rust. The accounts also from Upper Canada are very flatterins:. "The Morinii(r Post of the same day says" The Wheat crop>? throU!;!jout Eiist and West Canada are most abundant and show the certainty of a lur;;er yield than was ever before known in our North American Colonies. The Editor of the F.umers' Majjazine, (for August) observes " The accounts from Canada generally describe the prospect in regard to the harvest as most promising and a much greater breadth than usual under Wheat." A Letter from Montreal, 0th November, says "The quantity of produce for shipment next Spring must be large ; ai present it remains principally in the hands of the farmers, who are unwilling to accept the prices now offering." When we are taking into consideration the capability of Canada for growing large quantities of Corn, we must not forget that there are circumstances which give reason to believe that the Agricultural produce of the country will rapidly increase. At a recent Meeting of the Essex Agri- cultural Protection Society at Chelmsford, Mr. Du Croz, a gentleman intimately acquainted with Cannda, in pointing out the mischievous en't;cts of the Corn Law of 1843, said, " Look at the relative position of the farmers in Canada, mid those of this country I The mother country pays the greater part of the public expenditure of the Colony : — its army, its navy, are principally paid by Great Britain. The fee simple of the best land in Canada, except in some par- ticular places, does not cost more than the rent of land in this country, and the expense of transfer is next to nothing, no stamps being necessary. There are no tithes, highway rate, poor's rate, or county rate." With respect to the sale of land, we find that from the year 1826 to 1836 the Canada company had sold 670,000 31 acres out of their purchaso of 2,481,413 acres from Govern- ntcnt. In the Huron tract, the average price was lOs. 8(i. per acre, and in other quarters 123, 4d, ; in 1838 their sales in consequence of the insurrection were but 13.299 acres, the price of which, in the Crown Reserves and the Guelph territory, (some of the best in the Province) varied from 15s. Od. to 10s. lid., and in the Huron tract from 13s. 7d. to 10s. 3d. The British American Land Company held their Annual Meeting in London, on the 28th March, 1844, and their Report stated, that duritjgf the precedinff year they h.n\ sold 34,859i^ acres in the Eastern District for £17,031 19<. 4(1., heino-about lOs. peracre. The Company still had about (353.500 acres in the Eastern District. Py an Act of the Local Legislature passed in September, 1841, it was provided that the waste lands of the Crown should be sold at a price to be fixed from time to time, by the Governor in Council. The prices fixed for the present are Upper C inada Gs. 7d. sterlino^ per acre ; Lower Canada in Ottawa County, and South of the St. Lawrence, to the West of the Kennebec road 4s. lid. and elsewhere in that division 3s. 34d. The Canada Company grant leases of their land in the Huron District to persons not havininj ready cash, for 12 years, at small annual rents, commencing one year from the datiJ of the lease, at the expiration of which lease, and the punctual payment of the yearly rents, the settler will receive a deed for the freehold of the land he occupies, without further charge. The rent for 100 acres at the end of tha first year is £2 currency, and increases yearly, until at the end of the 12th year £16 10s. is paid, making the total paid in the 12 years £110 5s. Od. Mc. Culloch in his Geographical Dictionary, 1841, gives the following statement. Acres cutlivateJ. Acres ocf npied but uncultivated. Upper Canada 1,308,307 4.394,109 Lower Canada 2,0(30.213 4,981,793 3.374,520 9,375,962 Murray makes the following statement, Lower (3anaJa Upper Canada in 1831. ill 1835. Families employed in Agriculture 50,824 Ditto Trade 2.503 Acres of Land under Cultivation 2,065,913 1,308,3074 Occupied but unimproved 3,981,713 4,394,169 A small tax, not exceeding Id. in the pound is levied both on cultivated and waste lauds, the former being valued at 20s. the