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TBM PRESENT CONDITION
a
Of
NEWFOUNDLAND,
WITH SUGGESTIONS
FOR
iMPROVINtt ITS INDOSTSIAL
AKD
COMMERCIAL RESOUBCES.
BY STEPHEN MARCH. ESQ.,
Member of tJu A»tembly for the Ditfrict <^ Triniiif B^y.
DEDICATED BT PEIXISSION
To Bis ExceUaocy Kn Rinxn: BAmtnm, Aimw, Ac, Ac^ 4c^
Gofcner of tlia Coloajr.
J. T. Bonwr,
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TO niS EXCELLENCY,
KEE BAILLIE EAMIITON, Esquire.
G<v.rnor and Commander-in-CMef, in and over the Uand
cf XewfomJland, and iu Lepmdenciet, ^c, ^c, ^c.
lie Mowing brief attempt to point out some of the Cmcs
Of the present depressed state of this fine Coloay,
And to suggest some practical remedies,
Is, with hi3 pcrmissFon, Respectfully inscribed.
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PREFACE.
The sabstance of the following pages, has already been lak
before the Public, in a eeriea of letlers recently publiahed ii
Th» Public Ledger, ^
The Author has been induoed to publish his letters in the
present form, by the request of his friends, who have, bj
very flattaring testimonials, expressed their approyal of theii
contents.
It is due to the public to state that, in this humble attempt
to benefit my country, I have been assisted by a friend, who hi
«hosen that the result of our joint labours should be publishe
in my name, rather than in his own.
St John's, N. F.,
December 4lh, 1854.
STEPHEN MARCH
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INDEX.
The Crisis
*
Ciuv.
I
Pagf
1
Emigration
II
o
Bounties
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Agric^ulture
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15
Ship Building .
V
19
Freight
VI
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Oak Staves. .
VII
26
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CHAPTER I.
THE CRISIS.
The last eight years of Newfoundland's historj lias been tli';
most reniarkablo period of bcr colonial existence. In coianioi.
with tiic world at larj;c, she has had her share of suffering iu
this eventful age. The calamities of this colony commenced
with the fire, ^liu'li hnmnt] ^Im m etropolitan city. St. J ohn's.
onJI\icsdaj%J^uno Oth^lHi^. All the Merchants' stores, ^vitli
one eiceptioa only, from River Head to the foot of Garriso
Hill, were burned down. The Post Office, Lank, Commerci?!
Rooms, Custom House, Theatre, and Epis'^opal Ch"-ch — al
were con^med in less than ten hours ! The scones of that
eventful day will ncycr be erased from the mind of the thought
ful epcctator, while memory retains its power in the body. Th-
fire broke uut in a Cahinet-maker's shop, near the top of Queen
Street, al>cut half-past 8 o'clock, a. m., and soon spread witi
fearful rapility in the West end of the cfty. At 10 o'clock tec
tliou:-an.l r-ersons were actively engaged in the two lower streets
in e.xtinguLsLiijg the flames and preserving property. When, lo
the fire burse forth from the Nunnery and Roman Catholic
School House, situated on a most comman-Ung position. North
Wcdt cf the town. The flames from the two buildings sho:
fiercely to tlie skies. A strong West wind, blowing a gale at
tho time, took the burning embers and flung them on all thi
<*ity beneath. A panic seized the people. The soldiers were
<'ompollcd to abandou their engine to the flames. Sir Jon.\
IIabvev, Colonel Law, md other gentlemen, encouraged tin
men to p«r*cvr.rc ; but the (ire broko out in all directions, am
'laffled their ciier;;}' and zeal. What a moment in that cityi
history ! Mother?, with infanta in their arms, and with youm
cliildren clinging to their skirts, fled to the hills for life. Others
f:ii;>ted in tho strcots ; their little ones imploriug help from the
uldcn.
corpse
passers by. The aged and sick wore carried on ti|fc sho
or in tho arms of their sons and relatives. There wa^the
Kxcitcd and conscioticc-strickcn mortals were seen upou thcir|
'<i»>j^ &.>«)««
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knoos, ana wjtii han. - outstretched to Hcavou ImrlorcJ runr-
Despair paral^rzed the oucrgies of others, Avho .at b a .'u
^touj^vmnnt at iho «.:unc Desperate men who saw ^" . "n '
and labours of ycara destroyed in an hour hr-.in V ,'.♦;'
cur.ir.g and ravfn, U..,hjj ; and in m^"^ ants at- doi; .(
On the 19th of the foUowiBg September, a most awful to;npc.t
raged round the whole coaat of Ne.rfooLdland atrcw n'^it
sl^ores with the wrecks of the fisherman's p;o^rv'^ 11 ^
1 ^ .? /^" °PQ" ttie jfou7g^V of the d ty'a wealth U
jnthcred the hnd^ St John's has arisen, UkeYph'S out
Its own ashes But who shaU restore the lost proLoi tv to
hundreds of pUnters who were utterly ruined by ^the^storm '
^he^^wtdo^'t^f h' thebcreaved^famiUes an^ Ihe Snl
^^e ^widows, the husbands and sons who found a watciy
u^eaafi^jL^ater scourge than either of the former. iT^^^^
^erefoUowed by hunger, starvation, and deathly fl'no^L
serera^ mstances Extensive and repeated failures of tl^.fiZ
enes have broujht up the rear of tbese ealamities ; and tie
country IS sounding the depths of ruin '
NeTffoundland is not alone in her sufferings. Dunn- the
gst seven years, the Almighty has been shakiu^^ the earth
be « arose out of His holy habitation," « stretched out U^ '
A™U- w /°^ withermg stroke, vegetation was Ji^eaacd
A nation's food was destroyed in ita. season. Ireland su^'red
the horrors of fdmone, and the scourge of the pestilence AH
nauons felt the blow in a greater or iJsser degre^e Had suet a
fomme been mflicted a hundred years ago, iJeiand .^uld have
^nted gravc-d,ggcrs. But christian and Mahomcdan people
i«nt her the fru.te of iheir be cvolcnoe. - God ar«»" Urn
Tu Irut 5^''"''"'^ fr ^'^''^P*'- ^'<* -^^ veS^rabie fir™.
»tU to ruins. Tlic groat body mercantile staggered as a muii
S^::^ rd^if, ^^'-^^^^'^'-^-PPed. G'o'-dstrurkatW
'iov\ and *'km/rdoms were moved." " Tlirones re cast
eVlVlZ'^li^i::^^''-^'^'^^^ '^"^ lining °«p his hand,.
Tu.'"^^^ '^.'»* ^{^-tTam onc^ more on Ltahr. -A^r.'
-:-^ ■^-cn^Proiiui.inity coma^andeU the pesUlcnce, ^hish had
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liiilxrto vi/itcil only isolaldl ix-rllons of tl»e world, to walk
i|h'>ii;^Ii t!io wiiolo c.irth. Kvorj nation trembled, cia Its victims
toll liuiiciitli " tlio desUuction which \m8toth af. noon dav."
'• A thousand hns fallen at our side, and ton thousand at our
\\i.']d hand." War auceocda tJis [)cstilcnco. It cloavea the
w >rld in twam ; and dead nren " eolder up the rift.'' To talk.
(Iti-ioforcj of the calamities of a single colony, in an aga of
itiiivcrsal sorrow, mav appear to souic a grfiT^d impertinence,
►^arveying,
" Woe's wide empire; where deep troubles toss;
Load sorrows Lowl ; enrcnotued passions bite ;
Ravenous calamities our vitals seize,
And threatening fat* wide opens to devour."
Newfoundland mcy ask " What then am I who sorrow for
n\vsclf'r"
It is the crisis of her history. In politics, in commerce, and
in morals, this colony has reached a point peculiarly interesting,
doubtful, and dangerous. " lietpomilU Government" is the
watch word of political partisans. " Tho old system," they say,
mu be demolished." Not knowing whero to lay tlieir hand
on the real causes of the country's distress, they blindly accuse
the Govemmont. A large and increasing debt, witL all its
incumbrances, threatens the colony with min. The civil ad-
ministration has been ioipcdcd. Its wheels hare been locked.
