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POULBTT THOMSOIS^, GOVERNOR GENERAL OF TUB BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES, &c. &r. '>■ -.-«-■ MONTREAL: PRINTED BY JAMES STARKE & CO. 1840. ^ .^^1^ ■;». r " TO HIS EXCELLENCY . THE RIGHT HON. C. POULETT THOMSON, &c. ike. &c. SIR, '4 Allow me, in this place, to record the humblest thanks for the permission to dedicate to Your Excel- lency this representation of Views on the subject of British Pauper Systematic Immigration to Canada. The examination of this subject might have been carried to a greater extent, but the fear of prolixity swayed my performance ; and it is now presented to Your Excellency with all its imperfections. May they meet your indulgent regard. A thesis of this importance is not approached by so humble an individual as myself with impunity to the cause. My apprehensions on this account are tempered by the reflection that my publication may be confined to the narrow limits of the printing- room, and known to Your Excellency only for its .<4' IV, ^' inipotency — in words, though, for the cause 1 es- pouse, not in intention. Immigration, in the abstract, will continue of momentous consequence until Po- litics cease to be a science and Christianity a VIRTUE. Had it been within the scope of my feeble power to free it of its impurities of style, my inclination would have led me to render it as chaste and pure as the spirit of philanthrophy it would inculcate. In this dilemma, let me entreat a careful sifting of the subject, and that the style may operate no injustice to the matter. May Your Excellency's health be preserved, as well for your own as my country's happiness, is the humble sentiment of Your Excellency's very obedient. Most devoted. And obliffed Servant, 1 W. N. CRAWFORD. Montreal, July, 1840. VIEWS or SYSTEMATIC BPITISH PAUPER IMMIGRATION TO CANADA. PART I. The subject of immigration is one that at the present epoch occupies ahke the attention of the statesman, the political economist, and a whole phalanx of patriots, who in enthusiastic and glowing colours portray the advantages that would result both to England and her Colonies from systematic immigration. Land Companies start into exist- ence, and prosecute with vigor their schemes of colonization, hundreds of adventrous spirits from Britannia's hive swarm to New Zealand. The rage for colonization seems intermit- tent — nov/ visitSng one country, and anon another. Colonies become rivals, :^nd the intending emigrant is perplexed in his choice. To one possessed of means, the election may be a matter of indifference : to the poor man it is otherwise. 6 Hiis humble tenement was tite abode uf his furofathers, the scanty meal his accustomed lot, and, in the hour of need, the parish his refuge. There every thing is familiar to him : his habits and affections are equally bound up within the pre- cincts of his birth-place. Accompany him from thence, with his wife and children, to the shores of Canada, whither he has wended his way, with some vague, some indistinct notion that he will better his condition ; and — oh I say it not in Gath ! — the tale of his indigence is yet to be told. Ho that, in the language of the panegyrist, was to prove the saviour of the Colony, its bone and sinew, and every other smiling figure of expression, exemplifies " poverty made more poor ;'* his position may be seen too truly — friendless, penniless, work-less, guide-less. Mark the following notice of his transit by a recent Montreal journrlist : — " On board the " Princess Victoria were some Irish emigrants, on their way " to the United States, without money, without provisions, " without any object except to procure employment, without " any information of either Canada or the States." Alas ! and veritably poor exile from Erin, thine ambition was to toil and sweat, to fulfil the prophetic doom of man ! No out- stretched hand was nigh to counsel thee — to direct thy will- ing energies — to place thee where thy unemployed industry would have been called into active service, with the certain and cheering prospect of obtaining those worldly comforts of which, in thy utmost longing after, thou didst little dream. Ye that invite immigration, that seek to attract it to your .J' soil, instead of a blessing ovoko a stain upon your country. The poor, as they traverse your cities to other and far dis- tant lands, must in their hearts mutter imprecations. Immigration is confessedly a benefit to any country, espe- cially to one so thinly populated as Canada. Its evil is in the form, not in the principle: it is in its encouragement with- out a preconcerted system. All acknowledge that immigration should be systematic ; but in what that system should consist remains