acre, and the latter at 4s. Mc Culloch says that 32 the wholft amount of taxation of a farm of 100 acres in the Upper Province is about 18s. Tbe Ciinudiun Government is takinn^ active measures foi^ improvino^ utid extending the means of Kind and water carriage by I'ormino^ roads and canals. Hy an Act 5 — 6 Vict. c. 118, (1842), Great Britain guaranteed the payment of the dividend and interest ut 4 per cent, on a lean of £1,500,000 (hat mi^ht he required by the Canadian Govern- ment for public works. The 43rd cUnise of the Act for uniting^ the Provinces of Canada (3 — 4 Vict. c. 35) recites an Act passed in the 18th George III , e. 12, which decbires that the King; and Parliament of Great Britain would not impose any duty, tax, or asseiisment whatever, payable in any of His Majesty's colonies, &c., except only such duties as it might be expedient to impose for the regulation of commerce, the net produce of sneh duties to be always paid and applied to and for the use of the portion of the empire in which the isame shall be respectively levied in .such manner as other duties collected by the authority of the respective general courts or general assemblies were ordinarily paid and applied. The clause then goes on to establish these provisions — to retain in the Imperial Parliament the right to impose such duties us may be necessary for the re«nlation of navigation and commerce ; but provides that the produce of all such duties levied within the province shall be at the disposal of tbe local Legislature, by and with the assent of IJer Majesty. We shall conclude this part of our ••Notes'* with the average prices of some descriptions of Produce and Provisions, and rates of wages, as given in oflBcial returns. Lover Ciinada. Upper Cnnada. 1041. 1842. £. s. d. £. 8, d. £. 8. d. £, s. d. Horned Cat- 7 q o tolO 6 Otolo tie per yoke 3 «*«»»» « * w Hurses each 10 15 10 39 Sheep ditto 10 12 10 15 Wheatcubread, 0O8OO6OO8 6 pounds J Beef per lb. 002 00400 2J 00 4i Mutton ditto 21 4 2i 4i PorkpcrlOOlbs.l 6 o' 12 6 17 6 Tea ditto 030 040036 060 Sugar (soft) do.O 00 005007 008 Beer per gallon 000 00 10^ 00 10 010 Domestic wa- » ^ 00 1 10 00 18 170 ges per month ) Husbandry K 1 10 2 10 with board ilo. ) Ditto with ditto 2 10 4 Trades per day 4 C 4 (> « 33 Before nolicinj; tho price of Wheat in Canada, it may be useful to give ll»e followingj statement of (ho average prices of Wheat in liujjlaud utul Wales, from the vear 1828 to 1B43. S. D. 8. D. S. D. S. D. 1823 CO 6 1802 58 8 1836 48 6 1840 66 4 1829 CO 3 18J:J 52 11 1837 55 10 1841 64 4 1830 64 3 18:U 46 2 1S38 64 7 1842 57 3 1831 66 4 1835 39 4 1839 70 8 IS 13 50 Imperial averajre prices of Wheat for the last week of each month in 1844. S. D. S. D. S. D, Jnnunry 52 3 May 65 10 Sppt. 45 J> February C::j \ June 55 Oct. 46 March 5<» 6 July 52 Nov. 45 4 April 55 6 August 50 11 Dec. 45 6 Official return of th (? average prices of Wheat and Flour, the pr»t(lnce of Canad a and the LFuiled States at Moj»lrea!, in llalifax curreiuy.* CANADA. UNITED STATES. Whoat |>pr <\r. I'lonr per barrel. Wheat per qr. Flour per barrel. s. u. .S. I*. ». D. S. U. 1831 63 4 32 6 Could nut be ascertained. 1833 47 4 33 9 ditto 18:i3 47 4 28 3 30 1834 40 8 25 t; 40 26 1835 40 B 25 7 Exported to the United States. 1830 40 8 30 54 33 9 1837 56 41 4 52 35 1838 56 39 60 38 183J) 57 4 36 6 54 3(J 1840 46 29 U 50 29 6 1841 49 4 29 4 4(J -28 10 1842 46 28 1 44 27 7 1843 40 25 42 8 25 U Annual average price of Wheat per bushel at Dundas in Upper Canada. s. D. S. D. 1837 51 1| 1841 36 Oi 1838 47 7^ 1842 36 2| 1839 32 2i 1843 26 5^ 1840 29 74 • As bffore staled (pafreS)- -Halifax currency is abont 20 per cent inferior to British. Thus in 1843 the • price of Canada Wheat was 403. currency or £1 I3s. 4d, sterling. 34 la the report of a Special Cumniittee of the Le<;i.slulive Assembly of Canada in January 1H43, art* tiio ('utIovviii<; statement!