IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4^ 1.0 1.1 lii|U |U ■50 "^" m^ u ii^ |2.2 £f 144 ■■■ m ||L25|||U_ ,.6 6" ► Va >' / * ^ "^^ O^y. <# Photographic Sdences Corporation "i^^^ ■i3 V iT 7 MAIN STREET WEBSTER, H.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ .«*.* 4^4^, CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques \ Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographlques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D n n D n Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagie Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou peilicuide I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relid avec d'autres documents Tight bindii^ig may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int^rieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout6es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 filmdes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppidmentaires: L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiqu6s ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ D Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^es Pages restored and/oi Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicul6es Pages discoloured, stained or foxe( Pages d^colordes, tachetdes ou piqudes Pages detached/ Pages d6tachdes Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Quality in^gale de I'impression Includes supplementary meterif Comprend du matdriel suppl^mentaire Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible I — I Pages damaged/ I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ r~7 Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ rri Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ I I Includes supplementary meterial/ I — I Only edition available/ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 fiimdes d nouveau de fagon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indlqud ci-dessous 10X 14X 18X Z2X 26X 30X y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: J Library of the Public Archives of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and In Itaeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the bacit cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. L'exemplaire filmt f ut reproduit grice A ia gAnArosit6 de: La bibliothdque des Archives publiques du Canada Las images suivantes ont At6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin. compte tenu de la condition at de la nettet6 de I'exempiaire film6, et en conformity avec ies conditions du bontrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couvarture en papier est ImprimAe sont film^7« en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dainlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration. soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmas en commonpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —»>( meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaTtra sur la deniire Image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols ~^ signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbols y signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be fiimed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are fiimed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent dtre filmfo A des taux de rMuction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichi, 11 est film6 A partir de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illu&trent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 8 -mmrmmrmmm '' / THOUGHTS ON EMIGRATION AND ON THE CANADAS, AS AN i • II OPENING FOR IT. QUEBEC: PRINTED BY T. GARY & Co. Freemasons* -11011. % 1831. ■m In the following observations, I believe 1 havo ventured upon new ground. My leading point is, that in realizing an extensive emi- gration from the Mother Country, directed to this part of the world, the settlement of all or even of the greatest part of the Emigrants, on British territory is not essential, and that by continuing to clog ourselves with this condition,we shut up, or at least neglect the boundless opening for ab- sorbing emigration which Canada presents in another way. She is, in fact, the readiest door to the immense habitable regions of the interior of this continent — a door which, if once unbarred can never be shut, whoever may claim the nominal supremacy of the central countries. To produce some arguments for opening it, as a power- ful and profitable mean of promoting emigration, is the design of this little Essay. My residence on the banks of the Ottawa, in a very new part of the country, and frequent intercourse with new Settlers, led to the reflections, on which my positions have been formed. I may say, 1 have, for many years, had a near view of the object. But while that circumstance gives me some encouragement in submitting my ideas to the pub- lic — still, 1 ought to do so with the greatest deference ; for, although my situation may have enabled me to look at some points with advantage, yet it may have, at the same time, excluded me from much information that would have been necessary in treating a subject of such general interest. CHARLES SHIRREFF. Fitzroy Harbour, River Ottawa, \ Jpril, 1831. $ T Bri taiK itse thei sure mai thei oft] moi or It a fron trac THOUGHTS ON EMIGRATION, AND ON THE CANADAS « ^S JN OPENING FOR IT, JL HE continued and increasing emigration from Great Britain and Ireland, may be described as the spon- taneous effort of an overgrown population to relieve itself. It is a movement of the people independent of their rulers ; still its object is legitimate. It is a mea- sure of necessity — not of discontent, and although it may be difficult, perhaps impossible, to give it altoge- ther a systematic form, yet it may be for the interest of the country to regulate and encourage it. It bears a more favorable character than many of those irruptions or emigrations which occurred in former times. It arises neither from a desire of foreign conquest nor from oppression at home. Its origin may, in fact, be traced to the benevolent spirit of our institutions, to 'ii il due freedom of individual exertion and enterprib'e, under laws which aiTord equal protection to every subject. These and other favourable causes, have produced a rapidity in the increase of the inhabitants, which does not take place in countries shackled and retarded by arbitrary sway. Tlie fields of em- ployment haye consequently become crowded, and the labouring classes are looking abroad for more room, and means of subsistence. An emigration under such an impulse, resembles a stream from an oveiHowing fountain, which may be guided, but cannot be stopt. *' Whatever difference of opinion may exist as to the most advantageous mode of transferring the re- dundant population of