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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmte en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un das symboles suivants apparaltra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selo*^ le cas: le symbols — i*'Signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableeux. etc.. peuvent Atre filmte i dee taux de reduction diff«rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul ciich*. it est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gjuche. de gauche d droite, et de haut en baa, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants iilustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 R E P O R T Exploration of Routes NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF OTTAWA RIVER, OK THE MONTREAL iRTHIRN COLONIMTION Rll r li o M CREXYILLE lo OTTAWA CITY. BY CHARLES LF.ddK. Ksi j., C. K„ and DUNCAN MACDONAUI), Kscj. ■^ > i ■■ pflntrtd llortljern Colfliti^ation llailtoaj). REPORT OF C. LEaGE, Esq., O.E., AND OF DUNCAN MACDONALD, Esq. The following is the report of Messrs. Leggo & Macdonald, which was pre- sented at a meeting of the members of the City Council, and a delegation from Ottawa county, held in the City Hall, on Thursday, the i2nd March, 1871 :— MoNTUEAL, 28th February, 1871. Sir, — In accordance with instructions re- ceived from the Directors of the Montreal Northern Colonization Kailway Company, we have visited and examined the country lying between the cities of Montreal and Ottawa, for the purprse of ascertaining, in so far as could be done by a cursory examination, the relative advantages presented for the location of the railway, on either the north or south sides of the Ottawa Kiver. We now beg to furnish the following report, as the result of our investigations, extending from the 20th to the 28 th of the present month. In order to comply with the conditions generally admitted as necessary, that the line should be an independent one, or, in other words, proceed direct from the city of Mont- real, in the direction of the Ottawa valley, and unconceded lands lying to the north of it, so fulfilling its functions as a colonization line, and unite with the Canada Central Rail- way, it was evident that no point of departure from the Grand Trunk line could be had, west of Montreal. The country lying between tliis city and Grenville, a point on the Ot- tawa about sixty miles from Montreal, being extremely favourable for railway location, .ind no great difference of opinion existing as to the route to be followed over the interven- ing space, our attention was more particular- ly directed to the country lying between lirenville and Ottawa city, and about which the utmost diversity of opinion existed in re- 'jard to its adaptability for a line of railway, jiarticularly on the north side, both with re- ference to physical difficulties, as well as to the amount of traffic which would be ob- tained, were the line to follow that shore. The failure of the Canatla Central Company to obtain from the Province of Ontario a re- newal of the Land Grant of 12,000 acres per mile, in aid of the work, if located on tha south side of the river, between Ottawa City and Hawkesbury, a village opposite Gren- ville ; while at the same time the Quebec Government offered and gave a renewal of the Land Grant, to the extent of five thou- sand acres per mile from Montreal to Gnn- ville, a distance of sixty miles, with an in- creased grant of fifteen thousand acres - . r mile from Grenville to Ayhner, a village v .* the Ottawa River about eight miles above Ottawa City, or a total distance from Gren- ville of sixty eight miles ; making an aggre- gate amount of assistance of 1,350,000 acres, coupled with the imperative condition, how- ever, that the line should be located entirely within the Province of Quebec ; it therefore became a question of great importance to the successful carrying out of the enterprise, to determine as to the possibility ef complying with this condition, and so securing the grant. On the other hand, a partial promise had been made by tlie Ontario Government of a money grant of from two thousand dollars to four thousand dollars per mile in aid of new railways, provided they headed in the direc- tion of Crown lands, and opened them up ; but not payable until the completion of the work. The uncertainty as to whether the line, if located on the south side of the river, between Hawkesbury and Ottawa City, could lay claim even to this moderate assistance, under the stipulations mentioned, will natur- ally cause the Company to view the north side with favour, providing the expense of construction bo not so largely in excess of that on the south shore, as to exceed the value of the Quebec Land Grant. Against the north shore it has been al- leged that tliR Laurentian Mountains ap- proach its margin, thus rendering the con- struction of a railway one of great