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I -r / / ^. /^ / /V^ - ;ti.*r'' I CONSIDERATION ICCAU1LLV l.S2(i. rii*Mia*».^vS&, v^;* '-A*^ . :«*'•' ^ I '\ \ ';\i" \ / CONSIDERATION, Sfc S)-c. y' The dominions of Great Britain are so vast in extent, so divided in situation, and so various in their relations, that their general and respec- tive interests must often distract, and sometimes perhaps escape, the attention even of the ablest and most vigilant government. The internal oeconomy of a highly civilized and redundant population, and the foreign policy of war or peace in Europe, whose political questions are generally more important, and always more in- viting, than those of distant and less cultivated Countries, so entirely engross the public mind, that it is not surprising, if the concerns of some remote and obscurer Provinces of the empire should sometimes meet with less consideration, B wBsm » than is due, perhaps, eitlier to the claims of that part, or the ultimate results upon the whole. Examples of this kind are no where so fre- quently to be found, as in the history of our re- lations with America. The mistakes committed in the former management of that country, the disasters received in making war, the still greater disasters in making peace with it, may all be imputed to a false estimate, of its character and importance, its resources and increase. For a different degree of political foresight seems ne- cessary for the old and new hemisphere, and anticipations, which would here be thought pre- sumptuous or remote, have there proved com- paratively certain and immediate, till it is now generally acknowledged, that the future desti- nies of our own country must, for good and evil, be principally connected with, or materially in- fluenced by, those of America. It is indeed an easy thing to console ourselves by turning to the unexampled successes, that have placed the Empire in the proud situation it now holds; but if we wish to consult the real power and permanence of that Empire, and not merely to flatter the nation's vanity on past achievements, it would be well perhaps to look more narrowly to that quarter, which ott'ers least occasion for congratulation ; where, however, we Iftrf" )f that le. 8o fre- mr re- imitted ry, the greater all be ter and For a ems ne- re, and jht pre- ;d com- is now e desti- tnd evil, [ally in- urselves , that nation it he real and not on past to look ers least ver, we ^ may yet profit by experience, and if we cannot remedy the consequence of former errors, at least prevent their repetition. For Great Bri- tain still possesses the most valuable portion of the American Continent, and does not know it : and questions are now pending between her and the United States, by which, not only may that value be greatly impaired, but the very posses- sion eventually lost. There was once a time, and within the memory of the present age, when almost the whole of North America belonged to the Crown of England : in 1783, the King renounced his rights of propriety and government to a certain portion, which has since formed the United States ; but the exact limits of that portion have never yet been ascertained. By the extraordi- nary increase, as well of the ceded Provinces as of those retained, what was considered of little moment in 1783, has now become of vital im- portance. Of the difierences which have arisen between the two Governments, respecting their common Boundaries, some have been arranged by discussion before Commissioners, others are ready, on our part at least, for reference to a friendly Power; and some (the object of the present inquiry) having been referred, are di- rected by the umpire to be settled by negotia- b2 tion. The pretensions of the two Governments are widely at variance, and, on the part of the American at least, most tenaciously maintained. In the present state of the question, it can be of little use to consider the arguments, on either side, in support of those pretensions : (nego- tiation, particularly with America, too commonly involves the idea of compromise :) but it may tend to the right understanding of the difl'erence, to give a short statement of its origin, before entering upon the consequences. The Provisional Treaty of 1783, by which the independence of the thirteen revolted Colo- nies was acknowledged, was negotiated on their part, by the profoundest statesman that country has ever produced ; a man who, to a thorough acquaintance with the character and interests of America, united tlie deepest political sagacity, an impenetrable cunning, and most plausible ad- dress. It was not without reason perhaps, that he styled the statesmen of that period, as * too ignorant to judge, and too proud to learn ;' for he was able to obtain of our Ministry terms, which exceeded the expectation of his own Coun- trymen, and astonished their Allies. In compli- ance with his suggestion, or agreeably to his wishes, the Connnissioner first sent to meet him, whose knowledge and penetration might 5 itents if the lined, be of either nego- nionly y tend ce, to itering which I Colo- n their :ounti*y lOrough eats of gacity, )le ad- that 'too 71 ;' for terms, Coun- compli- to liis meet might IS have proved less favoiirabk! to the objects iiad in view, was recalled ; and another substitnted, whose qnalities were the most opposite and most unecjual to his opponent's, and whom, of all mankind perhaps, could he have chosen, he him- self wonhl have first selected, (t is interesting to learn with how little disguise or moderation tiie orally American proceeded to practise on the simplicity of his English admirer. The Loyalists, who had been plundered, persecuted, exiled, ruined, were easily given up, becau.se they had misled the Government, or the Govern- ment had misled them. Their claim for com- pensation was met with demands of satisfaction for the damages done by them, and by the King's troops. Rights of fishery, which the most friendly nation in Europe had never the assu- rance to ask, were conceded, as a boon indeed, but a most politic one, to efface the memory of the past, and ensure a sincere reconciliation for the future. Whatever could not be demanded for the right of his own nation, was claimed for the benefit of ours. It was urged, (-.i remarkable coincidence with the o[)inions of certain oecono- niists of the present day,) that the real interests of Great Britain would he best promoted, by the surrender to the new Republic, of Canada and Nova Scotia : and it was even suggestcfl, i as a corollary to the same ar^^uraent, that to se- cure her permanent prosperity, on that side of the Atlantic, it was only necessary to throw in the West Indies. The figure Mr. Oswald pre- sents, at such a game, surrounded by the four American commissioners, Franklin, Adams, Jay, and Laurens, recalls the story lately circulating in the morning papers, of Lord Nottingham among the Sharpers, one of whom reproached his companions with wasting their time in gambling with such a flat, * pick the fool^s pocket at once and send him home.* How easy had it then been for Great Britain, to have pre- scribed such limits as she thought fit. The Kennebec on the east ; the Ohio on the west ; and such a Line of boundary on the north, as should have secured to us the vast tract of va- cant land between their settlements and the Lakes. They had no reason to claim, nor ability to enforce, a pretence to any thing more. Their ally, the King of France, it is now known, was well disposed, both to confine them to narrower limits, and to exclude them from the fisheries. But Mr. Oswald's mercantile ideas were alarmed with the threat, that though peace indeed might be procured on such terms, a good understand- ing, and above all, a renewal of commercial in- tercourse, could never be obtained, without more i»;i;j.;» x^^-. tssmiM'Vftwf ' : tose- lide of row in Id pre- lie four s, Jay, dating inghaiii oached ime in ; fooPs >w easy ,ve pre- . The B west; Drth, as t of va- tiid the ability Their vn, was arrower sheries. larmed d might rstand- rcial in- ut more liberal concessions : as if either nations or indi- viduals could long he induced to trade from any m other motives, than reciprocal advantage, or any advantages were elsewhere to be found superior to the British market. Accordingly a Boundary was settled and described, by which a vast extent of territory, exceeding that of the whole revolted Colonies together, already valuable for its trade in furs, and which has since become populous and powerful, was given, as a premium to rebellion, to establish the new Re- public, and furnish, as it has ever since, an important part of their financial resources, and the means of almost infinite increase. A faint at- tempt was indeed made, to reserve some part of the western territories, as an asylum for the exiled Loyalists ; but Dr. Franklin did not like such neighbours f as he haughtily says ; and Mr. Oswald thought it better to offer all, as an atone- ment to our enemies, than retain any, as provi- sion for our friends. It may be that the wound- ed pride of the Country, or Government, found some consolation in sending a man of this des- cription to treat with the Americans, as though the disgrace of negotiating with Rebels could be alleviated or concealed by the obscurity of the negotiator ; (or was it that an Administration, every member of which had protested in parlia- (e (( ment that the war was unjust, found themselves bound to act in office, consistently with their opinions in opposition ?) but such unworthy in- dulgence either to the contempt, or indifference, or the party-spirit, of that period, has cost much to the best interests of every other. The boun- dary is thus described in the second article of the treaty : " From the North-west Angle of Nova Scotia, *' viz. that Angle, which is formed by a line ** drawn due north from the Source of St. Croix River to the Highlands, along the said High- lands, which divide those Rivers that empty " themselves into the River St. Lawrence, from '• those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to " the north-western-most head of the Connecti- " cut River; thence down along the middle of " that River, to the forty-fifth degree of north " latitude ; from thence by a line due west in " said latitude until it strikes the River Iroquois " or Cataraguy ; thence along the middle of said " River into Lake Ontario ; through the middle " of said Lake until it strikes the communication *' by water, between that Lake and Lake Erie ; '■ thence along the middle of said comuumica- " tioii into J^ake Erie ; through the middle of " said Luke, until it arrives at the water com- " inunicaiiou between tliat \a\Vv and Lake (( (( t'A1lmmlmml^ ' I 9 nselves ;h their rthy in- ference, 3t much e boun- •ticle of I Scotia, f a line t. Croix d High- it empty ce, from ceaUf to lonnecti- liddle of of north west in roquois of said middle mication ce Erie ; uiiunica- iddle of or corn- el Lake (( a i( Huron; thence along the middle of said water '* communication into Lake Huron ; thence " throuffh the middle of said Lake to the water '* communication between that Lake and Lake " Superior; thence through Lake Superior " northward to the Isles Royal and Philipeaux, to the Long Lake ; thence through the middle of said Long Lake and the water communica- " tion between it and the Lake of the Woods " to the said Lake of the Woods ; thence through " the said Lake to the most north-western point " thereof; and from thence on a due we^^t course, *' to the River Mississippi ; thence by a line to *' be drawn along the middle of the said River " Mississippi until it shall intersect the northern- " most part of the thirty-first degree of north "latitude; — South, hyaline to be drawn due " east from the determination of the line last " mentioned in the latitude of thirty-one degrees *' north of the Equator to the middle of the River " Apalachicola or Catahouche ; thence along " the middle thereof to its junction with Flint " River ; thence straight to the head of St. Mary's " River ; and thence down along the middle of " of St. Mary's River to the Atlantic Ocean ; '"' — East, by a line to be drawn along the middle *' of the river St. Croix, from its mouth in the 10 (( Si Bay of Fundy, to its source ; and from its source directly north to the aforesaid High- " lands, which divide the rivers which fall " into the Atlantic Ocean from those which fell " into the river St. Lawrence ; comprehending " all islands within twenty leagues of any part " of the shores of the United States, and lying " between lines to be drawn due east from the *' points where the aforesaid boundaries between " Nova Scotia on the one part, and East Flo- " rida on the other, shall respectively touch the " Ba^ ofFundy, and the Atlantic Ocean, ex- *' cepting such islands as now are, or heretofore " have been, within the limits of the said Pro- " vince of Nova Scotia." Mr. Oswald returned to England, to weep, (he burst into tears), when convinced of what he had betrayed ; and Franklin, to exult, and tell his English friends, they had now nothing to do but send deputies to the American Congress ; a jest, which excited but a smile in those days, would provoke a sneer in these, but which yet may have tears for posterity. This Treaty was scarcely more injurious for its enormous concessions, than its uncertainty in detining the limits of what was still retained. The questions that necesi^arily arose were many m 4 H )m its High- h fall ich fall ending y part I lying om the etween st Flo- ich the ijif ex- •etofore id Pro- weep, vhai he and tell g to do igress ; e days, lich yet for its lintv in tained. e many and difficult, and the subtilty of the American government has contrived to add others, less obvious perhaps, hut more vexatious. Of these, some have been settled, greatly to the dissatis- faction of our fellow subjects in that quarter, but among those which are still undetermined, it is the North-eastern boundary, which involves the most serious consequences, and towards which it is the object of these pages, to solicit some atten- tion. On this side, the first difficulty was, to ascertain which River was meant by the designa- tion of St. Croix, and what branch of that River was its source ; for our politic statesman had commenced his Boundary from a point alto- gether unknown, to be discovered by reference to another point equally uncertain, a Rivt.:, whose mouth, and source, and name, were in dispute. By the treaty of 1794 this difference was referred to Commissioners. They disagreed. In that case, they were to nominate an umpire. A most unequal compromise was suggested and adopted. The British Commissioner was to have the no- mination, but the umpire to be a Citizen of the United States. A person so chosen could hardly have been expected to decide otherwise, than that the Schoodic was the river St. Croix, and its most eastern branch the source ; though, if the ancient boundaries of Nova Scotia de- 12 i' in served any consideration, its charter had in express and very forcible terms appointed, the most Western fountain or spring. The labours of this Commission extended no further than to ascertain the river St. Croix, and the point of commencement for the North line. The termination at The Highlands, that is, the North-west Angle of Nova Scotia, re- mained unexplored. In this state of the ques- tion, the war of 1812 intervened ; and the peace of 1815 was made, without any further settle- ment of the dispute, than the appointment of a second Commission ; (except indeed that by in- serting in the treaty the name of ' Grand Manan/ the Americans were admitted to add a new claim, which had never before been heard or imagined, and which was so ruinous to us, and so untenable in them, that it has been happily compromised by some minor sacrifice.) These Commissioners could not agree. The Emperor of Russia, to whom, agreeably to the treaty, the (juestion was referred, decided that the par- ties should arrange it by negotiation. And negotiations for that purpose, it is believed, are now pending. The spirit and intention of the Treaty of 1 783, seem clearly to ha^ e been, to establish, between tl»e two counhies in this (juarter, what is termed m I h jntWM'«4-i,if(R>t(^ ad in d, the ed no Croix, North >s, that ;ia, re- e ques- 5 peace settle- Jilt of a t by in- Manmii a new card or us, and happily These niperor treaty, the par- . And ^ed, are lof 1783, I between termed I 13 an arcijinius boundary, such a line ol' separa- tion, as should give to neither party the advan- tages for attack, but serve mutually for the de- fence of both, or especially of that, whose domi- nions were most likely to be invaded. Accord- ingly, having' first recorded their regard " for the reciprocal advantages and nmtual conve- niences of both Nations," and their design " to settle the boundary upon such principles of liberal equity and reciprocity, that partial ad- vantages, those seeds of discord, being ex- cluded, such a beneficial and satisfactory inter- course between the two Countries may be esta- blished, as may promote and secure to both per- petual peace," they proceed to delineate the only Land-marks, and to lay down the only principle, which in this quarter, could answer such ends, viz. that Chain of Highlands which should divide the heads of Rivers^ whose mouths and courses were within the actual Provinces of the respective claimants. Thus the party pos- sessing the mouth of any stream, would possess also its whole course to the fountain head. This was obviously the most equitable adjust- ment, and the most natural boundary. The entire course of the Penobscot, the Kennebec, and other Rivers, flowing into the Atlantic ocean. 14 i. M.I ■if f would be thus secured to the United States, and a reciprocal advantage afforded to us in the possession of the Chaudiere, and other streams, that discharged their waters within our terri- tories. Between two nations no separation is so distinct, no barrier so effectual, as a moun- tainous frontier ; and as Rivers, in new coun- tries, are the great High-ways of nature, and almost the only means of communication and transport, any other division must give to one party a most unequal advantage for invasion in war, and to both, continual disputes in trade and navigation in time of peace. The Line of separation was therefore to be drawn ** from " the North-west Angle of Nova Scotia, that ** is, the Angle formed by a due north line drawn " from the source of the St. Croix to the " HioH Lands, along the said High Lands, ** dividing the waters that fall into the Atlantic, '* from those that fall into the river St. Law- ** rence, to the North-western Head of the Con- ** necticut river." Now as no part of the British possessions, in this quarter (their western boundary being the St. Croix) touched the At- lantic, nor of the American the St. Lawrence, the principle and object of the treaty evidently was, to give them the Heads of the Rivers that mM-itimntmr 3, and in the •earns, terri- tion is moun- coun- e, and 3n and to one sion in 1 trade Line of « from ia, that 8 drawn to THE Lands, Atlantic, It. Law- he Con- of the western the At- iwrence, vidently ers that 1 *« m 16 flawed to the Ocean into and through their Territory , and its, of those that flowed into and through ours. Indeed, the description in the treaty, coupled with tliis fact just stated, must be considered as quite synonymous with this interpretation. Perhaps the fairest and most intelligible man- ner of stating the difference between the two Governments is this. The source of the St. Croix is ascertained : the North line surveyed : there are some where High Lands that divide the streams to the Atlantic from those to the St. Lawrence, because the Kennebec and the Chaudiere, Rivers of respectable magnitude, flow, in contrary directions, from neighbouring sources, on opposite sides of the same Heights, the latter to the St. Lawrence, the former to the ocean. So far are both parties agreed. The description of the treaty is in these points fully answered, according to the interpretation of both Countries. But the difficulty is, that North Line, in ivhich both parties acquiesce, does not intersect those High Lands, upon which both are agreed. It was in this light perhaps that the question presented itself to the Russian Government, who seem to have considered this circumstance as an omitted case, which was most proper, (or most expedient), to be settled by \ % / ;i» ! 