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A LETTER 
 
 PROU A 
 
 MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRADE, 
 
 0\ TIIK SliB.IKCT OK TIIK 
 
 QUEBEC HAKBOUIl COMMISSION. 
 
 QIIKHKC: 
 
 I'llINTfclD IIY rilOMPSON, HUNTEIl & 00.. N.-. 26. .ST. UIISULE STREET. 
 
 1861. 
 
A. LKTTKR 
 
 PROM A 
 
 MEMBER OP THE BOARD OK TRADE, 
 
 OM THE SlinJECT OP TIIR 
 
 QUEBEC UARBOUIl COMMISSroN. 
 
 I 
 
 <■•»■ 
 
 Some two years have now elapsed since the Commissioners ap- 
 pointed under the " Act to provide for the improvement and 
 management of the Harbour of Quebec," commenced their hibours, 
 and it must, at least, be yiid that they have applied themselves to 
 their task with a seal most unmistakable, with a spirit of indepen- 
 dence most decided, and with an evident determination to show, at 
 I no very distant period, some solid and tangible result of their 
 deliberations and large pecuniary outlay. For this zeal, for this 
 independence, and for this sincerity, Ave have certainly every reason 
 to congratulate ourselves on the excellent selection, from amongst 
 our fellow-townsmen, made by the Government, in the gentlemen 
 who have been appointed to the important posts of Commissioners. 
 
 But while we are bound to recognize the great activity and 
 energy which the Harbour Commissioners have shown in the per- 
 formance of their duties, it by no means follows that >ve are bound 
 to bear testimony to the prudence or the judgment which they have 
 displayed in the selection of a plan of operations. It may pos- 
 sibly be that, led away by too great a /.onl to distinguish themselves 
 as the originators of a novel and perfect system of wharfage accom- 
 modation, by an independence which does not sufficiently seek, nor 
 
•.vei;^'' *''^ iiiorits of the sii^i^gCHtioiis miuI views of wliiit may Im' 
 UtiikmI oiitsiilo |)iirtii'M, ami l>y too norvons a do.siri" lo display tin ir 
 siiicority Ity pointing; at iiii early date to tlio coniplclioii of some 
 tna,i:nilici'iit iiiKlertakiiif;, tlicy may commit tlicmselvcs to a. sdieinr 
 wliicli will prove to defeat the objocts they have theiiiMclves in 
 view, and ciirry into i xeoution a system of so called imi)rovemeiils 
 which may hereafter he condemned iis a ^resit mistnke, when it is 
 too late to remedy it, and when, too, the port may hv Haddle<l with 
 heavy increased charges to provide for the pecuniary burden they 
 have imposed upon it. 
 
 When Ave look at what the Harhcnu- Commissioners have already 
 done, and relloct on the vigorous preparations they ar<> luakin;; to 
 push on their works with every jiossilde dispatch, it cannot he 
 i|Ui'stion('d, thiit the time has fidly arrived when those who 
 feel liny real interest in the futuri' pros])erity of (.^uehec, should 
 consider most seriously whether the proposed scheme of improve- 
 ments is the best which could be iidopled. It woidd Ix; obviously 
 unjust !(» wiiii, without remonstrance, until the result of any error 
 wliich may now be committed be patent to every one, and then 
 condemn the present Commissioners for having uiiide it. To avoid 
 this, if there be any (juestion as to the foresit^ht and ])rudence of 
 ihe Commissioners as ilisphiyed in their scheme of contemplated 
 improvements, the subject should at once be fully publicly discuss- 
 ('(1 iind ventilate<l. This is, it seems to me, a duty whicli we <»we 
 both to the (Commissioners themselves and to our interest in the 
 trade and prosperity of the port. 
 
 Now there is, I citnceive, a very j^reat doubt whether the plan 
 wliich tlie Ilarbotir Commissioners propose is the best, considering 
 the circumstances, which they could adopt, an<l 1 can only attri- 
 bute tlie fact that, as yet no decided public protest has been made 
 auainst it, by some one far ])etter able to u'rapple with the (piestion 
 than myself, to the conjecture that those of our eitizetis, who 
 should have the matter most at heart, are really so ashamed of the 
 miserable condition of the harbour accommodat'on that they are 
 unwillinjT to dwell upon it publicly, and feeling, as we all must, the 
 utmost confidence in the intei^ritv and sincerity of the Commis- 
 sioners, are content to leave to them the extremely arduous and 
 critical duty of improving matters. 
 
 Now, as the public weal should be a matter of the utmost possible 
 consideration to every good citizen, and for which he is, to a certain 
 extent, responsible, there is at least something rather cowardly in 
 this leaving the entire responsibility to others. If, in the adminis- 
 tration of public bodies, any one thinks that the real interest or 
 welfare of his fellow citizens has been overlooked, it is not only 
 his privilege, but, I would suggest, his duty, to represent his views, 
 and it is in this spirit that 1 propose, in this letter, to consider 
 
 I 
 
1 
 
 lirst, liow far the Jlinboiir Commissioners are carrying out tlio 
 main ()))j(>ct for which they were incorporated, and then, whctJier 
 ihi' rt'sulL (»{' the scheme of improvements which they propose to 
 «IVect wouhl not he to retard rather than hasten tlie real prosperity 
 of the city. 
 
 b'or many years past the wharfapjo accommodation of Quebec 
 has been tountl to be but ill adapted to the rc(iuircmcnts of our 
 trade. The dee[> water privileges appear to have been conceedcd 
 originally to the possessors of small properties on the shore, who 
 crecti'd in front thereof wharves of greater orlcssdimcnsicmsat all 
 conccivaltlc angles and depths of water, which, however well suited 
 to their own i)articular business views at the time, and to the 
 average size of vessels some thirty years since, arc, even in their 
 present somewhat improved stale, when the number and size of the 
 vessels visiting the port are considered, but a sorry makeshift for 
 any thing like ])roper wharfage accommodation. 
 
 iioused at length by the taunts of strangers visiting the city, by 
 tlu; comjdaints and grmnblings of ship masters and ship owners, 
 and by llio energetic rivalry of the Montrealers, who, the wish be- 
 ing lather to the thoughc, boasted that their port ^^waathe head of 
 thr suit wati'r navigation,'' (!) as well as by a chemerical idea that 
 they would get the whole of the "carrying trade of the west," if 
 only their wharfage accommonation were improved, the Quebeccrs 
 determined to "see about it," and after talking the matter over for a 
 year or two, came to the conclusion that unless the wharf property 
 in IVont of the city became veste<l in some public body, it was (juitc 
 useless to talk of any permanent improvement. The frontage of 
 the diflerent wharves varies considerably, and except in a very few 
 instances, no large vessel can lay at a wharf without encroaching 
 on the rights of the adjoining proprietor, besides preventing smaller 
 craft from making use of the side berths. Even supposing that 
 certain owners were willing to accommodate their neighbours, them- 
 selves and the public welfare, by selling their wharves to any hold- 
 (M's of tlie adjt)ining property, who might have the desire, the 
 energy, or the pecuniary means rec^uisite to purchase the same, no 
 real benefit would result, since the erection of any wharves, or the 
 placing of any ships on the water frontage of the numerous small 
 streets which lead down to the river side, would be acting in direct 
 contravention of the existing harbour regulations. 
 
