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IMapa, plataa, charta, ate., may ba filmad at dtffarant reduction ratloa. Thoaa too large to ba entirely included in one expoeure ere filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to rigtt' and top to bottom, ae many framae aa required. The following diagrama illuatrate the method: Lee cartea, planchee, tableeux, etc., peuvant Atra filmaa A dea taux da rAduction dlff Aranta. Loraqua la document eat trap grand pour Atra raproduit en un soul cllchA,' il eet fllmA A partir do Tangle supArieur gauche, do gauche A drolta. at da haut an bee, en prenant la nombre d'imegee nAcssaaire. Laa diagrammea tulvanta illuatrant le mAthode. rata 3 isluf-e, A J 32X 1 2 3 1v 2 3 4 5 6 'Sf L 1 I / / EMPLOYMENT AND COLONIZATION L FOR THE MILLION, BAUP VtOV A PBOPOSED RAILWAY COMMUNICATION FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC IN THE TERRITORIES OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. BEIMO A FAPEB BEAD BEFORE THE BKIIIBH ASSOCUTION FOR THE ADVANCE- MENT OF SCIENCE AT IPSWICH, ON THE 7TH OF JULY, 1851. BY ALBZANDBR DOULL, CIVIL ENGINEER. rniNTED FOB AND PCBIISHEO BY THE CANADIAN LAND AND RAILWAY ASSOCIATION. 18, ALDEBMANRVRY. 1851. 'X M % V ')('-' ^^'< w I t f: 1 afMi '■■" >-yt^m^.iii' /fi^ift^' ^r: . £\\i ■(MHeii rt ii^^lS*^ t-~ra0^S^ .Vtw6«S. j^»'•=^l-^S*n^* ""*',! ft *r* ^-*. )V>A^^w¥>^ ■- irm' '^f.J, -I'^n "4/ *."'Jt PROPOSED RAILWAY COMMUNICATION, Sec. in\ The very great importance of this subject under ordinary circum- stances, and more particularly at the present time, is the only apology which the writer of the present j.-^per has to offer for bringmg the subject before the British A^ociation for the Ad- vancement of Science. It is presumed that the subject comes sufficiently within the general scope of the operations of this Association. Statistically the proposed undertaking embraces the develope- ment of the almost ooundless resources of the British North American possessions, the fin ding an outlet for the surplus popu- lation of the United Kingdom, who are at present either pauperised at home or driven to the United States, but who would prefer to remain under British laws and British institutions which have grown with their growth and strengthened with their strength, if equal facilities were afforded in the British provinces by the con- struction of public works, and the opening up of fertile tracts of land and rich mineral districts now inaccessible. Geographically the construction of the proposed Railway would open out to the scientific traveller vast regions of British territory now almost inaccessible, and, consequently, but little known. It is scarcely possible to suppose that anything short of the most culpable ignonmce of the extent and value of tne British posses- sions in North America could have led to the abandonment of so much valuable territory by the treaties which have fixed the present fantastic outline of the British North American frontier. It will be well, therefore, to become better acquainted with what remains, and more particularly as the time seems to have arrived when considerable portions may be brought into profitable occupation. U< I r' ■v.il ••tscae m- u Gbolooically the district proposed to be pervaded by the Railway would be highly interesting, and open up an amost untrodden region to the investigations of the scientific Politically it would harmy be possible to exaggerate the importance of the proposed undertaking. The British North American colonists are placed in immediate contact with the most industrious, persevering, go-a-head nation in the world, and being of the same race, the same religion, possessiuff equal intellectual attainments, and living under the same social institutions, im- portant reflections must force themselves upon their minds, and comparisons be made calculated to wound their pride, and idti- mately to sap the foundations of the most unquestionable loyalty. Viewing also the geographical position of British North .^jnerica in connection with the advancing power and the rapidly extending territory of the United States of America in reference to the nuun- tenance of the balance of power among the nations of the earth, now being rapidly placed in comparatively close proximity to each other by the application of steam power to land and marine loco- motion, must be a subject of absorbing interest to a BritLsh states- man, as the correct adjustment of this political balance is one of the greatest safeguards for a continuance of the blessings of peace. "■: British power should, therefore, not only be maintained, but consolidated by every legitimate and consututional means upon the continent of America as the only means of preventing the whole of that immense continent from being absorbed intQ one powerful state. Having thus introduced the subject, it will be necessary before pursuing it further, to advert briefly to Mr. Asa 'Wnitney's project for the construction uf a railway from Lake Michigan to the Pacific, through the territory of the United States, which has deservedly attracted considerable attention in England. The remarks which are made in this paper upon this gigantic project are by no means intended to depreciate the great talent, the indomitable perseverance, and the benevolent and expansive philanthropy which