IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 25 IM ||||Z2 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► ^ /} /a •c*! <$> c3 '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation % > %^ a^^ ■<^ " signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols y signifie "FIN ". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent 6tre film^s d des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Stre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est f ilm6 d partir de I'angle suptrieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et de heut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 '''*'"'''"""^*'^^^^ I -ft— ^,, Li^ f THE RAILWAY POLICY OF THE Government of Quebec. SEYMOUR. 1878. *J<%^f^, ,..,,; ..^J^ TH E RAILWAY POT.ICV 7 (J F T H ) Government of Quebec, BEING A REVIEW OF THE REPORTS OF THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS, AND OF MR. WALTER SIIANLY. IN RELATION THERETO; IN A SERIES OF LETTERS HERETOFORE WRITTEN AND PUHLISHED li Y GHNERAL SILAS SEYMOUR, Late Chief and CoNsuLrrNO Engineer of the NORTH SHORE RAILWAY: —ont de I'lsle. to Montreal, as adopted by i'.e Railway Company, upon my recommendation, and which forms the basis of the existing Government contract, was not located upon " the most direct and practicable route of whicli the capabilities of the country will reasonably admit," as reciuired by the terms of the contract; but that another and far superior route has been dis- covered since the work came under (iovernment control, and that the former location has therefore been abandoned, and a new one adopted by the Government, upon which the road is now being constructed. Holding myself personally and pi'ofessionally responsible for the adoption of the line as recommended by me, while actino- as Chief p:ngineer of the ro,')d, it cannot be expected that 1 will remain entirely silent and passive while the Government and the public are being made to believe that either through ignorance or neo-lect, ' I failed in the performance of my whole duty to tlie Railway Company, in selecting the proper location for the railway. m 8 OOVERNMENT RAILWAY POLICY. In view of m}' formf r position, in connection with the road, it would seem to have ])een, to saj' the least, simply courteous, if not altf>g('ther just, for the Government to have afforded me an oppor- tunity of explaining and vindicating my professional acts and opinions, respecting im^jortant matters of this nature, before publishing to the world a wholesale condemnation and repudiation of them, based entirely uix)n the opinion of an Advisory Engineer who had never examined the localit}' in question, and consequently, had no means of verifying the statements upon which his decision was based It appears, however, that the present Government, and Railway Commissioners, have, for some reason, thought proper to pursue an entirely different course ; which, as I am fully prepared to show, will lead them, not only into a certain extra expenditure of several hundred thousand dollars, but also into the adoption of a location, which will detract largely from the future earnings and usefulness of the road. The limits of the present communication will not permit of my pointing out, with an}' degree of particularit}', the many fallacies and misrepresentations which are contained in the Reports al)ove referred to ; neither have 1 any reason to suppose, that »»ither the Government, the Legislature, or the public, have any desire that an exposure of this nature should be made. But, for my own vindication, I shall take an early opportunit}- to place before the public, sucii facts as will enable all parties in interest to understand the matter full}'. S. i^UEBEC, Jan. ;{0, 1878. II. I regret exceedingly that any of the expressions used in my let- ter of the 3()th January, as published in the Chronicle of yesterday, should have been construed as a personal insult to any member of the Provincial Government or Legislature ; and that they should have been the cause of wasting nearly one entire session of the valuable time of the Legislative Assembly in a discussion, the only object of which appears to have been to cast a slur, not only upon the Legislatures and people of the United States generally. REVIEW OF THE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 9 but upon m^'self, as a former citizen of tlie United States, in par- ticular, for having dared to ; indicate botli my private character, and i)rofes8ional reputation, from tlie insidious attacks which have been repeatedly made upon them by the servants of the (iovern- ment, and tacitly endorsed by the Government itself. Disavowing any intention to rouse the British Lion, by insulting either the Government or the Legislature: and merely referring to the Montreal "Land Swap" and the Pacilic Scandal, as a sufficient answer to the attempted insult to the American Kagle, I will