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 1 
 
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 6 
 
/ 
 
 BRIEF HISTORY 
 
 OP 
 
 I 
 
 PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS 
 
 AND EVENTS. 
 
 &c. 
 
 &c. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN G. MARSHALL. 
 
i 
 
o-t^ 
 
 I i- lA 
 
 T 
 
 j-Jl (,7^ 
 
 BRIEF HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS 
 
 AND EVENTS, 
 
 LEGAL,— PARLIAMENTARY,— AND 
 MISCELLANEOUS, 
 
 IN THE 
 
 PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA, 
 
 DURING THE EARLIEST YEARS OP 
 
 THE PRESENT CENTURY. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN G. MARSHALL. 
 
 -•w^ 
 
 HALIFAX, N.S. 
 PRINTED AT THE "WESLEY AN" OFFICE, 
 
 125 GRANVILLK STREET. 
 
fS2Z7 
 
 150790 
 
 y 
 
BRIEF HISTORY, &c. 
 
 During several late years I have been frequently 
 and urgently solicited to compose and publish a work, 
 concerning political and other public events and affairs, 
 which occurred in this Province, in the earliest part of 
 the present century. I long hesitated to comply with 
 the desire, doubting whether such a work would bo of 
 an}^ important public advantage, but late thoughts and 
 views on the subject have led mo to conclude that the 
 information it will convey, and the appropriate or cor- 
 responding remarks which may bo offered concerning 
 many, if not all, of the subjects treated of, may, in some 
 degree, bo useful, as to future public proceedin/jH re- 
 garding provincial affairs and prosperity. Proljably, 
 there is not, now, another living person, who hm any 
 peraonal knowledgs of most of the proceedings and 
 events which I shall hero narrate. Being now noar tho 
 close of my ninety-third year, and having commenced 
 tho study of my profession in this city in 1804, and ob- 
 tained admission to the Bar in 1808, nearly 71 years ago ; 
 and having become a member of tho Legislature in 1811, 
 — the only surviving member of that date, — I can, there- 
 fore, and do write from a i)ersonal knowledge of all tho 
 public matters and events of which I shall treat. From 
 these particulars it may readily be concluded, that I 
 must, in a large degree, possess a knowledge^ of those 
 early public affairs in the Province, of a legal, and also 
 of a political nature, and of various other descriptions. 
 
LAW. 
 
 It doM not soeiii requisite to mako any iurther explan- 
 ations or remarks, and £ <vill thercforo proceed to treat 
 of tnoso public afTuirii, under the convenient and appro- 
 priate arrangement and titles of, — Law, — Parliamentarj 
 and Political, — Miscellaneous. 
 
 I. — LAW. 
 
 It may bo interesting to my readers, and especially 
 to those of the legal fraternity, to give, first; some brief 
 descriptions of the membership of the Bench and the 
 Bar, in the year 1804, and which remained the same dur- 
 ing seversl succeeding years. The Chief on the Bench 
 was Sampson S. Blowers, truly eminent for a high stan- 
 dai-d of legal knowledge, logical skill, and power of ar- 
 gument and chastencss and attractiveness of language ; 
 and whose exhibitions of those high qualities and endow- 
 ments aflbixled intellectual enjoyment to those who pos- 
 sessed a capacity to det^ire it, and for its duo estimation. 
 He was then in the zenith of his ability and eminence. 
 He had two assistants, if indeed they could, with propr- 
 iety, be thus named, for they were far advanced in years, 
 and on all the mental and legal qualidcations for the 
 office, were far below their chief; but were of equal ju- 
 dicial integrity. One of them had, in the earlier periods 
 of his life, been a military warrior, but for reasons, no 
 doubt perfectly satisfactory to himself, — 
 
 He left the cold uuwholeaomc Trencli, 
 And took a seat upon the Bench. 
 
 During those earliest years the Chief Justice tried 
 all the causes, and delivered the decisions on legal argu- 
 ment ; on these latter occasions, the two associates mere- 
 ly assenting. 
 
LAW. 
 
 JJ 
 
 an- 
 
 leat 
 
 )ro- 
 
 "7 
 
 In reference to the Bar, Richard J. Uniacko, the 
 Attorney General, must first be noticed. On many points 
 he was a most extraordinary and remarkable j>cr8on. 
 lie may, indeed, be said to have ranked in the gigantic 
 order, or class of humanity, both as to bodily propor- 
 tions, and mental powers. I have travelled extensively, 
 in many countries, and neither in courts of law, parlia- 
 ments, or general society have I met with his equal, as 
 to the combination of all those qualities. It was most 
 interesting, as well as entertaining, to hear him in any 
 specially important case. His force of fluent language, 
 versatility of views and ideas, vast range of knowledge, 
 and style of remark, — this latter, at times, rather irrel- 
 avant, — his sarcasm, humour, and infective when he chose 
 to employ them, and his various illustrations, were truly 
 amazing. His voice and style of address were extremely 
 forcible, and it seemed as easy for him to speak, as to 
 breathe. 1 recollect hearing him speak for about four 
 hours, without intermission, in a law argument ; during 
 which I think he cited about fifty or more cases. The 
 Chief Justice seemed to be tired of it, for he sat, a largo 
 part of the time, with his head bent down, his elbows 
 on his desk, and the knuckles of his hands pressed on 
 his forehead. 
 
 The Solicitor General, James Stewart, Esq., could 
 not bo called eminent in the profession, but possessed 
 a good degree of mental power, and of legal and other 
 attainments. He became one of the Judges. The uni- 
 vei-sally admitted premier at the Bar, for enlarged and 
 solid legal knowledge, was Foster Hutchinson, but ho 
 was not, in populai p8umtttian>wjjat v'&'C'AHq^'etoii'uoijt,, 
 
 II., ,,•,■• • ^ . • » 
 
 • • ■ » 1 1 
 
 • • • • • • • , < 
 
 ' • • • • ;. 
 
 • • • • 
 
LAW. 
 
 but always oxhibi tod matured roason and ju^^goment, and 
 was akilful and thoroughly reliable in counBol, and Btrict 
 legal argument. Ho also became a Judge of the Su- 
 preme Court. The other members of the Bar, residing 
 in Halifax, during those early years, were, — S. B. Robio, 
 — Lewis M. Wilkins, the father of the present retired 
 Judge, — Crollon Uniacke, and the talented and highly 
 esteemed Brcnton Haliburton, who remained but a short 
 time at the Bar, and, in or about 1810, was appointed an 
 assistant Judge, and after several years of able and very 
 highly estimated performance of the duties of that office, 
 ho became Chief Justice, and received the honor of 
 knighthood. S. G. W. Archibald, in the latter part of 
 that early period, came into practice at tho Halifax Bar, 
 and continued to attend it regularly for several years, 
 before becoming a permanent inhabitant of the city. My 
 own practice, here, commenced in 1816, — the previous 
 eight years, while resident in Pictou, being spent in at- 
 tending the court on some of its circuits. Other mem- 
 bers of tho Bar, during a later course of years, need not 
 be named, as there are very many living persons who 
 wore acquainted with them. In those early years, and 
 until about 1810, there woro only 8 or 9 Barristers re- 
 siding in the city, which, I think, during that period, 
 contained a resident population of between 15 and 20 
 thousand. Tho present population is not much over 
 30,000, if so large, and I boo by tho Almanac of this 
 year, that nearly severity of tho profession are named as 
 being resident in tho city, which, I presume, will be 
 generally thought (in ample numbor to fulfil all our liti- 
 gutiiig and other legal deeircs and purposes. In those 
 
LAW. 
 
 and 
 (net 
 
 Su- 
 iing 
 Ibio, 
 i*od 
 
 former days, there were only two of the profession in 
 Truro, two in Pictou, one or two in Cumberland, but not 
 one either in Antigonish or Guysborough. 
 
 During those early times the journeying on the cir- 
 cuit practice was voiy far more unfavorable than in 
 later yearn, as to speed, comfort, and several other 
 particulars. My first experience on those points, com- 
 menced in 1807. My kind and always firm and valuable 
 friend, Mr.Wilkins, with whom I was pursuing my legal 
 studies, being under severe sickness, he aasignod to mo 
 the pleasing duty of attending in the summer of that year 
 on the Eastern circuit, on which he had extensive prac- 
 tice, for the purpose of making the best arrangements 
 concerning the causes in which he was retained. The 
 Judge for that circuit was the early warrior previously 
 mentioned. He was of a very bulky and ponderous 
 bodily form, and thereby unable to use a horse as he did 
 when a military major, and consequently, he journeyed 
 in a vehicle, then generally called a chaise, or as a i*ustic 
 would style it, a shay. I had the honor and pleasure of 
 journeying in company with Messrs. Eobieand Archibald 
 and the witty and facetious Andrew Wallace. Wo were 
 on horseback, and the first day reached, and spent the 
 night at the Inn at Gays Kiver, — distance about 36 miles, 
 — a very fair journey for those days of rough, crooked, 
 and hilly roads. I well remember a sc^no of that night. 
 The heat was excessive, and about midnight my compan- 
 ions commenced a serenading visitation, and came into 
 my room, apparelled in white sheets, doubtless thinking 
 that I would be greatly startled and terrified, supposing 
 it to be a ghostly visit, but they did not succeed on that 
 
6 
 
 LAW. 
 
 point, but merely in producing general merriment. The 
 next day we halted at Truro, and on the third reached 
 Pictou. At that time, and for several succeeding yoarti, 
 the travelling, except on runners in winter, was almost 
 invariably on horseback ; and for three days from Halt- 
 fax to Pictou, and four to Amherst. 
 
 The proceedings in the court, in those early years, 
 I can confidently say, wore conducted, as to the Bench, 
 with dignity, and with due respect from the Bar ; and 
 among the members of the latter, with becoming 
 courtesy, and an avoidance of wrangling, or unseemly 
 strife or contention. The admission to practice, then, 
 were as Attorney and Barrister at the same time, and 
 might also be so obtained into the courts of Chancery, 
 and Vice Admiralty, and as a Notary Public. The 
 present rule of a prescribed time between the admission 
 as Attorney and as Barrister, is certainly the.botter ar- 
 rangement. I think it not at all presumptuous, to 
 take this fit opportunity, of offering some remarks re- 
 garding the right or title for obtaining the honors of the 
 profession, as to both the Bar and the Bench. All the 
 members of the legal, as well as those in the other 
 learned professions, and of all civil oflices, should, injus- 
 tice, be equally entitled to obtain the honors which 
 respectively belong to those professions and offices, and 
 other public employments, according to seniority of stand- 
 ing and service, — the circumstances as to knowledge, 
 skill, experience, and on other essential or material 
 points, being superior, or but equal. This was the 
 general and just course, or it may even bo said the I'ule, 
 in those early years, as to the Bar and Bench ; and it 
 
LAW. 
 
 Wtas carried out accordingly, until the introduction of 
 the politioal system which, — as to thia subject, — is im- 
 properly called liberal Since this change, which has 
 been made to operate so unjustly towards the legal pro- 
 fession, and indeed as to many other public appointments 
 and subjects, the official honors in the profession, are, 
 almost invariably, bestowed on the political partisans 
 of the existing executive ruling powers. This is a signal 
 injustice as regards both the Bar and the Bench ; and 
 is injurious to the public, when a junior member of the 
 Bar, or one of but limited practice, and of oi*dinary or 
 inferior talents and attainments, is appointed to its 
 highest offices ; or one of a similar character is raised 
 to the most important and responsible office of a Judge. 
 The population of every country are entitled to obtain 
 for the management of their public affairs of every 
 description, and in all the public offices, the selection 
 and appointment of the persons who are best qualified 
 as to mental talent, enlarged experience, and on all 
 other points, are thoroughly fitted for skilfully and 
 faithfully fulfilling their duties, and thereby promoting 
 and sustaining the public welfare. In making these 
 remarks, I have no intention or thought as to their ap- 
 plication to any particular or recent instances of appoint- 
 ments to offices in this Province. 
 
 I may further remark, as to the legal profession, 
 that the combination of the duties of the Attorney and 
 Barrister, in the same person is, in many respects, pre- 
 ferable to the opposite rule in England, where, in 
 ancient, and even modern times, the former could not, 
 as to social position be admitted to private intercourse 
 
d 
 
 LAW, 
 
 and companionship with tho Counsel or Barrister. 
 This would have been considered an act of impropriety, 
 and undue condescension by the latter. 
 
 There is one subject which at that early period 
 came under legal discussion, in this Province, on which 
 it may be interesting to the public to be informed, and 
 of which, I feel confident, but very few if any of our 
 population, except myself, have any knowledge what- 
 ever. It is that of the atrocious slave system. My 
 readers will doubtless bo startled at the thought, or 
 supposition, that it could on er have been a question, 
 whether that cruel outrage on humanity, over existed 
 in this Province. But the question did arise, and was 
 legally argued and decided. I think it was in the year 
 1806. Before relating tho case in which the decision 
 was given, I must state some preliminary facts relating 
 to the subject. — During tho progress, and especially 
 at the close of the revolutionary war in the British 
 Provinces, now the United States, rather large numbera 
 of tho loyalist families left those lands, and came to 
 Nova Scotia, which then included Now Brunswick, and 
 as I think the Islands of Capo Breton and St. John, — 
 this latter now named Prince Edwai*d. A large number 
 of them settled in Shelburne. Several of these loyal 
 or refugee families, as they were often called, brought 
 with them in their service, individuals of the slave popu- 
 lation, who camo with tho families, either from kind at- 
 tachment to them, or hoping thus to secure their 
 freedom. One of them abruptly left his master's service, 
 in Shelburne, and came to Halifax. The master pursued 
 him, and by some legal process, or other means, procured 
 
LAW. 
 
