Statistical Account of Upper Canada 9780773595392

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ROBERT G O U RLAY Statistical Account of Upper Canada Abridged and with an Introduction by S. R. M E A L IN G

The C arleton L ib ra ry N o. 75 M cC lellan d a n d S tew a rt L im ited

TH E CARLETON LIBRARY A series of Canadian reprints and new collections of source material relating to Canada, issued under the editorial supervision of the Institute of Canadian Studies of Carleton University, Ottawa. D IR EC TO R

O F T H E IN STITU TE

Davidson Dunton

G E N E R A L E D IT O R

Michael Gnarowski

e x e c u tiv e

e d ito r

James H. Marsh e d it o r ia l

b o a r d

B. Carman Bickerton I History ) Dennis Forcese I Sociology} J. George Neuspiel (Law) Thomas K. Rymes (Economics) Derek G. Smith (Anthropology) Michael S. Whittington (Political Science)

©McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1974 A L L R IG H TS R E S E R V E D

0-7710-9775-1 The Canadian Publishers McClelland and Stewart Limited 25 Hollinger Road, Toronto

Printed and bound in Canada

Table of Contents Introduction to th e C arleton L ibrary E dition Suggestions for F u rth er R eading

1 19

F ro m G eneral Introduction to the S ta tistica l A ccount 1. S tatem ent to th e E ditors o f British N ew spapers, 3 Jan uary 1820. 21 ( G eneral Introduction, pp. v-xviii) 2. Sketch o f a Petition ot th e H ouse o f C om m ons, 12 July 1820. 27 (G eneral Introduction, pp. xxix-xxxix) 3. From th e G eneral Introduction, pp. lxxxiii-cxi. 33 4. Petition to th e H ouse o f C om m ons, 5 F ebruary 1817 43 (G eneral Introduction, pp. cxxxviii-cxlvi) 5. F rom th e G eneral Introduction, pp. cliv-clxxii 48 6. O n C olonial G ov ernm en t 56 (G eneral Introduction, pp. cccxxxv-cccl) 7. T o th e Parliam entary R epresentatives o f th e People o f U pper C an ad a, 7 Ju n e 1819 62 (G eneral Introduction, pp. ccclxxvii-cccxci) 8. C onclusion: A ddress to th e People o f U pp er C anada, 11 F ebruary 1822. 71 (G eneral Introduction, pp. ccccxxiii-xxxii) 9. Introduction to Sketches and T ow nship R eports: First A ddress to the R esident L and-O w ners o f U pper C anada, 30 O ctober 1817 75 (G eneral Introduction, pp. clxxxv-cxcvi) F ro m S ta tistic a l A ccount o f U pper Canada, I: S k e tc h e s o f U pper Canada: V Civil D ivisions (S ta tistica l A ccou nt, I, i1 16-23) 82 87 VI Settlem ents (I, 124-38) V II Population (I, 139-40) 96 XI Productions, N atural and C ultivated (I, 150-56) 97 X III D om estic A nim als (I, 169-71) 100 X X I M oney (I, 215-17) 102 X X II R evenue an d T axes (I, 217-23) 103 X X III C om m erce (I, 224-28) 106

X X V R eligion and Ecclesiastic Institutions (1,231-34) X X V I Profession an d Practice o f Law (I, 234-35) X X V II Physic an d Surgery (I, 235-36) X X V III T rades and A pprenticeships (I, 236-37) X X IX Im prisonm ent for D e b t. . . (I, 238-39) X X X G radu al A bolition o f Slavery (I, 240-41) X X X III C haracter, M anners an d C ustom s o f the Inhabitants (I, 247-56) A ppendix to Sketches (I, 257-68) Tow nship R eports: 1. Q ueries (I, 270-74) 2. W estern District: Sandw ich (I, 275-80) M alden (I, 281-83) R aleigh (I, 284-90) D over (I, 291-96) C hatham C am den O rford H ow ard H arwich S upplem ent on R iver T ham es (I, 294-98) Sum m ary (I, 298-99) 3. L ondon District: D elaw are (I, 302-7) W estm inster D orchester O xford (I, 308-9) B lenheim (1,310-11) Burford (1,311-14) W indham (I, 314-17) T ow nsend (I, 314-19) W alpole (I, 320-21) R ainham W oodhouse (I, 322-23) Charlotteville (I, 323-27) W alsingham (I, 327-29) M iddleton (I, 329-31) N orw ich (I, 331-37)

T able on N orw ich Bayham (I, 338-40) M alahide (I, 340-42) Y arm outh (I, 342-44) Southw old (I, 344-46) D unw ich (I, 346-48) A ldborough (I, 349-51) W estm inster T able (I, 306) T albot R oad T able (I, 352-53) D istrict T able (I, 354-55) Sum m ary (I, 356-57)

162 164 165 166 168 169 170 172 174 176 178

4. G o re D istrict: T rafalgar (I, 358-65) N elson (I, 365-67) W ellington S quare (I, 368-69) East F lam b o ro ’ (1, 369-70) W est F lam b o ro ’ (I, 371-74) Beverly N ichol (1, 375-81) W aterloo (I, 382) D um fries (I, 383-84) T able on D um fries (1, 404) H aldim and (I, 384-87) A ncaster (I, 388-93) B arton (I, 394-96) Saltfleet (I, 396-401) D istrict T able (I, 402-3) Sum m ary (I, 405-6)

197 195 198 201 203 206 208

5. N iagara D istrict: H um berston (I, 407-9) Bertie (I, 409-12) W illoughby (1,412-16) Stam ford (I, 416-21) G rantham (I, 4 2 1-25) Louth (I, 425-29) G rim sby (I, 429-40) Pelham (I, 441-44) T horoid (I, 445-46) C row land (I, 446-48) W ainfleet (I, 449-51) Sum m ary (I, 454-55) D istrict T able (I, 456-57)

210 211 213 215 218 221 223 230 232 233 235 237 238

179 183 185 186 187 189 193 194

6. H om e District (I, 458, 463-64)

240

7. N ew castle D istrict: H aldim and (I, 467-68) Sum m ary (I, 468-69)

241 242

8. M idland District: K ingston (1,470-81) Ernestow n (I, 481-84) A dolphustow n (I, 485-86) Sophiasburg (1, 486-87) Hallowell (1,487-89) T hurlow (I, 489-92) G eneral R eport by T hom as M arkland (I, 492-94) Sum m ary (I, 495-97)

243 250 251 252 253 254 256 257

9. Johnstow n District: W olford (1,498-502) L.andsdown (I, 502-06) R eport by W illiam Sm art on Elizabethtow n (1-507-19) Sum m ary (I, 520-23) T able on Perth (I, 524-26)

259 262 264 272 274

10. Eastern District: C harlottenburgh (I, 559-64) Sum m ary (I, 565-68)

276 280

11. O ttaw a D istrict (I, 580-83)

282

12. T able on N ew castle, M idland, Johnstow n and Eastern D istricts (I, 610-11) T able on W estern D istrict (1, 610-11)

284 284

13. G en eral Sum m ary (I, 612-23)

286

14. O pinions as to w hat retards th e im provem ent o f the Province (I, 623-25)

293

^

From

S ta tistic a l A ccou n t o f U pper C an ada ,

II:

Review: 1. O n constitution (II, 292, 294-300, 301-2) 2. O n adm inistration o f land-granting. (1 1 ,3 0 7 -1 1 ,3 1 3 ,3 6 5 -7 0 ) " ^ 3. O n taxation and schools (II, 371-74, 376-80, 381-89) 4. O n Indians and convict settlers (II, 390-93) 5. O n "O p in io ns . . . ” (II, 402-5) 6. S h u ttin g -o u t o f A m erican s (II, 416-25, 4 26 -2 9, 4 3 6 -4 0 444-66) 7. Second A ddress to R esident L and-O w ners, 5 and 12 F ebruary 1818 (11,467-85) 8. O n m agistrates (II, 486-90, 503-17, 519-21) 9. O n allegiance (II, 522-25, 528-31, 533, 535-38) P arliam ent and th e People: 10. O n Perth settlem ent (II, 557-58, 561-63) 11. O n the origin o f the Y ork C onvention. (1 1,563-67,573-78) Principles and Proceedings o f the Inhabitants o f the D istrict o f Niagara: (1 1 ,5 79 -8 8,59 1-94 ,6 0 9-12 ) 12. T hird “ A ddress to the R esident L and-O w ners o f U pper C an ad a” , 2 A pril 1818 13. M inutes o f N iagara M eetings, 13 A pril to 4 M ay 1818 14. D raft Petition to the Prince R egent (I, 571-76) N o tes on the A u th o r and E dito r M aps (I, facing p. iv) Tow nships m aking R eports to G ourlay T h e N iagara D istrict In d ex

294 300 302 310 312 313 329 336 348 358 361 366 367 371 376 381 382 384 385

Introduction to the Carleton L ibrary Edition I

T he au th o r o f the S ta tistica l A ccount o f U pper C anada has attracted m ore attention th an th e book itself. Ever since his banishm ent from th e province in A ugust 1819, R obert G ou rlay ’s m isfortunes have overshadow ed his accom plishm ents. H e lived for eighty-five busy years, th e first thirty-three o f them m arkedly successful: he w as a highly com petent tenant farm er w ith an incom e o f ab o ut £ 5 0 0 a y e a r,1 th e prospect o f a decent inherit­ ance and som e reputation as a w riter on agriculture, taxation and th e p o o r laws. A com bination o f lawsuits and illness then, in 1811, began to turn his life into a tragedy.2 By th e sum m er of 1817, w hen he first cam e to U pp er C an ad a, his finances were tangled and his prospects in E ngland w ere declining. N everthe­ less, he w as still a vigorous, purposeful, capable and solvent m an. His tw enty-seven m onths in th e province, which fixed his place in history, distorted and em bittered th e rest o f his life. D isapproving o f the adm inistration, he attacked the Tory oligarchy an d becam e its best-publicized victim . Tw ice acquitted o f libel, he w as charged under the Sedition A ct, denied bail, brought to trial after eight m onths in jail had dam aged his capac­ ity to defend him self, an d banished. H is conviction w as legal under the A ct, but only, as a com m ittee o f the A ssem bly was later to adm it, “ by a m ost law yer-like and quibbling construc­ tio n ” o f its term s.3 T he A ct, passed in 1804 to exclude Irish rebels after the rising o f 1798, was adm itted by th e C h ief Justice to be a bad piece o f legislation; G ourlay had laughed w hen the possibility o f a charge under it was first raised.4 It becam e a target for reform ers and w as repealed in 1829. G ou rlay ’s banish­ m ent stood until, as the culm ination o f a long cam paign of self-justification, he returned to petition against it. Even then the last A ssem bly o f U pper C anada m oved only in grudging term s, after a bitter seven-hour d eb ate an d by th e S peaker’s casting vote, to “ enable the said R obert G ou rlay to return and reside in the Province, if he shall think fit.” 5 His petition did not succeed until U pper C anadian Toryism had been defeated by m ore form idable opponents. T he first A ssem bly o f th e united C anadas finally m oved an address to rescind his banishm ent, expressed its “ repro­ bation o f all the acts o f unparalleled injustice under which he had suffered,” and, w ith apologies for his “ 22 years o f com plicated m isery,” recom m ended a pension.6 Long before D ent an d Riddell identified his persecution as the Fam ily C om pact’s critical error in public relations,7 G ou rlay ’s political m artyrdom had received official sanction.

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STATISTICAL A C C O U N T OF U P P E R CANADA

H e invited m artyrdom , both by th e intem perance o f his lan­ guage before his trials and by his self-dram atization afterw ards. H e was an inveterate an d pugnacious controversialist, w ith the h abit o f m aking highly personal accusations in print. H e q uar­ reled w ith his first patron, the agronom ist A rth u r Y oung, w ho had published som e o f his notes w ithout perm ission, although with acknow ledgem ent. In Fifeshire, w here he first farm ed o ne o f his fath er’s estates, an argum ent w ith th e Earl o f K ellie over fa rm e r’s in co m e tax b ecam e a b itte r p erso n al q u a rre l. In W ilt­ shire, w here he w as a tenant o f th e D uke o f Som erset, he w on a law suit against his landlord but jeop ardized his tenancy,* finding tim e also to be expelled from th e B ath and W iltshire A gricultural Societies an d to conduct a quarrel (w hich w as com posed before he left for U pp er C an ad a) w ith his father. H e m aintained against his opponents a flow o f invective, not especially im aginative but shrew dly chosen to offend. R ichard C artw right was “ Sm ellfungus” ; C h ief Justice Powell was “ Paw kie” ; Sam uel S tr e e t- a N ew E nglander but no P u rita n -w a s “ heir direct o f th e blue-law s” ; John B ethune was “ the priest o f A ugusta” - a n unm istakable insult for an Anglican from a P resbyterian.9 In th e S ta tistica l A ccount his m ost com m on target was Joh n S trachan, w ho appears variously as a “ contem ptible m iscreant,” “ a hand, m alig­ n an t an d u n g en tlem an ly ,” th e a u th o r o f “ 12 p ag es o f scan d al and . . . 32 falsehoods,” an d w ho was rem inded both o f his stature and o f his Presbyterian origins by th e epithets “ th e D om inie o f Little Y ork ” and “ a m onstrous little fool o f a p arso n.” 10 Strachan was certainly G o u rlay ’s enem y an d m ay have been directly resp o n sib le for his first a rre s t;11 w h at G o u rla y p articu larly resented w as th at S trachan, alone am ong his antagonists, m an ­ aged to publish his version o f the quarrel first.12 C ounting p am ­ phlets but excluding letters and petitions, G ou rlay published m ore than eighty titles during his lifetim e, over half o f them vitupera­ tive defences o f his own conduct. A ny persistent reader o f G o u r­ lay will feel som e o f th e A ttorney-G eneraPs regret th at in N iag­ ara jail he was allow ed “ pen, ink, p ap er and to o m uch latitude in the exercise o f those m aterials.” 13 H is m ost spectacular bids for public attention , how ever, were not in p rin t. His celebrated w hipping o f H enry B rougham , because th at future L ord C hancellor had not been active enough in petitioning for him , am ounted to no m ore th an a couple of taps on th e shoulder w ith a riding crop; it won him little sym pa­ thy, b u t nearly four years’ im prisonm ent. M ore successful w as the device o f getting him self enrolled as a p au per in his old W iltshire parish, w here the spectacle o f him breaking flints under an um brella attracted parliam entary n otice.14 C haracteristically, he

IN T R O D U C T IO N

3

sued th e parish overseer for six shillings, being m et by a dem and for th e return o f the parish ham m er. H e took to law as readily as to print: he sued a farm er w ho stoned him o ff his land (w ith no dam age done) and he sued a m an who to re dow n a placard he h ad put up in a tavern .15 H is cam paign for recognition in fact called attention to his eccentricity quite as m uch as to his griev­ ances. It invited th e contem porary judgem ent that “ when sane, he w as a very reasonable m an ,” 16 ju st as it has invited the assess­ m ents that he was “ an interesting subject for those interested in abnorm al psychology” and th at he had “ little th at was helpful to offer U pper C an ad a.” 17 H e accepted th e labels “ reform er” and “ radical,” but it had to be "o n e o f my ow n s o r t. . . I am know n, both in England an d in Scotland, for m y peculiar o p in io n s.” 18 H e w as pro ud o f being solitary and aggrieved, “ as pro ud o f his record as S aint Paul was o f his dozen-odd w hippings.” 19 II

G o u rlay ’s original purposes in com ing to U pp er C anada w ere to p roduce his S ta tistica l A ccount, to p ro m ote British em igration to the province and to recover his fortunes as an en trep reneur o f settlem ent. It took him less th an six m onths to conclude th a t his real task there was “ a call for inquiry into corruption, m ism an­ agem ent, and m is-rule.” 20 T his was unfortunate, for he w as a . tactless politician. P rophetic though som e o f his views on colonial governm ent w ere,21 he was also a confused political theorist. On th e one hand, he was a believer in natural rights, especially in the right o f the people to choose and change their rulers, an d in the perfectibility o f hum an nature: m ankind was naturally good, “ w hen not crossed by tyranny o r ruined by bad exam ple.” 22 The accum ulation o f w ealth and pow er in the hands o f a few was “ the perpetual source o f oppression and neglect to the m ass o f m an ­ k in d .” 23 O n the o th er hand, he believed th at abuses in govern­ m ent w ere ineradicable; they stem m ed from the inherent vices o f m an, w hich w ere bound to be reflected by any set o f governors, how ever chosen.24 H e reconciled these propositions by a faith in th e im proving pow ers o f education an d , m ore especially, in the w idespread distribution o f property: G o d instituted property, and clearly tells us th at, by the proper use o f it, we can rise to excellence; but w ithout pro p ­ erty, o r th e chance o f acquiring it, no good can be expected o f us.25 All this was com m onplace in th e tradition o f agrarian radicalism , but it left G ourlay w ith a relatively innocuous program m e of