state, for the information of the Honorable the Attornej'- General of the Province, vfbo seems, in the debate of yesterday, to have been in great doubt upon the subject, that my only reason for writing the letter in nt, an amount which, with previous allowances, will aggregate at least a million dollars more than his contract i)rice. The cost of constructing the original line, upon any arrange- ment of grades and plans of structures, can now be ascertained with a very close ai)i)roximation to accuracy, for the reason that it has been dcjinitj'hi iocafed. For the same reason, some confidence may probably be placed in the length and estimated cost of the new location between Maskinonge and Terrebonne. IJut no confi- dence whatever should be placed in the reputed length and estimated 12 GOVERNMENT RAILWAY lY»LirY. cost of the proposed new line lietween Terrebonne and Montreal, for the reason that both its U'ngtli, assumed grades and cost, are, according to the Commissioners' Report, based ujwn an assumed or iiiwfiiiuiry line, whicli will probal>ly never be found to exist ; and therelbre the raisreprc-rscntations and fallacies, which have evidently been manufactuied for the special purj)ose of casting discredit up- on the original location, cannot, from the nature of the case, be fully exposed at the present time. Having thoroughly explored and surveyed the locality myself, however, I have quite sufficient data to demonstrate, to the satisfaction of an}' competent judge, not only that the original location was the proi)er one. V)ut, that the best thing for the Government now to do, is to take the best line that can be obtained from their present crossing of L'Assomption river to Bout dc risle, and then to adopt the original location from there to Montreal. I shall also make it equall}' apparent that the original crossing at Bout de I'lsle is, as stated in one of m^' former Reports, the proper point of departure for the loop line to St. Therese ; and that when this looj) line is constructed, us it surely ivill &e, either by the Government or the lessee of the road, the present line between Montreal and St. Therese will be practicalbj abandoned. S. Boston, Feb. G. 1878. IV. I see from the papers that, during my absence last week, our Local Ijcgishiture has been wasting some more of its valuable time in a fruitless discussion over tlu; pro[)riety of bringing me be- fore a Committee of the House for the purpose of ascertaining the facts in relation to the pn^posed route of the North Shore Railwa}' between Maskinonge and Montreal ; and that the Government had steadil}' refused to permit any more light to be thrown upon that, to them, very embarrassing subject. The course which the Government is pursuing in this matter, is one which certainly shows great tact and foresight, and one which, if it had been adopted and followed by the Dominion Government at the outbreak of the Pacijic Scamkd,, would probably have pre- RKVIKW OF THK COiMMIvS8I«»NEU8 KKPOKT 13 vented a revolution in that riovernment ; and it is also one which, if it had been followed hy the immediate predecessors of the pre- sent Local Government when the first rumors of the Montreal Land Sump began to assume form and sul»stance, would, in all probability, have prevented the premature dis.solution of that Government. It is not in'obable, however, that the Governments above refer- red to were either in a position, or had the will, to exercise the same arbitrary power and control over their partisans in the Legis- lature that is shown to be possessed by th'^ present Local (Jovern- ment of (Quebec ; and hence they were forced to bow and give way to the public opinion of the countr}-. The fact that the present Local Government has already deter- mined to change the organization of its Rnihvny Department, by dispensing with the services of its Board of Haihvny Commissioners, shows conclusivel}' that this organization has been a signal failure from the commencement, and therefore the (iremature payment of (piestionable subsidies, with the conditions of which the Government has never complied ; and instead of im- posing additional taxes and burthens upon the people, and thus. i 14 (JOVEKNMENT RAILWAY POLICY. like death and the grave, contlmially crying, " Give ! " " Give ! ! " — to invite the fuUest investigation into all oi" its expenditnres ; and thus, if possible, to satisfy both the municipalities and the people that their money has been and will continue to be properly ex- pended ? The only offences that I am aware of ha\ing committed against the Crovernment and people of the Trovince of Quebec, during a residence of six or seven years in the countrv, are, in having been chiefly instrumental in l)ringing the North Shore Railway from the state of iionetd.ity in vvhich I found it, in 1871, to the condition in which it was ibund by the (Jovernment, in ISTo, when it undertook its completion, after nearh' a