Delegates have crossed and re-crossed tlie sea ; to point out to
Imperial Authorities at home the state of things abroad. Tlie
wisdom of our ablest men is baffled in their attempts to relieve
tho condition of the country. Dissensions and disputes run high
among the nilini^ powers. Fierce factions are forming. It is
1)ut the bo^iutiing of strife. On the heights of political power
there arc aigns of an approaching storm. It is tlw crisis of
Xeuj'ou/idlatiJ's polidral Iditory !
The Commercial systcra of the colony is changing. Tlie old
system of supplying for the (l;iheries is breaking up. An over-
\\i«lo\iing, evcr-deepeninq grave of pauperism Sireatcns to en-
^alt tho supplier and tlie supplied. Poverty and debt — twin
genii of evil, play the n-.hermaii, as a victim, into each othcr'»
Laud.;. They arc sapping the foundatiuua of his character.
His honesty and integrity are tottering to ilieir fal|| The
Merch;uit cannot trust him with a winter's supply, as foriierly.
nerativc sources of labour and profit ; the ravages of the potatoo
. r^-^^^mm'^yiuk^ik.m.-i ',d,Mt.id.'\-l0mif-Aam^l*^^
4
digcaso ; tbo lottery of the scal-fisherv ; and tlie unlvcrful
poverty of the oatport population, arc clcmeuta of duBtructlou t,.
thci old gjstem of " Sai^^ly^ which ^rait for the grasp of a l-old
Wd vigorous arm to mould them into means of cood. " li'ci-
procUy tvith the State,- IS th# great subject of talk on 'Change.
Xhe great Repubhc haa long had her oje upon our " w€a]th ..f
ttie seas, and is sparing no pains to obtain Her Majesty's ron-
aeuttothe exchange of oar fisheries for the barren liters of
v>apo Cod, It 18 the cnm qf our Commerre '
The geographical position pf Newfoundland has, ar Icnrth
awakened atten^on. Long has this storm-beaten Island etoo^l
wuh outstretched arms to the travellers of the sea, offering her
services as Nature's Great Post Office. But the nations of the
earth have passed her in contempt. They have branded her
with an ancient curse. They have deemed her a modem Tyre—
* a rock for tJie fisherman to spread his nets tipon." Gixdkd
with ice, enveloped in fogs, emitting effluvia from flake and vat,
they have imagined her a knd of terrors. But the li^-lt of
science is beginning to guild her rugged brow. iMea rf^cund
prachcal judgment have discoveicd her grand dcstinv in tlie
kingdom of nature. They view her as tho Guardian Antrel of
the coasts of iho Continent. She shields the gardeis and fields
of the West from the mountams and masses of ice from Grern-
land and Labrador. Possessed of the finest harbours and lays
in 'Jie world, she stands as a mid-way port of call or ;he marne
higii road of commerce, from the kingdoms of the East: t^ the-
EepuWicof the West. Men of capital, energv acl s'^ir, arc
biuldmg a Telegraph Hue across the country. Tiiey arc iVin"
ns a materia! guaranko that they will place Newfou;."l! ind
within five days or five seconds of Great Britain ! Whvn thev
have endowed her witJi all the accompliahmentB of sciecec. sho
will be an important link in the mighty chain of f: au.-rnity v'lrich
shall girdle the nlobc. ft is the crisis of h'.r hiH<mj !
In ibis condition of Ngwtbwndland how various ar-j the tem-
pera and character of ita people ! From tho finiesconco of the
selfish apathist, to tho extreme of fc.ir, in those wbo^^e tottcnn;,'
fortunes threaten them with destruction, tho native cbam.^tor is
sera as diversified in ita varieties as in degrees. I shall not
suffer my own enert-;c> to relax in ccn.^'-finoucs of tin* f^ imer,
neither shall I yield ti despondency from the inflner.ce jf the
litter. But I ^Jlall proceed to c.xfimine and j^oint out the
- T-, su: :c;:jw"aiMS |i<r;^Ko3Q if» iiif iuiv .iut a'ivri 01 O'u L'OHUECrciai
oon'Titiou.
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CHAPTER 11.
EMIGRATION.
The phyBical and moral condition cf Nc^vfouudland at the
preacnt moment is a cause of general and anfci<;ncd sorrow.
The poverty and distress of the outport population are unparel-
leled in degree. lieforc the festivities of the *' merry Christmas,"
and the " happy new year" of the great world of Christendom
shall have passed away in the approaching season, hcndrcds of
the people of the colony will be ready to perish with hunger,
unless the merchants or the government eap] ly them with bread
m return for labour. The ahle-bcdicd man, the strong youth,
the infant at the breast, the man of lioary Jiairs, the widow, the
fatherless, the afflicted, will all alike sufier the horroxa of famine
and the sorrows of want.
I am rot painting fancy sketches. Tlic living image of
famine Is before me. I reside in tlie outj-ortij. I am a frefjuent
visitor to t!ie abodes of the fishermen. I aui familiar with their
habits, their wants, and their deplorable condition. And I am
convinced from personal observation, and the many facts w^hich
reach me from the most authentic sources in all parts of the
lai;d. that the government must citiicr feed the people during
the winter, or remove them to a j\uc»<0( provislorj and labour.
The only interest I have in sounding Ae alarm is the eonoar of
the government and the sal- aon of its subjects. Shall the
mi^liticst nation upon the face of the earth hcfe the splendour
cf iu escutcheon disuncd by tho dying breath of itfl faaiue-
smittcn people ?
** But ihe Colonial Oovemment it in dtht ; and to detplff
involved^ that like a th'p affrounJ, it cannoi move to lite reacu*
of thote that are ready to j)cnth. Tlterffure, the people tpJic
cannot obtnin rnjtpUen for the muter ^ nvr sujjport themselvet by
the fisliPry^ muU emigrate.** g
Emigration, as a means of relief, meets with ed70catci(an«l^
0T*T5*fientsi i\i£i !2*»-.-».5- -/»T-.c'. J=t-jiK!-. i-.sjin: ■ " » - .
Let 03 examine both sides of the qucsticn.
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The adrocatotj for emigratJou consider Iho failare of the eliore-
fiaherj. " It is inadequate to the Eupport of tho people irbo
lia?c, until recently, subsisted upon it." The general destruc-
tion of the potatoe crop bj disease e?cry season, and tlie
Btarility of the soil on the sea coast, arc viewed as evidences in
proof that Newfoundland has no sources of support fo.- man in-
dependent of its fiiberies.' The readiness and ease bv which
the surplus popuktion mighlfbe shipped off at a small expense,
borne bj the government, ta more ferule lands and genial climci,
is an argument in favour of tiie emigration scheme. It is said
** tJjG remedy is at our own dftors." We have not to look acrow
the broad Atlantic, and prepare for a long, tedious and expen-
iiT« Toyage, as our friends and countrymen of Great Britain
han. We are within a few days' sail of Canada, New Brunswick,
Nova Scotiii,-H!olonies of orfr own Empire, and in each of which
our perishing fishermen could obtain labour end bread. Of
Canada, no mention need He made— it is a land of promise— -it
is already marked out as the future home of many a Newfound-
lander. Rushing forth with mighty speed to the heights of /
commftrcial power and greatness, Canada commands the wonder
and admiration of the world. The whole of the Nowfoundhind
population might live upon " the crumbs which fall from tho
ricii man's tablo.** Should it be thought too distant and too
e^cpensive a vcuruge, to expntriate our poor to Canadt, wt hi?o
l^ovi Scotia near us, a Province which, though long considered
a»» second Newfuundland, has commenced her march on the
«hig^^y of prosperity. Proverbial as Uiis country has been for
vJSir sterility and uui^enial dime, yet she is going, a head of
nxteen of the older btates of America in the prodaetioos of her
waSi and tho manufactures of her people.*
Besides the proximity of this flourishing Province, the adfo*.
catea of emigration have received from tho Nova Scotians a
hearty invitation through tbc correspondence of tho Hon. Joseph
HowB. That gentlemai irritcs under date of June 6, 1854.
