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Tous les eutres exempleires originaux sont filmte en commenpant par la premiAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustrstion et en terminent par la darnlAre pege qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un dee symbolee sulvents apparattra sur la derniire imege de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols -^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, plenches, tableeux, etc., peuvent Atre filmta i dee taux de rMuction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul ciichA, il est fllmA A partir de i'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Lea diegremmes sulvents illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 > j^-^.. bJk3 i PROPOSED SOUTHERN RAiyfJf. 1 tit-US w«l! LETTER TO THE RAILWAY C BY S MESSRS. IT. B. AVILLSON AND .FAMES ADAM, IN FAVOR OP THR HAMILTON ROUTE. civil; ^.■. i'T'' 4. '*■ QUEBEC: PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE CANADA GAZETTE. 1855. V THE PROPOSED SOUTHERN RAlIiWAY. LETTER TO THE llAILWAY COMMITTEE BV MESSIIS. n. r,. AVII.LSOX AND JAMES ADAM, IN FAVOR or TUB HAMILTON ROUTE. QUEBEC: rniNTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE CANADA GAZETTE, 1855. / f \ T H K PROPOSED SOUTHERN RAILWAY Quebec, 3rd April, 1835. To the Honorable Sir Allan N. MacXab, M. P. P., Cliairman of the Railway Coininitl^e, &c., &c. Sir, — Bcir)i( (Icpnted by the Petitioners for the Aet, to ineorporate the IJainilton ami South Western Railway {"ouipany (whieh will shortly come before the Corniiiittee on Railways) to net as the Agents of the proposed Company, we beg to <'xplain to you the grounds upon vviiieh they claim the favor;ii)le attention of I'arliament ; and request that you wijl lay this eom- mimieation lielore the Counnittee whenever the subject of a Soullttmn Railway shall come up for coii^jderation. We would, in the first pliict% direct the att(Mition of the Cornmilt.ee to the accompanying Map-or Skeich of South-Wesicrn Canndii, showing the route proposed to be followed by the Petitioners for the Hamilton and South-iVestern (Charter, and also indicating the lines idreiidy o|)enee years increase, at I.S(),()00, Hy ref'-rem-e to the subjoined Table, will be seen the numlier of acres of land, ; ■icssed value of taxable property, and population of these several Counties. In April, 4H;36, a Charter was granted for the construction (if a Ran >vay, to extend from the Niagara to the Detroit Miver, which, according to the Survey then made, was intended to skirt the shore of Lake Erie. 'I'he reasons which deterred the commenc(>mi'nt of this line, and the eonsecpu'iit expiry of the Chnrler, from )ion iisrr, are so well known, that tli^y need not be referred to. The grounds upon which the Legislature were ai)peale(i to, by the (ireat Westerii Company, which was subsetiuently chartered, to refuse lo the Lake Erie CompiUiy, a renewal of their Aet of Incorporation are of more importance and re(|uire notice. Upon each renewed application of the parlies interested, in this South(!rn line, they were met by the Great Western Company with the argument that being competing lines, there was not sullieient business to support both, uud lliut couseipiently Capitalists would refuse lo embark iheijr f money in either; and that the Country would thus lose the advantajres of a Railway altoj^olher ; and further that the Great Western, ironi its locality, was inure national in its ehaiaeter, and entitled to prior consideration. Whatever force the tirst of these arguments may have had at the time they were urged, ihey can have none now that the Great Westeru is completcHi, and doing an immense business — a business that under a wise and economical manage- ment, will at once give a very handsome return uj)on the money invested in it. As regards the Great Western Railway, the chief question we apprehend, for consideration, is, whether the proposed Southern line, if built, would reduce its receipts below what would prove a fair remuneration to the Shareholders. Upon