 9 
 
 Jrioty, 
 
 liis arrest, and was about to convey him back to Shelburne. 
 Application on his behalf was made to Mr. "NVilkins, 
 who obtained a writ of habeas corpus, under which 
 master and servant wore brought before the Chief 
 Justice, and the case, and the slave question were fully 
 argued on each side, and the Judge legally and 
 righteously decided, that this Province was not debased 
 with that cruel and abominable slave system, which 
 John Wesley appropriately characterized, as '* the sum 
 of all villanies." Thus the subject as to our free country, 
 was settled for all time. 
 
 I may hero mention, that the matters in contro- 
 versy in suits at law, in the common law courts in those 
 days, were of much the same descriptions as at pre- 
 sent, and therefore special remarks here on the subject 
 are not needed. 
 
 Having treated concerning the Supremo Court so 
 fully as probably to weary some of my readers, I will 
 now give some important and interesting, information 
 concerning proceedings in the Vice Admifaiity Court, 
 which in the same early peiiod had ample and almost 
 constant employment. In the year 1804, tmi great 
 Napoleon, having subdued Italy and Spain, and overcome 
 and prostrated Austria and Prussia, and spread the 
 terj'or of liis name and army over all the other nations 
 of continental Europe ; and knowing that the power 
 and resources of Great Britain, with whom he was so 
 fiercely contending greatly depended on the prosperity 
 of her foreign commoico, he framed and published two 
 manifestoes, one at Berlin the capital of Prussia, and 
 the other at Milan in Italy, named and known as the 
 
10 
 
 JjAW. 
 
 celebrated " Berlin and Milan Decrees." Thej'' were 
 most restrictive and prohibitory as to the British foreign 
 trade, especially with liUropean powers, and the United 
 States of America, whose commerce' had increased with 
 amazinj^ rapidity, although then only in the twenty- 
 third year of their independence. By way ot retaliation, 
 and for the protection of her commerce, and for other 
 political ]>urposes, the JJritish Government published 
 "Orders of Council," also restrictive as to the trade of 
 neutrals with Franco, and other Powers in hostility 
 with Great Bi'itain. For strictly carrying these orders 
 inlo elicct, Judges of Vice Admiralt}' Courts, of the 
 highest ability, were appointed in the British colonies; 
 and Alexander Croke, L. L. D.. one of the most learned 
 and eminent advocates in the High Court of Admiralty, 
 Avas appointed as judge of the Vice Admiralty Court in 
 Halifax. About the same time, Mr. Jeffrey came as 
 Collector of the Customs. The orders in Council speed- 
 ily produced abundant results, in the seizure by the 
 British Naval Cruisers of a large number of vessels, 
 charged with trading with France, in contravention of 
 those orders, ai.<l of the general national laws and 
 regulations regarding trade between neutrals and 
 belligerents. The commerce of the United States chiefly 
 and extensively suffered by those seizures. In 1805 their 
 vessels trading with Franco and her possessions, and 
 those of her allies and supporters, and especially the 
 vessels running between Fi-ancc, the United States, and 
 the Spanish Provinces in South America, were, day 
 after day, being brought into this port, and libelled in 
 the Admiralty Court. In that year I resided in a board- 
 
LAW. 
 
 11 
 
 ing house, where a number of the masters and supon ai'- 
 goos of those United States j)ri/-es hoarded, and I olten 
 heard their maledictions against Great Britain and her 
 cruisers. Several of the pri/.os had very rich cargoes of 
 silks, cambrics, lace, and other choice and costly articles. 
 The Attorney General, Richard J. Uniacke, previously 
 mentioned and described, conducted all the prosecutions 
 as Advocate for the Crown, and Mr. Stewart, the Solici- 
 tor General, the defences of the Claimants. It has been 
 supposed that the income of the former official, from 
 those prosecutions and in other duties and matters re- 
 gard; g the prizes, amounted to £10,000 or more, and 
 pj-obably that of the Solicitor General from the Claimants 
 was nearly the same. Other members of the profession 
 also partook, in a very liberal degree, in the golden re- 
 wards for their services in the jn-occedings. It was 
 truly, all round, a most lucrative and gratifying time for 
 our legal fraternity, as well as sjoveral other classes of 
 the conimunit}'. I will remember the argument of Mr. 
 Uniacke in one of those prize cases. The vessel was 
 fitted out for buttle if pursued, or met with by one of the 
 small gun boats, or other but slightly armed cruiser. On 
 her deck was an immense cannon, which was called 
 Lomj Tom. In the course of the trial Mr. Uniacke 
 made pointed reference to this thundring and destructive 
 weapon, as proof that the vessel was engaged in an un- 
 lawful or forbidden trade; and urged his address in such 
 terms as these, — " And then, your Worship, they had 
 their Long Tom loaded and pi-imcd and ready for light;" 
 and thus, occasionally he would nMuind the judge of 
 Long Tom, as aflbrding such condemnatory evidence ; 
 
12 
 
 JjAW. 
 
 and truly it was such, for if engaged in a lawful and un- 
 prohibited trade, they did not require that monstrous 
 iron warriov. Those proceedings in the Admiralty 
 Court continued, with 'much the same vigor and results, 
 for several years, and there Can 1)e little doubt, but what 
 the great injury thus inflicted on the foreign commerce 
 of the United States, was one of the provocations to the 
 war they declared against Great Britian a few years after. 
 Such proceedings, and numerous others of an unrighteous 
 character, often lead to further contentions, or open 
 hostilities between nations ; and serve to show the 
 wicked and ruinous nature of all national wars. Judge 
 Croko held the office, — then of such great importance, — 
 for a number of years, and with most distinguished 
 abilit}' ; and on his return to England was Knighted. 
 His arguments, in the decision of any specially impor- 
 tant case would afford intellectual enjoymer t to all who 
 could duly appreciate them, for the orderly arrangements 
 of the various points, the precision and soundness of 
 logical argument, chasteness of language, dignity and 
 attractiveness of address, and all the other qualities 
 which constitute the highest style of judicial skill, elo- 
 quence, and ability. I remember one instance, especi- 
 ally, in which I experienced a degree of that enjoyment, 
 in hearing his eloquent and powerful argument, in a 
 decision on one of those prize cases. 
 
 There are no other subjects or events, of a legal 
 nature, in those early years, within m^^ recollection at 
 present, of sufficient importance to require mention or 
 remark, and tiierefore I will hero close this portion of 
 jny work. 
 
PARLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL, 13 
 
 II. — PARLIABIENTARY AND POLITICAL. 
 
 The first event of a parliamentry nature, within my 
 remembrance, which I deem worthy of relation, occur- 
 i-od in 1806 or 1807. There had boon a general election 
 for tho House of Assembly, and when it met in session, 
 a member for the County of Hants, named William Cot- 
 niim Tongo, was chosen speaker. He was a generally 
 popular person, and possessed rather superior powers 
 of oratory, and in political propensities and opinions, 
 may be classed with tho liberals, or probably the radicals 
 of that period. Ho had bc3n in the preceding assem- 
 bly, and liad there it was supposed, in some way, com- 
 mitted, or had actually committed some public act of 
 disrespect or discourtesy towards the Lieutenant Gover- 
 nor,— Sir John "Wentworth ; and either by Sir John him- 
 self, or through the influence of the government, it was 
 concluded, that if Tonge was chosen speaker, he should, 
 when presented, as usual, for approval be, for that dis- 
 courtesy, rejected by tho governor. Mr. Wilkins, with 
 whom I was studying, being a member, and also my 
 venerated father, I felt much interest, and also curiosity 
 concerning the matter, and Tonge being chosen, when 
 tho House proceeded to his Excellency's presence, I fol- 
 lowed in their rear, and got a stand near the foot of tho 
 table, and had a full view of Sir John, in his Chair of 
 State, and heard his words of rejection of Tonge, which 
 were these, as I have constantly remembered, — " Gentle- 
 men, I do not approve of your choice, and I desire 
 that you will return to your chamber, (or room) and 
 elect another of your members, as speaker, and present 
 him for my approval, to-morrow at" — naming the hour. 
 
14 PARLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL. 
 
 Sir John who was not very dignifiod in appoavaneo, but 
 rather of gentle disposition jind manners, placed his 
 three cornered blacic hat on his head, — the House 
 retired, — and the imposing scene closed. Immediately 
 groat searching commenced into Hatscll and an older 
 work for precedents and a decision on the important 
 point. Some of the more ardent spirits wore for again 
 presenting Tonge, according to the somewhat similar 
 case of Wilkes in the British Parliament, who was 
 several times elected, and refused a seat in the Commons, 
 because of the publication of his radical tract number 
 45. During the day, and by the next morning, the 
 members had cooled down, and when again assembled, 
 elected another member as speaker, — I think, Attorney 
 General R. J. Uniacke, who received approval and the 
 Session commenced. 
 
 In a Session of the same House, a few years after, 
 Tonge retaliated on Sir John, for his rejection, in the 
 way I will now relate. The Home Government, very 
 properly decided to remove Sir John, who was very fur 
 advanced in years. He had been a governor in one of 
 the smaller revolted colonies. Sir George Prevost, a 
 Lieutenant General, was appointed us his successor, and 
 the British Government allowed £500, sterling, towards 
 a retiring pension for Sir John, and recommended u 
 similar sum to bo granted by the Province, so as to make 
 the pension £1,000. On the proposal being submitted 
 to the House, Tonge in opposing it took the opportunitj' 
 to review public atfairs, and all the measures of the 
 Government, during the whole term of Sir John s 
 administration. He had a right to do so, and ho 
 
i*AliLTAMENTAltY AND POLITICAL 15 
 
 doubtless did it with all the power of severe and elo- 
 quent speech which he^\as so well able to employ. I 
 met my old Grammar School master, — Rev. Creorgo 
 Wright, — retiring from the lobby, and he remarked as 
 to the 'philippic, as he properly called it, and I wont in 
 and heard some part of it. I believe it filled up the en- 
 tire sitting of the day, but it did not avail for eftecting 
 the intended purpose. The £500 were granted and Sir 
 John got his £1,000 pension, but lived in its enjoyment 
 but a few years. 
 
 In 1811 there was a general election for the Assem- 
 bly, and I was elected one of the members for the Coun- 
 ty of Sydney, as it was then named, and for many years 
 after ; and which then combined the present Counties 
 of Antigonish and Guysborough. There was a close and 
 keen contest for the Speakership, and my friend, Mr. 
 "Wilkins, succeeded, by a small majority, in preference 
 to Mr. Robie, his competitor. An extremely singular 
 case arose, from the election for the township of Truro. 
 The candidates were Mr. Pierson and Mr. Kent. It so 
 happened that a man, deaf and dumb, gave the one ma- 
 jority vote for Mr. Kent. A resolution was moved, 
 stating that this man, by reason of those imperfections, 
 was not entitled to vote, and it passed, and Pierson took 
 the seat. A counter resolution was prepared, I think, 
 by myself, stating, that although deaf and dumb, he was 
 " of sane and intelligent mind, and capable of communi- 
 cating his ideas and opinions, by bodily signs and mo- 
 tions." The next day this resolution was submitted, 
 and after a short debate, was passed, and Mr. Pierson 
 vacated the seat, and Mr. Kent took it. Some of us 
 
16 PARLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL. 
 
 humorously styled him the silent, or deaf and dumb 
 member; but he was a sensible man, in the first rank 
 of the indispensable and honorable farmin«jc class, and 
 could, and did, deliver his opinions creditably, as often 
 as was needed. It might bo well if there were more of 
 the most intelligent of that class in every parliament. I 
 may here mention that I saw the same deaf and dumb 
 man admitted and examined as a witness in the Supremo 
 Court at Truro, in a case of illegitimate child-murder, 
 and it was chiefly on his evidence that the prisoner was 
 convicted. 
 
 The regular hour for assembling was 10 o'clock, and 
 the sittings generally continued until 4 or 5 in the after- 
 noon. The public business, I can aver, was, in those 
 days, diligently attended to and dispatched. The ses- 
 sions, on an average, continued about 10 weeks. The 
 debates were conducted with far more courtesy and mod- 
 eration than those in the parliaments of the present day. 
 Earely, indeed, was there any personal bitterness, or 
 asperity, rude epithets, or severe accusations, or unbe- 
 coming language, all of which have been, so often, and 
 discreditably employed, in parliaments in later times. 
 
 To the best of my recollection, never during those 
 early years of legislation was a charge of bribery made 
 against any member. The oppositions to oleotions which 
 came before the Assembly related chiefly to the qualifi- 
 cations of Candidates or voters. 
 
