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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmts en commen^ant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreii . .a d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les csrtes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmis A des taux de reduction diffirents. Lorsque Is document est trop grano ^our Atre reproduit en un seul ciichA, il est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche ii droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images niceraaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la methods. 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 0' Gi for a OTTAWA AN OCEAN PORT, AM) TIIK K M po r^ 1 1 J i\ I <»K TIIK Grain and Coal Trade ^: North- West. S EGOIST ID -EIDITIOJSr. A I'.M'IU kl-.Ah llK|.(i|;|. NIK OlIAWA I;.i\ki, ,,| 'I-KAni-, o\ TiKM.AN, I IIK 7 I il Ol Nti\ I'MIIKK, iSnj. I W M c • I . H ( ) I ) -^T bZ W A K"I\ My conviction that the Ottawa River affords the best opportunity on t he Globe for a well planned Ship Canal is a fixed one." A. M WELLINGTON, Am. Soc C.E. Editor of the Engineering News, New York. OTTAWA : 'KIMII. |;v T||<>|;i:kn \- C,,., ,(, ].]ir.]\ SiKKI I, / respirlfully dedicate //it's f^anif^/ilel (Second Edition) on '* Ottawa an Ocean /V?/," to JOSEPH KAVANAGH, Esquire, President of the Board of Trade of the City of Ottaioa, in the hope that under his ahh' and eneri^etic rex^iwe, the Board loill I (^0 fonoctrd in prosperity and -wilf in the near future, become a poioer in /he Va/tev of the Ottawa. McLEOD STEWART. PRIilACli TO THE SECOND EDITION. At the solicitation of ;) 1;ii\l;c nuinhei ot pcopK' nf).v iiitiTcsted in the scheme for the coiiiplftion of a shi|)can;il on the Ottawa rivei' rf)iUc, this second edition of the foUowinu address is puhhshed. Wty soon after its deliverv before tlie s^entlenicn of the P.oaid of 1' ade ot ()lta\\a, further study ol die matter CMininct'(l mc that tlic succ c!-.^ of the under- taking of makini; this city an (»( can i>oit rca'K depended to a i;reat ex- tent upon the ( arr)ini4 oul ofihe lari^er project of opening the Ottawa river for traflic from the hikes to the head of ocean nav;i;ation, now at Montreal. The fortunes of ihe smaller i)rojo( t appeared so hound up in and inseparable from those ot the: larger one. tliai in spite ol' the pre- ference then ex))ressed, a preference based on the (oi t of a more inti- mate knowledge of the lesser underiakini,', I so(jn felt .-.ssured that in order to attain the object in view, the Ottawa river must be opened from deorgian Hay eastward, so as to furnish, an unobstrucietl channel for the enormous through traffic being (!evei(>ped on the \ortiiern Lakes. A further investigation served to show, too, that the difficallies to be surmounted in the construction of a through wate-rway were not so great as 1 had formerly supjjosed them, and that the cost of the undertaking and the time required fu the necessa'y woiks were esti mated by prominent engineers to tall wiihm i)ounds extremely reason- able. The immense benefit, also, to be ck rived from this undertakins/, not only by the city of Ottawa, but by veiy large portions of Canada, grew upon me : and the great advantages i)OSsessed by the Ottawa route over all other:; became more clear. 'I he opening of a waterway which would enable the grain-raisers of the (Canadian Northwest to cope more successfully in lun'opean markets with foreign convpetiticn, and thereby promote the settlement of the great extent of prairie lands of that ])ortion of the Dominion — which would afford the shortest possible route to the Atlatitic for a large number of the western United States, and t'orm the natural highway to the sea for the products of most of the northern half of the continent — whitdi, owing to its being several hundreds of miles shorter than any other route, and in most other ways sup.orior, nuist of necessity become i VI of great importance in the transportation of through traffic — which would materially assist in the development of the resources of rich mining and lumbering districts in northern Ontario and northwestern (Quebec, and give those industries a western as well as an eastern outlet — which, being far removed from the boundary, might become of the greatest military im])ortance to (Canada and the Empire at large — and which, in addition to all its other advantages, would render available the magnificent water powers of the Ottawa and its tributaries,and build up manufacturing and other industries, which would draw in time a dense population to the Ottawa Valley, and make the cities of Montreal and Ottawa the leading emporiums of commerce and manufacture of the Dominion — the opening of such a waterway seemed to me an object worthy of the best efforts I could make in that behalf, and one of a most inspiring character. While the undertaking is generally supposed to be one of great magnitude, and the difficulties to be met with are grossly exaggerated in the minds of people, in general, the records of former surveys of the route on file in the Departments, the reports of the engineers who made those surveys, and the opinions of leading engineers, having an intimate personal knowledge of the route, the whole scheme is not only feasible, but eminently practical, and one which can without a doubt be carried to a successful issue in a very short time, provided it obtains the support to which it is entitled, and which even a casual examination of the facts will assure it from every reasonable and patriotic Canadian. These and other reasons form the explanation for my espousal long since of the greater undertaking, vi/., the opening for traffic of the Ottawa river from the great lakes to Atlantic tide-water. The arguments used in the address are, however, as cogent to day as when they were made. McLEOD STEWART. Ill i OTTAWA AN OCHAN PORT And the Emporium of the Grain and Coal Trade of the Northwest. An Address Dkliveukd Heiork iiik Hoard ok Trade ok the City ok Ottawa, Nov. 7, 189,^, i!v McLeod Siewart, Ex Mayor ok the Cn v ok Oitawa. Gentlemen, — We are assembled here this eveniny to consider a subject which should be one of special interesi, not alone to the peo[)lo of our own city and section of country, but to all within the province in which we live — for the