this point we beg to otler a few brief obs(;rvalions, to show, 1st. that the local Irathe of the Great Western would not be materially allected by the construction of the Southern line, and 2nd. that there will be amj)le way and through business to support both lines. Upon the tirst point it is unnecessary to say nuicli. The distance of the Great Western Railway from the shore c»l Lake Krie is such, that the products for peveral miles inleri .r, must find their way to market by the LaUe, muil annlhcr line is constructed nearer the shore. This line would iherelure have a new and distinct lo(-al trallu;, which the Great Western never can conunand. As to the second point — The Railway Committee will no dou])t re<]uire more particular evidence on this subject befi)re deciding to recommend the chartering of a line of road, which might act so injuriously to the interests of those who have in- vested largely in the Great Western, as not to all'ord them a fair retJirn. This the parties desirous of securing a Southern line, will be prepared to supply when called for. It will now be sullicient to allude to the subject in general terms. At present the foreign tiirough tratlic of the Great Western Railway is chiefly drawn from the lines, wlii(;h traverse the State of New York and meet the former at its eastern terminus, tin; Suspension Rridge, and Irom the Michigan Central Railway. The through traliic constitutes al)out one half the gross receipts of the line. According to rc])cated statemciUs made by the Detroit Newspapers, the through business has been seriously ciirtailcd, on account of the unfinished -:ircd to ibjcct in wny is id meet oiii the tie half de by rtaih'd, ife'cr, as K ngthe they ) have n oj)e- eriean » with Ware, 'eekly ir last oiitin- ?,500, five a usive ideve- lope the traffie of a now line, and that even tl n there is a steady annual in- iCMea.se of l)usin('sis, unless diverted into other channels. According to nu- merous instances, that might be cited, such as most of the Western Raihviiys, we have a riglit to infer, that by the lime another line can be conslrucled anfl fully equipped, the Great Western through and way Irailic will have doubled from present sources alone. The receipts would then, (say widiin four t)r five years,) reach a weekly average of over <£I5,()!)(), and it may be ques- tioned whe'iher a single tvac U line can do a larger busiuos. These estimates, which, we believe, are not it! all exagerated, are made wholly upi>u the data allbrded by the soiuces V\ hence the (Jreat Western trallic is ai j)resent drawn. I p to this time, it has received no business froai the Michigan Southern Railway, which hiis a nuicli larger trailic than the Central Line, liy the end of this year, this lini' wiTl have a coimection with the Canadian Road at Detroit, and will adtl largely to ils receii)ts. In less than two years, another »nosl iuijjortant lin(! for Canadian iiitcresls will be completed. This is the Delroit and Milwaiiivie Rai!\\;iv, cxiending I'nMii the former city, through the ctentri' and iiiiest piirt of Michigan, to Grand Haven, opposite to Milwaukie. Of this line 2'} miifs are already eom- j)lcted an(i runnintr, und .'30 more are to be oi>eiic(l about midsuuimer, the grafling being dojie aud the iron on tlic spot. Nearly the enlire business of liiis new line may be secured U) Cauadi!, li'jjroper lacililies be provided. Several thousand miles of new Kaiiways have recenlly been opened, or are in progress, extending like yreat arteries, from (.'liicago, Milwaukie and Detroit, inlt) the Valley of the Missi>sip|ii ; all of which will contribute more or less to the shorter and Ix-tter roiUe tlir.aiah Canada. \\ lieu all these lines phall have become fully es)ai)lis!ie(l, and have (Kvclo|)ed their respective trallics, say live years hence, it is easily demon>lrable, that even two double track Railways through Canada will be recpired to meet the exigencies of this vast Western business, seekinij: I'asleru marl'.etsjo which must be added the large local trallic that will thi'ii