cost, — that there is but little arable land, and that con- sequently no freight can be expected from agricultural productions ; that, even in the great item of sawed lumber, the south shore i exceeflH it ; that tlu; population in BparB«,aud from tho nature of tlio ground, but small in- crcaKo can be anticipated ; while, on the other hand the cotnitry lyin^ to tho gouth ot the Ottawa, or within the Province of Ontario, ofTers peculiar facilities for a line of railway, being comparatively level, with but few rivers to cross, and a fine agricultu- ral district, well settled, and promising n considerable amount of local freight in ad- dition to the great lumber traflie. How far the foregoing characteristics have been realized, our investigations will pre- tontly show. Wo will first give a brief description of the line and country explort;d along the north side, afterwaids of that on the south, with comparative statement of the principal pro- ducts, &c., Ac. Leaving the upper end of the Carillon and (h-enville Hallway, no difliculty is ex|)eri- enced in reaching the mouth of the Jiiver llouge ; at this point a spur of the liauren- tian chain approaches within a short distance of the Ottawa liiver, but with a sufficient space of plateau between for several lines of rails, at an ample height above high water. From the llouge to Papineauville, the pla- teau or space existing between the Ottawa and base of the Laurentides varies from one- fourth of a mile to a mile in width, with a height of from 20 to 40 feet above the river. The soil is clay, nearly al). cleared and culti- vated, and admirably adapted both in grades and directness of line for a first-class rail- way. In this distance but few gullies, and those containing only small brooks or streams, are encountered, presenting no difficulty in crossing. From Papineauville to Buckingliam the same general character of country is found, but with a considerably wider plateau, in some places possessing a width of six miles. The plateau, in fact, is divided into a series of terraces of from 20 to 30 feet in height and each upwards of half a mile in width,' running parallel to each other, and also to the Ottawa river. The line of railway could follow on either of the terraces so formed with equal facility, but as the most favour- able point for reaching the Nation River ex- ists near its mouth, it is probable that the lower terrace would be the most desirable one to adopt, affording, as it does, ample height over the flood waters of the Ottawa. We were greatly struck with the agricultural capacity of this section, much of which is imder cultivation. The large and flourishing village of Buckingham, with a population ol 2,000 souls, is situated several miles back from the mouth of the Eiviere du Lievre and is about 100 miles distant from Mon- treal. The village possesses several very ex- tensive establishments for the manufacture of sawn lumber, with an enormous water power yet available. The lumber is carried several miles by slides from the mills to the Ottawa river, where it is either rafted or placed on barges for transportation to mar- ket. The railway line could lass through the village, and short sidings be placed in immediate connection with the mills, or by following tho lower terrace, easy access can be had to the piling grounds at the endu of the slides and points of shipment. From Buckingham to Hull, opposite Ot- tawa city, a distance of nearly 20 miles, tho same favourable conditions for a first-class road still continue, with a fine fertile belt of from seven to fifteen miles between tlio fiaurentian Hills and the Ottawa liiver. The Gatineau, one of the most considerable streams encountered, enters the Ottawa at Hull, Its average width is upwards of GOO feet, with level banks and fine approachoii for crossing. It is navigable for several miles from its mouth by barges, Ac, to tho lumber piling grounds of Messrs. Gilmour & Co. 'i'he most favourable point of crossing, both with refer, ence to grades, and access to Hull and Ot- tawa, will l>e found near tho mouth of tho stream ; here either a high level bridge to permit barges, &c., to pass underneath to Messrs. Gilmour's depots, or one at a lower level, with a swing bridge, may be placed. By keeping the line further north, on a liigher plateau, or above the head of naviga- tion, the river may be crossed by an ordinary fixed bridge. The line into Hull by this lat- ter route will not, however, be so direct, or perhaps so cheap, as that by the front. Arriving at Hull, a connection can be had with the Canada Central Railway, on tho Ontario side of the Ottawa River," by a low level fixed bridge placed a short distance above the Chaudiere Falls. The total width of the river at this place is in the neighbour, hood of 4,100 feet, but it is very shallow, with rock bottom, and may be crossed in the greater part of the distance by slight embankments, as the adjoining banks are