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O «' THE WORL.I «»N MKKCAroUK I'HO.IIUTION. [Co" I40 SHEWING THE UNES OF COMMUNICATION mULD RESULT FROM THE CARRYING C THE suggested" BRl'SH COLONIAL RA SET WEEN THE ATLANTIC 4 PACIFIC C \3- "^ sVi.'x "•*" '■-^ .,fc »•• *"tttygf^ »»m at .vva**" fi^xjKI^ & % >i^^<3 iidiut^ ■itW" « L4thA\ .«;»-i,i/,„.^..i k ^'^Mlt fWM 'iHiiiii lit'i#i ill *^» ,.ci..^J^^: .«•<■ ft »- I ?.*Y-'««»^ iMiSX.?^^ •'.'i'^'-JWbrt. r K 1; \»wi^jr€^.< y i i \ t iti > > T ■ -t- i; |^ "WORLD TCIHS l'H«».IKrTI«)"«J. S Of COMMUNICATION FNAT WM THE CARRYING OUT OF BRl' :SH COLONIAL RAILWAY' ^LANTIC i. PACIFIC OCEANS. rnu^ j."^ , ,j •nh i:,tii l.iiiij ^"•'•ift. V^'"' ..*•;«■•! ^i.lTi.irli't'-'^' >■« ■•'•■' '^^^ -iSoUifcLJC. 2490 •y to Jeddo 4093 'ng £bnff. I $75 'o SojiAwicfo I^.... 2310 ^sicuuis to LcubtLCLix 5490 to Feejee It...Z77^ to Jeddo 554C[ Lc^laacLf/f.ZecUojtd'JIiSo ■OveyfNBwSout/u Wales) J69S I- " Jft i l y^t »W fclHTlwich DISTANCES OVERLAND MtLtS 1^ Frarn^ Sali/a r to QueSec €00 Qu^ec to NbrtfvPoCrvt of ISuncoe ....390 (NbrtlvFoin t ofL Sinucoe . ?iortk a/l ,..ggs S^.SixperLorto Red ALver Sett^ ) . Red River Sedterrvents to A'}Browru.8eo it Brown. A} Fort lan^Ley iSO TOTAL FromyJhiLC/dx to Fort LcLngfiey. 3025 mmmmm mim""' pininii ^^m MiiirMiP aBia London , J JLUK'S M'\-u>. (JlninmUiii.'*-. THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE AND THE CAPITAL 09 iffifreat mttain IN HER OWN COLONIES, AT THE SAME TIME ASSISTING EMIGRATION, COLONIZATION AND PENAL ARRANGEMENTS, BY UNDERTAKING THE CONSTRUCTION OP A GREAT NATIONAL RAILWAY BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC AND THE PACIFZC, FROM HALIFAX HARBOUR, NOVA SCOTIA, TO FRAZER'S RIVER, NEW CALEDONIA. "Let those, who discard speculations like these as wild and improbable, recur to the state of public opinion at no very remote period on the subject of Steam Navigation. '' " Within the memory of persons not yet past the meridian of life the possi- bility of traversing by Steam Engine the channels and seas that surround and intersect these islands was regarded as the dream of enthusiasts." LONDON : W. P. METCHIM, 20, PARLIAMENT STREET. 1849. ^. ti "( "1 Hi q" Bi a ini in " foi (( < it IMIEFACE. u « " It is the duty— the imperative duty— of every individual (however humble) to express conscientiously, but calmly, his public opinions, for by such means truth is elicited." Hence it may be permitted to observe, that a momentous question is now brought to the notice of the people of Great Britain, — that it ought not to be neglected, until perhaps a voice from her colonial children may go forth proclaim- ing " i*. is too late," — for then the opportunity of uniting in firm and friendly bonds of union ** this wondrous empire " on which the solar orb never sets" will have passed away for ever. ** That which we have, we prize not to the worth ; " But being lacked or lost, — why then we rate its value.* ^^M^' INTRODUCTION. ** At this moment, when renewed attention is turned " to all the Routes whicli, during ages past, Imve I'rom " time to time been tulkod about, as best fitted for a link '* of communication botvveen the Atlantic and Pacific " Oceans," — we call upon the people of Great Britain and her Government to leflect, that, for her, the best and shortest link of con)niunication — the great link required to unite all her dominions in one powerful chain — is now in her own possession, — that — " it is in vain to incul- " catc feelings of brotherhood among mankind by moral " influence alone ; a sense of community of interest must " be also established," — that Great Britain can, in the opening of the Route herein proposed, at the same time employ her own Children at home and abroad, as well as her own continually increasing Capital. " The Railway operations of the various nations of " the world may be looked upon as a sort of competition " for the overflowing Capital of the countries where " Profits are low and Capital abundant." " The duty of Government is first to regulate the stream of Emigration, so that if a man be determined on leaving the United Kingdom he may settle in one of " its colonies." « « • i2F ^o J^ra. Scotia^. J^ Bntruwick. f/te^C Tk^ Ccut^ula^, j^wOi^denm and t^ ii L_ Zl ^ -^• r - ^^ ^^ it- ^ ^ % ^ .Ji 'S^- 1 ^11 ^ '^ *r w 4 f 1 t£. 1 d . ^^ < i *J ^<1^ >^ ^w L) 1£ lO if 90" -4J \ ( • \c«V ^MiT^ ____ >>Hr ^ A 1" 1 /«/ Voohtuml I JMOauUi rJkerlu Jt TI D ^ u .^^ \o ^. Ih^Ml rbvK yd \» hBl, >X Ja.1 ■B ^ ,^v >^ ^,s /t/tX^ j:}^ Oiltdenia and f/ij!, 77u--RiMna.ny Ternary, i^llan' \ "~| Zh& l^^ttd' Stff/xj lerrttffry IM-coZ-nnv/ \^ '\ fYfmnvnjticeUr^ ^renrt^ JiiAJ^ue^ to IhrtLan^lef and.3^th€i^ Saan^ BAHWAY COMMipKA!^!^! THE ATLANTIC^ THE PACIFIC rmmm. Scaler of Milw let , UOt,. 2ff^MtmmmtSt. USt/r 120 -N '^^^ I C H '^ A W 3^ m ,mify JV loo I / :^m^ \s JT < ^ V A5. THJ > /ri/M r\. S: \ V x' u 5^ ,T^ / ibi jIRT X ^' ^■'^ • ' T ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC RAILWAY. " The systematic development of the resources of British " North America will, so far from being a drain on Great *' Britain, be of immediate advantage to her." " Such development entails the natural, enduring and perfect " union between Great Britain and that part of her empire." If an apology was due to his countrymen, when so hum- ble an individual brought forward so great a project, how much more must he owe a debt of gratitude, for the in- dulgence he has met with, and the encouragement he has received. Deeply impressed with the vast importance and serious nature of the subject in question — of the numerous interests that would be benefited, and unaware of any that could be injured, and having, by the advice of friends, divested it of all personal remarks, as well as of every thing that might appear in the least degree political, he ventures to urge its further consideration upon the public. And he does so with the more confidence, because there is evidently an anxious desire on the part of the Government to give every pos- sible assistance to great national undertakings, and as there is every prospect of a railway from Dublin to the Atlantic Coast of Ireland being soon completed, and an emigration company formed in Galway. It will be well to recollect, that when Sir George Simp- son quitted England on his journey round the world, he was accompanied, in addition to his own party, by " a " gentleman in the service of the Russian American Com- " pany, on his route from Petershurgh to Sitka, which his " superiors were preferring for him, as shorter by thirty " degrees of longitude, the whole breadth of all the rest " of the world, to that of his own native empire." The Caledonia Steam Ship of 450 horse power, on ( '2 ) lit I' ; I lit Ji.. bofird of wliicli Sir Oeorgo Simpson mid liiH party em- barked at Liverpool, rcaelied Halifax on the IHth March. Sir George SimpHoti observes, when H|)caking of this Steam Packet line, " to tlie establishment of this communication " between the two Continents Halifax owes njuch, both " on conmiercia! and political grounds. Still, however, " the work is only half done." And Sir George then goes on to show how the J'higlish mails are obliged to be sent through the United States, for want of a proper land communication to Quebec ; but I trust that the time has at length arrived, when our great Colonial land route of travelling nuiy reach from Halifax to Frazer's River, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The nautical high road between England and her North American Colonies has long been established beyond a question, and may be depended upon beyond a doubt, as a regular, a safe and an easy communication, of nine or ten days average passage; another undertaking has now to be accomplished by Great Britain and her Colonics — an undertaking that will open a mine of wealth to all concerned, not the wealth of gold, but of commerce and industry; — for between the North-Eastern and North-Western shores of America, through our loyal, long-tried and devoted North American Colonies, there may now be created a great, and a most important work — a British Colonial or Imperial Railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific — a work that would give remunerative employment to the population, to the wealth, and to the inventive genius of England. Startling as it may at first appear, a little reflection will show that it may be done ; that England and her children have the power to make it ; and that it will become valu- able property — for it would increase our commerce and trade to an extent not easy to calculate. But such a noble work must not be looked upon merely as a money question, — although if only considered in that light, — England must ( :i ) reflect tliut, if Hhe wislico and intends to n;luin her lii^li pre-eminence nniongst the nationH of the earth, who nniHt moHt nnsuredly pay for it. No country can have all the blcHHingH and udvantaj^cs of England and have them for nothing, nor can she retain them without great exertion. Her accumulated wealth cannot be allowed to remain idle —nor will it. No one will deny for a moment that every economy that will nuike the poor man richer and liappier ought to be practised ; but let us take care that we do not, from too strong a desire to retain that wealth which l*ro- vidence has thrown into the lap of England even in the midst of war, dt|)rive her labouring children of legitimate employment and just remuneration, (all that the industrious classes of our fellow-countrymen require.) But the under- taking proposed has even a higher claim to our attention. It is the great link required to uvite in one powerful chain the whole English race. Let then our princely merchants condescend, for a short time even, to consider the under- taking here proposed ; and say, if they can, that (even should it be executed at an immense expense) it would not— produce a great and beneficial forward movement, be a present happy employment, and a future perpetual source of wealth, to England and her children. Let them consider also, that "the social advancement which " the modern improvement of Railways is calculated to " effect has added a new faculty to man, in the facilities " which it affords of communication between province and " province, and between nation and nation. Nor does it " seem too much to say, that it will be the means of " binding all the nations of the earth into one family, with mutual interests, and with the mutual desire of pro- moting the prosperity of their neighbours, in order that they may enhance their own, and forming thereby the " most powerful antagonistic principle to war that the " earth has ever known." And " we trust our readers D 2 « « u ( 4 ) I ,1 : It ' ! U i il il) *' of all politics will cordially join with us in a dcBirc, " tlmt the wonderful discovery which it hag pleased the " Almighty to impart to us, instead of becoming amongst " us a subject of angry dispute, may in every region of the " globe bring the human family into friendly communi- " cation ; that it may dispel national prejudices ; assuage " animosities — in short, that, by creating a feeling of uni- " versal gratitude to the powers from which it has pro- " ceeded, it may produce on earth peace and good-will " towards men." And where, let it be asked, can this wonderful discovery, this greot power of steam, be called into action so effectually and so usefully, not only for Great Britain, but for mankind in general, than in that parallel of latitude in which {all barrier difficulties and all cause for war being now removed) would naturally flow in full tide the civilization, arts and sciences that invariably follow in the wake of Englishmen? Then as to the diffir culties of the undertaking, let us recollect that an eminent engineer, previous to the construction of the Liverpool and Manchester Line, said, " No man in his senses would at- " tempt a Railroad over Chat Moss : " his calculation was that it would cost f 270,000. Yet the genius of George Stephenson afterwards surmounted the difficulty at a cost of £40,000, though the work was commenced when en- gineering science was less understood than now. " Steam " as applied to locomotion by sea and land is the great " wonder-worker of the age. For many years we have ** been so startled by such a succession of apparent mira- " cles, we have so often seen results which surpassed and " falsified all the deductions of sober calculations, and so " brief an interval has elapsed between the day when cer- tain performances were classed by men of science as among impossibilities, and that wherein those same per- " formances had almost ceased to be remarkable from their ** frequency, that we might almost be excused if we regarded it n ■■ ( r, ) ** the cloud'Compclling demon, with soincwlmt of the rc- " vcrencG which the snvagc payH to his superior, wiicii he " worships as omnipotent nny power wliuse hmit.-t he cannot *' himself |)orceivc." With !!