exist. This latter, on the Great Western, for the last hall year, exceeded A! 1(M),(H)(). Keeling assured that there w ill be suHicient evidence to induce Parlia- ment to ehaiter a secon.l line, in order to secure to Canada the largest pos- sible amount of this iuuneuse Western trallic, wt" 1 eg to direct your attention to the several pro;ects now before i'arliauieni, for accomplisiiing this impor- tant object. In doin:,^ so we claim for the proposed '■'■ jiamillou and South- weslern" route, as indicated on tlic Map, the l.ivonible consideration of the Couuuittee, on the saiae grounds that wen' siippn.H'd to have indiu-ed Parliament to give a preference ;.) the claims of the (ireat Western over the Niagara and Detroit liivers route, namely, that the lormer wt)uld be more conducive to Provincial interests. Of the correclni'ss of this view, there can be no douiit. If the local in- terests of the southern part of Canada, would lie (ujually well served, by any of the projects claiming charters for the souiheru Railway, that which would draw the largest auaMuit of trailic upon our great provincial thoroughfares, which have cost so iiuh-Ii money, we sulaiiit ought to have the preference. The leading policy of (Government in these matters, we respecll'ully contend, slaiuld be, to make all private enterprises of iliis nature, si'cking parliament- ary sanction, as far as possible to subserve ProviaciiU rather than Foreign, or merely individual inlerests. It is not loo nuu'h to e>tiuiate, that i1m> Gn>at Western Railway will this year, contribute l,'.>,OUU tons of freight to our Luke and River Shipping tj:ade i wliich would Iiavc liilIcM into llie liuiids of the Ain*M'k'iin I'tirricrs, had llic Southern \Anv. bv.vn l)iiih in its stead. This hivge and prolitablc business v.ill overv VL'ar increase ; and when the Hauiiltou and 'J'oro opened, a lew months Jienee, the latter eity will be able to com|)( yr IS on f i'avoral)le t(>rnis, tor a share of this newly developed business. Tlu; additional ireiglil that will be lnoiiLiht to the basin of Lalu? Ontario, whi<'lievinir that the Railway Couimiltee will act with th(> view, not only of promotiuir Provincial iuteresls, but also upon the hiufher principl(> of doing justiee to those w ho took cio( k in (mu' 'jvi':\\ Railways uow constructing under very llalteiinif ri'pieseijiations, v\ c will jirocei d to point oiu in what respects the route, indicated for the iiamilion and South-Western line, meets the designation of a I'i'ovinci:il imdcilil; inir. It may here be noted that, so I'ar as the more ireni'ral interests of the Pro- vince are invobcd in tie (jnestioii, the forci^'n tliron^li passemj;er trallic is of .secondary imprrlaiice to tlie tVeiirht busine-s, w hlch contributes very essen- lially to the conmierce ol a comiliy. This source of prolit (arising from the rarryiiiif of throuiih pas-en^er--) will, however, be of the almost importance to the proposed Railwi'v il-cll. '["lie proii'clors ol the Ibuuilton and South W(^stt'rn line do not I'Xjieci, or d.sirc, to tlivcrt this class ol traliic from the most direct ronies. Rcl'enimr airain to tlie map, it will be seen tliat the I'astern portion of the route, between the .\iaLr:;ia 'wul Detroit liivi-rs, is already in part supplied by t!ie liullalo Mud {{riaitord Line ; lli;ii is between Rnlildo and i)unville. It' the prc'en^ii is ol ihe I'.rie and ( )ii1ario Railwav Company, to the right to extend tlieir rur Iroin ("iiii-Mcwa to Dinivilic, Ijc well founded, a i)ranch route wHI be opiiie I Ironi Duiiviili' to the Suspension Uridge. Tiie link, in the Main Souiheiii Line. ii.'!we(i) Dn.ivilie und Siiiicoe, will be supplied by the W'oodstoek an dilliaent parties, or as shall be dictated by the Connnittee, in order to sc'cnre an obiect of such great public ini- ))ortance. I'pon this subject wa; shall have many additional arguments lo (jllcr III the propiT lime, should the parlies, ^vhu have [)0ises.sed lliemsclvcs of the the resjj niit stai hoH liml par the ifrs, Iijul ihe •We business Railway is c<)mp(!