 Under these circumstances it was considered desirable to bring 
 the matter before the Council of the Board of Trade, who, after 
 due discussion, addressed the Executive on the subject, and allude 
 thereto in the Report submitted at a general meeting, on the (Jth 
 A^ugust, 185G, as follows : 
 
 *' To obviate the annually increasing complaints of the insufliciency of wharl' 
 accommodation for the discharge of inward cargoes, the Council applied to the 
 
6 
 
 Kxccutivo tu naiiiu threu or moro CominiuHionura to roport tho beat incaaurcs to 
 bo tiikon to cxlond iho wharfu;,'o front by building uiion tho vftcaiit (lovernmeiit 
 hits, for ac(iuiriiif? proporty for tlio purpoHc, una to nsccrtaiii on what torina 
 prt'soiit iiroprif'lors will sell and place tho wnolo rivor front under tho inanagoinont 
 of tho llarboiir ConimissionorH, to be horoaflor appointed rnd empowered by an 
 Act of tho li('i,'islaturo to raise the ncccHsary fuuda to carry out the plans adopted, 
 and levy Kuch rates for the wharftt;,'e as tho (lovernor in ('ouncil -vould approve. 
 This application is still under the consideration of tho Executive, from whom 
 tho Council trust it may receive favourable attention." 
 
 Whether this application received favourable attention, or any 
 attention at all, must remain a matter for conjecture, since it cer- 
 tainly (Iocs not appear that any action was taken upon it by the 
 Executive, and the Records of tho J»oard of Trade do not show 
 that their jtroposal was ever entertained. It appears, however, 
 that as the Council of the Board of Trade could not obtain the 
 ai)pointment of a commission to consider the best measures to bo 
 taken to place the whole river frontage under the charge of Harbour 
 Connnissionors " to be hereafter named," they determined to forego 
 any such consideration of the matter, and shortly afterwards we 
 find them reijuesting Mr. Simard, M. I*. P., to introduce a bill into 
 the Legislature to incorporate " a Harbour Commission for tho 
 Port of Quebec," (whatever that may be,) dure care being taken 
 in a formal resolution on the subject, to show that they had " no 
 connection whatever with the opposite shop," by stipulating 
 expressly that "■ each side of the river must bear its own bunions," 
 — a tremendous blow, this, at tho energetic schemes of Messrs. 
 (irand Triuik, Forsyth, k Dock Company, wiiich doubtless, these 
 g(MitIomen must have duly felt. 
 
 At a general meeting, on the (kh April, 1857, tho Council report : 
 
 " Your Council considttiinj^ that groat ini|)roveinents are reouired in the Har 
 hour, for tiio iiuMvasod and annually increasing,' wants of tho trade, and which can 
 only I)C niado on a compiohunsivc and extended scale, nienioraiiscd llis Kxcel- 
 Iciicy ill Coiiiicil on tlic subject, and are glad to jierceive that a bill has now been 
 julrodiicfMl into I'lirliainent for this object."' 
 
 Apparently this was not exactly what tho General Board desired, 
 
 for at the same meeting a resolution was carried : 
 
 " That it bo an instruction to \.\w Council now eh.'Cted to petition for the ap- 
 pointiiuut of Harbour ('oinniissioiiors for the Port mthinthe limits of the City 
 of Qufhcc, with ii view of obtaining the reipiisite funds from the municipal loan 
 fund, to enable ihein to piuLliase |)roperty and construct suitable wharves and 
 floating slips for ocean and other sleauiships, Ac."' 
 
 This itew Council appears to have vigorously continued the 
 
 mcmoralising system, for on the r)th April, 1858, wo find them still 
 
 singing the old song : 
 
 " That a memorial had been sent lo Legislature for an Act to provide for the 
 management and improvement of the Harbour of Quebec, and the appointment 
 (jf Connnissioners for that purpose, with certain privileges and advantages, and 
 under all necessary restraints and restrictions." 
 
 A new Council is then elected who communicate to the Board, 
 
 
at a ((Uartcrly meeting on the 4th August, 1858, the ghid news 
 that, 
 
 " Havin;; followed up thn up))liuiiiiuii lor u Ilurbui- Coininissioii for llio Port of 
 Qiioboc, u bill for that mir[)o.so wua introduced into the Loifisliitivo Atisonibly by 
 tho Ronior member for tlio city, 8u;^f(OHtioiis offered by the Council on some of its 
 detiiiirt were adopted, and it hiui 8inco become law, an ' An Act to provide for Iht! 
 improvonjont and manajn^oment of tho Iliirbotir of Quebec,' and only now awaits 
 the appointment of Commissioners to carry it into effect. " 
 
 Soon afterwards the appointments of Commissioners were made, 
 and in the spring of 1850, the JJoard commenced its sittings. 
 
 This, then, is the history of the formation of tlio ILirbour Com- 
 mission, and from it we may gather one or two facts which it is as 
 well to bear clearly in mind ; first, that for a Harbour Commission 
 at all we are indebted entirely to the representations and exertions 
 of the Board of Trade ; and next, that the object the Board had in view 
 was clearly to place the whole of the city wharves on the River 
 (/'. e. the St. Lawrence) front, under the ownership and control of 
 a Board of Commissioncrsv to whom were to be accorded certain 
 privileges and advantages, with a view of improving tho accommo- 
 dation afforded by these wharves on a comprehensive and extended 
 scale, and to separate for the future the public interest in providing 
 proper wharf accommodation in the llarbour from the private 
 interests of any i.idividuals. 
 
 Immediately on commencing their duties the Harbour Commis- 
 sioners seem to have entered into a negotiation for the purchase of 
 the property known as "Oliver's Wharf." There is probably no 
 great reason to doubt the prudence of this purchase itself, or to find 
 fault with the price paid, even though it be a considerable iidvanee 
 on the price at which it was ac(iuired but a very short time previ- 
 ous to the resale to the Commissioners ; but it is, 1 think, some- 
 what a matter for regret, that the first transaction of the Commis- 
 sioners should be a sort of "family affair," to relieve an exploded 
 Railway Company, represented, 1 think I am justified in saying, by 
 two of the Commissioners themselves, of a property which must 
 have been a source of embarrassment to them, and yielded no man- 
 ner of revenue whatever. 
 
 Possibly carried away l)y the enthusiastic representations and 
 irresistible arguments of the gentlemen with whom they had been 
 brought in contact in this purchase, the Commissioners seem 
 next to have decided that the position of the wharves and business 
 part of the city on the St. Lawrence was a "great mistake," and 
 that the proper field for their operations was the mud at the mouth 
 of the St. Charles. Accordingly, we find them, in April, 1860, 
 submitting an elaborate plan of a proposed breakwater at the mouth 
 of the St. Charles, to the consideration of tho Board of Trade, who, 
 at a quarterly meeting, i-eport 
 
 " That the President having asked the opinion of the Council on the subject 
 
wiia rocoinniciKlf'd to oppOHo ihn construction of tlin hronkwatrr, aixl lo cndoiivoui- 
 to olitiiin a Hurvey of the wharvnH, picns, on<l (locks, from Oliver's to Martin's 
 wliiirf, )m)IIi inclusive, with aviow ol'ascortninin^ tlu; l)cst iix'nns ofcxtciitlin;^' nnil 
 improvin;,' the accuinniodation for shipping? hotwcon those two points." 
 