 As well as I can remember, it was in the ses- 
 sion of 1815, that^a bounty on salt was granted, of two 
 shillings and sixpence per ton, when the price at public 
 sale, on importation, fell short of twenty shillings. It 
 
PABLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL. IT 
 
 Bcemed to be a measure to sei^ve the interested purposes 
 of a few importing merchants. The instance I will now 
 relate, contributed, I believe, to its discontinuance. At 
 the sale of a cargo, or large quantity of the article, 
 imported into Pictou, a purchaser was at liberty to take 
 the portion or lot oflfered by the auctioneer, or the whole 
 quantity. A farming person, not at all engaged in any 
 fishery, made the offer of seventeen shillings and nine- 
 ponce, per ton, for the portion put up, and then said he 
 would take the whole cargo. He purchased it merely 
 for the importing merchants, who, in that way, secured 
 to themselves the bounty on the whole quantity. I was 
 present on the occasion, and was so sensible of the way 
 in which the affair was managed, that I said to one of 
 the importing firm, who was present, you might as well 
 have had it purchased in for seventeen shillings and six- 
 pence, for then you would have got the whole bounty, 
 but now you will only get two shillings and threepence 
 per ton. The same, or similar selfish public impositions, 
 are, doubtless, frequently, or occasionally, practiced, in 
 cases of bounties. I may hero offer the opinion, that 
 bounties in trading and commercial business; and also 
 what are called protecting regulations and measures in 
 those affairs, are almost invariably found to operate, 
 merely to the profit of a few, and either directly or indi- 
 rectly, to increase the prices of articles of general con- 
 sumption, and, in other ways, injuriously affect the great 
 body of the population. For the general prosperity and 
 welfare of a state, trade and business of every descrip- 
 tion, should be left as unrestricted and free as possible, 
 eonsifetent with the just duties and taxation which are 
 
18 PARLIAMENTABY AND POLITICAL. 
 
 required for the support of the indispensable and neces- 
 sary institutions and measures of the public service. 
 This, I believe, has always been the opinion of the most 
 intelligent and best informed political economists. 
 
 In the Session of the Legislature in 1819 the 
 present just and equitable law was passed, authorizing 
 the direction of Licenses for Marriage to ministers of 
 all religious denominations. The right of obtaining 
 such Licenses had previously been confined to the clergy 
 of the Church of England Establishment. 
 
 In the Session of 1821, under Sir James Kompt's 
 government of the Province, the Act was passed for the 
 establishment of Dalhousie College. At this time all the 
 honorary Degrees of Kings College, — Windsor, — the 
 only one in the Province, — wore confined to members 
 of the Church of England Establishment. It was chief- 
 ly this unwise and unjust restriction which suggested 
 and righteously led to the establishment of the Dal- 
 housie Institution. There have been frequent discus- 
 sions, and opposite opinions expressed, as to whether it 
 was designed by the Legislature to bo a Provincial In- 
 stitution. I was a member of the Assembly at the time, 
 and know most or all of the material circumstances re- 
 lating to the subject, and I can confidently say that it 
 was intended to bo of that provincial character and con- 
 sequently, on every point, open to persons of all religious 
 denominations and all classes of society. 
 
 The next parliamentai-y subject, of a general nature 
 to be here mentioned and explained, is one in which I 
 was personally and especially interested and engaged. 
 Before introducing it, I think I may, with propriety, 
 
PARLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL. 19 
 
 mention, as being connected with that gubjoct, that in 
 1819, 1 made my first essay in book composition, and 
 published a small work, noticing the designs of the 
 American United States to gain possession of th' <e 
 British Provinces; and also describing tho numeroas 
 and valuable natural resources and advantages of Nova 
 Scotia, and suggesting the means whereby thoy might, 
 in the greatest degree, bo made to promote the public 
 prosperity. One of these means was the encouragement 
 and assistance of immigration for effecting the clearance 
 and settlement of our forest lands, especially those 
 owned by non-residents, and others, who had fulled to 
 clear and improve them. The only copy of the book 
 which remained with me, I have lately given to the 
 library of the Young Men's Christian Association. In 
 pursuance of the objects and intentions sot forth in that 
 publication, and towards effecting their fulfilment, I 
 sought and obtained the best information on the several 
 subjects, and prepared a rather voluminous bill, for com- 
 pelling the owners of those lands to immediately clear 
 and improve them ; and on their failing to do it, that 
 the lands should be escheated to the Crown, for being re- 
 granted to those who would occupy and improve them. 
 The Bill contained numerous and needful provisions and 
 regulations on the subject, and was also intended, as I 
 have mentioned, to encourage and promote that needed 
 and useful immigration. The bill met with rather strong 
 opposition in the assembly, but after several debates, it 
 succeeded there, by a small majority, and went up to tho 
 council, where, as I have understood, one of the Crown 
 officers spent about three or four hours in killing it. 
 
20 PARLIAMENTABY AND POLITICAL. 
 
 Thu8 ended, as far as I know, all parliamentary efforts 
 relating to that land subject. \ am presumptuous and 
 bold enough to say, that if that bill had pas. 3d, and 
 those, its main objects, had been carried into effect, in- 
 stead of our having now only the slender and discredit- 
 ably humble population of about 400,000, it would be 
 nearly, if not quite, a million. A much larger population 
 than we now possess is indispensably needed, in order to 
 bring into full and more profitable operation, the numer- 
 ous and most valuable natural resources of our country, 
 so as to secure, in a far greater degree, its political and 
 social prosperity, with reference to manufactures, in- 
 ternal, as well as foreign, trade, and especially the far 
 greater extension and profitable results of our agricul- 
 tural employments. I may forbear any further remarks 
 here on these subjects. They will more appropriately 
 be given under the third and last title, where they will 
 be discussed, in relation to the resources, the commerce, 
 and other subjects, bearing on the general interests and 
 prosperity of the Province. There is one subject, 
 and it is an important one, of a parliamentary and poli- 
 tioal nature, which I think it well to notice, and remark 
 thereon. 
 
 During all the time previous to the introduction of 
 the so-called liberal policy, any member, when the 
 House was in the appropriate committee, or, indeed, at 
 any other suitable time, could, without previous appli- 
 cation to any quarter, propose a resolution, or move for 
 a grant of money for any public purpose whatever, and 
 the House wonld immediately act thereon, either by al- 
 lowing or refusing it. The present policy will not allow 
 
TARLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL. 21 
 
 or sanction such a proceeding. The governing powers 
 for the time — some of whom must be in the House — 
 have now the sole right of proposing all money grants ; 
 and without their permission, no other members can 
 move for any such grant. This was one of the relin- 
 quishments and concessions which was made to the Ex- 
 ecutive Power, by the liberal party, when that policy 
 was agreed on and established. It was made, as being in 
 conformity with the Imperial Constitution. Either an 
 adherent of the existing government, or an opposing 
 member therefore before proposing any such grant with 
 any hope of success must now seek and obtain the favour 
 and permission of the executive members, to propose it 
 to the House. It always has been, and it is probable 
 will ever continue to be true, not only in political, but 
 in all other worldly spheres of action and aflfairs, that 
 whosoever holds the purse, holds the power. The rule 
 just mentioned, is nearly as injudicious and restrictive, 
 as to popular freedom and right, as that of the be- 
 stowment of all public offices, by the ruling political 
 party, on their own partisans, without due regard to su- 
 perior qualifications and meritorious claims. These, and 
 other political arrangements and measures, serve lo 
 show, that after all that can be said in favour of the 
 present governing policy, the former old Tory Govern- 
 ment so called, and its policy, were administered with 
 quite as much regard to public freedom and Justice, as 
 under the present political system, if not indeed in a 
 greater degree. 
 
22 
 
 MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 III. — MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS, &C. 
 
 In the year 1806 a Prerich fleet made a descent U])on 
 Newfoundland, and committed some depredations at a 
 place called the Bay of Bulls. TV e expected that they 
 would be bold enough to visit Halifax. At that time, 
 and during the whole course of that war with France, a 
 much larger military force was kept in this garrison 
 than in later years, — two or three regiments, — number- 
 ing with the artillery force, probably near 3,000. There 
 was also a more numerous fleet on the station than at 
 present. Our Wentworth Government however, very 
 properly considered, that it was quite appropriate, if 
 not absolutely needful, that the population of the Pro- 
 vince should take a part in its defence ; and accordingly, 
 a requisite portion of the militia was drafted for active 
 service, and came to Halifax. My military ardour, at 
 that time, being very much stronger than it has been for 
 many years past, I obtained a commission in my father's 
 battalion, a portion of which compccd a part of that for- 
 midable garrison force. I well remember being, with 
 many others, of similar deficiencies in ihQ fiery service, 
 frequently drilled and instructed in the spacious square 
 of the old North Barracks which some years ago were 
 burnt to the ground. The hostile fleet took wit in their 
 anger, and departed to other seas, and the militia garri- 
 son were dismissed after a few months of not very 
 arduous or dangerous service. 
 
 In the same year 1806, or the preceding one, as 
 well as I remember, that great euoroachment on per- 
 
MISCELLANEOUS, 
 
 23 
 
 sonal liberty called, impressment was resorted to, in this 
 port, among the merchant and other shipping, and also 
 in the town, and was actively carried out by numerous 
 press gangs from the naval force. They planned and 
 managed the adventure very adroitly, and with numer- 
 ous squads swept the streets of the town in every 
 quarter, seizing on every person whom they imagined 
 was liable or in any way fit for their service. The 
 military force, as may well be supposed, acted in concert 
 with them. The main guard of the troops was then 
 stationed in a small barrack, with an open area, for drill 
 and other purposes, fronting on Barrington Street, where 
 the '' Eight Market" now stands ; and the whole enclo- 
 sure extended up to Argyle street, where, now is the 
 Acadian School building. In that open space of that 
 military ground the captives of that memorable night 
 were forcibly convoj'^ed, and formed a numerous crowd 
 of all classes and descriptions of the population. In the 
 morning, as I presume, interrogations and examinations 
 were made by the self- appointed naval judges for such 
 occasions, and after their selections of all such, as in 
 their good pleasure they determined to retain, the rest 
 of the miscellaneous crowd were set at liberty. There 
 is one instance partly of an amusing description, which 
 occurred during this impressment season, which I will 
 hero relate. A fisherman residing in one of the small 
 Bettleraeuts on this Eastern coast was arrested by the 
 prcNS gang and detained for the service. Mr, Wilkins 
 being employed in the case, obtained a writ of Habeas 
 Corpus, under which the man, by a young naval officer 
 with a party of his men, was brought before the Chief 
 
24 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 Justice for examination in order to obtain his release. 
 On a due hearing of the case, the Judge decided that 
 he was not liable to impressment for the service, and 
 accordingly set him at liberty. As the whole attendant 
 party were retiring the officer openly declared that 
 ho would have the man again ; and Mr. "Wilkins hear- 
 ing it, directed him to run for our office, which he did 
 with all speed. The officer and his band gave chase, 
 and Mr. Wilkins rapidly followed. At the time of the 
 race, Mr. Stewart the Solicitor General and myself were 
 attentively engaged in the office, tracing on a large 
 globe the course of one of the prize vessels. The 
 fisherman headed the race, and rushed into the office, 
 upsetting our globe employment, but happily not our- 
 selves ; and passed into the adjoining office, from which 
 there was a private door, leading to a parlour, and 
 thence there was ready access to the rear of the 
 premises, and there the man was safe. The officer was 
 quickly after in the office, and had reached about the 
 middle of it, when Mr. Wilkins appeared, and with his 
 two strong arms seizing him round the waist, he literal- 
 ly hurled him into the street. He was a nimble and 
 spirited youngster, and was soon upon his feet, and turn- 
 ing to his men gave them some charge, to keep watch 
 or guard over the house. Mr. Stewart stepped forward, 
 and gave him some proper caution and advice, on the 
 point, and in a short time he left with his men, and the 
 
 fisherman was speedily and joyfully on his way home. 
 Some time previous to the year 1810 an embargo 
 
 by the United States Government was imposed on the 
 
 trade between that country and these British Provinces. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 25 
 
 It is probable that it was partly in retaliatien or resent- 
 ment for the injuries done to their commerce by the 
 seizures of their vessels, as has been related in previous 
 pages. Our population in Halifax and also in the towns 
 and villages throughout the Province, especially those 
 in the eastern parts of it, experienced serious privations 
 and injury from the measure, especially in not being able 
 to obtain sufficient supplies of flour and certain other 
 needful articles, not adequately produced within our 
 own borders, or readily and conveniently obtainable 
 from any other country than the United States. Dur- 
 ing a part of that season of deficient bread supply, my 
 own family, with several others, I believe in the town 
 of Pictou, where I was then residing, were obliged to 
 put up with hard biscuit, and some of it musty. One 
 happy morning in the early part of September, 1810, as 
 I well remember, a small vessel with a cargo of flour 
 came in, and I went down to the wharf with twenty 
 dollars in my hand, which I gladly paid for one barrel 
 of it. There was much smuggling, I believe, at the 
 lines, as they were called, between the two countries ; 
 and it is quite probable that the people in New Bruns- 
 wick and on the western parts of our Province were not 
 enduring the same privations as our eastern population. 
 At that time there was but a very limited if indeed any 
 export of flour from Canada. 
 