the British Islands to her transatlantic dependencies, the importance and utility of this measure to the empire seems to be manifest. Indeed such are the circumstances that require it, that they are not to be controled by any power within the State. The question is not whe- ther emigration, and emigration to a large extent from the British Islands shall take place or not, but how it shall be directed, so as to be most condu- cive to the relief of the State, to the permanent well being of the emigrants, and to the advance- ment of the general interest of the Empire." " The diversities of opinion entertained by en- lightened men on the other side of the water upon this subject plainly shew that it is not yet fully A (( (( (( ' " 1 '' t It . It (( P " b *' it 01 ei << ryi 01 Que C( (( (( {( <( (( (( (C ( ( (< (C (( (( (C (( (( C( (< (( (( (< (< <( understood. At the same time, in the colhsion of opposite opinions truth will doubtless ultimately be struck out." " Great Britain has under her immediate con- trol a larger quantity of unsettled cultivat- able land in every climate than ever belonged to any nation. — Her capital exceeds what has ever before been accumulated by one people. She has in various portions of iier metropolitan states a redundant population. There are here, then, all the elements of unparalleled happiness, and powder for her people. How shall these several elements be combined to the attainment of these ends. By what process shall this capital be made to irrigate these now unproductive lands, and both be made conducive to the relief of her suffering subjects, to the extension of her letters and institu- tions, and to the consolidation of her powxr ? — This is a problem of infinite difficulty. It must however be susceptible of solution. Directed as the public mind is now to this subject, each year must bring us new accessions of knowledge concerning it, and the time cannot now be far distant when we, of the present age, shall look back with surprise at our present controversies and errors on the subject of emigration and new settlements."^ Quebec Star, 8th May, 1829. 8 I do not bring forward tliis paragraph in the vain confidence, that 1 am able to solvft the problem, which the writer of it has so comi)rehensively stated, but as my best introduction to a few thoughts on the subject, sent forth, if not with the hope, at least with the wish, that they may elicit some sparks in that '* cojlision of *' opposite opinions by which truth will ultimately be *' struck out." Much of the difficulty which attends emigration, may, it is possible, arise from attempting to regu- late it by one general system. Uniform or fixed principles will, howevc ill apply to a subject so wide and varied, and on none will the truth more distinctly appear, of this maxim. *' We are governed by circumstances — we cannot govern them." The impression is so universal that every individual who belongs to a body of Emigrants, must become a farmer, that the words emigrant and settler are now almost synonymous terms. Tliis idea arises from the fact that new colonies present scarcely any other occupation besides the cul- tivation of the lands. But we have not perhaps at- tended sufficiently to the change of circumstances in some of those countries resorted to by emigrants, nor have y6t allowed ourselves to be governed by it. Canada at one period held out little other prospec of employment or subsistence but the labour and the produce o. her soil. Hence the plans for emigration C( l( !i "I directed lliithcr luive refckred exclusively to settle- ment. Hut the case is now altered. Canada is still u desirable opening for emigration, and perhaps the most eligible under the British Dominion — but not merely as a field tor settlement, which from her lim- ited habitable extent, she can only be for a few years. The importance of her local position is opening upon us, and ought to lead to a different and more enlarged plan of action. Extended along, and enclosing the outlet of the only chain of waters which penetrates to the heart of this Continent from the Atlantic, she commands the easiest access to its rich and extensive interior, to which emigration must ultimately be, and in fact, is now much directed. It is the natural course, from which it is vain to think of diverting it. Instead, therefore, of Canada being the final resting place of the Emigrants, she can be considered only as a temporary shelter to thousands of them, who will not Stop short of the Western States. And it w^ould seem as absurd, under these circumstances, to confine our views on emigration entirely to settlement, as would be the conduct of an extensive landholder, who op- posed or neglected the formation of roads through his ^(roperty to some great mart, from the paltry con- sideration of the soil they might cover. The great i.ad leading object respecting Canada, now appears to *■, to form her into a convenient avenue to the spa- cious abode behind her. More relief might be given B >i .'I II 10 ■1 I to the mother country, and even the settlement of the Colony more effectually accelerated by giving the Emigrants encouragement and support in operations conducive to that end, than by attempting to arrest their progress by the gratuitous offers of land and temporary subsistence. The latter is, no doubt a temptation, but the mere grant of land does not give an assurance of immediate support. Many of the Emigrants havo neither capacity nor the means to cultivate it. Hence, although lands have been free, nearly as air, in the Colonies, yet they have been very slowly occupied, and Great Britain and Ireland continue to be oppressed with an over-stock of inhabi- tants, who remain in poverty at home, rather than cross the Atlantic, at what they conceive to be a venture or uncertainty. The bulk of them require defined and immediate means of earning a livelihood upon their arrival, and consequently many who come to our shores go forward to the States in quest of it. I have already said, we cannot prevent a great pro- portion of the Emigrants from looking to the Western regions as their ultimate destination ; but it seems quite possible to adopt measures by which this country may receive far more benefit from them on their way than it does at present. To use a homely metaphor, Canada may be made, as it were, to sift the emigra- tion, but the sieve is at present too coarse or too open, the corn as well as the chaflf go through it. There is little to arrest the attention of a substantial 11 Emigrant or induce him to remain in the country. There is yet no general spirit of improvement in active operation. The interior parts settled recently, and almost entirely by needy and ignorant people, remain nearly as forbidding and inaccessible as