unexplained. The attempts hitherto to promote it have been only the disjointed workings.of parts of an unde- fined system. The orator in England and the stipendiary agents in Canada, are the offsetts ; the trunk is still invisible ; and the great fruits of immigration upon system are yet to be reaped in an abundant harvest. A SYSTEM of immigration should be perfect in all its rami- fications, else it is defective, and virtually no system. The poor British laborer, who is induced to immigrate to Canada through the agency of one branch of a system in England, and is again urged, on his arrival, by another — the stipendi- ary — to continue his route to Upper Canada or the Town- ships, and when there, left to shift for himself as he best may, is obviously under the influence of a very delusive sys- tem. It may be a system in theory, but certainly not in practice, A system should be a combined plan, which should only cease its benign operations after the emigrant shall have been ftiirly settled on land, and placed in a situation to pro- vide by his own labor for himself and family. Such a system, 8 1 indeed) offers to the benevolent and intrepid philanthropist ungathered and unfading laurels ; and u itil the statesman, the political economist, and the patriot, partaking of that God-like Christian virtue, literally "strew manna" in the emigrant's vtray in the wilderness, his portion will not cease to be one of bitter casualties and unabated eufferinff. With- out that Divine dispensation, the Israelites of old would have sickened and perished ignominiously, unful filling, as they now do fulfil, the mightiest prophecy of the Gospel, the final solution of which inevitably concerneth the myriads of the universe. These reflections have been awakened in my mind from a variety of causes, all conspiring to indicate that the materiel for systematic immigration is to be found in almost boundless quantity as well in Canada as in England, and bv their union a system may be formed, which, under the blessing of Divine goodness, will conduce to the happiness of thousands of poor beings, and render them, through philanthropic means, the medium of accomplishing the great ends contemplated by the enlightened advocates of immigration. The extensive forests in the Eastern Townships of Lower Canada present no fairer sphere in the universe for the em- ployment of the poor British laborer. There, in his lowly hut, stimulated by the presence of his wife and children, with the axe in hand, he may, without a metaphor, carve out his own in- (Ippendence. A career of healthy labor is open before hitn ; that which he '\yi vain sought to obtain is at length within his 9 reach. Twelve short months of patient toil sees the forest yield to his " lusty sinews and heart of controversy" space enough for the production of the potatoe and corn to put him beyond the reach of want, and within the sure and cer- tain path of attaining, at no distant period, all the substantial requisites of life. Reader ! docs this seem to thee hyperbole ? Art thou incredulous that the emigrant can so soon work this change in his worldly condition, and that thou seest him daily — as he passes thy comfortable dwelling, stricken with poverty, helpless, though strong and healthy — seeking labor, but find- ing none ? If such be thy misgivings and meditations, go thyseif to the Eastern Townships, and behold the wonderful effects of human industry, from the most abject beginnings. The emigrant, that once was indigent, has become compara- tively wealthy. Shouldst thou there interrogate the resident clergyman or respectable inhabitant, thou wilt learn, that if the poor hard-working emigrant can only weather the first winter of his career, the days of his dependence are at an end, and that the future exhibits one long, one bright vista of prosperity. The first season of winter is, in truth, the im- mortal Poet's " winter of discontent ;" that point gained, his faltered and frail bark may, far removed from the stagnant waters in which it lay useless and oecaying, ride in safety from their pestiferous and noxious influence. But I see thy doubts are dispelled, and that thy visit and statistic gleanings enable thee to denominate thai country emphatically " the poor man's Paradise." 