 I must now bring before my readers in the most 
 accurate and comprehensive manner I can employ, the 
 most important and in many respects the most interest- 
 ing of all the subjects contained under this Title. I 
 mean the former ton timber trade which during many 
 
mummtm 
 
 II tiiX, 
 
 Hi 
 
 26 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 of those early years of our commercial and political his- 
 tory was most extensively prosecuted in very many of 
 our ports especially in the Eastern section of the Pro- 
 vince. In the year 1808 when I commenced my residence 
 in the town of Pictou my personal acquaintance with 
 the trade began, and I may say that my knowledge of 
 it continued without intermission during about fourteen 
 succeeding years. My readers may form some opinion 
 of its extent when I inform them that on one day in the 
 autumn of that year 26 square rigged vessels, ships, 
 barques and brigs arrived in the harbor of Pictou from 
 various porta in Great Britain to obtain return cargoes 
 often timber chiefly pine. In the evening of that day I 
 saw, to the best of recollection, all the captains of the 
 26 vessels assembled in the large common room of the 
 hotel where I lodged, and I was quite amused in hearing, 
 for the first time, in mingled and discordant tones the 
 rather uncouth dialects of Yorkshire, Cumberland, 
 Durham, Northumberland, and some Scottish Counties, 
 Some of them were talking about their previous voyages 
 toChristiania, Christian Sands, and other ports in the 
 Northern European nations ; and from which they were 
 T believe then shut out, through the influence and power 
 of the great Napoleon over those nations. Moreover it 
 may be here mentioned that there was then this further 
 cause for the extensiveness of that trade to this Province, 
 and the ports of these other American Provinces, that 
 although the pine wood of those northern countries being 
 of a more firm and durable q uality is better for the out- 
 side work on dwellings, it is not so good for the 
 inside work, and fov other purposes as our pine, which is 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 27 
 
 also more easily wrought than the wood of those North- 
 ern countries. 
 
 This trade in our Province was then so extensive 
 that a partner of the leading mercantile firm in Pictou 
 informed me that one year thoy furnished cargoes of 
 timber to as many as TO vessels. During the same early 
 period there were several other firms in Pictou which 
 furnished cargoes, some of them in rather large number.s. 
 I was further informed, that either in 1809 or 1810 the 
 merchants in the town of Pictou alone, loaded with tim- 
 ber as many as 120 square rigged vessels, several of 
 them of large tonnage. Estimating according to the 
 average size of the vessels, this number must have taken 
 away at least 40,000 tons, besides the other portions of 
 valuable wood for small and convenient stowage. But, 
 there were a great number of other ports, in the Eastern 
 section of the Province, from which large or considerable 
 quantities were yearly exported, and through rather a 
 long course of years. As the lumber was then abundant 
 and in general readily procured, and the prices both to 
 the maker and the merchant were often high and profita- 
 ble, if the business had been prudently and economical- 
 ly conducted it would always have been fairly remuner- 
 ative; and all the persons engaged in it would have gone 
 on improving their circumstances, from year to year. 
 But this was far from being the case. The prospects ot 
 success seemed, indeed, to bo so fair or rather certain, 
 for a number of years, that most especially in the sec- 
 tion of the province already mentioned, nearly all per- 
 sons in one way or other wore engaged in the business. 
 In the year 1809 the average price of good pine timber, 
 
^8 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 in the port of Pictou, was £2 or even more, per ton. I 
 have a good reason to remember it, for having commen- 
 ced my residence in that town and having hired a house 
 which I had agreed to repair, so great was the demand 
 for ton timber, for immediate shipment, that it was 
 rather as a favor that I procured a small quantity of it 
 from the pond of one of my merchant friends at the rate 
 of two guineas per ton. It was in that year, or the pre- 
 ceding one, that the incident occurred which I will now 
 relate. I was sitting in that room of the inn where I 
 lodged, which was reserved for the more respectable 
 guests when a man, from the other end of the house, 
 came into the room in rather a reeling state, and holding 
 up a silver watch in each hand, exclaimed, " a few tons 
 of timber will soon pay for these." And doubtless they 
 would, at the current price of the timber which I have 
 just mentioned ; and this man being able to make a ton 
 and a half or two tons a day. It is probable he purchas- 
 ed the watches from a speculative master of a ship, and 
 the prico of them would be about £3.10 each. Four tons 
 of timber, delirered in the merchants pond, would more 
 than pay for them. [ knew this man's course until about 
 the time of his death. He continued making timber, 
 and also in his drinking habits, and from time to time 
 came under my professional practice in the courts, either 
 AS plaintiff or defendant. From all which I heard con- 
 cerning him, I have every reason to believe that to the 
 last he continued intemperate, and died poor and embar- 
 rassed with debt. It is saddening to reflect that there 
 wore so very many in that day pursuing the same reck- 
 less and vicious coarse. It seemed then to be a settled 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 29 
 
 or understood thing, that the timber could neither be 
 made in the woods, nor drawn out to the water, nor 
 rafted to the pond, nor moved, measured or shipped, nor 
 indeed anything whatever done with it, without the in- 
 spiriting aid of the drink. Such was the state of things, 
 in this respect, that the following incident occcurred in 
 which a friend was concerned, as he personally informed 
 me. A party were towing a raft of timber for him 
 across a harbor and, when within half a mile, or less, of 
 the place where thoy were to deposit it, they halted and 
 sent a boat on shore for a fresh supply of spirits, and 
 remained stationary until they procured it. 
 
 The merchant in order to obtain the timber supplied 
 the liquor freely and largely, and generally on credit ; 
 and the people, one and all, drank it as freely and as 
 fully ; and in consequence, in the great majority of cases 
 either sooner or later embarrassment or ruin was the 
 result. A gentleman residing near one of the rivers of 
 the Province where the timber business had been carried 
 on for several years, informed me that scarcely on© in 
 twenty of the persons formerly engaged in it, at that 
 river, prospered in the business, and he said to the effect 
 that it was chiefly owing to that excessive use of intoxi- 
 cating liquors. He further told me, that on one occa- 
 sion a large party of persons were engaged for weeks 
 together, forcing timber down the river, in cold weather, 
 and often wet yet when the work was completed they 
 all concluded that the ipirits used while so engaged did 
 them more harm than good. The last item of informa- 
 tion on the point wliich I shall here offer concerning 
 this branch of business, is indeed conclusive to show the 
 
J- 
 
 30 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 vast extent of the injury from tho drinking practice, as 
 well to individuals as with reference to the public or 
 general prosperity. The particulars of this information, 
 as they will now be given, wore in substance communi- 
 cated to me, personally, by a gentlemen wlio foi* about 
 twenty years had bueu convernant with tho ton timber 
 trade and knew all about it, having, for that time, boon 
 clerk and book keeper to a large mercantile establish- 
 ment, which was very extensively engaged in the 
 business. He stated that there were imported by that 
 establishment alone from 300 to 400 puncheons of rum, 
 besides other spiritous liquors, in a year; and that 
 several other merchants in the place also imported large 
 quantities of such liquors of diflferent kinds. Nearly tho 
 whole quantity so imported were for consumption in 
 that port, and in the adjacent places, and chiefly among 
 the persons engaged in the timber trade. He further 
 said, that it was estimated that in and about the manu- 
 facture of every ton of timber, and in bringing it down 
 the river into a pond for shipment, there was consumed 
 about a gallon of rum. The price of the timber to the 
 manufacturer who sold it to the merchant was, on an 
 average, during that period, about twenty-five shillings. 
 The price of the gallon of rum when retailed through 
 several hands, and in small quantities at a time, to the 
 persons engaged in making the timber in the woods, 
 hauling it out to tho water, rafting it, perhaps ten or 
 fifteen miles or more, to the timber booms, would not be 
 less than eight shillings the gallon, or probably more. 
 Here, then, was about one-third of the value of the tim- 
 ber lost to the pai'ties engaged in making the article, 
 
MISCELLANEOUS, 
 
 31 
 
 and disposing of it to the merchant, besides loss of time 
 and other hindrances to profit through occasional spells 
 of intemperance, and from other causes connected with 
 the drinking practice. Such was tlie state of things in 
 general throughout the whole of the business, as carried 
 on formerly in this province, and also, as I have reason 
 to believe, in the other North American Provinces. 
 How could it be possible that a business, conducted 
 under such improvident circumstances, would, generally 
 speaking, be ultimately or permanently profitable to 
 those engaged in it ? It certainly was not so, but I 
 positirely assert, what indeed is now generally, and by 
 many deplorably known, that this branch of business 
 formerly, and when the prices wore higher than now, 
 was a failure, as to improving the circumstances of those 
 engaged in it, and conseq^uently, as to advancing the 
 general prosperity. Farmers and others became im- 
 poverished or embarrassed, and the merchants with 
 whom they dealt, being unable to procure from such 
 debtors the amounts they required to keep their o'nn 
 credit good with those who supplied them abroad, or at 
 home, in very many instances they were broken np and 
 ruined. And this embarrassment or ruin was spread 
 moro or less through the whole of the business. 
 
 The value of land, and other property became, for 
 a time, so reduced that the mansion of a mercantile 
 gentleman, in Pictou, which, it was supposed, cost in its 
 erection and completion, about £10,100, 1 was informed, 
 was, after a few years, together with a large tract of 
 cultivated land attached to it, sold for about £600. 
 Farmers and others were injured by so much valuable 
 pine wood being taken from their lands. 
 
ilB!' 
 
 82 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 I '-«! 
 
 t 
 
 i 
 
 I have no hositation in affirm ini^, tliat tho vast con- 
 Bumption of intoxicating liquors waa the chief primary 
 cause of all the ombarrassmcntM and other evils above 
 described. In asserting this, aud throughout the argu- 
 ment, I entreat the reader to bear in mind, the indubit- 
 able tnith, that the amount expended in the uao of in- 
 toxicating liquors, is just so much of an actual and final 
 loss, as that use, oven in the least degree, is not requi- 
 site in the conducting of any trade, or business whatever. 
 
 Some facts and remarks of the like description, will 
 now be given, respecting our fisheries, during the same 
 period; ar'^ unhappily, they will, at present, be in some 
 degree applicable. 
 
 Perhaps there is no class of persons who, partly 
 from the nature of their occupation, and from several 
 other circumstances, have been more given to tho froo 
 use of intoxicating liquors, than fishermen in all regions 
 and as much so in this Province as any other country, 
 in former years, if not, indeed, at the present time. It 
 would almost seem as if they thought they could not, or 
 ought not, to set or take up a net, or draw a seine, or 
 cut or cure, or do anything else about the fish, without 
 the assistance of strong drink. To a certainty, their 
 practice universally was very much after that fashion. 
 Not an owner or crew, even of a boat, thought of going 
 to a fishing station, without the usual and requisite 
 supply of the article ; and when that was out, a fresh 
 supply, as a matter of necessity, was speedily procured. 
 If it could not conveniently be obtained from the merch- 
 ant who furnished tho outfit, it was got from one of the 
 transient traders who, like vultures, were hovering 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 33 
 
 round, ready to furnish it, und to gras^, in exchange the 
 lish, cured, or uncured, wliich,in many instances, should, 
 in common honesty, have been kept for the mcrcliant 
 who furnished tlie tirst supplies. It is well known, 
 that our fishermen, as a class, have ever been deeply 
 embarrassed with debt, and numbers of them constantly 
 in indigent circumstances, and destitute of many of the 
 ordinary conveniences and comforts of life. It is per- 
 fectly clear, that the consumption of intoxicating drinks 
 was one of the principal causes of their depressed condi- 
 tion. It was formerly, with nearly every fisherman and 
 is oven now with very many of them in their accounti 
 with the merchants for supplie8,much the same as it was 
 with the old Highlandman, who said of his account 
 of £50 with the merchant, the '• heft" of it was for rum. 
 It will be but a moderate computation to say, that the 
 owner of each boat, during the fishing season, and 
 through the rest of the year, incurred debts for liquor, 
 for himself and servants and family, to the amount of 
 £12 or £15, or more. Then, in many instances, there 
 would be loss of time spent in the drinking habit, or 
 waiting for the fish to strike in, — of sacrifices of fish at 
 reduced prices, promptly to obtain cash, or needed 
 supplies, with other items of loss. The whole of such 
 drawbacks, especially if the fishing season had been un- 
 favourable, would often swell the whole loss, including 
 the liquor accounts, to at least £25, or in some instances, 
 oven more. Many of the fishermen, being in this situa- 
 tion from year to year, they were unable to pay, in full, 
 the merchants who supplied them, and these in conse- 
 quence, in not a few instances, had, as thoy seem to 
 