16 further treaty. Ilep^nrding it in the same view, a just anti prudent arbitrator perhaps, who could venture to apply to a political dispute, the reasoninj^ of private conduct, had not found it so impossible to terminate the controversy under the existing treaty and reference. * Gentlemen,* he might have said, ' the points in this question * which are undenied, may lead to an easy solu- ' tion of the matters in debate. Produce your ' North line. Place me on that point of the * Boundary where you are both agreed ; for ' example, that part of the High Lands that * separates the waters of the Chaudiere from * those of the Penobscot or the Kennebec ; and ' 1 shall thence follow those High Lands down, * easterly, till I meet your North line, and mark ' out your Boundary ; taking care, if I cannot * always observe the precise letter, to pursue ' the strict principle, of the treaty, and adhere at * least to its abstract description ; that is, I shall * include within the United States, the Heads of * all those Rivers whose courses flow through * their territories to the Atlantic ocean ; the rest * of the country belongs still to its ancient ' Sovereign/ That this is the only just basis upon which these differences could be arranged by arbitra- tion, and the only safe and honourable one to be 1! *vm»*.-^nm-^air \ 1^ ue view, >8, who )ute, the found it sy under itleuien/ question isy solu- uce your it of the eed ; for inds that ere from )ec; and Is down, md mark I cannot pursue idhere at is, I shall Heads of through the rest ancient an which Y arbitra- one to be 17 settled by treaty, may be further approved by examining the respective Lines, claimed by us, and the United States, and the probable conse- quences of accepting either. In exploring this Boundary, the American Go- vernment seems to have assumed the principle, that if no such High Lands existed, or existed where they would not be intersected by the North line, or intersected, would not divide Rivers agreeably to the strict letter of the treaty, they were then to go up to the St. Law- rence, and fix the north-west angle of Nova Scotia on the very shore of that River. Ac- cordingly they pass over a high and extensive range of elevated Land, which, conjpared with the other heights and features of the whole Tract, would readily be called and recognized as The High Lands, but which they deny to be the High Lands in the treaty , because though these would indeed divide the Heads of Rivers, and give them the course and source of all that flow into and through the United States, and us of all that flow into and through our Territories, yet if the streams on this side empty into the Atlantic, those on the other do not join the St. Lawrence. They pass on, therefore, and meet the St. John's. And here it should be recalled to mind, that neitiier their Ministers in nego- 'I', ir i 18 tiating the treaty, nor tlieir Agents under the first Commission, had ever dreamed of extend- ing the most extravagant of their pretensions beyond the riffhf hank of tliis river, which they wished to be accepted as the real St. Croix, but which, in each instance, was resisted by us, and finally relinquished by them.* Indeed, both the language and the principle of the Treaty, are conclusive evidence, that its negotiators could never have entertained the intention, nor con- ceived the possibility, of touching, or inter- secting, this River; or else in describing a Boundary, which was evidently to pursue the great natural Land-marks of the country, they had never, not only neglected so important a feature, but adopted a principle of separating Heads of Rivers, utterly inapplicable to the Tract to be divided. Now, however, the Ame- ricans have the courage to pass the stream, and on the left bank push on their north line. Having intersected the St. John's, leaving the lov.er ha'f to us, and the upper to themselves, they proceed in their course to intersect its nu- merous Branches, the lower parts of which are to be theirs, and the upper for us. They pass on, over a beautiful and well wooded country, of gentle hills and valleys, till, instead of * See Appendix, No, J. m t- t»«ll>w«Wltt»9ili^. , f ider the extend- tensions ich they f. Croix, (I by us, jed, both eaty, are rs could nor Con- or inter- ;ribing a irsue the try, they )ortant a jparating to the le Ame- eam, and rth line, ing the niselves, its nu- hich are ley pass country, tead of 19 streams running westerly to the St. John's, they meet with waters that flow easterly to the Bay of Chaleur, a branch of the Gulph of St. Law- rence. These they intersect, taking the source and upper part to themselves, and leaving the rest of their course to us. They pass on, and when a few miles more would have carried them into the Gulph, or River, of St. Lawrence, by whatever name the arm of the sea at that point is to be called, and they meet a stream flowing into it, they have the conscience to stop. And here is the North-west Angle of Nova Scotia, and if there chance to be a hill in the neighbourhood, these are the Hiffh Lands. Here they turn upon their heel, and follow these High Lands down to the south-west and soutli, dividing, first, the streams that flow into the River St. Lawrence, from those that empty into a part of the Gulph, called the bay of Chaleur, both within our Territories ; next, the waters that flow into the River St. Lawrence, from those that flow into the St. John's, both within, or falling into, our acknowledged Terri- tories ; keeping often in sight of, and never at any great distance from, the very bank of the former stream ; until, at last, to get round the sources of the Chaudiere, thev nmst turn almost to the c 2 \ •\ f i:p, ->:y «i*r ^;.-^ ^ " ^- '- 9U !l ll soiitli-i'a.st, and making a coiiNiderablc hciul, join f/ie Hioii Lands upon whicli both partien are a^^reed. And tliis, they wouhl persuade us, is the execution of that treaty, whicli liad proposed for its object '* f/te reciprocal adimntages and mnlnal. conveniences of hotli parlies " ; tliis the Boundary it contemplated and described : which is to sever the British provinces from each otlier, and the Canadas from Great Britain, " upon principles of liberal eqnihi and red' prociti/ " ; which has stripped us of a natural and defensible frontier, " to exclude all partial advantages " : intersected Waters in a manner to leave no question of navigation uninvolved, that " the seeds of discord might he removed" : and planted, in tine, the American posts and people in the rear of the St. John's, and at the mouth of the St. ].awreiice, '* to promote and secure to both countries perpetual peace " ! But, say the Americans, if your Ministers have made an absurd division, see you to that ; it is enough for us that we fulfil the Treaty. Here is the boundary agreeably to its express words, and literal meaning; for the wn < rs <>n the one side of these Uigh Lands flow into 'L St. Lawrence, on the other, into the i^iiiuntic. T-Mtmt'ilf'^W. . 31 e bciul, b parties , is the proposed iges and s": this ascribed : CCS from t Britain, ivd reel- a natural // partial a manner linvolved, moved*' : osts and nd at the mote and ce"! Ministers to that ; Treaty. express i<'lo ^'.: riiuiutic. This ar^'iiment is the chief foundation S m-iC:i--%->i(mt!ll*iii«i- .^HmmtmikM 28 t } \ the Boundary as claimed by the British Commis- sioners. It commences from the same point, and runs in tlie same direction North. On ap- proaching the western Bank of the St. John's, it intersects tlie range of High Lands already alluded to, rising from fifteen hundred to two thousand feet above the level of the sea, and ex- tending in unbroken ridges in a western course. Here we find that feature of the Country, that elevation of Land, which, from its height and extent, would be easily recognized, and termed, in a geographical description of the tract, " The High Lands." Here, therefore, at Mars Hill, the name given to the height intersected, we terminate the North line, and fix the North-west Angle of Nova Scotia, Thence we follow these Heights of land, dividing the Heads of Rivers, leaving the St. John's, its source and branches, flowing t» the northward and eastward into our Territories, on the right, the Penobscot, the Kennebec, and other intermediate streams, flowing south-westerly, into theirs, on the left, till we reach the fountains of the Chaudiere, where we are joined by the American Connnis- sioners, and ])roceed together to the Connecticut. It is a fact of great importance, and which has been ascertained by actual survey, that the High Lands, at the point where we are joined by the .-^tr^.S*. it«'>*^fc^. -*^i*^■'^^i!^' M 1 34 I • American Commissioners, and upon which both parties are agreed, are evidently the continuation of the heights from Mars Hill, and the whole together form one and the same Chain. By this Line we execute the principle of the Treaty, for we divide the Rivers, running in contrary direc- tions into the respective territories of each, at their sources. We fulfil its object, of equity, reciprocity y the exclusion of partial advantages y (" those seeds of discordy") and the foundation of perpetual peace, for we establish such an arcifinius Boundary y as alone, without exposing their Provinces to attack, could possibly leave ours capable of defence. And, finally, we do no violence to the letter of the Treaty. For the objection to these High LandSy on this score, may be fairly reduced to this ; the words of the treaty are, ** Rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence:" there are waters, on the northern side of these High LandSy that flow into the river St. Lawrence ; bid there are alsoy that fall by the river St. John's into the Bay of Fundy. Now, if indeed we are to get over this difficulty by verbal subtilty, and the most venial ecjuivocatioii is to prevail, it certainly appears less sophistical in tlie Ami i leans to say, tl)e Bay of Fundy is the Atlantic Ocean, than for us to protend that tlic Bay of Fuiuly is the .-* ■ •T-.ys^ |!;#>f- ! 'jsn®***! v**»i'*t'w ;..:a?^ >th 25 river St. Lawrence ; though, to an accurate reasoner, who consulted the distinctions in the Treaty, the prevarication on both sides would appear nearly equal: but if the principle and basis of the Line be kept in view, and we en- deavour to reconcile to them any seeming dis- crepance in tiie words, may we not say to this objection, that there is nevertheless nothing in the description of this Boundary by the treaty inconsistent with the facts of the Survey, though there are indeed other and more facts in the Sur- vey than are mentioned in the description ; still if these other geographical facts are of a similar nature^ and included within the same reason, (viz. Rivers flowing into and through our actual Territories,) ought they not to be intended to fall within the same division ? Besides, what is it to the Americans, where the rivers north of the High Lands discharge? It is enough for them that all on the South flow immediately to the Atlantic, or at least that all which flow innnedi- ately to the Atlantic are on the South side. Those are all tlie Treaty conceded to them, and all, which were not conceded, belong still to their ancient Sovereign, by title paramount, wherever they discharge. It is no objection to our claim therefore, that " the Bay of Fundy " is not " the S/. Lawrence," vvliiio it is conclusive f 20 against theirs that " the Bay of Fundy*' is not " the Atlantic Ocean." For granted^ that as the Treaty gives them those Rivers only which flow into the Atlantic, so it assigns to us those only which fall into the St. Lawrence, and that the River St. John's, which empties into the Bay of Fundy, is an omitted case ; still, to whom does it now belong ? To the King, who owned and possessed it years before the Treaty ? Or to the Republic, which neither owned, nor possessed, nor claimed it, till after ? But the Boundary at and from the North-west Angle is marked and described by two facts, or circumstances, the Elevation of land, and the Division of rivers. The former, which, as it \s first, and separately ^ mentioned in the treaty, merits perhaps at least an equal consideration, is strictly pursued by the Line we claim, for throughout the whole Sur- vey north to the shore of the St. Lawrence, has HO range of heights been intersected, more pro- minent in elevation, or unbroken in extent. The latter designation, the Division of rivers, in the strict and literal sense to which they would con- Hne the Treaty, is found utterly inapplicable to the country intersected by the North line. Now if one part of the description be consistent, aud one part at variance, with the geography of the Tract surveyed, and the part which is consistent v^-. lOt le w ly le 37 be a Land-mark sutiicient for our direction, and the part which is at variance easily reconciled with the other, by recurring to the principle, and to what may be considered the abstract de- lineation of the Boundary, why should we not adopt so obvious a solution of the difficulty, and follow The High Lands, and divide the waters that fall into the Atlantic from those that fall into the St. Lawrence, agreeably to the letter of the Treaty, where we can, and where we cannot, divide the waters that flow through their Terri- tories, that is, into " the Atlantic,' from those that flow into the St. John's, and " Bay of Fundy" that is, through our Territories, agree- ably to the reason and basis of the division. These considerations have not been men- tioned so much with any view of setting forth the arguments, that support the claims of the British or American (xovernmeuts, which are respectively assisted or impugned by many other collateral reasons, but ratliei to discover the aims and disposition of the United States, and introduce and explain the late extraordinary proceedings of that Republic. For such being the state of the question, and negotiations re- specting this Boundary between the two Coun- tries being now pending, and tiiat possession and jurisdiction over the disputed Territory of 38 the Crown of Great Britain, which had com- menced from the conquest or cession of Nova Scotia and Canada, years before the existence of an American republic, still continuing and uninterrupted, (and not merely the constructive possession of Public or Municipal law, but the actual exercise of sovereignty and jurisdiction, by Grants of land. Issuing of writs. Training militia. Licences to cut timber on the vacant forest, and all other the same duties and privi- leges of British subjects existing there, as are known at Halifax or Quebec) ; it seems tc have been now thought in the United States, as in- consistent with the free and independent spirit of ' the American People^,* to expect longer the result of those negotiations; and accordingly, dur- ing the last year, they resolved, " that possessory " acts on their part should be resorted to with- " out delay.'* In compliance with their request, the King had just before discontinued and re- called his Licences, heretofore granted for cut- ting Timber on the vacant Forest; an act of courtesy, or concession, which, as it surprised and injured his subjects there, so it might have conciliated the Americans, but which, in the true spirit of friendship and .vciprocity, was thus re- turned. Two of those free, sovereign, and inde- pendent Republics, which form (lie runfedenicy ■ * •w' laJtO^W-'fe^gBSW**^' 29 ' of the United States, to whose geneml authority their obedience seems in a great measure volun- tary and uncertain, the States of Massachusetts and Maine, whose territories adjoin this Bound- ary, agreed immediately in concurrence with each other in Resolutions to the following pur- port and words — " Forthwith to take efl'ectual measures to ascer- *' tain the extent of the depredations committed '^ on the lands of this Commonwealth," (Massa- chusetts) " and the State of Maine, by whom " the same have been committed, and under " what Authority, if any, such depredations " have been made, and all other facts necessary " to bring the offenders to justice ; also to make ** and execute good and sufficient deeds, con- " veying to the setUers on the undivided public " lands on the St. John's and Madawaska *' Rivers in actual possession as aforesaid, their heirs and assigns, 100 acres each of the land by them possessed, to include their improve- " ments on their respective lots, they paying *' to the said Agents for the use of this Coni- " monwealth five dollars each, and the expense " of surveying the same ; and also to sell the " timber on such of the undivided public Lands *' as lie contigiious to or near to the waters of " the river St. Jolui's, in all cases wiiere (( (( I li 30 " such sale will in the o|)inion of the Land '* Agents promote the interest of this Gommon- " wealth." In the style and lanpfuaj^e of these Resolu- tions, it is interesting to observe that peculiar precision and energy of expression, in which this people has niade such amazing progress, since they emancipated themselves from the thraldom of English Sovereignty and English Grammar, and established the Independence of * the American people' and ' American tongue.' * The depredations ' that are here mentioned are the acts of cultivation of British subjects, the King's grantees. ' The Authority under which the same have been made,'' is the King's Representative, who fixed His Great Seal to their grants; and these are the offenders to he brought to justice: 'the undivided pub- lic laws on the St. John's and Madawaska rivers' are the private estates of British subjects, held by such grants of the crown, of twenty or thirty years, date, in lots of 50() to 2()00 acres, ' 100 of which, to include the improvements,' (the culti- vated portion,) are to be confirmed to them each * by good and sufficient deeds of conveyance,' from this generous Republic : in consideration of which gracious benevolence, the said grantees are to pay a small fine of five dollars each, * for the use of this ^ggg" t(!iS4Uti*J-*«--.