^. Wheat must command 4s. (id. .sterling- per bushel, to remunerate the Canadian growers — Flour must command in Britain !33s. per harrel Co ensure the Canadian growers a remunerating* price* — If grain cainiot be exported tu England at a profit to the Canadian growers unless flour reaches 33s. per bushel, and V\ heat (JOs, to (Jls. per qr., the transit of Western Flour will be diverted through the Erie Canal, und it follows that unless prices in England steadily range from 55s. to 01s. per quarter, Canadian growers cannot benefit by the home market, and their carry- ing trade will become so uncertain that few if any will embark in it — One gentleman giving evidence before the Legislative Assembly in September 184*i, said, the averages HI England must be GOs, per quarter to ensure tlio trade by the St. Lawrence, and that when it isover that, the Americans can send their own Wheat more advantageously to England via New York.f We now come to the question of the facilities and ex- pence of transit. On this, as was said by Colonel liushbrooke, in the House of Commons, the statements are so various that it is dilBcnlt to arrive at the truth. The Editor of the Farmers' Magazine says " From Ohio, and other Western Stales' the most productive districts in the American Union, the water distance to Montreal is considerably shorter than is that to New York, and the expence of transit through the Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario, (now we may say rendered one by means of the Welland Canal) is in com- parison much cheaper than to any port of shipment within the United States. Mc Culloch, p. 42C, says the cost of im- portation from the United States to this country, is from L'3s. to I4s. per quarter for Wheat; in p. 428, he says the price of carriage and warehousing of Wheat exported from Canada to Liverpool, is 13s. In the Farmers' Magazine of Feb. 1844, is the following announcement, " By the Hibernian steam packet we learn that a ship had been actually loaded at the head of Lake Huron itself, with Wheat, and had sailed direct for London by way of the Welland Canal. Thus the Canadian Corn Bill is scarcely made public when a cargo of Wheat, most probably from Ohio, Michigan, or some other of the Western Provinces' of the United Stales, is shipped direct to London from that part of our possessions, which is nearest to those of our own Transatlantic brethren in those regions." On the other hand. Dr. Mc Culloch says, •The price of Canadian Flour in tlie London market has for some lime been only from 25s. to 28s. per barrel of 196 lbs. tin several of our pages we quote from Papers furnished by the Canadians to the British Government, but we recommend our readers to consider how the 35 "The United States' Corn imported u:jd«r t!ii.i T.;»\v [of 18 13] must be derived partly from the Wrsfcrn pi.it of the iSuUe of Nuw York hoideiiiij;' on Jiuko Ondirio, but principally no doubt from tiio NoiUurn parts of Ohio bordering on Luke Erie. The navigation thence to Montreal, partly by uatuj.d and partly by ju-tilicial cbannols is tedious, Uillicult, and expensive, and when tlie Wheat has arrived at the latter or at Quiibec. luul [ncu groiuid, the voy;ige to England is longer, the risk greater, and the rate of freight materially Iiigher tlian IVoni New York or nahimore." The Montreal papeis state \\x.d on thf "Jnd of NW)V€mber, 18-1-1, the freight of Flour iVoni tlial port to Liverpool and Iho Clyde, was from 4s. C], to in, p?r barrel. Mr. Tlnbback, n Liverpool nierehant of great experience says •• The rate of f. eight (Voni all the main shipping points on the United Statt's' jido of Luke Erie, to any one point in Canada, is generally the same nt the same tiiue; i. e. the freight on thelst J ujy fr<»m BinTnlo, Cleveland, Sandusky, or Detroit, to Kingston vs'ould be tije name, The ireight from all points on Lak*; Mii higan to uny one point in C.nuida is th<isarne. The dillerence offr^Mght bet ween Lakes Michigan and Erie, is met !)y ^lio diifcrence in ths price of "Wheat; thus,si!pjU)sing V> heatat Cleveland 75 cents per bushel, and freii'-ht to Kinuston 10 cenls, at (.'lucajro. Wheat at the same » time will be 'uo cents, and fi\-ig!]t to k'ngsl(,n 20 cents. J The princii a! pf^v's in Caniuia to which Whea.t from the J United States'? ide is sent are