MW»^SS^^^!^^^™™ 
 
 34 
 
 MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 think, no other way of saving themselves from embar- 
 rassment or ruin, but by charging the fishermen exorbi- 
 tant prices for the supplies they furnished, which, of 
 course, was a further injury to the fisherman. By reason 
 of all these losses, and their continuance from year to 
 year, fishing lots and homesteads, and m some instances 
 farms became deeply mortgaged, or made over to the 
 merchants, who, when thomselvei in any strait or em- 
 barrassment, could not from such isecurities, or sources, 
 raise the money they needed to keep their own credit good, 
 or safely and profitably carry on their business. The 
 following instance, among the hundreds ol a similar 
 kind, will servo to show the loss, in a pecuniary view, 
 and the consequent drawback, as to prosperity, through 
 the vast consumption of intoxicating liquors in the fish- 
 ing occupation. The circumstances were related to me 
 by the individual concerned, who resided in one of our 
 western fishing settlements. He stated that he followed 
 the employment in a small shallop, with two or three 
 hired men, and that for the use of them all, he ran off as 
 much as a puncheon of rum in the course of the year. 
 Most probably, some others occasionally asssisted to 
 empty it. He said that the liquor was furnished to the 
 men, according to custom, as the usual daily allowance, 
 free of charge, and that besides this loss, the men 
 through intemperance would occasionally cut and injure 
 the fish so as to lessen their value. The puncheon of 
 rum, in those days, would cost about £25, or upwards, 
 which, with the injuries to the fish, and the loss of time 
 by the men, through their occasional intemperance, 
 would certainly swell the whole loss to £30 at least. It 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 36 
 
 will readily be seen, that this was a serious drawback, 
 as to profit, or rather a serious loss in all seasons, and 
 in one of scarcity of fish, would, together with the 
 amount for wages, and keeping of the men, and all ex- 
 penses of the shallop, &c., be almost ruinous to the 
 skipper. Whether the fishing was in boat, shallop, or 
 other vessel, the customary allowance of spirits was the 
 same, and as the whole of the class, — skippers and men, 
 and whether on shares, or otherwise, wore following the 
 same practice, the loss, in erery season, and in various 
 ways, was deeply injurious to all ot them. Moreover, 
 the fishing occupation, from its very nature, being al- 
 ways extremely precarious, it is no way sui-prising, but 
 rather a matter of course, that under all those un- 
 favorable circumstances the fisheries, generally speaking, 
 have not been a source of profit to those concerned in 
 them, whether merchants, masters, or men, or contribu- 
 ted as much to the wealth and advantage of the Province 
 generally, as they certainly would have done had it not 
 been for the enormous consumption of strong drink by 
 all those engaged in conducting them. Similar injurious 
 effects from the same destructive cause resulted in the 
 gypsum or plaster trade, ship-building, agricultural and 
 other employments so essential for j)romoting the pub- 
 lic welfare. 
 
 Some information and remarks may here be profit- 
 ably given on several other points and particulars con- 
 nected with the fishery subject. And I can write with 
 some confidence concerning them from|tlie fact that my 
 earliest youthful years \irero spent in thejvicinity of the 
 great mackerel fishery at Fox Island, Canso, and other 
 
36 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 !■ 
 
 adjacent places, near to Guysborough, where was our 
 family residence. These places, then, and for several 
 years, I believe, Avere the most numerously attended and 
 successful stations for that fishery on the coasts of thip 
 Province. On several of my passages along the coast I 
 visited Fox Island station, by far the most extensive and 
 important, where, iis has been said, there were, at times, 
 nearly a thousand persons in one way or other engaged 
 about the fishery. The mackerel then taken at those 
 stations wore much larger and fatter than those taken 
 on any of our coasts during many late years. One of 
 them would give a full meal to a small family. I ac- 
 count for this difference chirriy from the following cir- 
 cumstances : These fish and some others, like certain 
 birds, j)eriodically migrate from, and to, different quarters. 
 They commence their migration from Southern towards 
 Northerly quarters early in the spring, and continue 
 those migrations until the beginning of the fall, when 
 they commence their return to the South. There are, 
 therefore, according to the fisherman's classification, and 
 the merchant's also, three descriptions and qualities of 
 the fish, namely, — spring, summer, and fall. The last 
 have attained their full growth and richness. These 
 were called bloaters. In those earlier years of that 
 fishery, but, comparatively few fishing vessels from the 
 United States, and other quarters, frequented the waters 
 of the gulf of St. Lawrence, but of late years, vast fleets 
 of them resort there through the summer and until late 
 in the fall, and with their immense fleets of nets, their 
 baits, and other means intercept the great body of the 
 fish, and obtain those of the largest sizes and richest 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 37 
 
 qualities ; and thus, at our fishing stations above 
 named, and all along our coast from east to west, that 
 fishery has been diminished, and in some seasons a very- 
 great failure ; and the fish of a smaller size, and deficient 
 in fatness. I may possibly be mistaken in the opinion 
 here expressed, but from what I have known of this fish- 
 ery for many years, this is the only way in which I can 
 satisfactorily account for the above mentioned difference 
 in the fish as to size and qnality. 
 
 In proceeding to treat further, on the public affairs 
 and interests of the Province, in those earlier years of 
 its history, it will, no doubt, be interesting to many of 
 my readers to be informed concerning them during those 
 periods, especially those connected with the commercial 
 and agricultural interests; and to exhibit and explain 
 the causes which, soon after the conclusion of the war 
 with France and the United States, produced depressions 
 and other deoply injurious effects to those interests, es- 
 pecially the commercial. The relation of them will, in 
 some degree, be appropriate and instructive in reference 
 to ihQ present generally prevalent depression in commer- 
 cial and many other branches of business ; as this de- 
 pression has, in a great degree, proceeded from th3 
 same causes which produced that former distressed and 
 injurious condition of commei'co and other employments 
 and affairs. In giving information concerning that 
 former unhappy condition of those interests and aflfaii-n, 
 I have thought that it will bo more accurate and satis- 
 factory to convey it, by some extracts from the work 
 mentioned in a former page, whic^h 1 published towanlw 
 the close of that depression, than to give it merely from 
 
38 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS, 
 
 present recollections. The following portions of that 
 "Work will, I conclude, with a few slight alterations, bo 
 the most interesting and instructive : — 
 
 " To commence with the higher and middle classes, 
 it may be remarked that habits of luxury, dissipation, 
 and extravagance, prevailed among these to an extreme 
 and very injurious extent. It is probable, that with 
 several in the capital of the Province, some of these 
 habits had their origin in an improper imitation of the 
 style and fashionable conduct of the principal characters 
 in the extensive military and naval forces and establish- 
 ments, which have always been kept up for the protec- 
 tion of the colony. The manners of these, seldom or 
 never fail to have a very marked effect on most of the 
 persons in civil offices and situations ; and throughout 
 the classes which have been named. This, however, 
 had comparatively but a limited effect in forming those 
 injurious habits. They have chiefly been engendered 
 and confirmed from the wealth which, at particular 
 periods, was rapidly accumulated by large numbers en- 
 gaged in commercial pursuits. The mercantile interest 
 has ever been the prevailing, and indeed it may be said, 
 the overbearing one, in this Province. " During the 
 arduous and long continued contest with Trance, but 
 more especially during the hostilities with the United 
 States, a variety of circumstances concurred to render 
 some portions of our commerce extremely successful. 
 The rapid acquisition of wealth, by many engaged in 
 its speculations and pursuits, and the many alluring 
 prospects of gain, affected nearly all classes and des- 
 criptions of persons ; and stimulated large numbers to 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 39 
 
 enter upon that apparently speedy course for originating 
 and establishing their fortunes. The mania was so uni- 
 versal and powerful that some quit the plough, others 
 the workshop, and dissatisfied with the gradual but cer- 
 tain profits they were acquiring, they rushed into all 
 the bustle, the intrigues, and perplexities of trade. 
 During those periods of commercial prosperity some 
 possessing superior information and skill, became very 
 wealthy. Of these, not a few, of weak and vain minds 
 in the acquisition of their wealth, could not refrain from 
 its ostentatious and gratifying display, and hastened 
 into various modes and scenes of dissipation and ex- 
 travagance. Others, who were not so successful, were 
 influenced by their example, and impatient of delay 
 until the means of securing the full and continued grati- 
 fication of their weak or corrupt desires could be ob- 
 tained, rushed at once into the same rounds of folly and 
 digsipation, in which it would seem they were satisfied 
 to exhaust the profits of their employments as fast as 
 they were acquired. All ranks seemed infected with 
 the same passion for sensual indulgence, and scarcely 
 any other emulation or competition appeared to exist, 
 but who should surpass in spledour of various decora- 
 tions, or in the extravagance and profusion of festive 
 entertainments. It would have been accounted a proof 
 of ignorance of the modes of civilized and genteel life to 
 have found a shop-keeper behind his counter, or a mer- 
 chant in his ofilce after a certain hour in the day. A 
 stated portion, in the middle part of it, was quite suffi- 
 cient for attendance in those places ; the remainder was 
 exhausted in the enjoyments of the convivial board, and 
 

 mmms 
 
 mmmmmmmmmmmmm 
 
 40 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 a late hour in the night found the same persons at the 
 gaming table, or engaged in some frivolous but expen- 
 sive amusements. There were, undoubtedly, some who 
 refrained from those excesses, and employed their efforts 
 and prudence to secure the means for their future sup- 
 port and comfort ; but the remarks which ai-e hero 
 made, most extensively and justly applied. In descri- 
 bing the habits and manners of a people they can only, 
 with propriety, be given in general terms. Immersed 
 in dissipation the *~i«' / iy seemed to imagine that the 
 
 eeason of prospers 
 
 ^avo no termination. They 
 
 did not apprehend, or rerlect, that the circumstances 
 which then concunc. ' ■> highly +o ftivor the trade and 
 commerce of the Province, were .k ■ ly what may be 
 called extrinsic and adventitious, and that during their 
 operation some of the principal sources of its real and 
 permanent prosperity were not receiving any extension 
 or improvement whatever." 
 
 Tne season of prosperity did terminate ; and the 
 numerous insolvencies which almost immediately ensued, 
 occasioned extreme public agitation and distress. The 
 failures of some who wore extensively employed in mer- 
 cantile pursuits, and who had deeply engaged in those 
 rounds of folly and extravagance, accelerated the down- 
 fall of numbers of others, and that credit and confidence, 
 which when restrained within the ordinary limits of 
 prudence, aiford vigour and extension to trade, appeared 
 to be shaken to tho very foundations. In the capital of 
 the Province in particular the most gloomy distrusts 
 and apprehensions prevailed, and, in many instances, to 
 abundance and rejoicing, distress and despondence suc- 
 ceeded. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 41 
 
 But the evil consequences of those habits did not 
 stop here. As is ever the case they produced a disre- 
 gard of all honest and moral obligations. Many of those 
 persons had not virtue and fortitude sufficient to strug- 
 gle with their embarrassments and difficulties, and to 
 strive, by a course of honest industry and prudence, to 
 satisfy the lawful demands against them ; but soou after 
 their failures became known, or through dread of im- 
 pending insolvency, they absconded from the country. 
 
 The gaols were, for some time, crowded with others, 
 who after being released, upon giving up what they 
 chose to declare themselves possessed of (which but 
 seldom was worth the acceptance of their creditors) 
 cither left the Province or remained within it as mere 
 drones, or as burdens to others. 
 
 In conformity with the course of investigation and 
 remark, which has been professed to be pursued in these 
 sheets, it is now time to enter, separately and pointedly, 
 upon a view and explanation of the different sources 
 from which the general prosperity of the Province must 
 be derived ; and to endea\ or to point out and illustrate 
 the means which can most effectually be employed to 
 extend and improve those advantages. 
 
 "It need scarcely be remarked, that Agriculture and 
 Commerce are two of the principal sources of the wealth 
 and prosperity of every civilized country. [n this 
 Province, to this, the fisheries must undoubtedly be 
 added. Upon our improvements in these three, but par- 
 ticularly on Agriculture must our public welfare be ever 
 chiefly dependent. 
 
 Commercial pursuits, it has already been remarked, 
 
^^^gmmmmmi'mt 
 
 42 
 
 MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 have acquired, in Iho civilized world, a preponderance, 
 even rather too powerful. The lust of gain, so univer- 
 sally prevalent, and which these pursuits chiefly con- 
 tribute to nourish and increase, invariably greatly 
 reduces or extinguishes nearly every honest and 
 virtuous feeling or desire. 
 
 From an examination of the Vistory of several 
 countries, which have attained great eminence in these 
 pursuits, it may be discovered that they have very little 
 tendency to illustrate and improve the nobler and more 
 estimable qualities of the human character. It is 
 interesting and instructive to trace in the memoirs of 
 the nation to which we belong, their progress in those 
 pursuits and the different opinions which at different 
 periods have been entertained respecting them ; and the 
 effects they have produced upon sentiments and manners. 
 For many centuries after the earlier and more authen. 
 tic records of its history, commercial employments were 
 held in very little estimation, and those who pursued 
 them were considered as scarcely ranking above the 
 lowest order of the people. They have progressively 
 increased in respectability and importance, in the 
 general opinion; aud at present maintain the most pre- 
 ponderating influence, and even claim to be ranked with 
 the most learned and liberal professions. 
 
 It were needless and unprofitable to inquire here 
 with what degree of propriety such a claim is advanced. 
 After all which may be asserted on every side, tho true 
 rule by which to judge of the distinction to which any 
 profession or occupation is entitled, is, to consider how 
 far its habits, and the scenes in which it it is usually 
 
MISGELLANEO US. 
 
 43 
 
 exercised, are calculated to improve the ardour and 
 sensibility of the heart, and the vigour, the elevation, 
 and magnaminity of the mind. 
 