10 If this transposition of th.e poor laborer has wrought in various instances so magical a change, would not the same effect be producible in the condition of every poor emigrant were the stipendiary in?iructed to supply him with a verified printed publication of these astounding truths ? Alas ! no ; for every one hundred families that wore to pursue heir course to the Eastern Townships, not more than two or three would obtain employment, which they must do incontinently, or they undergo the agonies of starvation. To procure occupation would consume more time than the destitute wayfarer has leisure to bestow. His necessities are urgent ; and he resumes his weary way towards that European vortex, the United States, where, should he stumble upon an unfinished canal or rail-road, his labor will be forthwith converted to some gigantic purpose that will anew be typical of the progressive character of that most stranare derivation — " the American," If it be true that immigration is a desideratum — that the sacred cause of Christianity is thereby affected — that it is in pursuance of the great science of political economy, to en- courage it to the Colonies, as at once the means of their agrandizement, of the preservation of colonial connexion, and of the endurance of England's potentiality to the end of time — if each and all of these auspicious events are in the wake of immigration, is it not a subject of the highest order of importance that some system should be organized that would, ])y its beneficent dispositions, transplant with zealous care the surplus Uiborcr from " the garden of the world" to (he 11 wilds of Canada ? What pains are taken, what expense in- curred in the rennoval and nurture of the exotic tribe ; and yet the emigrant, equally helpless when poor, is left to take root or wither, as he may. British Canadians ! — for I would appeal to you, as the more immediately interested — let reform be the watchword in your system of immigration, at this time that reformation is instituting in your other public departments. Let it here- after be said that Canada has taken a loftier stand in the scale of civilization — that she did not slothfully, nay, inhu- manly, abide the advent of a rail-road or canal to apply the abor of as goodly a proportion of poor destitute emigrants as may be possible, for more may not be expected, to the reclai'^ation of her forest lands, for their ostensible and your own indirect prosperity. Were a canal, rail-road, or turnpike in the course of construction, the collective labor of the poor emigrants would not be more than partially absorbed or monopolized, but would supply your reformed system of im- migration therewith to the overflowing — a redundancy that would then trace its way to the United States. i) '■ VIEWS SYSTEMATIC BRITISH PAUPER IMMIGRATION TO CANADA. PART II. How oft does the moralist rail at the inconsistency of man ! In his turn, the pohtician may deplore the inconsistency of nations. The United States at this moment proclaims to the world the anguish of its suffering from immigration. The very tide that came freighted with riches to its shores, is now reproved, and the poor stranger, as a concubine, " cast like a loathsome weed away." The native American, that could assume the graces of Calipso to allure him to his soil, as readily apes the frowning majesty of Canute, and rebuking saith, " So far shalt thou go, and no farther." Britons ! the Americans desire to excommunicate you from the rights of freemen m their territory ! Know that an asso- ciation has been formed in the United States for the declared :?«fe^:< I 14 purpose of procuring' " the repeal of the naturaHzation laws." An address from the society has recently been promulgated, from which the following extract will convey the import of volumes : — •« We not only receive into our country, hordes of aliens in feelings, principles, prejudices, and habits of thinking, but through the instrumen- tality of our naturalization law, we endow them with the prerogative of influencing our institutions and deciding on the future destinies of our beloved country, — can such men who have been taught from their earliest infancy to despise and abhor our country, her inhabitants and her intitu- tions — (see O'Connell's speeches) — men who have no idea of rational liberty, social virtue, or political subordination, except by the strong hand and iron rule of viceregal task-masters — men habituated by education to tumult and insurrection, and practically familiar with the foulest actions comprised in the dark catalogue of crime. Away with such declamatory calumniations ! I know, and the wide world well knows, that ye Britons would rather " be as dogs, and bay the moon," than inflict such wrongs. Leave the egotistical Americans to the wisdom of their own ruminations. Should you implicitly take them at their word, and recede from their shores, it would, indeed, let the mock thunder of their address fall with not unreal lightning on their own heads ; the seeds from which the society has sprung were sown in the diminished prosperity of their country, which has reduced the inflated prices of their canal and rail-road stock to a discount and by parity the labor of the stranger. The Americans have