IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 >u Ui |2.2 Sf 144 ■" 1.1 r;^i^ 11-25 III 1.4 III 1.6 V] /2 ^V"^' y /: 7 /A Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) S72-4S03 EU CANADA, AND THK MEANS OF CONSTRUCTING THEiVI WITHOUT THE AID OP FOREIGN CAPITAL. BY JAMES BUCHANAN, ESQ. HIS MAJESTY'S CONSUL AT NEW- YORK. TORONTO: PRINTED AT THE PATRIOT-OmCH, OIIBWETT'I BVILSINOt, / y^^ ,"'% TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR FRANCIS BOND HEAD, K. G. II. LIEUT. GOVEUNOIl OF THE PIIOVINCE OF UPPER CANADA. &LC. diC. &LC, Sir : I need not inform Your Excellency of the hithcrto„ dormant state of the public mind, in the Province committed to your charge. — The fact is lamentably too apparent, that the Province, with its vast capabilities, is far be- hind the adjoining States. To review the va- rious causes, to whicli such are assigned, is not my present object, but to bring before Your Excellency the consideration of measures in which the sure prosperity of the Province is included ; and I the more confidently address Your Excellency, inasmuch as you have assu- med the responsibility for the promotion of the best interests of the Province, not only to our Gracious Sovereign, who leels so deep an inter- est in the Province, but also to the people. A trial of your Administration you very justly have demanded before you are to be judged ; and inasmuch as the people have returned a House of Representatives, with a large majority avow- edly disposed to act in accordance with Your Excellency's policy ; and although various con- curring circumstances of a highly favorable na- Inrr, liavp nri^oii to nuiiunlo (ho C"ommuni(v at lfiri:;p, in favor of iiilfnial iniprovcrnrnts, yet, I sh;ill \*c siMioni; lliosc; to award to Y our I'^xcol- Inncy, (lie honor and the ii;lory which I t'ocl con- fident \a now adainal.dc, by the adoption ot' th.)S(» nM\i>nr('< Aviliiin tho means of the I'rov- ince. 'J'o call forth the public str(Mii;th is my ol)ie('( ; y(>(, should the l*rovince remain dis- tracted and derid to the vast advantages within reach — on Y our Excellency, I feel, shouUI in iilvo maimer rest tin; reproach. I write thus freely, as I ha\ o doriv ince. One obstacle alone seems to damp tho spirit of the people, iiamely ; want of Capital, w iiile the dread of borrowini^, as thereby crea- ting an annual drain out of the Province, o( the Interest on such loans, seems to liave damped (heir hope. To meet this diiliculty is the object of this Address; but before 1 come to the de- velopment of my plans, 1 grieve to say, 1 have found some leading characters, Avho, though, loud declaimers in favor of Improvement, and lamenting the want of public spirit, yet, are the veriest croakers; and so selfish, ihat though they would gain live pounds by certain expen- diture, yet, as others would gain ten pounds, their hearts would not be in the measure. — Others seqm unwilling to cliCrish a chicken wbicli does not proceed from their own egg, and still a more formidable party, can only see advantage to the Province, if the Rail- way or other improvements pass by, or near their lands; public utility being out of the rpiestion. 1 nrod not warn V'oiir F.xcollcncy as tosrriitinii:- ini^ tho motivf's ol'all who profess an interest in any particMilnr lincotrail way or public measure; hap[)ily lor tlin INovirjco you view vicn as they orr, not as tliry should hr, and place in the <:rncihlo of your o, to y thr line iliroct iVoni Loiidnii to Siiniia, the ccnlre ot' the Prov- ince it is alk':;«.'il is o|»('ne(l, llie ili^lancc to tlio liiver St. Clair ^i\ty niiU's ^iiorter than l)y way oC ( iialiiani : and the entire country state«l to he ont* plain, a»Iniir;ihly adapted to a rail-way ; that pur-nini( tlnU lino across to the St. Joseph, in Michigan, t!ilacte, IxMorc conli- (lenee can be restoi<'d : llie Welland Canal tli()nu:l» '^ privatr* work, tlio woi-ks irnardin^ij the passai:;e into r»tn"lini:lon l>av, tlie llriilj^e on the 12 IMile ('reek, tin; I )<'sjardiiis Canal, the l*ari& J>rid;i;o, as well a- many ollirr works, as also the prodiujal misaj)pliearK)n of money on roads, il" I am to credit various testimonies, and from what I have neenf/f some of those rel(M*rcd to, I do not wonder at tiie i!:en(M-al exjiression of dis- trust as to the misapplieation ol the public mo- nies, but these statements may have arisen from other than pure motives, yet f deem it proper to set IhiMU lorlii as 1 I'ound (hem universal, no imnorablo mind will feel allJ'eted, "whentW shoe does not pinch the foot does not wince." 