 11* miytlnii^ were wanted so show tho object lor which the Hoard 
 of Trade 8oii;»ht and obtained the introduction of the Iliirbour (^'oni- 
 iiiissi nerH, it is to be found in the i tinner in which they oppose 
 this scheme of a breakwater, and, after considering the (jueslion 
 iiiiew, return to the old position of the advisability of eiideavouriiicf 
 lo obtain a survey of the present a«linirably situated wharves, with 
 a view of extending the accommodation they afford. If any prftof 
 is wanting of the apparent determination of the Board of Commis- 
 sioners to carry out thtii own scheme independently of the sugges- 
 tions and wi.shes of that portion of our citizens represented by the 
 Hoard of Trade, to whom the subject is of the greatest moment, it 
 is to be found in the fact that the President of the Board of Trade 
 did not obtain from the Commissioners the survey sought for, 
 that tlie enlargement and improvement to the wharf at I'ointe u 
 (.'arcy has been actively undertaken, without any reference to the 
 (ipinion as its utility, of the Board of Trade, and that instead of 
 evincing any desire to consult the wishes of this Board, the Com- 
 missioners have jiermitted the circulation from their office of pho- 
 tographic copies of an elaborate Plan, prepared by their own En- 
 gineer, of the "proposed improvements of the Harbour of (^uebee," 
 ill which the locale is entirely confined to the mouth of the St. 
 (jliarles river, and in which the objectionable breakwater, (with an 
 alteration, to be sure, in its direction,) forms a most prominent fea- 
 ture. It is worth remarking that while many public offices have 
 been favored by copies of the plan, none has as yet been presented 
 to the noar<l of Trade. 
 
 It may be urged with some show of plausibility that it does not 
 fellow, as a matter of course, that the Harbour Commissioners shall 
 iathor any extravagant Plan which their Engineer may conceive, 
 and that it is unfair to pronounce as theirs, a Plan upon which they 
 may not have agreed and which as yet, they may not even have 
 formally taken into consideration It is of course impossible, and 
 moreover unnecessary, to state positively that the Plan embodies 
 the definite scheme of the Commissioners; on the contrary, it 
 seems certain that, as yet, they have not absolutely committed 
 themselves to it. It would be worse than useless to wait until the 
 Commissioner J have finally made up their minds on matters of detail, 
 advertised for tenders, and commenced the works, before calling 
 their prudence into question, and it is precisely ior this reason that 
 I am anxious at this particuhir moment to draw public attention to 
 the T'ocecdings of the Commissioners, with avicAV of criticising jind 
 discLiasing fully Avhat, I would suggest, arc their evident intentions. 
 
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 Wy (^^(lont iiitrntions f monn tho ;»onenil schetno which the 
 (Niiiiiiiissioiicrs [(ropusc to tlu'iiisclvcs lo u(l()|)t, iind lliiit thin j^tMicnil 
 scli»'iii(> is tlu' fiircyiii.u; <hiI of ('Xlcusivc \\h;irr iirid wiiri'hoiiHc 
 arcDiiiiiiodjitioii III tilt' inniuli oC tlic St. ('Iiiirlcs, I <lu not think 
 tliorc in imy rootn for (|i»ul»t. A plan Iihs bct'ti |)rrpiir(Ml by th(! 
 Kii;riii<'rr to tlic ( '>tiimiissi(tii('rs, iiiid u|»par('iitly circulatiMl tVoiii 
 tlicir nllicc. Tlic details nj* this plan atid, in (tonncction thcrowith, 
 the i/loiiniis intentions (d'tlic llarliour (Jdniniissioiu^rs, have lutcly 
 heeii d\v(dt npnn l»y the piildie press in several landat(»ry edi'jtrial 
 articles, tile niatei'ials, at least, of which hMV<' heen fui'iiishcd hy 
 some ( Mlicial cuiinected with the <!(»niniission, and it is not to he 
 supposed that unless tlie represcntati(tns coiifaiiu'd in these articles 
 >\ei'c stilistaiitially correct, any ;ientlenian comiected with the 
 Conmiissioners woidd have set them forth as such, or the (Joniinis- 
 sioners themselves have sutVereil them to pass uncoMtrinlicte(l. It 
 is evident IVou" the lact that they suhmittcil a phui ol' a proposed 
 hi'cakwatcr to iIm" l»oaril of Trade, that at an early sta^e of their 
 Idioms, the attention of the |[arhour (Jommissicuicrs was ociMipied 
 hy a projected scheme of improvoinents at the mouth (d* the St. 
 <'liarles, and it is also fair to presume that the attention of their 
 Kn;^inecr has heen hestowed u|M>n that point to which the Oominis- 
 sioncrs have directed it. That this attention /«/^ «r»/ lieon seriously 
 directed to the existin;^ wharf accoommodntion on the river front, 
 seems clear from the lact that the IJoard (»f Trade has not heen put 
 in ]»osscs.-.i(»ii of the survey which they requested some twelve 
 months a^'o. That it lias heen seriously directed to the mouth of 
 the St. Charles river, seems e(|ually cli'ar from the eIal>orate jilan 
 (d" improvements the Fin;.Mnecr lias published, and the fact that ho 
 has commenced the const ruction of the steam dredije which is 
 to play so conspicuous a part in the workin;:^out of his scheme. It 
 wouhl seem, therefore, that the llai'hour (,'ommissioners have either 
 selected the mouth (d" the river St. (.'haries, as tlu^ scene of their 
 future laliotirs, oi- they have, as yet, selecte<l none at all. That 
 they have sidected none at all it is idle to suppose, since it is im- 
 possible lo believe that the eminently cautious, and practical busi- 
 ness men who (compose the Harbour (Commission, would expend .so 
 much time, discussion and public money, as they have do. >, on the 
 improvements of the wharf at Pointe j\ Carey, without coi. idering 
 and keeping steadily b(doi'e them the part it was to play in .some 
 compreh.ensivo sclu'ine of future woi'ks. 
 
 The conclusion is thus forced upon us, that it is the intention of 
 the llarbonr Oonnnissioners to increase our wharfage; accommoda- 
 tion by extcnsiv(> impr(»vements at the mouth of the St. Charles, 
 and if there he any fairness in what 1 have adduced, the conclusion 
 is no less forced upon us that, by so doing, they would act in direct 
 opposition to the opinicui of the mercantile community, as repre- 
 
10 
 
 sented by the Board of Trade, and to the express objects for whicli 
 they were originally incorporated. 
 
 Let us now consider what eflect the carrying out of such a 
 scheme would have upon the trade and prosperity of our port. 
 
 There arc three main objects, which I Avould suggest it should be 
 the aim of any improvement of our wharf accommodation iv em- 
 brace, — first, that of giving the utm >st possible facilities to the exist- 
 ing trade of the port; next, that such facilities should possess, so to 
 speak, a (juality of elasticity, so as lo render them capable of being 
 extended hereafter, should an increase in the trade at any time 
 render it desirable : and, thirdly, that these results should be ob- 
 tained in such a manner as to impose t.ic least possible pecuniary 
 tax upon either the shipping for which such facilities are afforded, 
 the cit3' generally, or any particular clas;; of our citizens. These 
 three objects must be kept in view, as it were, simultaneously ami 
 any scheme based upon the consideration of only one of them, with- 
 out a due regard to the other two, would, I conceive, ultimately 
 prove an injury rather than a benefit to the port. 
 