** Toor letter of llie jrd in4.,he9 given me ptm and plearare->paio,
beeaaee I wu grieved to know that tbe inhabtdnte of • ocigHboarinff
C-Jionjr aboald p«noiIicaII^ nffiir for want of tbe oecestanei of life ;— end
ptcMsarc, vbei I r«>flact haw eacHy tbej m'gbt, in i^HTcw dayt, bo trant*
ported to a couatrj', where atiii (casoni, tbe induitriona and the bagfl
can command, not onljr tho tteeestariet, bot many of the luxuries of life.
IloQ'ib I have derer been ia Newfonndland, tbo«e of ita inhabitants thai
*Str Uuafarit I^UarcbtUiC^ B«pon.
) bLV« seon \\^tt, Mro » robuU, hardy cUm of men, tb«| fa 2io*a Seotk
vtmld live in plonty, «i!b bu Rkl«n»iva abnico ot' ptmifitib
" In NSvii b^-oti* wo do not follow lb« Itbdry M AMloiif % « is Nuw*
fganUbnd. nor Innib«rin^ u in Ke-w UruMwick. The twik aTwr pi^ilo
Bdt fartncri. A Urj;« body living on ilik aca-coatt art fuhennen, bot not
fiilicrmcn only. Having plenty of fino tiuibur, vlian tbe fitbcry In «npr^
ductive.our men fo iutc vbip-yarda and b«ild Tsascia eitharferthctBaelvci,
or for their fricauj * and manning tbum, go into tlia carrying (rade m
coantlng business. A fair proportion of oar people are slaa nediaracs, ia
tbe towns and villages, or work ia Uia aomek-oas law and grbtmilla upcm.
tb«8trcams and rivers of ibc countrj. f
**Tbeab«tr«ciofthe last Census will akew you tha varioaa cluKS and
diatribation of labour.
*< TLo Government Report tltat I alsaaand. will abov joa the extent ttt
which our people engage ia navigatioB, And (ho geoaral fraitfulaev of
oor toil.
*< I think 1000 men and (heir famnies, arriving here early ia (he Kann,
conld be distributed o'cr Nova Scotia, and find immediate empIoyiDent, ia
crdiuary years. But we are new commeocing lines of Bailwaj to extend
all over the Province, and shall have work enough for all that may land ia
Halifax at alautft all seasons of tbe year, at wages Tarying firoa 4s. to fis.
per day.
*' Should the Governor of X>>wfoandlaDd desire to ahip any of her ra^
ptas population here, or should anjr of tbe people de-^re Tolontarfly to
emigrate^ not only would the Gcvamor of tbts P ror i Dca gire ercry en<
couragcment to persons seeking employment here ; bat I am qoito sun
that my Brother Com»i8*iciers of tbe Railway, woaU do <Terything io
their power to give eniploymcot upon ihe pablio wotkt adranciag nndat
their superintendence.
** I shall be very glad to hear from too at any timt oa this stttgae!* and
shoidd any ot your frieodd come hitber, give them a line to an.
** I have the honor to be,
«* My dear Sir, •
*• Toon truly,
-JOSEPH HOWE."
Seeing, thflrcfbro, that thero is s flonrishitig Preset withii
reach, aecenibie at a etnall expense^ aRbrding .iib\indaht|prOTi-
* So night th« Mcwfoundlniider, bat be sits upon tte ban rock " Uka|pti«iM|
f«wtrotUntl Sea Mb ebapter. '^
witwlTjwcluLrS^^ body oppose it. The M« ««d
for British mereSnte toiSLl?' i'^'*^^°«'' ''^ '» » ^^^'^'^< '^*''
men, and to know that th^^"''^ rJlf "'' ^r '^'^ ^'"' ^'- W
Iwme, whom they caLt ^II!^ ?. r^T ??'*''°^ '"''*"''"'•' "^
own ikterests inln SS'-V'"' ^''^ ^'bont injarjf.<i their
to haw a large BeSfof!r^'^"^^'n' ^'^^ '' " an «rtt«„t«ge
' that emigration wo^irf,f ■"'"''•.. ^?* '^ " «^° »^'< ^^°*»
nothoth^prr^rbirV 5? ''"'Y *^' best dealers. U «ouId
to aJ^ theSes o^ST^* "''"' "'"7:^^° ^o"W b. ,),. first
^ go-i-head men tL ,ii government a'd to emigrate ; but the
I dTgrt/oLoSi"?. ,^ r^ and energy.^ Wfcaf ^.«all
' ofikill inS/^^r f"*' ''*"")« *^" dealers lu the -hape
in ik^Z^s^hZt r**'^ !f ^"^'""' ^■^"^'^ be dr.|.u U off
n.ii„?%1?°'Y,'"'? '^^^ ttercanine body is a large ^t*^ «f
pnnons y of the old school," whose motto is " We hm uTiw
g»d amce the fc^zVoiure came among vs.- As^crlaW with
^tened^fa/^^°'^T.'^'' «?7 thoy/-and we .^ bo
Wenea of a lutle.' In their opinion the iSshinc rornktJ» is
Btonn, thoy won? \ not heaiof castin:; oirboard ti.rcrrwTa
1^1^ ^rr' ''^^ '^«».«°W« «f U.eir%ountrv's ISS
ad^ter thefr censure according to their prcjadicc.^^'
«f K;!lt • -Pl*°PP^°*"**°^*"'»iirat'on«re found amoneh niw
t ^ri'^tir -r'^^ ^'^ ^^ '^'^ capabilin-es oTtL^.J^^
Sei?SiX«^.. i ' 'i' P""""''' Popnlation, is appn)n>d n: oy
i^not^ J!^ ?'^t*"*'^*^'*^«^ **» ^«''^P *bem. Their ^t^W'sm
K^^ n?^»?^r'''^* 3xpatmtion of the\e<.ple from thVX^S
noiple bat beeause it is allied with knSw^edge, ftund^.^
.. ft ^^ *» fltmntry's resources. Tfc* ri#t f^r-TJ .r *, A ! ?:
i«o inns and eteoaries of thd sea, th« fortJIe VoU of "tl- jiT^n
I
r
•■i*v
the tnsieccd of tie most preeloarimd valuablk^&terals iiub^d-
ded in the rocks, uro «zieaEdvo lOtncs for \tiif \^faA' profit,
i^lrich in their opinion it is a shoAQ to neglect. , ■ ^;, .:;.
The following extracts from a letter to the Anthor «rp' g^ven
^ as a fair spooimen of the argumtiAta of this c\u^ wlio (^)ose
emigration from the best of motivet : — ; , .^
*' BbSAVlSTA, 2I«t AtlgOSt, 18544
\ ^Jlr DxAR SiB, * "
- <* Yoor aUempt (o agittte the pabGo inind upon (be qaesfion of ship
buildiag in thia colony if a move ia tbe Mgbt directiOB, towards lessenioi
• ' the evils under which our population Tr^aently labour when their potatot
crops fail, and the fiabing voyages ^q nd't afford them npport for tbci;
iamllies. Would that every foember vf the House of Assembly wae imbuad
with the Kke patriotic spirit as yourself, and felt the »ina disposition to
bene^l their constituencies In Meh a «ase there would be less « coa"
, plainiOB in ^ur streets,' and fewer applications foT relief.
" I cannot agree with your views on emigraiioo. Ob the co-atral^ I]
deprjwate all emigra^oo irom the cdony, inasnmch ae it is capable o!
maintaining an immenaa number of inhabitants, beyond those who are
uow in it, were their energies only properly directed, mad the resources -
the country amply developed. Whare fine luxuriant dmber grows, the;
is a soil ttpabla of prodncinf anything suitable to our cGmate, and am
not. bo gT«rlo(*ed by yon in procuring thaber for ship-boilding.