low, and the main channel only about 100 feet wide. Timber and saw logs be- ing the only things passing this point, the lower side of the bridge requires to bo elevated only a small height above high water. This point of crossing the Ottawa by a railway bridge will neither interfere with buildings nor streets, and is, in our opinion, by far the cheapest and best site for the purpose between St. Anns and Ottawa city. From Hull to Aylmer village the line will follow the margin of the river, over a direct and level route. The road, so located, will present great facilities of communication with steam sawmills to be placed on the banks of the Ottawa, and drawing iheir sup- plies of logs from the upper river. Between Hull and Aylmer a very good agricultural country is found, and many fine farms already exist. We were informed that tho next county to the west, Pontiac, was even superioi and well .".ettled, offering groat inducements for carrying the railway through it, and crossing into Ontario at Portage du Fort; but as Aylmer was the western limit of our explorations, we had no opportunity of a personal examination of that county. ^ I ;-{ At AyFtner (ho railway would form a junc- tion with tho steamers of the " Union For- warding Co," plying to a considerable diH- tance on the Uppei Ottawa, and wo applird to the officer* of this company in Ottawa for information respecting the tonnage of freight carried annually by their line, a considerable proportion of which the railway might rea- sonably expect to carry from Montreal to Aylmer, and thus avoid the expensive tran- shipment at the portage from Ottawa and Hull to Aylmer. This information we were unable to obtain, but that the amount would be considerable ia evident from tho fact that during the seven months of navigation ten large teams are constantly employed for freight, and eight stages, making two trips a «lay, for passenger traffic. As we have to do more particularly witli the County of Ottawa, on tho north side of that river, and with the Counties of I'rescott and Russell Hanking it on the south side, as the rivals to the railway, we will confine our remarks to these localities. From the Warden and several Mayors and leading inhabitants of Ottawa County, we learned— that the settled portion extended north from the Ottawa river to an average distance of about forty miles ; and that along the lines of several of the rivers to a dis- tance of from eighty to one hundred miles, settlers could bo found— that in this northern region excellent cereals and root crops were raised ; for instance, a yield of wheat had been obtained of froax 13 to 17 bushels from u bushel of seed eor/n, the land producing, of Indiai. corn 25 bushels per acre, potatoes 200 bushels, coarse grains about 30 bushels, and hay two tons to an acre. They moreover assert that, even with tho Laurentian Hills occupying part of the coun- ty, fully three-fifths of the total «rea is fit for tillage, and that many of these hills are sus- ceptible of cultivation to their very tops. From the table of agricultural productions, &o., of this county, which we have compiled from the census returns of 1861 (to be foimd further on), it will be seen that even at that period tho aggregate amount of farm pro- duce compares very favorably with the re- turns from the southern riva; counties. The population, as returned by that cen- sus, amounted to 27,7r)7 souls, and is now es- timated to equal 45,000. The gentlemen re- ferred to, claim, in the event of the railway beingibuilt on the north side, that it will bo perfectly feasible to construct cheap narrow- gauge roads, branching from the main line, and penetrating into the northern part of the county, and unconceded lands beyond; that, by tho railway connections and fa- cilities so obtained, vast and otherwise undeveloped mineral wealth would be- come productive ; that, owing to ex- pense of transport, even tho rich plumbago mines of Buckingham, in which a large amoant of capital has been expended, are to a large extent unproductive, or at least yield but a small percentage of profit, to that which they othcrwig* would ; and that many branches of industry, connected with the products of tho forest and mine, would spring into existence, by the aid of a railway, giving cheap and expeditious transport. They claim to have from five to six thou- sand men engaged in lumbering operations, and that the production of the forests would be much augmented by enabling the hard and non-fioatable timber to be sent to market. These gentlemen also point out the fact that the western peninsula of Ontario, or the section of that Province east of a line drawn from Prsscott to Ottawa city, and lying be- tween the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers, does not possess an average depth of over 40 miles. That on the south side, this narrow belt is already served by the Grand Trunk, the year round, and also in addition, during