o'erstepped the bounds of moderation in their pursuits, as they are now o'erstepping the " modesty of nature" in their judgments upon the stranger. They think the country 15 will ere long rise from its bed of lancror refreshed from the intemperate draught of the cup of prosperity, and in their conceit imagine that if they refrain for a time from " internal improvement," they may repose in security from the sudden disruptions of commerce. I would observe, before finally dismissing this theme, that the feeling evinced by the society is in the United States " growing with its growth and strengthening with its strength." The Legislatures on the sea-board have, in effect, begun the rule of inhibition, by imposing a capitation tax upon immi- gration ; and the system will infallibly increase in rigor and extent — " Coming events cast their shadows before." British Canadians ! there is a familiar adajye which runneth '* That is an ill wind that blows nobody good." Profit by the times. If ye value immigration, not solely for the sake of your future canals and raiWoads, but for itself — because emigrants are Britons like yourselves, and because they are, in the language of the address alluded to, " emhued with feelings^ prejudices, and aspirations alien to our oivn'* [American] — encourage the immigration of the poor laborer upon system. If ye fail in this, the stream may subside, and its Egyptian waters refuse to fecundate the land. The system of immigration I would commend to your fos- tering care should be ubiquous — its light should shine from Canada to the United Kingdom ; and the rays from its course would, alchymist-like, transmute the wild profusion of the ; f 16 forest into the golden fruits of the earth. A system of this nature should emanate in Canada and branch oif in England, Scotland, and Ireland. Its beneficient designs would acquire for it the honorable distinction of the " Philanthropic Immi- gration Society;" a table of bye-laws should regulate its precepts ; members should be enrolled under its virtuous banners in each city, and an interchange of communication should be established between the correspondent members. The onus would devolve upon those members resident in Canada. Their province would be to compile a detailed report of the annual proceedings of the society, which should be printed and duly transmitted to the transatlantic branches, and every where put in circulation, gratis. The functions of the society, by means of its presence' in England, might extend to influencing laborers to immigrate, should any canal or rail-road supervene to increase the requisition for labor in the Colony, thereby enabling the supply to keep pace in an exact proportion to the t lemand — an object so desiderated by the politician. The ministration of the society should ap- proximate as nearly as may be to that of the " Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge ;" for where could a more exalted and permanent example be found ? Let the copy resemble the masterpiece, and fear not for the result. The society, thus organized, receives the emigrant's family as they land in Canada, and ushers them to the Townships, the future zone of their CAistence. Let us, philanthropic reader, follow them thither, and watch their interesting pro- 17 ceedings. One short day has brought us to the scene. The air is balmy, and feels almost motionless ; the solitude of the forests of Canada, superadded to their vastness, take the mind captive, and lead it to serene imaginings — it is the dwelling place of Nature, and she worships at the shrine of the Deity, with whom the heart seeks to commune and be still. But ape ! there are the emigrant's family. They are Irish ; consisting of Pat himself — as large as life ! — his Cath- leen, and three children, one a boy about twelve years old, and two girls, who might be about five and seven. They appear healthy and robust — the picture of Britain's Green- Isle progeny. The society's ministering guide, a man whose look denotes probity and steadiness, is at their side, near the little log hut which is hereafter to protect and shelter them from the storms and vicissitudes of life. The rude edifice may have cost three dollars — not more ; the metal vessel for boiling Pat's favorite meal, is worth about the third of a dol- lar ; the ax, which the embryo woodsman is examining, one dollar ; the bag, holding about two bushels of " thumping red potatoes," beside its culinary associate, may have cost about twenty pence — not a fraction more. Hush ! the guide addresses Pat, who listens with becoming gravity, to the same same effect as that which the society's agent rehearsed to him at the landing depot. He is admonished to be steady and industrious, — to " Take the goods