>uch a power (so elorpiently described) at our command, and such. magnificent results to be obtained from it, shall England hesitate? shall the expenditure of a few millions check such a noble work? shall the Rocky Mountains be a barrier? moun- tains never yet properly explored, and of which almost all we know is that we nearly went to war to be allowed to cross them. And what are the expenses of war? Between the years 1797 and 1815, G30 millions of money were expended for carrying on war. Again, the very magnitude of the undertaking and length of the Railway is in its favour, for — "We believe it may be " affirmed without fear of contradiction, that the working ** details of a Railway are invariably well executed in " proportion to their magnitude. A little Railway — like " a little war — is murderous to those engaged and ruinous " to those who pay for it." Now if in England experience has taught all this,— shall the people of Halifax, New Brunswick, Quebec, Montreal Toronto, &c., be allowed, perhaps encouraged, to go on slowly endeavouring (at an immense expense and outlay for such young commu- nities) to make a variety of local Railways, thus ac- knowledged to be ruinous, and the mother country remain quietly looking on when she has now the power of greatly assisting them, and to her own advantage, by planning and arranging one grand route and system of Lines throughout the whole country, and under Providence the means of opening that route in an incredible short space of time ? Let then England, her North American colonies, and the Hudson's Bay Company, join heart and hand, and with the great power of steam which it has pleased the Almighty to place at the command of man, there will soon arise a m I r 1^' ^i -.1 B. m r.-' i '• i 6 ) work that will be the wonder and admiration of the age — and such a mercantile and colonizing road will be open to Great Britain, that at no fu' 2 period (at least within the imagination of man) will she ever again have to complnin of too great a population on her soil, and too small a market for her labour. Let us cor aider the immense annual cost to England for her prisons and her convicts, — much of that crime arising probably fiom the want of employment, and consequent poverty. Even at this moment five millions are spoken of as a sum required to be expended in new prisons for a favourite systv.ai. li has been suggested " as well " worthy of considf;ration, whether it would not be ad- ** VI, able ♦o cease transporting con vie*-", at so great a cost " to distant settlements, and instead to send them to a '* nearer ylace of exile, where their labour might be ren- " dered in so great a degree valuable, as speedily to return to the Mother Country the whole of the charge incurred for their conveyance ;" and vvhere could England better employ her convict labour, than on a work that would be of such vast and lasting importance to herself, to her colonies, and to mankind in general? *' If gangs of ** convict labourers were placed a little beyond the verge " of civilization, and employed in clearing and enclosing *' lands, constructing roads, building bridges, the land thus " prv^pared and improved would meet with ready pur- " chasers at prices which would well repay the Govern- " ment their previous outlay." It may be objected by some, that the expense of the troops necessary to guard the convicts would be very gre.tt, and would be a heavy burden to thif. country. To them I must use the words of the " Times," when suggesting the grant of colonial lands to be annexed to the performance of military duties. " Subsidiary to and connected nith this arrangement " might be devised another, by which soW'^rs of good cha- it it ^m^ ( 7 ) " racter might be discharged after ten years service and " rewarded with small freeholds in the colonies. Tney " might be bound to appear on duty at certain periods, and " for a certain duration of time, as our pensioners are at " present." And if soldiers of six or eight years service were sent ol . :n charge of the convicts^ that unpleasant duty would be of very short duration before they would meet with their reward. This system of pensions alluded to by the "Times" would become extremely applicable to the troops employed in guarding the convicts on the proposed Atlantic and Ppcific Railway, and small villages, and ultimately cities, would, no doubt, arise from such a source : but even the firs'; outlay caused by the employment o*" the convicts on such a work cannot be considered as any extra expense to governmer' for these convicts must be fed, must be employed, and must be guarded somewhere : and it will be seen hereafter that government may be reimbursed not only her expenditure on account of the convict?, but also her expen ^iture on account of the troops required to guard them. In the suggestions for the employment of the convicts, it is further said, ' There is unhappily but " too much reason for believing that the whole number of " labourers who could be thus profitably employed might " be furnished from the criminal population of Great •* Britain." And by a return given at t'le same time, it is shown that the number of convicts from 1825 to 1833, both years inclusive, was 22,138, and that return did not include all the penal settlements. " The cost of " convicts at home and abroad have mounted from "£111,306 to £378,000; certainly the law of increase '^ is strongly marked on the expense of crime." "If any body will cut down this figure he will earn the " gratitude of the nation." This last expression of the Times has more particular reference to the expense in- R "'[. ( 8 ) curred for Ireland, but will no doubt be acknowledged to be equally true as bearing upon the enormous general increase of convict expenditure; and the more I reflect on this subject, the more do I jfeel convinced that the employment of convict labour in the Rocky Mountains, and at several other points of the Line of this proposed great National work, would produce a most beneficial result, as a means of reducing the amount of crime, as even an immediate saving of transport expense to England (unless indeed all distant penal settlements are to be finally abandoned), and as an ultimate great advantage both to her own commerce, and to that of her colonies ; and here let it be recollected, that there is a feeling abroad " to force " upon government and the legislature a bold and manly " course in dealing with crime in general :" that the mag- nificent prisons now built are considered "unjust to tho " labouring poor, whose humble dwelling, with coarse and " scanty food, is mocked by the grandeur and beauty of " the prison, as well as by the idle and comfortable enter- " tainmeni within its wall ;" and it has been remarked by a public journal in a warning voice, " to make prisons " palaces is the way to turn palaces into prisons." Lastly, " we cannot afford to spend £50 a year on a convict at " home." Enough has been said on this subject at pre- sent, and we will now consider again the working out of this great undertaking. We will suppose, in the first place, active, intelligent, and scientific voung men to be sent to the Rocky Mountains, to ascertain the best spot at which to cross them, and the best port (if the mouth of Frazer's River will not answer), on the western shore of North America, within, of course, the Hudson's Bay Com- pany's territory, for a great commercial harbour and rail- way terminus. Then let a grand line of Railway be marked out from Halifax to that spot, and let all local towns or districts that have sufficient capital and labour to undertake any part of that Line have the benefit of the m ( 9 ) profits of the whole Line, in proportion to the parts they mav finish. No convict labour need interfere with them. But in such districts as are at present so thinly inhabited as to have no working population, and no capital to expend, let the work be commenced by England, by her capital, and her convicts : and let Government encourage and facilitate the formation of a great Atlantic and Pacific Railway Company, by obtaining from Parliament a national guarantee for the completion of the work ; first, of course, having entered into arrangements with the Hudson's Bay Company, and her North American Provinces, for the secUiity of such sums of money as may be advanced, by way of loan, from Great Britain. " We have at home a superabundant population, sub- "ject to a very rapid increase on any reduction of the " price, if but of the necessaries of life, — how can it be " better employed than in seeking, with its own advance " in social position, and means of acquiring its comforts, if ** not its luxuries, the spread of our free institutions — ** equal laws — and holy religion. We desire an enlarged " sphere for commercial enterprise. New markets for our " manufactures ; these every fresh colony supplies in its " measure. If then JVew Caledonia be what it appears to " be, if its climate, soil, agriculture, and commercial capa- " bilities be as represented, why leave its future destiny " to time and circumstances?" We call then upon Great Britain, her North American Provinces, and the Hudson's ""say Company, to employ their wealth and power to unite, ui one great unbroken iron chain, the Mother Country with her distant Children, and, in spite of Nature's diffi- culties, carry steam across the Rocky Mountains. I have been accustomed to look upon the power of England as irresistible, — morally, physically, and intel- lectually, — she has now in this age the command of mind and matter sufficient to enable her almost to move the m I ??y tfjl -r: i?,f 1 1 p ( 10 ) earth, and shall the tunnel under the Thames, the tube over the Conway, and the bridge over the Menai, be our only wonders ? Let England only commence the Railway from Halifax to tiiQ Pacific, with the order to her sons to cross the Rocky Mountains and the accomphshment of the undertaking will soon reward the labour, courage and skill which would undoubtedly be exhibited. Sir Alexander Mackenzie inscribed in large characters, with vermillion, this brief memorial, on the rocks of the Pacific, "Alex- ander Mackenzie from Canada by land the 22nd of July, 1794." Who will be the first engineer to inscribe upon the Rocky Mountains "On this day engineer A. B. piloted the first locomotive engine across the Rocky Mountains;" and whai "^n will be the feeling of Englishmen, when even now S*,. is considered the " exclusive offspring of British genius, tostered and sustained by British enterprise and British capital ! " We have seen that on the highest habitable spot of the Mountains of the Alps stands a monument of war, placed there by the hand of a powerful man in the pride of victory over his fellow-men, and in honour of his companions in arms. We trust before long that on the highest habitable spot of the Rocky Moun- tains will stand a monument of peace, placed there by an enterprising nation in honour of the victory of science over nature, and in memory of some enterprising son. After all her wars, her victories and her revolutions, in what condition is France ? What may not England expect to be with all her vic- tories over nature — her trade and commerce ? May she march forward in her career of peace, as bravely, as nobly, and as proudly, as she did in that of war; and may she now take as great an interest in, and make the same ex- ertions for, the welfare and happiness not only of her own people, but of those of other nations in all quarters of the ( 11 ) globe, as she did in former days for their protection from a desolating foe. What the ultimate consequences of such a link of con- nection would be, are indeed far beyond the reach of the human mind to foresee ; but its immediate results stand out apparently to the most common observer. In the first place, Cape Horn {the roughest point to weather in the wjtole world) would be avoided. In the next, the lonf; passage by the Cape of Good Hope to innumerable places in the Pacific Ocean would become also unnecessary. In both these cases a great amount of time (which in com- merce is money) would be saved. Again, it would be no longer necessary to send goods by the route of the Hud- son's Bay to the territories of that Company ; and thus a climate horrible in winter and summer^ would also be avoided. Then one view of the map of the world will show that the proposed terminus of the Atlantic and Pacific Railway at Frazer's River, taken as a centre, would bring New Zealand, New South Wales, in fact, Australia, New Guinea, Borneo, Singapore, Canton, Pekin, all within forty or fifty days' sail of that point ; and taking the Sandwich Islands as a centre point, (where there is a fine harbour, and where a depot of coals might be established,) which could be reached in ten days, all the before-named places would be brought within twenty days for steam navigation ; other points, such as the Friendly Islana^, &c., might be selected for further depots of coals. Again, from the terminus of the proposed rail- way the mails from England could be despatched to all the above-mentioned places, and the formation of a great steam navigation company, vith a grant from Govern- ment, in the same way as a grant was made to the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company, would insure mag- nificent steamers for the conveyance of these mails, and would secure also to the Hudson's Bay Company an im- ( 12 ) ft, Ifci i 1^ II '.1 pi. k mense consumption of their coal. Last, though not least of all, this Railway route across the continent of North America would ensure to England at all times a free com- munication with her East India possessions. It is true that at present there is no difficulty in that respect, but let the public reflect, and let the Government reflect, that in the event of a European war, we might be called upon to defend and keep open that communication at an immense expenditure of life and money, and indeed it might even be closed against us ; whereas the proposed Line across the continent of America would be within our own domi- nions, and would not oblige us to interfere or meddle with any continental wars to enjoy its free use. No time ought to be lost in the commencement of this National Under- takino;. If then Government took the initiative, it might obtain the consent of Parliament, and proceed to appoint a Board of General Arrangement and Control, consisting, say, of fifteen Commissioners : three on the part of Great Britain, three to be named by