 It is not to be imagined that the Harbour Commissioners, incor- 
 porated for the purpose of remedying an existing state of things, 
 are satisfied to occupy themselves iri deciding what they will do by 
 and by, when the general claims of the St. Lawrence to be tlu 
 "great natural highway," etc., and the particular claims of Quebec 
 to be the '* gi'cat transhipping ptu't," shall be universally acknow- 
 ledged. True, pi-ovided they would do so Avithout any expenditure 
 of public patience or public money, tliere seems no great reason 
 why tiiey should not indulge in such speculative ideas, they would 
 at least do no great harm, but they would do no good, and as to <lo 
 good is undoubtedly the earnest desire of the Commissioners, we 
 can only suppose, that agreeing that " if 'twere well 'twere done, 
 'twere well 'twere done (juickly," they have decided to " do some- 
 thing" immediately, and that something must either have in view 
 the accommodation of the existing trade, the future trade, or of 
 both. Let us suppose that it be the existing trade. It may be 
 possible that by dint of money, the steam dredge, patience, 
 and a successful triumph by the Engineer of " mi id over 
 matter," the Commissioners may succeed in obtaining a certain 
 number of safe mooring berths, suitable depth of water, and 
 arrangements for loading and discharging ships with the utmost 
 pos:ible dispatch, but if a perfect system of wharfiige facilities 
 be held to include, as it undoubtedly must, the imperative 
 condition that these requisites be furnished in a situation the 
 most central and best adapted to the bus-ness requirements of the 
 trade, I maintain that the locality selected by the Commissioners 
 precludes any possibility of its fulfilment, and renders their whole 
 scheme comparatively useless. 
 
 tei 
 
 snbl 
 
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 nioii 
 
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 caul 
 
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 sior 
 
 failJ 
 
kvhicli 
 leli a 
 
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 ■^ 
 
 11 
 
 Taking the now Custom House us a starting point, the general 
 siiipping trade is at present accommodated along the river front to 
 s!iy "TAnso des Meres," from which point the various Coves p/ovide 
 for the particuhir wants of the Timber Trade with which it is, doubt- 
 less for well considered reasons, not the intention, apparently, of 
 the Commissioners to interfere. To suppose that the intention of 
 the Harbour Commissioi.ors is to provide accommodation for the 
 existing trade, must also involve the supposition that there is no 
 existing accommodation whatever, nnd that having gravely 
 decided that the splendid natural advaritages which the river front 
 affords, and the excellent facilities for harbour accommodation which 
 many pointsbetween the Cusconi House andl'Anse des Meres possess, 
 iire utterly inadequate for their purposes, the Commissioners 
 have come to the determination of establishing a new har- 
 bour altogether, and that they have but merely to excavate 
 the mouth of the St. Charles some twenty feet, and build wharves, 
 warehouses and elevators, to relieve the overcrowded business 
 part of the city altogether, of the nuisance of ships with its 
 attendant annoyances, and remove it to a proper distance east- 
 ward of the Custom House — where it shall be connected with 
 the city only by a drawbridge. Now% unfortunately for this theory, 
 it happens that our merchants have been in the habit of congratu- 
 lating themselves that the shipping is, by the present arrangement 
 of the harbour, brought as near as is possible to the centre of that 
 trade to which it administers, and, however perfect the accommoda- 
 tion of the Commissioners might be, they might not see the 
 enormous advantages of its being situated a mile or two distant- 
 from their doors, of its being afforded on an extensive arrangement 
 of wliarvcs, some TOO feet or so wide, surrounded by Avater or mud 
 on all sides and exposed to all vicissitudes of Aveather, and of its 
 been approachable only by a "suitable" drawbridge, which, practi- 
 cally speaking, must be open half the day to allow the numerous 
 battoaux and schooners with hay, bricks, boards, deals and 
 firewood, to avail themselves of the facility of the South Channel 
 of the Little lliver. True, according to foreign repre :.entation, our 
 Quebec merchaius are the last men in the world to see their own 
 real interests, but as the Harbour Comm" "^'o.. I's have not yet con- 
 templaed any improvement by condemning tliem as useless, and 
 substituting for i.iCin an importat'on of t .e rif»ht kind of men from 
 Montreal, the Welland Cana' or some other model seaport, (for 
 most certainly if the St. C .arles be " the right place," these are 
 •'the right men,") I am sad^y afraid, in the mea.-t'me, tl»at the 
 cautious prudence a>id the sincere regard for his own business 
 convenience, of every mercantile man in the city will materially 
 prevent the success of any such intended scheme of the Commis- 
 sioners, and stamp their attempt to improve matters an excensive 
 failure. 
 
r 
 
 12 
 
 A» tt purely financial question also, the matter does certainly 
 not present any more cheerful an aspect. To nucceod, any scheme 
 of the Commissioners to provide at the St. Charles Hiver for the 
 existing trade, not only tk-inands tliat the existiufj; tr- do shall <^o 
 there, but also when there it shall pay such rates for its i.ocouimoda- 
 tion as shall, together with the income grantt'd to the CommisHion 
 from annual payments for deep water privileges granted heretofor'.', 
 provide for office expenses, salaries, ite., repairs, and interest 
 of money, as well as the working expenses. The existing revenue 
 will probably not do more than pay the oilice expenses and 
 salaries of the officials. It would follow, therefore, that any 
 system of wharf improvement must be self-supporting. Now such 
 a scheme must result in one of thrcio conseijuences : either vessels 
 will avail tliemselves of any facilities wliieh the Commissioners may 
 oifer, and pay any rate therefor whieh the Commissioners may im- 
 pose, in order to meet their various liabilities — or the Commis- 
 sioners will entice the shipping to their wharves by putting them- 
 selves in direct competetion with the present wharfholders, and 
 reducing their rates to any point at which the latter may choose to 
 stop — or the shipping will not employ the wharves at all. If, in 
 considering the first of these results, we suppose, for the sake of 
 argument, that despite the instructions, the advice, or the interests 
 of their consignees, the masters of the ships trading to the port, 
 overcome by any extraordinary facilities (notwithstanding the 
 locality) which the Conullis^^io!lers may ofter, persist in j)lacing 
 their vessels at the Commissioners' wharves, and pay, cheerfully, 
 any fabulous amount requisite for the Commissioners to "pay their 
 way," it follows clearly that the present wharfingers will be 
 ruined, and have the satisfaction, moreover, of paying heavy annual 
 amounts to the Commissioners who ruined them, for the "privilege " 
 (in the shape of deep water allottment) of being allowed to be 
 ruined. Such a result is the utmost success that the Commissioners 
 could hope for, and granting the almost impossilile contingency 
 that they attain it, since it would be folly to contend that the 
 prosperity of our tr;ule must involve the ruin of one class of 
 citizens, and place burdens and inconveniences on the mercantile 
 classes generally, such a "success" must, I contend, as bearing 
 on the general trade and prosperity of the jtovt, be regarded as an 
 Utter failure. If, on the other hand, the Co nmissioners decide to 
 compete with the present wharfholders in the imposition of charges 
 on shipping and on goods, the result may i)e easily predicted, for, 
 as it is well known to what extremes a man will be driven before 
 giving way, and our Avharf proprietors generally are well able to 
 stand a pretty hard contest, the shiitj>ing would gain the advantage 
 of extremely cheap wharf accommodation at the joint expense of 
 the unfortunate holders of Harbour Commission debentures, and 
 
 I 
 
18 
 
 tho present whaif proprietors, a position ol" tliin;j;s wliicli certainly 
 is nut calcuhited to pronioti* tlic interests or eredit of (t>nebec. 
 Lastly, supposing that ships would not ;^o to ll e new wharves 
 at all 1 — But folks are always most "t(nieliy" wi'en their |>o(;l<eti 
 are eoneerned, and out of respect for any future IJordholders, 1 
 must forbear. 
 
