EPORT 
 
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 U > >- • E- 
 
 13 
 
 MAJOR C. DONALDSON'S 
 
 REPORT 
 
 ON EMIGRATION. 
 
 18 74. 
 
 TOKONTO. 
 
 LUMSDEN & CO., PRINTERS. 
 
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 TO THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF 
 DIRECTORS OF THE EMIGRATION 
 AID SOCIETY OF THE COUNTY OF 
 LINCOLN AND DISTRICT OF NI- 
 AGARA, IN CONNECTION WITH 
 HAMILTON AND THE GOVERN- 
 MENT OF ONTARIO. 
 
 Gentlemen, — i . .( .. . 
 
 On -my return from Europe on Em- 
 migration duty, it is necessary for me 
 to render to you a detailed account of 
 my labours and expenses connected 
 therewith as your Commissioner. 
 
 After my appointment in July last 
 it was necesary for me to obtain all 
 needful information in order to prepare 
 myself thoroughly for this most im- 
 portant duty. 
 
 I first applied to our Ontario Govern- 
 ment and rccoived all the info}-matiou 
 in their possession relative to my un- 
 dertaking. ''-'■■' 
 
 On Monday, the 8th day of September 
 last, I left Niagara by boat for Europe, 
 calling at Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal 
 and Quebec on our Governments' Hon. 
 Commissioners, and received letters of 
 introduction, maps,' pamphlets and all 
 directions necessary for my missionary 
 tour on emigration in Europe. 
 
 On the 13th day of September I took 
 my passage on board the Steamer 
 " Prussian " for Ireland and Liverpool, 
 and sailed at 11 a.m., and arrived after 
 a pleasant passage on the ninth day at 
 6 a.m., at the green banks of sweet old 
 Ireland, aU on board rejoicing at the 
 beautiful sight. We delivered mails 
 and passengers, and proceeded down 
 * the beautiful coasts of Ireland and Scot- 
 land to Liverpool, where we arrived on 
 the tenth day at 6 a.m. with great re- 
 joicing. We all breakfasted on board 
 at 8 a.m., an.l at 11.40 a.m. I took train 
 for [^London (200 miles,) and passed 
 through the most dehghtful country I 
 
 ever saw. It may well be called a Par- 
 adise. I arrived at magnificert old 
 London at 5.80 p.m. on the 2.'3rd of 
 September, making the whole passage 
 in less than ten days (2,()18 miles). 
 
 On the 24th September I calh'd on 
 the Dominion Commissioner at his of- 
 fice in London, 11 Adam St., Adelphi, 
 and delivered letters of introduction and 
 directions from our Government's Com- 
 missioners of Emigration, the Hon. Mr. 
 Pope, and A. McKellar. 
 
 I immediately called upon Mr. Wil- 
 liams, at the Boys' liefuge, in Loudon, 
 to secure fifty or one hundred boys for 
 the farmers in Canada, but failed on 
 account of the high rate of passage 
 (£'4 15s. sterling). He said he would 
 let me have what boys I required and 
 could get good situations for at the 
 same reduced rates .of passage as farm- 
 ers and then- sons and daughters - 
 (£2 63.), and would wait until Spring, 
 when no doubt the pas'sage rate will be 
 reduced. 
 
 I was then immediately put in com- 
 munication with the Labourers's Union 
 in Berkshire and Cambridge by a Gov- 
 ernment agent who was just returning 
 to Canada ; and in the course of six 
 days I hr.d the promise of seventeen 
 farm families all ready to place them- 
 selves under my direction, and be ship- 
 ped for St. Catharines, Ontario,' where 
 houses and labour were awaiting them 
 amongst the members of our Emigra- 
 tion Aid Society. 
 