project of making Ottawa an ocean port and of thereby attracting to it no inconsiderable share of the trade and commerce of half a continent is one, I humbly conceive, of e<. al importance, whether viewed by us merely as citizens of Ottawa or in 6v more enlarged capa- city as inhabitants of the banner province of th minion. There are two aspects in which this undertaking may be view. .. ist. As a portion of the larger and more comprehensive scheme long known as the Ottawa Ship Canal; and, secondly, as a separate and distinct woik, confined simply to an improvement of the line of navigation between Montreal and Ottawa. I may say, at once, that my jireference is with the last named, and it will be my duty to-night to invite your attention more particularly to the advantages connecting themselves with it, though it will be necessary also for me, in order to ensure to all an intelligent grasp of the subject, that I should enter somewhat into the history of the whole project. I speak of my efforts in this n>atter as a duty, and I may add, that I find it to be so in a more im|)ressive sense than that usually associated with the word, — for, in this particular instance, with the duty which I owe to the city and country of my birth, is allied that feeling of love and reverence which we all alike experience in endeavour- ing to carry out the last wishes of some loved one who is no longer with ,1 us. (iciUlciiiei, il was my I:u1ilt, the late William Stcnait. wliile rcpre- bciiling the fiitt re capital ot I'nikd llritish Amerifu in llie ("anadian Assembly, who was the tiisl to move in favour of the construction (jf an (Jttawa Shi]) ('.aial. I h iM in m\' hatulthe original rcsolmions drafted l)y him on the jccasion tefi.rred to j-'or many years he liad ij;iven tlic subject attenti\e atul anxioii-. consideration, throwing; into it the full force of hi-v eiiergeti; and einhiisiasti( nalure. lie was a man, as some of you may reniernber, n\ i;reat force of character, with large, far-seeing, statesmanlike views and the project in question was only one among many other im,)ortant schemes and undertakings of a public character, vvhi< h owed tlvir origin, as I shall brietly have occasion to show, to liis ready and pr(;l.fic brain. N'ou will, therefore, comprehend something of the feeling which I experience to-night, standing before you as I do in his place, to ( iiampion the lights and interests of the Ottawa N'alley, m the matter irdicated. I trust you will treat me with every indulgence, for the subject is not a small one, while my shortcomings as a public speaker are, as you know, many and \ari(Uis. As the resolutions in (juestion are brief and to the purpose, anci, moreover, from their nature and the circ uiDstances connected with thtiii, bear an historic interest, I shall venture to read them to you : — /\\'ui/////(>h^ /«■ /'(• /y;(',\i.\(t/ /'v Mr. Sfruuni (of .'^xfo'U'ii) in a Ci'iit- iiiitf((' (if the K'holi //('i!s:\ <>)i till' j{Uh day of fii/y, /c'V" ■' 1. A\\\('/rel, That il is the o])inion (;f this House that the region of the country bordering on Lakes Huron and Superior, in the Ihitish territory, about. d in rich and most valuable minerals, and that much (;f the land lying between the Ottawa Kiver ant! Lake Huron, as well as in many i)arts in (he vicinity of Lake Sn|)erior, is fit fcr cultivation and for sup])orting i large population. 2. A'tSo/7'fJ, 'J'hat whtieas il is contemplated to make a canal from Lake Superior, a( ross the Sault St. Mar\'s; and whereas such canal, followed up by a farther .urf; s/zi'/'/rrcd (i/zd sZ/cr/ communk':\{km to the cities ot Nlontreal and (^)uebec, would tend much to the i)rofit and security of all jiarlies now, or hereatter to be, engaged in mining operations in the regions above mentioned, and would devclope and promote the general iiileiesis of the province at large, ^:;. AVWrv/, - 'I'hat it is the opinion of this House that sucli water communication i aw be attained by following th<' cliannel north of the jNLanitoulin Islands, to the mouth of the I'rench River in Oeorgian liay. Lake Huron hence by damming and locking, ascend the I'rench River *■ 9 to Lake Nipissing, and thence down the River Mattawa to the Ottawa River, and descending the Ottawa to Montreal. 4. Resoli'cd. — That the distance from Lake Huron to tlie city of Montreal by the Ottawa River is less than half the distance by the roule of the lakes and River St. Lawrence ; that a water coumiunication such as can be attained would avoid all the risk, exposure and exjjcnse in- separable from lake navigation, and would be a short, safe and natural outlet tor the minerals, fish and immense agricultural produce of the extensive country bordering on Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron, 5. Resolved, — That from the roads and facilities opened by lumber men, together with the advantages of the posts of the Honourable the Hudson's Bay Company, a winter correspondence with the region re- ferred to, 7'ia the Ottawa, could be kept up, which would be of incal- culable importance to parties engaged in mining operations. 6. Resolved, — That (without contemplating the policy which would throw open such a water communication to the competition of foreign vessels or craft) it is incontrovertible that no other line of communica- tion, capable of embracing so much of the north-western trade of this portion of America, can ever be made so completely wiihin ihe heart of the province, and would perpetually secure such trade to the cities of Montreal and Quebec ; besides the immense trade it would create, and immediately embrace, in facilitating the lumber trade through an ex- tensive region of country, more abundc.nt in lumber (the great export staple of this province) than any other portion of Canada. 