 The (juestion as to whether it he the jjurpose ol" the Harbour 
 (Jommissiuners to [)rovide immediate accommodation fur a future 
 trade, is one which concerns more properly tl'O particular interests 
 of any holders of harbour debentures, than the general interests of 
 the port; but as such a ([uestion nnist involve the suppositioji tliat 
 the Harbour Commissioners have decided to postpone the task ol" 
 providing suitable wharf acconnno(h»tion for the present wants ol' 
 the trade, and have rc.'solved to di'vote their laboui's to the ])rovi- 
 sion of supposed future re(|uirements, it nniy be wm-th while to 
 devote some attention to the consideration of it. 
 
 H' we ask whence is this future trade to be derived? we are 
 morally certain to receive for reply a deluge of woi-ds in which 
 the expressions "great natural highway!"' "enormous wcstci'n 
 trade I " " (^)uebce must nltinuitely become, I'cc.,"' '• ]):iU)y liiiiliev 
 trade," and "want of enterprise or pul)1ic spirit," are rained 
 on us most ])itilessly, till by putting up the nnd)rella, as it were 
 of ".Pointe licvey,"' "•(Jraml Trunk,"' " Montreal," " Mississip])i," 
 or " New York," we obtain sonu' ])artia1 shelter. The argun\eiit 
 in which these expressions which serve as so many Avaielnvords, or 
 party rallying cries are wrapped, is simply this : tliat the Avestern 
 country ought to receive and deliver all her supplies by Avay of the 
 St. Lawrence, and that Quebec ought to be the head (juarters J"or 
 distribution ; and, furthermore, tliat it will hv so. It (hjcs not seem 
 necessary to dwell on the prol.'ability of Quebec olitaining the im- 
 port trade of the west, since it may be assumed tluii while so uniny 
 of our vessels arrive in ballast, if the advantages of (Quebec for this 
 portion of the western trade separately were so decided and con- 
 spicious, our keen business importers in tho west would long.^ince havt,- 
 availed themselves of them, and securetl the advantage of tlie almost 
 nominal rate of freight at Avhicli many of our vessels would consent 
 to carry their goods. Tho western export trade is the ambition 
 of (,^)uebec, ami if this were obtained, there is little reason to (htubt 
 that the ini[)tn't trade woidd follow as a natural consc({uence. 
 
 The export trade of the west nuiy be said to consist of cotton, 
 flour and grain. Some sanguine stockholders in the (jlrand Trunk 
 Railway (and, strange as it may ajipear, there are some such even 
 now) have conceived the possibility of their line carrying eott(m 
 from the west to I'ointe liOvey and Torlland, and they eertaiidy 
 desevve infinite credit for such an ingenious conception ; but as tho 
 St. Lawrence has not yet laid any decided claim to the cotton 
 
mmm 
 
 14 
 
 trade, I do not think Quebec proper need trouble bcrself much 
 about it. We need oidy concern ourselves, therefore, with the 
 pniin trade, including therein the ih)ur trade, to wliich it in closely 
 allied. For this ;^rain trade the St. Lawrence is undoubtedly a 
 " great natural hi<;hway," but where to ? To a market; and here 
 lies the whole ([uestion. There are two markets for anythin/]; : the 
 "home" and the '" foreign," and an over-abundance in the first 
 induces the seeking of the latter. As the western grain trade is 
 supplied both from the United States and Canada West, and as 
 exchanges in grain are freely made between the two countries, it 
 will simplify the matter to define the "home market" as the 
 demand for consumption on this side, and the " foreign market" 
 the demand for consumption on the other side of the Atlantic. — 
 Tile produce of the west, after being stored at some convenient 
 spots — as Chicago, Milwaukie or Toronto — for transmission to the 
 ditt'erent branches of this " home market," after supplying the 
 local demands, is passed on, so to speak, to supply the demands of 
 more cistant localities. Thus a considerable (pumtity is forwarded 
 from such points as Oswego or Buffalo for transmission by one 
 highway, the canals, to New York, and the remainder avails itself 
 of another higliwi..y, (the " naairal one"), the St. Lawrence, to 
 Montreal ; at which places, viz., New York and Montreal, the 
 hoad-ijuarters of the " home market" may be said to exist. The 
 fact tliat tliese two places are the head-qnarters, cannot be consi- 
 dered a matter of accident, but may bo said, so far as the "home 
 market" is concerned, to arise from their natural position as the 
 furthermost points from which conveniently to distribute supplies 
 over a very large district, either producing no grain itself at all, 
 or in quantity quite insufficient for its wants. At New York and 
 Montreal are to be found merchants whose ))usines3 it is to encour- 
 age grain to the market, and to buy or sell the same, either on 
 their own account or on commission, to which business, resulting 
 in the ])rofitable distribution of tlie grain, they are content to 
 devote their energies and the large amount of capital re(iuisite. 
 
 After the demand of the " home market" has been supplied, it 
 usually happens that a quantity of gain remains on hand, for which 
 a " foreign market" nmst bo sought. This surplus varies extremely 
 in different years. Sometimes there is no surplus at all available 
 for the foreign market, Avhile in other years, as last year, the quan- 
 tity is very considerable. Basing their calculations upon either a 
 scarcity, and consc({uent high prices on the other side of the At- 
 lantic, or the probability of a superabundance and consequent low 
 prices on this side, the foreign merchant, or some speculator in 
 this country, proposes to introduce some of the surplus western pro- 
 duce into a foreign market. The foreign merchant naturally sen<ls 
 his orders to the head quarters of the home trade, and the specula- 
 
 I 
 
 ,*• 
 
15 
 
 .1 
 
 
 tive shipper to tlio forcij^n markot is naturally found to be some 
 nicrthant whose connection with the trade at head-cjuarterM enables 
 him to select to the best of his judgment some favorable time or 
 turn in the market at which to operate. For the purpose of fulfil- 
 ment of foreign orders, or of open ting on their own account, 
 merchants at liead-(|uarters prepare to ship grain to the other side 
 of the Atlantic. AVith a natural desire to keep the whole of the 
 bnsinc'ss in their own hands, they endeavour to do so direct from 
 their own doors. They find this feasible, and thus New York and 
 Montreal become equtdly head-(|uartcrs for supplies for the home 
 and foreign markets. 
 
 Now, to become the transhipping point for this foreign trade, 
 (Quebec must either relieve Montreal and New York of it, it must 
 act as Agent, so to speak, for these places, or it must secure 
 for itself any future increase in it. How is this to be done V 
 
 To relieve Montreal and NcAv York of the existing foreign trade, 
 we must eftect an entire separation in the localities from which the 
 foreign and the home trade are supplied, and so long as the supply 
 lor the i'ormer is dependent upon the present great fluctuations in 
 the (|uantity available after the demands of the latter have been 
 supplied, this has been found impracticable. The scheme has been 
 tried of late years, by at least one firm, with an unusual energy and 
 ample means, but it has been abandoned, doubtless, for well con- 
 sidered reasons, amongst which the absence of stationary elevators 
 and warehouses, probably ranked as very tri»'al. Any grain for- 
 warded direct to Quebec nuist practically either be shipped to 
 foreign market, or sent back again to some point at which it be- 
 ccmies availalde for the Ikjuio market. At present the foreign trade 
 in grain is, per ipse, extremely uncertain, and eminently specula- 
 tive, for the reasons that foreign orders are often based upon limits 
 at which it is impossible to operate, and that it is seldom, about 
 once only in four or five years, that foreign prices will afford any 
 margin for profit in speculative shipments from this side. If this 
 be tlic case when the trade is conducted by parties situated at the 
 head-tiuarters of the grain trade, how much more would it be likely 
 to be so were the trade conducted by parties at Quebec, situated at 
 a distance from such head-quarters, and subject therefore to all the 
 extra risks and inconveniences attendant thereupon. Were any 
 ait(;mpt made, therefore, to draw the existing foreign trade from 
 New York and Montreal to Quebec, their seems no reason to think 
 that it Avould be successail. 
 