 Those pursuits, it is true, have contributed to im- 
 prove the exterior of life, but it may very reasonably bo 
 doubted, whether their great prevalence, has tended to 
 augment the sum of human virtue and happiness. 
 
 Every condition of man, from that of rudeness and 
 even barbarism, to that of the utmost refinement in 
 manners, and in arts, has its advantage and defects. In 
 his rude and artless condition, although deficient in 
 those more gentle and attractive qualities, which em- 
 bellish, or give a charm to so many of the scenes and 
 occupations of life, he is found to possess in their greatest 
 vigour and extent some of those qualities which cnoble 
 his native character His principal characteristics 
 are an ardent devotcdness to the cause of liis country, 
 and a fervent and unshaken attachment to his kindred 
 and his friends. To these ho clings, through every 
 vicissitude, and from their defence and protection, in the 
 hour of danger, no threats can dctor, no proftered re- 
 wards can allure him. 
 
 When his outward manners arc refined, through the 
 long continued influence of civilization and commercial 
 pursuits, yet ho is frequently found to be selfish and 
 more or loss unjust, ready to trespass upon the rights of 
 others, and to sacrifice the best feelings of his nature to 
 his avaricious and selfish desires. With such persons 
 all attachment to country, is now made to depend upon 
 gain. Let them be deprived of this, no matter in what 
 manner, and the tie as to country is immediately 
 
44 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 
 
 severed. Secure them in the possession of their gains 
 and they will readily acquiesce in any political change 
 which is proposed or established. Undoubtedly there 
 have always been some, or many, engaged in those 
 pursuits, who are exceptions to these observations, and 
 whose integrity, patriotism, and liberality of mind, tho 
 habits of their occupation cannot cornipt; but tho general 
 description just given will on candid examination bo 
 found too correct. 
 
 Those pursuits, when conducted within ordinary 
 bounds, have certainly contributed much to the ease and 
 the comforts of life, and been productive of many other 
 beneficial oflfects. From them, many of tho improve- 
 ments made in society, have wholly arisen ; and on their 
 moderate pursuit does society itself, in the present state 
 of the civilized world, greatly depend for support. 
 . What has here been advanced with respect to them, is 
 meant merely to show the general tendency they have 
 to engender and nourish that insatiable desire of gain, 
 which lead to general corruption, and to weaken that 
 patriotism and public spirit in which the strength and 
 the safety of a people must ever chiefly consist. 
 
 Of all tho sources from which the improvement and 
 prosperity of this Province are to be derived, Commerce 
 is the one which has long enjoyed the greatest portion 
 of advantages, and which, at present, stands the least in 
 need of being stimulated and encouraged by legislative 
 regulations. It is indeed that interest which, wherever 
 it becomes firmly established, is most likely to make its 
 power and influence successful. Under free constitu- 
 tions like ours it requires from Government little else 
 
 11 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 45 
 
 than a careful oversight to prevent and snppress the 
 frauds and mischiefs it is so likely to introduce. Of all 
 classes in society traders may be least expected to do 
 anything out of the line of their own immediate advan- 
 tage. 
 
 "We have unfortunately so long been accustomed to 
 view every thing relating to our general prosperity, 
 through the medium of trade, that too many among us 
 have come to consider that nothing can operate to 
 weaken or retard that general prosperity, which tends 
 to the advancement of that particular interest. So far 
 from this being the case it is undoubtedly true that the 
 very extensive and successful prosecution of commercial 
 pureuits, which for a long period of time and until a few 
 years past prevailed in this Province, by alluring a dis- 
 ])roportionate part of our population to engage in them, 
 thereby obstructed the advancement of the general 
 welfare. 
 
 Upon extended and attentive consideration it would 
 appear that commercial pursuits are more or less pro- 
 ductive of beneficial effects of a general description, and 
 which are likely to remain durable, as the articles with 
 which they aro supplied, and about which they are oc- 
 cupied, arc in a greater or lesser degree the products or 
 manufacture of the country in which those pursuits arc 
 conducted. This, it is conceived, may b© taken as a veiy 
 fair criterion by which to estimate the real and perma- 
 nent advantages to be derived to a country, from the ex- 
 tensive prosecution of commerce. 
 
 If the articles which form the exports of an}' 
 country, and in which its trade is conducted are mostly 
 
46 
 
 mSCELLANEO US. 
 
 of its own produce and manufacture, but, particularly, 
 if they are chiefly the products of its husbandry, its 
 trade can scarcely bo encouraged and pursued too ex- 
 tensively. While this is extended a proportionate in- 
 crease of employment is afforded to its labor at homo, 
 for the procuring of the products and manufactures with 
 which to support it. If the trade of such a country 
 should experience a temporary stagnation or decay from 
 an alternation in the channels of commerce, or from a 
 change in political affairs, yet still, from possessing 
 within itself the moans for supplying the absolute wants 
 of its population, and from its general prosperity having 
 boon gradually advancing, its distresses or ombarrass- 
 ments will be less severe and extensive, and of shorter 
 continuance than they would have been if its trade had 
 been of a different or foreign deseription. 
 
 In such a country therefore as Great Britain, where 
 most of the articles in which its trade is carried on are 
 its own manufactures and products, or those of its 
 colonies, and where agriculture is so highly esteemed 
 and so extensively and successfully pursued, commerce 
 cannot flourish without producing profitable effects upon 
 every other interest. 
 
 On the other hand, if the trade on which a country 
 is greatly dependent, and which it is extensively enga- 
 ged in pursuing, is one to which but few articles the 
 produce of its husbandry or of homo manufacture are 
 supplied, bnt which chiefly consists in procuring from 
 foreign countries the chief means of subsistence for its 
 population, the general prosperity' of that country will 
 seldom be raised very high, and will always bo insecure 
 
 I 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 47 
 
 
 and precarious. Such a trudo may long continue 
 flourishing and successful, and many of those directly 
 engaged in its prosecution may even amass much 
 wealth, yet so soon as it suffers any decrease or tem- 
 porary suspension from a change of political affairs, or 
 from any other cause, general embarrassments, priva- 
 tions, and distress will speedily ensue. Not only so, 
 but the duration of these unhappy effects, and the return 
 of a general supply of the needful means of subsistence 
 and comfort will entirely depend on the return of trade 
 into its former prohiable channels to whatever period 
 this may be delayed. The welfare of such a country 
 will ever fluctuate with the fluctuations of trade, and 
 the events of a war, or the success of a fortunate or favor- 
 ite rival, will presently reduce it from a state of abun- 
 dance and rejoicing to that of depression and of general 
 privations and despondency. 
 
 It is upon the internal improvement of a country, 
 and the measure of the chief necessaries of life which it 
 is made to supply to its population, that its solid welfare 
 and happiness must ever depend. 
 
 There probably never was a country where com- 
 merce was more unconnected with husbandry than it 
 has hitherto been in this Province, and where its suc- 
 cess and advancement contributed less to the promotion 
 of general prosperity. It has even been the case, as 
 has already been in some degree explained, that the 
 success of this interest operated for a very considerable 
 period of time greatly to impede the agricultural im- 
 provement of the country. This was chiefly owing to 
 the natui'e of our trade, which has hithei'to been one to 
 
48 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 which until lately scarcely any article the produce of 
 our husbandry'' was supplied for exportation. The 
 ability to furnish for that purpose, any considerable por- 
 tion of articles, drawn from this source, appeared so 
 difficult of attainment, and to lie at such a hopeless dis- 
 ^ance that our mercantile people were led to disregard 
 and undervalue this interest, and to consider their suc- 
 cess in their pursuits, as not at all depending upon its 
 advancement; and consequently they employed no 
 portion of their capital, and used no exertions or 
 influence to promote it. 
 
 Agriculture has, in truth, a more extensive influ- 
 ence upon every occupation in society, with regard to 
 its profitable pursuits, than many are apt to imagine, 
 and than some would be willing to allow. It is up«n 
 the productions of the ground, that all trades and occu- 
 pations in civilized society chiefly depend for subsis- 
 tence. According therefore to the abundance or the 
 scarcity of these, but particularly of the several grains 
 80 will nearly every calling and employment in life, 
 either prosper, or languish, and consequently so will 
 the whole society be either wealthy and independent, or 
 poor and embarrassed. 
 
 Upon taking an extended and unprejudiced view of 
 the different sources on which the real wealth and 
 general and permanent prosperity of this province must 
 depend, it will appear that as there is none which is of 
 such vital importance as our Agriculture, so there is 
 none, which has until very lately been so greatly 
 neglected. For this a number of causes may be as- 
 signed, which will presently be treated of. In the mean 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 49 
 
 time it may be remarked that the pursuit of it was long, 
 and generally considered of minor consequence, towai-ds 
 promoting our general welfare, and indeed appeared to 
 have been looked upon by many among us, as an occu- 
 pation of rather an inferior and degrading description. 
 
 If viewed, however, in a proper light, it must bo 
 confessed that there is no employment in life which is 
 more truly honorable, and which tends more directly to 
 ensure true independence, comfort, and happiness. 
 It w^as the express appointment of the wise and benevo- 
 lent Creator that man should procure the chief means of 
 his subsistence by the cultivation of the ground. The earth 
 was not appointed to yield him this subsistence without 
 any exertions on his part, on the contrary he was com- 
 manded to seek it by his own bodily labour. In this injunc- 
 tion, the truly pious and enlightened, in reflecting upon the 
 many fatal passions, vices, and follies, to the power of 
 which mankind are exposed, — will recognize the dispen- 
 sation of an all wise and merciful Providence. 
 
 In the most enlightened ages of the world, and in 
 many of the most mighty and celebrated states that ever 
 flourished. Agriculture has been esteemed the most 
 honorable and laudable of employments. Both in 
 ancient and modern times, the wisest and most illus- 
 trious characters have not only employed their talents 
 in studies for its improvement, but have not been 
 ashamed, personally and actively to engage in its pur- 
 suits. 
 
 There is also no occupation which so jjoworfully 
 loads to independence in every respect. The husband- 
 man, in the cultivation of his tields, seeks the means of 
 
50 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 subsist^^nce immediately from the bounty and never 
 failing goodness of his Creator. However poor or even 
 destitute he may be, at the commencement of his 
 labours, yet when not unjustly coerced or oppressed by 
 his fellow men, seldom does he fail, by the exercise of 
 industry and prudence, to procure in the course of a few 
 seasons, an ample supply for all his wants. He is not re- 
 quired as those in many other occupations in life are al- 
 most of necessity drawn, to flatter, to gloss over, or to pal- 
 liate the vices and folliesof mankind; toministerdirectlyto 
 their vanities, to crouch beneath their arbitrary dictates, 
 or to submit to their whims and caprices. Under a free 
 and equitable government, secured in the enjoyment of 
 his possessions, the habits of his calling tend to invigo- 
 rate and preserve the haalth of his body, and to nourish 
 and enlarge the freedom and independence of his mind, 
 and to foster the best feelings and affections of his 
 heart. 
 
 Whatever may be the fluctations or changes in all 
 other occupations in society, or in political relations; 
 and however extensive may be the distress thereby in- 
 troduced, he need not look beyond his own fields, for the 
 absolute necessaries of life. As far as respects himself 
 and his own domestic circle, his sources of satisfaction 
 and enjoyment will continue the same. 
 
 His occupations also tend much less than any other 
 to engender and nourish those harrassing anxieties, per- 
 plexities, and cares which sadden and embitter so many 
 of the other emploj'^ments and scenes of this state of ex- 
 iHlenco. Having done his part for prorunng (ho moans 
 yf support, ho looks immediately to his Creator for his 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 51 
 
 reward, in their regular and adequate supply, and is not 
 exposed to those frauds and impositions, and that injus- 
 tice, which are so greatly prevalent in many other 
 occupations, and through which, such numbers have 
 been suddenly reduced from a state of affluence and 
 abundance, to that of poverty and dependence. 
 
 There is also no foundation on which the real 
 wealth the independence, and the happiness of nations, 
 can so effectually be raised, and can so securely and 
 permanently repose, as upon Agriculture. This, indeed, 
 follows as a matter of course, if what has just been ad- 
 vanced, with respect to individuals pursuing that occu- 
 pation, be correct and well founded. The welfare of a 
 state, if rightly considered, will ever be found to depend 
 upon that of the members composing it. If these, con- 
 sidered apart, enjoy abundance and happiness, the state 
 they compose may truly be denominated, wealthy and 
 prosperous. On the other hand, with what propriety 
 can that country be said to be truly independent and 
 flourishing, the individuals of which depend upon a 
 foreign quarter for the first necessaries of life, and at 
 times are in want of an ftdoquate supply, and conse- 
 quently are embarrassed and unhappy. 
 
 All foundations indeed but this, for national pros- 
 perity, are insecure and precarious. Commerce, which 
 in modern times, is made rather too much the business 
 of nations, and which, it would appear, is considered by 
 great numbers, as the only occupation worthy of pur- 
 suit, is constantly exposed to fluctuations and vicissi- 
 tudes. It follows, therefore, of course, that the country 
 which is chiefly dependent for its prosperity upon this 
 
&2 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 source, can never be justly considered as in a state of 
 real and solid security. A change in political relations, 
 restrictions imposed upon trade, or the events of war, 
 will suddenly reduce such a country from a state of 
 power, abundance and rejoicing, to one of general weak- 
 ness, distress, and despondency. 
 