characterize the eflorts of that gentleman. The project may be freely canvassed without depriving the projector of the proud position which he so justiy occupies in public estimation. It is quite clear, however, that in the paper read before the Royal Geographical Society, on the 9th June, 1861, Mr. Whitney has injured his cause in the estimation of a discerning British Eublic, by taking too wide a range, by claiming for his proposed ne the whole of the traffic between Europe and China and the Islands in the North and South Pacific Oceans, discarding alike tiie existing routes by the Isthmus of Suez, the Gape of Good Hope, and Cape Home, and by asserting that should the Isthmus of ranama be swept from its position and a complete union of the two sefts be effected, that the commerce between Europe and the rest of the world would not flow to any appreciable extent through that channel, but would be attracted to ma proposed line of rail- way communication. This is rather too much for the inhabitants of a maritime country like England, with her flag fluttering in every breeze, to receive with implicit confidence; and particularly considering the rapid improvements which are being made in steam navigation by the introduction of the screw-propeller, the economising of fuel, and in several other important particulars. Had Mr. Whitney based his project upon its own intrinsic and le^timate merits and resources, characterized as a mere local line^ or at most as a United States line, and not to have designated it as the highway, and only highway of nations, it would nave as- sumed more of a bona fide and practical character. And it is quite clear that Mr. Whitney could afford thus to narrow the operations of his project, as it is evident that if a belt of land extending thirty miles on each side of a line of railway if colonized and brought into profitable cultivation, which supposi- tion is the basis upon which the success of this project rests, abundant traffic would be created to keep the line in repair, and to furnish a sinking fund for renewal. Take for example a belt of land extending across any portion of the United States where railways have been introduced, and reduce all the railways com- prehended in that space to lines extending lengthwise along the belt, and in many cases the sixty mile belt would be found to contain considerably more lines than to equal its length, and lines paying dividend in addition to the expense of worldng and maintenance. The project, when divested of all extraneous and adventitious drcumstances, aptpears to be nothing more than this : There has existed fo* a con»iderable time, and there still exists^ a continuous tide of emigration setting to the West, but with its firontage ex- tending from the boundary of the British provinces on the n(n:th, to the Gulph of Mexico on the south. Mr. Whitney, conceiving it desirable to reach the Pacific oi soon as possible, proposes to converge the present extended frontage of location to a belt of land sixty mUes in extent, and thus to accelerate the westward tendency in proportion to the frontage thus narrowed. The most prominent feature in Mr. Whitney's project is colo- nization ; and it must be admitted that as far as the pursuits of agriculture are concerned his proposed route passes for a con- siderable distance through very rich tracts of alluvial soil ; it must however be observed that he only proposes to change the direction of an existing current, and not to increase its amount. in order to change this diiection by drawing a sufficient number i -'•f J^i' of settlerd into his proposed sixty mile belt, he must hold out advantages superior to those which can be obtained elsewhere. The project, so fiir as it has been developed, appears to be totiilhr destitute of any systematic arrangement for the location of emi- grants, for their government civil or municipal, for purpose! of education, or for the introduction and maintenance of religioui worship ; and it must be confessed, that a community covering the greater portion of a space equal in area to two thousand miles long y sixty miles broad, composed of the most heterogeneous roatariaUt, cannot be left to shHb for themselves as an unorganised mast. Nor has anything been said about the mode in which the nu- merous and hostile tribes of Indians are to be disposed of, whether they are to be expelled from the sixty mile belt, and if so, by what means this is to be effected; or if they are to be allowed to remain in the undisturbed possession of any rights they may be found to possess, or compensated for the abandonment of such rights. These are subjects of very grave consideration which have not been explained by Mr. Whitney. Mr. Whitney not being an engineer does not appear to appre- hend much dmculty in running his railway across the Rocky Mountains, which he admits to oe about 7000 feet high, and so flat on the top as to preclude the possibility of a tunnel of any reasonable length. To rise 7000 feet by a gradient of 1 in 100 would require tailing out for a distance of 13Si miles, or with a gradient of 1 in 50 equal to a distance of 66 miles. But supposing mat the base of the Kocky Mountains is placed upon an exevation of 1000 feet above the level of the sea, leaving 6000 feet to be overcome by an ascending gradient which would require