ever, devoid of good communications either by land or water. Time will no doubt remedy these untoward circum- stances. Capital and enterprise will be generated in the country, and produce their effects on the Noith, as we now see them doing to the South of the Saint Lawrence. But a combination of circumstances, fortunate at least for Canada, seems to point out the way in which an extensive system of improve- ment, particularly in her communications, may be commenced immediately. The necessity under which the mother country lies to facilitate the emigration of her superfluous inhabitants is every day more ac- knowledged ; and after attentive consideration of the subject, I am convinced that in no way can this effort be so beneficially and effectually directed for both countries, as in offering Emigrants employment on public works in the Canadas. In forming settlements here of large bodies of the lowest classes direct from England or Ireland, it is evident that their previous habits and preju- dices could be iittle disturbed, and might long continue to clog the prosperity of the districts so peopled, 'and perhaps that of the whole Colony. Whereas in disposing them as labourers, Government B 2 •tf. i 1; ii : i 11 12 would only have to deal with a few thousands at a time, * who would successively give way to new comers, and disperse among the older inhabitants. Many would ultimately find their way beyond the Colony, and none would remain in it as a distinct body. Though it seems necessary, in adopting such a system, t . reject no applicant for labour, yet the rate of wages held out would be an efficient means to regulate the extent of the operations. In general the wages should perhaps be little more than a bare means of subsistence, in order that nothing might be kept in the way of the dispersion of the emigrants ; at present considering the general disposition of the lower classes to emigrate, one shilling and six pence per day would probably be sufficient, but the allowance might be arranged annually as circumstances required. I do not apprehend that the winters of Canada would be found any impediment to the continued operation of this mode of assisting emigration. The weather in winter is seldom such as to preclude out door labour, and it is decidedly the best season for some kinds of work, particularly for the carriage of heavy materials, so that in the process of forming roads, canals and fortifications on the most substantial principles, an ample fund of winter employment would be found in quarrying, macadamizing, &c. &c. * It is scarcely necessary » y, '4 tion, that while the unemployed part of the popula- tion remain at home, in their present scattered and disorganized state, the means by which they must be supported are not at the control of Government. But when these paupers shall be formed into a body for emigration, the fund for their temporary subsistence must necessarily assume also a distinct and manage- able shape, and may be applied to the purpose in any manner that may be thought most expedient. If it should therefore appear that there are important public works in the Canadas ripe for execution, on which the Emigrants could be employed, there can be no objec- tion to that fund being used in improving and strength- ening the Provinces, if the case be, or can be made out that the object of assisting the Emigrant so far from being lost sight of, is hereby more effectually se- cured. But we may take a more particular view of thi» country, and consider what works might be undertak- en for these important purposes. In the plans which may be necessary for either the defence or improvement of Canada, we have only to make a judicious use of the means and facilities al- ready provided by the hand of the Creator, and these are so abundant that the duty of the projector is re- duced to great simplicity. On this singular field, na- ture has in many places so nearly finished her designs, that there is hardly any room for the exercise of inge- nuity. The relative situation of Canada points out at 22 !l t)iice tla' iiiuncnse advantages to be attained by tbe improvemenl and coniplcliou of bcr natural ^vatc^ connnunications, wbicb scetn to be formed cx[)re8sly (or tbe ])ur|K)se of eonnectini; tlie great Lakes of tbe Nortb-Ameriean Continent witb tlie Ocean. Tbe Wel- hind Canal, as an opening from Lake Erie, is a great step toward tbis object. Completing tbe Navigation of tbe Saint Lawrence, has been long in tbe contcm- ])lati()n of tbe i)ublic, and anotber line of improvement bas been commenced along tbe lliver Ottawa, wbicb cannot fail, from tbe figure of tbe country, ultimately to lead to tbe junction of tbat fine River witb Lake Huron. Tbe idea of a communication with Lake Huron by tbe Ottawa, may be new to many, but the increase of inhabitants in tbe direction of this River, the improve- ment of its navigation already in progress, and the rapid advance of settlement in the North-Western Territories of the United-States, combine to suggest it.* The Ottawa is often called, and with propriety, the Grand River, It far exceeds in size any other alto- gether within the limits of Canada, and it is by na- ture peculiarly suited to navigation. In place of an unremitting flow, its current is gathered into falls and * The practicability of tliia communication has been in a great measure as- certainedin a journey undertaken by a son oCtho writer, in the Autumn of 1829, a detailed account of which ia inserted in the 2d vol. of the mstori'. cal and Literary Society of Quebec, under the title of Topographical No- tices of the Country lying between the mouth of the Rideau and Penetan* gushinc^ on Lake Huron, 23 the ito- la- aii md as- Ln of jori* [No- lan- 5 n I ■> n rapliirt at ])articular spots — and the river foinifl, tliroughout its course, a succcsBioii of lakes and smooth channels, so that hy the iniproveniet\t of these short ohstructions, which may he called natural locks, it could he ascended with the greatest facility. About three hundred miles above Montreal, the Ottawa, hy the most authentic information, aj)proaches within a hundred miles, in a direct line, of the North-Eastern extremity of Lake Huron. The intervening tract is the lowest in that part of the country, and a consi- derable portion of it is occupied by the extension of Lake Nipissing. The French River, flowing West- ward from that Lake to the Huron, is so favorable for navigation, tliat the fur traders frccjuently ascend it in bateaux, carrying several tons. There appears there- fore, to be every natural facility for effecting a communication in this direction. It may also be remarked, that the Ottawa does not join the Saint Lawrence, until the latter has penetrated so far into the Lower Province, as to