the Hudson's Bay Company, three to be appointed by the Government of Nova Scotia, three by that of New Brunswick, and three on the part of Canada ; all these latter of course with the approval of their respective Governors. It may appear that the North American Provinces would thus have a greater proportion of Commissioners ; but as each of these Colonies have Governments independent of each other, they may be considered as separate countries, although we take them as one when considered as the North American Provinces. These Commissioners could be authorized to make all the necessary arrangements for the security of the money that may be advanced in any shape by the Government of Great Britain, and should be instructed to draw up the general Articles of Agreement between the high contracting parties; and Government might be authorized by Parliament to open Mmm ( 13 ) an account with these Commissioners, who as a Body might be called " The Atlantic and Pacific Railway Board of Control," and under its auspices a public Company might be formed, refunding to the Government all previous outlay. Our North American provinces are close at hand, and during the approaching summer all the necessary ar- rangements might be made for the reception of a great number of convicts in different locations; and, in the first instance, as a temporary measure, they might be sent to Halifax and Quebec, where they could be re- ceived immediately in very good wood huts; at both these places they could also be at once set to work in un- loading the vessels sent from England with the necessary stores for the commencement of this great national work, and in preparing and levelling the situations of the respec- tive termini ; for of course at both these stations great government as well as private wharfs would be estabhshed. Again : another portion could be sent at once from New South Wales to the port fixed upon on the north-west coast of North America, in the Hudson's Bay Company's terri- tory : there they could be put to work in the same way — to unload vessels bringing in stores, to cut down and pre- pare timber, level and get ready the site of the terminus. And it appears very necessary that preparation should be made for the reception of a large body at the Red River Settlement, that point being a very important spot in the Line proposed. There ought at once to be made a prac- tical line of communication between it and the head of Lake Superior. "The soil, which is alluvial, is beyond "•example rich and productive, and withal so easily " worked, that, although it does not quite come up to " the description of the Happy Islands— reddit ubi cere- " rem tellus inarata quot annis— there is an instance, I " was assured, of a farm in which the owner, with com- ( 14 ) " paratively light labov; in the preparatory processes, had " taken a wheat crop out of the same land for eighteen *' successive years, never changing the crop, never nianur- " ing the land, and never suffering it to lie fallow, and that " the crop was abundant to the last ; and, with respect to " the pasture and hay, they are to be had ad libitum, " as nature gives them in the open plains." Speaking of import goods : " All these articles are brought across " f/om Hudson's Bay, «, distance of several hundred miles, " in boats, and these boats are drawn across the portages "on rollers, or in some places earned upon waggons; " hence those articles which are of a heavy description are " charged at a price seemingly out of all proportion to " that '"f many others which may be obtained at a moderate " price : a common grindstone is sold for 20s." On leaving Fort William, at the head of Lake Superior, and proceeding up the Kaministuquoia River, Sir George Simpson writes, — " The river, during the day's march, " passed through forests of elm, oak, lime, birch, &c., " being studded with isles not less fertile and lovely than " its banks ; and many a spot reminded us of the rich " and quiet scenery of England. The paths of numerous " portages, some spangled with violets, roses and many " other wild flowers, while the currant, the gooseberry, the " raspberry, the plum, the cherry, and even the vine were " abundant. All this bounty of nature was imbued, as " it were, with life, by the cheerful notes of a variety of " birds, and by the restless flutters of butterflies of the " highest hues. One cannot pass through this fair valley " without feeling that it is destined, sooner or later, to " become the happy home of civilized men, with their " bleating flocks and lowing herds ; with their schools and " their churches j with their full garners and their social "hearths." il ( 16 ) Now read again the description of Hudson's Buy, then look upon that picture, and upon this; look upon tiuit country that will give eighteen successive crops of wheat, and look upon the difficult, dangerous, and tedious navi- gation of that bay, whose climate in summer and winter is horrible, and through whose waters the stores of this fine country are obliged to travel ; look at that picture, then look at this, — the easy, safe, and rapid communication of a Railway, — and say if the time, health and money that would be saved by its construction is not worthy the consideration of Englishmen, and would not repay the constructors, even if that was to be its last terminus. But when it is considered that the P^ain Line of Rail- way, in passing through our own colonies, would skirt the shores of Lake Superior — rich in mines of silver and copper — and that the Red River Settlement would only be one of the many valuable towns and districts that would be oj^ened to trade and commerce, and only contribute its mite to the profits to be obtained from the passage of the Rocky Moun- tains to the Pacific, it appears to me impossible that such a powerful and wealthy Company as that of the Hudson's Bay Company, such magnificent colonies as our North American Provinces, and such an empire as Great Britain, can balance for one moment whether loss or profit would attend the undertaking and completion of such a Railway. But our argument is stronger as we proceed ; for, cross- ing the Rocky Mountains, where the real terminus would be, let us pause for a moment to consider the mine of wealth we should open — not the wealth of gold and silver — but wealth, the reward of commerce and industry. " The land," Nicolay says, " affords, even now, exports " of cattle, wool, hides, and tallow, as well as salted meat, " beef, pork, wheat, barley, Indian corn, apples, and ** timber. Of these all are sent to the Sandwich Islands, " some to California, and hides and wool have been sent to w I ^•! < ( 16 ) " England. The woods of the Oregon present another fer- " tile source of national wealth. The growth of timber of all " sorts in the neighbourhood of the harbour in the De-fuca " Strait adds much to their value as a naval and com- " mercial station. Coal is found in the whole western ** district, but principally shows itself above the surface on " the north part of Vancouver's Island. To these sources " of commercial and national wealth must be added the " minerals— iron, lead, tin, &c. The mountains and sea- " coast produce granite, slate, sandstone, — and in the ** interior oolites; limestone is plentiful, and to the north " most easily worked and very rich in colour." And, in conclusion, we may say that the Hudson's Bay Company's territory in the Pacific, that is. New Caledonia, " will be found to fall short of but few countries, either " in salubrity of climate, fertility of soil, and consequent " luxuriance of vegetation, and utility of production, or " in the picturesque character of the scenery." And this country could be brought within a distance of about six- teen days of England. It has been remarked, that " a person who is already " thriving seldom puts himself out of his way to commence " even a lucrative improvement, unless urged by the addi- " tional motive of fear lest some rival should supplant hira " by getting possession of it before him." Truly, indeed, has it been said by the Spectator, ** that England is not " bankrupt, nor poor, nor needy. In every quarter we see " immense additions to material wealth ; we observe, too, " on all hands a vast extension of luxurious enjoyments " among the middle classes; every thing attests a huge " growth in the wealth of the nation " It may be fairly considered, then, that England is thriving — a lucrative improvement of vast magnitude is open to her — and if the additional motive of fear of rivalry is necessary to excite her in so noble an undertaking, let her reflect on what is said in an American paper : — ( 17 ) . A Boston paper of the day says, " the finding of these '' gold mines is of more importance timn any previous " event for 300 years. The prosperity of Queen Eliza- ** beth's reign was mainly owing to the stimulus given to '* commerce by the increase of the precious metals ; but " the field now to be acted upon is at least fifty times " greater than during that period. Within five years " there will be a Railroad from the Atlantic Ocean, " across the great American Continent, through the gold ** regions, to the Bay of San Francisco, said to be the *' finest harbour in the world. The people of San Fran- " cisco will then communicate by telegraph in a few ** minutes, and the mails will be taken to Canton on the *' one side in fourteen days, and «,o London on the other ** in nine days ; so that intelligence may be conveyed " from the one end to the other in the short period of " twenty-three days. This will be witnessed under five " years." It is evident, then, that the people of the United States are quite aware of all the advantages to be gained by a quick communication across the Continent of America. Let us consider now, for a moment, what the consequences of a Railway would be as regards your own valuable and fertile colonies. The reader has no doubt already pictured to himself the town of Halifax alive with all the bustle and excite- ment of a great commercial community, and her noble harbours full of every description of vessels, from the magnificent English steamer to the small colonial coasting craft. And when we reflect that at Halifax would rest the terminus, whence could be embarked for England at all seasons of the year, our highly valuable colonial pro- duce, including the rich exports from the Southern Pacific Ocean (not sent round Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope) ; and when we reflect that this long neglected sea- r ■! * 111 It 11 m ■= i' ( 18 ) port toWi^ could equally receive at all seaions of the year the various exporlH from England, for her numerous Colonies ; and when we consider that there is abundance of coal at hand, with wood and stone for building, who can hesitate for a moment to acknowledge that Halifax would soon become one of the most important ports, and one of the most noble cities of the world ; add to this, that the connection and attachment of Nova Scotia to England would be cemented for ever. " This is the best situation ** in all America, if the British did but know it. It will " have the greatest trade, the greatest population, the " most manufactures, the most wealth, of any state this ** side of the water. The resources, natural advantages, *' and political position of this place, beats all." Then again, look to the city of Quebec ; no sooner would the river navigation open, than thousands of vessels from England would be seen dropping their anchors at the foot of her proud citadel, carrying out vast cargoes of English exports ; and the railway carriages ready to con- vey all these articles of commerce to every town and district in the North American Colonies ; away also to the far west, whence they would be forwarded to our colonial possessions in the Southern Pacific, and to numerous other places; then again, behold these ships reloading quickly with the timber and other exportable articles from our then firmly-linked -together valuable Colonies, sailing away for England, and repeating their visit two or three times in the season ; the difficult navi- gation of the Hudson's Bay avoided ; the territory of the Hudson's Bay Company daily increasing in value, from the ease with which its inhabitants could procure articles of commerce, before almost forbidden to them ; and Quebec, being their nearest port for embarkation for England, would necessarily become even a much more important city than she is at present. The land in her ...