at 1 in a 100 a distance of 113 nmes, and at 1 in 50 of 66f miles. It if scarcely possible however to suppose that gradients of the above character could be obtained in passing this somewhat formidable mountain range, as it is highly probable that the ascent is much more abrupt wan to admit even thotiieepest of the above gradients to be constructed. To cut this gordian knot, to asevtain the •bioHh in which this concentration of difficulties is to be overcome, should be the first object of the projector of this gigantic undertaking. This is not a mere matter of detail which can admit of being modified, but a stubborn fact which must be grappled with upon its own peculiar merits when the necessary data has been obtained. It being unnecessary to do more than advert to the principal features of Mr. Whitney's plan, and that simply in order to show that there are much greater &cilitie8 for the construction of a line of railway in the territories of British Xorth America, and tc prevent tne public mind of England from being led to suppose that the route thiough the United States is the only practicable one. \. \.. The superiority of the British line not only with respect to facilities of construction, but with reference to the greater variety and the more extensive fields of productive labour which would be opened out in the various rich mineral districts passed through, IS so palpable to all who have turned their attention to this im- portant subject as to force itself upon the attention of the Ameri- canpress. The New Y&rk Tribune, of March 27th, 1851, after adverting to Mr. Whitney's project, and expressing fears that it would fau of meeting with that support from the Congress of the United States which its importance deserves, proceeds to state that " The route through British America is in some respects even preferable to that through our own territory. By the former the distance from Europe to Asia is some thousand mues shorter than by the latter. " Passing close to Lake Superior, traversing the watershed which divides the streams flowing towards the Arctic Sea from those which have their exit southward, and crossing the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation some 3000 feet less than at the South Pass, the road could here be constructed with comparative cheap- ness, and would open up a region abounding in valuable timber and other natural products, and admirably suited to the growth of grain and to grazing. Having its Atlantic seaport at Halifax, and its Pacific depot near Vancouvers Island, it would inevitably draw to it the commerce of Europe, Asia, and the United States. Thus British Aineric^, from a mere colonial dependency, would assume a controlling rank in the world. To her other nations would be tributary, and in vain would the United States attempt to be her rival ; for we could never dispute with her the possession of the Asiatic commerce, or the power which that confers." The realization of the sentiment contained in the last sentence of this quotation from the American Press, is absolutely necessary for the maintenance of the balance of power upon the great con- tinent of America, as already alluded to. The Pennsylvania Inquirer^ April 4th, 1851, takes up the subject from the New York Tribune ^ and states, that *' We hope indeed that this golden, magnificent opportunity of the United States, to take and hold for ever the greatest prize ever oflfered, or which can ever again be ofiered to any nation, is not so far gone, is not sacrificed, without hope of recovery. But the prospect we confess is a gloomy one." And again, **From Quebec or Montreal the route to Paget's Sound is a straight line feasible, making the distance from England to China 1500 miles shorter than over the United States. We have postponed, if not sacrificed, the most splendid opportunity of wealth of commercial and political grandeur, ever brought within the grasp of any nation, and passed it over to a rival as nothing worth. What culpable indifierence to the true interests of this great nation.'' ''■ %; n»^i ■ W tit*-4ig'h^*>^r^j*^'*H»-'^*T'Ti!* ' ■ Kiniitt j;n a iMiMrT *B?rirni ri iii fi"r? i'-^ '' i'"'- ■-'—-■-- ■■-- ^. 8 The adyaijttti^ea of a commnnipatio)^ from the Atlando to the Pacific in a' northern latitu4e, to coi^nQct the great commpi^cwX nations of ^e worl^, which are principally situate^ on the northern hemisp'^ere, wa« early felt by several nationsj^ f^d great, though unfivfilling; efforts have been made to discover a noi;th7we8t passage in the Arctic regions ; and it is y^ry much to be deplored, that a dense cloud at the present moment nangs over the destiny of those who have made some of the latest and most bnlliant attempts to penet^te these frozen regions. ^ ^e recent introduction of railways, and the application of steam power to navigation, has very mucti altered, and will no do,u{)t Mill further alter, the systems of travelling, and, consequently, the grea>t leading feature of the day is the perfecting of expeditious and cheap modes of travellmff; and as there ever will exist ^ physical impossibility of travelmig as expeditiously, as comfortably^ imd as safl^iy on the waters of the ocean as on land, every effort will no doubt be made to shorten the distance by sea, and to accommodate the land communication to this new arrangement. Halifax, in