 On the other hand, a nation in which Agriculture 
 is so extensively pursued, as to afford all the absolute 
 means of subsistence to the whole of its population is not 
 exposed to any of those evils, but if cut off from all 
 foreign intercourse, may still remain prosperous. It is 
 scarcely, indeed, too much to affirm, that no country 
 was ever yet, for any great length of time, invariably 
 and eminently prosperous, in which agricultural pur- 
 suits were lightly esteemed or neglected. This may 
 be exemplified and proved by the histories of a number of 
 nations and countries, both in ancient and modern times. 
 Among the Romans, that ambitious and arbitrary peo- 
 ple who were almost constantly engaged in the most 
 formidable and sanguinary wars, those pursuits wore, 
 from the first period of their story, held in high estima- 
 tion, and their most celebrated characters were often 
 found actively employed in advancing them. Their im- 
 provements in agriculture kept pace with their con- 
 quests ; and wherever they established their dominion 
 they caused the labors of the field immediatelj'^ to flourish. 
 To this cause, as much as to the dread of their arms, or 
 the nature of the government they established, may be 
 ascribed the acquiescence under their dominion, of the 
 coan trios they subjugated, and the long continued pre- 
 servation of the conquests they made. It was not until 
 
MiscMllai^eovs. 
 
 53 
 
 be 
 bo 
 
 0- 
 
 Into in the decline of the mighty empire they established, 
 that the empress of so many nations was herself made 
 to depend upon remote parts ot her territories for the 
 first necessary of life, and that she sometimes underwent 
 even the horrors of famine. The permitted decline of 
 this most important of all occupations, may bo con- 
 sidered as rapidly accelerating the downfall of that 
 mighty and close cemented fabric, which the wisdom 
 and the labors of so many generations had been employ- 
 ed in rearing. Even Carthage, which was extensively 
 engaged in commerce, and which carried its pursuits 
 to a greater point of perfection, than any other country 
 of her time, bestowed upon agriculture, 8])ecial and as- 
 siduous attention. It is recorded, that in the destruc- 
 tion of that city, by its exasperated and merciless I'ival, 
 when every monument of its art, every other record or 
 or memorial of its science, were diligently sought 
 after and destroyed, the valuable works it possessed 
 upon Agriculture were carefully preserved by that rival, 
 who assiduously employed the rich store of information 
 they contained, to advance its own knowledge of that 
 honorable occupation. 
 
 In the history of many modern nations also we may 
 trace the important consequences of a careful attention 
 to extend and improve it. In Great Britain this occu- 
 pation has for many ages past been held in very high 
 estimation ; and has, at this time, arrived at a state of 
 perfection, which probably was never surpassed. If it 
 had not been for an extensive and unremitted nj •)lica- 
 tion to its pursuits, how deplorable would often have* 
 been the situation of that country. In those periods of 
 
54 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS, 
 
 its history when assailed by the most formidable com* 
 binations of foes, and when its commerce was excluded 
 from almost eeery part of the continent of Europe, if 
 it had not possessed within itself the chief means of sub- 
 sistence, great distress would have ensued to its people, 
 and the bulwark of freedom would have been shaken 
 and weakened to its very foundation. Through its at- 
 tention to agriculture, oven more than through its com< 
 merce, was that magnanimous country enabled to sup- 
 port those mighty fleets and armies which were 
 engaged in preserving its own independence, and in re- 
 dressing the wrongs and restoring the freedom of several 
 subjugated nations. 
 
 It may also very fairly be concluded that the power 
 and the greatness of France have always been princi 
 pally owing to its extensive cultivation and pursuit 
 of the different branches of husbandry. Even under the 
 most arbitrary and oppressive systems of government, 
 heavily burthenod with taxes, at one period, and its 
 commerce driven from the ocean at another, through its 
 attention to agriculturul employments that country has 
 almost constantly kept its vast population sufficiently 
 supplied with all the chief necessaries of life. 
 
 In Spain, although many parts of it are highly fa- 
 vored by nature, extreme inattention to the tillage of 
 the ground, for procuring the absolute means of subsis- 
 tence, prevailed for a great length of time, and the 
 great improvements in husbandry which in modern 
 times have been made, are in that nation not generally 
 undei*stood. Hence it is notorious, that the peasantry 
 and the lower oi'dere of people in that country, are in a 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 65 
 
 more impoverished condition, and even more deficient 
 in intellectual improvement, than those of most other 
 countries in Europe. 
 
 The colonies in the West Indies, aifoi*d another in- 
 stance of the unhappy and dependent state of a country 
 in which Agriculture is not pursued to such an extent, 
 as to furnish the chief means of subsistence to its inha- 
 bitants. Although those colonies possess such extensive 
 sources of wealth, and supply a great portion of the 
 civilized world with such a variety of comforts, and 
 though such numbers, there, riot in affluence, and daz- 
 zle with their splendour and magnificence, yet they have 
 almost constantly been making complaints, and doubt- 
 less not without reason, of their not being sufficiently 
 supplied with some of the chief necessaries of life ; and 
 have even at certain periods experienced some of the 
 miseries of want. It is well-known that they have al- 
 ways been greatly dependent upon other countries for 
 those necessaries and especially for bread. 
 
 Consequently they have always been exposed to all 
 the embarrassing effects of fluctuations in trade. 
 Through a change in political relations, restraints, or 
 interdictions imposed upon commerce, or alterations in 
 its channels, preventing them from obtaining regular 
 and ample supplies of those necessaries, or from the 
 concurrence of causes, through which the prices of 
 their productions have been lowered in the markets to 
 which they were exported, they have often been reduced 
 within a short time, from a state of abundance and pros- 
 perity to one of real distress and despondency. A 
 countiy in this situation can never be said to be truly 
 
••if., 
 
 56 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 wealthy or to have its prosperity resting upon a solid 
 and permanent basis. So frequent, and so extensive 
 were the distresses and embarrassments they formerly 
 experienced, and so fully sensible did they become, of 
 the true cause of them, that they have at length resort- 
 ed to the expedient ef appropriating greater portions of 
 their lands to the raising and procuring of those articles 
 of food, the most essentially requisite. In consequence 
 of this, they have latterly, in a great measure, pre- 
 vented the recurrence of those evils. 
 
 Of those persons who came to this province as 
 previously mentioned to prosecute trade, but very few 
 have contributed their exertions or done anything what- 
 ever directly for the advancement of our Agriculture. 
 It would appear from their conduct as though they con- 
 sidered themselves, while here, in a state of exile or 
 banishment. They have, in general, seemed to care 
 very little about the prosperity of the Province, but 
 have merely attended to the advancement of the par- 
 ticular pursuits in which they were engaged, and more 
 especially to the acquisition of individual gain. For ac- 
 quiring this they hav« indeed been sufficiently attentive, 
 by employing all the means within their powei", and 
 from time to time, as they obtained it, have been as 
 careful to hasten it away to some other country. After 
 securing the amount, which probably they had limited 
 themselves to acquire here, they have spccdly departed 
 to enjoy it elsewhere. 
 
 Instead of acting in that selfish mannei', if they had 
 loniovcd from the capital, to other parts of the i)rovin('e 
 and had been satisfied to enjoy the tranquility, the 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 57 
 
 moderation and happiness of a rural life, and to en- 
 deavour by their example and influence, to improve and 
 to forward our Agriculture, they would have effected 
 more for the promotion of our general prosperity, than 
 could have been accomplished by all other means. If 
 they had gone still further, and loaned out their money 
 judiciously, to the farmers around them, who might 
 have required it, or had employed it immediately them- 
 selves in making Agricultural improvements, they 
 would have contributed yet more to the public welfare, 
 and through these means alone, the Province would, 
 long before this, have been in a highly prosperous state; 
 and quite independent of every other country for most 
 of the chief necessaries of life. The exertions, and the 
 example of those persons, in forwarding the Agricultural 
 occupations, in which themselves were engaged, would 
 have aroused and stimulated those of inferior means and 
 information around them, and the general extension and 
 and improvement of those occupations would have 
 speedily followed. 
 
 We may now proceed to take a view of the subject 
 of immigration to the Province, which must undoubted- 
 ly be considered as one of very serious importance to 
 our Agricultural interest, and indeed to every other wo 
 possess. 
 
 For several years ^mst it has been flowing in an un- 
 commonly extensive degree,'from the old world to the 
 new, and ^^ especially from the British Empire, to 
 different parts of North America. 
 
 It must be matter of regret to all who wish well to 
 these Provinces that by far the greater number of per- 
 
58 
 
 MISCELZANEO US. 
 
 
 sons who aro thus quitting the Empire, take up their 
 residence under the government of the United States. 
 Even many of them who have landed in this Province, 
 after remaining a short time, have directed their course 
 to that quarter. If proper means had been employed, 
 and the public encouragement held forth, which might 
 80 readily and extensively have been granted, most of 
 these would undoubtedly have been retained in the 
 Pi'ovince. 
 
 If only the disloyal and turbulent, were thus 
 leaving the British Empire, and bending their course 
 to those countries, their departure and their forbearing 
 to settle in these British Provinces, might be considered 
 as most favourable events. There are, however, groat 
 numbers of loyal and valuable subjects among them, 
 who from the pressure of taxes, and from not having 
 been able to procure sufficient employment to aftbrd a 
 maintenance for themselves and^their families, or from a 
 variety of otlier justifiable reasons are with sorrow and 
 reluctance, abandoning the countries of their birth and 
 the institutions they had long been accustomed to love 
 and revere. 
 
 If these persons were sufficiently apprised of the 
 numerous natural advantages of this Province, of the 
 equitable nature of the government, of the freedom, the 
 exemption from burdensome taxes and the many other 
 blessings which aro here enjoyed ; and if such facilities 
 and public assistance to their settlement on the unim- 
 proved lands of the country were afforded, and held forth 
 fo their notice, as might bo very readily granted, great 
 numbers of tlicra would undoubtedly take up their i-esi- 
 dence here. 
 
MISOELLANEOUS. 
 
 59 
 
 ' 
 
 It is not merely by the application of industry and 
 skill, in the cultivation of lands already under improve- 
 ment, that we must seek to procure a portion of broatl, 
 and of the other chief means of subsistence fully 
 adequate to our consumption. In several of our 
 counties it is requisite, that the forests should bo more 
 extensively cleared, and that an addition should be made 
 to the number of those who are occupied in husbandry. 
 To those who have long been resident in the Province, 
 and have been able to inform themselves of its aftairs, 
 and the measures pursued during some former adminis- 
 trations of its government, it must bo obvious, that tlio 
 principal cause has been the fatal practice which pre- 
 vailed during those periods, of granting or allotting very 
 extensive tracts of land to a few individuals. Some of 
 these have never even been within the Province, while 
 others who were present when they obtained them, soon 
 after departed, and have never returned. Of all, indeed, 
 who are either absent or here, very few, comparatively, 
 have done anything towards settling or impi'oving the 
 large and valuable tracts they received. Some of these 
 tracts were granted through the direct authority and 
 command ©f the government of the parent state, but by 
 far the greater number of them vvere made over in one 
 form or other, by the presiding authority hero. 
 
 It has, moreover, been particularly unfortunate and 
 injurious, that it is in that quarter of the Province, to 
 which immigration has chiefly been directed, and in 
 which the greatest proportion of fertile and valuable 
 land is found, that the greatest quantity of it is 
 held in the manner described." 
 
GO 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 There is uii occuiTonco relating to a public measure 
 on which I think it well to afford information which I 
 am confident is not possessed by any other living person. 
 "When the erection of the present Provincial Parliament 
 Building was in contemplation, several members of the 
 assembly, including myself, had an interview with Sir 
 John Sherbrooke, then Licut.-Governor, at the present 
 Government House, and conversing with him regarding 
 the intended building, he spoke to us concerning it in 
 such terms as the following, as well as I can recollect 
 them, and in his usual promjit and decided manner. "I 
 tell you, gentlemen, I could not afford to live in this 
 building and keep up an establishment suitable to it, if it 
 were not for my military pay and allowances. I would 
 advise you to make this house the Provincial building 
 for 3'our legislature and public offices, and grant about 
 £10,000 (the sum he named) which I think will be quite 
 sufficient to build a suitable house for j'^our Lieut.-Gov- 
 ernor." If this sensible and economical advice had been 
 taken and carried out £50,000 or more would have been 
 saved for other public and useful purposes ; for as I have 
 understood the cost of the present building, when com- 
 pleted, was nearly, if not quite £70,000. I will here re- 
 late another incident respecting Sir John of a somewhat 
 public nature ; and which decidedly proved that he was, 
 as a civil ruler, as impartial and upright as he was 
 brave and active as a military commander. In this 
 latter capacity, as was well known, he deserved the 
 same appellation as Napoleon gave to to his Mai'shal 
 Ney, — " the bravest of the brave." 
 