 In considering the question of whether Quebec will hereafter 
 Rct as Agent for other places in forwarding grain for them to 
 the foreign market, we must keep in view the business axiom, that 
 no man will employ an agent to act for him in J,ransacting any 
 business for him which he can do equally profitably and eon- 
 
16 
 
 vonunitly liiiiisclf. So far ns Now York is coiicorncd, the |)roba.- 
 Inlity tliJil licv incrcliaiits will t'vor sliij) ;i;raiii across tlic Atlantic, 
 i'i<i (.^hulnH*. is cxtrctMcly rciuotc. vVpart from the <lisa(lvaiitap;c of 
 tln> St. l/'wronci' li(MnL;;oiil_v open six months in tlio year, and from 
 .ill ((iiisidoral'ons of iiati(»nalitvan(l mercantile convenience, we must 
 hear in mind the fact that vessels tradinc; to New York dejxMid, fen* 
 <hei profits, niaiidy upon their inward frei;^ht, and have ^^enerally, 
 a "te disch.iri;in;j:, the alternative of acceptin*^ an extremely low rate 
 I'lir <rrain, i^ce., or "shil'tini;- port," jind seeking more remunerative 
 rati's at (i>ii('h('C or elsewhere, This low rate of [Vi'i'^ht is practically 
 loiind to nxtre than compensate for any ;j:reater expense which may 
 1m> incurred in ilu> transmission of ^'rain hy the Canals to New 
 \'ork, than hy the St. liawrcnce to Montreal, and this is the vcnson 
 why heavy slii])nients (»f ^-rain are made, ol'tentinies from New York, 
 A\li(Mi Montreal is unahle to send forward a sin <;1(> hushel. Were 
 the export trade oj" New York to increase so as to aflurd the cer- 
 tainty of (Hiployin;:, satisficlorily, the Avhol(> of th(> shippiu"]; 
 seekini; charters thert\ it is prohahle that vessels seekinif frei^^ht 
 at many other Tnited Stales ports would he enticed to New York. 
 ir this did not ])Vove sutrieieiit then from the easier access thereto, 
 and from the exti'nsive commerciiil relations existint; hetw<'en the 
 two places, tliere is no reason to doni>t that the New York 
 nierchant^ would first seek the aid of" Montreal. 
 
 I niiiy piiiise liere to answei' a (juestion which may he raised, 
 wlieilier ir the vessels trailing to New York dejieml mainly upon 
 tlie iVeiirht ti> tiiat place. (]uel)ec could not aspire to ohtaininij 
 tlie <-:irria'ie of tliat portion, at lenst, of such car^^oesasis intended 
 lor the \Vesiern States. It is not necessary to dwell at length 
 iijioti tlie imtui-al doire <»f the Nev," York merchants to keep as 
 iniicli eoiitrol as jiossiMe of the jfoods they I'urnish to their Western 
 ciis|((iiiers. and to import them hy any means they think best calcu- 
 !:!i('d i.t suit their own or their country's interests. It is sufficient 
 t<» reply (hat il'sm'i .1 selieme he feasible, abundant op])orttndty to 
 curry it n'.'.r i- idVoideil in the numerous vessels comini^ to this port 
 in ballast, and tlat it would be far wiser to employ these in carrying;; 
 goods intended for the western states, than occupy oneself in the 
 vain endeavour to entice fresh vessels into the servic(> by offerinj]^ 
 thcTii the clian<H' of a grain charter, or failing that, ii cargo of 
 tind»er as w bait. When Quebec succeeds in snatcliing from New 
 Y'^ork the export ti-ade, and not before, may she expect to secure 
 the import trade. II' the chances of the one arc so remote, how 
 much more so are they of the other. 
 
 With respect to Montreal there is no reason to suppose that her 
 merchants will avail themselves of the services of Quebec until 
 abs(dutely compelleil thereto by tlio want of sufficient shipping or 
 harbour accommodation for their purposes. Montreal possesses 
 
IT 
 
 !it present ((uitc suflicieiU facilities for the export tmde wliich alif 
 enjoys, and it is difficult to believe that any facilities vluch Quebec 
 could afford would enable Montreal shippers to transact their 
 present business more economically or more satisfactorily. The 
 Montroalers have a. most overweening conceit of their ovm little 
 port, and look down upon the Qucbee timber trade with the sovereign 
 contempt of the fox in the fable ; and it cannot, therefore, bo 
 imagined tliat they will part with any portion of their trade until 
 they find it impossible, on an oinergencv, to tempt Quebec vessels 
 to their port for grain, or until then* export trade outgrows 
 all accommodation which the port can possible afford. That this 
 latter is not likely soon to be the ease seems evident, from the fact 
 that the sanguine and enterprising citizens who contemplated the 
 immediate construction of docks in Montreal, were content to accept 
 the dictum of a celebrated engineer, whom they consulted on the 
 matter, "• that it was time enough to talk about constructing 
 docks when they had a trade to employ them." AVhen that time 
 comes it is to be hoped that common sense and practical business 
 views will have returned ro these worthy citizens, and that they 
 Avill be content to avail themselves of any facilities Quebec may 
 then offer, rather than peril the prosperity of their little port by 
 the introduction of any so extravagant and absurd a scheme as 
 that, from which the never-to-be-too-much-commendcd self-denial 
 of an eminent engineer, has for this time saved them. On the 
 point of agency then, we may look forward to Quebec being 
 employed by other places as a point from which to ship grain to 
 the foreign market, when the export trade shall have arrived at 
 such a magnitude as to render any attempts of these places to "do 
 their own shipping" profitably entirely nugatory. Even at the 
 present rate of increase in the production of grain, this must occupy 
 a considerable time. It eannot take place immediately, Quebec 
 must therefore be content to look forward to it as a.. Inevitable 
 consequence, and "bide her time," even though any aosurd jeal- 
 ously and schemes of the Montroalers mav for a while succeed in 
 procrastinfiting it. 
 
 Let us now imagine Quebec in the proud position of not endea- 
 vouring to hasten the march of events by stooping to seek favours, 
 in the mean time, from any one. She scorns to be any body's 
 agent, biit resolves to bring forth merchants of her own who shall 
 secure the future export trade, and ship it triumphantly from her 
 own port, from her oAvn warehouses, filled by her own elevators, 
 steejied in the holds of her own line of propellors I It is really 
 delightful to glance at such a picture, but it will scarcely stand the 
 steady gaze of criticism. In contemplating it Ave must bear iu 
 mind that grain once in Quebec must be shipped, and that, practi- 
 cally speaking, it has passed all the limits of the home market. 
 
 t 
 
18 
 
 It Ih uvident, tlicu, tliat before Huch a picture can bo realized, the 
 homo and the foreign tra(h^ must be entirely separated, and to 
 realise it succcsjifully (ihiii is profitably) the trade must have arrived 
 at Huoli a m}i;^nitii(U' as to enable us to say with certainty that we 
 ean at least Hj)are a stated ((uantity of grain every year, as well uB 
 the probability, «•!• possibility a;:? the case may be, that we could 
 spare so xiuieli move. In \\ih respect it must become assimilated 
 in some mctisure to the present condition of our timber trade. 
 Even then some enterprising and wealthy merchants must be forth- 
 coming in (}uebee to make themselves nnistern of tho situation. 
 The union of these desiderata, though "a consummation devoutly 
 to be wished. "' must neeessarily be a work of time, a work which J 
 am afraid will be postpimod to some future day, which this genera- 
 tion will sc.'ircely witness. 
 