(e on liff additional 'ii<;li by the 1 a very im- from the )orl;iiice (o md South inim the lortion of y in |)urt ";do and ii)t;uiy, to 'iindrd, a s'''- 'I'he , will be ' riglil to K'oe, the id to the 111 ley, or iiceurate t Dover '•,) was liat it 13 of the s shall I ted by lie ini- I'nts to ■Ives of t 6 the cohtrol of that charier, refuse nn (•i|nit;il)!(> arniiL'VMiumt. On Ijoliiilf of th(^ petitioni.'is lor llic liarnillon and South Wcslcin i{iiilw;iy Ad, we uio^t respectfully recpiest, in case ol' such obii'Ctiniis liriii:,' iiiisid h( roic the ("oni- mittce, that an o|)p()rtiuiity Ix- idlonlcd llicui to jjivr evidence ol the ciicuui- stances luidcr wiiicli liic llaniillon niid Dover cliaiter is licid hv pavtii'S hostile to the interests of the city of llainilton and to the con>trnc lion ofllic line, a re(|nest so reason;d)le, \\ e feel coniident, will not he |-el'ii.v'(l. By the charterinif of the liainiltdii and Sontli Western I'aiKvay ("oui- pany, the earlier completion of the line will be secured, in conscijuence of the i)owcrful aid that will !)e extended to it by llic wealthy meichants aiui eiti/ens and by the Corporation of Hamilton. A i;reai Soutlieiii line, for the through passenger tialllc i)"t\v. 'cn the Kastern and Western Slates, will thus be opened. I5y making the portions ol the Woodstociv and Krie, and the Bufl'ulo and Hrantl'ord Kailv\avs, indicated, linivs in this Southern route^ these lines woidd beeouie good paying enterpnsrs, and the ('i)i-poialions that have subscribed so largely for their construction will be relieved from an oppressive taxation, to meet the inlcu'st on their bonds. Thus the whole of Southern Canada will be amply provided w illi Railway acconuuodation. The most important object however, that w ill be acciimplishcd, -w ill be, the facilities aliorded lor the transport of lrei<;hl by the best and uiosl avail- able channel. The Situation of llamiiton at the Head ol Lake Ontario U|)on the fines) Harbor on the Lake and the wealthy population, and commercial importance of the town itself, undoubtedly point it out, as the most natural e.rtrr/)6f for the nn-rchandi/e and products t)f the southern and western parts of the Province. The Lake and River freights are the same from TIainilton as from Ports 40 or 50 miles further east, and the cost of this distance of Railway transit will be saved to the merchant and the farmer: unless the uii'ans of forcing this lariic and valuable traliic iiHo the hands of foreign carriers he aliorded to par- ties who are seeking that ohjec), ni'aily the entire iVciyiit business of the south- west will reach the head of Lake Ontario, and be taken up either by the Lake Carriers, or the (irand 'I'rnnk Railway, and will contribute to the sup- port of our public works and to the wealth of the [*i(i\inee. It may !)<■ contended that these ohjeeis can be e(|ually well secured, by the construction of the Hamilton and lN)it l)o\er IJne as a separate enterprise; this we cannot admit. If an object of any kind is desired, the most cer- tain mode of acliievinir it, we contend, would he to place the means in the hands t)f those, whose interests are idcntilied with its attainment, rather than in the power of persons having a directly opposite interest. Such is the |)osi- tion of the two rival claimants lor the rii^lit to build and control the Southern Kailway, as contrasted w ith the Hamilton project. The leading agitator, for one of the foruK-r Companies, is himself an American Citizen ; and the tien- tlcman who manages the aifairs of the other, has always been the advocate of a foreign policy in nd'crciice to this line. We cannot closr this comnnmication without noticing the circumstances under which the attempt is being made by ihi' parties w ho control the Wood- stock and Lake Erie Kailw ay Charter, to procure its ameiulmcnt so as to cnid)le them through it, to control the Southern route. As we arc inl'oruu'd and be- lieve the Hill for I'llcctin^ this objeiM, has Ix en simiu^gled into the House, under a simi)le notice for amendmeius, to their Charier