7. Resolved, — That such a communication considered as a means of defence (literally encircling the most valuable portion of Canada) and as a military highway to place troops and munitions of war at the highest settled points in the province, in a short space of time, and entirely unexposed to any invading army, is, of itself, a matter worthy of a grave and serious consideration, 8. Resolved, — That the Crown lands bordering on this route might, with great public advantage, be appropriated, under proper enactment, to aid in the accomplishment of such a work, and the settlement of a large body of immigrants — and would be a stimulus and inducement to British and Colonial capitalists, to undertake the completion of such a work, under liberal terms and concessions from the Government and Parliament of this province. During the same session my father carried through Parliament bills for the incorporation of companies having for their object the construc- tion of works with some relation to the larger scheme. One of these was for a railway to run between Bytown and Britannia, and the other for a railway between Carillon and Grenville. Both works were 10 designed on the " portage" plan, to overcome natural obstacles and difficulties of the Ottawa. Little did my father and the promoters of the Britannia Bill dream what an important part they were unconsciously playing in the history of railwaydevelopment on this continent; for, on the same line oi route then proposed by them and adopted by Parliament for their little railway to Britannia (at present a favourite summer resort for civil servants and business men) there now exists the first western link from the capital of our great transcontinental railway which unites the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean. Eh passant^ I may say, that it was during the same session of Par- liament — a session not without some sad and mo'.'rnful associations, too, for it was held in Montreal during the prevalence of the great ship fever epidemic — that my father had the honor of introducing and promoting the pasing of a bill giving to the erstwhile village of Bytown all the rights and privileges of a corporate existence. The resolutions I have read are self-explanatory, and duly impressed the powers that be. As the result therefore of my father's efforts, ably seconded as he always was by the late Hon. Thos. McKay, the late Hon. Hamnett Pinhey, John Egan, Ruggles Wright, John Scott, James Stevenson, Joseph .Aumond, Edward Malloch, Captain Lyon, Captain Monk, Captain Lewis, Captain Blackburn, Captain Petrie, Daniel O'Connor, and other energetic and devoted members of the pioneer band of the Ottawa Valley, among whom, too, must not be forgotten my father's brother, the late Neil Stewart, then representing the County of Prescott in Parliament, an appropriation of ;!^5o,ooo was obtained for the construction of one link in the chain of navigation, viz , a canal extending from the head of Lake Chaudiere or Lac Des Chenes, 35 miles above the City of Ottawa, to the foot of Chats Lake, on the north Bhore of the Grand River, at Portage oa Fort. It was designed to connect the navigable waters of the former lake, about 25 miles in length, with those of the latter, of the same extent, or for a total distance of fifty miles, the total length as hid out being 2.83 miles. Contracts weie let to Messrs. A. P. Macdonald and P. Schram, and the work commenced in August, 1854. In November, 1858, however, a discussion arose in reference to the scale of navigation which should be adopted for navi- gation between Montreal and Lake Huron, and the Government having decided on undertaking a survey of the whole route, work on the Chats Canal was abandoned for the time being, and has never since been e f es and )ters of ciously , on the lent for :sort for ;rn link lites the \ of Par- ons, too, hip fever romoting m all the IS I have be. As he always t Pinhey, 1, Joseph Captain inor, and nd of the ny father's ;ounty of itained for ,z , a canal henes, 35 1 the north lesigned to 5 miles in tal distance ntracts weie commenced ,on arose in ed for navi- ment having )n the Chats since been 11 resumed. The work performed consisted chiefly of rock excavation and the preparation of stone for the locks, and involved an expenditure of $482,950.81. It is idle, I suppose, to speculate on the reasons for making a commencement of so iniportant an undertaking in this way, with the intervening obstacles of 1 .pids and falls between the site of the proposed canal and clear water, the report of the Commissioner of Public Works for the late Province of Canada simply declaring that such a course was "deemed expedient," an official phrase we see frequently used and which is susceptible at times of rather wide application. It will be remembered that the same erratic course was followed by the (iovernment of the day under similar circumstances on the River Trent, in the Newcastle district, and then afforded our talented townsman, Mr. T. C. Keefer, C R , some opportunity for humourous comment, in his ably prepared prize essay on the "St. Lawrence and Ottawa," only, in the latter case, the gates and locks were completed and the whole work afterwards resumed. Two surveys of the entire route from Montreal to Lake Huron followed; the first, in 1856, under the superintendance of Mr, Walter Shanly, a gentleman who has since gained a position of high distinction in his profession ; the other, in 1860; under one no less able and eminent, Mr. T. C. Clarke, now of New York, Mr. Shanly estimated that 58 miles of a canal of 10 feet draft would be necessary, entailing an expenditure of $24,000,000. He likewise held the opinion that the route could be adapted to vessels of eight feet for about $16,000,000. On the other hand, Mr. Clarke estimated the whole cost at $12,000,000 for a dep'h of 12 feet, wiih canalling of twenty miles, not including the Lachine Canal or the improvements below Ste. Anne's locks. The main difference in the estimates is due to the fact that Mr. Clarke suggested the damming uj) of the Ottawa and the Mattawa rivers to a far greater extent than was proposed by Mr, Shanly, thus reducing the necessity for extra canalling. The details of both schemes will be found embodied in the reports of the respective engineers, which were laid before Parliament and have been printed for public information. I may here say that at this period my father had prematurely passed away, before the accomplishment of the great design conceived and submitted by him to Parliament, while many of those who were associated with him, the grand and rugged figures which limn the early history of this then wild and unsettled region of country, had likewise gone over to the silent majority. Hut they were speedily replaced by others equally determined and patriotic — 12 the