• «'^a have fine land in this Bay. In (act the difficuley withttt wouU
be to discover wbcr; it is not so, either in the arms and baya between
Cape BonavBta and Cape Freels. And in some portiona o£ it, the procee]
of clearing it for cultivation is so easy that a man will readily f i«pare
groand sufficient to plant a barrel of potatoes per day. In »v.c\x a caiej
what is to prevent « man from preparing five or six acres iti the course -
a few Bwnths, to plant in th« spring with potatoea and graia?
« Spring wheat will mature vary readily in this dianiat ii otdina
t:*-*sdni, and, if sown early, wiU ripen ^ the sk^a by the middle
August dPariey is a sure crop, and yoa ©ay rtusa it i^sa <tf a qu^^
eqsal iv iny in the most fertile parts of. tKs British dQminiona, X^ju -
be equally aa certain of a crop of oats.
« Iberr'bre if any portion of our population part emigrate, let the
aeek the arms and astuariea of this Bay, whero every iacility for sbi;
building aad cultivating the ipil awaits tlw«.V ♦f.^ ' W^ ;'^
rWifit fK-s fnairtrU?^ of Qmnion atalfist fln^ffrali4to«;'it ^
"Colonial Government will move
ikelj that the Ooior
^— * . — — ' ' ' > — -
■* Wiuji^ Sw*tTt..u<p, Es«. ^
16
:6e8ide3, it is vciy doubtful libctlicr the clae^ of paupers who
bang about our Court Ilousob and other meal depots, would
avail themselves of tho means H)f expatriation, although gratui-
toiisl^ aflb'rded them. The Iqve of home makes them cling vith
^eat tenacity to their native Boil. 13ut to do violence to th«i
tree, in tearing it up by the loots, woald render its growth in «.
ttaasplautcd soil verv precarious. Those who are familiar with
the causes of Ireland's gigantic scale of emigration, know that
famine and pestilence had done their strange work before the
peasantry of that beautiful country were loosened ia their aflfcc -
tionjiovthfeir native land. »The best class of emigrants are
thoao tho have the means voluntarily to leave home and seek
their fort\ln6^ in another cotlntry. Of this class, a large num-
ber, are annudlly leaving ' ttiis colony for Canada and the
(Jmted Hbt-s. v ■- .
It is, uowbvcr, a matter*<Jf thankfulneaj, that our moral and
Bhyaical disease admits of more remedies than one. We have
means id our possession of ameliorating our present afflicted
condition^ and to inake Newfoundland both " healthy^ and
u'edtht/j'ani tme.** ; ^
i ^^
^flv.v:)^-«f
t '
"•'.'!•
..-;
.
• i^
» * »
t i
.. i '
•! ■.■
•r *■
'fc . ■
y ■
CHAPTEIl UI.
BOUNTIES
Tliiiis an old prescription, discwded bj tbe modern faci^tv.
Whoever should venture to propose a bounty on fi^, "^"^11
looked at to sec if he wore a cocked hat, a s^ord, and silver
shoe -buckles.
" Like a fine, old Englisb Gentleman, . \
Ooe of tbe olden time." .
En-lish statesmen, who have taken the lead in all thmga jise
and pmctical, have generally legislated for freedom and pro ec-
Ln, in opening and prosecuting the resources of commerce
^avbg the me^ans to the capital and skill of «^« P^.JP^* J^^
xxutttefof bounty is considered a dnkmg f^^^, from ^hich
neither interest or capital can be regained Bounties may have
been beneficial in the commencement of cojo^^^^'^' ^J,^^
encouraging certain branches of trade beset ^vith ^^^^
ordinary difficulties. They have been recommended as stimulante
incertab weakF'^ges of the gi-owth ^.^^^ /^^^^^^^ ^"'^.^^^^
Godfrey's caudle, given during tie teethmg of some J^^f^^jf
of commerce. But as permanent support they are ceitamly to-
be deprecated. Tagland's Coloniei are now 6«^7^^^Pi ^^^
Uke strong, healthy,.visorou8 young men, are al)Ie to do, tor
themselves. «r i^
« But may not Nt'.fcundland be an «. . cC m ? ^N ould not
A bounty on fish enable us to compete • • t-^= Ament^w anu
French m the fisU markets of the A»orld, and be a panacea for
all our ills?" i - . ^
Certainly. At least, to a very great c:itent But the prin-
ciple is bad, aud every way objectionable. From what source
could the parent goyernmeiit obtain money J-^J",. » /o"'^lyj^
« From the puUic Ttoabury." How is tho public JCrc«8«ry
supplied 'r - By taxes from tho people V" And ^ijlW all the
iniuC* Oi JbiUUiauu do taASa iO isppuri m- ii=;;-ijr --•« -- " ,
land ? You may just as \Yell u#k for the <-iue«n't letter patent
l2
to make a collection in all tho churebos for a poor brother !
, What return caa we make ? " Sailor* to fight the RussianB."
Thoni every old woman will si^, " Keep your bounty and I will
koop my boya." ^
' •> The fact ia, bounty to any trade is not only bad in principle,
but ultimately ruinous in its eltects. It gives a fictitious ;-ros-
perity to trade. The life it infuses is artificial, and its action
epasmodic. It implies the absence of life in the trade. The
receiver of bounty is destitute of the principle of self action. It
can 6nly stand as it is held up, or walk as it is moved by some
galvanic process. It is a corpse, rati it than a living, healthy,
member of the Board of Trade. To say the best of a bounty
bolstered business— to say the* it does possess the clement of life,
it is like a bad limb of the law, it must be continually bribed to
dobasinosa; or like a bad jjiimp whicii' won't work until you
have poured a bucket of water into it. It is defective some-
where. And to continue the bounty is to prolong and enlarge
the evil until it destroys itself.
. The principle of bounties with the Americans and the French
differs O'om the above. J'hey give bounties as A matter of state
policy^ It is only a form of their administration of the naval
<iepartmcnt. It is not given to a trade abstractedly considered,
but fts allied with improvement in their rjarirrae affairs. With
them tlie trade is a secondary thmg, a mere taiedium — the
primary business is extension of naval power. And this is a
false position, an old theory, an unsound speculation, and like all
yther things bare and visionary, is destined to fall. It has been
stated in the British Parliament, and repeated in speeches, in
jjamphlcls and in,state documents, that, " twenty years' enjoy-
ment ' — possession rather—^" of the fisheries of Newfoundland
would make aay power the * most formidable by sea and land.' **
JMorris's Loiters to Earl Grey.— Bliss's Colonial system.) One
fact is worth a thousand tiieories. - What is the fact ? That
France has had 40 years* uninterrupted pos5e88ion of •*' the best
fishoriea of Newfoundland," has laid out vast sums of money in
their vigorous prosecution^ and yet she io a second-rate naval
powor . Groat Britain generously gave to Franco this " splendid
nursery for tbe tavy," and what are the " ruinous and deplorable
results ?»' They are the following :^In point of power the
navy of Great Britain is colossal. It is yet supreme oa- the
•rvTiu vi Kuvcrs. iu couipMiSOit witn a uio uavy yi jbranoc is
but a gun-boat under the stem of a ship of the line. In point
of action and manrEavre,France is slow and tardy as « barge ia .