secure to us the entire and exclusive possession of this important out- let. But it has been said that the time is not vet come for such extensive undertakings in Canada, that the advantages which could yet be derived from them, would not be, in any measure, proportionate to the ex- pense. In countries which have been long occupied by ci- viUzed nationS; improvements of any description are 24 for the accommodation of communities already estab- lished, and consequently they have not tliat appear- ance of prematurity which is attached to them in this new part of tlie world, where they are intended often to precede imputation and encourage settlement. When society has attained to full growth, its pace becomes steady and its measures more deliberate. But the rapid and lively movements of this new con- tinent indie ve the vigor and the hopes of early life. She has not yet assumed the heavy and regular steps of a country laden for ages with the effects of industry and enterprise, and we should be cautious in censuring as premature, any project which is likely to con- duce to her advancemeni, for although the objection may not be supported with solidity of argument, yet it tends to cool and to discourage. It is a damper of eve- ry operation, an excuse for indolence and indecision, and the protector of a procrastinating disposition that would steal from Canada the very time which may have been *' set to favor her." But all grounds for such a charge against improve- ments on the Ottawa with a view to its junction with Lake Huron, will be done away when we observe, that the object is not merely to encourage settlement or population in Canada, but also to come in contact, by a direct comnmnication with a population already formed, and increasing with unparalleled rapidity. The spirit of enterprise which pervades the peo- ple of the States is truly remarkable. It is evi- 25 U *■ JVl- deiitly tlie hand of Providence at work to reple- nish with intelhgence and civilization a portion of the earth, wliich until now has been only a wild and un- cultivated shelter for scattered barbarians. The histo- ry of the w^orld does not exhibit, at any former period, such rapid and gigantic strides in the spread of popu- lation. The salubrity of the climate and the fertility of the soil in the Michigan and North Western Terri- tory seem to counterbalance their great distance from markets, and they are now filling with inhabitants. It was remarked lately in the New- York Observer, that it is interesting to observe what a rush of emigra- tion is now crowding into this Territory (Michigan). The districts already surveyed and in the market, are filling up by swarms. " The North West Territory, bounded East by Lake Michigan, North by Lake Superior and other waters, and West by the Mississippi, is a wide region, and destined soon to attract the attention and enterprise of Emigrants, &c." It is to these regions, as I have already noticed, that our Emigrants will chiefly point, and it may be the best policy Government can adopt, to employ them on their passage, in opening up such communications through Canada, as will not only afford them tempo- rary .iupport, but would be the means of securing the trade of tiie population which is gathering along these inland seas, surrounded by coasts ext'3nding some thousands of miles; for while Great-Britain keeps D u If It (( (( ( ; a i ( 26 possession of her Colonies, she commands the princi- pal and only direct navigable entrance to them. An opening fiom Lake Huron by the Ottawa, would change the very aspect of that part of the country. Instead of being the most remote section of the States^, the extensive shores of the upper Lakes would become a front with convenient water communication, nearer by some hundred miles to markets and the ocean, than a great proportion of the territories which now form the Union. The writer in the observer goes on to say that the " North- West Territory will possess *' the superior advantage of being always able to elect " between the markets of New- York and New- '' Orleans." But an opening by the Ottawa, will give that Territory access to a better market than either of them, at less than half the distance. These favora- ble circumstances would not for a moment escape the notice of a people alive to eveiy local advantage, and the very commencement of our operations would be the signal for accelerated motion to the tide of emigra- tion already directed towards the Lakes. Before the completion of the work an increased population would occupy their shores in expectation of the benefits to be derived from it, and a foundation would be laid for such additional trade to Montreal and Quebec, as would soon place them among the greatest empori- ums of the North- American Continent. Thus, from the pecuHar form and situation of Cana- da, she may reap advantage from the fields of her ' 27 I 1 lieu neighbours, as well as from her own, if lier internal communications be improved, and ready means of conveyance be formed to her sea ports for the pro- duce of the Western Countries. The circumstance of our rivers being closed by ice for several months in the year, has, in comparing them with the Ohio and Mississippi as outlets for the produce of the interior, been stated as a disadvan- tage. But this severity of season gives to the Saint Lawrence markets a great natural and consequently permanent superiorty, far overbalancing the interrup- tion in the navigation, for in climates like that of Canada, the necessaries of life always bear a much higher value than in the luxuriant countries nearer the equator. In descending the Mississippi, the produce would successively enter regions of greater fertility and plenty. But in its way through these colonies, it is evident the case would be reversed. A direct navigation to Lake Huron, by the Ottawa, might also afford advantages in a political point uf view. The Bay of Penetangushine is well adapted for settlement. Tlie lands belonging to the Canada Company on the Lake will not remain unoccupied, and from the description given of that part of the country lately explored (as before noticed) it seems to possess every inducement to settlers. Tlie soil is good, and the situation healthy, being well supplied and intersected with rivers and lakes of the purest water. We may therefore very soon have population D2 T^ 28 and property to defend on that frontier, and this di- rect passage would evidently give great additional fa- cility to military operations. It might even have a favorahle effect on our politcal relations with the United States, by increasing their inducement to re- main at peace with us. It is well known that the last war was very unpopular in that part of the Union bor- dering on Canada,and it is