Nova Scoda, will therefore possess considerable advantages over New York, in the United States, as the Atlantic terminus of a railway communication across die Continent of America, inasmuch as a line drawn from Cape Clear, in Ireland, to New York) would pass very dose to Halifax ; and thus the whole of the coasting distance of die sea passage from Halifax to New York would be saved. Having dius arrived at Halifax, which passe8«ta spacious and commodious harbour, admirably adapted to form a connection with the proposed railway, it may be necessary to advert briefly to die past history and present position of the " Canadian Land and Bailway Association, with which the writer of this paper became connected about two years ago. This Association was formed about diree years ago by the working-classes of this country, principally the class of skilled artizans who were desirous of emigrating, as the only means of obtaining a livelihood by their labour. Being accustomed to aid each odier in associated bodies, they considered that the common hap-hazard mode of emigrating, without any pre-axrangement or definite object in view, other than diat of flying from impending want, was highly injurious to the emigrants, and also to the colonies to which they might resort. About a year aflter the formation of the Association, the Com- missioners who had been sent by the Government to explore the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Cana^, with a view to the construction of a trunk line of railway from Halifax to Quebec, furnished their report, which was so highly favourable, that it coidd not be supposed that any Government would long delay the construction of a work so much needed by the colonies, kr ■ an4 so well calculated adyantagcouslyto absoirb a great amount of the surplus labour of this country. The emigration and coloniza- tion portion of the scheme of the Association, vas therefore based upon the labour resultin§| from the construction of the raflway, and upon the liberal offer which yrta made by the colonies, of a fre<^ grant of land, amounting to about four milUon acres. In combining an extensiye scheme of emigration and colcniia- tion with the construction of the Halifax and Quebec |Uulway, the intention was that so soon as the centre line of the railway had been set out on the ground, and the sites for the stations chosen, to erect the permanent station buildings, which would seryo as depots fpr stores and implements, accommodation for the engineers, surveyors, and other parties who wouldbeemploycd in the ezecuticm of the railway, and in Burveying the allotments. The stations would be about ten milei firom eaol^ OtKer, and wotdd in &ct form the nuclei of towns and yiUagea along the Une of railway. The ^ound around the stations would be laid out and effectually dramed, in connection with the execution of the rtulway works, for the sites of future towns, in such a manner as to Drovide for their gradual deyelopement, without any destructiye ana expensive remodelling. The intended emigrants, or those furthering their views, were to associate in bodies at home, to subscribe money, and to provide imj^lements and machinery, according to the various occupations which the;^ intended to follow in the colonies^— whether agricul- tural, mimng, ship buHdin^, fislung, or a combinadon of these, and to choose the site of their future home, by sending 01^ duly accredited parties from their own body. The site of a settlement being selected, suitable to the Hvocations of the intended occupants, members would be drafted out as occasion required ; and those who remained at home wotdd assist parties who nad gone to dear the way with capital, and such im- plements and machinery as might be necessary. As the several locations along the line of railway grew into any importance, schools would be provided for the children — ^places of worship erected — libraries established, and every necessary arrangement made, — ^not merely for the bodily wants, but also for the intellectual and spiritual wants of the settler. It is not necessary, however, on the present occasion, to enter into aU the minute details of the proposed arrangements ; si^ce it to say, that the route selected by the Government Commis- sioners, was admirably adapted for the simultaneous commence- ment and prosecution of the works, at any required number of places, in consequence of the proximity of the Une to the River Bt. Lawrence, and its many navigable tributaries, intersected by the railway, and thus affording easy access to any required number of starting points. i^ i r-.,-*-' •^';*>*r^-- -•S«^'-f i,»ft t t ii■--« JUW /■■■i 10 Hie support of the Government to the Halifax and Quebec Railway, was not rendered with that promptitude which was anticipate, considering the favourable report of their own ofRcers ; consequently the operations of the Association have been delayed, and would probably have altogether terminated — ^like many other good projects — had not its indefatigable Secretary, * (Mr. Alexander Campbell), kept at his post, without having yet received any pecuniary consideration for his services. Lords Stanley and Monteagle, and Sir John Heron Maxwell, Bart., have also been indefatigable in their exertions, public and private, in pressing upon the Government the necessity of aiding the