1^'
I
il
( ■
I
! I
ooutest vitii a clipper. 'Ho pirsont war l)rin,'?.:i gut liu.-o fucr
liOu;;; after Sir CiiAULrs Nwitu \i\\ it'i(iiil«Ml las llni^'inilii,
Baltif, aii'l made tlio Uu^H-iiu sboies tn'inMo \vi»U tUe ycks .,*
his cauu'jii, Krraicc liiul i.oitUov hen*- her biuIi, wot hove hor
aucliors. 'lis true, aho had at the tiino a fl'Ml m tho hlacl;
yoa ; but we Lave ubuud int lacta to pvovo that notvithatrindiiig
all till) advai.tajZcd of 40 yoais' possesion of this "splendid
nursery for tho navy," she >vo'ihl, in c'so of war wi'h Ihiglaud,
be ohli;^cd to shcdter her dhip? h';hiri ! h:r iortrcs.n ;; ; or ihcv
\TCu!d h^- sunk Lupcath tho ovcnvhchaii;;^ powor of tlio BriLir'.i
licet, aa wlica it took " the spoils ofTndalgar"' from Franco and
iSpaiu coia'jiaed. Unless God, in the iinjdom of ratio c, aid'jr
a nation ici'li inatciial and inoral eUincKlH for maritime j t,ni.r
and fjlorn^n'.lluno ariificial can accomplish it. The clcir.cnt.^
of naval greatncEi arc maritime positioii, love of freedom, in-
domitable energy, thirst for cntei-priic, moral qualilicatioris fur
ruling. ]i]u:;laaJ posscsics these in an eminent dcj/rcc Her
insular position, her vast colonial popsessions, her gigantic com-
merce, are inexhaustible sources of naval means. The ^lil't of
ihe Newfoun Hand fishoncs to France was but a crumV' from the
rich man's table. France can never be great on the ocean.
Hor sea-brod sons arc but her serfs. IKr Faris Padres have
been, and are now to some extent, her rulers. The bhod of the
tar is not in her. She is great in the camp, the has marked
the earth with ruin ; but her
'• control .<fops vritb tLe shore."
Ilcr moral fpnlifications for ruling uell arc oxccssivoly de-
fective — radically bad. It is an apostolic maxim, *' If a man
knntv not hfir to ride his own hoase, how shall he take care (f
the church of Cod.'"' I Tim. :'-, "». This great truth will admit
of universal arjlication. If a man, or a nation cannot do that
which ia least, how shall ho accomplish that which is great t
Can France rule herself ? Ilor blowiy revolutions answer " No."
To this day despot ism is her only safe-guard. How then can
she extend a fostering and paternal care over colonics and de-
pondoucifs in '' the uttermost parts of the earth T' Ix)ok at
Russia, ODviou'S, jealous, and ambitious. The Czar ha8J)uilt a
great Armada ; but beyond a summer's excursion in thAArctic
seas, uractiflini? punucry at iceborgs, he has no aca-room for his
lleets. God liaagiv^n him nothing but a hsh-poud in tho Jbiapt,
and a mill-dam in the North, llo is a whalo in a wash tub.
America posic^wea all tho elements of mariiimc greatness. First
11
born of Bi'itaiu** ^-as, Ehc inhoriia all her fuUitr'n »j;:x;;tucs;-i ;
not the least of wtjcli is his naval ^ouiiw, which is rapidly
developing itoelf i:- unrivalled strength on tho loiigthenc"] linen
of the Atlautic aud Paciflc sse-boaids.
America will, therefore, soon discard the bounty principle.
8he would do it now ; but having a surplus revenue and New
England scnntorti with great interests in the fisbcriee, nnd no
small degree of infloence in the forum, sho has not the freedom
of will at present. Trance will dole out her bounty to another
gensration. She will then learn that free-trade poller, and tlic
gro"t principles of reciprocity, will accomplish more for exten :!-
ing her oceanic influence and maritime greatness, tliar. taxiu'^
her people lo catch cod-fish on the Banks of Newfoundland.
it
CIIAPTER lY.
!
ii
AGRICULTURE.
That Ncwfouu Hand is capable of being brought into a pro-
fitable state of agriculture, is a fact attested by many witnesses.
TLc oM theory of its barrenness has long been exploded. FroiB
itg earliest history it has Lad a succession of advocates for culti-
vation. Upwards of 230 years ago, King James I. was made
ac'iuaintcd with the prolific character of the eoil of tho country.
In his '■ represeDtation" to that Monarch, 1022, Whitcbonr:ie
gays—" The soyle of this countrey in the valleys and sides of
the mountaines is so fruitcful, as that in divers places, there the
summer naturally produceth out of the fruiteful wombe of tho
earth, without tho labour of man's hands, great plenty of grceu
pease and fitches, false, round, full, and wholesome, as our
fitches are in England This being the natural
fruitcfidnesse of the earth, producing such varictie of things fit
for food without the labour of man ; I might in reasop henco
inferre that if the same were manured and husbanded in some
places, as our grounds arc, it would be apt to bear come, and
no less fcrtill than the English soyle." Among the maiiy
modern opinions on this subject, the late Sir John llarvey in
his speech to the Colonial Legislature, in 1843, entered at gicat
length on tiie agricultural question, ho observed—" In point of
rich natura' //r./s**'*, no prat of Uritish North America produces
greater abuu'Uiuce. Kcwfuundland, in fact, appears to me to
bj calculated to become essentially a rich grazing country, and
its varied agricultur.d resources appear oiUy to require roads
and BeltlomeiitB to force them into liighly remunerative develop-
ment." To uiidtijOy t!ie tcslimoniea of eminent practical men
i^ needles?. Let the tlraiiger vioit tbe Market bouse in tho city
.'f St. Ju'lu's, at thr tine rf the Annual Exhibition c^ stock and
farm produce, and all hi^- noiioiid of tlio country's bmcnncss
must vanish. *
Ilitli.ito farmin? Lft? been cldentlv n matter of necessity
rather tb.m of . Uoioe. The Inh^bitants'of the country have been
*' farmers vl the sea" rather thau tho cuUivatorw of the ioil.
. .*: •*. JL -K.^ A.^ ■ «•» V t • . •* « "«? .«*.
^hc " trcasurcg of tie deep*' have yielded f^roatcr profit tlian
the " fruits of the e^irth." In comparison with other oimntricB,
Ncwfoundlaii'I Lj not the place for emigrant fanners. Tiiov hart
much better go to New Brunswick, Canada, or the United
States. But we have a/.:, of half-starved lisheruicn on our
Lands. Those demand <» .v, apathy •rid aid. It appears tho
Government will not mduce mem to emigrate, and vet is doling
out £ 1 0,000 a ye^i: to keep th*m aliy«. Can not a i art of this
money be proStaf.ly expended in assistinc the t our to cultivate
■''I
■nil
the
groand ?
No doubt ofit. Cut Low? By i^iving each
poor mrm a grant of land ? This is already done in numcron*
instance?. But look at the poor wretch standing in tho midst of
Lis rood of rocks \ Ue hag not a mouthful of brejxd to «at I
llow can Le subsist ? It is » mockery to turn him to such soil
and say " cultivate it." It. U. giving a lunyty ij^fant a cocoa-
nut to crack! Shall the Gofernment take a number of families, '
locate them in some ftrtilo bay, or arm of the sea, and assist
them for a few vears to get ahead? This inv^}it. do. But it
is questionable. It would become a piece of jobbery — a shifting .
concern — not half the people would Ptop on tl.e withdrawal of'
the Govenuneat bounty. On tht;.«iucs;ion of ojouipg the toon*-
try by malar.g g.»d roads, I need i.ot say a word, as this ucccfc '^,
Bary prcliniuary to the commcucom.nt of a.nLulturc is aei
knowledge J by all. But it irf high time tie (J. vermucnt pail
special attention to this subjccw ' IliiLcrto notlirg has bc>.a '
done save in luo neighbourlioou «f. {?:. Jolin's, the most sterile *
part of the couativ. We have a few ^lidlo paJlu in other f arte 1
of the Island ; bur on these it is iiot sale to ride a h iraa
IFithcrto our r.>ads bcve been made by fishcrin<^n v,Iio know ai
much about the buaiurea ts McAdam knew of shij -hui'ding.'>r
Thert it no aijricnUural dcsii^n ib -^ t vw rtojj. Thov are
more sheep tracks. We want a good practical tn-inr cr — a ma^
of scmo respouiibihty, whoBc salary would be uivt(i than saveA
by the econouay of the Uvc^ of road. The fin^rimcnt ha8<
frittered away a fjw thousands in mnkiug fi?i>cnLtn a roadf, one
pait of tlie lies <'oa3ting on the beach, krce-docp in sbin^lo
in bonldoro, ono cdiring \U way '>n the ledge of c cruujbling
rock, one lost in .^waiuj, and Lu it, ono wri^:jgliT,g Uk' the traU
of a serpent up a precipice; "ne iluuging dowa^lsl* and iuvuM*
Give us road-* for th'j tanner and \m ttam. 4
^noiivj « \^'Cuuv,~u Ou iwcn 1VUU3 wCpuiu jjw tciy iar UrwariM
assisting tiio px>r to purchase Ui« means to calti/ato' diO'
soil.