the gods provide," — 18 to use them for his own and Kathleen's benefit, — to work as hard for himself as he would have been obliged to do at a canal for others, — and that he will soon be as independent as those who commenced in the forest under far more precari- ous circumstances — that he has fifty acres of land around his dwell injT, for which he has to pay to the proprietor, Mr. Matthews, one dollar per acre, in six years, by equal annual instalments, the first payment not beginning until after the second year — that his son is old enough to go into service, the wages of which, however small, will aid him in his situa- tion — that he (Pat) must obtain some employment for his son in the neighbourhood, and that he (the guide) will assist him to do so, and will visit Pat and his family ere the waneing of the potatoe bag, to inform himself of their pro- gress. The guide bids him " be of good cheer, and he shall overcome the forest," and leaving Pat to his labor, takes his departure on another mission of the same apostolic kind. What think you of this act in the drama of real life, gentle reader ? " It has, of a certainty, made a deep impression on my mind, and forces the conclusion that it is the very bodying of the spirit of Christianity. The political economist, more prone to thoughts of other form and pressure, might term it a faithful emblem of the reality of his own waking dreams. But you have not informed me whence the sinews for this righteous purpose are derived ; and as I have for some time 19 past boon vogel}itin<»', as it wore, out of tho world, I liave not hitlierto been apprised." Then shall I acquaint thee, my friend. It is, in one good set phrase, " by voLUNTAnv contribution," that the reve- nues of the society are raised ; and it is called (your percep- tions have anticipated "me) " The Philanthropic Immigration Society." The Queen and Pride of the Isles, — the fair and chaste eyed British daughters, her lovely and loving subjects, — the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, — the Clergy, of every sect and denomination, — the large landed proprietors, who every year, singly, employ enormous sums in relieving their estates from surplus population, — and thousands of every grade and condition in life, throughout England's wide domain, — are the contributors each year. I must not omit to notice, that the Imperial and Canadian Parliaments devote liberal sums annually. The entire amount received is, I believe, equal to £20,000 sterling per annum, one year with another. Thus a multitude of sins against immigration, formerly committed, have been washed out. With that revenue, the society is enabled to locate nearly two thousand settlers each year. The disbursements for every family, during twelve months, are less than fifty dollars, which suffice to launch the poor emi- grant, wife and children, (for these are indispensable hostages for his stability,) upon a farm, whereon ha has the opportu- nity to bestow his labor, and thus improve the talent which the society has confided to his care. On dit, that about \, 20 one-fourth of tlie settlors abscond annually, but even were this tho case, (which I much doubt,) seventy-tivo per cent, still remains to the country, and amply compensates the dauntless coadjutors of the system for their philanthropy. What opinions do you now entertain, reflective reader ? " Frankly, I am fairly lost in admiration of the epitome. Pray explain to me, however — First, Is not the machinery of the system too intricate, occasioning the fear that it may yet cease to work well ? Secondly, What reason have you for supposing that the contributions may not suddenly fail to flow into the society's exchequer?" I have much pleasure in responding to your enquiries. Your questions show that you are earnest after truth. In the search, " the race is not always to the swift ;" but the love for and profession of its sacred maxims, should be to you as the compass to the mariner. In this instance, there is no con- cealment. I will yield to you the olive branch which is to establish the ark of the covenant of immigration on the mount, whence generations yet unborn shall immortalize " The happy deed that gilds their humble name." Is it not, my friend, the nature of all systems of mechanism to be abstruse, and to the unaccustomed eye complicated and insoluble ? Anatomize them on paper with pen and ink, and you as instantly acknowledge their simplicity, and, for your own want of discernment, are ready to pronounce " yourself a fool." 21 To your last category, I would observo that no disposition adverse to philanthropy is manifest in England. Charitable institutions aro every where visible, and on the ascendant ; vast sums are daily poured in to their support by