million dollars worth of work had been done by the Railway Company, and it was obliged to abandon the enterprise in conseciuence of the refusal of the Government to pay its j)roportion of the estimates, according to agreement ; also, in aiding the (iovernment. to the best of my ability, in the negotiation of the existing contract for the construction of the road ; and, lasth', in endeavoring, by the only means at my com- mand, to protect my i)revious administration of the luigineer De- partment, and my professional reputation, from the injurious efl['ects of the insidious attacks which, with the full knowledge and consent of the Government, have been repeatedly made ui)on them by its otilcers and servants. — all of which ott'ences on my part, it appears, have rendered me so obnoxious to the Government that my pres- ence before a committee, or even as an assumed criminal at the bar of the Legislature, is considered as bestowing far more notice u[)on me than I deserve, and, cohsequenth', an infringement upon the dignity of the (Jovernment and the Legislature. Waiving, however, for the i)resent, any further allusion to mat- ters entirely personal to myself, and referring more particularly to those of far greater interest and importance, at least to the public, I will, in my next, furnish your readers with a brief review of the recent Rejiort of the Railway Commissioners, and of the history of the location of tlu? line between Maskinonge and Montreal, which, I think, may possibly atford both them and the Provincial Govern- ment and Legislature some sound and interesting food for reflection. S. QuEiucc, Feb. 13, 1878. REVIEW OF THE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 15 S. I desire to call attention, as briefly as possible, to the new ant] somewhat peeniiar style of Government Arithmetir, whioh has been introdueed into the recent Report of the Railway Commissioners, and further exemi)lifled in yesterday's Leoislative debate ni)on the resolutions of the Provincial Treasurer. Referring to page 18 of the Commissioners' Report, it appeals that the totjd contract price for constructino; and equipi)ing what was formerly known as the North Sjiore Railway is %\JllJ}{H\Jui, including ''the amount of fiar/>-(/work authorized by Order in Council." On page 9 it is stated that the Contractor had received up to Dec. 1, 1877, ihe sum of S3,'5G2,;no.2r,. TheAttorney-(Jeneral stated yesterday in Parliament that ''the Government had in their hands foi- security a large dmw/xtel' of nearly $250,000 belonging to the Contractor, which was almost sutli- cient to pay for the it'mainderof the undertaking." Tiiis. with the amount already paid, would make 83,(>12.370.2(). as rei)resenting the value of work done by the Contractor up to Dec. 1. 1S77 — whichamount beingdeducted from the contract price, $4, 777,r)r)3. .').'), leaves $l,l(;r),193.2'.» to represent the value of work yet remaining to be done under the original conti-act. and upon the oiiginal location, via Bout de I'lsle, which formed the basis of that contract, and also in accordance with the quantities given in "Schedule B," attached to the contract, which schedule purports, in its heading, to provide for everything that is necessary in order "to render the road acceptable to the (iovernment and the Corporation (of Quebec) as ajii'st-el<(,ss raihvinf.'" Hence it appears that in this case the Government Arithmetic makes $250,0(»n ''ahuo.^f sufficient " to pay for, or, in other words, almost equal in value to, $1,10;'), 193. Referring again to page 13 of the Commissioners' Report, it will be seen that the estimated cost of the main line, including "the amoinit of extra work author- ized by Order in Council," is put down at $4,361,176, which would be at the rate of about $27,538 per mile for the entire distance (via Bout de I'lsle) of 158.37 miles. On page 19 of the Report, it is stated that, "'i'he section of the shore Une between Bout de I'lsle and Hochelaga, 11.90 miles long, is estimated to cost $28,047 16 GOVERNMENT RAILWAY POLICY. more than the correspoiuling section of the direct line between Terrebonne to Hochehiou." Also, "The section of the (No. 4) line, from Terrebonne to Iloehehijjfu, 11. oG miles in length, is estimated to cost $')!