ir't. Catherine's on tleV/elland I Canal (the most importanOTorcnio, Ilingt-ton. and Prcscott. j The rate cf freight from uuy port on the United .Slates' side of Lake Erie is cents. average. To St. Catlierine's 5 to 8 per bushel G to 7 • Toronto or Kingston 7 V2 f) 10 • Prcscott 10 lit 12 13 I From Chicago on Lake Michigan to St. Catharine's,' the freight ranges from 13 to 18 cents per bushel. The insurance from Lake Michigan to Lake Ontario ranges from 1 to 2 per cent according to th.o season ; from I ake Erie to St. Catherine's i to ^i per cent. The usual length of passage from Cleveland to St. Catherine's is 4 days, I from St. Catherine's to Montreal 10 or 11 days; from Chicago on Lake Michigan to St. Catherine's is very un- i certain, especially in the spriag and fall, say 15 to 80 days." In the report of the Special Committee of the Legislative Assembly of Canada, in January, 1843, it was stated that the I cost of conveying a barrel of (lour from the Welland Canal, by way of the St. Lawrence to any part of the United King- dom was 14s. 6d. — that the freight from Cleveland (Ohio) F 3(3 to fjiiko Ontario was Is. (M. — fliaf tlu* <:o!it, of transit tu> Liverpool through tlit^ Erie Ciiiial is y«. lid. less than by rli«^ way of the S;iint. Lawreiirc* In (iKMneniorial of I-larl IVIoiniloaslii!!, he. {v'\(\r pago 5) it Was stated that the lVei<;hfaf;e olti barrel ol Flour from Cleve- land to Kin;ifston, was Is. \U\i\, from Kini;sfon to Montreal 2s., other charges tip to that port 2s. bid., charges from Montreal to and in Liverpool 7s. I. Ld. ni.ikinjj a tutiil from Cleveland to Liverpool ot' i4s.(Id. In the course of the debates on tho Rill, Lord .Stardey Stated th'jt a larj^e portion of the Flour which came into this country from (>anada was not the produce; of Canada, but of the United Stales — the Ureal States of tho West — Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana. There can he little doubt that whaten-er quantity of United States' Wheat may be imported into tho United Kingdom through the nKMliiitn of Canada, tho prin(npal portion of it will be the j^rowth of the Western States : and let us rellect on what was said by Mr. Cmtis, an American, at the Manchester Corn Law Conference of Dissentini;' Ministers, in /\u;;tist. LSI!, lie said "The portion of our countrv best adapted lo the culture of Wheat, find to which I wish to call your particular attenfron, iscom- prised in the G North Western States and Territories, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michiyan, Wituonsinand Iowa: they contain more than 178,000.00!) acres ol' land, chielly arable. England contains 32,000,000 acres. That portion of their States which may be called f^ood Wheat land at 3 qrs. per acre, would produce in a year 200,000,000. (jrs. They are at present just commencing to pour the innnense amount of bread and meat they are capable of |)roduciii^- into the markets of the world. Ohio alone last year had 8,000,000 bushels of Wheat to export. Michi<Tan, which never exported till 183!), has now a surplus of 250,000 bushels of Wheat, and 5300,000 barrels of pork. The population of these States is now 3,000,000. It has increased during; the last 10 years at the rate of 202 per cent. It has been estimated by practical n?en that the amount of their exports would be doubled or trebled by a j^ood demand in 10 years " A gentleman long resident in Canada states that much of the American Corn and Flour is finer than any Dantzic, and when the Wheat conies to market it is very hard and does not sweat. It was also stated in the House of Commons by Mr. G. Palmer, that American Flour would be consi- derably better in condition after it had been six months ground, than any English. Americati Flour, three years after it was imported, was as good as when it came out of the mill. • Vide note in page 31. 37 We must ulso rnnsiclctr the timft of year when the Amcr- icuii harvest is riNidy. Mr. Iluliback says that the crops are secured in ordinary Vffars iVoiii 4 to (> weeks «nirliBr in the Uiiitod Slates, than id this country. "I have seen" he says "in Virj^inia and Maryland Uirj^e fields of Wheat entirely cleared hy the lOih 1)1.1 idy. At New York and D.dlimore 1 hav(? seiMi <;ar;i<)es ot" \\ heat (at the tormer port snnui (IdO to 7<)0 ijaarlers from North Carolina and Viri^ini.'