-» 31 Commonwealth, and the expense of surveying the same' (not tlie Commonwealth, it is presumed, but the estates of the colonists :) and finally, the timber which is thus to be there sold is as much parcel of the King's Demesnes as the trees in Windsor Forest, and by title older than the birth of that Government, which so modestiv questions the right, and so delicately anticipates the decision. Not Captain Rock, not Stafford Sutton Cooke, ever gave notice to their tenants, with more scrupulous deference to the preten- sions of an usurping Landlord ; no Hue and cry in the Police (Jazette ever described trespasses partaking of felony, in terms more guarded and indulgent. Considering the nature of the offence, and the character of ' the offenders, this mode- ration can only be accounted for by the habitual respect, which it is so necessary to observe in the United States, towards that description of Inha- bitants called Sqnafters. But if there was much in the words and ex- pressions of these Resolutions that called loudly for the due acknowledgments of the British Go- vernment, care was taken that their execution should add to the obligation. The public Land- Agents of these two States are jointly commis- sioned, and dispatched, the following summer, (of 1825,) to enforce their rights to the Territory dU I I ill (|ucstioii^ and reclaim the possession. Witli a party of men tliey arrive ; " make doiniciliary visits to »naiiy of the settlers," (tiie words of their own report,) *• explain the object of their visit, and coinnieuce surveying the settlers' lots, of 100 acres each, to several of whom they make deeds,'' (for the consideration, we presume, above enjoined ;) " post up notices of the disposition of tiie State towards the settlers at the Church and at the corn-mills," and appoint two Agents with power to grant |}erinits for cutting timber. They »pcak, with praise, of the beauty and fertility of the country, and of the industry and hospitality of the Inhabitants, whom they represent to be " well deserving the fostering care of govern- " inent, having grants from the Province of New " Brunswick," in which " they have little con- fidence, and desirous of purchasing at a fair rate" a good title from their friendly visitors, who succeed in persuading some to make appli- cation to their Legislature for that purpose. This inucii is collected from their Report itself, ai\d from the forwardness with which these facts are avowed, and the industry with which they are published and circulated, these Governments really appear to have been afraid lest their con- duct in this respect should pass unknown or un- observed ; and while we admire their fostering .*.4fl-. i^^eif-vfm-- .■..iv*-:r'a ''"^"^TPfTj ■■ .*?.t4*»(^» >.«Mnsi->/w»«-'>i".'i*ar«vw wmi*^^W 33 attention to tlie kind's subjects in that (|unrter, we cannot l)ut wonder at the ostentation with wliich it is proclainuMl. But from otlier sources it is discovered that tiie zeal of these Agents car- ried them so far, as to endeavour to persuade the Colonists no longer to muster at the Militia Trainings, which were about to take place under the King's Government of New Bruns- wick, ofl'ering to pay their fines, and omitting no means to seduce their affections ; which seem not to have succeeded as was desired, since the Trainings were attended in the usual manner, ami a company, it is said, set out in pursuit of the American emissaries, and had they been some hours later in their retreat, the Courts of Law in the Province, might have rendered those acknowledgements to the individuals employed, which their Employers can expect from the Impe- rial Government alone. On their return, the Re- 5 ort, already mentioned [and hereto annexed*) is made by these Agents, to their respective Governments. It concludes by recommending, for the Country they have visited, " that two " Justices of the Peace he cormnissioned ; that " a Depidy Sheriff or Constable be appointed ; ** and that one or more Military Districts be Appcndir, No. .'3. U 84 *^ formed Hi Muduwn.ska, and at a suitable time *' so orjLjfaiiized that tliey may have a Kepresen- " tative in the Lc^ishitiire of Maine." Mea- sures, wiiich the same report assures us, have met with the entire approbation of the Executive of that Commonwealth. Doubtless, persons were not wanting in the States, that adopted those Resolutions, (for there are in that country men of justic*^ and honour, in all the offices of public, and private lile, but who, from the nature of their Constitution, have too little influence upon the measures of the Govern- ment), who, we may believe, failed not to protest against so bold a defiance of national Law, and demonstrate the danger and impolicy of such an attempt : that by the clearest principle of natu- ral equity, and the acki»owledged usage of civi- lized Nations, the party in possession could never be disturbed before the decision of the controversy: that the idea of strengthening their claim by possessory acts at this hour was absurd in the extreme : that the endeavour either to steal possession, or usurp it by force, was an insult no Nation could l)e so weak as to dissemble, or so spiritless as to endure; still less that Power, which had oflen commenced hostilities for slighter provocation and less worthy cause ; which, when formerly the Spaniards seized |>i,iij^?*B»«-wi i ■tfM«V' '?.t4*it»<- l'tj|«l*-4»* :...J 35 the dispuhul Territory of Nootka Sound, a de- solate, useless possession, on the other side of the Olobe, Mew instantly ♦() nrms ; and which here, within our own nunnory, when France seemed to be encroachini^, in titty-five, from the frontiers of Canada, thoup^ht it not too much to light up war in the four (juarters of the world, to vindicate her honour, and avenge her sub- jects. Do not imagine that such a Power is to be thus footed, like a stranger cur, from their possession, but expect rather the re- vival of that national i)olicy, which their In- dian Allies would gladly hail, as the Dog who bites before he barks; expect the Fleet and Garrison of Halifax again at the Penobscot. And, finally, that the measure proposed was of all others the most likely to defeat the object in view. Why provoke the attention of that Go- vernment to a subject, from whose indifference to which we have every thing to hope, and no- thing from intimidation? Why teach her the value of the possession by our eagerness to seize it? Or what former question, either of commer- cial intercourse, or territorial right, had been so compromised, that we should repent or be weary of negotiating? Since there are two ways of acquiring Territory, by force, and by treaty, let us adhere to that in which we have 1)2 l.«lilU^M»>i 36 I i I been most successful ; for tliou^li, if we meet resistance, we may retrace our steps, we cannot easily allay the irritation these Resolutions must produce, or explain their offensive terms. There were others, on the contrary, who considered this the language of the inveterate Apologists of Great Britain, and suited rather to their former dependence, or the infancy of their freedom, than its present maturity of strength and wisdom : who refused to understand how the law of nations could be more violated by possessory acts on their part, than on hers : who denied that any apprehension or argument could be derived from ancient examples of Brit- ish spirit and policy, for time, while it had deve- loped and matured the resources of America, had been adding to the burthens of England; and however high had been her courage, and successful her dictates, to the Slaves and Despots of Asia, and of Europe, nothing had yet been seen of it, on this side of the water, that seemed equal to her power, or worthy of her fame ; whether it was that history had exagge- rated the prowess of her arms, or that her spirit cowered, and her destinies declined, before the ascendancy of American valour. It was not by such temporizing jiolicy that the Floridas had been added to the Union, 37 but hy boldly occupying with force, what Spain delayed to concede by treaty, and doing ourselves that justice, which, if we are to wait upon the pleasure of Courts in Europe, we may for ever expect. Nor could it be answered that a different measure of respect might be found expedient for the King of Spain, and the King of Great Britain ; the acquisition of Moose Island had originated in no other means than these now to be adopted; that example was sufficient to prove, either that possession was not so sacred a thing as by some is imagined, or that Great Britain was accustomed to its violation, and knew how to bear it with better temper, than her admirers have supposed. Then cease to threaten us with what is due to the dignity of her Empire, but consult rather the character of our own, and if you can remember the war of 55, do not forget that of 76, unless perhaps we defied and vanquished that kingdom fifty years ago, to tremble now at her displeasure, or be less forward to assert our right at this day, and take possession of our own. The Territory iu question belongs neither to Great Britain nor to the General Government of the United States, but to the Commonwealths of Massachusetts and Maine ; why should we -!rw-- i. A l> '1 a 3« expect the negotiation of two parties^ to either of whom we deny the right ? Whatever may have been the language used, we feel assured it was on the balance of such motives and arguments, that these resolu- tions were approved and enforced. Upon which side the reason lay, remains to be decided by the event. Communications, it seems, have been made by the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick to the King's Minister at Wash- ington, and in consequence of his remonstrance, the further execution of the measure has been for the present suspended. How soon it may be resumed, and to what extent carried, will depend upon the degree of patience with which the past shall be endured. The Constitution of the United States, as the undoubted perfection of political economy, has many other claims to our admiration, and parti- cularly this also, that the difficulties it presents with regard to foreign relations, however annoy- ing to other Powers, are extremely convenient for themselves. A Treaty ratified by their Executive may, it seems, be rejected by the Senate ; accepted by the Stiiate, the Represen- tatives in Congress may refuse laws necessary for its execution ; coiifirnied and sanctioned by either 31) the Laws of Congress, tlie obedience of the several States is voluntary and uncertain, for the authority of the Federal Government appears to be sometimes unsettled and disputed in theory, and, in fact, always destitute of compul- sory force. In the present instance also they can hardly fail to have recourse to such expe- dients. The General Government will probably disavow the measure, and deny the power of the tvvo Commonwealths to usurp this Territory ; the two Commonwealths will deny the power of the General Government to concede it. In either case Great Britain feels the inconve- nience, and the United States the advantage. The House of Representatives in Congress, and still more the State Leriislatures, are mostly composed of men, who seem to entertain no very accurate, or very scrupulous, ideas oi( the Law ot Nations. The Puritans of the North find no- thing about it in their Bibles, and the Free- thinkers of the South would not regard it if they did. Certainly a more barefaced aggression, so solenmly resolved, so boldly executed, and so openly proclaimed, has been seldom suffered, or sutJered with impunity, between two Nations. Not that the United States have never before sent emissaries to seduce the subjects, or usurp ^C,. ,,^, 1! ' h i 40 the (loniiiiions of a friendly Power, but always with some pretexts to excuse, or in a manner to palliate the intrusion, or, at least, with secrecy to conceal it. But here no circumstance of in- justice and contumely appears to be wanting. A People, with whom we are on terms of the most confident amity, with whom the King has been long endeavouring to settle, by reference and negotiation, questions of Boundary, and every other difference, are not afraid, nor ashamed, by the deliberate acts of two of their Legislatures, to declare an extensive Territory, (of which, to say nothing of the right, we are in possession, a possession too, older than their existence), to be their own public undivided Lands ; to alfect to consider and treat its Inha- bitants and Authorities as trespassers and cri- minals; order them to be dispossessed, and brought to justice ; send thither their public Agents to cut and seize the King's Timber, to resume and sell the land he had granted, intrigue with and seduce his subjects, supersede his Go- vernment, establish the civil jurisdiction and mi- litary organization of their Republic; and, in short, completely transfer to themselves, without further ceremony, the full sovereignty and pro- priety of the whole Country. The attmiion of the Public in England is so constiintly engaged ^s>'.-- 41 in- by objects of more immediate, or more alluring interest, that it can liardly for a moment be directed to a matter so remote and so imper- fectly understood ; but in that quarter of the Empire, this event has been beheld with asto- nishment and indignation by all classes of the King's Subjects. In the most solemn manner their situation and constitution admit, they have hastened to send home their humble Represen- tation,* of the injury done and threatened, to their properties, and their Sovereign's rights, and lay at the foot of the Throne, their earnest prayers for protection ; and are now looking with anxious eyes to the conduct of the Impe- rial Government, to learn whether they will still suffer their facility or indifference to be cajoled by the fair professions of that Republic, or will, at last, be awakened to its real character of tur- bulence and aggression, and convinced of the necessity of never yielding an inch to a Nation, whose demands rise upon every concession, and whose strength is increasing with every demand. For it is indeed a melancholy thing, particularly for British Subjects in those Colonies, to see Great Britain, their Mother Country, that once possessed the whole Continent of North Ame- A pfcndix , No. A. \i iri If i' 42 rica, driven in this manner, from the Kennebec to the Penobscot, from the Penobscot to the St. Croix, from the St. Croix to the St. John's, and now, finally, from the St. John's up to the very verge and shore of the St. Lawrence, not by conquest or the decline of her power and Em- pire, but through the mere address and cunning of a People, who seem ashamed of no means in advancing a pretext, and regard neither the rights, nor the common courtesies of Nations, in asserting their claims. Still more humiliating must it be, if Great Britain has now to endure from that Republic, on the eastern extremity of their dominions, the same violation of Territory, which they inflicted with so much insult and triumph, on the King of Spain, in the South. " The Americans have no conscience, Father," said the Indian Chief, in his talk to Sir George Provost, " thet/ have no heart ; they will drive us beyond the setting Sun:'^ — and they will push you into the Sea, he might have added ; for unless a stand be now made to prevent it, they eventually will. The decision of the present question may be found to involve no less a consequence. For there appear to be four principal objects to be secured, or compromised, by the settlement of this Boundary. 43 First. A Tract of Land, highly valuable for its extent, quality, and situation. It comprises upwards of 10,000 square miles; is covered with a thick and lofty growth of the finest timber ; (the native beauty of the Country has not escaped the observation and praise of the American Agents); it is watered by frequent lakes and rivers, the St. John's, and its numerous branches, communicating with the sea, by safe and uninterrupted navigation, (with the single exception of the Grand Falls, which may be easily overcome,) and flowing into and through our actual Territories, of which they are natu- rally, and almost necessarily, a portion. This Tract is at present very partially cultivated, and thinly peopled: but the pretensions of the United States once removed, it would imme- diately be occupied. No part of our foreign Possessions offers more encouragement to the emigrant than this district, and if Government will at last be ever persuaded to take up and conduct the business of Emigration, in a manner worthy its results to the Empire and mankind, there is no place where it should sooner be our care to establish a body of loyal and industrious Settlers, who, ceasing lo be a burthen here, would there add strength to our dominions, and ill a \ery critical point. i 1! M i i 1' 44 Secondly. An object of higher importance is a defensible line of Frontier. To establish an arcifinius Boundary between the two Coun- tries in this (juarter, was as clearly the intention of the Treaty, as it is indispensably necessary for our security. If the present claims of the United States are conceded, and they pass the River St. John's, or even if they reach and possess its western Bank, the whole Province of New Brunswick lies at their mercy. Occupying the upper part of such a stream, the country below could never be protected, from contraband trade, in time of peace, nor from invasion in time of war. All the difficulties of preparation and transport, lor attack, will then be overcome with security within their own Territory, and their descent into ours will only offer increased i'ucilities in proportion as they advance. The only Line of division, which can distinctly sepa- rate the two Countries, and secure the weaker, as in this quarter Great Britain must be consi- dered to be, against the aggression of the other, is to divide the Heads of Rivers, agreeably to the principle of the Treaty, by the High Lands from Mars Hill. Indeed, it is not too much to affirm, that this is the only practicable Frontier, which the relations of the two Powers, and the geography of ilic Country, can admit. The f*U-«>,'<^. ■^- C-. .iijc3Por:S:yf'«w*'"'--5^''**': v»iw"??»*»«^^lockaded, or even a superior Fleet maintained in those waters, with no Harbour for shelter, or repair, to the northward of Bermuda, and west- ward of Ireland ; (though perhaps one might reasonably extend the consideration of these consequences so far, as to question the saiety of our West India counnerce, or even the posses- sion of those Islands, an^" still more the security of Newtbundland, and the Fishery on its banks): it is sufficient, that, without any pretension to military science, it must be obvious to any one, who either has any acquaintance with the coun- try, or even considers its situation on the Map, that the acquisition of such an advantage by an enemy, and its loss on our part, must greatly increase their chances of conquest, and the cost and difficulty of our defence. 3rd. The third consequence involved in the settlement of this Boundary, is the Connexion together of the British Colonies, and their Com- I* ; u I 48 inuiiicntion with each othrr. That Wedp^e of territory, which tlie United States are endeavour- ing to drive uj) betvvei'ii Canada and New Brunswick, will most efllectually separate the upper and lower Divisions of our |)Ossessions in America, and expose the Frontier of the former Province, no less, than it commands the occu- pation of the latter. A long and narrow strip of land, scarce thirteen miles in width, along the shore, at the entrance of the St. Law- rence, (whi(;li is all they would here leave us, in this quarter, on the right bank,) cannot be con- sidered a very tenable possession. The naviga- tion of the river becomes endangered, and the very passage of the Mails extren)ely circuitous, and extremely precarious. The situalion of New Brunswick renders it the centre of our Empire on that Continent, and the Territory in question is the very point of union ; and as a prudent Commander would reserve his chief force and vigilance, for the protection of that position which secures the connexion and support of each ex- treme, no less anxiety should be shewn by a wary Government, along the Line of its domi- nions, more especially if so critical a part has already attracted the desires, and even the at- tempts, of our Adversary. In a connnercial as 41) t\frv. of avour- New \te the lions in former e occu- strip of along . Law- s us, in be cou- naviga- antl the cuitous, of New Empire question prudent )rce and )n which jach ex- ai by a ts doini- Dart has tlie at- rcial as well as political view, this Connexion has now become of consequence, and the course of future events may prove it fur more important. For if the Union of all those Colonies undcn* one Gene- ral (lovernment, as is sometinus suggested, should ever take pla( e ; or if, by any unfore- seen exigency, the ties between them and the Mother Country sliould ever become less inti- mate, or less effectual, such a Counnunication and Connexion would become to them an impor- tant bond of [Tnion, and would create and secure a community of feeling and interest, and prevent their faMing separately into the hands of that neighbouring Republic, whose power and com- ujerce already threaten to rival Great Britain, and to whose increase, except in the present in- stance, we do not know what other opportunity will be ever found to prescribe a limit. 