^ KV^ ( 10 ) neighbourhood would become highly valuable, and, as a matter of necessity, the fine country to the north, with even better soil and better climate, would soon be opered and peopled. Then again, look to New Brunswick, con- nected as it would of course be both with Halifax and Quebec, thus having a free and direct communication with those cities, and enabled to export or import at any season of the year, (should she wish to avoid the navi- gation of the Bay of Fundy) ; then think what strength she would bring to the union of the Colonies by such a link of connection, and how many more opportunities her inhabitants would have of encouraging and fostering that strong attachment to their English brethren we all so well know to exist amongst the people of New Brunswick. But I might point out town after town, and district after district, whose wealth and prosperity would go on rapidly increasing. Montreal has alrpfidy made some steady advances to a great capital, and i iie time cannot be far distant when she will rival even the most flourishing on the North American Continent. To her this proposed Railway would be highly important. She has shown that she already understands the value of such things ; for not only has she a small one of her own to La-Chine, about seven miles up the river, but she has also, 1 understand, finished about thirty miles towards the Atlantic in the direction of Portland. The interest of these Companies would not of course be lost sight of, but their profits taken into the general calculation. The great Trunk Line of Railway would naturally, I conclude, go through a country some little distance to the north of Montreal ; but one of the most important termini must of necessity be at that city where the business of the Government is carried on, and where of course a general Railway Communica- tion with every town and district would be established. Toronto would naturally be considered in the manner c2 ^1 v .J I'! t :,i f. ,1 It' t )li :i ill ( 20 ) in which so loyal and devoted a city ought to be, and where was held, even to a very late period, the parlia- ment of a great country, surrendered only to her sister Montreal on public considerations and for the general good ; and the Main Line of Railway should be brought as near Toronto as the communication between the At- lantic and Pacific (its great object and principal view) would permit. " It is painful to think of the blunders that have been " committed from time to time in the management of " our Colonies, and of the gross ignorance or utter disre- *' gard of their interests that ha^ been displayed in tieaties " with foreign powers. Fortunately for the Mother Coun- " try, the Colonists are warmly attached to her and her in- " stitutions, and deplore a separation too much to agitate " questions, however important, that may have a tendency " to weaken their affections by arousing their passions/' Should the Government of Great Britain, upon whose consideration will be forced the present situation of her Colonies, consider it right to give their support to this proposed Atlantic and Pacific Railway, for the reasons herein explained, or from any other cause, — tho great be- nefit that Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Canadas will derive from having open to them a free and easy access to the Atlantic and the Pacific, will, I trust, occa- sion such an activity of mind, and such an employment of matter, that, in the general good arising therefrom, all thoughts of former ill treatment or unkindness fiom the Mother Country will soon be forgotten. The great question, however, is, and will be on all sides. Where is the money to come from ? and that question I am weak enough to fancy is easily answered. Let us consider this subject a little. Let us remembci , first, that England expended 630 millions during nineteen years in war, and, notwithstanding which expenditure, the country ( 21 ) got richer and richer every clay ; and if the country is not poorer now than it was in the years when it was able to raise the sum of 150 millions in a single year—the greater part of which it could afford to expend in one year in war, and grow richer all the time — surely such a country can afford to expend some few millions for the benefit of those colonies on account of whom she vvas lately ready to go to war, and on whose account she did actually expend about two millions, caused merely by the rebellion and disturb- ance of a few discontented spirits. But the money that England would be called upon to advance in the proposed undertaking would secure to her not only the attachment of her children in the North American provinces, by making it as well their worldly interest, as it is thei.'' natural feel- ing and wish, to remain Englishmen ; but that money, and the ii.terest of that money, could be secured to her by proper arrangements being entered into with the Hudson's Bay Company, and with the North American Provinces, and be ultimately reimbursed to her by the formation of tlje proposed Company. Up to the present moment England has, I believe, ex- pended the sum of £148,000,000 or. her Railways, and nearly 5000 miles are finished ; and on an average these Railways are said to give a return of about four per cent., and " with the increase of the national wealth and ' population, and with the increase of habits of social in- •' ter-communication and the transit of goods, the traffic * on Railways would increase, and the profits and divi- * dends would not be less but greater ; and in the case of ' some of them, no man would pretend to s«y how great * might be the increase of dividends from the improved and * economical modes of working Railways, which, there is * every reason to believe, will day by day be freshly dis- * covered." And ,-^ho will say that £200,000,000 ex- pended (even should such a sum as that be required) ( 22 ) I .'1 in making u Railway Road from the Atlantic to the Pacific through our own territories, and therefore com- pletely under our own controul, would not increase by a tenfold degree the value of that property already expended in England ? When the Railways now in contemplation at home are finished ^ their total length will, I believe, be about 10,000 miles, and the expenditure be- tween 200 and 240 millions. The length of the Railway proposed to go through our colonies may be spoken of roughly as at about 4000 miles ; but when we take into consideration the relative value of land in England and our colonies, and a thousand other Railway contingencies in a highly civilized country, creating enormous legal, le- gislative and other expenses, we naturally come to the conclusion that the outlay per mile must of course be considerably diminished in the colonies. Taking it, however, at the English expenditure of £24,000 a mile on the average, it would only cost £96,000,000; — £5,000,000 has been estimated as sufficient for six hundred miles of Railway from Halifax to Quebec. But calling it £100,000,000, and supposing the work to be five years completing, that would only be at the rate of £20,000,000 a year, the interest of which at five per cent, would be £1,000,000. Surely, then, such a sum as that could be easily raised, even by the Hudson's Bay Company alone, upon the security of their extensive and valuable territory. For so great a difference would soon arise between the value of that territory as it is now — merely the abode of Indians and hunters— and what it would be then ; with its clearings, its improvements, its roads, its trade, its manufactures; and its towns, that any amount of debt almost might be incurred. But our loyal colonies would no doubt equally enter into securities to England, and be glf?d, in fact, to share their chan*^ of the profit; for these colonies, as well as the Hudson's Bay Company, i i' ( 23 ) would be immense gainerR. Still it may be argued, that unless it can be shown that England herself would be a gainer, she would not be justified ni advancing any money on such an undertaking. Let us, then, consider this point a little. It has been asserted (what some of our public journals confess to be true), " that if the " revenue had fallen off, it was because the balance sheet " of the merchants and the manufacturers had fallen off " likewise." If then we shov/ that, by the undertaking of such a work as is now proposed, the balance sheets of the merchants and manufacturers must increase immensely, we surely make out a case for the good of the country generally, as far as revenue is concerned. Let us then first consider, that " So interwoven and " complicated are the fibres which form the texture of the " highly civilized and artificial community in which we " live, that an effect produced on any one point is instantly " transmitted to the most remote and apparently uncon- " nected parts of the system." And again — " The ex- " portation of labourers and capital from the old to the " new countries, from a place where their productive power " ^ less to a place where it is greater, increases by so much " the aggregate produce of the labour id capital of the " world." Now, with regard to the first remark, the eflfect that would be produced by the necessary exportation of r'l the machinery for the making and working of this Atlantic and Pacific Railway, would of course produce, even in England, a very great increase both to the productive power, and to the consumption of a variety of articles apparently unconnected with the affairs of the Railway ; and when, again, we look to the necessary exportation of labourers and of capital to the towns on the Line of the Railway where there is less productive power at work, by increasing that dormant power we shall increaf>e the I l-\ ^ 111 p! E.i ) ( ^4 ) aggregate ca|)itul of tlie world, and consequently that of England. Again — " Could we suddenly double the pro- " ductive power of the country, we should double the sup- " ply of the commodities in every market, but we should " by the same stroke double the purchasing power — every " body would bring a double demand as well as supply " — every body would be able to buy twice as much, as " he would have twice as much to offer in exchange." Also — " A country which produces for a larger market " than its own, can introduce a more extended division of " labour — can make a greater use of machinery, and is " more likely to make inventions and improvements in the " progress of production." Again — " Whatever causes a " greater quantity of any thing to be produced in the same " place, tends to the general increase of the productive " powers of the world." Now it surely will not be denied, that the undertaking of this National Railway would cause in England a greater quantity of machinery to be made and exported to the North American provinces, thus producing for it a larger market than the home, and causing a greater quantity to be made — thus a general increase of the pro- ductive powers of the world must be produced ; and ^as " wealth may be defined al' useful or agreeable things " which possess exchangeable value," it necessarily follows that the immense increase that would be given to the pro- ductive powers of England, to those of her North Ame- rican provinces, and of the Hudson's Bay territory, by an undertaking on such an extensive scale, if it did not completely, would nearly double these powers; and as whoever brings additional commodities to market brings additional power to purchase, it follows that the inhabitants of our North American provinces, and of the Hudson's Bay territory, would be enabled to take nearly twice the quantity of our manufactured goods. In moving an amendment this year to the Adutess from ( 25 ) IIkj Throne, it was said : " tne exports of the six principal " articles of British industry, cotton, wool, linen, silk, " hardware and earthenware, exhibit a diminution as " compared with 1 847, of no less than four millions, and " as compared with 1846, of five millions;" such being the case, it becomes highly important to consider the cause of this falling off, with a view to a remedy, and some great measures must be adopted towards our own colonies that will enable them to receive a greater quantity of manu- factured goods from the mother country, and this great Railway is suggested as one that would increase the pro- ductive power and population of our North American co- lonies, and a consequent increasing demand for hardware and earthenware, to say nothing even of the other articles of British industry, or of the facility of communicating with our other colonies. These few remarks will suffice to show that the balance sheets of the merchants, and cons^ uently of the revenue of England, as well as the capital of individuals, must increase immensely during the construction, and at the completion of the proposed undertaking. It has been stated that " Railways are the very grandest organi- " zation of labour and capital that the world has ever " seen :" that " the capital actually invested in Rail- " ways advanced from £65,000,000 sterling in 1843 to " £167,000,000 in 1848— no less than £100,000,000 in " five years." And why should we not look forward to an equal— aye — and to a much larger investment — on such a magnificent Line of Railway? joining, as it would, all the northern dominions of the old world — crossing, as it would, the northern territories of the new, and making an easy opening to the rich and thriving world that may be con- sidered of the present day. For " the word has been given, " an active and enterprising population will be poured in, " every element of progress will be cultivated, and the In I't 1 it ■til ^ .1 ; i ' N- ( 26 ) " productive countries on the shores of the Pacific, here- " tofore isolated, will be brought into active and profitable " intercourse. It may truly be said that a new world has ** been opened. " Our fathers watched the progress of America, we our- ** selves have seen that of Australia, but the opening of the " Pacific is one of the greatest events in social history " since, in the fifteenth century, the East Indies were " made known to Europe ; for we have not, as in America " or Australia, to await the slow growth of European set- '* tlements, but to witness at once the energetic action of ** countries already in a high state of advancement. The " Eastern and the Western shores of the great Ocean will " now be brought together as those of the Atlantic are, " and will minister to each other's wants. A happy coin- " cidence of circumstances has prepared the way for these " results. Everything was ready, the word only was " wanted to begin, and it has been given. " The outflowings of Chinese emigrants and produce, " which have gone towards the East, will now move to " the West ; the commercial enterprise of Australia and " New Zealand has acquired a new field of exercise and " encouragement ; the markets which Chili and Peru have " found in Europe