Scotls, Skeads, Powells, Bells, Wrights, Friels, Lyons, Whites, Churches, Curriers, l*errys, McLaughlins, Abbotts, Grants, Haggarcs, Poupores, Tasses and Morrises — who did not allow the matter to rest, as the records of Parliament will testify. Committees sat, investigated and reported, and the halls of legislation were rarely silent on the subject. But the times were out of joint for an undertaking of such magnitude. The obstacles were many. There was first of all the financial crisis of 1857-59, whose effects were felt for many years afterwards ; then the American civil war — followed by a change of Government in 1862 ; and another in 1864 ; then the formation of the great political coalition having for its principal object the Confederation of British America ; together with the abrogation of the Reciprocity Treaty with the United States, and many Fenian raids and invasions — all matters of national weight or concern which contributed to absorb public attention to the exclusion and detriment of minor objects. I may here say that party leaders and prominent public men on both sides have at all times united in approving of the scheme as a work of importance and even of necessity. Cartier, before leaving office in 1862, declared himself heartily in favor of it ; Sir John Macdonaid, both in and out of place, was always emphatically for it. Speaking at a public dinner given in his honour in this city in 1865, on the eve of the removal here of the seat of government, he declared that "just as sure as Ottawa will be *' the capital of all British America — just as it will be the capital of all " the British possessions in America — just as sure as the legislature " is settled here and they see this portion of the country, just so surely *' will be carried out the great scheme of connecting Lake Huron with " the Ottawa. The subject has pressed not only upon the attention " of Colonial public men but it has impressed itself also upon the "attention of British statesmen." On another occasion the "l*"ather of Confederation" emphasi;:ed his previous declaration by saying that the "Ottawa Ship Canal and the Pacific Railway must be con. structed, and no voice would be raised against the great national work, which would open the Western States and Colonies to the seaboard." Mackenzie, who was always most careful in his utterances, public or private, from his place in Parliament expressed himself as being per. fectly satisfied that the Ottawa Valley presented the greatest facilities of any route upon the Continent for the transportation of the products of the Northwest to the Atlantic Ocean, or rather to the head of At'antic I ^-s 13 hites, 3 rest, igated )n the )f such of all y years mge of 1 of the leration iprocity ivasions uted to f minor t public g of the Cartier, in favor IS always 1 in his ere of the »va will be pital of all legislature ;t so surely iuron with le attention ) upon the the "Father by saying list be con- tional work, ; seaboard.' es, public or .s being per- it facilities of I products of id oi Al'antic ™ navigation ; Isaac Buchanan advocated the building of the canal in preference to fortifications, as it would, he believed, be not only the most magnificent arm ot defence, but would also be a cause of friendship with the Western States, and do more than anything else to secure us against war with the United States ; and, at a later period, Sir Charles Tupper also bore eloquent testimony to the suitai)iiity of the Ottawa Valley to be the great channel of communication between the old settled parts of Canada and the magnificent prairies of the Northwest. Coming down to more recent years, we find Mr. A. M. Wellington, the editor of the Engineeting News, of New York, likewise studying the project of an Ottawa Ship Canal very carefully. Writing in 18&9-90 he expressed the view that by adopting proper plans an amazingly cheap and good ship canal for vessels of 24 to 28 ft. draft could be built on the Ottawa route. I have been in correspondence with Mr. Wellington during the present summer, and in ons of his communica- tions he says : "I do not care to go into the details of the Ottawa " project at the present time any more fully than I have already done. " My conviction, that the Ottawa River affords the best opportunity on " the globe for a well planned ship canal, is a fixed one." But why multiply examples ot this description — the voice of public opinion was and is unmistakably in its favour — even the Dominion Board of Trade, an organization which rendered much useful service to the country in its day, and which, it seems to me, it would be well to revive, passed a resolution, notwithstanding the presence of hostile interests, in favour of the Ottawa route. I have mentioned the American civil war as being the means of unsettling men's minds on most subjects. It also caused this country and the Imperial authorities some dis([iiitetude. It was feared that at the termination of hostilities the United States with an immense army on its hands might turn its attention to Canada, with a view to the enforcement of the "Munroe Doctrine." One result of this feeling of uneasiness was the appointment of a Commission of I )efence which made various suggestions and recommendations. In conjunction with the labours of this Commission, two ofticers were appointed to go over the route of the proposed Ottawa and Lake Huron navigation and rejiort as to its advantages as a work of defend^ The ofhcers selected for this important task were Admiral Sir James Hope, the Commander-in-Chief of the North American and West Indian Station, and (lenetal (after- wards Field Marshal) the Right Honourable Sir John Michel, Com- mander-in Chief of Her Majesty's forces in Canada. These eminent and 1 14 distinguished officers made a personal examination of the entire line of navigation, and on their way back, were i)resented with complimentary addresses from the City Council of Ottawa. It was in the year 1865, — the year of Lincoln's assassination and one filled with much public excitement. I was present at the reception, and have preserved in my memory some portions of Sir John Michel's reply. The sailor, like most members of his craft, was a man of few words, and therefore did not go into the matter as fully as his brother in arms : " I " have been led to understand," said Sir John, " that I