the summer season, by the navigation of tha St. Lawrence, and that of the Ottawa river on the north side. That the influence of the Grand Trunk railwa'^, for freight and passen- gers, is felt, and would continue to command tho traffic of a belt of country at least twenty miles in depth from the St. Lawrence, and thus leave only the remaining comparatively narrow strip of twenty miles for back country to the Canada Central, or any other road, if built along the south shore of the Ottawa. That a considerable portion of this country is occupied by peat bogs, and is, therefore, unprod "*ive in an agricultural point of view, that thv..e is no mineral wealth and but little timber left ; the supplies of saw logs, &c., now CUV) on the south shore, being drawn principally from the north, or Quebec side of the river. That the surplus coarse grains, grown on the south side, together with pork, butter, hay &c., now actually find their prin- cipal market on the north shore, to supply the lumbering establishments. That even were the railway placed on the south bank, it would have to be several miles back from the Ottawa, to avoid many deep gullies, and therefore be brought more immediately with- in the area of Grand Trunk influence. That in fact, it would have no back country at all, and but little traffic, with the exceptiom of lumber und even of this latter item, the prinripal supply would be drawn from Haw- k( sbury, half way between Montreal and Ottawa city, the lumber cut at Ottawa having two other lines of railway, striking the St. Lawrence at Prescott and Brockvillc, for its transportation, and which would be rivals to the south shore line. On the other hand, the railway placed along the north bank, while hav'ng a back country stretching to the North Pole, could also accommodate the ordinary traffic of the south side, to tlie Grand Trunk dividing line before referred to. The Ottawa, being com- paratively a narrow river, with long stretches of still water, freezes over during the winter season, and on the ice bridge so formed, freight and passenger trafifc can be conveyei! from all points on the south side of the iiver to thediflferent stations of the railway on the north shore, while during the period of navi- I Kfttion, the buiiio duty can bo porfornuMi by ferry boatH, in a cheap and oxpetlitious man- ner. Undwr all thcso circumstanceH, it is claimed tliat tiio maximum amount of utility t«) tiie city of Montreal, the agricultunij, lumbering, manufacturing, and minftig in- duHtricM, au well ah to tho country at large, for colonization purpoHUH, would be attained by tho location on tho north shore of the Ottawa lliver, ofthis Hcctien of what may eventually bo termed the "Canada Pacihc Railwoy." Thene views appear to be founded on just and correct principles, and demand the bust consideration of all parties interested in tho work, even apart from any question of differ- ence in cost of construction, by tho rival routes. Before concluding our special remarks with reference to tko north shore route, some allu- sion will bo made to tho subject of the rivers and streams encountered, with the extent of bridging necessary for the same, more espe- cially as tho public have been led to believe that this work would be found to be of a for- midable character. Leaving out, (in making a comparative statement,) the two branches of the Ottawa at Isle Jesus, and the North Iliver at St. An- drews, which will lie common to either of tho two routes, we find existing, between Oren- yille and Hull, nine rivers, three of them be- ing brooks or small creeks, and therefore scarcely entitled to the name of river. Tho aggregate length ot tho bridging required for the nine streams \\ill be 1650 lineal feet. To this should be added the length of the bridge over tlio Ottawa Itiver, above tho (Jhauditre Fulls, where the total waterway across the main channel and bays on either shore amounts to 4,100 feet. As before stat- ed, the water over the greater jjortion of this distance is extremely shallow, in fact the rocky bed of a considerable section is bare during the dry season, and, as already men- tioned, may be traversed by a cheap earth embankment, reducing tho bridge proper to a distance of about 1000 feet, which, added to the previous length for other rivers, will make a total of 2C50 feet of bridging between Grenville and Ottawa City, or the junction with the Canada Central Hallway. Naviga- ble streams not existing, no draw-bridges are required, for as already remarked, the Gatin- eau barge navigation is accommodated by keeping the bridge suliftciently high to per- mit vessels of that class to pass underneath. We will now refer more particularly to tho proposed route on the south side of the Ot- tawa, from Hawkesbury, opposite Grenville, to Ottawa city. Wc find that two distinct lines have been surveyed, tho first by Mr. Kingsford, C.E., about the year 1855, under instructions from tha Vaudreuil