only, will be opened nearer to their " doors ; the North-West shore of America will obtain all ** the personal and material means of organization ; the " Islands of the Pacific will take the place in the career " of civihzation for which the labours of the missionary " have prepared them ; and even Japan will not be able ** to withhold itself from the community of nations. " This is worth more to our merchants and manufac- '' turers, and to the people employed by them, than even " the gold mines can be ; for this is the statement of cer- " tain results, and the working of the gold mines, how- " ever productive they may prove, must be attended with ( 27 ) *^ all the incidents of irregularity and uncertainty, and " great commercial disadvantages." Surely then there would be no difficulty with Parliament to encourage and facilitate the formation of an Atlantic and Pacifio Railway Company, by obtaining its sanction to the loan of such sums as might be required (to be issued under the sanction of a board appointed for that special purpose), particularly when it is recollected that the expense of a great part of her own convicts could be provided for by that advance. The manner in which it is proposed these loans should be made will be seen hereafter. It will easily be seen, that it would be impossible to complete this Atlantic and Pacific Railway, without at the same time giving great encouragement to the emigra- tion of labour ; and this " is only practicable when its " cost is defrayed, or at least advanced, hy others than the " labourers themselves. Who then is to advance it ? Na- " turally it may be said, the capitalists of the colony, who '* require the labour, and who intend to profit by it. But " to this there is the obstacle, that a capitalist, after going " to the expense of carrying out labourers, has no security " that he shall be the person to derive any benefit from " them." To those who would object to Government in- terference in a case like the present, we can only say, that "the question of Government intervention in the " work of colonization involves the future and per- " manent interests of civilization itself, and far out- " stretches the comparatively narrow limits of purely " economical considerations ; but, even with a view to " these considerations alone, the removal of population " from the overcrowded to the unoccupied parts of the " earth's surface, is one of those works of eminent ** social usefulness which most require, and which at the " same time will best repay, the intervention of Govern- u fj ft 1 P V I ( 2ft ) ment." " No individual or body of individuals could re-ini- " burse themselves for these expenses." Government, on the contrary, could take from the increasing wealth caused by the construction of this Railway and consequent great emigrationy the fraction which would suffice to repay with interest the money advanced. These remarks apply equally to the governments of the North American provinces as to those of the Hudson's Bay Company and Great Britain. Independently of the money question, however, " there is " the strongest obligation on the government of a country ** like our own, with a crowded population and unoccupied " continents under its command, to build as it were and " keep open a bridge from the mother country to those con- *' tinents." Let us reflect that " the economical advantages " of commerce are surpassed in importance by those of its " eflects, which are intellectual and moral. It is hardly " possible to overrate the value, for the improvement of " human beings, of things which bring them in contact with " persons dissimilar to themselves, and with modes of " thought and action unlike those with which they are " familiar. Commerce is now what war once was — the " principal source of this contact. Commercial adven- " turers from more advanced countries have generally " been the first civilizers of barbarians, and commerce is " the purpose of the far greater part of the communica- " tion which takes place between civilized nations. It is " commerce which is rapidly rendering war obsolete, by " strengthening and multiplying the personal interest " which is in natural opposition to it." In whatever point of view, therefore, we regard this subject — whether as one of duty, by providing the means of healthy and legitimate employment to our numerous artificers and la- bourers now in a state of destitution — a domestic calamity likely to be often inflicted upon us. unless new fields, easy of access, are made permanently open to our conti* ( 29 ) nually increasing population — and " it would be difficult " to show that it i» not as much the duty of rulers to pro- " vide, as far as they can, for the removal of a domestic " calamity, as it is to guard the people entrusted to their " care from foreign outrage" — will they " slumber till some " great emergency, some dreadful economic or other crisis, *' reveals the capacities of evil which the volcanic depths " of our society may now hide under but a deep crust ?" — or whether we view it as a means of assisting any general system in the penal code — or whether we view it as a point of individual or government interest, by turning all that extra-productive power, now idle, in the direction of our own colonies, and thus connecting and attaching them more strongly to the mother country — increasing their wealth, their power and our own — or whether we consider it in a moral and religious point of view, as affording greater and quicker facilities for the spread of education and the Gospel of Christ — or whether we look upon it as an in- strument for the increase of commerce, and (as an important consequence) the necessarily directing men's minds, with the bright beams of hope, from their own individual and im- mediate distress, as well as from the general excitement and democratic feeling and spirit of contention showing itself amongst many nations (an object greatly to be desired) — or whether we look at it in a political point of view, as keeping open to us at all times, without the necessity of interference with other nations or of war, a great high road to most of our colonial possessions, and particularly to India — viewing it then in any one of these points, who can doubt for a moment the beneficial results that must attend such an undertaking. But when all these con- siderations are taken together, we must repeat what we said in a former page, that it is a grand and a noble under- taking, and that it must be accomplished by Great Britain and her colonies. .... ♦tP ( 30 ) i , . I r Let us reflect, lastly, that " the world now contains several '' extensive regions, provided with various ingredients of " wealth, in a degree of abundance of which former ages " had not even an idea." All the other North American provinces have, even by their own exertions, made rapid advances in wealth, accompanied by moral and intellectual attainments, and can look forward at no very distant period (if even left to their own exertions) to be enabled to take a very prominent position in the affairs of the world. But the Hudson's Bay Company's territory is still nearly in its primitive state, and much indeed is to be expected from its advancement, when it shall have taken its proper sta- tion in the general trade and commerce of mankind ; the position of Vancouver's Island is such that there is little reason to doubt its wealth and consequence will place it high in the scale of England's offspring. But " who (I have been asked) in the living generation " would be reimbursed for the outlay? and without that, " who will undertake a national work, however grand or " remunerative to future ages ?" To this I answer fearlessly, that thousands of human beings of the present generation would benefit by the outlay ; that the employment would be a quite sufficiently lucrative one, and visibly so, to induce the English capitalist to come forward and undertake the formation of a Company; for even at this moment Railways are in contemplation, if not actually commenced, from Halifax to Quebec, from New Brunswick to Halifax, and from Montreal to the Atlantic ; and how much more would these Lines be paying Lines when they had also an open- ing to the Pacific ! But no individual nor combination of individuals could have sufficient influence with, or, if they had the influence, could have the necessary power to in- duce, the Hudson's Bay Company to open its territories, and to enter into all the arrangements and all the agree- ments that would be necessary to be made with that Com- ( 31 ) pany, with England, and with the North American Colo- nies, before a work affecting the interests of so many could be commenced. It is necessary, then, tliat Government should take the initiative, and it is not uncommon for her so to do in all great national works, such as roads, surveys, expeditions either for the objects of science or commerce; such as those sent to discover the north-west passage, upon which thousands have been spent, and on account of which, at this very moment, England has to deplore, in all probability, the loss of many a noble son, whose re- latives have been for so long a tiir.e kept in all the agony of suspense. Upon no other description of work would Great Britain be required to advance a single penny; but the very fact of her undertaking what may be con- sidered legitimate expenses of a government, the survey and marking out the whole Line, the entering into treaties with her Colonies and the Hudson'^ Bay Company for the general security of the money, and for the interest for a certain number of years of the capital of the Company, would give such a confidence to the public mind, that a very short time would bring into full operation, in that direction, sufficient of the power and wealth of England to accomplish the work; and when accomplished, Govern- ment would still hold a lien upon it until she was reimbursed every farthing. And, let me auk, are there not a thousand expenditures that have been undertaken by Government for which no reimbursement has ever taken place; and are not individuals every day risking their capital and their accu- mulation of savings, in speculations in foreign lands, when the result of those past connections have been such as to lead the Minister of Foreign Affairs, even in his place in the House of Commons, to hold out as it were a threat to the whole world, if England's children did not receive their due. Surely it would be more prudent, more politically 'I » delays ; and that Great Britain could culoni/e at almost every mile; and further, that there are great facilities of water communication for carrying on the communication during the summer, until the whole line may be open. To commence this undertaking, then, it is only necessary to continue the survey from Quebec, and the expenses of that may be estimated at £40,000, as £10,000 was sufficient for 600 miles; and, if the water communication is made use of from Quebec to Fort William, 13 Millions ought to carry a direct line of railway from that spot over the Rocky Mountains to the mouth of Frazer's River, and about £8,000,000 connect the communication between Fort William and the north branch of the Columbia. To those who would argue against this great Imperial work on account of the long winter, severe climate — the frost and the snow — we can only say, that as far as com- munications in general are concerned, it will be granted at once that the frost and the snow, in latitude north of about 40°, are fatal difficulties in many respects ; they are fatal to the rivers, fatal to the lakes, and almost fatal as regards the roads; for lakes and rivers are frozen up, and the roads rendered nearly impassable for a long period, — but frost and snow are not fatal to railways. The railway brings with it a power and a means to overcome all diffi- culties; and unless, therefore, it is to be maintained that the country is not worth the expense and exertion neces- sary to keep open a free communication throughout its districts at all seasons of the year, railways must be established, and the greater the scale and use of such works, the greater will be the profit. And here we can- not do better than reprint the interesting description given by Major Robinson of how such a communication may be kept constantly open. " In determining the form of the road, it is necessary to i 'II ' r if I i ;i f ( 40 ) bear in view that it will pass through a country everywhere liable to be obstructed by heavy falls of snow. It does not appear, however, from the results of inquiries made in the United States, that anything beyond inconvenience, and some additional expense in the cost of working the line, is to be apprehended from this cause. "The railway from Boston to Albany, which crosses the range of mountains between the Connecticut and Hudson rivers, attaining upon them an elevation of upwards of 1400 feet above the sea, to which it ascends by a grade of about 80 feet per mile for about U( miles, traverses a country subjected to the same sort of winter as the British North American Provinces. " The average depth of snow in the woods is from 3 to 4 feet, which is not much less than it is in the woods of New Brunswick and Canada. " In 1843, a year remarkable for the great number of snow storms which occurred, there were 63 falls of snow, but the traffic was not interrupted to any very serious ex- tent, not more than two or three trips. " To keep the roads clear, two descriptions of snow- ploughs are used, one for the double track and another for the single. In the former the share of the plough travels immediately over the inner rail, throwing the snow out- wards from the track. It is first used on one