evident that a still stronger interest to maintain a friendly intercourse with Great- Britain, would be felt in those Western parts of the country, which would be so dependant on this outlet for the disposal of their produce. The Rideau Canal was projected to prevent such enormous expence as was incurred during the last war, in conveying military stores to Lake Ontario, and the time may not be far distant, if we do not pro- vide against it, when we may have to fight our way from Kingston to Lake Huron by a circuitous naviga- tion, or to drag out stores over land as formerly, and at a similar cost. In short, if this channel be formed, benefit would accrue to the Canadas in proportion to the increase of population on the Upper Lakes, but if it be neglected, a contrary effect must be produced, for settlements in that direction, without a direct ac- cess to them, would in the event of hostilities, be a source of expense and inconvenience, and even in time of peace they would be productive of little or no general benefit to the Colony. i 29 I ^ I I !■; But these are mere hints ot what may be clone in Canada ; a very cursory view of the country will convince us that the objects of improvement are al- most inexhaustible, and that as one is pursued another will present itself. The construction of roads may be spoken of, as a very important department of Emigrant employment, and would be particularly suitable, as it might be carried on with a very small proportion of tradesmen. Principal I'oads in various directions through the Provinces, if substantially made, would form for years, an extensive means of providing for Emigrants,* and the immediate tendency of such ex- tended operations would be the increased employment of labourers throughout the country by individuals. In fact, the effect of the whole measure here recom- mended would be a rapid acceleration of agricultural * Wo have a good precedent for the expenditure of public money on roads. 1 allude to those formrd by Government in the Highlands of Scotland. Their heachcM political conseqnenccs have been felt, and their great conven- ience and utility in other respects have given celebrity to their projector or su- perintendent, whose name has been handed down to posterity iu the following^ Irish distich. " If any man had seen these roads before they were made, *' He would have held up his hwnds and blessed General Wade." But with regard to other public works, thecxpence of the Rideau Canal may be stated as an objection. I do not, however, consider it a precedent— for al- though none should be commenced, but such as shall, ultimately be of rer.l use to the country, yet it is to their progress and not to their completion, that wc look for immediate relief and bencliit. They may, therefore, be carried ou, altogether on different and more frugal principles. In the projection of the Rideau Canal, it was the wish of Government to ob- tain as speedily as possible, a ready access to LakeOnfario, and it is expected that Col. By, will, this season, fulfil that wish in the most complete manner. He may challenge the records of history to produce a work of such magnitude, ex- ecuted with more celerity and perfection. >;or is it, by any means without its use as an inducement to settlement. That interior part of the countrv is now filling rapidly. It may be said, that by means of the Rideau Canal, the Milita- ry settlements and others on the Ottawa, and I may add the Eastern Towushipa in the Lower Province, the country is getting into shape. IJilbcrto.it has bt'en nothing but a strip of populalion from Amhcrstburg to Kamouraska. 30 labor, for the increasing encouragements and facilities of every kind must induce the farmers to take advan- tage of the annual influx of cheap labor from the mother country, and her exertions for the support of the Emigrants would consequently become every year less necessaiy. But it must not be forgotten that those exertions in the view of giving support and facility to emigra- tion, are or may be made by Great Britain on the principle of economy. Mr. Horton's view" is evident- ly correct, and would justify an outlay on a most lib- eral scale, quite independant of any question respect- ing the policy of expenditure on the Colonies. Look' ing at it however, simply as improving them, such outlay might be justified as safe and advantageous for the mother country. It has been said that contribute ing to the prosperity of Canada, so far from being a benefit to Great Britain, must have a tendency to hasten a separation by making the former more inde- pendent. But however much our local legislators may disagree on some points, yet I cannot conceive it possible that any man, who is capable of looking at the circumstances under which this country is placed, could, for a moment, seriously contemplate an attempt to assume independence. Capt. Hall has stated dis- tinctly, the advantages our colonies possess, and has remarked, that, " united with the mother country, " they enjoy a degree of happiness far greater and " mjore secure than any nominal independence cam 'i (( 31 Miii lis- las try, ind ;au " ever place within their reach." This is no doubt correct— 'but unfortunately, when " nominal inde- " pendence" can be got sight of, it proves in many instances an Ignis Fatuus, in the pursuit of which, substantial advantages are cast away, and it is often discovered when too late, that the plain and solid path has been forsaken, that the ground has become hollow and shppery, and that the object is nothing but a phantom. Canada, is however, peculiarly exempted from this temptation, for although Great Britain were to lavish upon her all the riches of her treasury, in strengthening her at every point, she never could en- able her to stand alone-^she could never confer upon her the power of protecting her own interests on the ocean. Canada can furnish every material for the formation of a na\y, but she could never maintain one. Nature has placed obstacles in her way that cannot be removed. Hermetically sealed by the sea- son, for one half of the year, the power that has pos- session of the seas could with great ease perform a like office for the other half. Her foreign trade must be always carried on by the shipping of those nations who have the whole year for their navigation. Her strength lies in her internal resources and inland com- munications, and her safety in never dreaming of " nominal independence." It is, while the present political arrangements of this continent exist, entirely beyond her reach. She has only the alternative, of continuing to grow in respectability, as an important 32 part of the liiiLisli Krnpirc. or of biiiking into insi nificancc, by becoming a back portion of tlie United States. We might