n
>t>:
' K
»3
r
1j>'X tJii Government ahti fomt to the aid cf the pcscnt if-
eu:'ier» of the toil^. and cfer n bountij of 2jt. per yard vu nlonf.
to'i'U 7cf'i^h nhali be bitilt asffiiret round the farm. 'I'lio man
or flioory, tlio amateur farmor. and the igiioraut of all classci*
v.ill ridicule ».l.»d ])lan, no doubt ; and the Govcrnujcnt will eay
*' It J5 too expensive." But one of the first and DU'.-t iuipottftut
oucstionf relative to tl^c purchase of a farm is " Whnt is Uio
cliaiactcr of its fences V* Tho quality of the eoil, (ho character
of the roads, proximity to a market, are each important nuestioiiB
with the laud purchase-; but tho nature and condition of the
fences 13 one of the chief. Tlir fences of a farm should be
determined hy the nature of the soil. Tlio thorn fences of
England gro^v luxuriantly only in a good subsoil and in a genial
latitude. The moo'-s and dales of Yorlshire, cold and barren,
the table lands cf Lincolnshire from Grantharu to the lenF,
and the glens and dells of the Peak of icibyEhire, are farming
districts slieltered by stone walls. Newfoundland has agricul-
tural rCioarces ccjual. if not superior to any of the above named
districts. The stone wall is the fence for this country. It i«
the most appropriate fe.ice. Materials for it, in many instances,
lie upon the surface. It is the most durable. It is the leait
expensive in the end. It is the great defender of agriculture
from the northern blasts, marauding cattle and fire-wood
stealers. Newfoundland has suffered more in her agricultural
interests from the want of the stone wall fence than from any
other cause. It uill never prosper without il ! 'ihe labour,
capital and skill of the farmer will be lari^ely destroyed without
tins defence. His do.td rail fence will be a constant source of
annoyance a:ul cu established sinking fund. AVhcrcas if he had
a good stone wall, he would ha'e security, case, and certainty
of profit. It would shelter his young com and grass nnd cattle
in tlie apring from t'le chilling blasts. It would attract the heat
of the suD, and assist in ripening tho crops in its immediate
vicinity. It would, wore bis farm properly subdivided into
fields of 4 or 5 acres, prevent the anow in « inter from drifting
oft', and thus preserve the roots of the grasses from killing frosts.
It would -etaiu winter's warm, snowy fleeces, gather them into
folds, and preserve the face of the earth from those injuries
which it H'jffers in its e:?poscd ci^-dition.
lu this essentially necesaary element of goot ni|g, let the
Goverume t come to our as^isiacco. and offer a boimty of 28.
our as^istacce,
' ~1
i.;..u
nx r„^( <i.:..If n»
p«r vartl. on rM *.h«
th« bottom and 2 fcot at tb-s top. Buch »°i)ropoBal ivoold give
1ft
a uuivoraal an3 powerful impctun to agriculture. From the very
day of its annomicement, hundrodB of farmers would rise and
go to work with spirit. Great numbers of tUo poor would
llud honest employment, who now hang idly about tho meat
depots.
Ihe Government may say " This is too expensive a work for
ua." Very wei: ^ oceed on tho old plan of spending £ 1 0,000
a year in fost' ^ ^nd extending a demoralizing pawporism,
and see which will be most beneficial to the 'Jolony, a vila
system of elymosinary aid, or a bounty on stone wallt» to defend
agrtcultual interests. All I ask of the Government '\i\^A road
U my farm and vieam to defend it.
1
V
'V''
m
t ♦I
CHAPTER V.
SHIP BUILDING.
Tliia ought to be one of the most extensive and profitable
Bourcoa of labour in tho Colony. Of all the Britiah Nortl
American Colonies, NowfouniUand ought to take the lead i
ship-building. Iler invalar position, and her maritime com
merce bespeak the sliip w the great primary instrument of he
support aii'i wealth. The men of Lord North's government
1792, considered " the Island of Newfoundlui.l as a grea
English ship, moored near the Banks, during the fishing season
for the conrenierice of 'he English fishermen." A better opinioi
is entertained of the Colony than formerly. Wisdom did no
die with the men who held such a notion of Newfoundland
Her resources are more valuable than they ima<?ined. Ilci
importance as an appendage to the splendid colonial posseesioiw
of Great Britain is greater than their calculation. Had the;
deemed her " the jreat dock-tfard of the North" they woull
have been nearer the truth than treating her as a mere ship
Newfoundland aKjunds in all things necessary for a flourishinj
trade in ship-building. In numerous arms and estuaries of Lc
fine bays, juniper, wichhazel, -pruce and pine grow luAariantlj'
and i I great abundance. Her timber forests are invaluable
Moreover, the deep waters of her indeutfi shores, where th
influences oi" storms and tides cannot possibly be injtirious, furnis
us with nuu:;.'rou3 dock-yardu of nature's own building. TL
natives of tho country are also a sea-faring people. Their hoa
is on the mighty deep. They are the farmers of the sea. The
have been cradled on its billows, and are familiar with " tli'
Loary deep" in calm, iu gale and storm. Their bread ia dra^^
from the rioho J of tho sea. Thcro is, besides, a native goniu
for shij -building. It is a business associated with their earlier
ideas. It i.s the plnythiug of the child — the pastime of bov
hood. AVo have men iu the land who, a few yciu^ ago wcr
pcor out- harbour children, destitute of all cducAon aavo th
handliu^' of tools in their father's cooperajro. or thrf woodman'
busmesa iu hia lonol/ tdt, but ore now able to build a ship, n
-N.^.^*« A;>4k i*^i«*^.«i[k«i^« JUkMt
so
her a^'l fit her out for eca, na well as Uie allctt men in tho
dock-yords of L.vcrrool or the Clyde. Witnc-as such fi, r.imons
«3 tho i;.M..a2/, '^'/.../7a« itV%, ^.,.,>, /-.on i<«yt., Funchal,
AiipUTj (J-itana, ar.d others too numerous to innntion.
let notwithstuudin:; the resouivcs of tlic Colonj for shii -
imldmi;, and tac amide means in our possession for makin" it
an important branch of na*-ve traffic, wo arc Bncndin-' £G0 000
annually in j-urchaaing ships of f.uci-ncrs, to kc?p up' our
meicauti e ilocfc ! The building of ships in the Co!ony has been
neglected. It is the exception and not tbe rule. The reason
IS plan) The Merchant can biuj his aMp of a foreijntr
cheaper than he cm hdld her in the cmntrv. "Who, therefore
can blamo hira ? lie does that uhich is lawful and right. Tho'
busmP33of8hiF-bm!ding is urged on tho foundation of the fact
that while wo aro spending XGO,000 in ships, our own hardy
people are absolut. ly perisliing with hunger ! W^ have thousands
'^i able-bodied men, capable of wielding the ixe ar.d craT^iti'' tho
saw, spcridmg the whole wmtcr in idl.-ness, and sulisislin" rlrlly
on clvmosinaiy aid doled out by the Government in the shape
of Incaan meal and molasses 1 The pauperism of ^Newfoundland
13 awfuU It IS a dead carcase tied to t living subject. TU
fjreat qn^ntifn of tfie Government is, " Ilcw cak wk keep ttte
lEorLE ALi V2 DiLiKG THE WINTER ?" And yet strangors devour
ou^ wealth ! Our constitution is anomalors. There is a greai
want of wisdom somewhere. Is k in tho Merchant ? If worldly
wisdom Ix; deteiininod by the crcat tvA—ucrlJU, tcialth we
answer " No." <)ur Merchants arc gcnerallv wealthy. And
^hattothcm is the welfare of the country? It is not their
home. Hero they have no ifaiding place. They look forward to
days of rest in England at tl«e close of hfc. It is the Colonial
Government which suffers most. The Legialatuio is at fault.