track, and then runs back upon the other. " In the single line the ploughshare travels in the centre of the track, throwing the snow off at once upon both sides. " For the double track the snow-plough weighs from 6 to 6 tons, and cost about £125. For the single track it is somewhat lighter. The plough requires generally, when run without a <( 41 train, two engines of 20 tons each, or with a train three engines. " When the fall of snow does not exceed a few inches, the small plough, always fixed in front of the engine, con- sisting of an open frame-work projecting about 5 feet in front, and called the " cow-scraper,'' is found, when cosed over, to be sufficient to clear the line. When the fall is deeper, the plough is used immediately after the snow has ceased to fall. *' It can be propelled by three 20-ton engines through three feet of newly-fallen snow at the rate of six miles an hour. "If the fall does not exceed two feet, it can travel at the rate of 15 miles an hour. " The drifts through which it is propelled are sometimes 15 feet deep, and from 200 to 300 feet long, and at others 8 or 10 feet deep, and from a quarter to half a mile in length. " The line of railway is marked in divisions of about eight miles, to each of which eight or ten men are allotted, who pass along the line each day with small hand-ploughs, picks, &c., clearing away the snow and ice which the trains collect and harden between the rails and the roadway. " It is found that the freezing of the snow or rain upon the rails does not impede the heavy engines, as the weight of the forward wheels is sufficient to break it, and enable the driving wheels to bite. " Whenever, from local causes, the snow is found to drift on the line of railway, sd'-w fences are erected, which are found very effectual. Ihey are simple board fences from 10 to 15 feet high, placed from 10 to 20 feet back from the roadway. " In wet weather the rails become very slippery ; but the difficulty is overcome, and the wheels enabled to bite nl i* ( 42 ) f I V' * I H ^ii II ! upon the steep gradients by the use of sand-boxes, which are fixed in front of the engine and immediately over the rails. These can be opened at pleasure by the engine driver, and the sand is used wherever necessary. " The means thus successfully adopted to overcome the obstacles arising from ice and snow are employed much in the same way upon all the railways which are exposed to them. " In the year 1847, the expense incurred under this head (removing ice and snow) upon the western railroad in Massachusetts, was, according to the official return, 2763 dollars, equivalent to £575 sterling. " Upon many of the other lines expenses under the same head are returned, but very much smaller in amount. " In places where the rails are not raised above the general level of the country, much greater difficulty is experienced in keeping the lines clear of snow than in parts where there are embankments. " From the foregoing it does not appear, therefore, that snow need be considered an insurmountable obstacle to the formation of a line of railway from Halifax to Quebec. " To obviate, as much as possible, the liability to inter- ruption from this cause, it is recommended that in the construction of the line, it be adopted as a principk, that the top of the iron rail be kept as high as the average depth of snow in the country through which the line passes. " In Nova Scotia this will require probably an embank- ment of 2 feet high, gradually increasing as it proceeds northward to the St. Lawrence and along the flat open country on its banks to 6 or even 6 het." From these extracts it will be seen that neither frost nor snow are insurmountable difficulties to the enterprizing ( 43 ) Americans, and that they consider the connnunicalions during winter, even of the northern part of the empire, worth the expense and trouble necessary to keep them open. It has yet to be shown that the British American provinces are not equally valuable. Let us consider now for a moment how the construction of the proposed railway communication would aflect Great Britain and her North American provinces. It has been stated, that " so great is the fertility of Canada, that 50 " bushels or wheat are frequently produced on a farm " where the stumps of the trees, which probably occupy " an eighth of the surface, have not been eradicated ; some " instances of 80 bushels per acre occur. Near York " (now Toronto) in Upper Canada, 100 bushels were ob- " tained from a single acre. In some districts wheat has " been raised successively on the same ground for twenty " years without manure ;" and the line of country that would be opened out by the Atlantic and Pacific Railway would for a great part merit the above description, and being about 3,000 miles in length and 20 in breadth would give nearly 60,000 square miles. If, then, this line was surveyed, and all the spots that might be considered eligible situations for townships were marked out and given over to the different counties and large towns of Great Britain and Ireland, a regular system of emigration could be commenced, and a very short time would elapse before settlements would be made in such locations, and rough communications opened ; after which the correct levels could be made, contracts entered into, and different companies formed for various small portions of the line — the profits of the whole line bearing proportion to the local expenditure, — wealth and prosperity must attend such proceedings. At present all new settlements are in general made along the banks of rivers, because of the ( 44 ) r t In difficulties of penetrating into the interior of a new country, and of obtaining the necessary supplies even if successful. Major Robinson compares this sort of settlements along the banks of the St. Lawrence as one continued village of 200 miles. The expense and difficulty of keeping up a good road for such distance would bo very great, and consequently seldom undertaken. The railroad would answer the purpose of river and road, with this advantage over the former, that its current would run both ways, and would give every facility to the formation of villages at f -able distance from each other ; so that the population ^rating to the provinces could assemble round the several stations, thus assisting and protecting each other; and emigrants from difl'erent counties and towns of Great Britain and Ireland would at once join their friends or re- lations, and thus a general system be carried on. In like manner convicts could be sent out from different counties to clear the land for the industrious ^ urer, and to be located on such part of the line as might be found most desirable and most distant from highly populous districts, and there they would be employed in doing the rough work as pioneers for the railway— particularly in the Rocky Mountains. And why should not English convicts be sent to work in the Rocky Mountains ? We all know that the highest peak of the Great St. Bernard is 11,005 feet above the level of the sea, and is covered with perpetual snow. Between the two main summits runs one of the principal passages from Switzerland to Italy, which continues open all winter. On the most elevated point of this passage is a monastery and hospital, founded in the tenth century by Bernard de Monthon. The French army, under Bona- parte, crossed this mountain with its artillery and baggage in the year 1800; and here Bonaparte caused a monument ( 45 ) to be erected to the niomory of General Dosaix, who fill in the battle of Marenj^o. If, then, a monastery and hospital have been established since the tenth century, and are still to be found in the old world at such an elevation, and in such a climate, what objection can there be to the establishment of a convict post, under similar circumstances, to open an important road in the new world? We have seen that Sir George Simpson crossed the Rocky Moun- tains at a height of 8,000 feet, but the south pass is not believed to be much more than 5,000, and lower passes may yet be found. At all events our soldiers are exposed to every diversity of climate and every hardship; and we see no reason why healthy and powerful criminals should be more cared for. It was also suggested in 183{) — " The " gangs might be moved to other and more distant spots, " and employed in similar works of utility, and in this way " would relieve emigrants from many of the hardships and " difHculties which they are now doomed to encounter at " the commencement of their settlement." In summing up then— What do I wish to bring to the notice of my countrymen? It is that they have now the op- portunity of occupying a belt of land in their own latitude — commencing at a distance of only eight days steaming from the west, or Atlautip coast of Ireland, and consisting of about 3,000 miles in length by about 20 miles in breadth, almost every acre of which, when under cultivation, would be capable of supporting man ; that this belt of land leads from the Atlantic to the Pacific ; that it could be appor- tioned out in different lots to all the counties and large towns of Great Britain and Ireland ; that throughout this whole line there are not likely to occur any great engi- neering difficulties, certainly none insurmountable, in the construction of a railway, the acknowledged best commu- nication of the day; and that at each end of this belt of i ( ■!« ) ?i> r'; ): land nro most excellent harbours. Why then, let me ask, should we hesitate to make " war upon the wilderness," surely as honourable, and certainly far more profitable, than making war upon our fellow-men. In such a war Great Britain could employ her wealth, her talents, her rich, her poor, and her criminals, — all for the benefit of trade, of commerce and of industry ; and a work would be constructed in which, although commenced by a compa- ratively small expenditure, by merely opening at first such parts of the country as have no facility of water commu- nication, could ultimately fund at least £200,000,000 with a profitable return ; for when that work shall have crossed the continent of North America, the inhabitants of a great part of the United States will travel it — already arc they working their way up to Canada, and have done so to the Lakes : — they would join the great trunk line of the British Imperial Railway, either at the Montreal, the Kingston, the Toronto, or the Fort William Stations. Lbt any one who doubts this, only consult the map and rend the accounts of the different exploring expeditions that have taken place on the American continent. It has already been shown that it is the best route from St. Petersburgh, consequently must be for all the ports of the Baltic and North Sea. One word more on railways in general, and on the prospects of England, and I have done. Railways " have " become necessary to the age ; and that country which " has them not must fall behind in the onward march of " improvement, and in the development of its resources ; " and the longer it is suffered to do so, the greater and " more unfavourable will be the contrast which it will " present to the world." As regards England, let it be recollected, that " great as is our civilization and intelli- " gence, compared with the empires of former days, we ( 47 ) " have no right to tliiuk that the goul of progpcrity nnd " glory M attained. England has by no means reached " the zenith of earthly honour ; science is as yet but in its " infancy ; the human mind has scarcely arrived at adoles- "cence; and, for aught we imperfect beings know, this " little Island may be destined by Providence to continue " as a light unto the heathen, as a nucleus for the final " civilization of man." ROBERT CARMICHAEL-SMYTH, Author of u Ltittr lately jmbtithtd on thit nihjtct to the Aiithor of " thi Ctockmakir." •I 1 r^ U 1 1 I'* ( 48. ) Extract from "Sun" April 7 th, 1849. "NORTH AMERICAN RAILWAY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. ♦♦ SlR,- •I have much pleasure in forwarding the enclosed Memorandum, and in authorising you to state that it has been both graciously and favourably received by Sir John Henry Pelly. "I am well aware that the columns of the *Sun' have not unfrequenlly been used to convey sentiments in opposition to the Hudson's Bay Company, but the highly favourable notice you have considered it your duty to take of the project brought forward for a British Colonial Railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, convinces me that, in a question of such vast im- portance, no recollection of any past differences will be allowed to bias your judgment of present proceedings, and I have no doubt, therefore, you will give full publicity to the Memorandum I now forward. •' I cannot permit this opportunity to pass without recording my grateful thanks for the warm support this railway project has received at your hands ; but I must not dwell on this sub- ject, lest it should seem tb r it was the vanity of the author you have gratified, and not his labours that had been encouraged. ** I havp the honour to remain, Sir, " Your most obedient servant, ••Robert CARMicHAEL-SMyTH. " Junior United Service Club, " March 30(/i, 1849." '• Major R. Carmichael-Smyth presents his respectful compli- ments to Sir John Henry Pelly, and in submitting to his favour- able consideration the accompanying Memorandum, beg's at the same time to be permitted to return his sincere thanks for the kindness and attention with which he has been received at the Hu;' on's Bay House. •' rvI?