am the first " commander of the forces who has traversed the direct route " from the Groat Lakes to the seaboard, and you have been pleased " to believe that I take a deep interest in the opening of this route. In " such belief you are justified. From all I have read and principally '* from what I have seen in my tour, I am of opinion that the route is " not only practicable but has few material difficulties to contend with. " I believe that the ties which hapi^ily unite Great Britain and Canada " will be closer drawn by the opening of this reute. I believe that the " commercial development which will be produced would be incalcul- " able. I believe that America and Canada, and consequently Great " Britain, would be so commercially allied by the opening of this route, " that the grand object of all true lovers of either of these countries " would be attained, namely, the certain peaceful dispersion of every " little cloud that might arise in the political horizon of North America. " On these grounds," added the old soldier, " I recommend you '' cordially to unite in furthering this giand scheme for rendering " you a great nation." But Sir John Michel did not rest here. Before leaving Canada, in 1867, he gave the Montrealers a few parting words of advice in the premises. " Our time is short," he said, " yet " before we part I would wish you all to take home with you one or two " points tor your deep consideration, to be conned over there, and in " your civil lives steadily to be carried out. I now speak to your " who'e country, butespecially to you, men of Montreal. You are placed " in a position held by no other city that I know of in the world. You " are placed on the only spot on a vast continent which can be made " the receiving house of one-third a continent's exterior trade, and " able to dispatch that third to Europe. You have the power of being, •' and you must be one day or othei, one of the most flourishing " capitals on the face of the globe. But you are unsafely situated — your gains some day, if you are unwisely penurious, may be taken to ;( 15 ne of ntary year much served sailor, ;refore : "I le first route pleased te. lu iici pally route is id with. Canada that the incalcul- tly Great us route, countries of every America, lend you rendering est here, jw parting said, " yet 3ne or two ;re, and in k U) your 1 are placed orld. You n be made trade, and er of being, nourishing y situated — be taken to " pay for your capture ; your very prosperity may be the cause of your " ruin. I will endeavour, then, as a legacy, to leave you one or two " words of advice. Fortify — arm — open the great water route to the " west. As a soldier 1 tell you that your city and island may be made " most powerfully strong at no very great expense. Your militia should " be made real — your volunteers a second line ; whilst the grand route " to the sea by the Ottawa and French Rivers should as soon as possible " be undertaken, giving you a backbone of military strength, and bring- " ing to your doors the vast trade of the vaster west. I see before me " a vision of the (ireat West, both of the United States and Hudson's " Bay Territory, pouring its volumes of agricultural wealth by this route " to Montreal, and from thence to Albany and (Quebec to Europe. I '' see the vast metallic fields on the shores of the Superior and Huron " and upper rivers pouring forth their wealth. I see the unemployed " millions of the old world hastening to this land of plenty, and I behold " Montreal the undoubted capital and queen of this noble empire. " But no, it is no vision, it is a reality of the future. And so I say to " you, men of Montreal, open (juickly your canal — develop your re- " sources— fortify and arm, and peace and plenty will be the result.'' One of the first works provided for by the B. N. A. Act after Confedera- tion was accomplished, was the construction of the Intercolonial Rail- way, an undertaking designed to serve as a means of defence as well as to meet a commercial necessity, for it afforded the Dominion what it had not hitherto had, an independent seaport throughout the year. When this great work was fairly under way, the Government found itself free to take ui) the subject of canals, and with a view to a proper consideration of the necessities of the position, a Royal Comniission was appointed, consisting of Sir Hugh Allan, Sir C. S. Gzowski, Mr. Sanuiel Keefer, C.E., Mr. Jardine, and other eminent authorities, to examine and report in the premises. This was in 1871 or thereabouts. As the result, directly or indirectly, of the labors of this Commission, a policy of canal extension and improvement was decided upon with reference to the Welland, Lachine, St. Lawrence, and Carillon and Grenville Canals ; while the Murray Canal, uniting the head of the Bay of Quinte with Lake Ontaiio, a distance of 6 '8 miles ; the Sault Ste. Marie Canal spoken of by my father, running through St. Mary's Island, to connect Lake Huron with Lake Superior, thus overcoming the Sault Ste. Marie Rapids, a distance of ; } of a mile, and some minor works, were to be constructed. Parliament having ratified these arrangements, 16 the enlargevncnl of the Carillon and Grenville Canals was commenced in 1871 and completed in 1882, at a cost of $4,025,346, while the work at Ste. Anne's, commenced in 1873, was completed in 1883. About the same time, it was decided to build a short canal on the Upper Ot- tawa, designed to overcome the L'Islet Rapids and open communication from Bryson village to Aberdeen, a distance of 70 miles. This work, known as the Culbute Canal, was completed in 1886. at a cost of $413.