1 lirmly believe the people are loyal and sound, and 1 tiusta new era has .arisen on the Province, so that a vii^ilant and faithful accountability shall be exacted from all as to public expendi- ture, and that no man, whatever his inlluence may be with a party in Parliament, shall fniJ shelter from opon aiilan has appeared in several of the provineial papers takimjc the e\peneeat L2.')()0 ainilewliich is ample iVoin the faeililies aflbrded, and spreadinij; tliat sum to an extent of J 2 miles each side of the rail-way on farms of 200 aeres within each mile of the 21 in wiiltii, would £rivc 77 i'arms, which would be ."^2,10/., or l.'iO dollars to each ihrm — hut a2:reeahly to the scale 1 laid down, of apporticniiiijj accordini; to contiguity and advantage, those farms within the first mile were to subscribe /.GO, the second /..'iJ, the third /.50, the fourth /. l.!, and so decliniiiir I.T) a mile, this stock to be payable within three years by six instalments each year, and ihe proprietor of those lands to be Stockholders of the JAail-road stock, to the amount of such iheir subscription, so that such subscription shouhl not be in the nature of a tax, but otiered to cacli as the means of acquiring stock on terms truly within the reach of every man having a yoke of oxen or an ^UAO^ ^ While to such as should tind it inconvenient to advance the money, it should be loaned at six per cent., to be a charge on the lands and shares of slock for the amount advanced, the plan with the observations iurelation thereto, as they were put forth in the new spapers before, I need not now particularize. As to the fourth : A Provincial Land Uank, Capital, one Mil- lion Pounds, this Bank 1 propose to base upon lands and valuable building lots in towns ; on grist-mills, saw-mills, or other valuable proper- ty witliin range of the immediate influence of the Rail-ways: first, the Uail-way from Toronto to Lake Huron, and that from Hamilton to the Ri- ver St. Clair; and after those shall be in opora- lion in such other lines as may be approved bj 11 the Lrgiblatiiro, anrlpnnclioricd by the f^iout.Co- vernoflbrtlic time boini;. 1 thcrrlbrc ])ioj)ose that all tlio |)ro[)rietois ot lands within 12 inilesi shall have? iho 111:-!. oiU'i' olhcinji; adinillcd Stockhold- ers to the cvlfMit <){' Olio dollar an acre lor overr aero ol nmiicnrnhcrod lands, ol nhich ihry arc bona lidc the propiiclors, and that all resident iidiahitants on lands within said ranjxos, shall have the like priviloi:;c orbeconnnj^Sloekholder«j to the extent of two dollars an acre ; tliat all tinhscribers to said stock, shall, npon snbseri- bin<^, pay in ton por cent., tlir\t, should the amount of stock not he subscribed lor, allow inj]; such reasonable time as the Commissioners hereinatler to be named shall think proper; the privilcfije of subscribing; lor the stock shall be extended to the proprietors of lands within the Province, that the owners of all building lots in villages within one mile of tlie Rail-way, which without reference to the buildings, are valued at 50/., the owner to be admitted the same as a farm of 200 acres and entitle the proprietor to Bubscribe to the same amount. In order to ma- nifest a liberal feeling, that stock to the amount of /.r)0,()00 or 200,000 dollars, shall be placed for one month withii\ the reach of the citizens of Michigan, based npon similar security, provided land can be rendered secure as to equal liabili- ty as lands in the I'rovince, or guaranteed by the State. That the Mother Bank shall be lo- cated at Tororito, with brandies at Hamilton, Dundas, Brantford, l.ondon, provided /.2.').000 stock is subscribed at Hamilton, /.lo,000 at Dundas, /.1 0,000 at Brantford, /.1 0,000 at Lon- don, Tiiat the Stockholders shall annually elect Directors, in whoin shall be vested the choice of Directors uf the several Branches, as well ag of the Mother Bank, for one year, that those alouo are eligible who may hold stock to tho i 1-2 amount of /.TfOO, while all bharcs of /.50 sluill count as one \utt\ That ill acrordauco nitli llio priiiciplcs con- tended lor by tli(> Duke of Wellini^ton as to tlx; numerous lines of llail-ro.uls in Kiiccl eoininissioners should be had, before sanelioned by the rro;islature. I therefore propose that your i'lxcclh.'ney should appoint three jnrcntleinen of hii;h standing to act without any snlary; wliich eoininissioners shall have full po^ver to decide as to the most elii;ible line or lines nf Kail way to bo nintle or aided in the Construction thereof by or iVoiu thelundsof the Bank, with power lo direct such examina- tions and purveys as to tliem shfdl seem meet, and in case of dissent, in such case the decision to rest Avilli the l/uMitenant Governor lor the time being, who sladl direct all such further ex- amination as to his Excellency shall seem meet, so that the groumis for bucli decision shall be laid before the