*), ();")(), or $4;"), ()()() per mile for works alone, exchisive of land damage, stations, rolling stock, &c." Hence it appears that in this (;ase the Gomrnmeiit Arithmetic makes one line — the contract price for which is S27,r)38 per mile including "land damages, stations, rolling stock, cV:c." — cost S28,047 more than another line which is admitted to cost $45,000 per mile exclusive of these appendages. It shonld be rememl)ered, however, that in this case an argu- ment was being made in favor of abandoning the line from Terre- bonne to riochelaga altogether, and of constructing the line from Terrebonne direct to St. Therese. Referring to page 85 of the same Report, it will be seen that, in referring to the different lines between Maskinonge and Hochelaga, the following statements are made : — " The first is No. 1, on the old North Shore line via Bout de rislo, distance 55.41 miles ; cost, including land damage, but exclusive of stations and roUing stock, is $1,298,986," and again : — "The second, or No. 4 line, direct from Maskinonge to Hoche- laga via Terrebonne and ' Des Prairies,' is 58.54 miles long, and the estimated cost $1,094,537." Thus making the Bout de IMsle line cost $204,449 more than the Terrebonne line. Hence it a[)pears that in this case the Government Arithmetic is made to produce a result ditfering from the one last mentioned in the sum of $176,402. But it should be remembered that in the latter case it had become absolutely necessary for the Government to kill the Bout de risle line very dead, for the reason that it had already located and partly constructed the line to Terrebonne, with the intention, as above stated, of going direct from there to St. Therese, and of abandoning the line to Montreal ; but when this plan was frustrated by tlu! people of Montreal, it became necessary to show, by its vei'y convenient Arithmetic, that it would have brought certani ruin upon the Province if a better line had not been invented than the one via Bout de I'lsle. Referring to page 5 of the Report, it will be seen, "that the whole REVIEW OF THE COMMISSIONERS* REPORT. 17 line completed from Quebec to Montreal, passing throiigli Terre- bonne (Piles Branch not included), will cost, a(;cording to Mr. Light's estimate, the sum of $4,r>18,fi57.80 ; which makes an increase of $202,607.89 on the amount of' Schedule B,' annexed to the contract." It is not stated, however, whether this amount includes the large extra allowances that have already been made to the Contractor, by virtue of the late Reports of Mr. Walter Shanly, which, for some mysterious reason, have not yet been made pul)lic, and also any additional allowances to the Contractor on account of the change in the location of the line between Maskinonge and Montreal. But leaving these items out of the question for tlie present, it appears that in this case the Government Ai'itftmetir is made to show that, while the line via Terrebonne will cost 8204, 44!> Jt^ss than the line via Bout de I'lsle, yet b}' some strange man- ipulation of the figures, this same line (via Terreboiuie) when extended in one direction to Quebec, and in another direction to Montreal, will cost $282,057.89 more than the line via Bout de risle. And the same convenient Arithmetic is also made to show that, in the present case, the estimated cost of the main line is $4,r)18,6r)7,80 ; while on page 13 oftlic same Report it is made to show that the estimated cost of the main line is S4,. '5(51,1 70. It should be remembered, however, in view of the entire Rei>f)rt, that when it was written by the Connnissioners it was not ex- pected that an}' one would take sufficient interest in tlie matter, at the present time, to question either its Arithmetic or tlie reliabil- ity of its statements ; but, would it not have l)een (piite as well if the Commissioners had considered that all the misrepresentations, discrepancies, and fallacies, which are contained in their Re[M)i't and its appendages, will be quite sure to become exposed t^) public view before a final settlement can be made for the construction of the road? The Provincial Treasurer, in yesterday's debate upon his Financial Resolutions,, stated, "that he had made provision for the full amounts required by the estimates and by the Commissioners' Reports ; " — and it is therefore to be presumed that he depends upon this same Government Arithmetic for the accuracy of the amounts required to cover these estimates and Reiwrts. The fore- going exposure of their utter non-reliability, it is ho])e«l. may 3 18 GOVKUNMKNT RAILWAY POLICY. posHibly open his oycs to tho real ooinlition of things in lime to save the Trovince IVoni tinaneial diseredit and ruin. 8. QUEHKC, Feb. 10, 1878. VI. A printed Circular, containing the " (Jeneral conditions for Leasing and Working" the ''(.Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occi- dental Hailway," was issued by the (Quebec Provincial Govern- ment, on the 20th December, 1877, over the signature of " ,/. A. Olnqtle<(u.i Serretdt'f/ of the Province," which contains the following clauses, or paragraphs : — ^'The two sections, with their dividing point at Montreal, will be leased, either separately or all in one, as, when proposals shall have l)een received, may to the Government appear most desirable. "In the event of the railwa}' being leased in two sections, and to separate parties, it must be imdorstood, th((t the ports between Montreol {Citif) on<\ the jntiction with the direct line between Quebec (tneen the explanation given to the parties proposing to Icjise the road, it remains to l>e seen how far these parties will feel bound by their j)ropositions, since the Government has determined not to construct " the direct line between Quebec and Aylmer," sind thus to force all the through business over the twenty miles of extra distance, and the ruling grades of 87 feet per mile, via Montreal. 