and Bytown RHilway Com- pany, and the second by Mr. Starke, C.E., engineer of the Canada Central Railway Com- pany. The first, between the city of Ottawa and Vaudreuil, formed a junction with the Grand Trunk Railway at the latter place, keeping several miles back from tho Ottawa river, in its entire distance, to avoid gullios, and therefuro not striking tho water at Hawkesbury. This line passes over an exceed- ingly favourable country for grading, and iu this respect, is about e(|ual to tho North-shore route previously described. In tho item of bridging, however, it is largely in excess of its northern rival, especially if crossing tho river between Hawkesbury and Grenville. On this route we find between Ottawa and Hawkesbury fourjivers and canals to cross, which, with several minor streams, require an aggregate of 2,2(50 feet of bridging ; and if to this be added the length required to span the Ottawa river and canal at Grenville (2000 feet), wc have a total of 42C0 lineal feet of bridging, as against 2G50 teet by the North side. Mr, Starke's survey, from Ottawa to Hawkesbury, does not extend so far inland as that of Mr. Kingsford. His line also passes ov-r an extremely favourable country, but giving an additional amount of bridging. The estimate by this line is 3000 feet, and il to this be added, as before, the bridge to Grenville, 2000 feet, we obtain a total of 5000 lineal feet, or 2350 feet in excess of the bridging on the North shore. It may be asked : Why cannot the river at Hawkesbury and Grenville be contracted by embankments similar to the plan proposed at Ottawa ? We reply, for the following reasons : During high water in spring, vessels de- scend the river and return by the Carillon and Grenville Canal ; if, then, the bridge bo placed on a low level, two swing bridges will have to be provided for the navigation. These two fruitful sources of danger, to- gether with a third one over the Rideau Canal, at Ottawa, ore objectionable features in the route, more especially in the event of its becoming the great through line. When we speak of a "low level bndge" in this connection, it is but in a comparative degree, as since during the period of high water the surface of tho Ottawa rises to a con- siderable height above tho summer or low water line, the lower chords of the bridge would require to be sufficiently high above the upper level to permit rafts of timber, with cabins, etc., to pass freely through either of the spans. The rail level under these conditions would bo at a coimidernMe height above the bed of the river, and neces- sitate heavy embankments to carry the lino on either side to the river banks, which are also of considerable height. These exten- sive embankments, if made, would probably cost as much per lineal foot as the bridge superstructure. On the other hand, if wo eliminate the swing-bridges, »nd adopt a high level crossing above the navigation, fiimilar to the Grand Trunk R.iilw.i" hrid'rj! at Bt. Aim's, the embankments, abutments, and piers will become proportionally higher and more expensive. In view of these con- siderations, we can see no means of lessening 'I llio IciiRtli of thin biidge from about tho Ul^uruH givou. Having had accesH to tlie maps and profiloH of tho two lines sur-oycd, und from tliewc- doctunentH obtained hh reliablo infovnistion ix» if weliad Kono over thu ground, we. decid- ed on f(yIlowiug tho travelled road from Ottawa City to Ifawkesbtiry, as it would givo us an opportunity of examining the country bordering moro immediately on the river. For most of tlie diatancc, we ascertained that tt line ngricultunil country existed, with no special difficulties in the way of a good rail- way line, with tiio exception of the gullies before referred to, and that the line might not be (juite as direct as those surveyed. The relative disbmces between the two points, Ottawa City and Grenville, by either the north or soutli shores, may be coasidered e(iual, and tho total length of line to Montreal be taken at aljout 120 miles. A saving in cost of construction will no doubt bo obtained by the adoption of the north shore or Quebec line, owing to the extra cost of bridging via the south shore routes. What tlie precise cost of either route will bo, we cannot state, without determining the actual amount required for the bridge at Grenville. We are enableu, however, to form a pretty close approximation from esti- mates, actually made, of the lines on the south side, to which we have added the usual sum per mile for rolling stock, plant &c., Ac; and also a sufWcient amount to cover the three large bridges required. B'rom these data, we estimate that the railway between Montreal and Ottawa, built in a first class ityle, and completely equipped, will cost, by either of the lines described, about $30,000 per mile, or a total sum of $3,000,000. To assist in arriving at a decision as to which of the routes obould be adopted, in view