 1 was delayed by the Lonodon office 
 from the 1st of October until the 15th 
 in getting the warrants in the hands of 
 Mr. Memory, (the Secretary of the 
 Labourer's Union at Newbury) to ship 
 the families referred to. On that morn- 
 ing the Labourers and ourselves all 
 took train for Liverpool (250 miles) and 
 arrived on board the steamer Sarma- 
 
tiiiii for Canndii, tho ^anio ovoning. 
 The next day I gave (rcorfro Pivfcy, who 
 seciuod to bo tho most iiitellij^'out of 
 tho Emij^'i'auts, ii list of thu mombe/s of 
 
 . our Eiiiin;ratiou Aid Hooiety in Sc. 
 Cat^iariuos, who hid apphod to roo for 
 them ill! and J cautioned Paty to he 
 (laroful aud taKc care of tho list for foar 
 he might go astrfty. I also sent a 
 '•opv of this hat to our Secrotary- 
 
 • Treasurer two weeks before they were 
 shipped. 
 
 During my delay in and about Lon- 
 don I became acquainted with several 
 gentlemen erf large estates and means, 
 who are strongly impressed with the 
 notion of forming colonios in Canada, 
 and sending out a large number of 
 tenant farmers and labourers, and 
 settling them on oar Free Grant Lands. 
 I never can forget the kind reception 
 as a Canadian 1 received in London. 
 
 I then left London for Glasgow, 
 Perth, Aberdeen and Edinburgh, con- 
 tinually lecturing,, distributing maps 
 pamphlets and my cards, to the num- 
 ber of four-thousand upon the g"°at 
 advantages and inducements which are 
 offered by the Governments of Canada to 
 actual settlers. 
 
 During my sojourn'in Scotland, I be- 
 came acquainted with several gentle- 
 men of large means who are strongly 
 impressed with the advantages of for- 
 ming large Scotch Colonies in the 
 United States ; and one gentleman has 
 taken up a large tract of land in Kans- 
 sas, aud has induced a great num- 
 ber Lo settle there. But taere was 
 great objection to this place on account 
 of the severity of the climate in sum- 
 mer, and often in winter, the bad brack- 
 ish water, and sometimes none at all, 
 in the long summer droughts of throe 
 months, which caused a great deal of 
 sickness and sun-stroke, especially 
 when the thermometer rose to 100 ° 
 and sometimes 120 ® . 
 
 I at length was made ac^^uain- 
 
 ^ ted with the Secretary of the Cham- 
 bers of Agriculture of Scotland, whom 
 
 I found tho most thorough Agricul- 
 turalist and business- man I had met 
 in all my travels in Europe, and in full 
 contidanco with the whob; farming com- 
 munity of Scotland, and part of Eng- 
 land. He had a large sum of money 
 placed in his hands to invest in lands 
 m hansas, if he approved of the locality 
 as a place for settlement ; but, being a 
 practical man, he was not easily de- 
 ceived, and he has abandoned Kansas 
 for the present, and ho accepted maps, 
 pamphlets and all information about 
 Canada from me. I spent a portion of 
 several days with him discussing the 
 greatsubjoot of colonisation in Ci?nada; 
 and as soon as ho has consulted with 
 his Board of Association upon the 
 advisability of making Canada a field for 
 settlingScotch Colonies, they will pro- 
 ceed to examine our line country, and 
 if they decide in our favour, Ave may 
 expect a large capital laid out in im- 
 proved farms, or reclaiming and settling 
 our fine forests and prairie hinds in 
 Ontario, Manitoba the far West, and 
 other parts of Canada. 
 
 I tlien returned to Glasgow and ar- 
 rango^ to ship forty or fifty ship car" 
 penterj for St. Catharines and Port 
 Dalhousie shipyards, and then left Glas- 
 gow on the 22nd October for Belfast, 
 Ireland, and remained there three days, 
 where I met with the same usual kind- 
 ness, and was glad to hear from Cana- 
 dian friends. I became acquainted with 
 the Member for Belfast, our Dominion 
 Agent, Mr. Foy, and the Dominion 
 Agent of the line of steamboats to Que- 
 bec, Mr. Gowan. These gentlemen 
 were very kind and gave me a deal of 
 information concerning Emigration in 
 Ireland. I found the city of Belfast a 
 beautiful, neat, and thriving place ox \ 
 business, and the people, with whom I 
 came in contact, very kind and in- 
 telligent. 
 