4th. But if these considerations <»ppear of remoter interest, there are others more imme- diate, and perhaps more important. For it is not merely the communication htiween the Colo- nies themselves that is at stake, but the commu- iiication^ between the Canadas and the Sea, between the Canadas and (Ireat Britain. Dur- ing eight mouths of the year, from the first of September to May, not even an answer from 50 !l I England to any intelligence from Quebec, can be there received, except through the United States, or through the Province of New Bruns- wick. Supposing the latter communication in- terrupted, (as it will be most effectually, if any other Boundary is accepted, but that claimed by His Majesty's Commissioners,) it may easily be conceived what advantages an enemy in that country would possess, who should commence hostilities a little before that period, in the month of August or July, and thus have nearly a twelve- month to overrun those Colonies, before they could receive the assistance of a single man, or a single musquet, from the Mother Country; whose armament, on arriving, the next June, might possibly find the enemy encamped on the Heights of Abram, or their very flag ou the Walls of Quebec. Or if the Nation, with whom we have to contend, were such, as would pro- bably overlook this advantage, still should any disaster occur in the course of the war, how in- jurious must be so long a delay, and how fre- quently must succour arrive too late. In short, is it possible for Great Britain to retain and de- fend a country, from which she would not only be so perfectly severed, by distance and climate, but of the very occurrences in which she must ft 51 4 remain in utter ignorance, during the greater part of the year. It is not merely a Route to convey the Mails that is wanted, (which the Americans would very speciously offer, by a proposed exchange of ter- ritory, leaving us the left side of the Madawas- ka, for an equivalent on the right of the St. John's, and which even then would continue at their mercy,) but a Military Line of communica- tion, the means oftransporting troops and stores, from St. John's, or Halifax, to Quebec, with convenience and security. The advantages of this Line have been already in some measure perceived. During the late War, regiments were marched through, and sailors transported, in the depth of winter, with perfect safety, to the Upper Provinces, where their arrival was very seasonable : and similar, and far more extensive, services, cannot fail to be received, or regretted, in case of future conflict. Such is the import- ance of preserving this communication, that the present question of Boundary can hardly be con- sidered in any other light, than as involving the question of the expediency, of retaining, or re- linquishing, the whole of the British Colonies iri North America. It would really appear to be faintly perceived, or seldom considered, among us, how formidable b2 j'2 I a rival we must one day have to contend with in the United States, how rapidly that day is ap- proaching, and how momentous must be the issue. At so great a distance, and comparatively of minor interest, little is here observed of the intriguing, ambitious, and imperious character, of a People and Government, who consider every thing they can claim and reach, as already their own, and every thing they cannot, as an injury to be borne only till they have acquired further strength. In the very terms of a pre- vious concession they can find subject for fresh demands. With reciprocity for ever in their mouths, they can induce us to relax our system of Navigation, and yield them commercial ad- vantages, which they then refuse or delay to re- turn, and seem to think conduct, which in private life would be thought little consistent with good faith, to be the proof of policy on their part, or of weakness upon ours. Yet to whatever sub- tilty they may descend on some occasions, the boldness of their measures on others, bears no proportion to the imbecility of their present power, but seems to assume all the importance of their future expectations ; and as if the vast Countries of the West were now too little for their increase, or were already but the means of acquiring num . we see lliein grasping, with one ♦ * — > i Jllt ll illiU 53 4> hand, the shores of the Gulph of Mexico, and reachinjv, with th-^ otlier, at the Gulph of St. Lawrence ; fortifying the mouth of tlie Colum- bia, on that side the Globe, intriguing and threat- ening for a Port in the Mediterranean, upon this; at one time, forbidding any Nation to colo- nize the coasts of the Pacific, and dictating, at another, to the new Republics of the South, not to touch the Havannah ; and now, at last, publicly proclaiming, by the Message of their President, that their former submission to Belligerent rights can only be remembered with the resolution of never enduring it agT>vi (What is this but to say, that if any Nation ^o to war with Great Britain, they stand reuuy to join them ?) Their attempt to seize, their unwillingness to relin- quish, their very demand of, the Territory in question, is a striking indication of their present aims, and future measures. For why do they thus covet the possession of so angular and insu- lated a tract, as if they had not already more vacant land than they can j)eople for centuries ? Why, but for the injury, and insult, it must in- flict ui)on Great Britain ? For surely the injury to the security of the Empire will not be greater, tiian the insult upon its policy, if they have any argument, by which we can be persuaded, that the 54 i ! North-west Angle of Nova Scotia^ which France once had at the source of the Kennebec, England at the Penobscot, and the Americans them- selves, in 83, agreed w on the south of the St. John's, is, in point of fact, at the mouth of the St. Lawr>jnce. The secret is, that the United States have long found the British American Provinces to lie heavily on their flank and rear, and over- hang and command their coast. To throw off so effectual a curb, and still more, by the acquisi- tion of these possessions, to rid themselves of the , superiority, or even of the presence, of the Brit- ish fleets, in those waters ; to get at their mines, to monopolize the flsh and timber of America, force themselves into the West Indies, and force Great Britain out ; these have been their constant objects, since their first struggle for indepen- dence, to the present hour. Their efforts have as yet been unavailing ; nor have they for the futve, by arms at least, any prospect of better success. In a few years, these Colonies will not contain less thun two millions of inhabitants, who, in sucii a country as America, are not to be conquered : and in the mean time, experience has shewn, that with the protection of Great Britain, they may be defended ; except indeed their natural Barriers are conceded by negotia- I 56 tioii, and their connexion, and communication^ with each other, separated, and lost. The future destinies of the British Colonies in America, as far as from situation and circum- stances can be probably conjectured, seem to promise a permanent continuance of their Con- nexion with the Mother Country. Or even if at any distant period that Connexion may be vari- ously modified, according to the changes of time and events, yet, under the names of dependence, protection, or alliance, it can hardly fail to be almost equally intimate, and mutually advanta- geous. The commerce, the wants, the situation and fears, and above all, the moral feelings, of the Inhabitants, afford the surest earnest of this expectation. The liberal and parental policy of the Mother Country, particularly of late years, has added the ties of interest to those of affec- tion, and left them nothing to gain, by any change that could be offered. Least of all can any de- sire, either exist at present, or arise hereafter, to exchange their dependence on Great Britain, for dependence on the American Congress, and submit their commerce to be taxed, and regu- lated, by the slave-holders of the South, or Plan- ters beyond the AUeganies, who have never seen the Sea. There does not exist among them, either in name or thought, such a thing as a I' 56 Party, or even a feeling, in favour of the United States. 1 he avowal of such a senti- ment, or the suspicion of entertaining it, would immediately destroy a man's place and charac- ter in society. Their warm and frequent expres- sions of attachment to England, and aversion to American principles, would surprise a stranger, and seem perhaps unnecessary to a Philosopher. We do not allude either to the antipathy of the Canadian, or the fanaticism of the Loyalist, or the longing of the Emigrant for his native home ; but to that rational preference of men of sense and education, who having a near and constant opportunity of comparing a mixed Go- vernment with a pure Democracy, see little rea- son to prefer the latter ; and if the King's pre- rogative appear to be sometimes exercised with less justice or judgment, know how to distinguish between the principle and the abuse, and derive abundant consolation in finding the Democracy of their neighbours, more capricious in the fa- vour she bestows, more servile in the ho- mage she exacts, more unreasonable in prefer- ment, more oppressive hi displeasure, and abso- lute in all. Nor should the disputes which some- times arise with tlie Colonial Assemblies, be considered as at all involving the question of loyalty or disail'ection, but as the natural results % 57 of a Legislature, composed of several orders, or of persons representing their powers, whose constitution has not yet become settled by pre- cedent and usage, and to which the practice of the Mother Country is not always analogous, or the analogy not always conclusive. If however, in process of time hereafter, as they increase in wealth and population, the consciousness of im- portance should^ a'' is wont, give rise to feelings of a more national description. Great Britain will probably see it for her interest^, to anticipate and direct these, to a separate confederacy among themselves, rather than suffer them to swell the overgrown Empire of their neighbours. Of the present policy of friendly relations with the United States, there cannot exist a doubt, nor a wish for their interruption. But the best pledge for their continuance perhaps, is to hold in our hands the means of blockading and attacking their whole Coast, which is secured by the Ports of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and an in- road into the heart of their Country, which is olfered by Lake Champlain, and Lower Canada, and the annoy tince of its rear, by the Upper Pro- vince, and Lakes. Tnese Colonies, though they may h'lve been one of the secret objects, have never been the only causes, of war with the Americans, nor have they been ever even men- 58 -! «* 1 'i tioned, among its avowed pretexts. If indeed, by the price of their relinquishment, perpetual amity could be purchased with the Ignited States, the present question of Boundary might with more safety be neglected : but if the estimate of relative strength and security is often the real inducement to hostilities, and if commercial jea- lousies, which are not yet removed, and the old dispute of neutral rights, which may at any time revive, have already furnished the pretext ; the question is never likely to arise, whether we shall go to war for the sake of these Colonies, but whether it is better to fight the Americans, with, if we must not say the assistance, yet at least with the opportunities and advantages, which these Provinces afford, or without them. Of all the North American Colonies, the youngest, but the most fortunate in natural advantages, and perhaps the most rapid in in- crease, is New Brunswick, whose interests are more immediately concerned in the present ques- tion of the Boundary Line. With the Gulph of St. Lawrence on the one hand, and the Bay of Fundy on tlie other, this Colony possesses a va- luable fishery on her own shores, and lies not far from those of Newfoundland and Labrador. Its coasts are indented with numeroris bays and harbours, and the whole country is intersected M 59 with large Rivers and Lukes, and numerous smaller Streams, to such a degree, that there is, it is said, no point in. the Province eight miles distance from navigable water. In fertility of soil it yields to no part of America ; the climate is severe but healthy ; the face of th 3 country level, and covered with apparently inexhaustible Forests of large and lofty timber ; beneath, are Mines of coal, lime, gypsum, and others, the source of some present, and the promise of much future, advantage. Forty-three years ago this country was one vast v.'ilderness ; uninhabited, except by a few families of Acadian French, and the thin and wandering tribes of native Savages. At present, it contains and supports 80,000 inhabitants; its exports exceed the value of ^600,000, which are almost all exchanged for British manufactures ; and what is of far more importance, give employment to above 200,000 tons of British shipping, and 10,000 seamen. A progress so rapid, which has perhaps never been surpassed in America, says much for the natural advantages of the Country, the enterprise and industry of the inhabitants, and the value of such a possession. But there are politicians, for whom, neither the welfare of these Colonies has any interest. ^ L_ 00 14 ^ nor the loss any alarm. Who, forgetting by what ineaiis, or under what circumstances, the present power of their Country has accrued, and preferring to the lessons of successful expe- rience, the experiment of theories, which how- ever specious in principle, may prove inappli- cable to our condition, or produce unexpected results, would persuade us, that these Countries are an unprofitable burthen, that our naval supe- riority might be preserved without Seamen, or Seamen supplied without Commerce, or Com- merce secured without Colonies : and have pub- lished a defiance to shew what one advantage the North American Provinces have ever ren- dered to the Parent State. And were they so utterly useless and burthensome, as is asserted, one would still perhaps be rather inclined, in this instance, to approve the example of that old English Gentleman, who wishing to reduce tlie expenditure of his household, when his Steward presented him separate lists of his de- pendants, distinguishing the useful from the superfluous, said, upon reflection, he would re- tain them all, " Those, for I have need of them, " and these, for they have need of me.*' For these Colonies, we think, were not planted and maintained, upon merely a mercantile specu- 01 latioii, but ii more ^( iierous motivo, to do good to inHiikiiKi, ' to replenish the earth and subdue it/ and still mure, to i'ultil that higher obligation ol' every Government, to provide and secure the welfare am' happiness of all its subjects, and to * nmltiply and increase them.' For however early or late may have been the period, and far or near the seat, of their emigTation, they are nevertheless our fellow Subjects, members of the same community, and as they have never failed in any duty of allegiance, they have not for- feited any rights to protection. It may be said, indeed, that this cannot apply to the whole popu- lation of those Provinces, and it is true that their inhabitants are of two descriptions, and that nearly an equal portion are descendants of France. But so covetous were we once of their Territory, that we forcibly separated them from their own Country, we adopted them into our common family, and having imparted to them the privileges, have ever received from them the loyalty and support of British Subjects. How- ever agreeable to our future interest, it would at least be little consistent with our former policy, to cast them off now ; it would reflect no honour upon the constancy of the Nation ; more espe- cially as that cannot be done, without betraying 62 -i \ also another description of settlers, whom per- haps it would be almost a shame to abandon. For formerly, when the injustice, or impolicy, of the Imperial Government, had excited a rebellion in the old Colonies of America, there were cer- tain of the Inhabitants, and if inferior in num- ber, they comprised a fair proportion of the wealth, talent, and character, of the whole, who either agreeing with the measures of Adminis- tration, or thinking that no oppression, or none yet experienced, could justify an insurrection, continued firm and zealous in loyalty to their Sovereign, and attachment to their Mother Country, and exposed themselves to proscrip- tion, exile, and death, in her defence ; and when the King became unable, or the Kingdom un- willing, to protect them in their own Land, with a singular spirit of fidelity, as if they had trans- ferred to politics, that obstinacy and enthusiasm, which in religion had led their Forefathers to exchange their native soil for a distant wilder- ness, again came out and abandoned the seats of their birth and hopes; and, as no other asylum could be afforded, they removed, with desperate hearts, and ruined fortunes, covered with defeat and insult from their enemies, and regarded too much as a burthen by their friends. and took refuge in these Colonies of Nova Scotia and Canada. Such were the Refugees, or American Loyalists ; an unfortunate race of men! for the cause, in which they had staked all, was unsuccessful ; and they exchanged home for exile, the comforts of a cultivated country for the inconveniencies of a wild and inclement forest, literally beginning, not life alone, but the world, anew ; and such has since been the change in the opinions of mankind, that the principles, to which they offered so rare an example of devotion, have become irrational, or inglorious, and their descendants must scarcely know, when in England at least, whether to avow their conduct as an honour, or excuse it as delusion. And yet, so far were they from being ashamed of their own fortune, or envying that of their Neighbours, (though they had sometimes seen that preference shewn to the new Republic, which, could loyalty merit commercial advan- tages, seemed rather due to our own Colonists), that lately when an opportunity was offered for repentance, and the Mother Country was almost sinking in the struggle with Europe, and the United States would gladly hav« communicated, and proffered, and endeavoured to force on them the privileges of Independence, there ap- peared no symptoms of diminished aH'ection, but ir "*H pi w>*m