private con- tributors ; numerous bequests swell their already richly laden coffers ; and charity raineth upon the land, " blessing him that takes and him that gives." Look, besides, at the enor- mous individual expenditure for the promotion of the immi- gration of the surplus laborers, by the landed proprietary, one of whom confesses to the outlay of £1,800 sterling in one year, towards its movement to Canada, previous to the inaugeration of the society. Is it not then in evidence, as palpable as the sun at noon-day, that the society's casual, and I may add territorial, revenue has a steadfast foundation, without the chance of decadency, and is strongly corroborative of per- manency and adhesion in the proportion that the rich veins of the system of the society become worked more and more extensively ? Do you entertain your scruples any longer, indulgent reader ? " Indeed, no. Yet would I fain enquire. Does not the poor laborer feel dissatisfied with his " potatoe fare," and does he not rebel against it ? for you have not stated that he receives any other ; or how far is that in correspondence with his transatlantic diet?" The rules of the society, in this respect, are, I believe, to observe that the poor laborer is not in a worse alimentary 22 condition than he was at home. If the food of the potaloe has been his daily portion, care is taken that he continue not to want for it in the new sphere in which he moves. And here it may be instructive to show that it is at this juncture that the economy of this system is fully and admirably dis- played; for while the people of England are absolutely taxed to provide even the frugal potatoe for the poor surplus inha- bitant, the same tax and the same meal continue in perpetuity. There there seems no alternative to the pressure ; and the burthen and hard lot are borne by both sufferingly enough. Now, in the progress of the system under review, the lapse of twelve months brings a change o'er the spirit of their dream : the taxed, or, if you please, the contributionist, is relieved from his tax, and the poor laborer is enabled to free himself from dependence on the society, and gradually to emerge into a state of comparative ease and comfort, and may, in his turn, be seen in the capacity of a producer and consumer, not only of the fruits of the earth, but of British manufactures, which are the veins and arteries of commerce, navigation, &c. " I now fully discern the present and prospective views of the society, and clearly perceive that it exercises th& virtue of philanthropy without abusing it ; and the nation from whom such good works do proceed will assuredly find therein not only its temporal, but, let me add, its eternal reward. My doubts and fears respecting the accomphshment of so I 23 many wise and economic purposes, being now allayed, through your kind elucidations, suffer me heartily to unite' with you in the wish that the system may endure for ages, until the forest, reeling to the axe, to the sickle yield a plenteous harvest, and the ' busy hum of men' is heard o'er the land. Then, when that righteous work shall have been fulfilled, may the society yet endure, for other all-wise pur- poses, co-eternally with its bright example— « Tlie Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledo-e ' " b ( s i d SI A 1) D K N 1) A . I M P i: R I A L P A 11 I. I A M E N T . HOUSK or COMMONS, 2nd JUNE, 1840. \^ During the passage of this impression through the press, the author has had an opportunity of perusing the debates in the House of Commons on the 2nd of June ult. on " Emigration," arising out of the following resolutions moved by Mr. W. S. O'Brien : — " That in Great Britain and Ireland the working classes are frequently exposed to extreme privation from inability to procure employment. " That in several of the British Colonies the demand for labor is urgent, continuous, and increasing, and its remuneration is comparatively ample, whilst the prosperity of these Colonies is much retarded by its inadequate supply. " That, under these circumstances, it is expedient that a free passage to those Colonies which offer the greatest rewards to industry should be pro- vided by the State for such of the laboring classes as are desirous to emigrate thither," Many arguments and data, in accordance with and confirmatory of the preceding views, were illicited in the progress of the discus- sion ; and the author has much pleasure in furnishing, for the information of the querist in these matters the subjoined compen- dium of the speeches, in the ordc" in Avliich honorable mombors succeeded each other in the debate. ■.mm w I 1 1, 1 iiipik!!