 On sueh a sea of doubts and chaTices must the Ilurbour Commis- 
 sioners, in any contemplated scheme of iumncdiate accommodation 
 for future requirements, be content to risk its success. Doubtless 
 there are people sanguine enough to contend that there is an enor- 
 mous western trad(^ waiting at our doors, and that some " encourage- 
 ment" only is requived in order to obtain it, smd the Commissioners 
 may imagine tliat this ''encouragement" consists merely in the 
 provision of what, iil'ter all, arc secondary matters, wharves, eleva- 
 tors, and warehouso.-. In other words, that they have merely to 
 bid their engineer ]n'e])are an elaborate pitfall by excavating the 
 mouth of the St. Charles, (Joodness knows how many feet, fence it 
 round by substantial wharves, and bait it with '• suitable elevators 
 and warehouses," wait patiently till the western trade tumble in, 
 and then *• eland by all luinds" to seciu'c it. If such in reality be 
 the scheme of the Commissioners, it needs no prophet to tell us 
 that the result must be — An enormous amount of money yielding no 
 revenue whatever — A property utterly valueless except in connec- 
 tion with tlu! possibilty tlnit it u»ay, if kept in proper repair, be 
 made available at some distnnt day for some possible requirements 
 of the trade — A sot of disappointed, and consequently angry, 
 holders of harbour debeutiu'es clamorously petitioning the Legis- 
 lature to tax the Province generally, or Quebec in particular, with 
 thepayment of their eight per cent., on the ground that their money 
 has been spent on *' public improvements," quite as much so at 
 least, as the mouey expended in deepening Lake St. Peter, — and the 
 utter forfeiture of (iuebce to any (daim to common sense or com- 
 mon business prudence. 
 
 It remains only to consider the possibility that the scheme of the 
 Commissioners contemplates tbes construction of proper wharf 
 accommodation at the mouth of the St. Charles, both for the ex- 
 isting trade and a future trade, waiting only the ^^encouragement," 
 which they propose to aft'ord, to call it into existence. If the 
 
 ! 
 
1# 
 
 zed, the 
 and to 
 I arrived 
 that we 
 3 well as 
 vc could 
 imilatcd 
 r trade, 
 be ibrth- 
 ituation. 
 ilevoutly 
 which 1 
 I genera- 
 
 Commis- 
 nodation 
 loubtle.ss 
 an enor- 
 courage- 
 issioners 
 ,y in the 
 ;s, cleva- 
 Qcrely to 
 iting the 
 fence it 
 levators 
 mble in, 
 eality be 
 to tell us 
 Iding no 
 connec- 
 cpair, be 
 lirements 
 angry, 
 ic Legis- 
 ilar, with 
 jir money 
 uch so at 
 —and the 
 or cora- 
 
 ine of the 
 er wharf 
 )r the ex- 
 gement," 
 If the 
 
 application of such a scheme to tho wants of the existing trade, 
 and a supposed future trade, respectively, ho attciulnnt with 80 
 enormous a risk of complete failure, it would seem to lollow that 
 !ii>y combined application of it to both ohjccts merits, as it were, 
 a double condemnation, and it hec-onu's nnnccessavv to enlarge on 
 the subject. 
 
 Thus r have endeavoureil (n ^<ho\v■ ihai in the r(Milcmplation of 
 theirschemeof so called improvements, at the mouthof theSt.Cliarles 
 River, the Harbour (-ommissioners are (h'partin;^ alto^'ether from 
 the purpose for Avhich they were ori;,'inally incorporated, and that 
 any such scheme, on its own mi-rits. i.. lVi.iui,flit witli extreme danger 
 to the real interests and ])rosperit_v of oiu- ji-irt. As it Avould be 
 somewhat unfair, however, to eondeinn sii'-!i a seiieme in so whole- 
 sale a manner, without su<:<^ostiu^; an iiii|irMVi i t, it may bo as 
 well, in conclusion, to consider lirielly a. fe'v or' tho>(^ points to 
 which. I conceive, the attention and eneru""'' of flic 11 arboiu' Com- 
 missioners may be nn)i-e advanta;^eoiisly directed. 
 
 Returning, for a moment, to the jioint IVnni which we set out, J. 
 contend that the real task assigned lo the liaibonr ('Dinniissioners 
 is that of obtaining the possession and conii-cd of t!ie (,'xisting 
 wharves on the river front, witli a view of ini])r(tving and extending 
 the accommodation these wharves afford, on ^onic. roniprehcnsivo 
 scale, rendering tbem better fitted to the rctjuircincnts of onrtra<lc; 
 and to tbis task they should immediately apply iliemseivos, with 
 all that zeal and activity for which they ^tand so conspicuous, yet 
 with all that prudence and proper business caution which (Might to 
 characterize the actions of so important a trust. It would not be 
 advisable, for instance, thatbecausi^ tlii' Coniniissionirs liave made 
 up their minds to ac((uirc the wharvi-son tJic river front tbcyshould 
 rush at the scheme impetuously, and cxjtcnd the whole uf their 
 X300,000 sterling, in purchasing property, and then flml tlienisclves 
 suddenly at a stand still for furtlier means wherewith to improve 
 the property they have ac(juired. It would obviously be more pru- 
 dent to purchase three or four of the ju'cscut wharves, situated, say, 
 immediately above the Cust(un Ilonse: and then, after testing and 
 confirming the practicability of any scheme of improvements thereon, 
 to acquire the adjoining ])roperty, and extend their plan, till, by 
 degrees, proper wharf accommodation be affor<led along the wdiole 
 river front to the general trade of tbi; port, till it meet tb(( particu- 
 lar accommodation existing for the timber trade at a point where 
 {ho line of coves commences. In the prosectitionof such a scheme, 
 when the Commissioners arrive at that point at which all their 
 present means be exhausted, should the improvements they have 
 made be found practically to answer the requirements of the trade, 
 and to be financially successful, there is no reason to doubt 
 that fresh means, ample enough for tlic completion of the task, will' 
 
20 
 
 bfi cheerfully accorded. IT on tho other hand, which in oxtremcly 
 improbnblo, tho Bchciiie should be found not to auswor, it wouhl 
 bo obviously tiujo to ulmudon nny idea of extending it. 
 