I I — l< i w 64 those who were attacked, armed and fought, and all were alike zealous and ready, had they proved less able to defend, again to abandon, their properties, and a second time seek an asylum in some country, if any could be found, within the protection of Great Britain, or beyond the reach of the Americans, where the latter would cease to covet, and the former to despise, their possessions. It cannot appear a very gracious, or even a very reasonable thing, to complain of the in- cumbrance of such a portion of our subjects, and demand of them, so soon, an account of the expenditure and advantages, they have occa- sioned to the Empire. For had the reciprocal duties of allegiance and protection been as diligently performed on our part as on theirs, they had never been a burthen to the revenue. (But to insinuate an opinion of their disaffec- tion, and talk of the probability of their union with the American Republic, must appear, to them at least, a conjecture of little reason, or a suspicion they have not deserved. If such an account however is now to be ren- dered, it may perhaps be found on a fair consideration of their meanr? and resources, not so utterly deficient, as is as^serted, either in political or commercial advantages. For '& i G5 I For they certainly have retained and added to the Empire, 1,200,000 subjects, and 150,000 fighting- men, who are posted in that quarter, in which we have most to apprehend, and stand in most need of support. They occupy, and preserve to us, a Country, of such extent and situation, that it is scarcely of more consequence that we should possess it, than that another should not acquire. That an insular, commercial, and manufacturing Nation, with a surplus and fast increasing popu- lation, had better remove some of the super- numeraries by emigration, than suffer them to starve at home, or subsist by crime or donatives, is a position which reason must immediately ac- knowledge, and which necessity seems likely to enforce. That it is better to plant the Emigrants within our Territories, and add to the power and wealth of the Common Empire, than dismiss them to a foreign State, to be numbered with our enemies^ appears no less evident. Now we do not possess, nor does the world afford, another country, so near and inviting as this ; so inviting, that the voluntary and unassisted emigration thither is already considerable and successful, and so near, that the political connexion must probably continue longer, and the commercial return be more profitable and immediate, than with any other Plantation. But there are other 66 if reasons, which render this Possession highly im- portant, if not indispensably necessary, to the power and commerce of Great Britain. It lies between us and the United States, between the United States and our Fisheries, and either in geographical position, or political results, may be found to lie between the United States and the West Indies, and we think it not absurd to add, the United States and Ireland. It makes the Atlantic a Great Lake, for the domestic commerce of the Empire, and by shutting up the farther shore, enables the King to dictate, who may sail, and who may fish, and almost, who may wash tlieir hands in the sea; a haughty and extravagant pretension, but which was nearly exercised in the late wars, and might be again repeated to-morrow, and aj it must first be disputed, and has already been challenged, on that side of the water, so it is upon that side we should be most careful to secure its conti- nuance. Newfoundland is too near, and natu- rally too dependent upon the other Provinces, to follow a different destiny; and we should find some difference perhaps, between giving the Americans leave to take and cure fish in those waters, and asking it of them. A diiference scarce less essential might be also felt, in the premium on West India Ships, or the value of 67 West India Estates, in case of war; and in case of peace, how are they, or how are we, to be sup- plied with w ood and timber ? From America or the Baltic ? For if from either, who are to be the carriers ? In fact, the loss of these Pro- vinces could hardly fail to involve, or endanger, the loss of the most valuable portion, of all our Colonies, and Commerce. But, for there are perhaps, to whom these advantages may appear of less certainty or im- portance, or who are unable to estimate a value, which may not be measured by a more unerring- rule, the use and consequence of these Colonies, to our commerce and navigation, may be no less demonstrated by figures, and the rigid balance of pounds, shillings, and pence. Let it be re- membered, however, that " planting Colonies is like the planting of trees, in which a man incurs a certain expense, and waits long for his return," and that these Plantations were principally made by persons, whose fortunes were dissipated, and industry relaxed, by the long continuance, the miserable conduct, and ruinous termination, of a civil war, and who, till within a few years, have never received any assistance from British ca- pital, (except indeed the short and limited credit of the Merchant). And yet, though th& average r '2 68 ) I of expo'^" from Great Britain to those Provinces, upon six years, ending with 1774, previous to the war, amounted only to the scanty sum of i£'379,411 annually, on the like average for six years after the peace of 1783, they were raised, by the influx of the Loyalists, to ^£"829,088. It is worthy of remark, that during this same period, our exports to the United States had de- creased from ^2,762,036 to ^2,333,643, (on a similar average), a loss of £S^6,'d9S annually, which however was supplied, and more, by this increase of i?449,677 to the Colonies. In 1799, the exports thither amounted to ^£"1, 066,396. In 1809, to ^1,733,667. In 1819, to ^1,970,257. And for the last year, they have reached the sum of ^2,244,245. By a Table annexed, (m the Appendix, No. V.), the increase of our Commerce with these Provinces will be more fairly and accurately set forth. It will be seen that our exports thither, during a period of fifty years, ending in 1824, have gained an addition oi four hundred and fifty Jive per cent, over and above their amount in 1774. With regard to tlie imports from them, it is enough to know, that all these exports are finally paid for, and though the balaiice against them must often have be*Mi, and still be, in arrear, yet in no quarter fmces, )us to sum |ige for were ),088. same 69 of the world are the debts so secure, and the losses, of the British Mercliant, so rare and in- considerable. But it is far less for the advantages of Com- merce, than of Navigation, that Colonies are planted, and their improvement valued, and it is chiefly by considering what the possession of these Provinces has added to the mercantile Navy and Seamen, that is, to the real strength and vital interests of the Empire, that their im- portance can be duly understood. For from the year 1772 to the year of 1789, (upon an average and medium of the vessels cleared and entered for the three preceding years), the tonnage em- ployed between them and Great Britain, is found to have advanced from 11,219 tons to 46,106, being au increase of 34,887 tons annually, and which more than repaired the decrease, that had reduced our annual tonnage to the Uniled States, during the same period, from 86,745 tons to 52,595. In 1818, the amount of British ton- nage in this trade, on an average of the five preceding years, had further advanced to 179,317. And for the seven years since, ending with 1825, it has amounted to the average of 340,776 tons annually, and the number of Seamen employed has been more than 15,000 men. And for the year 1825, the vessels (I'M vM- -( %r- w».wi> -.-. . TO IJ! 1^ t * i^ i,t ' cleared thither amounted to 411,332 tons, about one-fourth of our whole foiiign tonna«:e exclu- sive of vessels to Ireland. By a Table in the Appendix, (No. VI.), this iKcrease is more particularly stated. Such has been the use, and so rap'd the in- crease of tljcsc possessions, that they wefid not shun coTuparisan, in commerce or navigation, either with ai.y other portion, or with the col- lective improveme^it, of ihc wht>ie Empire ; and not even the Uiuted StateK, I* Mall v vav'Dted, and justly dreaded, 33 their wonder iul advance has been, have added more to {hoir intercourse with Great Britain or with the World. For, in the year 1 774, the exports from Great Britain to the United Siat^s bore tlie proportion of 14 per cent, of tboe<' to all other Countries. The exports to the Wesv*; liKh'es, which are justly valued as the richest pi> session of the Crown, weri; at that time 7^ per cent. And the exports to those Colonies were but 2 per cent. In 1824, upon an average of thg ten preceding years, the whole amount of our exports was 235 per cent, more than it was in 74. The exports to the United States, on the same average, have increased 245 per cent., and v.re now a 14J per cent, of the whole. The exports to the West Indies have increased 300 per c(!nt., and are now a % per cent, of the I i> 71 )Ut the iore whole. Aud the exports to these Colonies, on tht' same average, have increased 455 per cent., and (ue now 3? per cent, of the whole. With ^eierk*,ace tln'refore to our whole exports, the ccmi/iuutivf .icreise of the proportion, which these several Countries now receive, above the proportion received in 1772, may be measured respectively by the following figures, viz. 4 tor the Uniiod States, 11 for the West Indies, and lii s •>! tlu! Colonies. And with reference to the amount received, the comparative increase in 1824 above 1772, is respectively as, 49 for the United States, 60 for the West Indies, and 91 tor the Colonies. In 1772, the proportion of British Shipping employed between Great Bri- tain and the now United States was 7A per cent, of our whole tonnage cleared annually. The proportion to the West Indies was 9 per cent. : and that to these Colonies 1^^ per cent. In the year 1824, (on an average of 10 years), the tonnage of the whole Shipping cleared is found to have increased 167 per cent, above the amount cleared in ^772. Ti.at employed to the United States has decreased 5tj por cent., and is now 2iV per cent, of the whole. That to the West Indies has increased 189 per cent., and it now 97 per cent, of the whole. And the ton- nage to the Colonies has •! veut;«^d 231 per cent.. 'f MmMK. 12 and now forms Vi-^^^ per cent, of the whole foreign navi^tion of Great Britain, including the ves- sels cleared for Ireland. As far therefore as our Navigation is concerned, the advantage now derived to us from the United States, and the North American Colonies respectively, com- pared with that of the year 1772, may be repre- sented by the following quantities, — 5.5, for the former, and + 11.1, for the latter, and the difference in favour of the Colonies is + 16.6, that is, as nearly one-sixth of our whole foreign tonnage is to 0. Before companng the whole commerce and navigation of these Colonies, with those of the United States, to all parts of the world, it should be remembered, that the latter, by their separation from us, had the good fortune to relieve themselves from all the restraints of de- pendence, and still to retain most of its advan- tages, nor were the territorial concessions they obtained of us, more important to their in- crease, or more strangely deserved, than their commercial privileges. For at the same time that they gained a free intercourse with the whole World, their ships continued to enjoy in our harbours the rights and immunities of Bri- tish bottoms ; they continuefl to trade with our Colonies, to fish in our waters ; and even the 73 .1 protecting duties, to encourage their produce, were a long time preserved. Add to this, that the war, which soon after embroiled all Europe, threw into their hands the carrying trade of almost the whole Continent, which they used justly to compare to a vicious cow, which we held by the horni for them to milk. The Colo- nies, on the other hand, have felt their want of capital, and other the natural difficulties of their situation, increased, both by the restraints upon themselves, and the preference shewn to others. Unknown, or unencouraged, they seem for a long time to have been regarded as a des^ieiUie gamester, who has thrown away vast sums without fortune, or without judgment, despises the little that remains. The laws of navigation indeed, as the fundamental rule of the Empire, the source of all its power and prosperity, are never to be mentioned with complaint, because they bear hard upon any particular branch ; but this there was unfortunate in the situation of tliese Colonies, that wherever those laws were rigidly enforced, they suffered much inconve- nience and vexation, and wherever they might have expected some advantage, those laws were easily relaxed. For years the Colonies were unable to contend with the admission of the United States into the West india Islands, to III • *<%. i"^-. r4 i which, and to the Mother Country, their trade was ahiiost entirely restricted: anrl i' t7;v>< not till 1809, (before which periof' Lk; im; v . fttion of their Timber was but limited and unpro- tected), that the closing of the Baltic, and the hostility of the North, compelled us to turn at length npon our own resources, and cut down our forests in America. Between thes» ob- structions on the r"o side, and advantages on the other, it is not a litle surprising that neither the commerce nor the navigation, of this portion of our dominions, are in comparative improve- ment, one step behind the rapid advancement of the United States. Theii exports to the whole world have increased, between the years 1669 and 1825, from ^,852,441 to ^^22,395,463, and tlie whole amount of tonnage employed thereby, fro;Ti 351,664 to about 1,114,000 tons, an addition of 685 per cent, in the former, and in the latter of 216. While from these Pro- vinces, the exports, during that time, have risen from £225,878 to about £3,1)0,057, and tht navigation employed thereby from 25,410 to about 689,872, an addition respectively of 1280 per cent, and 2610 per cent. How, and from what sources, this estimate is formed, will bi' seen by a Table, (No. VII.), in the Appc x. With reganl (o the oivil and military 76 expenses of these possessions, taken at tiicir largest estimate, at ^500,000 per annum, that can hardly, we think, be considered equal to even the commercial advantages received. For if they supply employment to the amount of £3,000,000 annually, (perhaps the real value of our exports thither the last year), to the stock and industry of the Merchant and Manufacturer, and jf 1,000, 000 more (the probable amount of freights) to the Shipowner and Seaman, (to say nothing- of the revenue of £300,000, the amount in 1825, we believe, of the duties upon timber), it would be cHfficult to point out another way by which this £500,0(K) could be made more pro- ductive, or shew what item of our whole appro- priation ) inlds a better return. For it cannot be said that e^iual benefits w^ould have resulted from the saui , or some other quarter, had we abandoned thr> i Colonies, or shewn them less preference. On the contrary, had they been ceded to the Laited St.ites, it is far more pro- bable that our intercourse with them would have increased only in the same ratio as it has with that Republic, and instead of our exports thither being 455 per cent, greater than in 1774, they would be only 245, and our tonnage thither, instead of increasing 2370 per cent., would have diminished more than 5, and amount i\ r 1 7f» HOW to I0,r)58 instead of 41 1,33'i tons, and tlio difl'erenco have been added to a Foreign Power. And although exports to the same amount might have been made to the Baltic, and Timber thence procured at a cheaper rate, (except in- deed the intercourse with those Powers had been restricted by monopoly and combination, as in 17()3, or interrupted by war, as in 18()9), yet had such a trade been far less profitable. For there are three great advantages in the Colonial above the Baltic Trade. 1st. The former is domestic instead of foreign, and con- sequently of twice the value of the latter, as the profit by the exchange, on both sides, is all within the Dominions, and by the stock and indus- try, and added to the common wealth, of our own Empire. 2nd. It is direct instead of circuitous. Not that timber may not be brought from the Baltic in half the time required from America, but to pay for that timber, or the greater part of it, we have first to carry our manufactures beyond the sea, and bring back some foreign or colonial article, and principally indeed gold and silver, and ship that to the Northern Merchant. To these possessions, on the other hand, nearly all our exports are the inmiediate production of our own industry. The Colonial Trade, there- fore, in reality yields a quicker return. 3rd. It -»^t»-^:.*. „-.#. . 77 is carried on in Oritisii, instead of foreip^n Lottoms. By which we not only save the freight, hut most essentially promote an object, which it has ever been the undoubted interest of the Nation to keep principally in view, the support of our Seamen and Navy. And if these advan- tages should still appear unequal to the objec- tion, so strong to a superficial observer, that Timber is dearer by the present system, it must yet be a consolation to know, that the difference is not only divided among ourselves, but as the prime cost is about the same, is nearly all given as a bounty to the most useful branches oi" our productive industry, the Shipping and Manu- facturing interests, or applied to the necessities of Government, and substituted for so much taxation. But without the competition of our Colonies, are we sure we should obtain Baltic Timber on the present favourable terms ? Great Britain has long been, and for ever must be, dependent upon other Countries for Naval Stores and wood. The Coasts of the Baltic possess, and formerly alone afforded, a near and abundant supply of both. Why did we ever derive either by a long voyage to America? The Coasts of the Baltic unfortunately are not our Colonies. Their Merchants combined in 1703 to raise the price of the former, and to i, 'r '\ :l '' r" 'ft' m 78 * anfl we were driven to give bounties on '';?„,„«, eombmed lonies. In 18"'' ""^ ,„,.„ also, and we began to exclude us from the ^-^^^^'^^iUr there was to enquire with -ean..e^>J>.e^^^,.^,„, «„y other q""f "^ J^„,.,t ,,ad then been our •■"^"''''Tfti to America, we had situation, It on *"''"'"S . ^^ ,„ the hands of a repeated. hpnefi^s, already so "if to these — ;f„f r^'f„„reincrease, eo„side«ble,andcaj,aberfsu ^ ^^^ be added the 1"'""=^^;; "" „f this Country, power, from our P»-- JJ.Ud from its and the dangers to be PH ^^ ^„„ ''"-^^'°"'rta: 'he ^of its establish, aearly purcbased at ..e P ^^ .^,^ .^ ^„„ """"" "t:fherin«uLi..t'- World is conscious, that ne territory or pop«- •'--•' '"^r:Tco!le her views, a p„lat,onm Europe ^^^^ ,,,«; wh.ch „„gle K'Og-'""" 7,^ ,„ „„„.y years the UocV ,,as not garrisoned tor s J . _ ^^. .