>jior R. Carmichael-Smyth is fully impressed with the vast importance of the subjects on which he has had the honour to be allowed to communicate witli Sir John Henry Pelly, but be is also equally aware of his own humble position, as regards either commercial or political matters ; and he cannot, therefore, ( 49 ) but feel the more grateful to those who, forgetting this circum- stance, are willing to consider only, whether the project he has brought forward is a practical one, and whether it may not be the means, under Providence, of adding to the happiness and to the glory of the industrious, intelligent people of this great empire. "J, U. S. Club, Char let-street, Haymarket, "27th March, 1849." "MEMORANDUM FOR TiIE CONSIDERATION OF SIR JOHN HENRY PELLY, BART., IN HIS CAPACITY AS GOVERNOR OF THE HON. HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. " It is not proposed in this Memorandum to trespass upon the valuable time of Sir John Henry J'elly by any attempt to enumerate the various important results that, as a matter of course, would follow the accomplishment of the long wished-for junction of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans ; neither is it con-' templated to dwell, even for a moment, on the many beneficial consequences that would naturally arise to the British empire, should it be ascertained, after a careful survey of the ground, that a line of connection, or practicable communication even of a secondary nature, could be made throughout our North American colonies and the Hudson's Bay territory. " It is highly necessary that all these matters should be fre- quently brought under the notice of the public, and although there are many points upon which more detailed information might be given, yet it would indeed be mere idleness and waste of words to attempt to say anything on such subjects to one who I>as so long and so ably conducted the affairs, directed the ener- gies, and guided the destiny of a great and powerful company ; and who must have been consulted, and have taken part in the discussions and treaties that have been entered into about the Oregon question, and it stands recorded by a celebrated writer on colonial matters, that, * but for the Hudson's Bay Company, England would have been shut out from the Pacific' " This Memorandum, therefore, will, as far as it regards the Governor, assume a knowledge in a general way, and, to a cer- tain extent (that is to say, as far as the wants of the servants and r Iff I i III ■t • ;! r ( 60 ) of the services of the Hudson's Bay Company have up to this moment required) of the degree of practicability of the several routes across the Rocky Mountains. But as the project now brought forward is one arising from the peculiar circumstances of the present day — from the great strides of practical science— from the many improvements afforded by locomotive power for rapid communication and easy travelling, as vvrcU as from nu- merous other causes — it is probable that the country of which we arc now treating may not have been examined, much less surveyed, nor even perhaps looked at in a casual way, with a view to a permanent thoroughfare for the commerce of the Colonies to the Pacific ; still less, perhaps, has the thought of a railway ever entered into the mind of those who, no doubt accustomed to every hardship, have spent their lives in trading with the Indians, and in hunting through wild districts to pro- cure the furs which serve for the comfort and ornament of those who are fortunate enough to live in the possession of every luxury. " It is believed, that not until the very last moment did the Hudson's Bay Company contemplate resigning any portion of the Oregon, north of the Columbia ; and that river was there- fore considered as the natural outlet for New Caledonia. •* Having tJuis touched upon all the preliminary points con- nected with the proposed undertaking, and brought the project under the immediate notice of the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, the great question of the practicabilityj or other- wise, of a railway communication through the territories over which he presides, stands out prominently to view, the solving of which is of course of th.e utmost importance to all those who, from any cause whatsoever, wish for a safe, a rapid, and a na- tional communication with the Pacific Ocean, through our North American provinces. *' Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Canadas are at this mom.ent most anxious and zealous in the cause ; and it is humbly and respectfully submitted to Sir John Henry Pelly, that the moment has arrived when he can materially assist in the endea- vours about to be made for a great national move to the West ; and when the pressure of population on subsistence in this country, together witii the anxious desire of all to improve the ( ^l ) condition of society by affording to every man wholesome and permanent employment, will enable him to opevi out the valuable territory of the Hudson's Bay Company. " The object, then, of this Memorandum is to solicit the good offices of Sir John Henry Pelly, and to request that he will use the influence hii high position must naturally give him to bring this matter under the favourable consideration of the Colonial Mixister, urging the importance of exploring and surveying par- ties being sent out, as soon as the season would permit, to the several points upon the proposed line that he may consider ne- cessary ; and of fixing upon some spot on the right bank of I'ra- zer's River, or any other point that may appear more desirable, as a proper site for a terminus for the Pacific. " A scientific and talented young otKcer, one of the Royal Engineer corps, whose mi id has been engaged in considering the manifold important results that would follow a perfect and rapid communication through the North American provinces, has already pointed to the Rocky Mountains ; and it is not believed that there would be any great difficulty \n reaching some of the passes through them from the Atlantic, — but the country between those mountains and the Pacific is of such a nature, that, altiiough the direct distance is comparatively short, a careful survey could alone decide the point as to the practica- bility of descent, by railway, for commercial purposes, to the waters of that ocean. " Robert Carmichael-Smyth, "Author of the Letter lately published on this subject to the Author of the ' Clockmaker.' I* HI I "J, U.S. Club, Charles Street, Haymurket, " March 27, 1849." e2 w I !; OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. HISTORIC TIMES. Concluding paragraphs from the article in the " Historic Times " of the '23d February on the Missing Arctic Expedition. " This brief Aetch of Arctic discovery may serve to remind our readers of its progress to the present time, and prepare them for further discoveries, whi'e it sufficiently illustrates our estimate of the national character, that in about fifteen years the ice-bound coasts of a continent extending 110 deg. of longitude, i. e., as wide as Asia, and twice as wide as Europe, has been traced by land and sea, and its interior traversed in every direction. It cannot, hoiccver, be doubted that the same amount of energy and capital thus employed might have joined the Atlantic and Pacific by a path available for commercial purposes, united the west with the east, poured the wealth of the latter into the coffers of our merchants, and spread religion and civilization to th. most remote corners of the globe." SUN.— 16M February. " According to the scheme disclosed in this remarkable pamphlet mails, merchandize and passengers might be perpetually conveyed to and fro between England and her colonial territories in the two hemispheres without having to traverse the roads of continental Europe (which roads might be rendered impassable at any moment by the outbreak of a general war), and without the necessity of having to double either the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn, where the seas are as tempestuous as the voyages are circuitous ; and the intercourse between Great Britain and her most distant and scattered possessions would not only be by this means less liable to interruption, but it would be infinitely more rapid, and, in every respect, more convenient. The proposed line of railway ( 53 ) would link together the two oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic; it would stretch in a direct line across our colonies in North America ; it would commence at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, and would terminate at Frazer's River, pouring into the Gulf of Georgia ; it would communicate by steam vessels with the ports of the United Kingdom in one direction, and in the other would promote a continual interchange of commodities and intelligence with Pckin, with Canton, with Australia, with New Zealand, with the Spice Islands, with Ceylon, with Madras, and with Calcutta. " The North American Railway from the Gulf of Georgia to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, running from Nova Scotia by St. John's, through New Brunswick, across the St. Lawrence and Otawa, traversing Upper Canada along the shores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior, through the dominions of the Hudson's Bay Company to the south of Lake Winnipeg, over the chain of the Rocky Mountains to the coast of the Pacific, confronting the island of Vancouver — this enormous line of railway would then be the first substantial employment of that felicitous fact which has been intimated in the expression that the shores of the Pacific constitute 'the end of the West and the beginning of the East.' " It would form ' Ihe great link required to unite in one powerful chain the whole English race.' It would penetrate the enormous barrier of the Rocky Mountains. It would, in a particular manner, bind together the interests of England, of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the Canadas. It would present a magnificent field for the employment of gangs of convict labourers — criminals, who, by clearing and enclosing lands, by constructing roads and building bridges, would be withdrawn from the diabolical contaminations of the penal settlements, would unconsciously be instrumental in forwarding the grand labours of civilization. " It would pass through regions * rich in mines of silver and copper,* such PS the vicinity of Lake Superioi. It would draw into use the abundant timber of the Oregon, the plentiful coal of Vancouver's Island, the iron, lead and tin, the granite, slate and sandstone, the oolites, the cattle, wool, hides and tallow, the salted meat, the beef, the pork, the wheat, the barley, the Indian corn, the apples, and the rest of the nutritious vegetation which now flourishes unconsumed in the length and breadth of the North American Continent. " Such is the noble project of a colonial railway suggested by this patriotic pamphleteer." ( 54 ) 1:1 ARMY DESPATCFI. Extract from the British and Army Despatch, IGth Fe.bruarif, before the ■pamphlet was published for general circulation. " This pamphlet is from the pen of an officer of rank, whose long residence on service in North America has enabled him to offer to the public some valuable suggestions on the subject of the extension of railway communication on that vast continent, in the further extremity of which new ground has lately been broken in the progress of civilization. The pamphlet purports to point out means for the employment of the people and capital of Great Britain in her own colonies, by undertaking a great national work, and thus opening the shortest road to the most extensive regions of wealth ever before at the command of any nation in the world, (not regions of gold, but for commerce and industry,) and opening to Great Britain a new outlet for the superabundant population of her soil, and new markets for her labour. With great minuteness and considerable local knowledge the author traces the means by which the far apart Atlantic and Pacific Oceans shall be made easily communicable, and urges that, on that part of the line where the district labour and capital is sufficient, it shall be undertaken by the residents, and where population is too thin, the remedy can be supplied by English capital and convict labour. " The pamphlet is altogether well worthy of perusal by all who are interested in the progress of the great tide which is now so strongly setting ' westward.' " BRIGHTON GAZETTE.