^on sale during' llie first and second weeksin Anjjnst. The nature of the American climate is so dry that by a little rare and ma!ia<j;(Mnent those car;>ocs uiii;hthave l)een made fit to stand a voyage across the Athiiilic. The averaj>e passage from Anierica is (Voni 18 to 'J') days, therefore 4he Wheat mij;ht he in the I'nglish markets ut the very time when the KrioH^h farmer stood nu)st in need of protection.** " In anoth«.'r pan ot his pa\n})hlet, speaking' of the new Laws, he says — " At present so tiilling a concession is not likely to be much felt. When the States of Michigan and Illinois with the territory of Wiuconsin become more populous, the cidtivation of Wheat is certain to become much extended. The business of convertiii<jf American Wheat into Flour is therefore likelv to be a {rrowinf^- one." The only ofiicial return published of the quantity of Wheat imported from the Unittsd States into Canada since the 10th October, 1843, g;oes no further than the 5th July, 1844, and is as follows. Qrs. By sea 034 Uy inland navigation or land carriage 21,161 Total 31,795 On the 5th of May, 1843, a Public Meeting was held at Chelmsford, in Essex, to consider the propriety ofpetitioning l^arliament against the measure announced to be brought forward for reducing the duties on Canadian Wheat and Flour. Much had been said in various publications of the facility the alteration would afford to the smuggling of United States' Wheat into Canada, and to remove objections to the measure, a Letter written by a member of the British Government, was laid before the Chelmsford Meeting The following is aii extract from the Letter, " Smuggling is utterly impossible, 1. Because wheat is never smuggled; much less at such a duty. The smuggler gets 3s. to 5s. for smuggling a pound of silk. He will not smuggle 400 or 500 times that weight for less money. 2. How is it possible to land the Wheat on the sea beach (for the Lakes are ♦Seas."* Then whv is not Wheat landed on the sea beach of 38 England, in parts where there is no coast guard, and where the premium is (J times as large, but if it is to be huiiled in the Ports, Lhcre are Custom Mouse (Jlliceis. '3. Because the whole population is hostile, the 8s. duty is a protective one to them ; and they would be unpaid perpetual watchmen against its evasion," The United Stales' law has provided tho lollowing pro- tection against iMogal e.-iportation ol" Flour. All sorts of Flour exported from the United States, must previously be examined by Inspectors, The barrels uiust b^ of certain dimensions, and each barrel is to contain IDv'Jhs of Flour. The Inspector also decides on the quality of the Flour, the first or best sort being branded superfine ; the second ///^<? ; the third//ne middlinfjs ; (he I'od th tii'uldluujs. Such as are not merchantable are iii;irked had, and tlicir exportation is proliibited. The pejjaity for exportin;;- wi'diout inspection is 5 di^llars per barrel ; for alteriisg or counterfeiting brands 100 dollars. It is also enacted tliat Wheat and Flour from Caiiada, shall only be admitted here under the declaratiu.j and certificates required by the Act of 18 s2, and which are in substance as follows, — The owner, proprietor, or shipper, must make a declaration in writing before the Chief Oliic."- c/' Customs, at th(; |)ort of shipment, specifying the quaiit; y of grain or iluur, and that the same is the produce of Ciuiada ; the Ollicer then has to give a certificate of the quantity so declared to be shipped. Before the grain or flour is entered at any port in the United Kingdom, the master of the ship mu.