- 717. Nothing has since been done in the way of canal improvement in the Ottawa country — I mean on the proposed line of navigation to Lake Huron — and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which at this time seems to have been resolved upon, and which, thanks to the indomitable energy of two "brither Scots," Sir Donald Smith and Lord Mount Stephen, has been happily accomplished, would appear to have had the effect of driving all thought of the Ottawa Ship Canal out of the mind of the Covernment. At least we hear nothing or next to nothing now in official circles on the subject. But I need hardly assure you, gentlemen, who know something of the trend of public opinion, that the feeling throughout the Ottawa Valley in f?vor of this great work of improvement and necessity, is just as strong i^nd as active aj it ever was in times past, and more particularly is it so at this moment, in an era of great, enterprises, when the whole world seems to have awak- ened to the conviction that the chief requisite of the times, wherever practicable, is canals. You have doubtless all heard something about the great Manchester Ship Canal now nearing completion, at a cost of $80,000,000, a work which will convert the great European cotton metro- polis into a seaport of the first rank. A few facts about this remarkable undertaking will not be without interest on the present occasion. As I learn from the public journals, when the project was first mooted many peo[)le laughed at it, while fr^m Liverpool and from the railway com- panies the most strenuous opposition was threatened. The promoters, however, had faith in the project, and the people of Manchester sup- ported them with splendid liberality. They were, therefore, after 3 long struggle, able to beat down the opposition to which I have referred, and the only difficulty to be faced was the practical one of raising the money. The first estimate of the cost was five millions three hundred thousand pounds, and it took from 1885 to 1887 to settle the pre- liminary difficulty of finance. The first "sod" of the new undertaking was turned amid much rejoicing, and from that time to this the work has gone steadily on, with various vicissitudes. The canal starts from i are ha> waj raal haj dail an( 17 nenced le work About )per Ot- nication work) i$4i3r )vement ation to Railway, I, thanks r,ith and ppear to :anal out next to ly assure opinion, his great ctive aj it oment, in ive awak- , wherever ling about t a cost of ton metro- emarkable on. As I olid many ilway corn- promoters, hester sup- are, after 9 ve referred, raising the ee hundred lie the pre- undertaking s the work 1 starts from the left bank of the Mersey, a little above T,iverpool, and nearly oppo- site (larston. It then skirts the estuary as far as Runcorn, where it turns inland, and following the course of the Irwell, terminates at Traf- ford Bridge in docks some eighty acres in extent. The canal is thus about 35 miles long, with a bottom of 120 feet and a depth of 26 feet. The cost of the undertaking has grown largely since the first estimates were published, and had it lot been for the prompt assistance of the corporations of Manchester and Salford the work would probably, more than once, have come to a standstill. But it is now, as I have said, a[)- proaching completion, and when it is finished it will have been a work of far greater magnitude and difficulty than the cutting of the great canal at Suez. Then there is the great ship canal across the isthmus of Corinth, which in the face of almost incredil)le difficulties and obstacles, has lately been opened by the King of Cireece ; the Nicaragua Shij) Canal, also now under construction ; the Niagara Falls Ship Canal, which ob- tained an Act of incorporation from the Dominion Parliament during its last session ; and various other works of a similar character projected or under way in the sister colonies of the empire. In the Dominion, while we are building new canals on the St. Lawrence and at Sault Ste. Marie, the friends and advocates of various other projects, including the Hurontario Ship Canal, the St. Clair Flats Canal, and the Caughna- waga Ship Canal, are all eagerly pressing them upon public attention. Again, there is the submarine tunnel to Prince Edward Island, which the inhabitants of that picturesque and salubrious region keep con- stantly before the public view, and to some purpose, for they have suc- ceeded in obtaining from Parliament an appro])riation for a survey. Is it a time for Ottawans and the friends of the Ottawa Valley to be idle and inactive \ to remain with folded arms quietly inert ? I think you will all agree with me that it is not, but with all this display of energy and activity about us, the time has arrived when we should unite our forces and detcrmindcdly mr.ke a demand that something should be done for us — that we should be given our share of the good things. We are not a factious or unreasonable peo[)le, we men of the North, We have always been ready to contribute of our mean.; and substance to- wards the development of the country, East, West or Northwest. It may be that w^ have not always been treated fairly in return, but we have never "put on a poor face," as the saying is, and have pursued our daily avocations in faith and confidence that our time would come and our turn be served in due season. Although, perhaps, we should ( 18 , -M , Ike the opportunity of saying, that not exalt our o.n born, yet - f ^'j^^^^/f^nd a people .«ore ,n- thcr. on the face ^^^J^^J^X^y, and, therefore, a peop dustrious, n-,ore law ab.d.ng °' J"^ ^^^^, „nd recogntt.on, than he lore deserving in every way >1 ^^ ^^^ , , ng loval confiding and unselfishl) pat unknown here , ^ts sect,on of onr fair ""-"'"^^^^^rone of whi^h we may justly -r:;t .::u?ouhtie. ■^^^^^^c^i:zf:io^^o.. e money to effect --l;;^!"'^""- or tie whi.h the lumber mterest -nvKNTV MIM.ION ^'^lf^^^.^J,,;,W,u a recent series of yea^ ; has contributed to "^^ P" - -enu^^ of the great Valley of the O- and in doing so let me ask tn the .^ ^^^^^^ f„, , i ,h. ,awa, is it not time that we were - ^^^_^^^ ^^^„, „„, ,e,s a money? Hitherto ^^ ^]^ ^ »ost, which, I ■- ■"'°-;^^; few timber slides or public bmiaini, ^^ ^^ ^^ ^ ,tt\e tave paid for themselves tw.ce 2'-^,^^o{ sack, as Prince Hal hath Ire bread with such - '"""""^^"j'.^Uer that ./. the St. Lawreuce , . ,,,e advantages of the <^^ - '^oX on this point, and since '.hetr are many and various. My '"^I;^ 7^^„ ^^ always doing son.e good ^, eloquent friend. Senator ^7; ^^^^.j them up in a speech de- .. rk, in his own inimttable way, has u ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ,^^ livered bv him in I'arl.a-enl, which w. ^^^ ^^^^j^^,. j,,,,, llHlnsard," and will well ^^^J^t'^Ju^. presses and 1 must ,„, his phase of the matter to.nigh,t> ^^^ ^.^^^^^,^„ ,( :'ot longer detain -ou from y^^^^ , ,he one before us. Perm, subiect so enterlJmng and «"8'°=^'"^' resources of the Ot- re bo-ver, to read you sometlimg touc^t"? ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^„ ;.; district, in looking «« j^^^" ', ./ecial relation to the sub- pamphlets. I chanced to "-e on havmg ^^ ^^, ,he early essay^ ect and with which I was not a httle pie distinguished and 'o:;be "St. Lawrence -"^ ~i, ^TKe'eter, ex-president of the hi.hlv esteemed fellow townsman, M . t f^.^nce has already been S^ -lety of Canadian Civi, ^:f^^-;;iX^ 'He Ottawa Valiey the made. In that portion oi the work d^» S _ .^ ^„, ^an look upon eeturer closes with these l-l'';; '^ ^^'^^-.hout becoming convinced . the geographical position °f ^^ f^ ^^.f^a^on, it is a district whtch ., hat unless there be some P^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Those who u oushl not and cannot mucn lon^c BSL^ ,g, that lore in- people [lan the iwelUng n here ; ay justly give one nothhig It to the r interest of years ; of the Ot- r all this r rulers, a informed, be a little e Hal hath . Lawrence since then some good speech de- ecorded in irlher dwell and I must jssion of a us. Permit es of the Ot- of Canadian n to the sub- ^ early essay nguished and esident of the . already been ,wa Valley the can look upon ung convinced district which Those who II 19 *' have had such gliupses of it as a trip up some of its bcmtiful tributaries " afford, can certify that when opened it will be second to no other " part of Canada in the healthy character of its climate — the fertility of '* its innumerable and well watered valleys — the transparent purity of its '' trout filled lakes and gravelly brooks ; or in the magnificent panorama " which is presented by mountain, flood and plain- -decked out with " evergreen and hardwood furring the sloi)ipg banks of her golden lakes^ " and affording under the influence of the autumnal frost one of the *' most gorgeous spectacles under the sun. Nor can the day be far " distant when thofe valleys will be filled with their teeming thousands* " and the sheep and cattle or .•. thousand hills shall everywhere indicate " peace and progress — the happy homes of a people whose mission it is " to wager war only upon the rugged soil and the gloomy forest, to cause " the now silent valleys to shout and sing, and to make the wilderness " blossom like the rose." Hear also a prediction from another great authority, Walter Shanly : " The Ottawa country," he says, "abounds " in iron ore of the richest description. Its forests of pine are inex. " haustible. Its water power, as already stated, not only unlimited in " capacity, but available to its full extent at numberless stages upon '* the route. By the opening of the projected navigation this great " manufacturing agent would be brought into comparative proximity to " thj granaries of Lake Michigan, and would immediately be turned to " account in preparing the cereals of the west for the markets of the east- " With such a combination of advantages in possession or in prospet t, ** it is surely not difificult of belief that the valley of the Ottawa is de.-itin- " ed to be not only the workshop of Canada, but one of the chief manu- " facturing districts of America." What I would say in conclusion is this : If the Government and Parliament of Canada find themselves unable, at present, from whatever cause, to take up the whole scheme, I would be content for one, if they were willing to deepen and improve the water-way and enlarge the canals, if need be, between Montreal and Ottawa city, to such an extent, as to warrant the p.issage of ocean going vesse's from the Atlantic to our own harbour. To put it more concisely, I want Ottawa made zn ocean port, and so become the present head of Atlantic navigation in the Dominion. I have looked carefully into the matter and find that the work could be accom|)lished at a moderate cost and within a reasonable time. There are no great natural obstacles in the way, while such obstacles as do exist are easily surmountable. As for the necessary sinews of war, why there is our ov/n money in the I 20 national excheciuer, as I have pointed out, with interest accruing all these years. One glance at the bird's eye view of Ottawa harbour, which our accomi)lished architect and draughtsman, Mr. Stalker, has prepared at my request for the occasr^'^ "'U convey to you some idea of the change for the better wl nis scheme would effect. Our harbour, which to-day wears an api)earance of almost hopeless stagnation, would then be alive anr' busy during the whole of the summer months. Vessels of every description would come and go, while on all sides would be heard the cheerful hum of labour and industry. Wharves, piers, elevators, factories and other works of utility and industry would extend along the river front, on the one side from the Chaudiere to Rockliffe, and on the other from the Cnaudiere to the Gatineau — perhaps beyond. Ottawa, in addition to her other advantages and resources, from a business point of view, would then be a centre for the import, export and sea-coasting trade, for there would be no need then to carry grain, cattle lumber and merchandise to Montreal or Quebec for shipment, or to discharge at those places. Cargoes could be made up here and the vessels proceed direct to sea. No need either for the merchants of Ontario to congregate at Montreal for several weeks in the spring awaiting the arrival of the Mediterranean and other fleets, for the vessels composing them could ascend the Ottawa, and dis- charge cargo here at our own embankment as safely and expeditiously as elsewhere. This is no fancy picture — if it were there would be no Mont' real to-day, with its three hundred thousand inhabitants, or more ; for the disadvantages under which Ottawa now labours in this regard were experienced to a very considerable extent by the Commercial Metropolis itself in her early days. In this connection it may be mentioned that it was but a little more than a generation ago that ocean steam- ships first ploughed their way into the harbour of Montreal. If I mis- take not, the first arrival of the kind, the "Lady Eglinton," occurred in 1853 or 4. Doubtless, some idea of carrying ocean navigation as far as Ottawa must havi occupied the mind of the Canal Commission in 1871, for I find, on reference to their report, that in considering the navi- gation of our Grand River, they confined their attention almost