therefore, even on this ground, expect a proportion of the unemployed capital in En- gland to be vested in useful works in Canada. The claim rests on the intimate and almost indissoluble connexion between the two countries, on that indivisi- ble interest which must always subsist among the component parts of a kingdom. But even admitting the possibility of separation, it by no means follows that Great Britain would lose the fruits of her expenditure on the Provinces. Her enlightened policy has placed her on vantage ground in every political moA^ement, and the established char- acter of her people has given them a preference in every market. The general confidence thus inspired is not only the guardian, but is perhaps now a great source of her prosperity. If then, she bring Canada forward by improvements and population, if she open up her resources, and form her into what is called in mercantile phrase a good correspondent — she may then, with perfect safety leave her to the freedom of her own will. Cetnada might throw off her alle- giance, but her merchants could not so easily get quit of the universal impression, that in the markets of no other nation would their interests be intrusted with so much safety or to so much advantage. Another l)assage may be quoted from the same author, as point- edly corroborative of these principles. In speaking of 33 the policy of Great Britain towards the Colonies, he says " the cards, to use a common expression are in our own hands, and we have only to play them well to secure all the advantages which it is possible to hope for. The secret of the game which is quite simple, may be always found. It consists exclusive- ly to consult in good faith, the genuine interests of the Colonies, for be these what they may, they can by no possibility fail in the long run to be ours t ( (i t( (( (( C ( (( «' lU liKCWise. »t Whatever view, therefore, be taken of this mode of encouraging emigration by public works in Canada, it appears that the money so expended will, by no means, be lost to England. In short,the point of con- clusion at which I wish to arrive is this, that in the prosecution of an extensive plan of general improve- ment, the difficulties attending emigration would, in a great measure, disappear. The emigrants would be supported, and the interests of both the Mother Coun- try, and the Colonies promoted, rather by the diversion of an unavoidable expenditure, than by any additonal outlay. If these views be correct, Great Britain has only to take advantage of the concurrence of favorable circumstances, which present themselves in the direc- tion of Canada, as an opening for emigration. To what other country could she send with so little effort, or without diverting a single ship from its usual trade, fifty or sixty thousand emigrants annually ? Or on what field could she employ them to so much purpose, |;( ^ 34 witli «uch a certainty of their not returning, nor yet continuing to be a burden on tiie State 'i tor wbile no i'urtlicr inducement was held out than mere subsis- tence, they would gradually disperse on the unbound- ed field before them, leaving room for a perpetual suc- cession. I am far, bowever, from putting these ([uestions, in tlie assured confidence, that the means I am endeavor- ing to point out, arc the best, or most effectual, which can be recommended. But I would humbly venture to hope, that the premises laid down, will justify me in submitting, as one scheme by which relief from a surplus pauper population may, in a good degree, be obtained, — the preservation and encouragement of theColonial Lumber Trade,* as a most essential ingre- * Tlie check given, in (lio Imperial Parliament, to the question on the Colonial lumber trade, has probably set it at leht for ever. Rut 1 am led to make Home remarks on the nrcnmentr) made uho of, when it was under public discnssion, by fniding they are likely to damp some individuals con- nected with the trade. They entertain fears, that government may yet en- deavour to suppress it, if the Iohs (o the country be really so great, as it appears to be, by the statements which have been made. In order to place our trade in as unfavorable a light as possible, tiieun- ticolonists blend two things, which should, certainly, be kept separate. The oclnal expense of on article, in its production, ih altogether distinct from that which may be imposed on it ns n tax. The latter is u mere dis- cretionary measure, which may be adopted or not, as may be co.isidered expedient. If government can do without the additional revenue, which would be obtained by transferring the timber trade entirely lo the Baltic, so much the better, lint if the money must be had, Parliament has only to do, what it has done in many instances already, endea\our to lind it in some other way, which may not be so inconvenient, nor felt so severely. There is a confusion in the idea of stating a reduction of any part of the revenue, as a public loss or expense, especially when that reduction has been made for a particular purpose, and yet the deticiency of the duties on timber since the year 1810, has been charged against the Colonies, as a loss they have occasioned to the country, of not less than twenty mil* lions sterling ! ! The Honorable Calculator has not, however, gone far enough. To have given his stntemcnt full ciTect, ho should have exercised liis nritlimctical powers upon the next, as well as upon the last twenty years, and he would have probably found,in combining interest with the principal, tliat,nt their expiration, the Colo- oies shall have <* cost the Country" a sura lillle short of a hundred millions \ :)r> given 3 upon jbably Colo- ion» \ client in imy system ol" emigration, doing away the (litticulty and groat expense of conveyance, which must otherwise he met, — the adoption of the necessa- ry steps to ascertain the most useful and important works, for the improvement and defence of this coun- try, and of a general plan of operation, for their execu- tion, — and then ofiering puhlicly to the lahouring poor< immediate employment at a certain rate of wages, on Let lis suppose, (hat in the minor ailjustmcnts, at the period when Ma- gna Chnrta was framed, a brancli ot* the Crown rcvenne waa cnt ufT, hy the reduction ot'a tax on some particular article, and it' we cnlculato wliat might have been tiic nmount collected, had the levy continued, without any altoration or modification, from the duys of Kin^ .John to the present time, we may tind, upon the very same principle now applied to the Colo- nieti, that tho unlucky article has " coHt the country" a much greater Nuni than would l>o required to wipe olT the national debt ! That the Colonics should find a market in the Mother country for their timber, has been