- 1 deliver to the Chief Officer of Customs at that port, a copy of tlie declaration, certified by the Chief Oflicer of Customs at the port of shipment, together with the certificate of the latter with regard to qu amity. I'lie master has i;Iso to make a declaration in writing before the Chief (jfficer at the British port, that the several quantities of grain and flour are the same that are mentioned in the declaration and certificate produced by hirn, without any admixture or addition. The penally fur any faise sfa*ement respecting the place of which the grain or corn is the produce, or respecting the identity of the grain or flour is £100, and forfeiture of the grain or flour. On Lord Stanley asserting that there would be no smuggling, Mr. G. Bankes complained that the Ministers made that assertion without sufhcient previous enquiry as to the fact : even so late as the 1st February, 1843, they had no information upon it, as appeared from the dispatch of Lord Stanley to Sir C. Bagot on that day. The question was not, whether there were 1500 miles of frontier— whether 39 there was more or less facility for landing goods in a secret inaiincr: the question of smuggling did not turn so miu-li upon the illicit landing as upon the frauds of those employed to prevent it. Me believed that if a Committee had been appointed to enquire into the matter ample evidence would h.jve been obtained to show tho facility there would be for smuggling. Mr. Labouchere said it might be for the interest of the Canadian far.iiers to prevent smuggling (though he was not quite sure even of that), but he wished to know whether it would also be for the interest of the corn factors or millers, v.ho were genv'rally Americans or persons con- nected with the United States ? It is often asked why should there be any greater quantify of American Wheat poured into Canada from America when there is a duty of 3s. upon it than when it was duty free. This question is in a great measure answered by the following obsprvr .ions. iyr. Hubback, in his pamphlet, published in 1843, after touchinij: on the large quanties of Wheat that may be raised in the Western States of America, says " Should it be asked if Wheat can be grown in such quantities in the Western States of America, and at so low a price, how is it that such insignificant i:nportations have hitherto taken place from thence compared with those from other countries i My reply is that the Corn Trade in America being yet in its infancy, is not a distinct branch of business as it is in Europe. In New Orleans there are neither corn merchants nor granaries; shipments of either Wheat or Flour are, there- fore, seldom or never made on American account; and British importers prefer sending tlieir orders to whr-re the trade is thoroughly known, to trusting their shijitnents, especially of so delicate an article as Vv heat, to inexperienced parties." Mr. Buckingham (in his "America" v. 1 p. I(i0)who wasat New York in 18;)8, mentions a ciicumstance which may be taken as a cause for the United States havin^ been for some years not in a situation toexportmuch corn. He says •In the late nmnia for speculation the cultivators oftlie soil, instead of following up their agricultural pursuits, left ofT farming to become speculators in stock, buyers of shares in railroads never begun and canals never opened, as well as purchasers of lots of land on which towns were intended to be built; in which extravaga:it schemes they spent all their time and money ; so that agriculture, the great basis of national wealth and the surest and steadiest security of individual prosperit)/ in these fertile States was so neglected that the country was obliged to import grain 40 for its own oonsuinption, instead of supplying, as it ongJif to do, from its own surplus, the older countries of Europe. This deficiency of home suj)ply and the vast amount of n rain grown in America distilled into ardent spirits, this finest grain producing' CKunlry on the glohe. was obliged to import its own food. It was stated in tlie New York Papers (hat in the vear 1837, the single port of Baltimore alone rectiived 800.000 bushels of Wheat, and 140,000 bushels of rye from Europe." Mc Cidloch says that in the year ending OOth September, 18:37, ;3.f!21,'i>!) bushels of forei<j;ii Wheal were iniported into the United States, of uhic.h 792,(i75 were from En<;land. The cawses thus assigned for the small exportation of corn from the iJnited Stales, are probably as far as they go, I'orrect, but there is reason to believe that the Americans are rousing from their agricultural lethargy, for it is slated by Mc Culloch, that in the year 1840 the United States exported 1,720,860 bushels of Wheat, and 1,807,501 barrels of Flour. 