of monetary considerations, tho follow- ing figures are submitted : — FirH — Line from Montreal to Ottawa City, m North Shore; distance, 120 miles: — Total cosi, as above.. $3,600,000 To meet this expendi- ture the Comjiany will have the land grant of 1,200,000 acres, worth, say, $1 per acre ?1,'!00,000 Montreal municipal grant 1,000,000 Municipal grants of intervening coun- ties, &c .500,000 Leaving amount re- §2,700,000 quired to bo raised by private subscrip- tions for stock, and sale of bonds $ 900,000 Second — Line from Montreal to Ottawa CUjr, via South Shore ; distance, 1 20 miles :^. Total cost aa before. . $.1,600,000 To meet this expendi- ture the Company would liave : Mont- real municipal grant as before $1,000,000 Municipal grants of intervening coun- ties as before 500,000 Asuraed maximum aid from Ontario Gov- ernment of $4,000 per mile for 60 miles 240,000 $1,740,000 LcaTlng amount to be raisea by private subscriptions for stock, and sale of bonds 1,860,000 $3,600,000 $3,600,000 The Company will, therefore, be in the fol- lowing financial position : — North Shore Line. — Amount re- quired to be raised from private sources $ 900,000 South Shore Line. — Amount re- quired to be raised from private sources $1,860,000 From this comparison, it is evident that the northern rival carries off the palm in tho financial interests of the company to the ex- tent of $960,00b, an amount sufficiently great to turn tho scales in its favour, even apai-t from other considerations, which make it still more to preponderate. In explanation of the foregoing values given to tho governmental grants of the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, we may observe, that, in tho opinion of many well informed persons, the money value we have attached to tho land granted by the Province of Quebec is far within the mark. Various values have been asaigned by the parties in question, varying from $2,400,000 to $46,000,- 000, basing their opinions on the valuable timber limits, mining properties, &c., covered by the land itself. We have endeavoured, in making this comparison to keep safely with- in reasonable limits, and think our estimate a. fair one. The greater portion of the land is at present inaccessible to settlers, and must continue so for some years to come ; it cannot therefore at present be sold for anything liko its intrinsic value ; but if the company, by municipal and private aid, can raise the greater portion of the amount required to construct the road, the land will eventually, no doubt, become of greater value, and furnish good collateral security to the municipal and private stockholders iu addition to the actual railway itself, of which they will be the pro- prietors. We presume the most enthusiastic friends of tho scheme do not anticipate very large direct returns on tho inrentmcnt, beyond working expenses, at least whiio tho work continues in its present proportions, termi- nating at Ottawa or Aylnier. A union witli tliu Cunaila Central, and, by this nieariH, an oxtcUHinn westward along tliu Ottawa valley, rroHsing at tho Sault Ste. Marie, and forming a junction with tho American Northern I'acitto Road, now in course of construction, will reduce the dis- tauco of tho overland railway route from Pacific to Atlantic oceans between 400 and 000 miles, over tho shortest existing Ameii- can line. With this connection effected, at an early date, and it has already strongly recommend- ed itself to the promoters of tho great Pacific line, tho enormous traflic east and v/est will flow over our link in tho chain and rich re- turns will follow, or tho lino bo leased at a figure which willfurnish a good percentage on tirHtcost,the municipal and other stockholders also retaining their interest in the rema! 'nv, portion of lana grant, assuming that wo u^vu not estimated its value sufficiently high, and that it will not all be required to 'aid in tho first construction of the road. It will thus be seen that apart from tho immense indirect advantages and profits to be derived by tho city of Montreal, and the intervening muni- cipalities traversed by and bordering on the railway, a great direct value may attach itself to their investment before many years. In reference to the aid supposed to bo given by tlio Ontario government to that section of tJie road within the province of Ontario, we have t«vken the4nost liberal view possible in favour of the financial grant to the south shore line. The act of the Ontario Legislature, passed last session of Parliament, authorizes tho Lieutenant Governor in Council to grant aid in construct!, u of railways to tho extent of Sl,500,000. ThT amount of aid so extended '' is not to be less than $2,000 nor more than §4,000 per mile, and in favour of lines leading to, or through sections of the country remote from existing thoroughfares, or passing through thinly settled tracts, or leading to the ' Free Orant Territory,' or to the