^^^ of Gibraltar, nor n—'^^^^^^^ „„r conquered or pla"'*' 79 a Islands, for the immediate return of their trade or revenue ; nor refused to the subjects of her very Capital the necessary fuel of life, unless brought by sea from a distant port, because the Coals of Newcastle are cheaper than any else- where; but which, having established an Em- pire, on whose dominions the sun never sets, and whose equal he has never seen, has judged no expenses heavy, which were necessary to secure its general prosperity, no prosperity se- cure without a superior Navy, and no Navy superior without Colonies and Commerce. Inconsiderable however as this sum appears upon such a comparison, it may yet be well to examine, whether all of it could probably be saved to the revenue by the proposed abandon- ment. The expenses of the Civil Government of these Provinces, as much as are borne by the Mother Country, amount only to about ^£"45,000. All the rest is incurred by the Military estab- lishments, which are not required to secure the obedience of the Inhabitants, for that is most voluntary and devoted, but for the safety also of other possessions, the fear of neighbouring rivals, and the general interests of the Empire. Were these withdrawn, must not the garrisons in other places be augmented, in Bermuda, and the West Indies? Or would our fears diminish with the f m' 80 t?'^ increase of our enemies, or oor forces he les- sened with the increase of our fears, or any sav- ing- gained in the health or cost of our forces by this change of station? Two hundred men would possibly cease to be a sufficient protec- tion for Newfoundland ; nor would perhaps the uneasiness felt for Ireland be any thing allayed, for the intimidating supposition, lately suggested by a Catholic Barrister, of an American Fleet in the Irish Channel, may not prove eventually to have been so very remote, as the Orator, it is hoped, himself imagined. Were the obstacles on that side of the water removed, the Ameri- cans know the way over to this, and they would soon learn how to throw 100,000 musquets into Ireland, which they have already learned how to make ; and were it the expedition of mad men, and fools, they could bring 10,000 United Irish- men with them, who are both one and the other. It must be better, one would think, that these men and arms should be sent, without return, to Canada, and the United States exhaust their means in imbecile attempts to invade a country, which they never can conquer, as in the last war, or, as it will, or should be, in the next, in pro- tecting their long and defenceless coasts, of the Atlantic in front, and the Ition and history, what mode of reason- ing from the past, or conjecturing for the future, it is asserted, that these colonies 7nust merge in the American Republic, and " That there is not a man of sense in the empire y ivho does not look forward to the dissolution, at no distant period, of their connexio?i with England" — has not been disclosed, and, Lotwithstanding the penalty prefixed, we confess ourselves unable to divine. According to the view here taken, the anticipa- tion must appear improbable, the reflection un- merited. So improbable, and so unmerited, that nothing, we think, but ^he adoption of the sen- timents and measures of such oeconomists, by government, or the public, could perhaps bring it about, Assertions 'ike these are there read with great pain and uneasiness, and can prod ucc no good effect, among a class of our fellow-subjects, whom, if it be not our interest to conciliate, it 4: I excuse, lient, that valuable \iot know e at least Iromise of even the what ac- cumstance of reasou- the future, ? merge iu here is not es not look mt period, ' — has not the penalty e to divine. e anticipa- flection un- lerited, that of the sen- omists, by rhaps bring there read produce no w-subjects, onciiiate, it 87 were wantonness to estrange, and ungenerous to insult. And if such were ever to become the words and feelings, not indeed of the Govern- ment, nor let us a moment suppose that g«^ posi- tion to exist with them, but > f the Public, or any considerable Party, and the opinion of our Colonists thence could reach us in reply, it would be expressed, we may believe, in some such sentiments as these. ' We are not conscious of any thing in the ' character, either of this Co; itry, to make that * event so indifferent, o • af its Inhabitants, to * make it probable. To commend one or the * other to your notice mi.xht appear an over esti- * mate of ourselves. If indeed you can see no- * thing in the present or future advantages of * these Colonies, that may be useful to your * power or commerce ; if you would add, to the ' desertion of our Red Brethren, another ex- * ample of the folly, and danger, of supporting ' the cause, or trusting to the protection of Great * Britain, you are certainly at liberty to abandon * the Country. But, for if beggars, we are not ' convicts, or convict only of Treason, which ' was Loyalty to you, and begrjared by its con- * sequences, you are not at liberty to sell or * cede us to the United States, nor was it upon ' such hopes or conditions that you led, and we 4 J i ')f' J 88 * follo\\ed you, hither. Vv' will endeavour * rather to confederate, and .s>t up for ourselves, * and perliaps by unanimity and resolution, may ' obtain from fortune, or the justice of our * neighbours, what we sought in vain under your * protection. Only leave us at once, before your * indifference has betrayed our natural defences, * or our children shall have imbibed those prin- * ciples, which brought our fathers into exile. * Yet think us not so insensible to the name and * advantages of British Subjects, as to desire so * desperate an alternative. Let us rather advise * and intreat you, for our own sakes, and for ' yours, not to harbour such an intention, nor * use such language. You are so rich, so great, * and so distant, that ,icrhaps you estimate the * lesser members of Hh- Umpire below their real * worth. Formeii} tint! ft et and hands accused * the body, but in thc^e days the body would appear to be complaining of the feet and hands. * Yet the blood, or treasure, supplied to them, * flows back to you by other channels, invigo- * rating all by circulation : there is no part per- * haps that adds not something to the strength ' and welfare of the whole : and if we seem to * contribute little in our present infancy, more * may be expected of us hereafter. You little ' kaow what the United States are doing on this - i III M HI 89 1 eavour selves, , may of our er your re vour tonces, se prin- exile. line and esire so r advise and for ion, nor 30 great, mate the their real accused \y would id hands. to them, ?, invigo- part per- strength seem to cy, more Yoa little ig on this * side of the Great Lake, or what might be done * here by yourselves. Believe us, there is no- ' thing in the one to despise, nor in the other to ' neglect. It is in vain that you multiply, at * home, production beyond consumption, or po- * pulation beyond subsistence : either requisite * may be supplied by us. Here you have land 'that wants labourers; there labourers that * want land. Unless you can add to the extent ' of your dominions there, or have some other ' machine for making corn, transplant some of ' your surplus inhabitants, and with them some ' of your surplus capital, to this vast and fertile ' Country, and we together will weave such a * band around the North States of America, as * shall at least prevent their rising up, the mo- * ment you begin a war in Europe, to demand * the commerce of your enemies, or attack your ' own. By this time you ought to be too well ' acquainted with the character of that People, ' to expect from them, either neutrality in war, ' or reciprocity in peace. Do not flatter your- ' selves with the idle hope, that the now Re- ' publics of South America, so feeble, so distant, * and dividetl, are to balance the power of the ' United States in this Hemisphere ; or that the * population of Russia, unequal to the forests * of Asia and Europe, is to overflow, and meet ^. J"^^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) //^.^^^^ 1.0 1.1 ^ lii 12.2 Hf li£ 11112.0 I |||l.25 1.4 III 1.6 ^ 6" — ► V .% ^^ "^^ ^^'"^-^^ .-^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WnSTIR.N.Y. USIO (716) •72-4S03 ■w: 1 -^■:- - ^ ^-^-^ ■■.■;'■■"■■■■. 4' % 1 i vV 9U I li ■•If HI iH ) them from the Pacifiic ; nor yet that any dis- union among themselves can ever make the people less enterprising, or their government more inefficient. The competition and contest that is to be tried with them, there is no Power on earth that will do for you but yourselves, no place for the struggle but this. Nor will this long remain to you, if the possession is thus to be stolen of your defensible frontiers, and you will continue to negotiate with the Ame- ricans, as though their friendship were certain, or their enmity harmless. For beware lest you think it more difficult to stop the course of the St. John's, or turn the St. Lawrence from the Ocean, than to prevent the American People from driving us before them into the Sea, and shutting you out from the land, when they once establish themselves on those Rivers, in that Tract and Position they now claim, and attempt. If you can find in our connexion, the inducement of any interest, or the obliga- tion of any duty, we conjure you not to neglect this question. Do not suffer a Boundary to be recorded in the Map, whose very figure will become a testimony of reproach to you with posterity. Do not suffer it to be said, that the Americans here treat the King's Colonists and Authorities, as they dare not 91 dis- the treat their own Sqttatters. For, finally, though it should not be necessary to repeat what you yourselves must already as well know, yet we are afraid, in the concerns of so great an Em- pire, lest ours may be forgotten, let us once more warn you, that we, who acknowledge the same allegiance, the same interests with your- selves, are beset by a People, the most for- midable of your rivals, the most implacable of your enemies, and are in danger of being be- trayed by you, as though you were not at the same time selling yourselves. The territorial and commercial concessions already made to the United States, at our expense, have been such, that these are now perhaps the last that remain for them to demand. Do not suffer them to persuade you, and do not persuade yourselves, that it is merely a Tract of 10,000 square miles, of vacant forest, and 1 500 im- portunate Colonists only, that are at stake ; it is the connexion of your Provinces with each other, of the Canadas with the Sea, of the Canadas with Great Britain, that you are asked to concede ; you are negotiating for your last possessions in America, for the superiority, for the very presence, of your Navy on its Coasts ; in short, though you will not believe it, for the whole Colonies, and Commerce, and ! \i t0 * Fisheries, of the Western World. Or if we ' are mistaken in these consequences, there is ' one at least in which we cannot be deceived, * and which, though perhaps the least inipor- * tant to you, may be by no means the least * painful to us ; It is from your conduct in the * present question that we are to learn in 'future how to accommodate our own.* tn APPENDIX. (No. I.) Extract from the Second Volume of the Secret Pro- ceeding of Congress, published at Boston, a few years ago, Off a Resolution of Congress, and under the direction of the President of' the United States, Page 225. "August 17th, 1779. " Congress proceeded to the consideration of the " Instructions of the Ministers to be appointed for ne- " gotiating a Peace with Great Britain." (After other matter the Instructions state) — " The Boundaries of " these States are as follow " — (Here the same Line is described, as in the Definitive Treaty of 1783, us far us — ' to the mouth of St. Mary's River in the Atlantic Ocean' — when the instructions proceed) — " and East " by a Line to be drawn along the middle of the St. " John's River from its source to its mouth in the Bay " of Fundy," (follotved by this expression) " if the " same can be obtained from Great Britain." On the \6th of August 1782, another Committee of Congress made a Report for the use of the American Commissioners, engaged in negotiating the T.eaty of P 94 *H Peace, in which the following passage, at page 180, Vol. II. occurs — " It is to be observed, that when the " Boundaries of the United States were declared to be " Ultimatum, it was not thought advisable to continue " the War merely to obtain Territory as far as St. " John's River." The Commissioners appointed, under the Treaty of 1794, to examine and decide what River was truly in- tended under the name of the River St, Croix, consi- dered it necessary to obtain of' Mr, Jay and Mr. Adams, two of the Plenipotentiaries on the part of the United States in 178.3, all the information in their power, Mr, Adams, then President of the United States, was accordingly examined, under oath, before the Commis- sioners, and the second interrogation put, was " What Rivers were claimed to, or talked of, by the Commissioners," (viz, who negotiated the Treaty of 1783,) " on either side, as a proposed Boundary, and " for what reason ? " Answer, The British Commissioners first claimed " ta Piscatawa, then to Kennebec, then to Penobscot, " and at length to St. Croix, as marked on Mitchell's " Map. One of the American Ministers at first pro- " posed the River St. John's, as marked on Mitchelt's " Map ; but his colleagues showing, that as the St. " Croix was the River mentioned in the Charter of " Massachusett's Bay, they could not justify insisting " on the St. John's as the ultimatum, he agreed with " them to adhere to the Charter of Massachusett's " Bay." (Taken from the New York Albion.) JO. he be ue St. «/ si- ns, fed er. ms is- he of nd ed ot, I's "0- ll's 5t. of "f t's r"f Ml 1\ MAP /i'u' /tut /itruniioi^' fhmntti ty f-ftt/ ffiulta. Staiti. 96 (No. III.) The joint Address of the Council and House of Assem- bly of New Brunswick respecting the Boundary be- tween that Province and the United States. " To THE King's most excellent Majesty, " The joint Address of your Majesty's Council and House of Assembly, of the Province of New Bruns- wick, in General Assembly, " Most humbly sheweth, " That the Council and House of Assembly view with gi'eat surprise and concern the recent attempts made by the Governments of Massachusetts and Maine to disturb the possession of your Majesty, and the jurisdiction of this Province, in a Tract of Country on tne Saint John and Madawaska Rivers. *' They beg leave humbly to represent to your Ma- jesty that the Inhabitants of this Tract of Country, so far as it is settled, are, with the exception of a few Per- sons, who have lately become Settlers, French Acadians, and their descendants, the first of whom removed thi- ther from the lower parts of the Country, soon after the Treaty of 1783, and the immediately subsequent erec- tion of this Province, under the full faith that they were planting themselves upon British Territory. That grants of their lands were at the beginning of the set- tlement made to the Settlers under the Great Seal of this Province. That Militia Companies were organized in this settlement by General Carleton, the first Governor of this Province, at so early a period as the year 1786. That Magistrates and Parish Officers have been from time to time appointed there under the laws and Institutions of this Province, and the process of your Majesty's Courts in this Province has uniformly run thither. That the Inhabitants vote at elections for the County of York in this Province, and that all the powers of sovereignty and jurisdiction have in fact been 96 exercised by the coiiHtituted nuthorities of this Province, throughout the whole of this Tract of Country border- ing on the Saint John and Madawaska Rivers, in the same manner as in any other part of the Province with- out question or disturbance quite up to the pcriud of the Treaty of Ghent in the year 1814, and from thence until the recent attempts at interference, which it is the present object of the Council and House of Assembly to represent to your Majesty. " It is well known that this Tract of Country is in- cluded in a claim to a much larger extent made bv the Government of the United States, before the Com- mission tliat was established under the fifth article of the Treaty of Ghent, for settling the Boundary in this quarter, and was also claimed on the part of your Ma- jesty, before the same Commission, as belonging to your Majesty. It would be out of place on the present oc- casion to enter upon the grounds upon which the claim on the part of your Majesty may be supported, but as in some official documents which have emanated from the Governments of Maine and Massachusetts, it seems to be held out that your Majesty is claiming a part of the Territory of those States, to the cession of which their consent nmst be obtained, it is proper to remark that the question of right between the two Governments must be determined by the Provisions of the Treaty of 1783, which prescribes the line of demarcation, and that if what your Majesty claims as your just and un- doubted right according to the true construction of that Treaty be finally confirmed, the Tract of Country now in question does not and never did de jure form a part of Massachusetts or of Maine, as de facto it is not and never has been in the possession or under the jurisdic- tion of either of those otates. " The Council and House of Assembly conceive that upon every principle of Justice, and from a due regard to the friendly understanding happily subsisting be- tween the two Countries, the poss' ssion and actual ex- ercise of jurisdiction, which existed at the time of making the Treaty of Ghent, the instrument which pro- vided for a decision of any conflicting claims between the two nations in this quarter, should have remained sacred and inviolate until that decision may take place. 