 I telegrnphed to Mr. Johnson of Can- 
 tuck, with whom I had some corres- 
 pondence concerning a large number 
 of labourers for our public works on the 
 
3 
 
 Welluud Canul, and liu ropllcd tlmt ho 
 could not meet me at that time. My 
 time was now becoming short as I iu- 
 tendod to sail for home on the 4th of 
 December. 
 
 On account of the change in our Gov- 
 ernment, and the money crisis in the 
 Unit "^JPfati'H, oansinfj' tliopsnnds to b«' 
 thrown out of employment, and vast 
 numbers returning home to Europe ev- 
 ery vfisdk, I made up my mind thvt Citn- 
 ada would soon have a full supply uf 
 American Emigrants and Libouiers, 
 I alsa obsecvod that JosopJi Arch had 
 retui'uod to England, and aj I vvi.shcd to 
 meet him, I retni-uod to Liverpo( I in 
 search of him. Thenco I proceeded to 
 Leamington where I found hitn, and 
 
 strongly advise all Emigrants intend- 
 ing to settle on Free Grant Lands to go 
 to service with practical farmers and 
 learn all kinds of Canadian farm work, 
 especially the use of the axe and edge 
 tools for six months, whioli they will 
 hud a great advantage in making a be- 
 ^'»'»niing on now land. 
 
 It will be advisable for the settlors to 
 employ a few good practical axe-men to 
 go in with them, who understand erect- 
 ing cottaj^os, making rails, and building 
 fences, and clearing land, and roughing 
 in the bush, and thoy will soon learn 
 the whole art of Canadiau farming. 
 
 I attended his groat meeting at 
 Leamington on the 1st of December at 
 7 p.m. Not less than six th{)u.sand farm- 
 
 spent a half day witli him. I found ^J^s "'"^ i^^ourers with their wives, sons, 
 him pretty well posted concofniu'^ the and daughters, were present, and all 
 
 Emigration to Canada, and the settlin^ 
 of the Free Grant Lands. We only 
 disagreed on one point, building cof,ta- 
 ges and clearing three or foiir acres of 
 land by the Government, and IdHving a 
 debt of, say, forty pounds for the Emi- 
 grant to pay off in f > .;; rr p' ; years. I 
 proposed that the Government should 
 furnish one year's provicion, and seed 
 for each family that might require it, 
 instead of a cottage, and that the Emi- 
 grants build their own cottages, which 
 they can do at less than one-half it 
 would cost the Government to do it for 
 them. With one year's provisions and 
 seed tliey can overcome difficulties, and 
 raise their own provisions afterwards, 
 andremain nearly free from debt. A large 
 numbei.' of famiUes going in together to 
 settle, will assist each other to build 
 their own cottages, and they will find it 
 very agreeable and pleasant to meet to- 
 gatiiar, and assist each other. It used 
 to be f^iiv happiest time, wlien we were 
 all poor, and were always ready to as- 
 sist a new settler to build bis cottage 
 and sha»*e with him our small means. 
 
 Joseph Arch is undoubtediy a most 
 8.b1e, seK-taught man, and understands 
 ■well what work of all kinds is, except 
 the axe which is soon learnt. I would 
 
 most anxious to hear tlie joyful news from 
 their President (who is, as it were, a 
 king among them) about Canada, which 
 was delivered most correctly and con- 
 scientiously ; and no doubt it will as- 
 tonish England and Canada to see the 
 great rush and tide of Emigration to 
 Canada next spring. 
 
 I left Leamington on the 2nd Decem- 
 ber for Liverpool, and made preparations 
 for sailing to Canada, by way of Port- 
 land, on board the steamer Nestorian. 
 We left on the 4th of December at 10 a. 
 m., and arrived on the morning of the 
 IGth December, at 6 a.m., at Portland. 
 It was a beautiful clear sky, and it was 
 indeed a cheerful thing again to see the 
 sun, which for twelve days I had not 
 seen. I then proceeded homewards, 
 calling at Montreal, Ottawa, and To- 
 ronto, and arrived at home on Satur- 
 day morning the 20th I ecember. 
 