8. QuKBiic, Feb. 20, 1878. VIII. ike of In connection with the Circular of 20th December last, signed by the Secretary of the Province, and freely distributed among parties who intended to propose terms to tlie (iovernment, for leasing the (^. M. O. and O. Railway, in which, as already shown, the following paragraphs occur : — "The two sections, with their dividing point at Montreal — will be leased, either separately, or all in one, as, when i)roposals shall have been received, may to the Government appear most desirable " ; '^'In the event of the Railw.ay being leased in two sections, and to separate parties, it must be understood, that the part between Montreal (City) and the junction with the direct line, between Quebec and Aylmer, will have to be used and imrked in common " ; it has 20 <40VKRNMKNT RAILWAY VOIACY. occiint'tl to me that it would be both iiitcrcHting and instructive to refer, in the same eonneetion, to the more recent letter, signed by the Premier ol' the (lovernment, and addressed to the members of the (Quebec Itoard of Trade, from which the following is an extract : — "Were the (iovernment (juite free to consider the question as an abstract one, entirely unrestrained by any pre-existing legisla- tion or pre-exisling contracts, it is quite possible that the route you point out (i. e. from Terrebonne to St. Therese) would be found to.be the shorter one between (Quebec and Ottawa. Your Board is, however, respectfully informed that, under the existing legislation, where))y the (lovernment is obliged to construct a line of railwaj' from deep water, in the i)ort of Quebec, via the City of Montreal, to some point in the County of Pontaic suitable to cross the Ottawa, to connect with the (ieorgian Bay Branch of the Can- ada Pacific Railway, it is impossible now to make any such devia- tion as is proposed." Here is another striking illustration of the facility with which different results and conclusions may be reached by means of the ^^ Government Arithmetic^" to which allusion has already been made. The IIonoral)le Secretary informs intending lessees of the Road, in effect, that: "A direct line between (Quebec and Aylmer" will be constructed by the Government ; and that whoever leases this '•^direct line" must also '•''work in common the part between Montreal {City) and the junction ivUh the direct line." Per contra : — The Honorable Premier, only a few days later, informs the Quebec Board of Trade, in effect, that owing to " pre- existing legislation, or pre-existing contracts " — " it is impossible now to make any such deviation, as is proposed," i.e., to build that portion of the '•'- direct line" hGUacw Terrebonne and St. Therese. As another illustration of the mysterious workings of this won- derful Arithmetic^ it may be well to examine the ^^pre-existing legis- lation and contract " referred to by the Premier, for the purpose of ascertaining why they should exercise such unlimited control over this question of locsition. Both the contract and the legisla- tion confinning it, will be found in the 9th section of " an Act respecting the construction of the Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway," assented to Dec. 24th, 1875, which reads as follows ; — REVIEW OF THK ('OMMISS(()NKUS KKIMUM. 21 " The contract, passcrl at thf v\t\ of QiH'hcc, on the 21th of Soptfinber, last past, befoiv Mtrc. I'h. Iliiot aiul <.'«;lleagiit'H, Nota- ries, between the lion. C H. DcBoiichervilK', representing; tiie Province of Quebee, an«l Hon. Thomas MHireevy, for the «on- strnetion and completion of tiiat portion of the said railway b*'tween deep water in the port of the City of (^iu'bt'<', ixiid the t'ity of Montreal, and the l>ranch thereof to (irand Piles, in hercb// nitijicd and conjirmed." The contract above referred to distinctly speiitit's : — That *' the most direct and practicabia route of which the capabilities of the country will reasonably admit, shall be adopteil, hoth for tlic Afain Line and Piles liranch." The schedules of (|iiantities. together with the maps and profiles, which were si<»;ned by the contractinji parties, and attached to the contract; also the total coiisidi-ration t .'