4

STATISTICAL A C C O U N T OF U P P E R CANADA

direct political action. H e rejected both violence and political parties: “ England does not contain a m ore resolute foe to riot than myself; o r a person so com pletely alone in political co n ­ cerns.” 26 Back in N o rth A m erica by 1837, he not only con­ dem ned M ackenzie’s rebellion b u t sent w arnings o f proposed A m erican assistance to it.27 All three o f his attem pts at election (for Fifeshire in 1832 and 1846, for O xford, C anada W est, in 1858) w ere as an independent candidate. His political m ethod relied entirely on th e rights o f assem bly and petition. “ By system ­ atic p etitio n in g : - by every p arish p e titio n in g th e king o r p a rlia ­ m ent for a specific and w ell-defined object,” the people them ­ selves could accom plish “ any ratio n al change.” 28 O n his own show ing, this m eant asking governm ent to act against the interests o f those w ho selfishly controlled it; it turned o u t to be a fruitless program m e, but he could th in k o f nothing else. H e was not dem ocrat enough to attem pt an experim ent in “convention rule.” 29 T ow ards th e end o f his cam paign in U pp er C an ad a he discovered a faith in th e A ssem bly’s pow ers o f supply. T hen he urged m eetings o f constituents to instruct their representatives, but by the tim e th e first such “ purse-string” m eeting was held at S t. C ath a rin es on 26 D ecem b er 1818, th e N ia g a ra ju stic es had issued an o rder requiring him to leave th e province. T he im portance o f his reform ing cam paign is hard to judge, since the reality an d extent o f his p op ular support rem ain in question. H e certainly found a response in U pper C anada which his pam phleteering had never m et in G reat B ritain. His question­ naire on th e state o f the province revealed issues on which U pper C anadians w ere m ore than ready to speak: th e slow rate of econom ic grow th, th e dearth o f capital and im m igrants, th e bad roads, th e m anifold sins o f inefficiency, favoritism and policy in land-granting. T he unresponsiveness o f governm ent to com plaints and the rival am bitions o f th e tw o houses o f th e legislature had already strained relations betw een them ; ju st before his arrival the legislature had been prorogued as the only w ay to avoid an open breach.30 T he call for a com m ission o f inquiry into the affairs o f th e p ro v in ce, w hich his second “ A d d ress to th e R esid en t L andO w ners o f U pper C an ad a” m ade in F ebruary 1818, was echoed next m onth in th e Assem bly. T he A dm inistrator o f the province, C olonel Sam uel Sm ith, was concerned enough to w arn the Secre­ tary o f State: “ M y L ord, this m an ’s insignificance is no security against th e m ischief he m ay g en erate.” 31 T he province seem ed to be fertile ground for a cam paign on the issues th at aroused G ourlay m ost. M oreover, he began w ith th e sup po rt o f th e local pow ers o f the N iagara district. T he D icksons, C larks and H am ilto n s, to all o f w hom h e w as re la ted th ro u g h his w ife, w ere

IN T R O D U C T IO N

5

pillars o f the em erging C om pact but restive under the policy o f excluding A m erican settlers. W illiam D ickson alone had 94,035 acres on the G ran d R iver, from w hich he could expect no early profit unless im m igrants w ere en cou raged.32 H e had ju st been rem oved from th e com m ission o f th e peace for his persistence in adm inistering th e oath o f allegiance to A m erican applicants for land .33 W ith a pow er base an d a p op ular grievance to exploit, G ourlay w ould ap p ear to have had the m aterials for a reform m ovem ent; it has been argued th at the tow nship and district m eetings which he organized w ere in fact the m odel for later reform o rg a n iz a tio n s.34 T hey w ere en o u g h to alarm th e A tto rn e y -G e n e ra l. “ T hey seem to m e d an g e ro u s in th is co u n ­ try ,” John Beverley R obinson w rote to C olonel Sm ith, “ chiefly from th eir exam ple, as they p oint the m ode by which popular m ovem ents on pretences less specious th an th e present can be effected.” 35 G o u rlay ’s arrests for libel w ere an attem pt to silence him before he w ent any further. It is questionable th at he had m uch further to go. T he U pper C anadian C onvention o f Friends to E nquiry, w hich m et at Y ork for four days in July 1818, had no program m e beyond petitioning for an inquiry; the question debated was w hether it should be requested o f th e Prince R egent o r o f the new L ieutenantG o v ern o r, Sir Peregrine M aitland. O f th e tw enty-five district representatives projected, fifteen had been chosen an d fourteen ap p eared .36 T he report o f the convention dwells principally on the peaceable intentions and respectable character o f its m em bers, half o f w hom w ere local m agistrates. G ou rlay ’s own speech reads like an apology for the p oo r turn-out: dark m achinations “ had held back th at frank and confiding support for the cause, which certainly w ould have prevailed thro u gh ou t, from the unbiassed feelings o f th e people.” 37 It m ay be doubted th at such m eetings w ere w orth the A ct soon passed to outlaw them , particularly since Strachan and R obinson w ere already on record as believing that G o u rlay ’s influence w as declining.38 It m ay be doubted, to o , that any further action against G ou rlay him self w as necessary to con­ firm his political failure. T he nabobs o f N iagara, how ever, were finding him an em barassm ent. It was W illiam D ickson, m aking his peace w ith the Y ork C om pact, who arranged for an accusa­ tion under th e Sedition A ct. N eith er M aitland nor his executive had a hand in this,39 although the C hief Justice was one o f three judges w ho signed an opinion beforehand th at such an accusation w ould be founded in law .40 T he A ttorney-G eneral had no option but to prosecute. D uty alone, how ever, can hardly explain his continuing w ith the prosecution in spite o f G ou rlay ’s visible inca­ pacity in the court-room . N o co u rt record o f the trial survives; it

6

STATISTICAL A C C O U N T O F U PPE R CANADA

has been thought significant th a t th e clerk o f th e court w as the C hief Justice’s son .41 As G ou rlay said, “ W hat are laws w ithout m orals?” 42 hi

G ourlay was no political revolutionary, but it was by a sound instinct th at U pp er C anadian T ories identified him as an enem y. A full list o f th e things that he w anted to reform in th e w orld w ould read like a catalogue o f hum an m iseries; perhaps a full list o f his solutions w ould resem ble a catalogue o f hum an folly. H e had how ever a consistent focus on th e relief o f p overty.T hat was the deepest and th e m ost constantly preoccupying o f his concerns. H is diet in C oldbath Fields prison, he noted, w as better than that o f th e p oo r in W iltshire.43 O nly ignorance was w orse th an pov­ erty, b u t poverty was its cause.44 T he ro o t o f th e trouble was sim ply the m aldistribution o f land. A gricultural labourers in Eng­ land had been forced into an “ abyss o f m isery and degradation” by having their small holdings taken aw ay from th em .45 His quarrel w ith th e p oo r laws was th at they m erely kept labourers alive in a state o f landless dependence. H e proposed an elaborate and highly bureaucratic schem e for th eir regeneration. T h e gov­ ernm ent, at w hat he described as trifling expense, w ould buy a hundred acres in every parish in England and rent half-acre allotm ents to th e p oo r until they had sufficiently dem onstrated th eir industry to receive ow nership. T he tenant o f an allotm ent w ho kept it “ in good garden cu lture” w ould becom e a “ parishh older” ; after saving a hundred pounds in a governm ent bank he could becom e a “ cottage-holder” ; after tw o consecutive years w ithout receiving parish relief he w ould becom e a “ freem an ,” able to vote in parish elections an d to pasture a cow on com m on land; another sixty pounds in th e bank w ould m ake him a "parish freeholder,” eligible to hold parish office and no longer obliged to pay rent for his half-acre.46 U ntil late in his career, G o u rlay ’s preoccupation w ith rural poverty blinded him to the processes o f industrialization and urban grow th. O ne o f the advantages he claim ed for his plan o f allotm ents w as that city dwellers m ight be induced to return to villages o f fifty or a hundred inhabitants, q u ite large en o ug h to secu re “ every g o o d o f c o m b in a tio n .” 47 W hen he turned his attention to th e im provem ent o f cities, his concern w as to preserve a rural atm osphere: he advocated foun­ tains in C entral Park and the pasturing o f sheep on Boston C om m o n .48 G iven his way, and if hum an nature had lived up to his expectations, he w ould have arrested the industrial grow th and upset the aristocratic governm ent o f England, to produce a property-ow ning although certainly not an egalitarian dem ocracy.

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7

If th at A rcadian ideal was im practicable in England, it m ight be attained in the colonies. G o u rlay cam e to U pper C anada as an ard en t advocate o f em igration, not prim arily for th e sake o f colonial developm ent, but for th e relief o f poverty in G reat B ritain. A m ong th e first generation o f enthusiasts for th at solu­ tion, he w as unusual in recognizing the need th at it im plied for a re-planning o f colonial land policy. In th e S ta tistica l A ccount he proposed a single land board for all o f British N o rth A m erica, to keep land-granting ap art from local politics.49 Eventually he seem s to have decided th at it w ould have to be d on e by im perial legislation.50 In U pper C an ad a he was th e first to publicize the idea o f selling th e C row n R eserves.51 T he central feature in his plan w as a land tax, applied w ith “ no distinction w hatever betw een wild an d cultivated lands, public o r private property, that o f residents o r absentees.” 52 T he revenue w ould not only m ake o th er form s o f taxation unnecessary, it w ould pay for em igration. E ngland alone could spare fifty thousand people a year, and Ireland ju st as m any; even th e m ost destitute could be transported w ithout m isery and settled in com fort, to be regenerated by the ow nership o f la n d .53 H e drew th e line at convicts, at least before his ow n im prisonm ent in E ngland.54 T he hints he gave for m ak ­ ing the sale and taxation o f land b ear the cost o f m igration drew E dw ard G ib bo n W akefield’s acknow ledgem ent as th e source o f his ow n plan for system atic colonization; w hen the tw o m et in 1838 W akefield assured him th at a colony in A ustralia had been founded on his principles.55 H e intended an additional volum e of the S ta tistica l A ccount to elaborate a schem e o f em igration and land-granting, but never w rote it. G ourlay had m ore personal if equally unfulfilled plans for U pp er C anadian lands. Seven years before his arrival, he had bought five hundred acres from W illiam D ickson, beside th e 866 acres in D ereham T ow nship th at his wife already had from her uncle, R obert H am ilto n.56 By his own account, he first th o ug ht of com ing to th e province “ solely w ith a view to ascertain w heth er it w ould be pru dent to rem ove m y fam ily th ith e r.” 57 H e had hopes o f rem oving m ore than his fam ily. U ltim ately, he did succeed in organizing seventeen em igration societies in F ifeshire, none o f w hich kept up its dues for as long as six m o nths.58 H e m ade tw o unsuccessful applications for m ore land, being put off th e second tim e w ith a reference, which he publicly resented, to “y ou r m eans to becom e a useful settler” .59 H ow m uch land he asked for is not recorded; presum ably it was m ore th an th e twelve hundred acres th at w as th e standard m axim um for an individual applicant o f respectable character but no special influence. His application was o f course rejected because he had so conspicuously lived up to his repu tatio n as a radical. T he reference to his m eans was how ever

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b etter founded th an the C lerk o f the Executive C ouncil knew : by th e end o f 1817 his fath er’s estates had been sold in bankruptcy, th e rent on his W iltshire farm was in arrears and a fresh lawsuit w as pending.60 H e did not have the capital to m anage the settle­ m ent o f any extensive tract o f land, n or did he have any interest in com m ercial enterprises th at m ight have provided it for him , as for his N iagara relations. H is only non-agricultural private project w as to found a new spaper.61 It seem s, to o , th at his acknow ledged expertise in British farm ing w ould have been a dubious asset in U pp er C anadian conditions.62 If he had in fact devoted him self to organizing a settlem ent, he w ould m ost probably have paralleled th e career n o t o f a C olonel T alb o t o r a John G alt but o f a W illiam Berczy, unable to collect his debts, confirm his titles or regain in the N ew W orld th e standing he could no longer afford in th e O ld.63 IV

But G ourlay was tough. It is a tribute to his resilience th at he was able to salvage som e considerable p art o f his original inten­ tions an d to publish th e S ta tistica l A ccou nt. It w as a help th at he had been raised in a flourishing trad ition o f practical scholarship, both am ong th e radical w riters o f his fath er’s acquaintance and at St. A ndrew ’s. Since G regory K ing and th e o th er “ political arith ­ m eticians” o f th e late seventeenth century, B ritain had seen m ore w riters on com m erce, agriculture and taxation th an on political theory. Behind th e econom ic theories o f D ean T ucker, A dam Sm ith and D avid R icardo there w as a host o f com pilers - som e scholarly, som e polem ical, som e m ere hacks. M ost o f their w orks have passed readily into lim bo: T . Janssen’s G eneral M a xim s o f Trade (1713), M . Postlethw ayt’s Universal D ictionary o f Trade and C om m erce (1751), G eo rg e Bridges’ P lain Dealing, or the whole M eth o d o f W ool Sm u g glin g clearly D iscovered (1744), E. W ade’s P roposal fo r Im proving and A dorning the Island o f Great B ritain (1755), Joh n A rb u th n o t’s Prices o f Provisions a n d the S ize o f Farm s, with R em a rks on P opulation (1773), R. W hi­ tw orth, The A dvantages o f In la n d N avigation (1766), J. B annis­ te r’s Synopsis o f H usbandry (1799). T heir com m on assum ption was th at the system atic assem blage o f inform ation was o f practical use, especially for the fram ing o f public policy. Sm ith and Bentham articulated their faith in defining political econom y as “ a branch o f th e a rt o f legislation, th e know ledge o f the best use to be m ade o f the national w ealth.” 64 G ourlay joined this host in 1799, w hen A rth u r Y oung at th e Board o f A griculture em ployed him to survey the conditions o f farm labourers in Lincoln and

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9

R utland. By th e tim e that he began his attacks on farm er’s incom e tax and th e p oo r laws, th e tradition had produced great nam es: Y oung him self on agriculture, G eorge C halm ers on co m ­ m erce, M althus on population, Bryan Edw ards on th e W est Indian trade, Joh n Phillips on inland navigation, C harles Jenkinson on the coinage, Patrick C olquhoun on policing L ondon, W illiam M arshall on landed pro perty .65 T he m ost rem arkable o f these productions, at least for sheer industry, w as u nd er way. T hom as T o o k e’s H isto ry o f P rices did not begin to ap p ear until 1838, but its au th o r was already pouring out evidence to parlia­ m entary com m ittees on the grain trade and on bullion. P arlia­ m entary fact-finding was entering upon its U tilitarian heyday. It had received th e stim ulus o f the fifteen reports o f th e C om m ission on Public A ccounts for w hich L ord Shelburne had been responsi­ ble.66 A nd the persistence o f a clerk in th e H ouse o f C om m ons, Joh n R ickm an, had been rew arded w ith th e inauguration o f a n ational census.67 N ow here was this tradition o f applied scholarship stronger, and now here w as it m ore directed tow ards the problem s o f agri­ culture, th an in Scotland. M oreover, since the first treatise on Scottish agriculture in 1696, it h ad had an increasing statistical em phasis.68 T he official census o f population was anticipated by nearly h alf a century in the w ork o f A lexander W ebster in 1755. W ebster’s distinctive contribution was to use m inisters o f religion as a source o f local inform ation. T he m ethod did n ot, in his hands, yield im peccably accurate results;69 but it was the preced­ ent for Sir Joh n Sinclair o f U lbster, the founder with A rthur Y oung o f th e Board o f A griculture. W hen Sinclair began his S ta tistic a l A ccount o f S co tla n d there w as already in p rin t the am bitious P resent S ta te o f H usbandry in S co tla n d (4 volum es, 1778-84), th e result o f a survey m ade by A ndrew W ight o f O rm iston for th e B oard o f C om m issioners for Forfeited Estates. U nlike W ight o r Y oung, Sinclair did not rely m ainly on his own observations. H e devised a set o f questions to standardize the inform ation supplied him by parish m inisters. T he resulting tw en­ ty-one volum es (1791-99) w ere a land-m ark in the history of statistical inquiry. H e extended th e m ethod, during the first o f his tw o term s as President o f the B oard o f A griculture, into a system o f county reports which w ere the basis for his G eneral R eview o f A griculture. G ou rlay , an o pp on ent o f enclosures, was no disciple o f the m an w ho prom oted the general Enclosure Bill o f 1796 an d w ho was an evicting landlord on a large scale in C aithness. Still, he ad o pted Sinclair’s m ethod o f inquiry. T he idea o f w riting an account o f U pper C an ad a at all apparently occured to him , not

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long before he sailed, from reading Jam es M elish, Travels through the U nited S ta tes o f A m erica .10 T he list o f queries that he drew up during his passage o f the A tlantic, how ever, was based on Sinclair’s. In particular, his fam ous thirty-first question, on w hat m ost retarded the developm ent o f the province, reflected Sir Jo h n ’s last heading: “ M eans by which their situation could be m eliorated.” In U pper C anada he could not expect an educated and sym pathetic body o f clergy. T he one report th at he did get from a Presbyterian clergym an supports his decision to rely on o th er sources o f inform ation.71 H e proposed a series o f tow nship m eetings to answ er his queries. H is first “ A ddress to th e R esident L and-O w ners o f U pper C an ad a” contains a hint that he recog­ nized the political im plications o f such m eetings,72 but there is no reason to d ou bt th at his m ain purpose was still to collect inform a­ tion an d it is hard to see w hat alternative m ethod was open to him . Previous surveys o f th e province had generally been travel­ lers’ accounts o r topographical sketches. T heir inform ation on settlem ent was relatively unsystem atic; in som e cases th eir desire to attract im m igrants m ade it suspect. M oreover, when G ourlay began his inquiry they were too old to be inform ative. T he best w ere still four travellers’ accounts from the 1790’s. T he m ost recent dated from 1813; it w as by M ichael Sm ith, an A m erican im m igrant w ho had expected th e w ar o f 1812 to turn o u t differ­ ently, and is rem arkable chiefly for its insistence th at U pper C anadian bears w ere edible.73 G ourlay had good reason to think th at an up-to-date guide to settlers was necessary and th at it could not be based on personal observation. H e did m ake three tours th at covered m ost o f the settled parts o f th e province, but these m erely supplem ented his questionnaire. v As it w as published in 1822, the S ta tistica l A ccount was not the book th at G ou rlay had intended. A ltogether fifty-seven tow nship m eetings w ere held in response to his questionnaire. T hey p ro ­ duced reports from nearly all th e settled tow nships o f N iagara and G ore, and from ab o ut h alf o f those in the L ondon and W estern districts. Eastw ard from th e head o f L ake O ntario, how ­ ever, he got only scattered responses. O f nineteen tow nships in N ew castle only H aldim and replied, from M idland’s tw enty-tw o only K ingston and five o f its neighbours, from Joh nsto w n ’s tw en­ ty-tw o only W olford and L andsdow n, from th e Eastern D istrict’s tw elve only C harlottenburg. F rom the H om e D istrict w ith nearly sixty surveyed tow nships and from O ttaw a with eleven he got no reports at all. Even if politics had not interfered, the results o f his