 I must say that notwithstanding all 
 that has been done to enlighten the 
 people of Great Britain and Ireland 
 about us, the old world knows verv 
 little indeed about us, and they are per- 
 fectly ignorant about Canada. On al- 
 most all occasions in conversation with 
 men, on the subject of Canada, often 
 some one would say, "Oh, yes, I have 
 
a brother or a neighbour or afriend in 
 America." And in reply to my question, 
 *• Wheroaboutfl ?" tho annwor would be, 
 Now York, BoHton, Philadftlphia, Chica- 
 go, KnuHaH, Illinois, Decota, or some 
 J other part of tho [United StatfiH, the 
 party being frc(iuently under tho im- 
 preuHion that thcHO placos were btill 
 belonging to the British. 
 
 Now, by tho last Emigration Report 
 fur tho lasi five years, there have ar- 
 rived in Canada upwards of five hun- 
 dred thousand emigrants, and out of 
 this largo number only one hundred 
 and fifty thousand are settled in Cana- 
 da; all tho rest havo gone over our fine 
 railways to the United States ; and I 
 }iave no doubt that a very largo pro- 
 portion of these fuDy believed thoy 
 were going to settle in Western Cana- 
 da under tho British flag — such is the 
 lamentable ignorance which prevails 
 • aincmg that class of emigrants ! 
 
 All my lectures were intended to dis- 
 abuse their minds of any such ideas ; 
 and to infor]n them that Britain lost 
 the " American Colony " when they re- 
 belled against British rule and asserted 
 their independence in 1776, and that 
 they are still independent of British 
 laws and of British institutions. I also 
 explained to them that Canada alone 
 was British, and would ever be a part 
 of the BriLish Empire; and by the use 
 of maps showed them plainly the po- 
 sition of the United States, so as to 
 prevent any confusion in their minds 
 about what was British and wliat was 
 foreign. 
 
 These points having been explained, 
 I pointed out to them that no British 
 ^ ibject (who would of course be a " for- 
 eigner " in the United States) could 
 hold a deed of freehold land in the 
 States without first forswearing his al- 
 legiance to his native land and Queen 
 Victoria. I met several persons on 
 their return home on account of the 
 money crisis in the States, who said 
 they were obliged to take thi^ oath or 
 lose theii* property. 
 
 AIho "foreigners " settling in Britain 
 or Canada must all become British 
 subjects and take an oath of allegiance 
 to our Queen before they can enjoy the 
 full privileges of British subjects. 
 
 In conclusion I strongly recommend 
 that tho Governments of Canada will 
 without further delay select the most 
 influential men to meet the British 
 Parliament, and to unite tho two govern- 
 ments in this great cause of Emigration 
 to this the western part of the British 
 Empire, say to the number of four 
 millions of mon which will release 
 her of her surplus population; and 
 will ad(J greatly to our strength and 
 loyalty and prosperity, as wo are only 
 four millions of inhabitants in one of 
 the largest and most prosperous countries 
 in the world, capable of settling fifty 
 millions inhabitants of prosperous and 
 happy farmers, machinests, and mercan- 
 tile business mon, and make us what wo 
 must be, the right arm of [ he British 
 Empire. 
 
 (Signed,) Major C. Donaldson. 
 
 Director and Commissioner of Emigration Aid 
 Society of the District of Niagara and St. 
 Catharines, iu connootiou with Hamilton 
 and tlie Govern'^-ient of Ontario. 
 
 The following are the resolutions : — 
 Moved by Alexander Muir, and se- 
 conded by P. Larkin, 
 
 That the report just read of Mr. C.- 
 Donaldson's mission on Emigration as 
 our commissioner to Europe, including 
 cash expenses, be received and adopted, 
 and printed, and an assessment levied of 
 a third call of twenty-five per cent, up- 
 on tho capital stock of the Society to 
 pay tho same. — Carried. 
 
 G. A. Clark, President. 
 Moved by Alexander Muir, and se- 
 conded by P. Larkin, 
 
 That a vote of thanks to Mr. Donald- 
 sou for his energetic and persevering 
 labours in so short a time in Europe in 
 sending out so many fine, healthy farm 
 labouring families, and arranging for a 
 large tide of Emigration of farm labour- 
 otd, tenant farmers, domestic servants 
 and capitalists to come out to Canada 
 next Spring. — Carried unanimously. 
 G. A. GhJiSK, President.