■ 5^4,732,387.55 mentioned in the contract : all reCei-red cri'lusirr/i/ to the line as then located, via Berthier, Assom|»tion and IJoiil de risle ; and this location, therefore, became as lej;ally iiiiidin«i; upon the Government as any other provision, either in the contract or in the law which sanctioneil it. It appears, however, that the Government Arithmetir is, at one time, made to sanction an entire change in the location of about one-third of the main line, at the western end, witliot ' any legisla- tive authority or previous agreement with the Contractor, and with the manifest intention on the part of the Government, as shown in Mr. Chapleau's circular, of ignoring Montreal and going direct to St. Therese — while, but a few weeks su])se(iuently, the same con- venient Arithmetic is made to show that "pre-existing legislation and contracts (to wit. the same legislation and contracts above referred to) render it impossible for the Government to construct the road to St. Therese ; but fully authorize it to adopt an entirely new and imaginary location, via Terrebonne, to Montreal, vvhicii will involve an additional expenditure of several hundred thousand dollars, an increased length of four or live miles in the line, and much higher grades than would have been re«iuired if the original location and contract had been adhered to. With an Arithmetic capaljle of producing such extraordinary re- sults, it is not at all surprising that this same (roverinnent is now seeking to lease the road, under the authority granted by the Legislature, in Section 42 of the same law which sanctioned the 22 (iOVKKNMENT RAILWAY I'OLU Y contract for its construction : which stiction reads as follows : — ''The Lieutenant-Governor in Council may, (W soon as the said road., or out/ secfion (hereof., shall have been completed., lease the said road, or section thereof, to any person or persons, or to any corporation, sul)je('t to the approval of the Legislature." Although probably not one mile, certainly not any continuous se(!tion of live miles upon the entire road between (.Quebec and Montreal, has yet been completed according to contract; although the line has not yet been located, nor the ground broken upon the last fifteen or twenty miles nearest Montreal ; although the extension to deep water at er 9th, 1873, T made a Report to the Presi- dent of tlie Company, aocomi)anied by full maps, profiles and esti- mates, in whieh the merits of these distinct lines were discussed, marked respectively A, B, and C; — Line A being the Bout de risle or lower crossing. Line B an intermediate crossing,, and Line C the Lachenaye or upper crossing. A reference to this Report will show that '* Line B," or the in- termediate crossing, was unqualifiedlj' recommended by me for approval by the Directors ; and it is very well known (except, perhaps, by the lion. Premier) that this line is exactly S3'non3-mous with " Line No. 1," as referred to in the Commissioners' Report. The following are extracts from my Report of Oct. 9th, 1873 : — "The middle crossing, upon Line B, has been selected with great care, and almost entirely with a view to the avoidance of the diHiculties above referred to. "At the point indicated upon the Map as the crossing of this line, it will be observed that the entire river occupies one straight channel for a considerable distance above and below the point of crossing ; and, therefore, that there is ample room for steamers and vessels going in either direction, and for rafts passing down the ri\er, to mnkc and pass the draw opening in the bridge, in com- paratively smooth water, and with perfect safet}'. *■' It will also l)e observed that Line B crosses I'Assomption River consideral)ly above the highest point at which it is navigable, and therefore no draw opening will be required in the bridge. " Having thus i)resented to the Board of Directors the princi- pal features of the different routes between the west end of the former location and the City of Montreal, I would most respect- fully, but unhesitatingl}', recommi nd the adoption of the line marked B, or the middh» crossing of the Ottawa Branch, in prefer- ence lo either of the other lines herein referred to. " In arriving at this conclusion, it may be proper to state that the stipulation contained in the present contract for the construc- tion and ('(piipment of the road, which provides, "that the most direct and praidicable route of which the capabilities of the country will reasoi.ably admit, shall' be adopted," has exercised a control- ing inHnen''e over my mind ; and 1 think it has been satisfactorily demonstrated that, les than those M •26 GOVERNMENT RAILWAY POLICY. I: I I which appear to be laid down in its present "Arithmetic," will govern the final resnlt ; and I feel quite sure that then my own vindication, in eoiujection with all 1 liave said and done, with refer- ence to the North Shore Railway, will be full and complete. S. QuEBKC, Feb. 2«, 1^78. X. After an absence; iVora Queb(;c of but a little over a week, I return to lind the Provincial (Jovernm(>nt revolutionized, the Par- liament prorogued, and an entire change; in the political atmos- phere of the place. In other words, the Uitc Government has been " Hoist hji its owti Pctdrd" In view of the i)reHont condition of things, and of tlie fact that the matters