 Our cove-holders have lately discovered that the iutrocluctioii of 
 a sluiple steam enj^ine, for tho purpose of nioidinettiii^ tluir tiud)er, 
 practically nearly doublos the accommodation tlioir coves previously 
 afforded : and thev wonder '' how it was thev never thoui^ht of it 
 before I" This lesson should not be lost upon the llarhonr Com- 
 missioners; for it is evident that, while llie present facilities of 
 loading and discharging vessels are afforded at the utmost rate of 
 Home eighty to one hundred tons a day, if we can, l»y a proper 
 introduction of steam power, increase this aecommodatioti to the 
 rate of two hundred tons only a day, the capacity of the present 
 wharves would be practically doubled. This subject must, however, 
 not bo considered in connection with the miserable expedient of a 
 small moulinetting engine, tubs, yard-arms, "guys," and "tripping 
 lines," but with proper steam derricks, with travelling carriage 
 leading directly into a warehouse, or on to the wharf, as nniy be 
 desired, on the plan which has been found to answer so well at Kow 
 York, Portland, and other places. If the (y'ommissioners persist in 
 their endeavoiir to "encourage" the grain trade, and are con- 
 vinced that the obstacles which the great rise and fall of tide 
 present to the introduction of elevators in Quebe<', though no doubt 
 easily overcome in theory by the talents of the engineer, will not prove 
 materially to prevent their practical success, let them bear in mind 
 that oueelcvator and a warehouse caj>ab!e of containing 120,000 bush- 
 els of grain, if such could bo placed immediately at the river's edge, 
 would probably be sufficient to answer the present re(juirements of 
 even the Montreal foreign trade ; and let them try the experiment 
 here, on one of the wharves, at first on a small scale. They would, 
 at least, have the chance of filling their Avarehouse, in case of either 
 the Montrcalers suffering from a scarcity of shi})s or any Quebccer 
 suffering from a plethora of capital — unless, indeed, the other side 
 of the river interfered ; for, disguise the fact as we may, we may 
 rest assured that, eventually, " South Quebec " and the Grand 
 Trunk Railway will play a very considerable part in the game of 
 " facilities." 
 
 The main features of our general shipping business, as distin- 
 guished from the timber business, arc the importation of salt, coal, 
 &c., on ships' account, a small ([uantity of miscellaneous imports 
 for local wants, and a larger (juantity for transhipment to places 
 in Upper Canada. Any system of warehousing or st(u-ing must 
 have chiefly in view the accommodation of the former of these, so 
 AS to prevent, in future, the necessity of selling salt or coal at a 
 ruinously low rate when an easterly wind brings ii rush of vessels 
 to the port, and the ecarcity of river craft, and the absence ot 
 
I 
 
 Lroniciv 
 would 
 
 L'tioii (»r 
 tiiiihcr, 
 vioiixly 
 hi of il 
 ir ('om- 
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 riitc of 
 proper 
 i to tlio 
 present 
 owcnor, 
 
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 trippiii}! 
 
 may bo 
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 ire coii- 
 
 of tide 
 
 doubt 
 iot provo 
 
 in mind 
 100 bush- 
 r"s edge, 
 iiioiits of 
 perimcrit 
 'V would, 
 of either 
 Ijuebecer 
 ither side 
 , we may 
 le (fvand 
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 us disitiii- 
 Halt, coal, 
 s imports 
 to places 
 •ing must 
 these, so 
 coal at u 
 jf vessels 
 ,bscncc ol 
 
 21 
 
 storage ftieilitics, iniiko it «lnio»t a t)ue.stion for HhipmnHtorN to decide, 
 whether they had not better throw their cargo overboard altogether, 
 ih.ui submit to the vexatious and oxnensive delay which thi» 
 |i(»r*iti(»ii of matters renders necessary. To be eff(!(!tual, any storage 
 f;ieilities niu>t ciirure the utmost possible dispatch in discharging 
 these vessels, ami they must be cheap, ft)r shipmasters generally 
 iii'e phijosophieal I'liough to valiier "bear the ills they have, than 
 liy In others thai they know not of;" and it is probably only when 
 the co.si of discharging by steam at a wharf, together with say a 
 month ui" two's storage? on the cargo, but e(|uals the cost of tho 
 present delay and imperfect facilities for discharging, that any im- 
 proved fa(!ilities for storing which the Harbour ('ommissioners may 
 oft\.'r will bo cinpioycd for either coal or sail. With reference to 
 the imports for local re<|uirements, and those intended for trans- 
 missioi! lo tlie west, as regards the former, the importers will doubt- 
 l(\s;-i desire to removt; them to their places of business ascjuickly as 
 they iiro discharged, leaving only a comparatively small proportion 
 lor sail' "ex-store." As regards the latter, tin; forwarding trade 
 is certainly not likely to be encouraged by imposing upon the goods 
 any unnecessary ex|K'nsi's and delay by warohousing, bi? they never 
 so small. In this sense, then, the less Avarehoiising accommodation 
 cmployi'd, the better for tin; trade; and this is the true secret why 
 so many warehouses on the river side remain empty, for inconve- 
 nient in many respects though they may be, if they were a neces- 
 sity tlu'V would certainly be employed. 
 
 Considered as a. financial question, there is no reason to doubt 
 that the scheme here proposed to tho Harbour Oommissioncrs 
 would yield very satisfactory results. The wharf property generally 
 comnninds at present a. rental which yields a very good interest on 
 its estimated value. In addition to this lessees are always to be 
 found ready enough to undertake to pay this rent, and trust to tho 
 present very imperfect facilities to pay their working expi uses and 
 make an income by way of profit on the undertaking. If by any 
 comparatively simple and judicious means the accommodation which 
 these wharves affords become doubled, it would seem to follow that 
 the Harbour Connnissioners having a monopoly of the whole river 
 front, the value of the property also becomes doubled. The Harbour 
 Commissioners would at all events possess a property of a distinct 
 and recognised value to represent their liabilities, Which would, to 
 say the least, contrast most favorably with the fictitious and ima- 
 ginary value of any property they might create at the mouth of the 
 St. Charles. U may be said that the Commissioners might be 
 deterred from obtaining a monopoly of the wharf property by the 
 extravagant demands of present proprietors. The act of incoi*- 
 poration provides for this, and the mode in which arbiters are to be 
 appointed, and the general interest felt in the success of tho scheme, 
 
22 
 
 sufficiently protect the (NjuitnissioiierM from the rapaoitj of anv 
 wharf proprietors of — impnuing appearance, even were any buod 
 to be found, which is oxtrcmcly douDtful. 
 
 The subject of the Ilarljour CoinmiHsionors is one of paramount 
 importance to every one wlio feels any interest whatever in the 
 progress of Quebec. Any false step now made will seriously 
 jeopardise the chances of her futjire advancement. Let, then, the 
 Harbour Commissioners emerge from the cloud of mystery in 
 which their act permits them to obscure themselves, and come out 
 freely into the mercantile world, and seek the suggestions and co- 
 operation of their fellow merchants. Let the cx-officin members of 
 the Commission bear in mind that they represent tho Board of 
 Trade and the citizens respectively, nn<l that it is their duty to 
 watch with a jealous care over the interests of their constitu- 
 ents. Let the Engineer to the (,'ommission remember that tho 
 greatest engineering feats of even Brunei himself are those which 
 yield the least practical commercial result — that is, profit ; and 
 recollecting that in all commereial schemes, "can it be done?" 
 should wait upon " will it pay?" endeavour toenmlatc the extroor- 
 dinary self-denial of his Montreal confrere, to which allusion has 
 already been made. Let the holders of harbour debentures reflect 
 upon the fact that a day must assuredly come at last when the 
 Legislature will refuse to stand sponsors to every abortive scheme 
 of incorporated bodies, and will refuse to acknowledge tho force of 
 the conclusion — that because it is a great failure it must therefore 
 be voted a "public improvement." Lastly, let the citizens 
 generally remember that the true interests of the city arc materially 
 involved in the success or otherwise of any scheme which the Har- 
 bour Commissioners may adopt. We may then feel confident that 
 the scheme at the mouth of the St. Charles will bo quietly 
 " shelved," and that the incorporation of the Harbour Commis- 
 sion will prove a real boon to Quebec, in resulting in the accom- 
 plishment of such a scheme of permanent improvement as will ad- 
 minister to the welfare and increase the prosperity of the port. 
 
 QcEBKc, February 20, 1861. 
 
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