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11

survey w ould have been uneven. T he replies from tow nships had not alw ays paid close attention to his questions, those on land prices being a particular d isappointm ent to h im .74 M ost o f the deficiencies in th e w ork, how ever, w ere the result o f G ou rlay ’s state o f m ind. " N o t only the bitterest w ords, but the m ost direct and pointed personalities,” he w rote, “ are justifiable in the exposure o f public crim e.” 75 R esentm ent o f his treatm ent in U pper C an ad a, grief over his first w ife’s death, irritation with th e difficulties o f finding a publisher and th e continuing entangle­ m ents o f his finances, all m ade th e com position o f an orderly and thorough w ork im possible. P erhaps the sheer untidy m ultiplicity o f his opinions w ould have m ade it im possible in any case. A part from draw ing up statistical tables for each district reporting, he attem pted little analysis o f the tow nship reports. H e tabulated the replies to his thirty-first question, but his com m entary m erely uses them as a point o f d ep arture for an attack on the exclusion o f A m erican settlers.76 H e m ade only interm ittent efforts to disen­ tangle subjects from one another: the fullest account o f his fath er’s affairs appears under th e heading, “ E xplanation o f the M ap, E tc.” 77 T he General Introduction contains a supplem entary index, because he w ent on w riting after the first one had been com piled. A large p art o f th at introductory volum e, and for students o f G ourlay the m ost valuable part, turned into a recapi­ tulation o f his earlier criticism s o f the p oo r laws and his schem es to re-organize rural life in England. His com plaints, his politics and his projects for social reform are well under control in the first volum e o f th e A ccount itself; elsew here, they run riot. T he w ork was p art o f his cam paign for recognition. John Beverley R obinson, in L ondon w hen it appeared, was happy to find it “ the m ost absurd thing you ever saw ,” and to n ote that G ou rlay ’s accusations o f corruption were not based on the tow n­ ship reports them selves.78 T h e account has been characterized as “ a verbose and redundant three-volum e tirade in which his origi­ nal purposes w ere heavily overlaid by calls for political reform an d still m o re by a co n su m in g in terest in self-ju stifica tio n .” 79 G o u rlay ’s own judgem ent o f it was sim ilar: T hat book w as com posed w hile I was in a fever and wholly distorted in its arrangem ents by grievous occurrences in its progress through th e p re s s.. . . T h e first volum e was intended for separate publication, b u t th e greatest m isfortune o f m y life disabled m e from sending it forth till it appeared a year afterw ards w ith others, which at first was not contem plated an d which w ere produced by a m ere series o f im pulses. It was a m ost unfortunate pub licatio n.80

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N ev erth eless, th e resu ltin g co m p en d iu m o f in fo rm a tio n w as w ith o u t p rec ed en t an d re m ain e d w ith o u t rival in th e h isto ry o f U pp er C an ad a. F o r th e N iagara D istrict, w here he had th e fullest resp o n se, its co n tin u ed usefulness has been strikin g ly d e m o n ­ strated .81 F or th e province as a w hole, it was a rem arkable pioneering inquiry, quite beyond com parison w ith the com petitors th at th e decade o f the 1820’s produced in som e num bers. His exact contem porary Jam es C aw dell, w ho was also diverted from settlem ent schem es to political criticism , w rote only a trivial M e m o ria lP M ore typical w ere the casual advice and unsystem atic in fo rm a tio n o f C h a rles S tu a rt’s T he E m ig ra n t's G uide to U pper C anada (1820), W illiam W atson’s E m igra nt's G uide to the C ana­ das (1 8 22 ), o r W illiam B ell’s H in ts to E m ig ra n ts (1 8 24 ). T he shrew d an d e n te rtain in g b u t sn o b b ish an d p erso n al S k e tc h e s o f U pper C anada by Jo h n H ow iso n (1821) a re easier re ad in g th an G ourlay, but they contain rem arkably little solid inform ation for any assessm ent o f the province as a place to settle. Slighter still were H en ry Jo h n B o u lto n ’s p artisan S h o rt S k e tc h o f U pper C anada (1826); C harles Fothergill’s ram shackle S ke tch o f U pper Canada (1822); o r th e h alf-h u m o ro u s, h a lf s c a tte r-b ra in e d S ta tis tic a l S ke tch es o f U pper Canada fo r the Use o f E m igrants published by G ou rlay ’s cham pion in the legislature, W illiam D unlop, in 1832. A no th er radical Scot, John M ’T aggart, was a b etter observer and a saner critic than G ourlay, as well as a longer resident in th e prov­ ince. So w as E. A . T albot; but neither o f th eir books show any co m ­ p arable appreciation o f orderly statistical investigation.83 T he sam e com m ents apply to th e S ta tistic a l A co u nt’s nearest counterparts for th e o th er British N orth A m erican provinces: Joseph B ouchette’s on L ow er C an ad a, H aliburton’s on N ova Scotia and Peter F isher’s on N ew B runsw ick.84 F isher intended a statistical account, but th e N ew B runsw ick A gricultural an d E m igrant Society first to o k over the project and then neglected it.85 G ou rlay ’s w ork was therefore unique; an d unique in a double sense, for he did not undertake an o th er statistical inquiry. In 1836 he proposed one for O hio, but nothing cam e o f it.86 N or did he receive encouragem ent for a proposal, m ade in 1845, to w rite another for the Province o f C an ad a.87 Incom plete an d dis­ torted though it is, the S ta tistic a l A ccount stands as his best m em orial and his m ost im portant legacy. T his abridgem ent reduces th e S ta tistica l A ccount to ab o ut o ne-q uarter o f its original length. T he G eneral Introduction has been the m ost heavily cut o f th e three volum es, elim inating from it m ost o f G o u rlay ’s political apology. F rom th e first volum e of the A ccount itself, th e tow nship reports have been retained in full,

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with G o u rlay ’s district sum m aries and statistical tables. T hose “ Sketches o f U pper C an ad a” dealing w ith clim ate, wild life and o th er m atters not closely related to G ou rlay ’s interests have been om itted. T he “ Sketches” are n o t by G ourlay; he received them from B arnabas Bidwell o f K ingston,88 w ho had been unable to get them published and w hose ow n w ork they no d ou bt are. T he historical survey th at occupies h alf the second volum e o f the A ccou nt has been om itted altogether. T he review o f U pper C an a­ dian legislation has been cut, although its principal subjects are represented. G o u rlay ’s narrative o f his U pper C anadian agitation has been shortened, not severely. T hrou gh o ut, m ost o f th e d ocu ­ m ents th at G ourlay printed extensively have been left o u t and w herever possible repetitions have been excised. T he tem ptation to re-arrange th e General Introduction and the second volum e o f the A ccount into a series o f co h eren t essays on G ou rlay ’s favorite subjects has been resisted. T h e necessary re-shuffling o f short extracts w ould have raised insoluble problem s ab o ut preserving their context. It w ould in any case have totally m isrepresented his m ind and w ork. Tw o concessions to the reader’s convenience have been m ade: G ou rlay ’s introduction to the “ S ketches” and the tow nship reports has been m oved so as to stand next to them ; an d the draft petition to the Prince R egent has been sim ilarly m oved from the first volum e to end the second, im m ediately after the m inutes o f m eetings th at endorsed it. T he table o f contents gives the original page num bers o f all extracts. T he A ccount was published w ith sheets o f errata; th e text here reproduced has been corrected in accordance w ith them . O ne elision has been bridged by an explanation in square brackets; the others are m arked by dots. It has not been possible to reproduce th e original type faces, for w hich m odern ones have been substituted. T here are no changes in the spelling, capitalization o r punctuation o f th e origi­ nal text. T he notes, unless they conclude [E d.], are G o u rlay ’s own. S. R . M O ttaw a, 1973

ea lin g

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F ootnotes to th e Introduction* * References to the Statistical Account, passages included in the abridged text, occur in footnotes 4, 9, 10, 20, 21, 22, 25, 36, 42, 46, 47,49, 52,53, 54, 57,71,72, 74, 76. 1 Robert Gourlay, The Banished Briton and Neptunian: being a Record o f the Life, W ritings. Principles and Projects o f Robert Gourlay, Esquire (Boston, 1843), No. 7, p. 68 . 2 Ontario Archives, Gourlay Papers. Jean Gourlay to Mrs. Hender­ son, 5 December 1811. 3 Debates o f the Legislative Assembly o f United Canada, Vol. i: 1841, edited by E. Nish (Montreal, 1970), p. 1004. Debate of 16 Septem­ ber 1841. 4 Toronto Public Library, W. D. Powell Papers. Powell to Gore, 18 January 1819; Robert Gourlay, Statistical Account o f Upper Canada (London, 1822), II, 483*. 5 The Banished Briton. No. 5, pp. 50-6. 6 Debates o f the Legislative Assembly o f United Canada, i, 1003-4. 7 J. C. Dent, The Story o f the Upper Canadian Rebellion (Toronto, 1885), I, 46-7, W. R. Riddell, “ Robert (Fleming) Gourlay as Shown by his Own Records,” Ontario Historical Society, Papers and Records. xiv (1916), 5. 8 L. D. M ilani, "R obert G ourlay, G adfly,” Ontario H istory, lxiii (1971), 233-42. 9 Statistical Account I , 553; I I , 483*, 516-17*. 10 Ibid., i, 458*; n, xv-xvi, 564-66*, 573*. 11 G. W. Spragge (ed.). The John Strachan Letter Book, 1812-34 (Toronto, 1946), p. 163. Strachan to Colonel Harvey, 22 June 1818. 12 Under his brother’s name. James Strachan, A Visit to the Province o f Upper Canada in 1819 (Aberdeen, 1820), pp. 189-201. 13 Niagara Spectator, 29 July 1819. Letter of Bartimus Ferguson. 14 Gourlay’s accounts of this incident are in The Banished Briton, No. 30, and in his An Appeal to the Common Sense. Mind, and Man­ hood o f the British Nation (London, 1826). The whipping of Brougham is described at length in L. D. Milani, Robert Gourlay. Gadfly (Toronto, 1971), pp. 233-38. 15 Milani, p. 255. 16 Joseph Hume in the House of Commons, 12 March 1824. Parlia­ mentary Debates, 2nd series, X, 9556. 17 A. Dunham, Political Unrest in Upper Canada. 1815-36 (Carleton Library ed: Toronto, 1963), p. 51; G . M. Craig, Upper Canada: The Formative Years. 1784-1841 (Toronto, 1963), p. 93. 18 Statistical Account, i, ccxxii. 19 Robert Gourlay, Canada and the Corn Laws; or No Corn Laws. No Canada (Edinburgh, 1852), p. 12. Robert Gourlay, General Introduction to the Statistical Account o f Upper Canada (London, 1822), p. xxxvi.* 21 ibid., p. cccxxxviii*. 22 Ibid., p. ciii; and see Statistical Account, II, 306-7*.

IN T R O D U C TIO N

15

General Introduction, p. clxxix. Ibid., p. ccclxxxiv; Statistical Account, n, 532. General Introduction, p. clxiv* Ibid., p. ccxii; and see Statistical Account, I, ccxxii. The Banished Briton. No. 4, pp. 14-16, 48. General Introduction, p. cxxxvi. Pace S. D. Clark, M ovements o f Political Protest in Canada 1640-1840 (Toronto, 1959), p. 431. 30 Public Archives of Canada, Q322-1, 129-41. Gore to Bathurst, 9 April 1817. 31 Public Archives of Canada, Q324-1, 22. Samuel Smith to Bathurst, 23 February 1818. 32 H. V. Nelles, “ Loyalism and Local Power: The District of Niagara, 1792-1837,” Ontario History, lviii (1966), 102. 33 Public Archives of Canada, Upper Canada Sundries. Dickson to Cameron, 27 April 1817. ,J E. Jackson, “ The Organization of Upper Canadian Reformers, 1818-67,” Ontario History, nil (1961), 95-115. -,s On 29 June 1818. Printed in E. A. Cruikshank, “The Government of U pper Canada and Robert G ourlay,” Ontario Historical Society, Papers and Records, xxm (1926), 152. 36 Statistical Account, n, 576-77*. 37 Robert Gourlay, Chronicles o f Canada: being a Record o f Robert Gourlay. Esquire (St. Catharines, 1842), p. 17. 38 The John Strachan Letter Book. pp. 171, 182. Strachan to Colonel Harvey, 27 July and 8 December 1818. Ontario Historical Society, Papers and Records, xxm (1926), 151. Robinson to Colonel Smith, 29 June 1818. 39 Ontario Historical Society, Papers and Records, xiv (1916), 97. Maitland to Goulburn, 22 July 1822. And see F. M. Quealey, “ The Administration of Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, 1818-1828” (Ms. Ph. D. thesis: University of Toronto, 1968), p. 183. 40 Public Archives of Canada, Upper Canada Sundries. Memorandum by Powell, William Campbell and D'Arcy Boulton, 10 November 1818. 41 Milani, p. 213. 42 Statistical Account, u, 300*. 43 Milani, p. 240. 44 The Banished Briton. No. 13, p. 120. 45 Robert Gourlay, A Specific Plan fo r Organizing the People and fo r obtaining Reform Independent o f Parliament to The People o f Fife to The People o f Britain (London, 1809), p. 84. 46 Genera! Introduction, p. cxliii*. 47 Ibid., p. clx.* 48 Robert Gourlay, Plans fo r Beautifying New York, and fo r Enlarg­ ing and Improving the City oj Boston (Boston, 1844). 49 Genera! Introduction, p. cccxxxix.* 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

16

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Robert Gourlay, Mr. Gourlay's Addresses, etc.. to the Electors of Fife (Cupar, 1847). 51 L. F. Gates, Land Policies o f Upper Canada (Toronto, 1968), p. 20. 52 General Introduction, p. ccclxxxii*. 53 Ibid., pp. xviii, ccc, iv. 54 Statistical Account, n, 392-93.* 55 The Banished Briton. No. 2, p. 27. Sec also Wakefield's letter to Lord Howick, 8 January 1831; F. L. Pritchard (ed.). The Collected Works o f Edward Gibbon Wakefield (Glasgow, 1968), p. 47; ibid., pp. 14-16; R. C. Mills, The Colonization o f Australia. 1829-42: The Wakefield Experiment in Empire Building (London, 1915), pp. 136-39; H. 1. Cowan, British Emigration to British North America: The First Hundred Years (Toronto, rev. ed. 1961), p. 96; P. Bloom­ field, Edward Gibbon Wakefield (London, 1961), p. 194. 56 The Banished Briton. No. 4, p. 41. 57 General Introduction, pp. v-vi*. 58 The Banished Briton. No. 23, p. 268. 59 The Banished Briton. No. 19. p. 208, John Small to Gourlay, 6 January 1818. 60 Appeal to the Common Sense o f the British Nation, p. 75; The Banished Briton. No. 19, p. 210. 61 Ontario Archives, Gourlay Papers, Prospectus for The Common­ wealth and Canadian Farmer's Joint Stock Press. 1842. See also Chronicles o f Canada, p. 29. For The United Labourer, projected in Fife in 1828, see The Banished Briton, No. 23, p. 276. 62 K. Kelly, “The Transfer of British Ideas on Improved Farming to Ontario during the First Half of the Nineteenth Century," Ontario History, lxiii (1971), 103-11. 63 See L. R. Betcherman, “ William von Moll Berczy," Ontario History, liv (1962), 57-68. 64 E. Halevy, The Growth o f Philosophic Radicalism, translated by M. Morris (London, 1928), pp. 107-8. 65 A. Young, Tour through the Southern Counties o f England and Wales, (London, 1768), Six Months' Tour through the North o f England (4 vols., London, 1770), Travels in France (2 vols., Bury St. Edmunds, 1792), and above all the forty-six volumes of Annals o f Agriculture (1784-1815); G. Chalmers, Estimate o f the Comparative Strength o f Great Britain (London, 1794); Bryan Edwards, History, Civil and Commercial, o f the British Colonies in the W est Indies (London, 1793); J. Phillips, Treatise on Inland Navigation (London, 1785) and History o f Inland Navigation (London, 1792); C. Jenkinson. Treatise o f the Coinage o f the Realm (London. 1805); P. Colquhoun, Treatise on the Police o f the Metropolis (London, 1795); W. Marshall, The Landed Property o f England (London, 1804). '’hJ. E. D. Binney, British Public Finance and Administration. 1774-92 (Oxford, 1958), pp. 7-15. 50

IN T R O D U C TIO N

17

See O. Williams, Life and Letters o f John Rickman (London, 1908). 68 James Donaldson’s Husbandry Anatomized. J. E. Handley, Scottish Fanning in the Eighteenth Century (London, 1953), p. 116. 69 F. F. Darling (ed.), West Highland Survey: An Essay in Human Ecology (London, 1955), p. 72. 70 Milani, p. 75. 71 Statistical Account. I, 507-19*. 72 General Introduction, p. clxxxvii*. 13 For extensive bibliographies, see G. M. Craig (ed.). Early Travellers in the Canadas (Toronto, 1955), pp. 287-97, and N. Story, The Oxford Companion to Canadian History and Literature (Toronto, 1967), pp. 606-9. O f the books published before 1820, one may reckon only seven as worth notice. The travellers were the Duke de Larochefoucauld (1799), the American J. C. Ogden (1799), and the British visitors Patrick Campbell (1793) and Isaac Weld (1799). Of the two surveys by officials, D. W. Smith’s in 1799 was a careful work, while D'Arcy Boulton’s in 1805 was much slighter. A number of diaries and private letters were far more informative about life in the province, but none had yet been published. 74 Statistical Account. I, 273*. 75 General Introduction, p. ccxxxiv. 76 Statistical Account, n, 4l6ff*. 77 Ibid.. II, v--xiii. 78 Public Archives of Canada, Upper Canada Sundries. Robinson to Major Hillier, 10 April 1822. 79 G . Bloch, “ The Visions of Robert G ourlay” (Ms. M .A. thesis: Carleton University, 1973), p. 30. 80 Gourlay to Joseph Hume, 1 April 1823. Quoted in W. R. Riddell, “ Robert (Fleming) Gourlay,” Ontario Historical Society, Papers and Records, xiv (1916), 72-3. Xl R. L. Gentilcore, “The Niagara District of Robert Gourlay," Ontario History, i.iv (1962), 229-36. 82 A. Shortt, “ The Memorial of J. M. Cawdell,” Canadian Historical Review, i (1920), 289-301. 81 John M‘Taggart, Three Years in Canada: an Account o f the Actual Slate o f the Country in 1826-7-8 (2 vols., London, 1829); E. A. Talbot, Five Years' Residence in the Canadas: Including a Tour through Part o f the United States o f America in the year 1823 (2 vols., London, 1824). 84 Joseph Bouchette, Topographical Description o f the Province o f Lower Canada (London, 1815); Thomas Chandler Haliburton, His­ torical and Statistical Account o f Nova Scotia (2 vols., Halifax, 1829); Peter Fisher, Sketches o f New Brunswick (Saint John, 1825). 1,5 K. N. Windsor, “ Historical Writing in Canada to 1920,” in C. F. Klinck (ed.). Literary History o f Canada (Toronto, 1965), p. 210. 67

18

STATISTICAL A C C O U N T O F U P P E R CANADA

Robert Gourlay, Proposals fo r Drawing up and Publishing a Statist­ ical Account o f Ohio: under the direction o f its legislature (Cleve­ land, 1836). 87 Milani, p. 260. 88 The father of the better-known reform politician, Marshall Spring Bidwell. Barnabas Bidwell was to provoke the “alien question” in 1821, when he was elected to the Assembly but unseated as an American citizen. He had come to Upper Canada in 1810 after being accused of misusing public funds as attorney-general of Massa­ chusetts. The only literary work that he acknowledged the authorship of was a tragedy, The Mercenary M atch, written when he was a student at Yale. He is also reputed to have written a number of essays on civic duties which appeared in the Upper Canada Herald and were published anonymously as The Prompter (Kingston, 1821).