97 The Government of t\m I'rovinco has douo no more thnn to exercise the ordinary powers of Sovereiu;nty and jurisdiction, to which it succeeded on the first erec- tion of the Province in the year 1784, and to which it has ever since been accustomed, and it was in this ordinary exercise of those powers that the Licences to cut Pine Timber, which have been so much complained of by the Governments of Maine and Massacnusctts were issued — upon these complaints being conveyed to your Majesty by the General Government of the United States, your Majesty's Government, with that spirit of conciliation towards the United States which it has uniformly exhibited, directed the Government of this Province to abstain from granting Licences to cut Tim- ber on the Territory claimed by that power. This dis- position to remove grounds of complaint, and prevent causes of collision, having been thus evinced by your Majesty, the Council and House of Assembly feel them- selves imperatively called upon to represent to your Majesty the doings of Public Agents of the Govern- ments of the United States, and of the States of Maine and Massachusetts of late years within this Territory, thus being in the actual possession and under the jurisdiction and Laws of this Province. " In the year 1820, the Marshal of the District of Maine, proKssing to Act under a Law of the United States, commissioned an assistant to go into the above mentioned French Settlement, commonly known by the name of the Madawaska Settlement, and there take an enumeration of the Inhabitants, as being within the said District. This enumeration was accordingly made, and the Inhabitants of this Settlement included in the public returns, as Citizens of the United States, and part of the Inhabitants of Maine. " In the year 1821, a Senator of the State of Maine, professing to act as an Agent of the Government of that State, came into this Province, and seized and marked a quantity of Pine Timber, lying in the River St. John, within our acknowledged Boundaries, far below the Line claimed by the United States, as having been cut on the River Restook, in the Territory of the United States ; (the place where this Timber was alleged to have been cut, being part of the Territory in dispute H ji^£ji ; r IW Fi 'c i, f f* « between the two OovernmcntA,) iinil iiidiiceil the persons who had this Timber in poHHe88iun, to j^ive obliuiitioiiH tor payini; certain 8uinfi of money therefore to tnu Cio- vtrnmcnt of Maine. " In the lust year, 1H23, the Oovcrnments of the States of Massachusetts and Maine, appear deliberately to have adopted measures to subvert your Majesty's actual posaesHion und jurisdiction, in all that part of the Territory claimed by the United States, which lies on the St. John and Madawaska Rivers. Hy Resolves of the Legislatures of those Status, which have been published to the world. Land Agents were authorized to convey to the Settlers in this Territory by good and sufficient Deeds, one hundred Acres each, of the Land by them possessed, to include their improvements on their respective Lots, for a certain sum to be paid for the use of the said States. These Settlers, let it be remembered, are your Majesty's Subjects, the Lands thus by them possessed, are held by Grants from the Crown, and these Lands and the Inhabitants upon them, whose number now exceeds fifteen hundred souls, have been under your Majesty's protection and Sove- reignty, and been governed in quiet by the Laws of this Province for the last forty years. The Land Agents of the States above mentioned, appear by their own shew- ing, in a Report which has also been published to the world, to have zealonsly executed their Commission. Early in the month of October last, they proceeded to the Settlement in question, commenced surveying the Settlers' Lots, to several of whom they made deeds in conformity to the above mentioned Resolves of the Le- gislatures of the two States, and finding there was not then time to complete their Surveys, deemed it suffi- cient to make a few Deeds, and then post up Notices of the disposition of the State towards the Settlers, at the Catholic Church, and at the Grist Mills in thj before mentioned Settlement, of your Majesty's Sub- jects at Madawaska, now under the junsdiction and Laws of this Province. They acknowledge having been informed, that the Permits from the Government of this Province to cut Pine Timber, for the approaching winter, had been withdrawn, and reciprocate this Act of modeiation and forbearance on the part of your Ma- ■I, U. r «» jcHty's flovernmcnt, by an|i linlin^ nn A^owi ut Madu- wuHKn, and anulliLT xt the UuHtuuk, with |)0>ver to grant pennit» to cut I'ine Timber, on the huuio dJH- puted Territory, which they aifvct to consider their own soil, and upon which your Majesty has desisted from exercising this accustomed right of Sovereignty while the question of Boundary remains undecided, at the express instance of the Oovernment of the United States. They make what they call domiciliury visits to many of the Settlers, to whom they explain the objects of their visit to the Country, whom thuy state to have expressed great delight at the prospect of being received into the family of Maine, to have little conB- dcnce in the value of their Grants, and to have made application to the Legislatures of tiiose Status fur ob- taining Deeds of all the Lands they have in possession, these Agents being authorized to convey only one hun- dred acres to eacli Settler, — not contented with these measures in the disputed Territory, they proceed down the River St. John, mto the acknowledged and unques- tioned Territory of your Majesty, and there sound the dispositions of your Majesty's Subjects, to become Citizens of the United States, upon a scheme of ex- change of Territory which they profess to set forth, and they report to the Governments under which they Act. that the greater part of these Inhabitants would be well pleased with the exchange. On their return to their own Country, they recommend to the Governor of the State of Maine, und state it to have been ap- proved of by him, that two Justices of the Peace be commissioned, that a deputy Sheriff or Constable be appointed, that one or more Military districts be formed at Madawaska, and at a suitable time be so organized that they may have a Representative in the Legislature of Maine, tnat authority be granted to sell to the Madawaska Settlers, the Land they have in possession more than one hundred Acres, for a reasonable consi- deration, and that a bushed winter road be cut from the head waters of the Penobscot, in a direction near the head of the Restook, and continued to Madawaska or Fish River, the Tract of Country through which this proposed road is to pass, being also a part of the dis- puted Territory before referred to. 11 2 I(M) I '■ 1 t It t / in '* All tliiH ii|))H>ai>i by a document published in the Anu'iicnn Newspttpors, purporting to be the official ' Report of the Agent ot the Land Office ' of Massa- chusetts, and dated, ' Land Office, Boston, November 10th. 1826.' " It might have been added, because it is a well known fact, which has been "erified on oath, that these Agents also endeavoured to persuade the Inhabitants of Madawuska not to attend a Mihtia training then about to be held under tiic Laws of this Province, and offered to some of them, if they would not attend, to pay any fines that might, be recovered against '.hein for their delinquency. This attempt however was unavailing, for the General Training was held on the fourth of October last, in the Settlement of Madawaska, and up- wards of three hundred men under forty-five years of age were present at it : And the Council and Assembly are well persuadid, that all the other attempts of these Land Agents to seduce your Majesty's Subjects in this quarter, from their allegiance, and to shake their faith in their titles to their Lands, and in your Majesty's support and protection, were equally ineffectual. " Nevertheless the Council and House of Assembly cannot view these piDceedings of the Governments of the States of Massachusetts and Maine, and of their authorized Agents, without great regret and alarm. They ci\nnot reconcile them to those principles of mode- ration and equity, which have induced the two nations of late years so often to refer their differences, as well with regard to disputed points of Boundary, as to other matters of high import, to tribunals of their own selec- tion fur aniicublo adiusttnent, nor to that spirit of courtesy and conciliation which ought always to subsist between friendly powers. " Hud any Peace Officers of this Province detected these Land Agents in the course of the proceedings above detailed, it would have been their unquestionable duty to have secured their persons, and to have brought them before the proper municipal Tribunal in this Pro- vince, for an infraction of your Majesty's Sovereignty in places under its actual exercise. For although your Majesty has thought proper to abstain from granting Licences to your Subjects to cut Timber on the wilder- 1 \y )hed ill ihe ,he ofBcial of Massa- November is a well that these labitants of then about and oflered to pay any for their unavaihng, 6 fourth of ka, and up- ve years of d Assembly pts of these ects in this their faith Majesty's ual. )f Assembly 'ernmenls of and of their and alarm, les of mode- two nations ices, as well r, as to other ' own selec- it spirit of jTs to subsist nee detected proceedings questionable lave brought in this Pro- Sovereignty though your >m granting 1 the wilder- 101 ness Lands claimed by the United States, the Coun- cil and House of Assembly have not understood that your Majesty has abandoned or means to abandon, under present circumstances, any rights of practical Sovereignty which your Majesty has been accustomed to exercise in any parts of the disputed Territory, which have been, and now are, in fact, occupied and held as British Settlements, and under your Majesty's jurisdic- tion. In consequence of a remonstrance made by the Lieutenant Governor of this Province to your Majesty's Minister at Washington, and by him conveyed to the Government of the United States, the Legislature of Massachusetts appears to have suspended tlie execu- tion of the Resolves above mentioned, until their Ses- sion in the month of June next. But should these Resolves, or the additional measures recommended by the Land Agents of the two States, be attempted to be put in force while the question of Boundi ry remiiins unsettled, it may be confidently asserted that the Go- vernment of this Province will not tamely surrender the Sovereignty which has been uniformly exercised in the Territory in question, and the most unpleasant colli- sions may bo expected to ensue. *' While the Council and House of Assembly deeply feel the importance of a speedy settlement of this dis- puted Boundary, they can by no means accede to the proposition for an adjustment made by the Laud Agents of the States of Massachusetts and Maine, in the report above alluded to in what they term an exchange of Ter- ritory, by leaving to your Majesty all the Lands lying North Eastward of the Rivers Saint John and Mada- waska, and taking for the United States a portion of Territory, on the west side of the River Saint John as far down as Eel River, far below the line now claimed by the United States. This would be to vary both the Line and the principle of Boundary in this quarter as desig- nated in the Treaty of 1783. There is moreover en- grafted on this proposition a right to the free Navigation and use of the River St. John to its mouth, and such a compromise it is stated would be for the mutual advan- tage of the two Nations. ** The Council and House of Assembly humbly con- ceive that tlie inconveniences and disadvantages to your Ji'*^4 102 * i n .4, N 1 Majesty's Interests of a River Boundary have been al- ready so much experienced in other parts of your Ma- jesty's North American Dominions, as to render it alto- gether inexpedient to adopt such a Boundary in this quarter, especially if the consequence is to be that a Fo- reign nation is to have a free ri^ht of navigation of a Great River lying altogether withm your Majesty's Ter- ritories for a distance of near two hundred miles down to its mouth in the Bay of Fundy, and to a coast navigation from thence along your Majesty's Territories for a dist- ance of sixty miles further until it meets its own sea board. The facilities for illicit trade, the exposure of frontier in a Mihtary view, and the controul of the com- munications between your Majesty's Provinces, which such an arrangement would aflford to a Foreign Power, are in addition to the relinquishment of a large portion of very valuable Territory, most cogent reasons against adopting it. The Council and House of Assembly on the contrary entertain the most sanguine hope, that your Majesty's Government will maintam the true principle on which the designation of Boundary in this quarter in the Treaty of 1783 was founded, namely, to leave within the Territories of the respective powers, the whole course of those Great Rivers, quite up to their sources, which have their mouths withm the same Territories. This is a principle in full accordance with that spirit of recipro- cal advantage and mutual convenience, which was the declared object of the provisional articles of Peace after- wards framed into the Treaty of 1783, which will make the line of Boundary to be a substantial separation be- tween the two distinct nations, will prevent that constant contact between their respective subjects that inevitably leads to dissension and difficulty, and will tend more than any one circumstance that can be named to preserve the integrity of your Majesty's remaining North Ameri- can Colonies. " Tl''^ Council and House of Assembly beg leave with great humility to lay this representation at the foot of the Throne. They cherish with undiminished confidence the persuasion that your Majesty will continue to bestow that gracious attention and regard to the rights and in- terests of your North American Dominions for whicl» (hey have liitherto had so much reason to be grateful." K ) 103 ye been al- your Ma- Mer it alto- iry in this that a Fo- liation of a Ijesty's Ter- liles down to It navigation for a dist- its own sea exposure of of the com- nees, which eign Power, arge portion sons against Usembly on pe, that your rue principle lis quarter in > leave within whole course (urces, which ies. This is rit of recipro- hich was the r Peace after- ch will make eparation be- that constant lat inevitably ill tend more ed to preserve North Ameri- eg leave with ;he foot of the onfidence the ue to bestow ights and in- ns for which )c grateful." (No. IV.) The Uepoit of one of Ihe Ameikan Agents to his (lovernment. ♦ Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Land Office, Boston, Nov. 10, 1823. May it please your Excellency. The Legislature of this Commonwealth passed several resolves, dated 16th Eebruary, and 11th June last, ni concurrence with resolves of the Legislature of the State of Maine, by which it was made my duty, in conjunc- tion with the Land Agent of the State of Maine, " forth- with to take effectual measures to ascertain the extent of the depredations committed on the lands belonging to this Commonwealth and the State of Maine, by whom the same have been committed, and under what autho- rity, if any, such depredations have been made, and all other facts necessary to bring the offenders to justice, also to make and execute good and sufficient deeds, con- veying to the Settlers on the undivided public lands on the St. John and Madawaska Rivers in actual possession as aforesaid, their heirs and assigns, 100 acres each, of the land by them possessed to include their improve- ments on their respective lots, they paying to the said Agents for the use of this Commonwealth, five dollars each, and the expense of surveying the same. And also to sell the timber on such of the undivided public Lands, as lie contiguous to, and near to the waters of the river St. John, in all cases where such sale will, in the opinion of the Land Agent, promote the interest of this Gam- mon wealth." In obedience to, and in pursuance of said resolves, and in consequence of the claim made by the Province ot New Brunswick to a large portion of the State of Maine, and granting permits to sundry persons to cut timber, and have, and still are exercising jurisdictional powers over the territory and inhabitants residing north of Mars- hill, it was thought expedient to make inquiries relative i I 104 to the facts, and that some possessory acts on the part of the two States should be resorted to without delay. The agent aforesaid took measures in the first place to ascertain whether any timber had been cut encroaching upon the territory of Maine, and if so, by whom, and under what authority. We ascertained from the lumber- ers themselves that a large amount of timber had been taken over our line, by permits issued from the Surveyor General's Office of the Province of New Brunswick, the names of the persons having said Permits, and the amount they have cut. We also learned that Permits were issued for the approaching winter. Under these circumstances, and to carry into effect the other resolves, it was necessary that we should make a journey to that section of the country. Accordingly, by agreement, I accompanied General Irish, the Land Agent for the State of Maine, the beginning of September to Bangor, where we engaged two men to take a batteau up Penobscot, Matawainkeag, and Barkenhegan Rivers, and over Schoodic Lake to Woodstock, on St. John River, and there remain our arrival. We proceeded to Fredericton by the way of Eastport and St. John City. When at Fredericton, we called at the Surveyor General's Office, and stated to him we wished to obtain some documents from his office, relative to permits granted for cutting timber upon the Arcostook and Madawaski rivers, to which he replied that he could not furnish such docu- ments without first consulting the Governor, who was then absent on a journey, and would not return for seve- ral days. We observed to him, that perhaps when we explained to him more particularly what we wanted, he would not think it necessary to advise with the Gover- nor, and if he would name an hour that day or the next, we would attend ; he however decHned acting until he had seen the Governor. We made a written communi- cation, stating the substance of our request, and that we were going up the river and would call at his office for an answer on our return. We then proceeded up river to Woodstock, where we found our boatmen, and after all things were in readiness, we continued up river, and about twenty miles below Madawaska river we met a Mr. Baker in a lumber boat coming down. Mr. Bakor formerly lived in Bingham, but now resides at his Mills 'i I 103 on the part 'thout delay, rst place to encroaching whom, and the lumber- er had been the Surveyor unswick, the its, and the that Permits Under these ither resolves, urney to that agreement, I t ibr the State fangor, where Penobscot, rs, and over n River, and to Fredericton y. When at neral's Office, ne documents id for cutting iski rivers, to sh such docu- nor, who was iturn for seve- laps when we ve wanted, he th the Gover- ly or the next, ting until he ;en commiuii- t, and that we his office for ided up river 2n, and after up river, and er we met a Mr. Baker s at his Mills at Marymiticook, fourteen miles above Madawaska river ; he finding out our business, left his boat and fol- lowed us up, and overtook us a little above Madawaska river, and continued with us up to his place at Marymi- ticook. He is an intelligent man, we received from him much valuable information as to the courses, distances and forms of the lakes, rivers, 8cc. — also relative to per- mits granted by the Province of New Brunswick for cut- ting timber, and with the names, dispositions and cus- toms of the Madawaska settlers. He informed us there were eight or ten families, most of whom came from the States, now residing at Fish river, about twenty miles above his residence, and that Wilmot and Peters, mer- chants of Fredericton, were now building mills at the mouth of said river. We did not conceive it to be ne- cessary for us togo up further — we commenced surveying the settlers' lots of one hundred acres each, to several of whom we have made deeds in conformity to said re- solves, but to survey all the lots in the possession of the settlers, would have employed our time till mid winter ; we thought therefore, it would be quite sufficient to make a few deeds, and then post up public notices of the dis- position of the State towards the settlers, which we did at the Catholic Church and at the Grist Mills ; these notices will probably be seen by most of the settlers. The water in the several rivers and streams being low, much more so than was ever known before by the oldest inhabitants, and diminishing daily, we concluded it would not be possible for us to return by the way of Matewam- keag River as we had intended, we therefore gave our boatmen ten days supplies of provisions, with instruc- tions to go up to Fisn River, and from thence cross over to Bangor by the head waters of the Penobscot River, and make a critical examination of the country, noting the streams, lakes and rivers, and generally all the infor- mation in relation to that section, that came to their knowledge. We then took Mr. Baker into our Batteau, and pro- ceeded down to St. John river, making domicihary visits to many of the settlers, with whom we conversed and ex- plained the objects of our visit; they all expressed great satisfaction and delight at the prospect of being received into the family of IVlaine, and