How ? A Nova Scotia «hip-builder brings a schooner ready
"gged, oad found in all thinga necessary for bttwiiese, and s^lls
her in our o\m portj f-ee «f<i!l duty. This is an advantage to
-the merchant, but .an injury to the colony. TIkj Merchant eet-s
his numorous dc.ilers turned off in tho fall of tlic year to star^-e
and beg of tho Gorcrnmont—hc would lain employ their. His
heart bleeds for thorn. Insfead of ^iviag tliat Nova Srotiati
£1000 for kis och-^oner, he would mudi rather eupply his
owfl^eulora wUh the meant to build him a vessel. Ijut then
n —
.«_i n ?_
Lejitlature, having, what— ij itc against falm ? It looks like it i
taxn him, but hta (h» fvrtiy^ur go tcot frtw ! On n crv lii of
21
iron, oorJago, teaip, sails, Ac , the mcrcliaufc trould plaoc i
ilio po83C9Jiion of hia dealers, ho mast pav hcavj duties. Th
Nuva Scotian p-ys no duty. Tliorefore, the merchaat says
h'\i inon— " Go my boys, and huy your tread of tlicm that r<|
c. ivo my taxes, I shall buy my vesdcls duty free." Let k
(jovcrnmcui see to this matter. Let the tables bo turim
Instead of taxjn^ the merchant for hia ahi {/-building material
let a duty of A per ceni; an tho valae of every foreign sl'ip I
levied. Let the Government meet tho mcrchaiit and say, " T
are spending a large sum of money eve^y ytojr in the miport i
the jioor, do ifou employ as many as you. can in building yoi
ships ; and for every vessel you build, ice tvill retu.^ you t)
suni you have paid in duty on the. tmj,orte.l rriterials.^^
Such.a law voa!d suddenly stem the tile of adversity TvLic
thi-oatens to orcrwhelm the land. Nay, more, it vould opt
sources of woalih to generations yet to conic. The labourii
popuiation— the bone and sinew of the country— would be r
; lie ved of the present demoralizuig subsidteaee on the Cover
I ment. Tho best ^fted youths would £nd useful and amp
employment. In the present miserable, ancmalous conditi<Hi
the colony, we have no means to train up cmt youth. Our doc
yards would be excellent schools of deai^ ui vhich the nati
genius would to tutored a;id developed. The tradesmen of tl
land would be multiplied, instead of deserting us. Many of oi
best fishermen's sons, iustcad of being comf«lIed to pursue
failing business iu the fishery alone, would fiud an excellent e
change in t^.c sail-manufaciory, smithcrr. and block-hous
How many < f them would gladly drop ti.eir lines and jignfers
stitch iho canvass, blow the bellows, or bore the block ! Ai
how many a poor widow and orphan child .Id be employed i
picking oukum all the winter, pt-rhaps rinpng at their wor
instead of brooding over their sorrow^ in idleness, hunger u
dcsf.air !
Give us, therefore, a ship-building business — a trade natui
to the country, and whoso resources literally invito us to dire
tiicra to our prufit ; and Newfoundland t.:1| speedily rise fro
tho depths of her distress to a commanding position in tbc fii
rank of BriVish Cdories.
I
I
r<
/
•%;
CIUPTER VI.
FlijElGHT.
•iboy make winds and w L f'' °-^, ""' "''''" "if ">» «ca.
for ti great basin "s of 7h. T '""»"''-°'™-« ..AorfiMt.
aeep_a,V.reTkU^.ttl'r Fe^5i^^.re,^^^^^^^^^^
« If a storm .boald cotno and wake (he deep,
What matter? I still can ride~aud deep !»
nmong thb onoo fine, hdrdv clai of m.^ ^v °r '■'' ""''
^f^r^i hopes «3^p,:;r.°^Sg Je™fritt?72;
fik-a^nn'r-r"''!;' observation, f am c'onvinc d ttS
, Mere B a rapid tendency to degonerutc in clivsiMi iil.n!h,!»!j
mora! stamma among the poor o^f onr ca^oS Acc»^.,rf
m«fortnneala« crashed lb -r spirit. Ask the SappS »Ut
13 the per centage of honestj .,wn» his deXr. .„j i m?
gve you an ommoas shake o'^hisreld!'^ Bad^'Llhi^laLt
Itir °^ '""SJ IS equal. The man has nop^cr l^S
honest-no ..eans whereby he may retrieve hk losrfortnne
sec Deiore huu. He who would enter into a larce Donulou<j o»u
harbour, and endeavour to build op a useful sod 'tvTr labour
jould find lumself in the predicament of a cert^ iat'bildor
who complained that he had " nodiino to naii to " Tho l^Trh
elements of Lonestjr aud energy are dcstiojcdl* Tl^l strani
lann^nago, and maj be construed, bj certain ntitics in o a ib J
on my country. Perhaps ,o ; and what is JZ^i ^feat trui
will c,ve the greater sting to the libel. I cannot help it l
have set my.e f to the ta3k^.f pointing out the resource, of my
WviDtry. 1 shall set an ejrample in proiecutinc them for tha
5?!MS^P-P^«^ unJ Irtu.Il n'otfear^o apeak rJaini;oreach
II
.•4r«f-5^*%r;aiii,l^»,.
S8
refer to tho subject of ;>.y., V^fffe ^'/^
any H< rvice to Uie merchants on the sea ? a In, » t?*-^^*^
- H "ot half employe;.!. Th., co.'Jl^J^on^Lgt J.L ">
« ir<, 1 , 1 "'^rtuaiits and the government «»*«,
oan u what l.U another mako, Lim. From her he «S, „i
m. e boyooJ her own hot, oKop. borrj-pioKng Jr "ScL°Zr
u-. Ilor prcjoaicc: -re, ti.erefore, in "cnenil a/.r,v^n^ ^ k
Ignorance of the world i^ great The" W „f t ^' "^^
element or oar comn,on huS;, de.^ne'lf il""' *l ^'
and a fault „„der the ..resent .lopfo'JKnS^; hoToatT
Iho ]\cw|.,a,„;iand wife and mother wonld prefer their hnJiS
•ad son. to tarry .t home, half fed, half oLThcd, and r^d^et
bu to hear of h„n gong to the Mediterranein?or the w^
01 go .a policy liow to deal with it. Tnm'^x,^ J^ «- *•„ .^.ki ""
turn to 5trra,«or*a0,000a>e,r"into,aV,;;«;o^:$:;;^';;;|,'
► ' iy if ' » » j i iFwi !
^,»i**.*iViii •..^^Jifc'f r*4 'i^«? A-- /V:
u
' and abject condition of the SLraen from «l *' ^^'' "'r'^
tier ved .rreat wealU. Tt ;- P^«"°en trom whom jou have
l-ness, orclc. and protion!;,;t;;^aV S
no occasion to -ire -reatcr vt.V^,.^ m nor .; °, *^^'^ "«
lot those wHge? be^c'uLyT^^^^^^^
economy at the time ImTju^ \ 't * ^°'^ *"^ ^^^ <>»
derableV unia'TTtof^^^^^^ -f v°" ^'" derive ^conri-
VI luYms wisdom, or tUe n ufestation of divine comrassion li
life in filthj cellira and crowded sarrels deslitnto \f .k„ ^ .
»« nec«sari« of bfe ; a.d whnt\"™me„,aryt the rLZ;'-
UMinesa. It mil repay them m this life. A well fed well™!.! -
orfe^v, temperate crew, aupplied with coffee ins a,'l ofTot "3
co«.OM of their cmplojer'a care and kindness, will worlfrnd '?