86

Suggestions for Further Reading W . R . R iddell, “ R obert (F lem ing) G ourlay, as Show n by His O w n R ecords,” O ntario H istorical Society, Papers and Records, xiv (1916), 5-133, is still the m ost painstakingly docum ented account o f G ou rlay ’s experiences in U pper C an ad a, although not the m ost readable. E. A . C ruikshank, “ T he G ov ernm en t o f U pp er C anada and R obert G o u rlay ” , ibid., x x m (1926), 65-179, rem ains helpful chiefly for th e docum ents th at it prints. W illiam S m ith’s essay in his P olitical L eaders o f U pper C anada (T oronto, 1931), w hich also appeared in Q ueen's Q uarterly, x x x iv (1926), 149-68, is com paratively sketchy but m ore evaluative. T he tw o m ost balanced and readable short accounts are A ileen D unham , P olitical U nrest in U pper C anada. 1815-1836 (C arleton L ibrary N o. 10: T oron to , 1963), pp. 51-60, an d G . M . C raig, U pper C an­ ada: The F orm ative Years. 1784-1841 (C anadian C entenary Series: T oron to , 1963), pp. 93-100. S. D . C lark, M o vem ents o f P olitical P rotest in Canada, 1640-1840 (T o ro nto, 1959), pp. 331-48, 464-68, m akes higher claim s for the im portance o f G ou rlay ’s political agitation. So does E. Jackson, “ T he O rganization o f U pper C an ad ian R eform ers, 1818-67,” O ntario H isto ry, liii (1961), 95-115. T here is no recent study o f G ou rlay ’s popular influence to com pare w ith E. A . C ruikshank, “ P ost-W ar D iscontent at N ia g a ra in 1818” , O n tario H isto ric al S ociety, P apers a n d R ecords, xxix(1933), 14-46. N o published w ork pays as m uch attention to G ou rlay ’s em phasis on social and econom ic reform as to his politics. T he story o f his w hole life has been told in a thorough and sym pathetic biography, Lois D . M ilani’s R obert G ourlay, G adfly (T oronto, 1971). F or an exam ple o f th e use th at can be m ade o f th e S ta tistica l A ccount, see R . L. G entilcore, “ T he N iagara D istrict o f R ob ert G ou rlay ,” O ntario H isto ry, liv (1962), 229-36.

General Introduction Statem ent. To The E ditors o f B ritish N ew s-P apers. GENTLEM EN, C raigrothie. F ifeshire, Jan. 3, 1820. I at Liverpool, from Q uebec, th e 2d D ecem ber, and have since learned, th at, during th e last tw o years, my nam e has frequently appeared in your colum ns, connected w ith certain pol­ itical m ovem ents in U pper C an ad a. By consulting the files o f various new spapers, I have discovered th at very great m istakes have prevailed as to C anadian affairs, an d th at calum nies, both false and m alignant, have been propagated with regard to me. As a specim en o f these, it has been published th at I was “ O ne o f th e w orthies w ho escaped from Spa-fields;” and attem pts have been m ade to im press a belief on th e public m ind, th at my operations in C an ad a w ere connected with the schem es o f M essrs. C ob b ett and H unt in England. T he very contrary o f all this is true. In consequence o f unavoidable change o f fortune, I w ent out to U pp er C anada, w here I had m any friends, in th e sum m er o f 1817, solely w ith a view to ascertain w hether it w ould be pru dent to rem ove my fam ily thither. M y intention o f going there was announced m ore th an a year before I set out, and m y wish was not to be m ore th an six m onths from hom e. T hough a sincere friend to parliam entary reform in this coun­ try, I had repeatedly published, before going ab ro ad , m y opinion o f th e im propriety o f holding large irregular m eetings for th at purpose, and particularly reprobated those o f Spa-fields. N o m an can shew that I was ever connected in politics with a single individual in B ritain; and it m ust be well rem em bered in W il­ tshire, th at I stood forw ard in opposition to M essrs. C ob b ett and H un t, at th e county m eeting held there in 1816, when th eir object w as to run dow n th e property-tax. So very decided and serious w as I on th at occasion, th at I caused to be stuck up in every corner o f the county a placard, declaring, th at, " b y a well m odi­ fie d p ro p erty-ta x, and b y that alone, could the country be pres­ erved in pea ce." In U pper C an ad a my efforts had no view w hatever to a la n d e d

22

G EN E RA L IN T R O D U C TIO N

reform o f parliam ent. T he people there have a perfect representa­ tion, and before long they will m ake a better use o f it th an they have hitherto done. Soon after m y arrival in th at country, I view ed it as th e m ost desirable place o f refuge for the redundant population o f B ritain, and 1 conceived schem es for prom oting a grand system o f em igration. N othing could be m ore palpably innocent than my first proposals, yet they were opposed, and from reflections springing out o f the nature o f this opposition, I becam e convinced, that w ithout parliam entary inquiry into the state o f the Province, every effort tow ards liberal im provem ent w ould be futile and vain. I prolonged my stay till th e m eeting o f th e Provincial parliam ent, th at I m ight press a reference o f certain m atters to the Prince and Parliam ent at hom e. A vote o f inquiry w as carried in the C om m ons H ouse o f Assem bly; but im m edi­ ately afterw ards a dispute having arisen betw een th at body and th e Legislative C ouncil, th e parliam ent w as suddenly prorogued, its business unfinished. A t this ju n ctu re, and w ithout the slightest idea o f evil, I advised the people to raise a subscription, and send hom e C om ­ m ission ers to in tre a t a tte n tio n from th e T h ro n e to th e affairs o f the Province. It was necessary to hold a m eeting o f D eputies for the purpose in view, and to this m eeting I inadvertently gave the n am e o f C onvention, a nam e in every-day use over A m erica, and applied to all sorts o f m eetings, both civil and sacred. O n this occasion, it proved to be -----------“ A w ord o f fear, U npleasant to the guilty e a r.” T h e Executive o f U pper C anada took alarm . In som e districts, w here the people had little inform ation from new spapers, the m ost outrageous opposition w as set on foot by creatures in office; and, to cause a general panic, I was twice arrested, and held to bail for appearance to answ er charges o f seditious libel. N otw ithstanding all this, respectable D eputies w ere chosen throughout the greater part o f th e Province, and they m et openly in C onvention at Y ork, the capital. By this tim e, th e D uke of R ichm ond and his son-in-law had been announced as G ov erno r and L ieutenant-G overnor o f the C anadas. I conceived favourable im pressions o f th eir liberality, and judging th at the agitation excited, could not fail to im press serious notions o f the im por­ tance o f inquiry, advised the C onvention to refer its cause to the L ieutenant-G overnor and G eneral Assem bly. A fter this, I stood tw o trials, and w as tw ice honourably acquitted. T he people were now sanguine th at all w ould go well, w hen, to their astonishm ent, the L ieutenant-G overnor having m et the parliam ent, hinted that

STATEMENT TO T H E BRITISH EDITORS

23

sedition existed, and procured a law to prevent, in future, m eet­ ings by deputy. T he discontent created by these m easures, libell­ ing the m ost loyal m en, and w ithout any p ro o f o f necessity circum scribing general liberty, was universal; yet, nothing m ore w as resolved on by th e people, b u t to clear the H ouse o f A ssem ­ bly, at next election, o f m em bers w ho had balked their expecta­ tions. T o m e, w ho indulged the anxious hope o f being allow ed to develop m y views, and point out a practicable plan, by which m any thousands o f the idle p oo r o f England could be annually transported into C an ad a, w ith p ro fit to th e nation, and com fort to them selves, th e disappointm ent was cruelly provoking; but it w as far from rendering m e hopeless o f ultim ate success. I had resolved to establish m yself in th e Province as a land-agent, &c. and w as now treating for a house in which to com m ence business, w hen, lo! I was arrested by th e Sheriff, carried before a party o f m y m ost virulent political enem ies, and served w ith an o rd er to quit th e Province, m erely because a w retch w as found base enough to sw ear th at I was a seditious person. T o have obeyed this o rder w ould have proved ruinous to the business, for w hich, at great expense, and w ith m uch trouble, I had qualified myself: it w ould have been a tacit acknow ledgm ent o f guilt, w hereof I was unconscious; it w ould have been a surren ­ der o f th e noblest British right: it w ould have been holding light m y n a tu ra l allegiance: it w ould h av e been a d ec laratio n th a t th e Bill o f R ights was a Bill o f W rongs. I resolved to endure any hardship rather than to subm it voluntarily. A lthough I had w rit­ ten hom e th at I m eant to leave C anada for England in a few w eeks, I now acquainted my fam ily o f the cruel delay, and stood my g ro un d, till I w as a second tim e arrested, and forthw ith com m itted to rem ain in jail for eight m onths, w ithout bail or m ainprize. T he im pressions m ade on the public by this strange proceed­ ing w ere such, th at it w as intim ated from various quarters, th at if I chose, the jail should be pulled dow n for my relief, a step w hich, o f course, I opposed. M y enem ies, now feeling th at they had gone to o far, la b o u red , by artfu l ad d resses to th e L ie u te n a n t-G o v e rn o r, to im press an opinion upon th e public m ind th at som e o f my w ritings w ere seditious; but this conduct only exposed to fuller view th e m alevolence by which they w ere actuated. A ll h op e o f convicting m e o f crim e seem ed to die aw ay, and after three m onths confinem ent, it was w hispered th at I should not be tried for sedition, but, sim ply, for not having obeyed the o rder to quit the Province. T his I could not believe possible. In the m ean tim e, I instituted a suit for false im prisonm ent, and w rote off to various

24

G EN E RA L IN T R O D U C TIO N

quarters for legal advice. F rom M ontreal - F rom E dinburgh from L ondon, the replies o f m ost respectable lawyers w ere uni­ form , th at m y im prisonm ent w as illegal; and th e late Sir A rthu r Piggott declared, th at not only should th e C h ief Justice o f U pper C an ad a have granted my liberty, applied for by w rit o f H abeas C orpus, but th at a good action lay against th e m agistrates who had im prisoned me. A m ong th e m atters which th e C onvention had in view was o n e , to call th e R oyal a tte n tio n to a p ro m ise held o u t to the M ilitia during w ar, th at g ran ts o f land should be m ade to them in recom pense for their extraordinary exertions. It had been the policy o f the U nited States to hold o u t offers o f land to their troops w ho invaded C an ad a, - offers, w ithout which they could not have raised an arm y for th at purpose, an d these offers had been punctually and liberally fulfilled, the m om ent th at peace was restored. O n th e British side, three years had passed aw ay w ith­ o u t attention to a prom ise w hich th e C anadian m ilitia kep t in m in d , n o t only as it co n cern ed th e ir in te re st, b u t th e ir h o n o u r. W hile th e C onvention trusted the consideration o f inquiry to the L ieutenant-G overnor and A ssem bly, they ordered an address to be sent hom e to his R oyal H ighness th e Prince R egent, as a m atter o f courtesy and respect, having annexed to it th e rough sketch o f an address originally intended to be borne hom e by a com m ission, in which sketch th e neglect o f giving land to the M ilitia was, am ong other m atters, pointed out. T his sketch, too, having been printed in A m erica, found its way into British news­ papers. In June, 1819, th e L ieutenant-G overnor o f U pper C anada, sum m oned th e A ssem bly to m eet a second tim e, and in his speech, notified th at he had received an o rder form his Royal H ighness th e Prince R egent, to g ran t land to th e M ilitia, b u t that he him self should think it p ro per to w ithhold such g ran t from those persons w ho had been m em bers o f C onvention. T h e injus­ tice o f this m easure was instantly in the m outh o f every one, and th e very Sheriff w ho held m e in charge scrupled not to signify how it w ould go, should th e province again be invaded, w hile at th at very m om ent it was th o ug ht by m any th at a w ar w ith the U nited States w ould grow out o f th e affair o f A m bristier. T he m em bers o f C onvention had m et at Y ork, p rio r to any law to prevent th e m eeting o f delegates: they had m et in com pli­ ance w ith th e desire o f m any thousands o f th eir fellow-subjects, and w ere wholly unconscious o f evil: they w ere m en o f tried loyalty: they had held m ilitia com m issions during th e w ar: som e had been w ounded, som e had been taken prisoners, and all had behaved well. M ost o f them ow ned m ore land th an they could

STATEM ENT TO T H E BRITISH EDITORS

25

dispose of, and any gift o f land could be to them , a m ere pledge o f ap p ro batio n for duty perform ed to their sovereign and country. Several w eeks passed aw ay, while it w as anxiously hoped th at the A ssem bly w ould m ark its d isapprobation o f the opening speech; but approval w as at last carried by the speak er’s vote, and the Legislative C ouncil concurred in language th e m ost direct and subm issive. T o m e, such conduct seem ed subversive o f every hope th at U pp er C anada could be retained to B ritain in th e event o f w ar, and to startle those w ho so thoughtlessly p u t it in jeop ardy into a consideration o f consequences, I seized m y p en, and called on G o d to assist m y endeavours. M y w riting, w hen published, was voted by the A ssem bly to be libel, and th e L ieutenant-G overnor was solicited to o rder prosecutions. T he ed itor o f the new spaper, w ho h ad had the assurance o f a m agistrate, th at he should not be m olested w hile he had th e m anuscripts o f authors to produce, and w ho w as on this occasion w holly ignorant o f w hat was p rinted in his office, being 150 m iles from hom e, was seized in his bed during th e m iddle o f the night, hurried to N iagara ja il, and thence, next m orning, to th at o f Y ork, w here he was detained m any days out o f th e reach o f friends to bail him . A fter this he w as led round th e country nearly a hundred m iles, exposed to view as a m alefactor o f the w orst kind, all clearly for th e purpose o f w orking unfavourable im pressions against him ; and, to be sure, he w as finally convicted on a charge, w hich, from its n atu re, the au th o r alone was com petent to repel. M y treatm en t was still m o re w antonly cruel. A fter tw o m onths close confinem ent in one o f the cells o f th e jail, m y health had begun to suffer, and, on com plaint o f this, the liberty o f w alking through the passages an d sitting at the d oo r was g ranted. T his liberty prevented my getting w orse the four succeeding m onths, although I never enjoyed a d ay ’s health, but by the pow er o f m edicine. A t the end o f this period, 1 was again locked up in the cell, cut off from all conversation w ith m y friends, but through a hole in the door, w hile the jailo r o r under sheriff w atched w hat was said, and for som e tim e both m y attorney and m agistrates o f my acquaintance w ere denied adm ission to me. T he q u arter sessions w ere held soon after this severe an d uncon­ stitutional treatm en t com m enced, and, on these occasions, it was th e custom and duty o f the g ran d ju ry to p eram bulate the jail, and see that all was right w ith th e prisoners. I prepared a m em o­ rial for their consideration, b ut, on this occasion, was not visited. I com plained to a m agistrate through the door, w ho prom ised to m ention m y case to the chairm an o f th e session; but th e chairm an happened to be brother o f o ne o f those w ho had signed my

26

G EN E RA L IN T R O D U C T IO N

com m itm ent, an d the court broke up w ithout m y obtaining the sm allest relief. E xasperation o f m ind now jo in ed to th e heat o f th e w eather, w hich was excessive, rapidly w asted m y health and im paired my faculties. I felt m y m em ory sensibly affected, and could not connect m y ideas through any length o f reasoning, but by w riting, w hich m any days I w as w holly unfitted for by the violence of continual head-ache. Im m m ediately before the sitting o f the assizes, the w eather becam e cool, so th at I was able to apply co n stan tly fo r th re e d ays, an d finish a w ritten d efence, on every point likely to be questioned on th e score o f seditious libel. I also prepared a form al protest against any verdict which m ight pass against m e, as subject to the statute, under colour o f which I was confined. It w as again reported, th at I should be tried only as to the fact o f refusing to leave the province. A state o f nervous irritabil­ ity, o f w hich I was not then sufficiently aw are, deprived m y m ind o f th e pow er o f reflection on the subject: I w as seized w ith a fit of convulsive laughter, resolved n o t to defend such a suit, an d was perhaps rejoiced th at I m ight be even thus set at liberty from my horrible situation. O n being called up for trial, the action o f the fresh air, after six weeks close confinem ent, produced the effect o f intoxication. I had no control over my conduct, no sense o f co n seq u en ce, n o r little o th e r feeling b u t o f rid icu le an d disg u st for th e court which countenanced such a trial. A t one m om ent I had a desire to protest against th e w hole proceeding; b ut, forget­ ting th at I had a w ritten protest in m y pocket, I struggled in vain to call to m ind th e w ord p ro te st, and in another m om ent the w hole train o f ideas which led to th e wish had vanished from my m ind. W hen th e verdict was returned, that I was guilty o f having refused to leave the province, I had forgot for w hat I was tried, and affronted a jurym an by asking if it was for sedition. G en tlem en , th ese are m elan ch o ly p a rtic u la rs, an d so far as they concern m yself only, I certainly should be inclined to conceal them . A s they concern th e legislation and spirit o f governing in a British province, I have thought it my duty to offer th e considera­ tion o f them to th e public, p rio r to subm itting the sam e to the Prince and Parliam ent o f this country, for which purpose I m ore especially cam e hom e. It is m y wish to return to U pp er C anada, and to stand any fair trial for alleged crim e: it is m y wish to p ro m ote th e settlem ent o f th at province w ith British subjects; but w hat British subject o f spirit w ould settle in a country, w here, in a m om ent, he m ay have to bow to arbitrary pow er, o r be turned adrift into a foreign land, the sport o f calum ny, injured in health, and ruined in th e fair expectation o f doing well for his family?