or lor tlic right to extend their line to St. Thomas. This Mill has not yet been printed, as we are informed, and consequently we have had no means (»f knowing the extent of the powevs nslvod for. Wc ran 8cniT(>ly credit fhe statomont, lliat a measure aflecting the iiitcicsts id Iwo IiiiikImhI lli()u>>:ind people directly, and in which the \vlii)h' C()i;i)try is iiHiiiictly coiu-cined, should hiive passed the Coniniittee oil Standini,' Orders under a notice which did not more fidly specify its objects. We trust that we have been mis-informed on tlie snbjecf. The ■\V\)()(lst(!clv and Lal\1end their line in an opposite direction, sonielhing like 150 miles, upon a rente never contemplated at the time of the passage of the oriirinal Act. I'pon a short line, of less than 40 miles, it is thus soii'dit to tack, for iiurclv persona 1 o!>iects, another line 150 miles loiiix. wholly disconnecicd with, and formiui; an acute ani,de to their main line, hav ing be en given and this attempt is made, too, without any public notice of the real ililcntion ol tlie parties. If I'arliament, iictiny in iiriiora nee of these facts, should l)e induced to grant the aMiendmerU asked for, these parties propose to complete a Southern line of Kaihvay, irom the Detroit Kiver to the Falls of Niagara (where the chief mover in the scheme owns a lai?.re properly) by means of the right claimed by the Erie and Ontario Railway Company to carry their road from that point to Dunviile. This will appear by i-i'fcrence to the map, as exhibited in the liailway Committet- Room. Jiodithe Krie and Ontario and Woodstock lines are controlled by the same parties, an, in point of time, nearer, for heavy merchandize and the chief products of the soil, (which durin<,' na\ iija- tioii aie transported by w ater) to the Kastern markets, by four days at lensl, than Bidlalo or Dunviile. We i-oiiceive that no stronger armmient can be adduced in fav«ir ol these I'orts becoming the best on the F.aki', for carrying on thi! co/iimerce of the Western and Southern parts of the Province. We feel assured that the Committee on Railways, in view of the facts we have stated, will allord to tiiose whom we represent and to the eitirensof Hamilton, and others interested, a lairopportimiiy ol laying belore them such further evidence as the importance of tiie Mibj('ct ilcmands, before making their RepiTt to the Legislative As>emi)ly. In concluiiion we bi'g to subscribe ourselves, Vour very obedient servants, 11. B. WILLSOX, J. AD.A^T t I I p. S, — Since writini,' the al)ovo we have learned, that the umde by which the Wood.siock and Lake Lrii- Company propose to ellect their object, lor pntcuring n Southern Line of Railway, is by obtaininij the power to extend their Line Eastward iVom Dunviile to the Falls of Niagara and WestwanI » nsnre a flee ting il in which thu IIk' Coniinitlee lly specify its )jcct. authorized by )ver, fxn(] have, m Sinicoe, to ^c-t .*io amended >n, something >i the passage iles, it is thus ') miles long, 'ir main line, ng been given c inchu'ed to 'te a Southern a (where the IS of the right leir road from ), asexhil)iled id VVoddsfoek Mg directions are luade to nc of greater 1 allude to in Committee, K', nearer, for im,' na\ii,ra- lys at least, iient can he or carrying ce. of the facts cil incus of llirni such 'I'c making I from Simcoo to St, Tlinmns- From St. Thnmfift lo tlio Detroit Rivcrra now Co!n|)any is proposixl lo be charlcrcil, of which notice is said to have beini given. As the object aiuK'd at, and the jirinciph; involved are precisely the same, wt- do not deem it necessary to alter the text of the letter. II. B. W. J. A. T A \i L E SnKWi\(; the Ar(>a of tiie foUowinij Counlic>, tlu^ Population thereof in 1853, togcthrr willi the Assessed V'aliU' of I'lopcrty lliercin in IH51. X' ft' . ; Niuiibcr ol Nami's oi Counties, I Acres. I I Wellaud ' 3.2S,O0() H;.ldim;iiil!\ o^s.), juo KIgiu ■ 137,10.5 Kent rj:):,(l(HI Kssex l.}.i,;JO(l W'cutworlli, •'xcliisivc (ij llamilloii C0."),J3.J ' 3,JS7,()\, '•y w hie ft object, for to cMciid ^Nesiwan.1