inland waters. ' Whether the section of the country traver- sed by the proposed line in the counties of Prescott and lUissell will come under the above conditions of tne act is doubtful ; or, if theright'to the grant be decided affirmatively by the Ontario Government, whether thoso two old settled and comparatively wealthy counties will be entitled to more than the minimum amount of $2,000 per mile is still more uncertain. We have, however, given the line in our estimate the benefit of tho maximum sum of $4,000 per mile. We will now bring our report to a close by drawing your atleation to the following table, giving the amounts of , the leading products of agriculture and of the forest, &c., for the counties of Prescott and Russell, on the south side, and of tho county of Ott«wa on th» north bank of tho river. These ret fi are official, being extracted from the census of 1861, and shew most conclusively th.it, even ct that period, tho county of Ottawa possessed a much more considerable amount of wealth and population than the two rival counties combined :— Comparative table of products, Ac, of Coun- ties, North and .South sides ofOtUwa Rivor. {Exlrackd/rom itatittici qf C\n»ui, 1801.) I I ^ '-' ° -i oi tv «o !.: J3 i-s X W re'se o-as — c.3"a 3 s ^; o -a PS mmm ii t c 5 in ?: = i .s -g >•*- CO a -4- 1 ^ V) is £; MS 20 c '« ^ X'Jl sro |S2 a: 2£ 3 MU & ?S£ , , ?" 1 ?? 3* n^ Ha 1 3 T Oa r. c N.B.— This last Item is not derived from tho same source as the preceding ones, but Is found- ed on data obtained very recently. The census returns for 1871 are not yet in a sufficiently forward state to enable us to ascertain the relative gain in products, but, no doubt, thej have increased proportionably I • r I with the popiiJfttion, tho ialler of wliich ii about aH follows: — ^ouls. I'opiilation of PrrRcott and nuMcIl, tontains by ^oi.sus of 1861 22,32.1 " " for 1871, ns enO- matod by Mr. Hagar, M.P., for tno ^■«>"^'icH 35^000 IncrcftRO of 12 677 or nay at tho rrtc of 57 per cent in tho' ten years. SouU. ropiiiation of Ottawa County by cen- 8UH of iHtJl 27 757 " for 1871, HR tistimated by Mr. McKay, Warden of tho coun- ♦y 45,000 I- oasoof 17,243 or at the rate of say 00 per cent in the same time. Ah before stnted, the aKrieultural products of tho north Hide aro principally for homo ( onsumption ; largo supplies are also im- l)ortcd from tho south shore of the Ottawa for the UHc of ihe northern lumbering estab- lishments, such r.i coarse grains, pork, flour, butter, &c. The County of T' ntiac, adj ining Ottawa County on the wcti, and which will make use of the railway from Aylmcr, and no doubt soon be traversed by it, makes tha following exhibit in the census of 18G1 : Cereals 547,8 1 bushels Hoot Crops 37f',5SG " Hay 10,711 tons Cash value of farms and implements $1,2(' 3,054 T,ive Stock 25,019 head Value of do $.'580,076 15uttcr 202,212 lbs Cheese 4,597 " Population 13,257 souls. From all wc could learn, the increase in this co'ui'/ has been even greater during the past ten years, than in either of the three counties before mentioned. For some years to come, it is not proba- ble that the city of Montreal will draw any great amount of farm jiroduce from any, or all of these counties, but on the contrary will, by the railway, have an opportunity of furnishing to ihe lumbering establishments large quantities of supplies now forwarded by other cities or towns. Tho counties ol Terre- bonne, Two Mountains, and Argenteuil, tra- versed by the road v ill form the principal sources of supply for market and other pro- duce required bv the city. A large passenger traffic may reasonably be expected, as all in and east of Montreal will take this route to the capital. It is however in the trade in sawn lum- her that the road must principally look for its traffic returns. By the table it will be seen that the amount cut annually in the county of Otta- w.t is TftriouRly esti -atod at from 1 ,S0 ooo - 000 to 200,000,000 toot, but wo will assume ttio less"f quantify as correct. It is further stated that otdy about two thirds ot this quantity is moved forwanl by water <lailng the season of navigation, having, say, 00 000 - 000 feet on tho piling grounds ; that there is a v.a<lo springing up in Canada and the Lniteo States by whicli smi!! Lalers supply themselves from time to time during tho winter, or ev.n during the summer, with one or more car loads of lun.ber as tli,.y require It, and so av< id the extra charge demanded by the large dealers at Montreal, JJurlington, and Albany : that with increased railway facilities this trade will ?.