SKETCH O F A PETITION . ..

I

sh a ll

ask

the

p u b lic

to

co n sid er

reason fo r in s t a n t p a r l ia m e n t a r y is i n s t i t u t e d , i p l e d g e in s t e a d

o f

c o st in g

m y se l f

th is

t o

w h eth er

in q u ir y sh e w

c o u n t r y

a

th ere

is

27 not

, a n d if s u ch in q u iry

t h a t

lar g e

Can a d a ;

u p p e r

su m

of

m o n ey

to

M A I N T A I N IT; C O U L D Y I E L D A N N U A L L Y A H A N D S O M E R E V E N U E T O THE

BRITISH

POOREST, NORTH MENT

GOVERNMENT!

IT

MAY

AM ERICA! AND

THAT

SPEEDILY

THAT

BREAD

TO

INSTEAD

BECOME

IT M A Y

50,000

THIS OF

BRITAIN; A N D , FOR M A N Y Y E A R S T O SIM ILAR MAY

BE

DRAIN MADE

FOR A

REDUNDANT

PERMANENT

THE

VERY

THE

OF

YEAR

POOR

GIVE

THE

PART

OF

EM PLOY­

IN H A BIT AN TS

OF

COME, AFFORD AN N U A LLY

PO PULATIO N :

AND

REM AINING

RICHEST

SECURE

LASTLY,

BULWARK

A

T H A T IT TO

THE

B R I T I S H E M P I R E , I N S T E A D O F B E I N G A L U R E T O I TS I N V A S I O N A N D DOW NFALL.

T hese, G entlem en, are bold assertions: but they are n o t only bold, they are rational and sincere; and they proceed from a m ind which has been devoted for tw o years to reflections on th e subject a m ind w hich has sustained itself under every reasonable trial, and w hich has not yet entirely sunk beneath th e m ost odious persecution. R obert G ou rlay.

Sketch o f a Petition To the H onourable the C om m ons o f the U nited K ingdom o f G reat B ritain and Ireland, P A *. in

a r lia m en t

ssem bled

T he P etition o f R obert Gourlay. H um b ly Shew eth, T hat your P etitioner is a native o f the parish o f C eres, (and) county o f Fife (N o rth B ritain), S , an d thence conceives him self entitled to all th e constitutional privileges o f a British subject. T hat y ou r Petitioner was b o m to the inheritance o f consider­ able landed estates, an d did entertain, till th e year 1815, fair hopes o f independent fo rtu n e :-th a t then, in the 38th year o f his * The words printed in capitals were added, those in small type, and enclosed in a circumflex, were omitted in the real petition. in

th e

in

c o t l a n d

28

G EN E RA L IN T R O D U C T IO N

age, being m arried, and having five children, he found him self, by causes which he could neither foresee n or prevent, sunk into a state o f precarious dependence: - that, after m ore than a y ear’s reflection, he resolved to visit U pp er C anada, w here he had som e landed property and m any friends, to ascertain w hether he m ight not, w ith propriety, rem ove his fam ily th ith er:— that, after a few m onths residence in th at country, he (becam e enam oured of) the natural excellence o f its soil and c lim a te ,-sa w prospects o f providing com fortably for his fam ily, and cherished schem es for rendering U pper C an ad a a com fortable refuge for the redu n dant population o f E n g la n d :-th a t, to qualify him self the better to represent at hom e th e true state o f the province, he resolved to prolong his stay, an d by extended inquiry did greatly increase his know ledge o f the actual state o f its affairs. T h at he then discovered political restraints on the prosperity o f U pper C an ad a, which rendered it altogether inferior to the U nited States as a place o f settlem ent, an d such m ism anagem ent on th e p art o f the executive w ith regard to em i­ g rants from B ritain, as blasted every hope, unless (great) ­ changes could be effected. T h at his first intention, after being fully apprized o f these restraints and this m ism anagem ent, was to proceed h om e and state th e truth to the m inisters o f this country; but, doubtful of his individual representation being listened to , he recom m ended th e inhabitants to petition th eir parliam ent for inquiry into the state o f the province, and for a com m ission to go hom e w ith the result to the Prince and Parliam ent o f B rita in :-th a t this m easure w as actually m oved and carried in the A ssem bly, but a quarrel presently afterw ards arising betw een th e different branches o f the legislature, parliam ent was hastily prorogued. T hat, on this juncture, y ou r Petitioner being m ore and m ore convinced o f the great necessity o f exam ination, addressed the inhabitants o f th e province, and recom m ended them to raise a fund by subscription, for the p urpo se o f sending hom e a petition to his R oyal H ighness the Prince R egent, to solicit th e ap p o in t­ m ent o f a com m ission from E ngland for th at purpose. T h at this proposal giving great offence to certain persons in office, called dow n this resentm ent upon your P etitioner, w hom they caused to be twice arrested, and tried upon charges of seditious libel. T h at y ou r Petitioner, being tw ice honourably acquitted, had then the fullest hope o f succeeding in his purpose, by offering to lay before the L ieutenant-G overnor, ju st arrived from England, his view o f w hat was essential to the prosperity o f th e province, w hen, to his astonishm ent, a party in pow er not only succeeded w as

pleased

w it h

g o v e r n m e n t

c o n s id

erable

SKETCH OF A PETITION

29

in exciting prejudices in the m ind o f the L ieutenant-G overnor against y ou r Petitioner, but w antonly libelled a great p ortio n o f the inhabitants, and had a law enacted, abridging public liberty, equally uncalled for, and odious to the great body o f the people. T hat your P etitioner was after this on th e p oint o f setting off for England w hen a conspiracy w as form ed betw een three o f his m ost notorious political enem ies to ruin his character, and p re­ vent his ever returning to U pper C an ad a. F o r this purpose they pretended that y ou r P etitioner was subject to a provincial statute, [ , ] w hich can only apply to aliens and outlaw s, and one o f them scrupling not to perjure him self to afford grounds for procedure, they presented him w ith an o rder to quit the province, upon his disobeying w hich they had him arrested and com m itted to jail, [ a

c o p y

o f

w h ic h

is

h er eu n to

a n n e x e d

th e

b e in g

h er eu n to

a n n e x e d

o r d e r

.]

T h at your P etitioner, being thus situated, applied for libera­ tion by w rit o f [ ]; but, being rem anded to jail by th e C hief Justice o f the province, w as detained there for nearly eight m onths. T h at y ou r Petitioner in this m elancholy predicam ent, had still the hope o f clearing his character from the base im putations o f his enem ies by a fair subm ission o f their charges to the sense and feeling o f a jury; and in the m ean tim e having taken the advice o f Sir A rthu r Piggott, an d o th er lawyers o f em inence, as to the legality o f his im prisonm ent, had their decided opinions th at it w as not le g a l- th a t the C hief Justice o f U pper C anada was w rong in not having granted liberation, and th at those w ho had caused th e arrest, w ere subject to an action o f dam ages for false im pris­ onm ent. T hat, nevertheless, the hopes o f y ou r P etitioner w ere co m ­ pletely blasted. Before th e day o f trial, his body and m ind w ere so w eakened by confinem ent and exasperation from cruel, unneces­ sary, an d unconstitutional treatm en t in jail, that, on being b rought into the fresh air o f th e court, his w hole ideas ran into confusion, and he lost all control over his conduct. A trial was b rought on, not for any crim e, but m erely to determ ine th e fact, th at y ou r Petitioner had refused to leave th e province. T o such a tria l, u n d er o rd in ary circu m stan ces, y o u r P etitio n er w ould, undoubtedly, have dem urred. A s it happened, he, altogether insensible o f consequences, suffered the trial to proceed till a sentence o f banishm ent was p ronounced against him by th e sam e ju d ge w ho d etained him in prison. (Your Petitioner desires to make no appeal to feeling on this occasion: neither is there any need for investigation into conduct. He desires that h abeas

h er eu n to

a n n e x e d

c o r pu s

th e

w h o le

p ro ce ss

b e in g

30

G EN ERA L IN T R O D U C TIO N

no consideration may rest on the palpable and vile pretence that your Petitioner had not been an inhabitant of Upper Canada for six months, when it was notorious, that he had resided there for more than double that period; or, that he had not taken the oath of allegiance, while at any moment of time he would willingly have gone through that ceremony, had he considered it essential to constitutional protection. Your Petitioner appeals to your Honourable House solely on the abstract question of right, inherent in a native born Briton, to that protection within his Majesty’s dominions, which the British people bargained for in the claim of Rights, prior to the accession of the present family to the throne. Your Honourable House, in conjunction with the other branches of the Legislature, passed an Act, in the year 1791, empowering his Majesty by and with the consent of a Legislative Council and Assembly to make laws for the government of Upper Canada, “during the continuance of this Act;” but your Petitioner has no belief that it was the intention of this temporary Act to confer a power on the Canadian Parliament of expatriating British subjects or, in any way to encroach on the fundamen­ tal principles of the British Constitution. Your Petitioner begs leave to refer your Honourable House to the Act of the Canadian Parliament, under colour of which he was imprisoned and banished. Your Honourable House, by perusal of this Act, will see that its application to an untainted British subject is by mere implication, and he trusts your Honourable House will determine, that constitutional right is not to be overturned by such a breath.-Y our Honourable House will see that to make this Act applicable to an untainted British subject, not only must the sacred bond of natural allegiance, with all its mutual obligations between the sovereign and subject, be considered null and void, in Upper Canada, but, that a mere inference must determine as to the ceremony of taking the oath of allegiance within the province. Your Honourable House will see that even a reduelio ad absurdum flies in the face of such construction, for, were this act really applicable to British subjects, no individual could, with safety, proceed from the mother coun­ try to the colony: that even a newly appointed governor might be arrested arjd disgraced the moment he set his foot in Upper Canada, or a whole army of British soldiers, destined for its defence, be legally captured and imprisoned by a few perjured and unblushing villains. Your Petitioner trusts that your Honourable House will not only mark such monstrous absurdity, and set aside all question as to ridiculous inference trenching on the boast and birthright of Britons, but loudly declare, that, though, by express terms, an untainted British subject had been made liable to this Act, yet that no such Act could be held as constitutional and valid any more than a Provincial Act, to make sale of Upper Canada to a foreign power. Your Petitioner, therefore, intreats that your Honourable House will take this subject into serious considera­ tion: and shall ever pray.)* * The above, printed in small type, stood in the original c i r c u l a r as the continuation and conclusion of the first sketch Petition. A sec­ ond draught was made out with additions; and what was struck out

SKETCH O F A PETITION

31

Y our Petitioner has recounted these facts an d circum stances, not from any desire th at y o u r H onoflrable H ouse should interfere in m atters o f judicial process, o r correct th e rigour o f executive tyranny tow ards an individual. Y ou r P etitioner is now in the course o f applying to his M ajesty in council, to take into consid­ eration his particular c a s e ,- to consult th e law officers o f the crow n thereupon, - to m ake inquiry into th e cruel treatm en t he received, and into the fact o f his being in th at state which rendered him unfit to stand up in a court o f justice as his own advocate, so th at he m ay again be suffered to return to U pper C an ad a, there to support, fairly and m anfully, his character, his principles, and opinions: - Y ou r P etitioner com es before your H onourable H ouse on public grounds alone, and pleads th at the m ere abstract consideration o f th e annexed provincial statute, ta k ­ ing it as intended to apply to u nattainted British subjects, and as it has in y ou r P etitioner’s case been applied, affords sufficient cause for inquiry on th e p art o f y o u r H onourable H ouse into the state o f U pper C anada. Y ou r H onourable H ouse, in conjunction w ith th e other branches o f the legislature, passed an A ct, in the year 1791, em pow ering his M ajesty, by and w ith the consent o f a legislative council and assem bly, to m ake laws for the governm ent o f U pper C an ad a, during th e continuance o f this A ct; but your P etitioner has no belief th at it was the intention o f this tem porary act, to confer a pow er on th e C anadian Parliam ent, o f expatriating Brit­ ish subjects, or, in any way to encroach on th e fundam ental principles o f the British constitution. It was the clear intention o f th at act to convey to the people o f U pper C an ad a, as n ear as circum stances w ould perm it, th e constitution o f B ritain both in form and spirit. T he recorded debates o f Parliam ent, on passing th e Q uebec Bill, bear am ple testim ony o f this; and G eneral Sim coe, w hen he opened the first Parliam ent o f U pper C anada, in his capacity o f L ieutenant-G overnor o f th at province, expressly declared, th at 'th e constitution then granted, was the very im age and transcript o f the B ritish co n stitu tio n .' (Let it be supposed for a moment that a Bill was brought into your Honourable House, to enact a law by which on mere allegation any subject of his Majesty might be deprived of his right of habeas corpus, imprisoned, and ultimately banished from his native country, without a tinge of crime, what would be said? or, were it really enacted, what might not be done? Surely there would be an end to the constitution, and the of that draught, is printed in small type, so that the real Petition presented by Sir James Mackintosh to the House of Commons 12th July, 1820, reads from beginning to end in large type.

32

G EN E RA L IN T R O D U C TIO N

social compact might be broken up. But if the Imperial Parliament could not go so far: - if by such an attempt the mass of the people would be entitled to interfere, and reorganize the constitution, there can be no doubt that a subordinate legislature could not do so; or, if doing so, ought immediately to be checked by the superior power. Your Petitioner is aware that in some parts of his Majesty’s domin­ ions very arbitrary measures are resorted to by the executive, in thrusting out even British subjects without even alleged or convicted crime; but these dominions have no free and settled constitution, and they are held for very different purposes than the Canadian provinces. They have been dedicated to special purposes to the use and benefit of trading compa­ nies, and to the ensuring of monopolies deemed necessary for increasing the store of national wealth. In these dominions the power permitted and used may be compared to that which individuals possess of excluding others from their dwelling-houses and workshops; but in his Majesty’s Canadian dominions, neither necessity nor policy demand such licence; nay, it is the very reverse; there, population is the stable of the land: the settlement of British subjects, there, constitutes the strength and value of dominion, and their free ingress and egress must alone insure to his Majesty the sovereignty of that quarter of the world.) A t th e p resent m om ent, w hen em igration from this country is at all hands allow ed to be essential to relieve distress, how m ischie­ vous m ust be even the report th at a native born British subject m ay be arrested, detained long in prison, and banished from U pp er C an ad a w ithout th e shadow o f crim e, the m om ent he sets foot on its soil; surely your H onourable H ouse will see the propriety o f counteracting the effect o f such report, to w hich the undue trium ph o f erring pow er, over an individual, has given credit and strength. (Surely, for the public good, your Honourable House may declare by resolution and address, that British emigrants are not subject to the provincial statute in question; - that it can affect only aliens and outlaws; and, in its tenor regards local, not natural allegiance. Such declared construction of the statute would free the provincial legislature from the reproach of having encroached on constitutional principle, and give confi­ dence to people of this country, who are contemplating a removal to the province of Upper Canada, of all His Majesty’s foreign possessions the most capable of receiving an increase of inhabitants with comfort to the individuals, and advantage to the nation. Y our Petitioner further pleads that there is urgent cause for inquiry into the state of Upper Canada, on other grounds than those above set forth.) T h e C hancellor o f th e E xchequer has this session told y ou r H on ­ ourable H ouse, th at, “ th e N orth A m erican Provinces o f G reat B ritain had been so overloaded w ith em igrants, that the govern­ m ent o f C anada had m ade th e strongest rem onstrances to this governm ent on the subject.” Y ou r P etitioner, residing and travel­

SKETCH O F A PETITION

33

ling in U pper C an ad a for tw o years, had sufficient opportunities o f observing how the country cam e to be overloaded w ith em i­ grants, and how m any o f the em igrants suffered m isery. It arose from m ism anagem ent, w ant o f contrivance, and, perhaps, w ant o f know ledge on the p art o f those w ho had the direction o f affairs. Y our Petitioner states this freely an d firm ly, as he feels it his duty to do; and he is willing, at the bar o f your H onourable H ouse, or elsew here, to set forth practicable plans, by w hich ten tim es the num ber o f people w ho have ever, in o ne year, em igrated to C an ad a, m ay be annually tran sp orted th ither, and com fortably settled. Y ou r Petitioner therefore hum bly entreats th at the state o f U pp er C anada, as it concerns em igration, m ay be taken into the serious consideration o f your H onourable H ouse. A nd, as in duty bound, will ever pray, R obert G o u r lay.