exclu. sively to works for the improvement of the Lower Ottawa (/. e. from Ottawa to Montreal) which, owing to the very great increase of trafific tiiereon, they decided to place among works of the first class, said works to confjist of the enlargement of canals on that river, '■'•or the construe- 21 ling all arbour, Stalker, to you ; would almost le whole )me and )0ur and vorks of the one ler from tawa, in less point i-coasting lin, cattle shipment, be made ^ed either for several I and other ra, and dis- ditiously as e no Mont- more ; for regard were I Metropolis ntioned that cean steam- ,1. If I mis- ' occurred in gation as far 3m mission in ring the navi- almost exclu. .wa (/. e. from ase of traffic iss, said works r the construc- tion of a neii' line of navigation of i^reatly increased capacity^"' to be i)ro- ceeded with as soon as the means could be granted for that purpose. That we would be doing no injustice to Montreal by pressing for this desirable undertaking will be apparent to none more than to the good people of Montreal themselves, who daily complain of the overcrowded condition of their harbor, and are endeavoring as best they may to pro- vide for so great a drawback. It was only the other day (i8th July) that that trustworthy exponent of public opinion, the Montreal Gazette^ referred to the subject in the following terms : "Up to yesterday's " closing at the harbor office," it said, "it was ascertained that the total "' number of vessels which have entered the port of Montreal this sea- " son is 326, of which 297 have cleared for sea. Every berth in the " port is occupied by vessels either loading or discharging their car- " goes, and the harbor masters have been kept busy finding suitable ac- " commodation for incoming vessels. Notwithstanding this the agents " of the coal trade are complaining that they are unable to dispatch " their vessels for a return trip as quickly as they should owing to their " vessels being detained in the port awaiting berths to discharge. This " they claim as a grievance, being loss of both time and money." This condition of things, I am aware, has long existed and has been felt to such an extent that owners of coal cargoes have been compelled to go to Sorel and other places along the river to find accommodation. All the coal imported for the Grand Trunk Railway is so discharged, there being no room for it at Montreal. Under such circumstances, and with a trade which is yearly increasing and which must continue to increase as the country grows in wealth and population, there is and will be un- questionably business enough to fill both harbors, Montreal and Ottawa, ay ! and Kingston, too, — for I am well aware of the ambitious designs of some of the commercial magnates of the Limestone city in this regard. The trade and commerce of this great country is but in its infancy. The United States in opening up the Cherokee Territory to settlement has made use of its last resource, and hereafter, the stream of emigra- tion and settlement must, as Mr. James B. Campbell, of Montreal, in his work on Transportation has so ably pointed out, f jllow the grain trade to the north, ^.very acre in the fertile plains and valleys of our Northwest will become occupied, and who can foretell the volume or extent of the output from those teeming regions ? In the last long interview I had the honor to have with our departed premier. Sir John MacUonald, which was about lour months before he died, that farseeing 22 v.^f 1 aving bis hand on "shoulder he .aiJ '"H'r^^^'vely ^ " V .^g^ther w.th a ^ , will see a J"uWe Irack arouna i.a i ^^.^ ^j^^^jt % Z:t;Z 0.«a, hoth or wh,ch w he^ .a.«>^ ^^ ^^^.,^ canaeity to carry the gram »^>d coal oi ^.^^ .^^ ^^„y ,„,«,. Z • The construe .ion o. the Ottawa bh,p ^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^^^^^ «y to and from Ch.tago by the ^t ^„d„,,uing after all Le „oieet does not seem 'o '>^ Z";^; ;,„„g, „,Ue St. Peter, wh.ch ha. L emember also that the -^hanne. thro b ^^^ j,,^ benefit cost several millions ,f pubhc "°'7-;;^7^aertaken for the benefit of of Montreal alone ; en the -'""^'^^^l, „„rfs of the late Premter t country at large, and «M>ec.al • " - ^^^^„ ,,,ae to the Mackenzie, for the ,..rpose of . 1 •-'. ^^ ^^^ ^^,^^^_ ,,, .^^ st Lakes." If W the Lakes, .hy not by y ^^^ ^^^.^^^ ^ ,, „ ., o Ind most expeditious lou. ? 0"r d > ,„d m this way ^ake the .nost of our ~:;o^:ilibute to that of the country „hile adding to our o«n l"''P<- "^ ^ ;^ ,,,„ be for you to dec.de ; large, gentlemen, I have d- and ^ ^^^^ .^ ^^^^^ ^^ whether 1 have succeeded m nai » ^^^^ interested. If I whose onward progress we are all n ore o ^.^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ : ve done nothing n.ore. ' ^ave,^^ J^^^^^^^ ,iUe the fall fash.ons, subject for thought and -- de.at on ^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^.^^ ^^ ^ ,, ..new and attractive. It ^^'' "°\ ' ^^^^ imitate others and act or time to thought in the premises^ We n ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^e ^e siall come out, to use a ^°"-;^^ ^^^\,^^ ,„d with an "Ottawa Z,t' What we want in th,s matt r s fa,r p y ^^ ^^^ n,„„,ment d"«i'ct man," John ^[^'^-^"^o'^^^^/Vepresentative, whose record of Railways and C.na s -'J^^Z^o.Lr.ce-l venture to th.nk inspires us with just pfde ^j" ^oPe'" acknowledge- we shall get it. In dos.ng "<==• 'o P ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^,,. n,ents for much cheerh.l and «d- ^^^,„ .^5,3 i„ the.r sev- naration of this pape.- to the '""""'"^ ii^n, viz ; Walter Shanly, Z^ departments of though ^nd^ vet» ; c,,,.^., c.E., Ot- Esquire, C.E„ Montreal; I. ^-^'^ ^ y^^^ ; Henry J. Morgan, tawa-.T.C. Clark., Esqune, Civ, New 23 d on I am vith a tmost ;stina- super- ;essity, labling s river. their ces, our Let ich has benefit :nefit of Premier ie to the shortest clear ; to this way le country to decide Uttawa, in ted. If I one fresh II fashions, too much and act, or end of the an "Ottawa Department hose record ure to think .cknowledge- d in the pre- in their sev- alter Shanly, ;., C.E., Ot- r J. Morgan, Esquire, editor and author, Deparlment of the Secretary of State, Ot- tawa ; A. M. Wellington, llsciuire, C.E., editor of the /s//.i,7>/«v;7Xv vV<7t-'j, New York; and George \\ l{roi)hy, Ksiiuire, C.K, superintendent of the Ottawa River works.