considered essential to their prosperity, and in the year 1810 it wasof no small importance to Great Britain, to obtain the limber from thcDi, beinjr shut out from almost every other menus of supply. The arrangements which were then made, were upon the principle of public wel- fare, and it is, tlierefore, by no means correct, to state the consequent deficiency in that particular branch of the revenue, aa a positive loss to the country, or to consider that the Colonie;!, since tiie above period, have " cost the Country" a sum, which might iiavu been cullected on the Haltic timber, if the trade had continued as formerly. It can only be said, tlint this pariiculnr article bus not contributed so niucb to the exigencii's of the State, us it might have dune, if these arrangements bad not been tboi.gbt of more conseqneucc, than the deficiency occasioned thereby in the rcvcoue, which has been, or could bnvc been made up from some other quarter. The question really appears to lie in a mere nut shell. The actual cost of the article is all we have to consider, in comparing the difference of ex- pense between an importation from the Baltic and the Colonics. The prices of timber in our colonial ports, and in those of tiie Northern countries of liurope, are nearly on a par, so that the ndditional expense consists entirely of the diflerence in the rate of freight, being about twenty shillings per ton. It, therefore, must be evident that upon the importation from the Colonies 'in 1829, of 600.000 tons, the sum expended above what would have brought that quantity from the Baltic, could not be more than ^600,000. This is the only loss, if it bo one, that can be wrung out, in whatever way the question be twisted. The sum added in consideration of inferior quality is certainly compen- E2 3G tlieir arrival in tho Colony. These measures, witli perhaps assistance to tiie most destitute in crossing the Atlantic, might open a prospect of amelioration in the condition of the lower classes, and it may not be presumptuous to expect, that they would tend much to take from them, every cause of complaint, or excuse for idleness. ■ated by (be Colonial timber Helling at a lower price — more, however, from prejudice, porliapa, than good reaaon. I have heard Ibis fancied inferi- ority ttateu an a diiadvantage or inconvenience to Groat Britain, but it is the first time I have seen it reduced to figures, os a charge against (he Colonies. 1 should have supposed, if the consumer could get (liu Colonial timber thirty shillings per ton cheaper than (he Baltic timber, and could make it answer his purpose, it would turn out a saving, rather (han an ex- pense. Nor need it even be admi((ed, that the difiVrence on (be freight, is on actual loss to (he Country. If our Colonial timber were carried in foreign bottoms, it migh( be so, but as our own shipping are exclusively employed, it is only removing money from one pocket to another. Those advocates whom the Northern Powers have found in (he Conncils of Britain (o plead their cause against her own Colonies, have prudently kept out of view, a riso in (he price of their tioiber, every sixpence of which would indeed be a real loss to (he coun(ry, and which would inevita* biy take place, if the supply from the Colonies were checked. This is put outof all doubt by the fact, that the mere agitation of the question, had that effect, to a certain degree, both in the Baltic and Englitli markets. But if it could even be obtained somewhat cheaper from (he BaKic, (which, however, there seems no good reason to admit,) the additional sum which might be paid on the importation of Colonial timber, should only be viewed as a general subscription over the whole nation, fulling lightly on every individual, for the important purposes of encouraging the Colonies, in their rapid advance, as a most ei(ensive marke(for Bridsh manufactures, and of furthering the intere8(s of the Hhip owners, a body on which, aboTe all others, depend the prosperity and independence of (he Empir*. POSTSCUIPT. Since the foregoing observ^ationa were committed to paper, 1 have seen the published accounts of the first debate on the Emigration Bill, and notice, witli pleasure, that employment is to be the chief mode of assistance. The adoption of that principle seems almost to render the publication of these sheets su- perfluous. But under the honest (though perhaps mistaken) conviction, that a more enlarged plan of operation than that i)roposed is necessary, I have still resolved not to suppress my views of the subject, and shall venture to add, with due submission to those whose means of examining it are greater than mine, a few short remarks in inmiediate reference to the mea- sure in contemplation. The rate of wages which may be given in encourag- ing emigration by employment, is perhaps of more importance than may at first be supposed. That of 2.S'. 6d. per day seems to have been determined upon, as something below the wages common in the coun- try, which are rated as high as 3^. 9^^. It is tnie that from 3s. to 4s. is often given in harvest, and for sum- mer work in the Towns ; but the wages of farmers* men, in regular employment, are generally from five to eight dollars per month, and ten dollars are consi- 3S dered liigh, even in most parts of" the Upper Province, so that alter adding the expense of hoard, ahout one shilling per day, the averaf throughout the year ap- pears to be considerably under 2s. 6d. But there seem« to be no particular cause for keeping up the wages of emigrants dependant on public assistance, as high, or nearly so, as those common in the Colony, while there are certainly many reasons for reducing^ as much as possible, the expeuse upon each individual. This will hardly be disputed, if we ceao3 to consi- der the settlement of all or most of the labourers in the Colony as essential, our object in that case being ra- ther to encourage than to prevent their dispersion ; but even continuing to aim at their settlement here, I am p(- suaded that a high rate of wages will, on the whole, rather retard than forward it. Labourers seldom save money when on public works, at any rate of pay. A very small proportion would be so enabled to obtain the means of settlement, and a still smaller would actually ijettle in the Colony. But while high wages would do real benefit only to a few, they would have the bad effect of concentrating the emigrants around the Government works. The general wages of the country, if not raised would be kept from falling, as they necessarily ought to do upon such an accession of cheap labour, and there being thus no particular encouragement (from a fall of wages at least) to open additional opportunities of employment among the inhabitants, this pub- 1 ( t ^ J. I f X i