in ditferenee between his Excellenc}' the Lieutenant- (Jovci'nor and his late Ministry, are soon to be submitted to the arbitiament of the people, through the ballot-box, it has occurred to me that it would 1>e both interesting and instructive to review the real causes of the overthrow of the late Government ; and thus to erect a IWwon by the light of which its successors ma}' avoid the fatal rocks u^wn which it was wrecked. It is well understood that the two measures which caused the dismissal of the late (iovernment, and which were being pushed through the Legislature I)}' what the present Premier so aptl}' termed '' Bnite Jorce" and without the previous sanction of the Lieutenant-CJovernor, were : 1st, The lidihvay Bill, which estab- lished the location of that portion of the <,^. M. O. & O. Kailwaj' between Terrebonne and Montreal, upon the "Line No. ^J," as described in the recent Report of the Railway Conmussioners ; and also, as admitted by one of the late Ministers, upon the floor of the Legislature, authorized the (Jovernment ''to tnke by the throat" the Corporations of (Quebec, Montreal and other municipalities along the line, and iMfnre, in the most sunnnaiy manner, the pay- ment of the subsidies which they had vote«l in aid of the Railway. AnMMISSI<>NEl{s' KEPOUT. 27 [)rotect itself from the disastrous effects of its own mismanageiueiit and extravagance. I propose to demonstrate, as hrietl}' as possible, that both of the above measures, with all their odious features, were the natural and inevitable result of the reckless mismanagement of the Railway Department of the Government. In 187r), the Provincial Hovernment, with the almost unani- mous approval of Parliament, adojjted the bold and enlightened policy of completing the construction of the great Northern Trunk line of Railway (extending from (Quebec westward, via Montreal and Ottawa, throngii the entire Province) as a (4overnment work. Contracts were accordingly entered into, with the previous Con- tractors, upon a cash basis, for the construction and equipment of afrst riass Rail way ^ for a fixed or Uimp^Un\ : and it was distinctly understood and expressed in these contracts, that no extras would be allowed to the Contractors, unless they grew out of a change in the location of the line, or were esix'cially ordered and approved by the Government. The price fixed for that jwrtion of the line between (Quebec and Montreal, including the l^les Branch, was $4,7IV2,3H7.50 ; and for that portion between Montreal and Ottawa, including the St. Jerome Branch, was S-^, HO 1,(14!).!)."), making an aggregate of $8,334,087.45. The entire line had been carefully located, with the unanimous approval of Boards of Directors, in which the (Jovernment and the cities and municipalities who were aiding in its construction, either had a decided majority. le allow- ances were made by the (Jovernment and its Engineers, for every contingency that was not provided for in the original contracts, were also carefully prepare?lv assumed, that with ordiiuiry care and dili<5ence, an accident is no more liable to occur at a draw-bridge, than at any other bridj^e, or even at an ordinary switch or road-crossing. The value of tlie great saving in distance upon the Bout de I'lsle route, between Quebec and Montreal, for the travel and traffic that must i)as8 over it during all time, has never, so far as I am aware, been considered, or even alluded to. It has ))een clearly cstal)lished tiy ex[)erienc(!, that the cost of railway transportation, both in the Tnited States and Canada, ranges from one, to one and a half dollars, per train, per mile. Assuming, in this case, the minimum of one dollar, and that onl}' five trains pass over the road, in each direction, per day, the cost of running the live miles of extra distance involved by the adoption of the St. Vincent dr Pmd route, which Mr. Shanly reconnnends in pndVu'cnca to tlie IJuid de l' Isle, route, will l)e $lcS,2o() per annum : or a little more than the interest, at six per cent., upon a cai)ital of S«500. ()()(). And upon the Saut-au-Recollet route, which IMr. Shanly recommends in preference to either the Bout db risJc or *S7. Vincent de Paid routes, the cost of opera- ting the eleven miles of extra distance, will amount to |40,1;')() per annum; or a little more than the interest, at six i)er cent., upon a capital of $650,000 ; to say nothing of the 87-feet grades, to an VKUN>rKNT RAILWAY POLICY. iivokl which, the ■ Haihvny Manngcr," whose antliority Mr. Shanly quotes, wouhl ghidly run several miles of additional distance. 