13ut we must add that in the next year there uas a decrease, the quantities exported heing only 868,585 bushels of Wheat, and .1,515,817 barrels of JFIour. Before concluding we will add the following statements from Montreal Market letters*of the exports from that port and Quebec, since the Act came into operation. Qrs of Wlieal, Biir. of Flour. From Montreal, 8tb Nov. 1844 234,076 197,047 Quebec 26,886 204,868 Total to 8tb November. 1844 260.962 401,915 Total to 8th November, 1843 76.802 130,316 Arrivals at Montreal to 8th November, 1844, by canal and river. Bushel"; nf Wheat. Bar. of rioiir. Canada 374.088 465,267 United States 44,9il 112,332 419,009 577,011 Up to the 8th November, 1843 261,486 677,601 The following prices are quoted. Montreal, 9th November, 1844, Fine Canada Flour, 24s. to 24s. 6d. per barrel, fine Sour 23s. currency. Philadelphia (United States) 23rd November, On Saturday, iiOOO barrels of Flour sold at 4 dollars 25 cents, «Since that 1000 at the same price, and 400 half-barrels at ♦ Bell's Weekly Messenjjsr. 41 Brand)^wiiie, fetched 4 dollars 73 cents, per pair. Sales for city use 4 dollars 25 cents, to 4 dollars 37^ cents. Good extra brands 4 dollars 50 cents, to 5 dollars. Early in the tveek 4000 bushels of Pennsylvania red, <;oo(l and prime, fetched 92 to i)2| cents. Since then there have been sales of 11,000 bns!iels at 87 to 90 cents, from fair to prime red, and 80 to 85 cents, from fair to inferior lii^ht. JSw/a/o, (United States) 23rd November. The exports via the canal this month already exceed any monthly shipment this fall. Duriiia^ the week 47,000 'barrels of Flour, and 88,000 bushels of Wheat have gone forward. The whole . .lount cleared since October, is 108,000 barrels of Flour, and 315,800 bushels of Wheat, mostly for the European markets. New York, (United S-tates) 30th November. Baltimore Wheat 95 to 102 cents. North Carolina 98 cents. Delaware 10! to 102. New York, 14th December. Western Flour — Genessee 4 dollars 75 cents. Michigan and Ohio 4 dollars GSj cents. Southern 5 dollars to 5 dollars 50 cents, CONCLUSION. The Canada Corn Law question is surrounded with difficulties, but the measure certainly is injurious to the British Farmer. In grantinj^ the boon claimed by the Canadians of havino^ their own A^sricultural produce admitted into the United Kin^ulom nearly duty free, the British Government permits the introduction thioi'^,di Canada of United States' Wheat jr-rourid into Flour at a duty of only 4s. per quarter, Is. only of which goes to the British Revenue. From precediuir returns (pages 27 and 28) it appears that the total importation of Wheat and Wheat F\om from all the British Colonial possessions 111 theyear precedingthe passing of the existing Act wa > only equal to the consumption of England and Wales for I day and It) hours, and that the importation/zow Canada alone has, in the 12 months since the Act came into operation been equal to the consumption of England and Wales for 5 days 19 hours. The impoitation from all parts in the 11 months ending 5th December, 1844, was equal to the consumption of Fngland and Wales for 22 days. If, in the first season, there has been so large an increase we may reasonably anticipate that the stimulus given by the Act. will still further augment the importation troni Canada in succeeding years. Under the Act of 1842, Canadian Wheat and Flour €Oidd only come into the United Kingdom under the seal© 42 of prices and duties given in page 15 but now they can come in at Is. per quarter, without any reference to the prices in this country. The foljowinp: statement clearly shows that the new Act must be injurious to the British Farmer. In the year ending 28th December, 184-J, the hiiifhest weekly averai^e price of Wheat in this couijtry, wan 5()s. Gd. per quarter ; therefore if the present scale had been in operation, no Coloniid V« heat or Flour could have come in at less than os. duty. The lowest price: in the vear was 45s Id. Duly vvoiiM be s. «. alioiil. 