« largely augmented : that during the summer monUis the canal navigation of the Ottawa is quite uno(iuaI to the task of accommodating the greatly riultiplied dema.ids on it: that by carrying Jie railway from Hull to Ottiiwa City, an increased annual production of 180- 000,000 feet is found, at least one third part of which could be moved forward by railway making a total for both sides of the river oi 110,000,000 feet as a reservoir of freight for the rai 1 way to ( 1 raw f rom . The lumber mer'hants of the Ottawa also a.S8ert that a largo trade with South America and southern ports is coming into existence, and IS dcstmed to assume great importance • that with the railway in operation, a constant stream of sawn lumber will bo poured i .to Montreal, meeting the shipping at Ilochelaga with suitable dock accommodation at that place ; that, in fact they require all the addi tional outlets for this traffic, which can be furnished, either by water or by rail, to the mother city of Montreal, if possible, but fail- \nz her, m some other direction ; that they as well as tho municipalities, are prepared and anxious to give all the aasistance in their l)ower, m furtherance of tho work, and ex- pect a helping hand from the city. From a careful examination of \/hat has been advanced, either with" reference to en- gineering features, cost, tvith sum of money to be rpised, amount of trade to be accommo- dated, and colonization purposes to be ef- fected, it is thought you will have no hesita- tion in arriving at the same conclusion we have, and which, it is hoped, may be unani- mously endorsed and accepted by Montreal and other mnnicipalities, that the location of tne railway from this citv to Ottawa should be on the north side of the river, or entirely within the Province of Qucbe-. and t' it tlio sum of $1,000,000 be appropru^ed by Mon- treal, for this, to her, most important i ail- way. We have the honour to be, Sir, Tour obedient servants, CHARLES LEGGE, C. E., DUNCAN MaCDONALd! To E. Lef. de Bellefeuille, Esq., Secretary Montreal Northern Coloniza- tion Railway Company, Montreal. 8 I The following letter, addrcBsed to Alonzo Wright, Esq., was also read : — Ottawa, Ist March, 1871. Sir, — We re^iCt that we are just now un- able to comply with your request that wo would accompany you to Montreal to be pre- sent at the meeting to be held in that city in advocacy of the Montreal and Northern Colo- nization Railway. A business experience of from twelve to fifteen years in Central Ca- nada has fully taught us the almost impera- tive necessity to the North Shore of the Ot- tawa of the construction of the proposed road, and it would therefore afford us great pleasure to be able to advance in any de- gree the interests of so important a pro- ject. In the construction of a railroad between Montreal and Ottawa, the proposed North Shore route seems to us to possess vastly superior advantages to any other. The country through which the road would pass is well adapted to agricultural purposes, and also abounds in undeveloped mineral wealth, which two facts of themselves in our view would be sufficient inducements to gua- rantee its construction, because giving positive promise of an immense local trade. There still remains, however, another con- sideration, that cannot be urged in favor of any other route than the North Shore line, but which, in the absence of any other mo- tive, might well be deemed of sufficient im- portance to warran' the extension of rail- way communication from the commercial metropolis of the Dominion through a sec- tloii of country so prolific of trade as that between Montreal and Ottawa, North of the Ottawa river, will be found to become. We refer to the fact that the whole section in question is a vast pinery made accoSKible by some three or four largo rivers, draining in the aggregate a vast area of country, and re- quiring in its development an amount of supplies that alone would constitute a very large item of trade to any business centre. Nor is this timber rendered valueless through want of a market, but commands within easy distance the best lumber consuming country in North America, viz., the United States. This opening up of a winter communication ; this joining of manufacturer witli consum- er, by a narrow gauge, all rail route, reliable and at all times available, is obviously of so great an importance as to require no argumen- tation. Looking nt the matter in a local point of view, and as affecting our own interests, we can only say that the more perfect and direct the communication between Montreal, the head of navigation on the St. Lawrence for ocean vessels, and Ottawa, and the more inti- mate connection between tlie lumber con- suming cities and towns of the New England States and the manufacturing interests of our city, the better. We regret that we cannot accompany you to assist in the furtherance of this great scheme. We remain, dear sir, Very truly yours, H. F. BRONSON, A. BALDWIN, PEKLEY k PATTEE, .1. R. BRubH, LEVI YOUNG. To Alonzo V. tioHT, Esq., M.r.I'., Hull. 1 "Gazittk" Priktino IIousk, corker Obaio a.nd St. Francois Xavikk Stkkkts. 1 p] R R A T A Piiffo 1. — For ■' reaching'' the Kation Kivcr, read " bridginj:,"' etc. " ''>. — I'or " Western '' Peuiiisula of Ontario, )Vrt;? " Eastern," etc.