 The following is the incident alluded to. A war- 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 61 
 
 rant of survey for a tract ot forest land in the present 
 county of Antigonish had been obtained by a man who 
 had it surveyed and marked off to him, and if I recollect 
 rightly had made some clearance on it. About the 
 same time, or shortly after, a priest residing in that 
 quarter obtained a similar warrant of survey, and 
 either by some blundering in the warrant, or by a sur- 
 veyor, on laying off this last tract it took in a part op 
 the whole of the former tract, and the owner of it was 
 under the necessity of applying by petition to the Gover- 
 nor to be confirmed in his possession of the land. 1 was 
 one of the members for the county at the time and with 
 my colleague presented the petition to Sir John. He 
 promptly appointed an early time for hearing and deter- 
 mining the case, and notified the Attorney General, the 
 Surveyor General, the Provincial Secretary, us the coun- 
 ty members, and the priest to attend at his examination 
 of the case. We all met Sir John at Government House 
 and ho nlade all needful and pointed enquiries from all 
 those public ofiicers, and all the rest of us, and after 
 his full investigations all round and receiving and con- 
 sidering all the information he addressed the priest to 
 this effect: the petitioner, sir, must not be disturbed in 
 iS possession, he must have the land and you must get 
 our tract in some other quarter, and thus it was settled. 
 it was . the day the mail packet for England was to 
 sail, and he kept her waiting about an hour or more 
 
 J 
 
 until this land case was determined. 
 
 Th< is an event of a public and very serious nature, 
 which irred so many years ago that there can, now, 
 be bu tew persons in the province except myself 
 
62 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 who personally witnessed it, or have even heard 
 of it. The relation I will now give of some 
 of its chief particulars, and the incidents connected 
 with it will, I am convinced, be interesting to most, if 
 not all my readers. In the autumn of the year 1811, 
 the most tremendous gale, or rather hurricane, which 
 has occurred since the commencement of this century, 
 swept over the whole province and its coasts, especially 
 in the eastern division of it. I was in the town of 
 Guysboi'ough at the time which was directly in the line 
 of its greatest fury and destructiveness. It commenced 
 in the afternoon, from a southern quarter, and soon be- 
 came of the most furious description. I was busily en- 
 gaged in preparing writings in cases in which I was 
 engaged, depending in the court which was to meet in a 
 few days. Feeling the house shaking rather violently, 
 I raised my eyes to the window in front of my seat and 
 perceived that the parish church, which stood on a hill 
 a short distance oif, was totally prostrate, and its lighter 
 materials were flying about like so many feathers. I 
 hastily secured some bundles of paper in my pockets 
 and partly for personal safety as well as to witness the 
 immediate effects of the hurricane went out of the house 
 but soon found that I could not keep my feet without 
 some kind of support and therefore got hold of a young 
 willow sapling which though it was constantly bending 
 near +he ground was sufficient to prevent my being 
 blown down. While in that situation i saw a vessel 
 which was lying at anchor in the harbor her sails down 
 and under the partial shelter of a line of beach sudden- 
 ly turned over and in about five minutes no part of her 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 63 
 
 . 
 
 could I see but a few feet of the top of one of the masts. 
 I heard afterwards that while the crew were endeavoring 
 to make their escape in a boat one of them was drowned. 
 A vessel which was coming up the bay must have gone 
 down with all on board as none of them were ever 
 heard of. Some on the land also I heard were killed 
 and others seriously injured in the destruction of their 
 dwellings or otherwise. The flocks of geese were blown 
 from the land into the water as their own feathers would 
 have been by any ordinary wind. A largo part of a 
 roof of a dwelling house near to the one in which I was 
 lodging was carried into a field several hundred yards 
 off and driven like a plough share into the soil. Many 
 severe gales of wind have I been in both on land and at 
 sea, during the sixty-eight years since but none of them of 
 scarcely more than half the violence of the one I am de- 
 scribing. The appearance of the water on the harbour 
 I cannot more fitly compare, than to the drifting of the 
 snow in the most severe winter storm, so violently was 
 it raised by the wind and driven along in one sheet of 
 white and sparkling foam and spray. When "setting 
 out, soon after, on my journey home of about 100 miles, 
 it was useless to think of travelling on horse-back, for 
 nearly the first half of the distance, and therefore I com- 
 menced it on foot with a companion, a young gentleman 
 who had been on a visit to his friends. On passing 
 along the road through the farms, on the first 9 miles 
 to the head of the river, I saw that many of the build- 
 ings had been entirely blown down, others unroofed or 
 otherwise partially destroyed and very few but wore 
 more or less severely injured by the gale. From the 
 
64 
 
 MISGELLANEO US. 
 
 head of tho river, where we remained the first night, 
 there was a region of heavily wooded hind for many 
 miles around the direction of our journey. There were, 
 or rather had been, two roads to tho village, about 25 
 miles onward, and we concluded by advice to take that 
 one of the two routes which, on the whole distance, had 
 the lesser portion of wilderness. The firtt part, 
 however, of this route was thickly wooded for about 13 
 miles, and without an inhabitant. Our fi iends at the 
 county town we had left had kindly provided us with 
 some cakes and other little eatable eomforts, and each of 
 us carried a bundle containing some absolutely needful 
 articles of apparel. We took a very Gav\y breakfast, 
 and a little after sunrise set out on our arduous and as 
 it proved perilous journey. Neither of us had ever boon 
 on the route, and previous to tho gale the road had been 
 but nariow and but very imperfectly opened. Immedi- 
 ately on entering it we found the heavy trees blown 
 down from the roots and entangled in every direction so 
 that we could scarcely get on more than a dozen paces 
 without being obliged either to creep under the fallen 
 trees or clamber over and through their heavy branches. 
 We persevered, however, in the best way we could, and 
 hour after hour passed in the same laborious struggle 
 onward. Often when mounted high on tho branches of 
 the trees there seemed, as far as the eye could reach, 
 but little else than one entire mass of fallen and en- 
 tangled wood, in some places scarcely a standing tree 
 within the compass of an acre or more. At one time I 
 was so much at a loss for tho line of the road and fear- 
 ing to lose it that I descended to the ground from the 
 
 . 
 
 . 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 65 
 
 50 
 I 
 
 r- 
 
 boughs of the fallen trees and felt for the gravel or small 
 stones by which to ascertain that we had not gone astray. 
 We partook of our cakes, &c., as we needed, and con- 
 sumed all toward the latter part of the day, still hoping 
 to get out to the settlement, whither we were journey- 
 ing before night Arrived. But in this we were grievous- 
 ly disappointed, for darkness came on while wo were yet 
 in the inood. We halted by the side of a small brooic 
 that we might have water, and having prepared a place 
 for repose with some bushes and other materials, the 
 most suitable wo could tind, concluded of necessity to 
 abide there for the night. After a short time the moon 
 rose so large and bright that I thought it would give 
 light sufficient to enable us to pursue our course, get 
 clear of the wood and roach the desired village. But 
 again wore our hopes disappointed, for after struggling 
 on for a short time we lost all trace of the line ot road, 
 and becamo so completely inclosed within a narrow 
 space by the large fallen and entangled wood that we 
 were compelled to remain there the rest of the night. 
 In the morning the tirst difficulty was to tind the line of 
 the road which I knew ran nearly north and south, and 
 as we had no compass I practiced the expedient of pass 
 ing alternately for suitable distances oust and west like 
 a vessel beating to windward, and thus, after some time, 
 found a spot which I knew to bo a part of the road. We 
 then went forward, but with the same difficulties as on 
 the previous day, and it was not until nearly 12 o'clock 
 that we reached the tirst honso in the small village 
 called Tracadie, chiefly inhabited by the French 
 Acttdians. Before our arrival the lower garment of my 
 
mmmmm 
 
 tI6 
 
 MISCELLANEO UK 
 
 ccmpanion, now called punts, but then ti'owsers, bad l>o- 
 coiue HO tattered and toi'ii that they seemed irreparable, 
 and }io cast away the wreck and supplied the needful 
 with a pair which he had in his bundle, 3Iy condition 
 was not quite so ragged and unsightlj', but on reaching 
 the house after 13'ing in bed for a short time while a 
 girl made some temporary repairs, I was enabled to 
 make a tolerable fair or becoming appearance. AVhile 
 this repair was being accomplished a comfortable meal 
 was provided for us, and T can well remembc" that the 
 large pie composed ef water fowl and other good things 
 which was the chief dish was amply partaken of with 
 keenest relish. No further serious difficulty occurred 
 on the remaining 4 or 5 days of the journej' home, as 
 the storm had not been quite so violent in that section 
 of the country, and the inhabitants had turned out and 
 made the needful temporai-y clearances on the road. 
 
 Tliere is an occurrence of a personal nature which, I 
 think may, without impropriety, be introduced and de- 
 scribed in this concluding part of my Treatise. If any 
 excuse or apology is needed for its publication, it may 
 be found in the statement that it is given for the instruc- 
 tion and benefit of my youthful readers, in showing them 
 how seeming impossibilities and impediments to the ful- 
 filment of any friendly or other lauda.'ue purjiose may 
 be overcome when there is a fixed and persevering deter- 
 mination to accomplish it. 
 
 T mentioned in an early page, that in the year 1811 
 I was elected a member of the Provincial Parliament. 
 Its first meeting was apjtointed to commence on a 
 certain Thiirsdajj in the ensuing February of 1S12. It 
 
 ; 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 67 
 
 y 
 
 WU8 known that there would be a competition for the 
 Speakership, between my friend Mr. Wilkins, and ^r. 
 liobie. Several weeks before that ti me I received a very 
 severe injury in one of my knees, from the kick of a 
 liorse, which confined me to the bod, in .jrreat pain, for 
 nearly a fortJiight, and when recovering I could only 
 move about with a crutch or start'. The County Court, 
 at Pictou, met on the Tuesday precedino- that Thursday 
 on which the House of Assembly was to meet. [ was 
 professionally retained in a number of the cases depend- 
 in.1,' in the court, and was just able to limp to the court 
 on Tuesday, and make arran*,rcments as to those cases,— 
 gettin<r some compromised, others continued, or other- 
 wise adjusted, so that my clients should not suffer any 
 injuiy. 
 
 JJein.iC f'lilly determined to be present at the moetin.i; 
 of the house. I sot out alone early on that Tuesday night 
 for Halifax, in a sleigh and hastened on. When I had 
 advanced about 15 miles, near the head of Mount Tom, 
 so called, I found a tree fallen across the road, and as 
 there was a fence on each side, I was obliged to get out 
 of the sleigh, and after some painful efforts got it over 
 the tree, and went forward and reached Truro short I v 
 after daylight. After waiting the needed time for re- 
 freshment for myself and horse, J went on until 1 
 reached an Inn called the halfway l.ou.e, 50 miles from 
 Halifax. There 1 found the snow gone, and was in- 
 formed that the state of the road was the same all the 
 way to town. The sleigh, therefore, was now useless, 
 but happily a saddle and bridle were brought forth by 
 the innkeeper, and 1 was helped to the back of my steed, 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 68 
 
 MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 with the foot of the able leg in the stirrup, and the 
 wounded leg brought up, at the knee joint, over the 
 shoulder of the horse, or pummel of the saddle, a« 
 found least painful or inconvenient. The horse could 
 not be suiTered to go at any other pace than a walk, and 
 therefore he walked me all through the night, stopj)ing 
 occasionallv for our needed I'ei'reshment of food. 
 J)iiriiig a great part of the night snow was falling, but 
 in a moderate manner, and shortly after daylight 
 1 reached the inn about nine miles from town, where 
 I hi led a wheel carriage, and arrived at my friend's 
 house on Thursday morning in time for breakfast, and 
 for the meeting of the House. 
 
 This exploit, if it may be so uamed, soon became 
 very generally known in town, and was talked about in 
 some circles for a day or two. But, after all that may be 
 said of it, it was not any vvonderful achievement, but 
 merely such as any young or even middle-aged man 
 could perform, by a firm and fixed determination to 
 accomplish it. 
 
 1 have often been reminded of the following saying 
 of that eccentric writer, — Rev. Laurence Sterne, the 
 author of that strange work, •* Tristram Shandy," — 
 "' Man betrays his own resources ten times, where nature 
 does it once. There aie many men, who in all stages of 
 their lives, through their laziness and cowardice are like 
 the slothful person mentioned in the Scripture proverb, 
 and say, — I cannot go forth, " there is a lion without, 1 
 shall be slain in the streets." 
 
 In here concluding this Treatise, I think I may 
 fairly express the contidonce, that I have even more 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 69 
 
 than fulfilled the repeated requests mentioned at its 
 commencement, that I would publish information con- 
 cerning public events, and affairs which occurred in the 
 Province during the earliest years of the present 
 century ; and I earnestly hope that the various narra- 
 tives and events related, and the remarks thereon may 
 bo found generally interesting, and in some degree in- 
 structive also. And I will assume the freedom of 
 expressing the further hope and earnest desire that the 
 present and all succeeding generations of our people, 
 under a gracious and beneficent providence, may find 
 that by their active industry and integrity in their 
 several professions and employments, the secular 
 interests and prosperity of their country are largely pro- 
 moted. But far higher reasons will they have for rejoic- 
 ing and thankfulness, if there is an equal or greater 
 advance in religious and moral attainments and social 
 happiness.