Y 39 lie channel of relief would soon become stagnant and ineffectual, or be carried to an oppressive extent. Low wages, on the contrary, would incline the emi- grants to spread over the country, to depend more upon the farmers, and look to Government only as a last resource. Country employment is, after all, more valuable for them than that of T>ublic works, where there is every temptation to spend ; while the farming labourer being boarded with his employer, cannot, in fact, avoid the accumulation of his wages for months, whatever he may do with them afterwards, and he of- ten receives them in the very materials of settlement, viz : land, stock, grain, &c. It may be said, that in arranging the wages of emi- grant labour, a long and possibly idle winter ought to be considered, and that a certain rate, above that of mere subsistence, may be necessary to induce a suffi- cient emigration, to relieve the Mother Country. But the above reasoning, if correct, will also answer these objections. A few might, but the greatest number would not save against winter, had they e\en the power to do it ; and in enlarging individual employ- ment ( ^y withdrawing every thing like competition for labour on the part of Government) we shall open up a far more powerful source, both of support in win- ter, and general encouragement to emigration, than high Government wages could prove to be. But perhaps the strongest reason for keeping the wages under the common rate is, that in that way 40 alone, the system of relief or assistance by public work could be thrown equally open to all emigrants — a principle which see ns almost indispensible, in any way the subject can be viewed. The principle of un- limited employment may, at first sight be startling^ but it may not be found very formidable in carrying it into operation. It would no doubt be impracticable on wages of 2s. Qd. f' day, but at a shilling less, might be found easy. . If works were opened under the superintendence of government, it might be very difficult to persevere in a distinction with regard to applicants for labour, in whatever quarter the funds may have been raised. It is not the usual policy of our government to give ex- clusive facilities, and in practice it would probably be found impossible, to leave the voluntary emigrant and his family on the road, while the transported pauper was reUeved. The practicable way seemg to be, to retain the principle of Parish relief, as to low wages, but offering them freely to all, and public works con- ducted on such a plan in Canada, are not likely to be overburdened with men, while there is so much scope on her own ilelds, and on those of her neighbours, for individual enterprise. This mode of proceeding would simplify the whole measure, and confine all itsarrange- ments to the Colonies, where, if employment were certain, emigrants would not fail to find their way in sufficient numbers, without the interference of govern- ment. 41 But it is evident that this unlimited principle can- not be followed, if the measure be confined to Parish contributions. It is reasonable and practicable, that each of the Parishes should pay the expense of the transport of their own paupers. Upon their landing, however, in this country, the local distinctions are lost sight of, and the evil or inconvenience being generally felt, ought to bf> met on general principles. And here, I cannot refrain from again calling to my aid Mr. TT-Arton's proposition, that in doing so effectually iiicie will ultimately be, not an expense, but a saving to the British Nation. If this argument were pro- perly enforced by influential men, it would go far towards reconciling the pr^lic mind, to those general and extensive measures which may be necessary to procure the relief which is wanted in the Mother Country. There is another view to be taken, embracing a motive f .\' an unlimited plan of employment, which may ha ^ a ^ight at home, and that is the influence it wouia h ;>c; on the character of the emigration. In the course of the debate it was anounced, that an increasing independent emigration to Canada was going on, amounting, last year, to nearly thirty thousand individuals, which was advanced apparently as a I lof that little more was wanting than partial facilia? . But we oan, with probability, suppose the existence of an emigration, of even one hundred f^; 42 >^i i thousand annually, and yet of such a nature as to leave as many unemployed in the Mother Country, as before it took place, for a great proportion of them might have been, in one way or other, employers of the poor. The actual relief at home last year was, possibly, not great, for it is generally acknowledged, that a body of emigrants never before landed in Que- bec, of comparatively so respectable appearance, which is one plain reason why they " were absorbed," or at least disappeared, \ ■ ' ^'^ little inconvenience to the public. , V, ;.; This would be a matter of less consequence, if we could make sure of the settlement of the better sort in the Colonies, as their funds might soon be as effectually turned towards the relief of the British poor as formerly, and although a spirited system of improvement by roads and otherwise, would be the means of detaining a much larger proportion of them than remain at present, yet considering the peculiar situation of this country, it is unsafe to depend much upon such a result. In a general and continued emigration it is the undoubted policy of the Mother Country to aim at keeping back her better classes, and letting go her lowest, but as direct restraint cannot be applied to the one, the fullest rein ought to be given to the other. The word of Government insuring employment and subsistence in Canada to every comer, would certainly have a very great effect in exciting the effort of emi- 43 gration among labourers, and hope would naturally brighten the more distant prospect, beyond the mode- rate, but sufficient provision immediately held out. In short, a general stir would be created, precisely among the right description of people, and those having a real stake in the country, either in England or Ire- land, would surely not be backward in assisting them across the Atlantic, while the necessity existed for thin in g the population. In taking this view of the subject, I do not think, I am, at all, losing sight of the particular interest of Canada, for no measures that Government can adopt, will altogether prevent the better classe^s from following the tide, and such general improvements set on foot, might; as I have already stated, lead many to settle in the Colony, that would otherwise leave it. Thus, although they could not be kept within the Mo- ther Country, they may still be retained in this part of her dominions.