5 weeks the price was at 5(5 and under 57 Us. per qr. 15 ditto ditto 55 „ 5(; 4s. 32 ditto ditto under 55 5s. We shall now cojicliide by referrinj:^ to only one other point: viz. the coiislructiou pat on certain words of the Act. Tn the Navi>jation Act (J 'Geo. 4, c. 10{), it is declared that "All mauuiactured <joods shall be deemed to be the produce of the country of which they an^ the man- ufacture." The Act 3 Wni. 4, c. 5i, repeats the declara- tion. TheAct of 1843. says that •* IVkeaf and WJual Flour the produce of tiie said Province of Canada" vhall be admitted at Is. duty. The plain common sense meaninaf of this passage is, tliat the Wlieat shall be the produce of Canada, and uader that interpretation of the woids, Canada would be only permitted to send here Wheat <^ro\vn iu the Province, or Flour ground from that Wheat. Thus she might send us all her own Wheat, and purchase of Foreign- ers for her own consumption, but authorities in this country have given a different meanin<^ to the words. When Lord Stanley brought forward the measure in the Commons, his Lordship stated that under the Act above quoted the broad principle was laid down, " That all vianufaclared goods shall be deemed to he the produce of the country of which tliey are the manufacture, but his Lordship added that it had been questioned whether this applied to corn. In 1825 Colonial Wheat was first permitted to be imported at a duty of 5s. per quarter, without reference to the price at home. In 1828, another alteration was made ; and in 1830 the Comptroller of Customs at Liverpool, entertaining a great doubt whether United States' Wheat ground in Canada could be admitted into this country as Canadian produce, applied to the Solicitor of the Customs on the subject, and that Legal Functionary gave his decided opinion that Flour made in Canada from 43 ! Wheat, the produce of the United States, was to bo deemed as the produce of Canada. Lord Stanley also stated that . in the 18th Geo. 3, (1778) it had been decided in the j Exchequer that ostrich feathers dressed in France were ! to be deemed French [produce for the purpose of duty. ' There has been no other legal decision on this important : question. ' It is much to be regretted that the Agricultural Members I did not make a stand upon that point, especially as their ' attention was called to it by Lord Stanley in a way that I might be considered an invitation to debate it. His Lord- ship observed, that it had been questioned whether the ' declaration above alluded to applied to corn. If in the I Canada Act the plain common sense interpretation had been I put on the words, and it had been declared that no Flour •j Sent here from Canada should be deemed Canadian produce, unless made from Canadian Wheat, the British Farmer would have had at least the consolation of knowing that J without fraud no United States' Wheat could be brought into the United Kingdom at u duty of 4s., unless the price ! of Wheat in this conntry was 70s. » The object of the preceding pages has been not so much • to give an individual opinion as to state facts, leaving I persons therefrom to draw their own conclusions. In the j approaching Session of Parliament the question will and must be fully discussed, and if it should be ascertained that the fears of the British Farmers are well founded, and that a great Legislative error has been committed, an endeavour ou^* t to be made to correct it, but the correction of that frr'or will be a matter of considerable difliculty, requiring the utmost deliberation and prudence. The pledge of the British Government to the Canadians has been redeemed by the British Legislature, and retraction would now be viewed by the Province with an angry feeling that might lead to most unhappy consequences. THE END. ^w'>-".^.r\^-»^s./>,/ --^y V *>^^v^ •-» 1 1 DUTTON, PlilNTER, CHliLMSFORD