------ I shall now proceed to develop the principal design o f this w ork, and m ust entreat the re ad er’s indulgence, w hile I recount som e circum stances o f m y ow n history, w hich led to th e concep­ tion o f it. T hrough life, I have been enthusiastic in m y pursuits; and for the last tw enty years m y m ind has had a leading regard to the greatest evil which overshadow s th e fate o f E n g la n d -th e system o f th e p oo r laws. W hen a young m an, having tim e and m oney at com m and, I travelled over E ngland for fifteen m onths together as an agriculturist, an d during th at tim e becam e acquainted w ith the late secretary to the B oard o f A griculture, M r. A rth u r Y oung. O ne day, in conversation w ith him , we hit upon a subject to w hich each o f us had devoted peculiar attention . M y father, and indeed m y grandfather, had been in th e habit o f letting out small portions o f land on a kind o f perpetual lease, called in Scotland a fe u , to labouring people, w hereon each m an m ight build a dw ell­ ing-house, and enjoy th e convenience o f a g arden. I had m arked th e w onderful influence which th e possession o f such a little property had upon th e characters o f the people, giving them a sup erior degree o f consideration am ong their neighbours, m ore steady habits, and m ore persevering industry. I had noticed with w hat serene delight a labourer, especially o f th e sedentary class, w ould occupy him self in his g arden at hours not devoted to his trade, and I had calculated w hat an addition, as well to individual as to national w ealth and happiness, such econom ical arrange­

34

G EN E RA L IN T R O D U C TIO N

m ents, generally adopted, m ight produce. Speaking o f this to M r. Y oung, he m entioned to m e a schem e he had in view, to provide th e people at large with a little land, and descanted on the great advantages which the p oo r in som e parts o f England derived from the occupation o f such a portion as enabled them to keep cows. A g en eral in clo su re bill w as th en in c o n tem p la tio n , an d M r. Y oung was anxious to have his views so far realized, by introduc­ ing into the bill a clause by w hich a portion o f land sufficient to keep a cow should be secured to each m an in lieu o f his ancient com m on right o f pasturage, &c. T o establish the fact th at labour­ ers really derived benefit from keeping cows, and th at those who had the benefit, required little o r no assistance from parish funds, he asked m e to m ake a jo u rn ey into the counties o f R utland and Lincoln, w here th e practice prevailed o f letting the p oo r have land and cows. I w ent, but after a little inquiry an d reflection, being asham ed o f plodding ab o u t m erely to prove a truism , retraced m y steps, and expressed a desire to relinquish the under­ taking. M r. Y oung, how ever, was now m ore keen th an ever that I should com plete his design. N othing else, he said, was w anted to m ake good his point but th e authority o f nam es, and certain sim ple facts well authenticated. 1 com plied, and spent tw o m onths m uch to m y ow n satisfaction, having access, by a general intro­ duction, to all, from the p auper to the peer; but obtained nothing for th e Board o f A griculture which could do m e credit, or strengthen any hope o f success for the grand and benevolent purpose o f th e secretary. A s to the claim o f p oo r people to a suitable portion o f land, o r o th er equivalent on the inclosure o f a com m on, w hereon they o r th eir fathers had enjoyed rights o f pasturage, & c. tim e o u t of m ind, it was positive and clear, independent o f any special benefit w hich they derived from these; and to have passed a general inclosure bill w ithout a provision in lieu o f such ancient rights, w ould have been a dangerous experim ent. W ith respect to th e introduction generally through the king­ dom o f M r. Y oung’s schem e, there w ere obstacles which T was assured w ould never be overcom e by the nerveless faculties o f the B oard o f A griculture, even though th e schem e w ere o f itself unobjectionable, w hich it was not. A lthough I collected for M r. Y oung abundant evidence to substantiate his sim ple position, and so arranged it, as, at one glance, to exhibit satisfactory results, m y anticipations o f what w ould be done w ere too truly verified. T he general inclosure bill was indeed brought before parliam ent by Lord C arrington, the president, but this bill speedily w ent dow n to rise no m ore; and

SKETCH O F A PETITION

35

perhaps th e dread o f bringing into public discussion any question as to the com m on rights o f the p oo r had no sm all w eight in sinking it. Since th at period th e process o f inclosure has g on e on by bills for individual parishes and com m ons. Y ear after year, m ultitudes o f these have been inclosed, w ithout regard to the claim s and com plaints o f the p oo r, w ho have been robbed o f their rights, and w ho, from various causes, have been sinking gradually into a state o f abject dependence on parish aid, deprived o f p ro p ­ erty, and finally careless o f its enjoym ent. Y ear after year, and at this place and th at, the poor, seeing them selves unjustly deprived o f advantages which they had inherited from tim e im m em orial, grum bled, rioted, and w ere put dow n. T he process stealing g rad ­ ually on, the strength o f the m ass was subdued piece-m eal; and, finally, a change was effected, in th e condition o f English labo u r­ ers, through a variety and succession o f causes, but little reflected on o r noticed by political econom ists and w riters on th e p oo r laws. W hile I despaired o f seeing any thing effectual accom plished by the Board o f A griculture, and was justified in my opinion by results, im pressions as to the necessity o f changing som ehow the system o f the p o o r laws becam e m ore and m ore riveted in my m ind. My experience in L incolnshire and R u tla n d -m y conversa­ tions w ith the p oo r th em selv e s-w ith the farm ers and land-ow ners every w here th ro u gh ou t England: m y inspection o f parish records; and observations m ade on the habits and m anners o f the people, altogether considered and put in contrast w ith w hat I knew o f these in Scotland, induced reflections, w hich though they could then reach no satisfactory conclusion, determ ined m e to follow o u t a study o f such infinite im portance; and I actually resolved to shape the course o f my life for this express end. I resolved, after a few years’ residence as a practical farm er in Scotland, to rem ove into England for a term o f years, deliberately to study th e causes o f difference so very great and m anifest betw een the low er orders in the one, an d the other country. In th e one, labourers were independent and im proving their condition, even in th e face o f grow ing taxation: in the o th er they w ere verging to extrem e poverty and degradation, while all was flourishing around them . In Scotland it was m ore generally the custom to accom m odate farm labourers w ith cows than in England, but this was very far from constituting th e difference which existed betw een th e people o f the sister kingdom s. It h ad, in fact, little to do with the m atter, and w as rather a consequence than a cause. U ntow ard circum stances disturbed the o rder and harm ony of m y plans, but still I followed them out. I settled in Scotland for

36

G EN E RA L IN T R O D U C TIO N

six years, occupying one o f m y fath er’s farm s, then rem oved into England, and never lost sight o f th e great object on which I had fixed m y eye. T he year after I returned from my to u r in the South (1802), and after th e general inclosure bill was laid aside, M r. Y oung, still m using on his schem e o f providing land for th e poor, pub­ lished, in his A nnals o f A griculture, som e undigested notes, which I had furnished him with: introduced them w ith a narrative, and attached my nam e, as if the w hole had been w ritten and prepared by m e for publication. A fter doing this, he despatched to m e, in Scotland, a m anuscript sent him by a third party, controverting the validity o f m y proofs; and I, resenting alike the sophistry of m y o pponent an d th e unfair liberty which M r. Y oung had taken w ith my nam e, m ade reply, sparing neither him , his correspond­ ent, nor th e B oard o f A griculture; and, to m ake the m atter w orse, this w as also published in the A nnals, w ith w ords altered, and sentences w ithheld. It was every way provoking to m e, and m uch as I adm ired M r. Y oung in m any respects, obliged m e to drop his acquaintance. I had hoped th at the aw kw ard display in the A nnals w ould be little noticed; but here again I was disappointed. M r. M althus soon after published th at edition o f his Essay on P opulation, w hich attracted such general notice, and in this he referred to the publication in th e A nnals o f A griculture, to which M r. Y oung had set my nam e; and w hich, as it stood, m ade m e ap p ear as an advocate o f his system o f providing for th e poor, which I never was. M r. M althus has very properly pointed o u t the insufficiency o f M r. Y oung’s proposal as a general rem edy for the evil o f poor laws; and, besides this, it is palpably im practicable, as a schem e th at could be legally enforced thro u gh ou t. T he quantity o f land requisite to keep a cow varies, according to soil and situation, from tw o to tw enty acres, o r m ore. In som e parts o f th e country adapted to pasturage, the practice could easily be adopted; and so it is in Lincolnshire and R utland. In o th er parts it is very differ­ ent. T o afford every individual land sufficient to keep a cow is indeed o u t o f th e question. It w ould neither be econom ical for th e nation, nor beneficial to individuals, in proportion to the w aste. M ilk is but one o f m any articles in housekeeping; and several others are equally necessary, and m ore essential. W ere law to provide for each m an an independence, as to th e supply of m ilk, why not ensure the sam e o f bread - o f flesh - o f raim ent - o f fuel? W hy not introduce agrarian law, th e m ost frightful o f all political expedients? - But it is m ore than law can accom plish; an d if law cannot prevail, it is needless to preach up advice to

SK ETCH O F A PETITION

37

land-ow ners, to m ake gratuitous offerings o f land and cow s, when circum stances ad m it o f it. C le ar as th is m ay a p p e a r, it is a cu rio u s fact th a t M r. Y o u n g , a m an w ho a t o n e tim e gave ev id en ce o f th e so u n d est faculties, should have got lost in confused reverie. Till th e day of his d eath, he seem s to have b ro od ed over th e schem e o f m aking public provision o f land and cow s for th e poor, as practised in Lincolnshire and R utland. In the book entitled, “ A S K , ” p rinted by the B oard o f A griculture in 1816, suppressed, and then brought before th e public by a surrep ­ titious edition, o f w hich, no d o u b t, M r. Y oung was the-com piler, a ch apter is dedicated to the subject o f land and cows, an d the result o f m y inquiries in 1801 are brought forw ard by w ay o f p ro o f____ M r. M althus, w ho so ably refutes all th e silly objections to his theory o f the principle o f p o p ulatio n, and shews th e inconsistency o f M r. Y oung’s w ritings on th e question o f giving land an d cows to the poor, says, “ I have indeed m yself ventured to recom m end a general im provem ent o f cottages, and even th e cow system on a lim ited scale; and perhaps w ith p ro per precautions a certain p o r­ tion o f land m ight be given to a considerable body o f the labo u r­ ing classes. If th e law which entitles th e p o o r to support were repealed, I should m ost highly approve o f any plan w hich w ould tend to render such repeal m o re palatable on its first pro m ulg a­ tion; and in this w ay som e kind o f com pact w ith the p oo r m ight be desirable.” See A ppendix, vol. iii. p. 365, o f the last (5th) E dition o f th e Essay on P opulation. T o have thus m uch granted by M r. M althus, is no sm all m atter, and should not be lost sight of. It opens a d o o r o f reconciliation w ith th e m an w ho too unguardedly asserted th at there was no cure for the evil o f the p oo r laws but to declare, and act upon th e declaration, th a t the p oo r had no right to public relief in th e m aintenance o f their children. N othing can be m ore clear th an the abstract reasonings o f M r. M althus, on th e principle o f population; and o f all his disciples, no one, I believe, ever enjoyed greater satisfaction than I did on the first perusal o f his book. I had for years been em barrassed in my stu d ie s, on th e sub ject o f p erfec tib ility , an d could n o t reco ncile results in nature w ith the attrib u te o f perfect goodness in the D ivin­ ity. T he theory o f M r. M althus dissipated all m y doubts; and though a few pages m ade clear w hat had puzzled m e, such is the n atu re o f truth, th at I can, again and again, read over the illustrations o f the im p o rta n t o n e , established by th e Essay on P o p u latio n , w ith renew ed p leasu re. I can go back w ith M r. M alth u s in to an cien t tim es: I can accom pany him over th e globe, from Britain to C hina, g r ic u l t u r a l

ta t e

o f

th e

in g d o m

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o r from the frozen north to the torrid zone, delighted to find th at the law o f nature is ju st and invariable; requiring o f m an only virtue to reach the highest degree o f sublunary bliss, and m aking m isery as surely the concom itant o f vice. Balmy, indeed, are such truths; but how strangely have som e been led astray into reflections o f th e m ost opposite kind, from the perusal o f the Essay on Population! How strange, th at th e m an w ho has earned the im m ortal h onour o f hav­ ing happily illustrated a principle so essential to individual peace, and so adm irably fitted to be a corner-stone for the erection o f a sound and liberal system o f political econom y, should have becom e th e b u tt o f ac rim o n io u s ce n su re - sho uld h ave been accused o f designs utterly at variance w ith th e w hole scope and tendency o f his reasoning! C an w e suppose th at M r. Y oung, M r. G odw in, and a sw arm o f inferior note, w ho have been th e virulent and blind opposers o f M r. M althus, w ere urged on by m ere petulance or spite, w ere w anting in liberality? C ertainly not. Both Y oung and G odw in w ere benevolent m en; but they caught up a w rong scent, an d gave tongue to an erring pursuit. Looking dispassionately to th e controversy which th e doctrine o f M r. M althus started, I think we m ay discern w hence has arisen th e phelgm o f opposition. M r. M althus pushes hom e his abstract reasoning too stoically. H e dwells too m uch on gloom y results: he attributes these results too m uch to th e innate w eakness o f h um an ­ ity: he reg ard s to o little th e co n seq u en ces o f vicious in stitu tio n s: he alm ost seem s to d oat on th e idea th at th e condition o f m an is hopeless: he cheers us too little w ith th e view o f im provem ent; and he is too rash, in asserting th at the p oo r should be deprived of th eir right o f m aintenance for children, - a right which circum ­ stances have created and tim e confirm ed, - w ithout d ue p rep ara­ tion an d fair equivalent. W hen M r. M althus speaks o f denying to thp p o o r their right to public support, he reflects not a m om ent on rights, both natural and acquired, w hich have been gradually filched from them , and in lieu o f which the right which they now enjoy is the w retched substitute. If M r. M althus will m ake a fair bargain w ith th e poor, not only for w hat has been stolen from them , but which th e progress o f civilization has shew n to be necessary and p ro per for them to possess, I, for one, shall adm it th e sternest adoption o f his proposal. I w ould cut off th eir claim o f right to public support, both ro o t and branch: I w ould not only do this, but enact a law, by w hich charitable foundations should be erased, an d erring benevolence kept in check: I w ould suffer no societies to be form ed for relieving distress; nay, w ere the streets stew ed w ith the victim s o f vice and m isery, I w ould say, “ let the dead bury th e dead.”

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39

T here are tw o grand principles which rouse m en to action, necessity and am bition; and in a truly civilized age, w hen all men shall have fair advantages, these will be found sufficient o f them ­ selves to adm it o f all public charities, and o f every thing like poor-law s, being set aside. T he public charities and poor-law s o f E ngland have, indeed, been its greatest curse. T hey have w eak­ ened th e efforts o f nature: they have blunted th e spur o f necessity, and taken from am bition its lure. It is im possible for any m an fully to conceive th e m ischief w hich has arisen from the poor-law s o f England, w ithout having p u t in com parison the condition o f th e labourers in that country w ith th at o f those in the sister kingdom . It was from am ple practical experience in both countries th at I m ade up m y m ind as to the causes o f difference, - th e causes which have bro ug ht on E ngland a w orse th an useless expenditure o f eight m illions a year; -c a u se s which m ust be rem oved before any great advance can be m ade in the im provem ent, m oral o r physical, o f this country. T he expenditure o f eight m illions annually by no m eans indicates the am ount o f evil generated by th e system o f th e poor-law s. W hile th a t sum is sq u a n d e re d , d o u b le th a t is lo st by its d eg rad in g the people, and lessening their exertions. H aving travelled far and w ide, both in E ngland and Scotland, since my return from A m er­ ica, I have had occasion to notice a striking difference in the respective countries under the present agricultural distress. In E ngland this is felt far beyond w hat it is in Scotland. P etitions for relief p o u r into Parliam ent from all parts o f England, w hile few o r none have appeared from Scotland. T his greater urgency in a great m easure springs from th e grow ing evil o f the poor-law s. M arkets are equally bad every w here; but in Scotland th e exer­ tions o f labourers increase with th e pressure. T here, th e labourers share w ith the farm er his distress. T hey becom e m ore o bedien t to his will: they enable him to do m ore w ith sm aller m eans; and their w ages fall. In E ngland it is all the reverse. H ere th ere is no spring for industry. In hard tim es the p o o r have no increased stim ulus to toil; but fall heavier and heavier as a load on their em ployers, w hile th eir em ployers becom e less and less able to support them . F arm ing in England, from 1809 till 1817, I could hire an English ploughm an for £ 1 2 and his victuals, while the current rate in Scotland was from £ 1 8 to £ 2 0 ; and such was the superiority o f th e Scotch in p oint o f sobriety, steadiness, and fidelity, th at I could afford to bring them from the north, an d pay them even upw ards o f £ 2 0 per annum ; nor w ould I have lim ited my num ber o f im ported labourers, but for the necessity of

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em ploying parish poor, w ho, w hether em ployed o r not, I was bound to m aintain . T his difference clearly arose from the differ­ en t circum stances in which th e labourers o f the respective coun­ tries had been trained up. In th e one country they received education, w ere inspired w ith feelings o f independence, and cher­ ished hope o f getting on in the w orld. In th e other, w ithout education or laudable am bition, they had no inclination to exert them selves either for character o r gain. T o better their condition, one only shift was left them - to m arry, and procreate children, in p ro po rtion to the num ber o f w hom their p ro po rtion o f parish-pay w as increased. W hile I m arked th e real difference in p oint o f econom y, w hich sprung from th e m ere training o f labourers: w hile I observed th e effects o f this better training in im proving th e m oral qualities, the enjoym ent, and respectability o f the Scotch, I had th e fullest conviction from experience, th at the natural dispositions o f the English w ere superior to those o f my countrym en; and I m ore and m ore deprecated th e infernal system o f perversion and debasem ent. W hat such a dam ning system w ould ultim ately com e to, has been long evident; but only now begins to be im pressive, from its consequences; and well will it be, if present consequences force on a rem edy, while w orse have not ensured. T he grand question is, H ow can the system o f th e poor-law s be changed? M r. M althus having m ade good his abstract posi­ tio n ,-h a v in g allow ed th at " th e system o f the poor-law s is an evil, in com parison o f which the national debt, with all its terrors, is o f little m o m e n t," and being alarm ed w ith " th e prospect o f a m onstrous d efo rm ity in so c iety," proposes a law, by w hich the children o f the p oo r should cease to be relieved; an d th at to rend er this law palatable, a serm on should be preached on the subject at th e solem nization o f m arriages. H ow strange, th at a m an should have a head so clear for abstract reasoning, an d eyes so dim to the consequences which w ould certainly ensue upon the very first attem pt to put such a law in execution! As well m ight M r. M althus, after a train o f abstract deductions, propose to do aw ay, by m ere law and cerem ony, w ith kings, w hom the m adness o f th e people, superstition, tyranny, habits, and prejudices, have confirm ed on th eir thrones. M ost certainly, civil w ar and blood­ shed w ould be th e consequence o f any such attem pt, as well in th e one case as in the other. T he p oo r o f England m ight not have had an inherent right to m aintenance for children; and if a clear understanding had been held in b ar o f such right, undoubtedly it w ould have been well to have m aintained it; but now, th at both law and practice have m ade good this right; - now , th at circum ­