were ready to take deeds ■ i Ufc a I— i il i ilii W l.. T «l 106 ! i of their lots, but moat of them have in possession from four to six hundred acres, and are desirous of purchasing at a fair rate sufficient to cover their possessions ; they have accordingly made appHcations to be submitted to the Legislature for that purpose. The Eastern boundary line crosses the St. John river about two miles above the grand falls — ^from the line to the Madawaska river is about thirty miles, the settlers are situated from eighty to one hundred rods apart, on each side of the river, nearly the whole distance, we counted the houses, in all two hundred and twenty-two, averaging eight persons in each, (which is considered a low average) will make the whole number one thousand seven hundred and se- venty-six — they are a very industrious, civil and hospi- table people, and well deserving the fostering care of go- vernment, many of whom have grants of their lands from the Province of New Brunswick, but they have lit- tle confidence in the value of the grants. — Between the grand falls and Eel river we undertook to number the nouses on the west bank in order to have some means of estimating the amount of population, but the smoke came upon us from the burning woods so astonishingly dense and suffocating, that we were frustrated in this design ; we however obtained some information from in- quiry to satisfy us that there are over two hundred and fifty families. These settlers are composed of half-pay officers, refugees and their descendants, also many Irish and some Scotch. We conversed with many of them to learn their dispositions for or against an exchange of territory : we found, generally, the descendants of Yan- kees would be pleased with it, but the half-pay officers and those now in the employ of government, would be very much averse — the first are much the most nume- rous. The land on the west side of St. John River, gene- rally speaking, is of an excellent quality, greatly supe- rior to the east side. There are large tracts of rich in- terval ; back of the intervals the land rises up a beauti- ful glacis, resembling art more than nature ; after as- cending the glacis you come to extensive tracts of table land, and further back to gentle swells of hard wood. This description, however, is not without some excep- tions. The suttk-rs raise large supplies of wheat, oats, I 107 Issession f'ruiu ofpurchnsiiig lessions ; they submitted to Item boundary iles above the aska river is from eighty of the river, houses, in all eight persons e) will make ndred and se- vil and hospi- ing care of go- of their lands t they have lit- — Between the lo number the some means of )ut the smoke > astonishingly strated in this mation from in- a hundred and led of half-pay also many Irish lany of them to n exchange of ndants of Yan- lalf-pay officers lent, would be le most nume- 1 River, gene- ^ greatly supe- cts of rich in- es up a beauti- ture ; al'ter as- tracts of table of hard wood, t some excep- )f wheat, oats. barley, hay, and the best potatoes 1 ever met with, and iudeed every article that can be raised in New England they have in abundance, with the exception of Indian corn, they are not, however, what we should call good husbandmen. The land on the Arcostook River is also of an excel- lent (juality for cultivation : there are upwards of twenty families settled on the banks of this river ; they all do something in agriculture, but most of them employ their time principally in lumbering ; they are very anxious to be quieted in their possessions, but we had no authority relating to them. On our way to New Brunswick, we were informed that the Government had received in- structions, from home, not to grant any more permits for cutting timber upon the Arcostook or Madawaska Ri- vers, until the boundary lines are permanently establish- ed. This information has been confirmed to us by the lumberers, with this addition, that the permits given for the approaching winter have been recalled, which has disappointed a great many who had previously got their supplies up river with a view to lumber extensively. We thought, under these circumstances, it would be well to make some provisions, by which they might obtain tim- ber from our soil, and prevent their disappointment, in- asmuch as the supplies they have of provisions, &c. near our lines, would undoubtedly enable them to plunder, and would be so used if not permitted to cut. We ap- pointed, with this view, an agent at Madawaska, and another at Arcostook, with power to grant permits under certain conditions and restrictions. On our return to Fredericton, we called at the Sur- veyor General's Office for an answer to our communica- tion ; he was not in his office. The Clerk informed us that he was at his house, as his dwelling was in danger from the burning woods. He (the Clerk) did not know of any answer, but that the Suveyor General wished to be informed when we called, and that he would imme- diately inform him. We told the clerk, that if any com- munication was to be made, we should be found at the Fredericton Hotel until Thursday morning, seven o'clock, (this being Tuesday) — we received no reply whatever. Whether it was the intention of the Surveyor General to withhold from us the information we wished, or whether m * f{ 108 it was owing to the confusion the town was in, in conse- quence of the conflagration of a large part of the village, we do not know, but we have reason to believe it was from the first motive. The information has however been fully obtained from the lumberers as before mentioned. In conversation with the merchants of the city of St. John, and Fredericton, we found they expressed gene- rally the opinion, that by the treaty of 1783 we obtained an advantage over them, which at the time was little understood ; and that according to the treaty, the Pro^ vince of New Brunswick would be nearly disjoined from Lower Canada, which could not be submitted to ; and that all that territory north-east of St. John and Mada- waska rivers must be theirs at any rate, by purchase or compromise ; should a compromise be made, as has se- veral times been intimated, so as to surrender up our claim to the above territory, and receive therefore all west of the St. John river, as low down as Eel river and North Lake, we shall lose about one-half the settlers at Madawaska, as about that proportion are on the east side, and obtain a larger number on the west side, below the Grand Falls that are hardly worth having. As it is of importance to the British to have a free use of the Madawaska river as a highway for the transportation of the Mail, &c. we ought, at the same time, to require the right of a free navigation and use of the St. John river, for the transportation of our lumber and other commodi- ties, to Eastport and elsewhere, without being subject to duties; and also that the several grants made to the Madawaska settlers be taken into account, and that com- pensation be made for the timber cut under the permits. Should a compromise upon these terms be made, we think it would be of mutual advantage to both nations ; for our present line cuts ott' a portion of the Aroostigouch river, wnere there is a large body of fine pine timber growth. We have recommended to Governor Parris (which has met his entire approbation) the following measures, to be adopted as expedient for the interest of all concerned, viz : That two Justices of the Peace be commissioned ; that a DeputySheriff" or Constable be appointed ; andthatonc or more Military Districtis be formed at Madawaska, and \m at a suitable time to he so organized that they may have a Representative in the Legislature of Maine ; and we think it would be the interest of both States, that autho- rity be granted to sell to the Madawaska settlers the land they have in possession, more than one hundred acres, for a reasonable consideration ; and that a bushed winter road be cut from the head quarters at Penobscot, in a direction near the head of the Arostook, and conti- nued to Madawaska or Fish Rivers ; the distance is about one hundred miles ; the expence would not exceed twenty dollars per mile, and it would probably enhance the value of each township through which it goes, equal to the cost of the whole road, and open a countiy that has scarcely been seen. I herewith have the honour to transmit a sketch of that part of Maine, as all the maps now in use are very erroneous in regard to that quarter. I am, with the greatest respect, Your Excellency's most obedient, and very humble Servant, GEO. W. COFFIN, Land Agent.' rris (which has [lissioned; that I ; and that one adawuska, and t': I (i t o 55 I ■> jl I 2 > s^ 1-^ ml r •"; rp --^ 'SJ *" L s t~* t^ T o t^ I. '-■«*' -^ CO eo CO 15 CO 05 T* CO CO «o .-< »o 00 r>» CO •»*•«•» i\ •» g;oo o Qc Q -* Tf 10 t- w 05 -^ CO QO 00 O <0 0> a s ■D B 8 oT— (NCO Tf W 55 f— >oo . OC 00 (N CO o 1 CO 10 ■3; t>. -^ CJ) C^ CO «0 CO CO 1 00 p tales. 316, 443. 964, 140, 138, 997, s 2 >« •£ r/1 ** •« •! » » ^ •« t^ ^ »•« ^ '— t>. 05 >0 05 • W p-H C< CO rt< CO — a 3 s. .-1 CO -^ — ' o» 05 a> « A « <« xt v^ ti ^ M CO t^ 10 (N Oi ^^ 00 M CO CO r>» CO t^ ^ 00 —1 00 CJ) (N n A «t .1 vs i« 1, s _« 00 "0 CO CO ^OJ 'O »o .(3 <— 1 -^ (N CO -^ «0 CO CO ^ =fj c^ ,w>-^ ^■— ^ <«• a . <« u 0.5 »f «.a , S^S s: 10 § ^* tJ* ^* Tf< ^* ^* l> C» 3> 0<-' 0< B Increi Amoui hose of ve Incre trtion e whole. 00 Cm 01 t^ J> t>. 00 00 00 Ltivi ral vet "( >• f-^ f^ 1— » 1— r f^ r-" arati iropo to th t g 4) B. a.S " o.""™ >i< • Com the 1 1824 Com the part M a s i u o •• t>. s. 00 nw f-^ '0 i^ 00 a i 2 o i^l U€ a. (N 00 Cm O en o a. X Comparison nj' the Increase of liritish Tonnage ernphi Great liritain and the United States, the YEARS. 1772. 1789. 1799. 1808. The Colonial re turns from 1 8U8 to 1814 are lost 1824. Compariaoii of the "^ several Amounts f in 1824 with ( 1772. 3 Comparigon of tho*\ proportion of the / parts to thewhole > in 1824 with i 1.72. J 182.5. WHOLE TONNAGE. Averajfc of tlie Amount 1 cleared outwHrds on the > 3 preceding year8(l) . J 834,066 The like Averiige(l) .... 1,376,841 Like Average on 10 year8(l) 1,322,238 The like on 9 ycars(l) . . . 1,433,691 The like on 10 year8(l) . . . 2,229,540 167 per cent. Increase. TO qES. Medium oft ,2 19 tered ar Average ceding Tonnage which ' i.e. (2) The like M.'''*^^ IVIedium ai year8(3) 4,196 1,735 Average ,7 j^g cliared < 21 K Whole Amount cleared(l) . 2,262,458 Whole Ai* 1.332 (1) Moreau's Table. (2) llepori: of the Lord (No. VI.) Comparison of the Increase of liritish Tonnage emphtfed annually, between (ireat B: Great liritain and the United States, the West Indies, and the North A YEARS. 1772. 1789. 1799. 18C8. TLe Colonial re- tuins from 1808 to .^814 are lost 1824. Comparison uf the "^ several Amounts f in 1824 with ( 1772. } Comparison ofthe'\ proportion of the # parts to the whole > in 1824 with i 1772. J \S2b. WHOLE TONNAGE. Average of the Amount 1 cleared ouhvardii on the S 834,066 3 preceding years (1) . } The like A\criige(l) .... 1,376,841 Like Average on 10 ycarB(l) 1,322,238 The like on 9 ycars(l) . . . 1,433,691 The like on 10 year8(l) . . . 2,229,540 167 j)er cent. Increaso. Whole Amount cleared(l) . 2,262,458 TO THE UNITED STATES. Medium of the Amounts en-" tercd and cleared on nn Average of the 3 pre- ceding years. Whole Tonnage 86,745. Of | which ^ were British, i. e. (2) 65,058 rhe like Medium & Averagc(2) 52,595 11,082 IVfedium and Average on 10 ) Like Like Average of the Amount) r i loo cleared on 10 yeari<4) . ] ''''^°^ 21 per cent. Decrease. ."i^',, per cent. Decrease. Whole Amount cleared (4) . . 43,139 The A Ave Wh (1) Moreau's Table. Ci) llepoit of I 111' Lords of Trade in 01. (3) Mf L •v?'«w^ilip;^»^'.'r--''''*l»*9«Mf«**'*#^ro^ KW^srsm" (No. VI.) nnually, bHween Great Britain and all I'urit of the World, (including to Ireland), and \t Indies, and the North American ColuHiex, respectively from the year 1772. UNITED HTATE8. Vniounts en-" iired on Hn the 3 nre- 8. Whole ,745. Of I ro British, The same MrJiun Hnrf ) -, .^^ Avt'ragt'(2'* ^ ' 65,058 \ & Average(2) 52,695 'T."".*"} 11,082 lie Amount ) r i iqq years(4) . } '''''«« ent. Decrease. cent. Decrease. WEST ind;/.- The same Medium and) noiq Average (2) j ' Like Medium and Average (2) 128,207 Like on 10 years (3) 143,402 Average of the Amount ) oi7 qr« cleared on 2 year»(4) . .] ''*''°o» 189 per cent. Increase. ■/n per cent. Increase. NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES. cleared(4) . . 4.3,139 Whole Amount cleared (4) . . 205,191 Like Me) OlHciul returns lor IH'M. (p) We have' ^^-'^^ ^ rH- .# -v»^' (No.VU.) Comparison of the whole Exports, and the whole Tonnage in foreign Trade cUare Colonies, respectively, in the Yean 1769 and II 176 UNCTED STATES. EXPORTS. Whole amoant (a) 1825. £2,852,441 TONNAGE. Whole amount (a) 351,664 tons. Whole amount (i) Ikol. £99,535,388 Sterling . . 22,395,463 Increase . . 685 per cent. Whole amount (c) 1,1 14,000 tons. 216 per cent. EXl 1769. (d) Canada. Article Shipping bui (d) Newfoundland. Shipping buil (d) Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward's Shipping built (e) Hudson's Bay . Whole a 1825. (/) Canada. Articles Shipping built (g) Newfoundland. AJ Shipping Built (A) Nova Scotia. Arti Shipping built. (t) New Brunswick. Shipping builtj (t) Prince Edward's L Shipping built (p) Hudson's Bay . . Whole amoui St Increase . . (a) Macpherson's Annals. Pitkin's Stettistics. (b) Authentic information. (c) Computed accord tonnage was 930,501. This account includes Foreign as well as American shipping. (d) Abbe Raynal, Hi imports from England are there transposed. The account of the exports to Scotland which is there wanting, of tonnage. There may have been one vessel. (.0 Computed from official accounts of the auantity accorc We have no account of the ships built in that Colony. (A) Official returns of the value of me articles exp have added, for the exports of the Out-Bays, the same proportion, which the tonnage of the Out-Bays to Ore returns of quantity ana value for 1824. We regret that we have no account for 1825, as the exports, ship-l we have no returns, nor any certain information. (/) Official accounts. {m) Information. The returns by their proportion in the tonnage of Nova Scotia. (n) Official returns of the Out-Bays for 1825, and of t October. (o) Official returns for 1824. (/>) We have good information of the exports, but none of any i (No. VU.) tge in foreign Trade cleared, fr Articles . 15,435 Prince Edward's Isl. 3 Shipping builtj 110 tons . . 1,100 (e) Hudson's Bay a^^,* •* Mftjeif; • '^'^8'' Whole amount .... £225,878 1825. ■ ■ ,: ,.>-.,,K:' ■. (/) Canada. Articles' . . . ! 1 . ."£965,243 Shipping built, 22,636 tons 326,360 (g) Newfoundland. Articles .... 764,677 Shipping Built, {h) Nova Scotia. Articles 640,330 Shipping built, 17,000 tons 170,000 (i) New Brunswick. Articles . . . 463,043 Shipping built, 16,488 tons 164,880 {k) Prince Edward's Island. Articles Shipping built, (p) Hudson's Bay . 106,640 Whole amount currency £3,500,063 .vm-h;. Sterling . . £3,150,057 Increase . . . 1280 per cent. TONNAGE. Canada 7,638 Newfoundland 10,458 Nova Scotia, 1 New Brunswick, [■ 7,334 Prince Edward's Island, ) Hudson's Bay Whole amount .... 35,410 tons. ;,_.. :J. -.R (/) Canada .... $35,896 tons 10,166 men. (m) Newfoundland 90,000 4,580 (») Nova Scotia . . 89,733 (o) New Brunswick 274,253 (k) Prince Ed.'s Is. (p) Hudson's Bay 4,596 12,161 Whole amount . 689,872 31,503 689,872 tons. -^ t:. 2610 percent. 'f ition. (c) Computed according to the proportion their tonnage usually bears to their exports. In 1823 their ping. (^d) Abbe Raynal, Histoire Pfiilosomique, edition of 1772. It is to be remembereti that theexports and }tland which is there wanting, is here supplied from Macpherson. (e) Macpherson. We have no account accounts of the quantity according to the prices current, (g) Computed in like manner from oflicial accounts, of the value of the articles exported from the Port of Halifax for eight months of the last year. To which we mnage of the Out-Bays to Great Britain and the West Indies bears to such tonnage of the Port. (i) Official )r 1825, as the exports, ship-building, and tonnage for that year were much greater. (k) Of this Colony m) Information. The returns, of 1823, give 80,532 tons, of 1821, 91,310. The number of men is computed B Out-Bays for 1825, and of the Port of Halifax for 1824, as the returns of the Port for last year are only to the exports, but none of any tonnage. ^ '"f^vl^^^ ni These Tables, it is hoped, will convey a f'avounhle idea of the difference between Colonial and Foreign Trade, and of the increase and resources, of our Pro- vinces in North America. The imperfection and irre- gularity observable in our Accounts is owing to want of information, which we have not the time, or means, to acquire. As. we have reckoned the Ships built among Exports, it is necessary to remark, that most of these are intended for the English market, as remittances ibr goods, quite as much, as the Timber with which thVy are laden ; and as this may not be the case with all, and it is difficult to say with how many, the fairer way appeared to be, to put down in the other side of the Account, the Sliipping built in 69, though these were probably all for domestic trade; this can make little difference in the comparison, as our object is to measure, not the value of Exports, with the United States, but the relative increase. On both sides, the vessels are computed at the same price, £10. per ton, their worth, or their cost, in the Colonies, last year. In strictness, perhaps, the United States should be charged, in 69, with part of 20,000 tons, the amount built by them in that year, most of which were then merely a remittance to England, as now in the Colonies. This would con- siderably diminish the ratio of their increase, as their situation now must have nearly deprived them of such an export. The year of 1825 was indeed a year of over-trading in the Colonies, as well as elsewhere ; but no less so in the United States. The extraordinary rise of their cotton here, as well as other causes, made their exports for that year to exceed their imports by more than three mil- lions, (an event perhaps unprecedented in their history,) and exceed their exports in 1822, by seven-and-twenty millions, of dollars. In 1769 the proportion of foreign produce in their exports was about l-3Uth. During the last twenty years it has frequently formed a half, some- times more, and seldom less than a third or fourth part. The account of Tonnage cleared from the Colonies, includes Foreign Vessels, but is strictly exclusive of the coasting Trade, Fisheries, or Trade of the Lakes. The Americans calculate the average value of their freights, out and home, in foreign Trade, at 50, or even 70 dol- 4, mmmm ■■*v i^ f y 112 lare a ton. (Scybert, 281.) As more vessels return to the Colonies in ballast, if we value their voyages at half that sum, or even at £5. a ton, and take the tonnage cleared last year at 700,000. (and were the returns com- plete it would be found no less,) the freights of that Country must have been £3,500,000. The Map, which has been added, of Jie Boundary Line, is of course not intended as any evidence of our claim, but only to convey a clearer idea of the question. rriE END. LONDON: tnOTSOM AND PAI.MKll, I'KINTERS, SAVOV STnF.I'.T. 1 -••«.*«ei*«sS»srt** --M-.-* 'i^iSSBBtaKTT^ m 1 )>^Kn8i^^^S!: 1 ^R!q9!HH||h.' ■Htt: ^'■nw < i^^^^^^K' .. ' F I ■iiSffi'' 1 1 D ■n SHELF BINDER OAyiORD BROS, Inc. Syucuit, N. y. Stecklon, Calif. mr 1 . . ■ '< m ..'(5, .• ■iV ^"^'Hr^' ::^t. V'-v,^'-: ■'.M.'. -^fl^- ^J^. r '■•, ,ti*>. ■