execution of public works in the British North American Provinces, as forming the basis of a sound system of emigration and colonization. V; ■l.m'U- >^ /;^*i.. The Imperial Government have now, however, come forward with the offer of every necessary assistance for the construction of a railway from Halifax to Quebec, or Montreal, which the colonies will be happy to accept. •> ' • So far therefore as the present paper is concerned, the con- struction of this initial portion, about 700 miles of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Railway, may be considered as amply provided for. The portion of which the construction is thus guaranteed extends from Halifax, the Atlantic terminus to Montreal ; but there appears to be many valid reasons why the proposed line to Vancouvers Island should branch off from the above line, after it has crossed the River St. Maurice; and from this point be directed, as nearly as circumstances would permit, to the northern extremity of Lake Superior, crossing the Ottawa at the most convenient point below Lake Temiscaming. From Lake Superior, the line would pass to the north of the Lake of the Woods, which portion of its route would pass through a rich mineral and agricultural district. Continuing through a very favourable country to the important Red River settlement, and along the extendea prairies south of the River Assiniboine, which portion of the line for a considerable distance would pass nearly along the watershed of the country, consequently there would be no bridges of any importance to construct. Continuing from Brandon House to Red Deer River, still keeping near the watershed of the country, and passing through a district where coal is found to crop out in the banks of the rivers, and, consequently, easily worked. The patisagc of the Rocky Mountains is doubtless a point of considerable importance, and one upon which it must be admitted there is no data for the formation of any definite plan. All • ()nice — 18, Aldcrmnuburv. -11 , , c s '■i r 3 authorities, however, concur in viewing this barrier as much less formidable on the British than on the United States territory. Mr. Isbister is said to have found the rivers Athabasca and Saskachawan flowing through alluvial formation, and that in their neighbourhood the Bocky Mountain chain had lost its identity, ana was reduced to inconsiderable elevations of from 600 to 700 feet. Having crossed the Rocky Mountains, either by ascending to the summit upon the lateral spurs, or passing through by a tunnel, as circumstances might determine, the line would take the direction of Frazer's River to the Pacific Ocean. The numerous and spacious harbours with secure anchorage, and a rare combination of maritime advantages in the vicinity of Vancouver's Island, with an abundant supply of coal, point to this locality as the site of the future capital of the West. At first sight the selection of this line may appear a very for- midable undertaking, and doubtless it will require both energy and skill. No branch of Railway engineering has been so little attended to in this country, and consequently so little understood, as the selection of a line of railway. This does not arise from engineers not attaching sufficient importance to a judicious selection. They are well aware of its very great importance, both as respects the economy of construction and the facility of subsequently working the line, but so much depends upon the nature of the property passed through, the opposition to be avoided on the one hand, and support to be expected ou the other, together with the great haste in which many important lines have been got up, scarcely ever gave engineers an opportunity to act upon well-established principles, or to study tae details of this important branch of their profession. The difficulties to be met with will principally be those of a physical character, and the engineer who will be fortunate enough to have the selection of the proposed line of railway, will find ample and unfettered scope for his genius and industry. The operation being rather an extensive one, the roost judicious plan would be to cut up the distance into sections by ascertaining and fixing the points at which the principal obstacles, such as rivers and mountain ranges, would be crossed most easily. These sections would then be treated as integral lines, although forming portions of the whole, and thus the operation would become much more manageable. Nearly the whole range of country through which the proposed line would pass, is admirably adapted for the purpose of pffbrding numerous points at which to form small settlements, and to commence the Mork at several places at the same time, in conse- quence of the existing facilities for water cotnmunication, and the many small settlements nhcudy in cxistonce. ts ' ; To conatruct an extensiTe railiray b^ working from one end, would entail mudi additional expense , - render the progress very slow. The abundant supply of building imaterials which are found along the whole course of this line, the rich agricultural and mineral districts, affording employment to the various classes of emigrants, and also being the shortest possible route from Europe to China across the great American Continent, seem to point to this district as the natural position of a land communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. ! In reference to the various and almost boundless resources of the territory under consideration, better authority can not be desired than that which is contained in the celebrated Report of the Earl of Durham upon, the afiairs of British North America. His lordship states in reference to its vast and varied resources, that '' No portion of the American continent possesses greater natural resources for the maintenance of large and flourishing communities. An almost boundless range of the richest soil stiU remains unsettled, and may be rendered available for the purposes of agriculture. The wesuth of inexhaustible forests of the best timber in America, and of extensive regions of the most valuable minerals, have as yet been scarcely touched. Akmg the whole line of sea coast, around each island, and in every river, are to be found the greatest and richest fisheries in the worid. The best fuel and the most abundant water power are available for the coarser manu- factures for which an easy and certain market is to be found. " Trade with other cimtinents is fevoured by the po> iession of a large number of safe and spacious harbours, long, deep, and numerous rivers, and vast inland seas supply the means of easy intercourse, and the structure of the country generally affords the utmost facility for every species of communication by land. Un- bounded materials of agricultural, commercial, and manufacturing industry are there." " The country which has founded and maintained these colonies at a vast expense of blood and-treasure, miay justly expect its com- pensation in turning their misappropriated resources to the account of its own redundant population ; tney are the rightful patrimony of the English people, the ample apanage which God and nature have set aside in the new world for those whose lot has assigned them but insufficient portions in the old. *' Under wise and free institutions, these great advantages may fet be secured to Her Majesty's subjects, and a connection secured )y the link of kindred origin and mutual benefits may continue to bmd to the British empire the ample territories of its North American provinces, ana the larac and flourishing population by which they will assuredly be filled." However great the resources of any country may bo, without the G < I % i- - -^■ 4i-' I. : 13 m '4k means of internal communication, these resources mutt renuun undeveloped. So intimately does the prosperity of any country depend upon the introduction of roads, mat this one class of improvements has always been held as an unerring criterion of the degree of civilization and prosperitjr to which it has attained. Sir Henry FameU in his treatise on road-maidng states that " The making of roads in point of hct is fundamentally essential to >^nng about the first change that evory rude country m,ust undei]go in emerging from a condition of poverty and barliarism.** This subject in the present day, however, is too self-evident to admit of illustration, and if the country is to be colonized at aU, it ought to be done in a manner worthy of the age in which we live, and if the construction of roads l>e necessary, there can be no reason why new colonies should not at once receive the most improved modem syf^tems of construction. V To graduate through all the stages of road-maldng from the rudest beginning to the present high state of perfection, from the footpath or portage in which the pedestrian con hardly scramble along, through aU the stages of the bridle road, the packhorse, the sledge, and me wheel-oarriage road, the macadamised, the paved road, and finally the railroad, would be as absurd as tf upon the introduction of steam engines into a new colony it was considered necessary to commence with the firat rude b^innings, and pass through all the stages of improvement which the steam engine has undeitfone until me present high state of perfeettoil hra been arrived at. It is absolutely essential for the welfitfo of England and the prosperity of British North Amezioa, that the wnole territory should be laid open by internal communication, and it would ho very imprudent to spend money in the fcMrmation of inferior roads, and not at once to give to the colonies the most aipproved system which modem science has attained. With respect to the ways and means by which this gigantic project is to be carried out, it has alrMdy been stated that the con- struction of the first portion, amounting to about 700 miles, has already been guaranteed by the Imperial Gk)Temment, and in reference to the remaining portion, the circumstances of the terri- tory passed through, are so varied, dense primeval forests of th0 best timber, rich mineral districts, already partially occupied, and extensive tracts of agricultural and grazing land, alternating along the proposed route, dearly indicate the varied rMOtuCM by which the roaa must be constructed. Those portions passing through the primeval forests of timber of superior quality, must be paid for by the timber upon the gpround, and also the land when cleared, and that not by cutting down the timber in the first instance, but by merely cutting a passage for the Railway, and opening out an extensive timffio in timber, superseding ■■,>'*l ^IWt l i I liirMili aM it altogether the present