— 8M March, 1849. " One consequence of the recent discoveries in California has been the renewed and zealous discussion of various plans heretofore suggested for iipeniiig a direct communication between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, instead of the present circuitous and hazardous route by Cape Horn. A general feeling seems to have hitherto prevailed in preference of a water line by the river and lake of San Juan de Nicaragua ; and certainly, as compared with the Isthmus of Darien or that of Tehuantepec, there can be little doubt of its superior eligibility. But we think that the views developed in the able pamphlet of Major Carmichael Smyth will go far towards effecting a revolution in public opinion. For the United States the route above-mentioned may bo a sufficiently desirable one ; but the author of this pamphlet contends — and therein he will have at least every English- man on his side — that such a communication ought, if possible, to be ( 55 ) made within tlic limits of our own territory. Should war hereafter break out, we must seriously feel the deprivation of a short route to our eastern colonies ; and the bare contemplation of such a contingency must create a strong feeling in favour of Major Smyth's proposal, which is to construct, with the aid of convict labour a railway from Halifax in Nova Scotia to Frazcr's River on the shores of the Pacific. This river has its embouchure six miles to the north of the 49th parallel, which defines the United States' boundary. It is a mile wide. The country around is low, with a rich alluvial soil ; and Fort Langlcy is twenty miles from its mouth. From hence, by steam navigation, lines of communication would be opened with China and India, as well as with the Sandwich Islands, Labuan, and Australia, the distance being thus of course immensely shortened, as com- pared with the present state of things. We need not enlarge on the in- calculable advantages of such a route ; for the emergency which has arisen in India speaks trumpet-tongued on that score. We could wish, indeed, that our author had developed more fully the practicability of his plan J but we have, like himself, a strong faith in the ability of English- men to overcome even apparently insurmountable obstacles. " In a question like this the advocates of colonization must feel a strong interest ; for 'let England, her Northern American colonics, and the Hudson's Bay Company, join heart and hand, and with the great power of steam which it has pleased the Almighty to place at the com- mand of man, there will soon arise a work that will be the wonder and ad- miration of the age — and such a mercantile and colonizing road will be open to Great Britain, that at no future period (at least within the imagi- nation of man ) will she ever again have to complain of too great a population on her soil, and too small a mjirket for her labour.' This letter is addressed to the ' Clockmaker;' and who will not echo the exclamation of that distinguished writer — ' Oh, squire, if .lohn Bull only knew the value of these colonies, he would be a great man, 1 tell you — but he don't.' " The length of the proposed railway is estimated at about 4,000 miles ; and its terminus on the Pacific coast would be opposite Vancouver's Island, which could thus hardly fail to become a central point of in- estimable importance, situate as it is in the vicinity of the gold district, and on the high road to India. Such a railway would make Halifax only ten or fifteen days distant from the north-west coast of America, and the Sandwich Islands would not be ten days farther off", while Halifax itself is even now within ten days of Liverpool. Moreover, it is a curious fact that at both termini of the proposed line, (which, by a singular coincidence, would be placed in Nova Scotia and New Caledonia), nature has bounti- fully provided a large and apparently inexhaustible supply of coals. As to the advantages of the project, indeed, there cannot be a moment's hesi- tation. The only question is its practicability. ( 66 ) RAILWAY TIMES.— Marc/. lOM, 1849. " There is a work to be done — wealth to be opened up — men's bodies and souls to be saved — the press teems with suggestions, plain, practical, and operative — yet not a ray of intelligence, of apprehension, not a sign, not an expression indicative of activity, escapes from the chief of the Colonial Office, or his fussy, yet do-nothing, subordinates. " We shall revert to this topic in our next, and lay before our readers the able, invigorating arguments of Major Robert Carmichael Smyth, in reference to the subject of a British colonial railway communication between the Atlantic and Pacific." Si- SUN.— MarcA \3th, 1849. " On the 16th of February we directed public attention to a pamphlet, in the form of a letter, addressed to Judge Halliburton, the immortal * Clockmaker,' by an officer in one of her Majesty's Highland regiments — a pamphlet in which a magnificent scheme is proposed for the connexion of the Pacific and the Atlantic by a railroad running through our North American possessions, through the Canadas, and through the territories of the Hudson's Bay Company, beginning at the harbour of Halifax, near Newfoundland, and terminating on Frazer's River, opposite Vancouver's Island. Since then it will have been observed by our readers that the author of that remarkable pamphlet. Major Robert Carmichael Smyth, has addressed a letter to ourselves, in which he disclaims any of that dog- mafic egotism which is generally supposed to actuate the projectors of such colossal enterprizes. The pamphlet of Major Smyth, previously printed for private circulation, and written without any signature upon the title-page, has, subsequently to the appearance of our remarks on the 16th ultimo, been published in a complete and w oil-digested form, accompanied by an illustrated map from the hand of Mr. Wyld, the geo- grapher. Now that the plan may be regarded as fairly before the public, we cannot but take this, the earliest opportunity, of reiterating our previous argument, that the noble scheme suggested by Major Carmichael Smyth is one intimately associated with the present condition and the future destinies, with the glory, the greatness, and the prosperty of the British empire." li, ( 57 ) i!i THE ECONOMIST.— A/flrc/. 17 tli, 1819. '' The long double titlen to this pamphlet of forty tlicce pages are ns instructive as its contents. Tho writer proposes that a railway ahull be constructed from Halifax to Frnzcr's River, New Caledonia, on the Pa- cific, and that thc| convicts of England shall be employed to muke it. The amount of capital supposed to be necessary is £150,000,000. The scheme is magnificent; the execution at present wc opine somewhat difficult. In the United States, however, something similar has been proposed by Mr. Benton, but their line will run through a more tem- perate climate, and have the support of a larger population than the line proposed by the author. There is no reason in this age of marvels, the result of science and art, to despair of the accomplishment of some such undertaking, but the time is hardly yet come for our Government to set about it by the employment of convicts. The difficulty of disposing of them will not justify incurring the expense, and perhaps committing the cruelty, of locating them in squads all the way between Halifax Harbour and Frazer's River on the shores of the Pacific. Such suggestions are not to be despised, however, because they do not seem immediately feasible ; the project will deserve to be kept in view, but it is rather for the colonists to execute than the mother country. Industrial enterprises of all kinds should rather be undertaken by the individuals who are to profit by them than by Governments. i\ HISTORIC TIMES.— M«/c// 23/J, 184Q. " THE WEST AND THE EAST." " The opening u direct communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific is a subject of so great importance to the world, and n)ore espe- cially to this country, that we feel thankful to Major Carmichael-Smyth for directing our attention to the line in which we arc more directly in- terested, inasmuch as there can be no doubt (our own interest apart) it is also the most easily opened and the most generally available. •' We are content to adopt some mottoes of his sc lection as a basis of operations, and the more so as they are from authority :— " * It must be acknowledged as a principle that the colonies of England are an integral part of the mother country,' says Mr. D'Israeli. " ' The possession of remote territories is the only thing which can secure to the population of a country those advantages derived from an easy outlet, or prospect of outlet, to those persons who may be ill-pro- vided at home,' says my Lord Brougham. \l ( r>8 ) " And tlicso opinions nrc cnppcd by tlic Timts of tlie 20th of Junuary last : — ' We have nn immense colonial empire. To its resources and energies we now seem for the first time to awaken. Hitherto wc have been content to consider it as a magnificent incumbrance that testified to our greatness, but had nothing to do with our interests or prosperity.' Wc trust those days are past, and that Kngland will for the future look on her colonics not as mere fields of territorial aggrandisement — not m great cesspools for convicted iniquity — not as means of rewarding official, or courtly, or even familiar services, nor yet solely as afibrding opportu- nities of expanding commerce and amassing wealth by mercantile specu- lations — they have been each and all of them, it is time they should be so no longer — but rather as the great outlets for the superfluous energies of the nation, whether physical or mental, agricultural or commercial, ac- cording to Schlegel's truly philosophic idea, the safety valves of the poli- tical machine; and iiioso which ore nearest to us might well claim our earliest attention, did not other causrs equally incite us to consider them first. The constant wesivTrd isogression of the world — the coming struggle among commercial nations for the commerce of the Pacific — the discovery of a new £1 Dorado in California, unite with our domestic ne- cessities, which press so sternly upon us, to make it not only necessary to inquire the shortest and most direct route to the new fields for enterprise in the west, but how a sufficiently practicable one may be found which shall open up not only that commerce but fresh localities for colonization. This Major Smyth proposes to us. The idea is by no means altogether new, yet it comes in a new shape, and suggested with singular boldness, being nothing less than the connexion of the Atlantic with the Pacific by a railroad commencing at Halifax and ending at Vancouver's Island. These two names, and the distance between the places, may incline some among our readers to pause — we beg them to go on. Things are only relatively great or small, and, if the means be proportioned, the terms may become convertible. " The question which arises is, what is the character of the country between these two points, and what facilities for or impediments to such an undertaking does it present ? We will give as short an answer as may be, and the shorter, for disposing of a quarter of the distance at once. This contest for the transit of inland produce between the great natural outlet, the St. Lawrence, and the artificial one afforded by the Erie Canal, necessitates the completion of railroads from the great Lakes of Canada to the Atlantic. The route from Halifax by St. John's, New Brunswick to Quebec and Montreal has been marked out and approved by Government; this must be finished. From thence a short communication would unite Lakes Ontario and Fluron, and tlience to the head of Lake Superior there is no difficulty in the way of direct water communication ; and we reserve \\ ! ( 59 ) the consideration of this pnrt of tlie ro\iti> until we tako occasion to notice the condition mid prospects uf Canudu and its siiitabliMicss as a field fur emigration. Tlio great question is how to get from thence; and iierc again it is rai' versus water. It is obvious, that tlirough fivc-and-thirty degrees of longitude the same conditions cannot prevail, and conse(|ueiitly that all must be duly considered. The natural facilitii-s provided by the internal waters of this country must strike every our on a mere glance at the map, provided the waters be navigable to any extent, and Lieutenant Synge has published a vnliable pamphlet calling attention to them. On the other hand, it cannot ho do.ibtod that artificial water communication is at best slow, and probably (juitc as expensive in the long run as that by railroad, and moreover, that the whole of British North America being under process of drainage, as Major Smyth so justly states, it becomes doubtful how long canals, if formed, would continue to fidtil their oflioc. " In a very able work (which we quote the rather because it contains a summary of all that is known on the subject, and which it is our pur- pose shortly to review at length) by Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald of the Hudson's Bay Company, with special reference to it and its territories, and their fitness for colonization, we find it stated, first, that the Sascatcl-ewan River is navigable for boats and canoes from Lake Winneppg to m ar its sources in the Rocky Mountains; and secondly, that the country which connects Lake Winnepcg with Lake Superior is a magnificent country for colonization. Sir G. Simpson speaks in the stroiigest language of the beauty of the country and the fertility of the soil, and of the rich and varied produce of the earth in its wild and uncultivated luxuriance, as all travellers have done from Mackenzie to Ballantyne ; and, as Mr. Fitz- gei.ild well observes, 'had not the North-West Company of Montreal been destroyed (or rather absorbed into the exclusive monopoly of the Hudson's Bay Company), it is probable that many settlements would by this time have sprung up he chumiel down which their vast fur traffic was poured into Canada. it the waters are now silent and deserted, and the »' ' ole trade is diverted the desolaf ■ shores of Hudson's Bay, to be stowi ' into the ' annual !«hip for the London market;' for this cause, no doubt, they repurchi^sed Loid Selkirk''^ settlements, one of which only is preserved, at Red River, as a monumc , of ine patriotic and philanthropic spirit which animated that nobleman, and led him to desire to extend the British colonics in Novtii America to the utmost known bounds of the west. " It would appear then that ready communication can be efllcted with Lake Superior; that from thence to Lake Winm j>cg is a country most desirable for settlement ; and thai from thence a navigable river stretches 1400 miles. The first step tl. n is obviously to occupy at once this in- termediate position, the more desirable from having coal at no great li <^, v^.^iVt IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 11.25 !!? m St 1^ 12.0 K HJiSi PhotDgiaiiwc ScMices ion 23 WBT MAIN STtUT WCBSTeR,N.Y. I45S0 (716)872-4503 ■^ ■