|Uv«; wjiipn^rifpimpppH f 26 Mr. O'BniEN Tlio poor rates in England arc equal to £4,725,000. In Ireland there are two and a half millions constantly out of employment. To produce a standard of wages of even one shilling a-day, it would be necessary to give facilities for emigration from Ireland to 100,000 persons at the least. The hiinimum requisite for supplying provisions to the paupers of Ireland is, under the new Act, £1,500,000, which amount, if applied to the purposes of emigration, would effectually annihilate the distress which prevailed in consequence of the want of employrnent. He thought there was a strong case for emigration to the Colonies upon a national scale. Sir R. H. Ingliss agreed in the sentiment that England did not want any more emigration, but so much as might be necessary for the interests of the Colonies. He begged to call attention to a petition frc m the Glasgow Protestant Emigration Committee, presented in March last^ which declared, that in consequence of the rapid increase of machinery, a great glut of manual labor took place, and was daily increasing, and that crime and misery must continue to increase, unless some well-timed and steady system of emi- gration were adopted. The petition then prayed that grants of laud might be given as encouragement to industrious poor to emigrate, together with implements of labor, the means of emigration, and twelve months' rations in advance, the expense of which to be refunded by such disbursements as might be thought proper. He referred to the testimony of Mr. Allison, Sheriff of Glasgow, who strongly recommended the adoption of some well- ordered system of emigration, as the means of alleviating the growl.ig distress of the poor class. Mr. Ward laid it down as a principle that there ought to be a more comprehensive system for regulating emigration. Mr. Slaney could not concur in the third resolution. It implied that the Government was to pay the passage of an unlimited number of persons to the Colonies. The money for that purpose would not go so far in a national sense as it would [by remaining] in the pockets of the pco{)le. Lord John Russell thought the la.it resolution was one to which the House would nol give its assent. It was of so wide and general a nature, it seemed to offer such vast facilities to the emigration of laborers, without ' 1 a t lit 27 at the same time dejininf/ any precise means Inj which that emigration was to he accomplished, and without alludiny in any way to the extent to which the bur- thens of the State might be increased by providing a free passage, that the mere affirmaiion of such a proposition, at the present time, would, he thought, be in the highest degree inexpedient. Again, just care should be taken to provide for the emigrants before they arrived in the Colony. Unless this were done — unless some means of employment were afforded to them as soon as they set foot in the Colony, they would be placed in a situation of much greater privation and misery than that in which they had' been suffering at home. He did not despair, when further aid should have been afforded from the Land Board's experience, of arranging some general plan of emi- gration, with modifications, suited to the respecti3)c circumstances of each Colony. The resolutions were ultimately disposed of by the previous question} which, it appears, referred to tlie reserved lands. Abundant evidence is deducible from the debate, to establish, in the words of the " Morning Chronicle," " the necessity of mak- ing emigration more .s'l/stematic than it has been" — an unavoidable inference, which fully bears out the author in his position, that immigration is at present systemless. To counterpoise the evils resulting therefrom has been the aim of this publication. The remedy does not involve the bestowal of lands without ulterior pay- ment by he labor of the emigrant, nor tax the price of his passage upon the country as a general principle, (though it may be open to individual exception,) about which honorable members seem so apprehensive ; but it pre-supposes the emigrant to have landed in Canada, and it is then that commences the positive work of the " Philanthropic Immigration Society," upon system, under prudent and well-regulated bye-laws, previously defined and promulgated throughout every avenue of the United Kingdom and her Canadian fft f ■ 7^ m^^^mrm^ ""mm ■qniBniHI \ 28 Colony. Nor would the " voluntary contribution" system suggested interfere with " the general plan of emigration suited to the circumstances of each Colony," adverted to by the Colonial Secretary, which general plan might be modified commensurately to the sum annually subscribed by Government tov^rards the sup- port of the " Philanthropic Immigration Society." t-jf '>*;I*''*^''rt^'?«*; /- '"l '■•i^ (. :;»«• V*^ ,. ->. FINIS. JAMES STARKE AND CO, PRINTERS, MONTREAL. js-