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stances have rendered it necessary, th e case is entirely changed. T he right o f the p oo r for m aintenance can no longer be done aw ay w ith by m ere w ords. Substantials have been taken from the poor, and substantials m ust be returned, if further sacrifices are to be required o f them ; n or can even this change be effected w ithout cautious prep aratio n and liberal treatm ent. T hough my m ain pursuit in rem oving from Scotland to Eng­ land, w as to exam ine into th e causes, and contrive rem edies for the evils o f the poor-law system , it was several years before 1 could m ake up m y m ind on any point. F o r tw o years I interfered little in parochial m anagem ent; keeping, how ever, a w atchful eye over those w ho did interfere. T he third year 1 becam e one o f the overseers, and gave m inute attention to every particular. In W ilt­ shire, and som e counties round, a system o f regulating the wages o f labour, was com pletely m atured and acted upon. N ine shillings per w eek was declared to be the pay o f a labo u rer in W iltshire, though in Fifshire, from w hence I had com e, twelve shillings per w eek, and often m ore, was the custom ary rate. As nine shillings per w eek could not m aintain a m an w ith a fam ily, the rule was to allow him to apply to th e overseer, when he had m ore th an two children, for additional pay, w hich w as thus regulated. First, the m an ’s w ages w ere set dow n, v i z . : ...................................................9s. Od. T hen a value was put on the labo u r o f his wife, say 3 o C arried over 12s. Od. B rought over 12s. Od. T hen an inquiry was m ade, as to how m uch each child, above seven years o f age, earned, and th at w as set dow n; say 3s. for one, 2s. for another, and Is. per w eek, for a th ir d - in all 6 0 18 0 T hen the w hole family w as num bered: say m an, wife, three children above seven years old, and three under th at a g e ,- in all eight persons; for each o f w hom the selling price o f a gallon loaf, w ith 3d. in addition, was allow ed. If the gallon lo af w as 3s. then there w as to be reckoned 24s. for loaves, and the 3d. to each o f eight persons, 2s. m aking in all 26 0 F rom w hich sum th e earnings o f th e fam ily were deducted, leaving a balance to be paid by the O verseer, 8 0 T he glaring erro r in this part o f th e system was setting the wages

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o f th e labourer too low. In E ngland the habits o f labourers were not so econom ical as in Scotland: in England, labourers really required m ore m oney to m aintain them ; but here in E ngland they had greatly less: here a nom inal price w as set upon labour, 3s. per week below w hat it was naturally w orth in Scotland. T here was no difficulty in correcting this error. A s soon as I got to be overseer o f the poor, I reckoned the labour o f every able-bodied m an at 12s.; and thus, at a single stroke, n o t only lessened parish pay and poor-rates, but did infinite good o th er­ w ise. T he p oo r them selves w ere quite pleased with this change: n ot so the farm ers; w ho as soon as I was o u t o f office reduced wages to 9s. per w eek. T he farm ers had a reason for this; but it w as founded on ignorance; and to ignorance and bad reasoning w e m ay safely ascribe a full half o f all this w orld’s m isery. By holding dow n th e nom inal w ages o f m arried m en w ith m o re than tw o children, th e farm ers had chiefly in view to hold dow n the real wages o f single m en, and those w ho had less than three children; and they really m ade good their point, to the great injury both o f them selves and labourers. T hus, w hile statute-law s have been fram ed to prevent m anufacturing labourers from com ­ bining to raise th eir pay, a m ost pow erful com bination, ratified by the m agistracy o f England, w as at w ork to keep dow n h usban­ dry labour below its p roper level; and thus it was th at I could hire an English ploughm an for £ 12 p er annum , w hile I could not hire a Scotch ploughm an o f the sam e appearance at less th an £ 1 8 . It will naturally be asked, why should an unincum bered English ploughm an subm it to this? A nd th e question m ust be solved by looking to a variety o f points; an d gathering causes from all of them . T he w hole o f the south o f E ngland was subjected to the cursed, artificial system o f which a part now appears. A spirited young m an m ight travel a hundred miles before he could get beyond the lim it o f the agricultural com bination; and there were few spirited young m en in a country w here th e m ass o f the people could not read and w rite. T h e w ant o f m ental energy, consequent on the w ant o f education, aided by attachm ent to the place o f b irth, relations, friends, and still m ore to habits o f indolence, caught from w hat they saw arou n d them , all conspired to enslave labourers, and to enable farm ers to trium ph over them in a m ost pernicious victory. W ith a few sensible people I could prevail by reasoning, and obtain confession, that keeping dow n w ages by artifice, was w rong and unthrifty; but there was no getting any body o f farm ers to act in the face o f established practice. W hile in Scotland, I was in the habit o f advertising for labourers when pushed by extraordinary need. By the sim ple

PETITION TO THE HO USE O F COM M ONS

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m eans o f a dozen o r tw o p rinted notices, stuck up at public places, I have had a hundred reapers com e im m ediately to my aid; and, by such tim ely aid, I have repeatedly saved m y crop from destruction, and harvested it at the very best m om ent o f tim e. In England, being in w ant o f an extraordinary n um b er o f haym akers, after a tract o f wet w eather, I w rote out a few advertisem ents, an d had them stuck up in the neighbouring vil­ lages; but w hat ensued? - M y advertisem ents w ere pulled dow n by the farm ers: they w ere exhibited next m arket-day, in o rd er to disgrace m e; and som e m en, w hose ignorance was backed by bad tem per, w ere actually sulky. H ere is scope for useful reflection. English labourers, I have said, have, naturally, better dispositions than m y countrym en. I found th e sam e o f English farm ers, w here n o t im m ured in th e m ud o f bad practices, o r accustom ed to lord it over the poor. Just in p ro po rtion , indeed, as m en o f all sorts are independent o f each other, so m uch m ore will they be well disposed an d k in dly to each o th e r. In W iltsh ire, th e farm ers, in m any respects, w ere excellent m en. I rem em ber them w ith th e w arm est regard, an d have th e felicity to know , th at I am not forgotten as a friend in th at county; but I m ust say that, to th e poor, som e, even of th e best o f them , w ere totally w ithout feelin g .. . . Shortly before m y d ep arture for C an ad a, I had a second petition presented to the H ouse o f C om m ons, to record w hat was farther required for the relief o f th e p oo r from oppression; and to give them practice in the only peaceable m ode o f proceeding for th at end. TTie following is a copy o f the second P etition. To the Honourable (he Commons o f the United Kingdom o f Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled. The humble Petition o f the undersigned Inhabitants o f the Parish o f Wily, in the County o f Wilts, (the 5th o f February, 1817.) Shew eth , T h a t on the 31st o f M ay, 1815, a P etition from th is p arish to y our honourable H ouse, was presented by Paul M ethuen, Esq. m em ber for this county, on the subject o f the poor laws, to which your Petitioners beg leave again to call the attention of your honourable House. T hat your Petitioners understood, that, at the close of the last Session o f Parliam ent, your honourable House had appointed a com m ittee, to take into consideration this m ost im portant subject, and your Petitioners would have looked with confidence tow ards the result o f such consideration, had not a proposal been set forth, by the m over of this m easure, not only subversive o f hope, but indicative of an intention and spirit absolutely abhor­ rent to the m inds of your Petitioners. It was proposed in your honourable H ouse, - not to better the condi­

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tion of the poor, - not to lighten the overburthened wheels of industry, not to rekindle the spirit of independence, nor to recruit the wasted strength o f the labourers of England: - it was proposed to oblige them to pay four-pence out of every ten shillings of their earnings, that they who have hitherto paid p oor rates, m ay be eased o f their burden! W hen such a proposal has been m ade in the British Senate, under such circum stances as the present, it m ust be high tim e for every one, even the lowest, to think for h im s e lf,-to doubt if selfishness has left, in the hum an breast, one spark of benevolence, or, if any thing like reason is to dictate in the arrangem ents of civil society. Y our Petitioners were taught to believe, that after the struggle of war was at an end, plenty would com e hand in hand w ith peace, to refresh the people, who had, with unparalleled fortitude and subm ission, for upwards o f tw enty years o f war, supported the m easures of their G overnm ent: your Petitioners have been d isa p p o in te d ,-m o st grievously disappointed. W ar had its horrors, but the present peace is m ore horrible than war: the people in thousands stand every w here idle, fam ished, dejected, and desperate. A t such a period of disappointm ent and gloom , your Petitioners would bridle in every inclination to reproach those w ho have been the m ore im m ediate instrum ents o f bringing dow n upon the country its load of calam ity. Looking backw ard they recognise the people at every step, identifying their will w ith that o f the G overnm ent; fostering its am bition; cheering its victories; sharing its plunder. Y our Petitioners wish to bury in oblivion th e follies and the crim es th a t are passed: they w ish, now , that m ost urgent necessity proclaim s th at som ething m ust be done, that that m ay be done, which m ay not only be safe and honourable for the British G overnm ent, but efficient to the com fort and prosperity of the people. Y our Petitioners conceive that there exists no m ystery, as to the grand cause of the present distress. Excessive taxation, for a long period of years, has not only wasted the productions of industry, but the funding system has registered the price of a debt to be discharged by industry, while industry, deprived o f the excitem ents which extraordinary circum ­ stances afforded, has ceased to be able for such a discharge. U nder these changed circum stances, your Petitioners have m arked, for the last three years, a fatal blindness to consequences, and have beheld with sorrow , principles assum ed and acted upon, with a design to rem edy im pending evils, not only of a narrow and selfish character, but palpably inadequate to the end in view. Y our Petitioners conceive that the first step which should have been taken, after peace deprived this country of its m onopoly o f trade, and the peculiar incitem ents to industry, created by w ar and extraordinary circum stances, was, to have w ithdraw n those taxes which m ost directly bear upon the necessaries and com forts o f life, and to have substituted in their place, taxes upon idle property and great incom es accruing from the sam e. Such m easures would not only have been politic and ju st am ong individuals, but th eir a d o p tio n w ould a t once have en ­ abled o u r industry to cope w ith th a t o f o th er n atio n s, and w ould have upheld that due degree of confidence in substantial stock, which was clearly w anted to m aintain a balance against the dangerous influence of

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funded property, whose im m ediate security does not rest on the success of trade and industry, but in the pow er o f taxation, and whose pressure increases as the strength to bear it is dim inished. Y our Petitioners hoped th at tim e and approaching ruin would not only have opened the eyes of all to the real situation of affairs, but have m ade it the first duty of m inisters, to have declared the truth, and to have quieted the public m ind, by an assurance of instantly altering the scheme of taxation. W ith utm ost dread, however, have they now heard the Royal speech proclaim ing, that the evils, which assail the country, spring from tem porary causes, and from the transition from w ar to peace. Y our Petitioners deem it their m ost sacred duty to oppose such sentim ents, to deprecate such advice to Royalty, and to declare it to be the very extrem e o f infatuation to rest under such im pressions for a m om ent. Y our Peti­ tioners, being m ostly labourers and poor m en, have com paratively little interest in the fate o f property; but as sincere friends to peace and good order, they wish to see that which regulates all the com m ercial transac­ tions of m en, and which is necessary to give excitem ent to industry, kept in its proper p la c e :-th e y wish no longer to see real property swallowed up and endangered by a bubble, w hose increase, under existing circum ­ stances, m ust rapidly tend to explosion, and whose explosion can leave nothing behind, but w retchedness and woe. W ith a change in the scheme o f taxation, your Petitioners have persuaded them selves, that certain proposals, if adopted, would co-operate immediately to revive the industry o f the country, and, in a short tim e, do away all necessity, both for poor laws and poor rates. T hese proposals are:

1st. That in every parish not comprehended in, nor containing a town o f more than one thousand inhabitants. Government shall take possession o f one hundred acres o f land, being the nearest clear land to the respective parish churches, and otherwise best suiting the purposes in view. 2d. That Government shall pay to the owners o f such land its fa ir estim ated value, raising one h a lf o f the whole means fo r this purpose, by a rate similar to a poor rate, only that owners o f property shall be assessed instead o f tenants, these latter being obliged to pay legal interest to the form er, during the currency o f existing leases, upon the amount o f assessment raised fro m their respective holdings: the other h a lf o f the whole means to be obtained by loan, so calculated, as to be liquidated by rents and purchase-money, m entioned below. 3d. That each hundred acres shall be divided into two equal parts, as to extent and in such a manner, as shall best suit purposes in view. 4th. That one o f these parts, in each parish, shall be enclosed, and otherwise in the best manner improved, fo r the purpose o f a common pasture, to remain so fo r ever. 5th. That the other h a lf shall be divided into half-acre allotments, m aking one hundred allotments in each parish. 6th. That the present inhabitants, m ale parishioners, o f such par­ ishes, shall be allowed im m ediately to occupy the allotm ents, one each: the choice o f allotments to proceed by seniority.

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7th. That where the present inhabitants o f parishes are not suffi­ ciently numerous to occupy all the allotments o f their respective parishes, other persons shall have a choice, seniority and proxim ity giving a prefer­ ence, while any allotment remains unoccupied. 8th. That each person, when he takes possession o f an allotment, shall thereby bind him self to pay fo rty shillings a year, as rent fo r the same; and at all limes to keep it in good garden culture. A person, thus paying rent, shall be styled a parish-holder. 9th. That as long as these conditions are fulfilled, no parish-holder shall be disturbed in, nor turned out o f his allotment; and at his death, his son m ay occupy in his stead, i f tw enty-one years o j age: an elder son having a priority o f choice to a younger son; and failing sons, the choice o f occupancy shall proceed to the nearest male relation, before it falls to the public. 10th. That as soon as any parish-holder shall have paid into a savings bank, to be fo r that purpose established by Government, the sum o f one hundred poujnds, he shall have a cottage built on his allotment to that value; he having the choice o f a variety o f plans fo r the construction o f the said cottage. U th. That neither the m oney deposited in the ba nk fo r the above purpose, nor the properly o f the cottage when built, shall be attachable fo r debt; nor shall they affect any claim o f parochial relief, due by existing laws. A person when possessed o f a cottage in this manner, shall be styled a cottage-holder. A t his death, his cottage-hold shall go to the nearest heir-male, as in the case o f the parish-hold, with this difference, that the heir who lakes possession shall pay to relations, equally near o f kin with him self to the deceased, male and fem ale, or to the nearest o f kin fem ale relation or relations, i f such there be, nearer than himself, to the exclusion o f others, a certain value fo r the cottage; and in case no heir takes possession to fu lfil these terms, then they m ay be fulfilled by other persons who m ay desire possession, and whose claim to possess, shall be regulated by proxim ity and seniority: but i f neither relations nor others shall claim possession, then the cottage-hold shall revert to Govern­ ment. from whom heirs shall receive the value o f the cottage, and the cottage-hold shall be open to public purchase or exchange. 12 th. That as soon as a cottage-holder shall have had no relief from the parish, fo r the space o f two years, he shall be entitled to a vote in the parish, and have a right to pasture a cow on the common. He shall be styled a freem an. 13th. That i f a freem an shall throw him self fo r relief on the parish, ■he shall lose that designation, his right to vole, and pasture; nor shall he recover these, till he has lived five years without parochial aid. 14th. That as soon as a freem an has paid into the bank the sum o f sixty pounds, the same shall be received by Government as purchasemoney fo r his allotment, shall fre e him fro m the yearly paym ent o f rent, and m ake him eligible into parish offices. He shall be styled a parish freeholder. Succession to be regulated as above. 15th. That all sales and exchanges shall be made through public medium; and at once to facilitate and regulate these, there shall be corresponding registries; parochial, district, county, and national.

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16th. That no person whatever shall possess either in one or more parishes, more than one holding, and no person shall have a choice, nor be allowed to purchase, under twenty-one years o f age;but an heir male shall be allowed, white a minor, to hold possession, although he shall have no vole, nor be eligible to offices, tilI he come o f age: provided always, that none o f the relations, entitled as above to a share o f the valued property, become chargeable to the parish, while their share is unpaid, nor the heir himself, fo r in such cases the holding shall revert to public possession, and the residue only, i f any. o f the value o f the cottage and freehold, be paid to the heir or heirs, after the parish charges fo r maintenance have been deducted. A lthough your Petitioners frankly subm it these Proposals to the con­ sideration o f your honourable House, they do not press their adoption in the letter. Y our honourable House m ay see fit to m odify the schem e. The com m on pasture m ay be dispensed with, and the num ber of allotm ents m ay be increased, dim inished, or regulated, as circum stances m ay require. Y our P etitio n ers chiefly insist th at it is essential to the ab o litio n of Pauperism in England, that an opportunity be afforded, for the labouring people to acquire property and personal freedom ; both which they have lost through the operation of the p oor laws, and which they can never regain under existing circum stances. T o afford half an acre o f land to all who would require it, would not occupy a hundredth part o f the national territory: and when it is considered that the poor once possessed m any houses and gardens in every parish, and enjoyed over all England exten­ sive com m on rights, of which, in m any cases, they have been unjustly deprived, such re stitu tio n m ust seem far from extravagant or u n re aso n ­ able. Y our Petitioners would desire your honourable H ouse to consider, what universal contentm ent would instantly ensue from the adoption of these proposals, or even of a m odification o f them : what a fund of em ploym ent would be created: how universally this would be diffused; and how long it would continue. Even the early production o f provisions to eke out the supply, before next harvest, would be no small advantage, in the present year o f scarcity, and would certainly be obtained by affording to the poor, garden allotm ents of land, for individual cultivation and convenience. Y our Petitioners deny what has been asserted by som e, that such arrangem ents in rural econom y, would stir up in the m inds of the people a desire for any thing like a general A grarian law, or that their obtaining votes, would in any way endanger property. Y our Petitioners refer to A m erica, where, in m any parts, the right of vote is equally shared am ong the rich and the poor, w ithout having caused the least encroach­ m ent on property. Y our Petitioners, though they m ost earnestly desire to see a wise reform of Parliam ent, do not wish the parish vote to qualify directly for parliam entary election, and they positively disclaim and renounce w hat is com m only understood by universal suffrage. They feel that the m ass of the people never could be com petent, sufficiently to estim ate the com para­ tive m erits of persons aspring to a seat in parliam ent; although they could well judge, which o f their fellow parishioners were m ost w orthy o f offices and trust within their respective parishes, and which of them m ight be

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best qualified to act as parish deputies, at district or county m eetings, w hether assem bled for parliam entary election or other business. Y our Petitioners therefore m ost earnestly entreat that your honourable House will im m ediately w ithdraw all taxes on m alt, salt, soap, candles, leather, bricks, and tiles; contract no m ore debt; pay all national charges unprovided for, by an assessm ent on rents and interest o f m oney, increas­ ing the ratio of assessm ent upon great incom es derived from the sam e: T hat, having done this, your honourable H ouse will take into m ost serious consideration the above proposals; and particularly that you will so enact, that every British subject, grow n to m an’s estate, shall have an opportunity of occupying half an acre o f land for its value, w hereon he m ay establish his freehold: and your petitioners shall ever pray. (Subscribed by R obert G ourlay, and ninety-seven others, o f Wily parish.)