'li other wo.ds, tlu^ Government can all'ord to pay $;^()0, ()()() more lor the Bout de ritile, than for the St. Vincent cle Paul route ; and S(j.')0,()00 more for the Bout de I'lsle, than for the Saut-au- liecoUet route, for the mere saving in distance alone. The iSt. Vincent de PnnI route imposes Jive miles of unnecessary distance, upon all the travel and traffic that will ever [)ass either to or from Montreal, without materially diminishiiig the distance be- tween points east of Bout de I'lslc, and Ottawa; while the /Saut- aii-RecoUet ronte imposes 'not only elemm miles of unnecessary distance, but also ruling grades of eig/ity -seven feet 2>er iiiile, upon all the travel and trallic that will ever pass over the line to or from ]\Iontreal ; arid effects no saving in distance to and from Ottawa, that will be of any value after the St. Theresc cut-off shall have been constructed. I still maintain, therefore, timt both in an engineering and conunercial point of view, the original location, l)y way of Bout de risle^ with a cut-off to St. Therese as reconnnended in my Reports and i)rojected upon all my maps, should have been strictly adhered to by the Governnvent : to say nothing of the immense saving, both in time and money, that would have been elfected thereby. S. QuKiJEc, Aug. 6, 1878. III. {Not he:-.'tofore pHbluhed.) I was unexpectedly called away from (Quebec, before I had quite finished all I had to sa}' respecting Mr. Walter Shanly's late Report upon the location of the (,^. M. O. iV: O. Railway, between Maskinonge and Montreal, When the present Provincial Government came into power, a few months ago, it found all matters connected with the C^. M. O. &0. Railway, in such a complete muddle, chat an Order in Council was adopted on May 11th, IHT-S, appointing Walter Shanly, Ea(|., " Ut investigate into the n^hole matter, and report thereon," in order " tlat a thorough under standi mj should be arrived ut, as to the IIKVIKW <»l Ml{. SIIANI.V ,s KKIMIKT. 37 actual poHition. ol" the (iuobec, Moutroal, Ottawa, and Occidental Railway undertaking," &c. Mr. Shanly liad been long and honorably connected wiHi the Grand Trunk Railway, with which the (.^. M. O. i!^ (). IJailway is to become a most formidal»le competitor, lie was also known to "be thoroughly identified with, and a strong adherent of the Con- servative Party, which had recently been disi)laced. \)\ reason ol the obnoxious features of its Railway I'olicy, and other measures, which it had introduced into, and was foirim/ througli the I'i'ovin- cial Legislature ; and the fact of his being appointetl to perform this high and respon.sible duty, should therefore be rcgardcil as affording the highest degree of confidence in his profession:! 1 skill as an Engineer, and also in his strict inti'grity as a man and a politician, on the part of the present Liberal (lovernment. The question, therefore, very naturally arises, in coimection with Mr. Shanly's recent Report, as to whether this confidence iuis, or has not, been misplaced. It is a very noticeable feature in Mr. Shanly's Report, tli;il he does not call the attention o'" the (iovernnu'nt to the im[)ortant fact, that the contract under which the Railway is now being coii- structed, contains a stipulation to ilie ellect that, ••the slimii'st and most practicahle route of which the capabilitii's of the count it will reasonably admit." shall l)e adoi)ted. l)ctwecn (^Micbcc as the initial, ;uui Montreal as the; objective [)oint. Also, that any de[»ar- ture from this line, which at the time was well understood to lie the Bout de VMe line, or from the plans wln^'li were fully ngi'ecd upon and und^u'stood. for its construction, would involve a claim for extra work and damages, on the pait of the Contractor, o\ er and above the specific amount named in th** contract. Ncicher doc;-. Mr. .shanly call the atlcn u of the (lovernment to the fact, that but for the departures that :iave been made fn mi the original location and plans, the Railway between (Quebec ano Montreal might, long ere this, have been com[)leteonne diversion, the line by way of Bout (le rjsle would long since have been completed and in suc- cessful oi)eration. It is but fair to assume, when an Engineer persists in looking through a glass which maf^nifies every dilliculty and expense con- nected with a route which he has undertaken to disparage, that it will bo natural for him to reverse the glass, and thus minimize similar features ui)on ;; line which ho has determined to favor. I will therefore leave it ■. \ • ''rrs to judge as to how far Mr. Shanly has ad()plo(l this metlux distorting the real or natural charac- torislics of the respective hues discussed by him in his Report. Notwitlistauding all of the above "• J/rtnfZicv^j9j>m7," however, ho sinnmariz(!s the original cost of the Bout de VMe line as being ])ut S:^0,()0() more than "the cost of the longest but best of the 'rorrobonue linos ; " which he roconunends in preference ; and which, as 1 have demonstrated in a former letter, the Government had better pay S''}<><^< ><>(>, rather than to adopt, on account of tlio five miles of extra distance to Montreal. lie even goe^ so far as to reconunond in preference to either of the other routes, the one b}' way of JS<(iif-