Legislature. That said co' Miissioners shall 1)0 required to sanction the appointment of all engineers, over- seers, or oflicers, who may be employed in and about the const rnclion of said Kail-ways or works connected thcrew ith, as w ell as the com- pensation for their respective services; as also to have pow er at all times to investigate the af- fairs of the i3nnk. That the Lieutenant Governor for the time being, in case of the death or absence I'rom the Province of a Commissioner, to appoint one in place of any so dying or removing out of the country or otherwise displaced. That no Commissioner shall by himself or others, either ilirectly or indirectly be concern- ed in any contract or sale of property, in any way relating to public works, subject to their supervision, and that any contract in opposition to such exclusion, shall be null and void, and f ;> 13 rcnflor sucli commisBioners incapable of contin- uing to act as sucli. 1 have thus Iniclly, yet I fear rather obscurely, set before Vour Kxcelleney, a sketch of the proposed plans. — I pray Vour Excellency to view what I have written as raw materials to be cast into the crucible, to be divested of the dross, as also to have added whatever may improve its adaptation to the Province; but as political Alchyu'ists over run the land ; I look with conti- dence, while their abilities may be turned to i^ood account, tliat under the sanction of Your Kxcellenc}', the two great works shall be forth- with put in operation. I sliallnot herein advert to the opening a free transit from the Ocean through the Province to the people of Michi- gan, and the vast regions of the West, as I pro- pose to do so in a separate work, in relation to the drawing the trade of those new coun- tries through the natural outlet, and thereby permitting the St. Lawrence to alfbrd all the vast advantages which it was designed to fur- nish. It may be prudent herein to observe as to the 4th plan, that in the city of New York there are three Banks connected witli public works — one the Manhattan, for supplying the City with water, the other, the Dry Dock Hank, the third, the Chemical Bank. The best evidence of the soundness of the connection which F can offer, is, that the respective stocks of these three Banks bear the following premium, viz : the Manhat- tan from 25 to 28 per cent.; the Dry Dock 41 percent., and the Chemical, 19 per cent. These facts put to ilight all fears as to connecting a Bank with public works. And 1 run no hazard in saying, that as sure as population is advancing, and people are removing to the west, so sure will the proposed Ilail-ways become most valu- able Stock. Indeed I hesitate not to avow my deep conviction, that before two years in ope- 14 ration, the Rail-way Bliarrs will rcdorm the lands lor tho oulia\ — ami did J say liail' that period, I woukl not hazard too much. J appeal to all rellcctitiij; ino!» wliouiil (ak«; the map and examine it, win m(! is lh< le "-iiich iin unoc( iipicd field to reap a certain prolit as the j)roj)osed investment. Nay, I Avill acM, that lielore llie Rail-way is one y(N'ir finished, the stock will sell for a premium over the expank and Kail-way, Avhile the Lands and the l*rovinc(^ are iniproNed in value. It may be alhM|(r(Hl ihat 1 do not admit, tliose whohave no lands aimiBrtritdo becomeStockliold- ^^ ers {hhI the advantai;T's ai'o too j:;reat in only re- (juirini^ ten per cent to be paiil in. My reply is, I have the prosperity not only of the i*rovince, but ot the »"csidents and proptiotors ot" Lands exclu- sively in view, so that they may not be laboring ^ and toilincf tosend th<'ir earnini^s out of tlie Pro- ,1 f y^ce, \vliile it is possible to avoid it, one-fifth if ^1 ' yjlce, \vlnie it is possible to avoid it, one-tilth u 1^ one-fourth ofthc^ Stock of Incorporated Corn- jmnies of the United States, arc^held by foreign- ^ nine-tenths British Capital, this is sound {i^licy if it cannot be avoiiled. Canada may avoid it, may carry into operation her great Works nd retain the profits. In conclusion I would venture under the sanc- tion of your Excellency to call on the several >^entlemen who have so laudably come forward A "^ m relation to the proposed railway, to call meet- jf gs without delay and organize their operations '■ &o as to give eHect to such of the plans 1 have the vfionor to submit, as may be deemed practicable. Under any and every circumstance 1 shall feel honored in afford ing explanations or yielding aid, not only to my plan, but to such others as shall etFect what I trust is, and will be the aim of all, as I am persuaded the desire of your Excellency is "the prosperity of the Province." I have the honor to remain Sir, Your Excellency's humble serv't. J. BUCHANAN.