laborious, unmechanical, barbarous systems of procuring timber by the process termed *' lumbering," which destroys a great proportion of the timber, and damages to a con- siderable extern the quantity remaining. There can be no doubt but the timber trade could thus be very much improved, and greatly extended by the adoption of scientific modes of cutting and carrying. The rage for the destruction of growing timber has been carried to a very great length in the United States, and when colonization has been carried into the prturie districts where there is no timber to be found, the timber of the British territory will find a ready market in the States. The mineral and agricultural districts must, in the same manner, be made to pay for the construction of the line passing through them. The breadth of land necessary for this purpose can only be ascertained by a careful examination of the several locaUties, com- paring the difiicidties of construction with the remunerative character and capabilities of the particular district, but most cer- tainly a very great breadth of land taken at random and handed over to any party for the mere construction of the Bailwav, might lead to a most unjustifiable monopoly, and completely lock up the most advantageous sites for colonization. /^ As the present paper is only intended to draw public attentioh to this important subject, to enlist wiser heads and abler pens in devisine tne means to carry it out ; and in enforcing those means, it will omy be necessary very briefly to advert to a few modes by which the work may be executed. There are many extensive contractors in this coimtry who have realized j^rincely fortunes by the construction of public works, and who, havmg at {urasent on hand an extensive phtnt unemployed, and abo many faithful servants who have mainly contributed to the successful carrying out of the many extensive and important works in which they nave been engaged. These contractors could advan- tageously to themselves find employment for their plant, and remunerate their old servants, by constructing the railroad through extensive districts of country, working off the timber by the aid of modem science and modern appliances, opening mines, and culti- Tftting the soil as circumstances might render most advisable. About two or three millions annually of the poor rates of Eng- land could with advantage to the able-bodied poor be appropriated to the constniotion of the proposed Railway. Several poor law unions should unite, or even all the unions in a county, and occupy portions of the proposed route, draft out as occasion required their able-bodied poor and their families, selecting the districts most suitable to the pursuits of the intended cmi^raniH. Associated bodies of emigrants could also make choice of a district of country, gradually occupy it, and construct the Railway upon t ' # * ^.aat^. H-'-' \ conditions advantageous to themselves and to the general interest. The disposal of convicts is a question of very great interest and importance at the present time, and as convict labour cannot be advantageously employed unless where the work is very much concentrated, the passage of the Bocky Mountains, whether by tunnel or otherwise, would afford very useful and exciting employ- ment for these troublesome persons for a considerable time. These are a few of the modes by which this great project may be carried out, and when once completed, or even the initial por- tion of it which has been already guaranteed, the onward march of mind of the present day, would be strongly attracted to the bold scenery, the majestic rivers, the expansive lakes, and the sublime waterralls of the American Continent, where the grandeur of nature, and the enterprising energy of man, are the exponents of the future, whilst in Europe all are exponents of the past. This paper cannot be more itppropriately concluded than by quoting a passage from an admirable speech delivered at a recent public meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by that talented and enterprising patriot, the Hon. Joseph Howe. In speakmg of the extent and ample resources of British North America, that gentleman states — " With such a territory as this to over-run, organize, and improve, think you that we shall stop even at die Western bounds of Canada, or even at the shores of the Pacific. Vancouver's Island, with its vast coal treasures, lies beyond. " The beautiful islands of the Pacific, and the growing commerce of the ocean, are beyond. Populous China, and the rich East are beyond, and our children's children's sails wiU reflect as familiarly the sunbeams of the South as they now brave the angry tempests of the North." NoTB.^The Committee of the Canadian Land and Railway Association haying made preliminary arrangements with the Hon. Joseph Howe to obtain an Act of Incorpora- tion, to carry out their plan of Colonization in connexion with the formation of the Railway from Hali&z to Quebec, for which the Imperial Government hare offered^ to advance the capital, are now ready to enrol subscribers who are desirous of being employed in these colonies, under their auspices. For ftirther particulars apply to the SeowUiyi at the Office of the Asaooiation, 18, Aldermaabury, London. .'i.-,n' A '■ -y, Workiuf Printers* Association, to, JohnKm't C«»avt, Flest Strwt,