S'^VtSiut^'het'"'"^- "'' ""^'"^ ^'-ter-a'.^^'
' Let the " schoolmaster bo abroad" air«n- the roor nr m,.' -
^ »choob which shall be sources of light and Lowledge. Tho^ ''''
' E feT"T'\' ""^ '^''' ^'^""S n^on thirsting^for a W 1
tfJL,^^^'"'' \ , ^^' ^'^'^'^ P*^' «f «" best ship-ma^t J^ ^1
are flclf.tanght or at least, tlioy have denied themselves ofewe ' >^
« Ambicion ii t>a atainp impreased by Umtc* •
To mark the noblest dinJs," ' t»^■
we ico-aid point m. many aa inspired fisherman's boy, spclliraif- v^|
over h.s Icssoa of navigation by the light of a dii/^i^C^^I
Imng up in the ch.mnoy of hi, fatha'a house, ambitious to Q ^
■»■■
*y.
|vff<S-
25
the mtsior of some snug scLoor^or fitted onl for tLo ice To \.
the nwetor of a schooner in tho daj dronm of hundred, of ou
plantar, song. Cannot the ministers of oducat.on ii^zc tJd
t^tr] f " 'n° J'^"'"'" ^"'^ P'^fi' '<" ^^'^' >vant a better rias*
of schoolmasters. The present pedagogues ore not able to trS
nn'^T^r'^'^'^r^^*" cTnatif Vnius found among S
nnaierous poor of our out-harbours. The schoolmaster^^
sufficiently pa.d, nor respoctc-d. ^ He ou^'ht to take Lis £t^(
m soce J hy tho side of the most ^fted Vofessors L' ft
Legislature look after the schoolmiBter. It^ is a shame a dis^
expenditure. When will our government learn that its rower
proapenty and stabihty, depend upou the dissemination of W*
lodge and the patronage of irisdoo ? "**"«"'^" w ^ow
S
CHAPTEB VII.
OAK STAVES.
^mt'?hl*rith^^^^^^^^^ Agreatcr
btcttona r • And a CTca? l^n' ?? ^^ S^^^^a chapter on
enhanced by h?s - IS S" ' -^^ /' »"'^ .^'^ '^'"^ <^°^^ *« «»
be despised. ^ <« S^^'-^l?," V'^^j- -ft to
amone the easentlnla nf v t .- ,^" Broomsticks" are
* 5«: a wife as WUUe had,
1 vad na gie a button far her.''
Talk about quarantine, and preservaJivea ar^al-.R. .
Give us tubs and brocmatick.. » ^^ »"^« agaiasi cuu. ^ra :
depends exactly mxmthr«L-^^^ prospeiity of a co:jny
an eye to nence n« iroii 7""""™*^"'- A good economist has
estimate of the Sarv meU ^' w^Tk''- *", 'TT^' ""
prmoiple.,. IVe com?pS , Se * M.^T"^-* •" ^"8
peehng to Ead Mggots/ Lot VU atftfdj "^hf;!?^-
dream^of bountV^Se fSS; enfe fit/* T^"^^ "'^^ ^
laid out by tUe'GovcrnmenT n„A ? ."^ ^-^^^ °^ agriculture
bmlding, L the meCof\??.f ^ T*"^"" ^"'^^ ^ ^'^P' *
remedies will be sW^nJ^ ^^ "^^^ prosperity. But thew
smaller matt^er of b^aet"*brt itZ°vT ^ J^PP^^"/' ^ "^nch
cood, and is in om- own^'.nS! I ^ ^^ T^^ « "^^^ns of great ,
foundland e^cwrtTon nn ^'' ^"^'"^^iate adoption, hw-
ofoil.XtTemorJn *^^^^ of ^300,000 worth
for oak-si" j'^dironC °^ « " '' ^eas^/10,000 a year
On the same coa^t, »r ? P^' i ^®" '* '^ yfO^i^iyA expenditure !
— s.:Lg^^'^^-^'"g^_^"<^ e^°r oil, fi ne forests of fir ,ro
t b>i/t. ~ ' ~"^
i
k
s
27
^1 ''iu.
I.*-'
H^H '
■;^s*
^^^^1
r
^^B
*1
■■H
1
■
k
pOTvm^, which when cut up into staves, raako casks strong aud
t.gh. enough for the finest ecal or cod-liver oil wo can otport
J^t us suppose the case of a Newfoundland merchant, doiiia a
Lvgo Imsmosa. lie finds, at iho end of the year, his oxpeuscis
guttt ^ hiB income. In hj3 disappointment he seta vigorouslv
w work to find out what means are destroying Ids clear gains
lie IS not lavish m his expenditure, not wr teful in his household
economy ; he has had as fair a chance in the markets as his
A rJ'\^'ri ^'? """^'S^' ^^'^^ ^°d 8^ have in nowise
flti u^ - ." °°* ^'-^"'"S so rich as he reasonably ex-
^. .ted. Hojr 13 this r he asks. See him early some mornin-
wa-ting his wharf, pondering things over in his mind ! " I am
paying away X 3,000 a year m salaries and wages ! Mv ser-
ZT.^'^' f\'^r\'. ''^^^°S all my clear gains ! I'll lower* their
>*a Cb. Just at this moment his head Cooper crosses his path
MEaruANT.-<^HoUo! Cooper, come here. You fellows struck
for more wages last spring. I cannot afford to ha paying? you
and a ecoro more Gs. und Ts. a day. I shall lower your waVs "
Cooi'ER -- I am sorry to hear it, Sir ; but it wiU be no loss
to me, as 1 can get better wages elsewhere."
The Merchant i^ at a stand. lie knows the price of such
labour in the market, and that every cooper wUl leave Lim
And as his head man in this departr-cnt is a shrewd, sensible
person, with whom he sometimes cuats a little about busine'^s
Jie enters more fully into conversation with him on the nature'
and nocessitiL-s of his business in ibis line.
M. — " I mH$t cut down my expenses and I will."
C.~y Mind Mhcre you cut. Sir, or else you will hurt your-
self, lour wisdom will be seen in reducing your expenditure
in the proper place."
M.—" ' Proper place P What do you mean ?"
:T" } ^^'"^^ "° offence, Sir ; but I assure vou there Is a
great dea of waste and extravagance in your cooperage and oU
bufliness. "
M.— " What ! Do my coopers waste their materials ? Surely,
they do not make firewood of my fine oak staves which I import
yearly at sucli a high price."
as b T" ^° ^^^' ^"^^' "'^"^^ ™^' ^^^^ ^°" ^^ something quite
M— "I! Explain yourself!" |
C.--.«« Woll, Sir, last week a crew of poor out-harbotr men
came to your wharf with a boat load of fine fir staves. Thfly
' g«icd of you to buy th«m at X5 per thousand ; and as the/
I
28
baJ left huDsry families at home, tliey dA not trant th. cn^b
tbeir business, aa you did not want tbrir^ ,(av,, Tl at d v
« I ^fu ^ '^0"8and, cou-ratidatin- vonrsclf ^ ^ L,vin«»
purchased them cbeaper thto usSal by xl Now Sir b,d v S
Bought the fir staves, you would bai-e saved yourself £ 1 -10
sjdes something in wages, benefitted Uiose rt.i mVn \1,d ^a.;
tliom home happy to their starving families/ ' ""^ ''"^
v..— I hey would Sir, and even better than onk • thr oil
Tr Tund ':tr' "-^'^ ^J ^"^' ^''— '^ tie oak ca;k t r
are found, at times, sjgns jf discolour."
M.— -« Who told you that ?"
C— "Mr. £ E — - and Mr A T c r-
ml h-c given ,hU as thdr or" otliS ^ow^.^S
lo?^"~M^°" "'"'P''^^ "''^ • ^^ *^'S be true, it will save me a
crew that come with fir-staves, shall be better treated and I
?o "ioTr sTv:.!''"^ '-''-'' ""^^^- ^- ^« wiuteTt^V^ail
Here is the principle in dctail-a speoimen of extravasant
useless expenditure, universally practised UirounliouTt^ cS
Let the merchants discard U.e oak-staves-supT th t 3eaieS
wih moans to cutting down our own forests,^and maz^y at^H
f d famdy wdi, I trust, bless the writer or chi. ch^ir on
,«
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