____ It will be observed, from th e Petition, th at I was not rigid as to the quantity o f land,* and th at I adm itted o f m odification as circum stances should require. I wished to set forth th e greatest q uantum required, to shew th at even th at was nothing before the m ighty object aim ed at; th e rooting o u t o f poor-law s, and im proving the character and condition o f th e people. T he half acre o f land is condescended upon as being such a quantity as any p oo r m an could m ake the m ost o f at his spare hours, and from w hich he could raise sufficient food for a cow , along w ith his liberty o f pasturage on the com m on; but there are reasons which w ould m ake it politic and right to dim inish both th e extent o f the com m on and th e garden plot. A q uarter o f an acre is th e proper size for a garden, and 25 instead o f 50 acres o f com m on w ould be quite sufficient. A ro o d o f land, under good garden culture, will yield great abundance o f every kind o f vegetable for a fam ily, besides a little for a cow and pig. If there is a g round on which a cow can range for p art o f a day, she can be kept in high condition for milk, upon articles o f food, which can always be purchased; straw , hay, grains, & c.; and, on introducing a general system , the less bounds in w hich th at can be accom plished, so m uch th e better. It is not th e intention to m ake labourers professional gardeners o r farm ers! it is intended to confine them to bare convenience. T he bad effects o f giving too m uch land to labourers was discovered m ore th an thirty years ago, in the low lands o f Scotland. W hat were called the C otter rigs (C ottager’s ridges) are now every w here * T here are in G reat B r i t a i n ................................................. 54,603,360 acres. T hen, 50 acres set aside in each o f 10,000 parishes, gives . . 500,000 T he quotient is not a hundredth p a r t .....................................................109

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done aw ay w ith, and to the benefit o f both m asters and servants. T he bad effects o f th e little p o tato e farm s in Ireland, are well know n; and nothing but dirt and m isery is w itnessed am ong the CroJ'iers o f th e highlands o f Scotland. A tidy garden, w ith the right o f turning out a cow in a sm all w ell-im proved and wellfenced field, w ould produce effects o f a very different kind indeed: w ould, at once, insure contentm ent, com fort, and a world o f convenience. Independent o f the advantage w hich w ould accrue to the inhabitants o f a village, in the way o f cow -keeping, from a sm all com m on or p ark , there is need o f such a spo t for various o th er purposes: the bleaching o f linen; th e gam bols o f the young; and th e sober sauntering o f the old; exercise and air; the feeling o f independence and social union. O bjection has been started to the schem e, th at its benefits could not be extended to people in towns; but it m ay as properly be said, th at, because w e cannot reach th e N o rth pole, w e should not venture so far as G reenland. W ere ten thousand country parishes accom m odated with fifty acres each, no inhabitant o f a tow n need be in w ant: and if inhabitants o f tow ns w ere tem pted out o f them , to have the enjoym ent o f a garden and com m on right in the country, so m uch th e better. G re at tow ns, in m any respects, are bad. They are unfavourable to m orals, to health, to national econom y. In villages o f from fifty to one hundred fam i­ lies every good o f com bination can be obtained. In such villages every species o f m anufactory could find sufficient han ds for supplying labour in all its divisions. I am at a loss to understand w hat M r. M althus m eans, by the “ im provem ent o f cottages.” If he m eans the im provem ent o f dw elling-houses, there is a rule to be attended to , and it is this; th at, every house, to contain a fam ily w ith decency and com fort, should have a kitchen, parlour, and three sleeping apartm ents; one for the p arent pair: one for m ale; and one for fem ale chil­ dren. . . . Such a one, finished plainly, and furnished w ith every w ooden convenience, could be afforded in th e wilds o f C anada for £ 3 0 . In England, a cottage, built o f brick o r stone, and finished as I w ould wish to see it, substantially and elegantly, w ould cost £ 8 0 now; and four years ago w ould have cost £ 1 0 0 . R equiring such a cottage to be erected by an individual, before he could claim the rights o f the cottage-holder, is proper, on various accounts. T he difficulty o f acquiring privileges w ould m ake these privileges be m ore esteem ed, and w ould bring into the possession o f them , superior m erit; while th e after-enjoym ent o f a handsom e place o f residence w ould, in no sm all degree, assist in upholding laudable pride and self-respect. It m ay be thought, th at a co m ­

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m on labourer could never accum ulate, o u t o f his w ages, th e sum requisite for th e erection o f such cottage; but he certainly could, if th e rate o f w ages was fair. It has already been stated, th at before the peace, a Scotch ploughm an had £ 2 0 and his victuals: th e half o f this could, with econom y, keep him in clothes, and the o th er half, regularly deposited in a savings bank, m ight am o u nt to £ 1 0 0 by his 25th year. A lthough I have an absolute abhorrence o f th e spade h usband ­ ry, as p ro p o sed by th e b en ev o len t M r. O w en , 1 perfectly ag ree w ith him , th at m oral training m ay greatly im prove th e hum an character. Before M r. O w en cam e before th e public as an author, I had published m y opinion, th at “circum stances and situ a tio n ,” could m ould this; and in A m erica I have seen it so far verified. M an, indeed, is a ductile anim al, and a good one, w hen not crossed w ith tyranny, o r ruined from bad exam ple. H e is m ore hopeful than M r. M althus w ould have us believe; but his training m ust com m ence before th e w edding-day, - it m ust com m ence from the cradle. A s to th e "C o w sy ste m ," there is no possibility o f introducing it, generally; but so far as a com m on adjoining every village w ould adm it; an d 1 trust th at my plan is at once econom ical, safe, and practicable. I am perfectly aw are o f th e difficulty o f getting our rulers, and, indeed, the great body o f th e w ealthy classes, to give a liberal hearing to such a proposal. T hey have a dread that any adm ission o f the people to th e enjoym ent o f civil rights w ould lead to unreasonable dem ands: but it is groundless and unchristian. A s to th e land required,the p o o r have a positive right to it, looking back to these last 30 years o f spoil, under acts o f enclosure. T he land, unjustly taken from them , under these acts, has am ounted to m ore than w ould be required to establish the Village system all over the island. Yes! m uch m ore than 500,000 acres have been thus unfairly taken from the poor; and, in an o th er way, they have also been gradually and ruinously deprived o f th eir property. By prevailing regulations, no person is entitled to parish-relief while he has any real property. If he is put to it, he m ust sw ear th at he is poor, - th at he has neither cottage n or g ard en , cow n or calf; th at he has nothing but household furniture and w earing apparel. W hat has ensued from this law? W hy, th at not o ne in a hundred o f English labourers has now a sheltering place which he can call his ow n. A lm ost universally the p o o r have been obliged to p art w ith their cottages and gardens. T he infernal poor-law system forced them to m ake this sacrifice. T he stoutest, m ost active, and m ost willing labourer, could not m aintain his fam ily, after th e com bination to keep dow n wages

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w as form ed. T here w as a positive necessity for his applying to the parish for relief, an d this relief he could not have till cottage, g arden, and all was surrendered. F o r m any years sore struggles w ere m ade to m aintain independence, and keep possession o f the little spots w hich, since England was, had descended by inherit­ ance from father to son; but it w ould not do: indeed, it was foolishness to hold out; and it becam e a com m on saying, th at “ a cottage and garden was the worst thing a p oo r m an could have." Let the reader pause, and reflect upon this: let him think o f consequences, - heart-sickening, appalling, ruinous consequences. W hat is property good for? for w hat has G o d created it? w hat, b u t a desire to possess property, can spu r on th e mass o f m ankind to exertion? w hat w ould we be but for this desire? yet here are m illions o f th e English people in w hom th at desire has becom e e x tin c t,-w h o m ust pass through life, and never enjoy th e delight o f having a h om e w hich they can call th eir ow n. W hat does M r. M althus say to this? Is there a single w ord on th e su b ject in his w ho le b o o k on p o p u latio n ? W h en w e lo o k to the index o f th at book, and ru n over th e m any heads, under w hich th e p oo r and poor-law s are spoken of, do we find a single w ord regarding this? D o we find any thing o f this in th e chapter w hich treats o f “the only effectu a l m ode o f im proving th e condi­ tion o f the poor?” N o: not a w ord - not a syllable: yet, in this, is th e grand secret; in this is th e germ o f hope; in this is th e one thing needful. Let but the p o o r have a little property to begin w ith - a little stock in trade; let them have a hom e, w hich they can call their ow n, w ith th e h op e o f independence, and all will go well. G od instituted property, an d clearly tells us th at, by the p ro per use o f it, we can rise to excellence; but w ithout property or, the chance o f acquiring it, no good can be expected o f us. I have rapturously expressed m y jo y in accom panying M r. M althus from earlier to later tim es: from north to south, and from w est to east; anon, m using on th e abstract truth, th at, in p roportion as m en are virtuous, so are they happy: but am I to d ream only o f th is ab stra ct tru th ? W hen I h ave o b ta in e d full inform ation as to “ the checks to population, in the low est stage o f society,” - “ am ong A m erican Indians,” - “ in the islands o f the South S ea,” - “ am ong the ancient inhabitants o f the N o rth o f E u ro p e ,” - “ am o n g m o d ern p asto ral n a tio n s,” - “ in d iffere n t p arts o f A frica,” - “ in S iberia, north and so u th ,” - “ in th e T u rk ­ ish dom inions and P ersia,” - “ in Indostan and T ib et,” - “ in C h in a an d J a p a n ,” - “ am o n g th e G re e k s,” - “ am o n g th e R o m a n s,” - “ in N o rw ay ,” - “ in S w ed en ,” - “ in R u ssia,” - “ in the m iddle parts o f E urope,” - “ in S w itzerland,” - “ in F rance,” -

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“ in E n g la n d ,” - “ in S cotland an d Ire la n d ,” - w h e n I have obtained full inform ation as to th e checks to population, in all these countries, ancient and m odern, and in every stage of society, am I to fall asleep, an d give up all inquiry as to the m eans by which m oral restraint m ay be braced? A m I to m ake a ju m b le o f crude ideas, and satisfy m yself only o f this bare abstract p roposition, th at all checks to population are “ resolvable into m oral restraint, vice, an d m isery?” A m I to rest satisfied w ith the belief, th at the paupers o f E ngland m ay be exalted in character and conduct by a m ere serm on; and that, to o , on th eir w edding day? W hat! lecture a young couple on th at day, against intem per­ ance during th e honey-m oon!! R eally, M r. M althus, there is no w onder th at you have stirred up indignation. N ature should not be so p ro v o k e d -s o w antonly outraged. W ith all my adm iration o f th e theory o f population, I m ust hold y ou r practice in derision. Y ou m ake m e think o f an astron om er fixing his eye so intently on th e m ilky-way, to discover its specks, th a t he forgets th at there are stars o f th e first m agnitude in the firm am ent. T hat “ population m ust alw ays be kept dow n to the level o f subsistence,” - th at “ w hen unchecked,” it m ay “ increase in a geom etrical ra tio ,” th at “ population, could it be supplied with food, w ould go on w ith unexhausted vigour;” and th at “ the increase o f one period w ould furnish a greater increase to the next, and this w ithout any lim it,” & c. are all truism s, w hich any child m ay understand. I am convinced, w ith M r. M althus, th at a n atio n ’s strength does not consist in th e m ere m ultitude o f its people; but in the m oral and physical strength o f th e individuals w ho com pose th e m ultitude; and, m ost assuredly, there is great room for im provem ent in this w ay. Bred to farm ing, I clearly com prehend M r. M althus, when he speaks o f having good stock, instead o f bad stock, on a farm ; but the exam ple which I have given, from experience, o f the difference betw een Scotch and English labourers, one earning £ .2 0 , w hile an o th er earned but £ 1 2 , renders all resort to figurative com parison unnecessary: it is direct to the point. A nd when it clearly ap p ears by w hat m eans an English p auper m ay be m ade as good a m an as any Scotch­ m an w hatever, w hy should he hesitate in resorting to the m eans for delivering o ne-h alf o f th e nation from m isery, an d another from the burden o f poor-rates? T h e sim ple m eans is to give the English p oo r a chance o f acquiring property, a hope o f independ­ ence; an d see the effects. D o b u t this: educate the young, and free the old from vassalage. Only 150 years ago the Scotch w ere very b ru te s -th e basest rabble on earth; but th e institution o f parish schools w rought a m iracle: I m ay, indeed, quo te my own w ords

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on this subject, w ritten, in 1815: “ T he Scotch, in one century, w ere the m ost unprincipled and desperate m arauders; in th e next, they w ere exam ples o f sobriety an d peace.” A s soon as th e p oo r rascally Scotch g o t the rudim ents o f education, they began to w ork their way to independence; and they sought for it all the w orld over. Let the English have the sam e advantage, and they, in like m anner, will profit by it. B ut I have said, that “substan­ tials have been taken from th e p oo r (o f England), an d that substantials m ust be retu rn ed .” Even with education, th e p o o r o f E ngland cannot have such a chance as the Scotch had; and that, because o f the existing state o f property. I do not know if th ere is a single parish in Scotland, w here the labouring classes do not possess considerable property in houses and land; or, w here they cannot find plenty o f cottages an d gardens to purchase, o r take on lease. In England, it is all otherw ise. I question if th e p o o r o f W iltshire, w ere they em ancipated to-m orrow from parish bond­ age, and in the way o f m aking m oney, could, in one parish o u t of ten, get land to purchase in sm all lots, o r even have cottages for rent; and th at ready accom m odation, in ' this way, should be furnished them , is o f the first im portance. I have said th at at least 500,000 acres have been unjustly taken from the p oo r w ithin the last thirty years; and that in this tim e, too, they have been obliged to surrender th eir cottages and gardens. H ow ever unjustly and im politically all this has com e ab o u t, no restitution can be m ade o f th e very com m ons, - the very cottages and gardens, th at have been taken from th e poor; n or is it desirable th at this should be attem pted. A ssuredly, how ever, th e general r ig h t- th e abstract right, to restitution, is good. W ill M r. M althus deny it? W ill he deny th e propriety, justice, and good policy o f restitution? o r can he find fault w ith my m ode o f restitution - my plan for execution? L anded property is often seized upon, paid for, and applied to public purposes, under acts o f parliam ent; and, if a hundredth p a rt o f each p arish w as so ta k e n fo r th e ac co m m o d a tio n o f th e p oo r, it w ould be no great encroachm ent on the rights o f private property. Som e seven o r eight years ago, th e Bath Society gave a gold m edal to the w riter o f an essay for proposing to purchase up land all over th e kingdom , to be given to. the clergy in lieu o f tithes. T his proposal was m onstrous in a variety o f views, but still it show s th at people can bear w ith such a proposal. O n the en closu re o f co m m o n s, it has been cu sto m ary to set asid e oneseventh for the tithe-claim ant, and, if we suppose tithe-claim ants, th roughout, to be entitled to h alf as m uch, here w ould be a fo u rteen th o f th e w hole kingdom to be purchased up, an d ap p ro ­ p riated, for the m aintenance o f 15,000 parsons; not m ore than a

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thousand o f w hom are effective in the vineyard: - if we can listen to such a proposal with patience, how readily m ay m y proposal be entertained o f purchasing up a hundredth p art o f the kingdom , for th e accom m odation o f a m illion o f fam ilies; and for the rem oval o f “an evil, in com parison o f which, the national debt, w ith a ll its terrors, is o f little m o m e n t." It is o f no avail for M r. M althus to be sending into th e w orld edition after edition o f his Essay on the Principle o f P opulation, an d gradually entrenching him self for m ore th an tw enty years w ithin fastnesses o f logic, if he does not com e to som e point: it is o f no avail to be arguing nice points in political econom y, o r registering truism s, if no practical issue is reached: it is o f no avail to be venturing “ to recom m end a general im provem ent o f cottages, and even the cow -system , on a lim ited scale,” if nothing is done. M r. M althus has said, th at he “ should m ost highly approve o f any plan which w ould tend to render such repeal (the repeal o f the law for public m aintenance to th e poor) m ore palatable on its first p rom ulgation.” W ell then, I subm it my p lan, and challenge M r. M althus to find fault with it. M y plan w as laid on th e table o f the H ouse o f C om m ons, before M r. M althus published th e 5th edition o f his Essay on Population; and I do not suppose he was ignorant o f it; yet not a w ord is said o f it. N ow it will be better know n; an d now I challenge not only M r. M althus, but th e w hole w orld, to say in w hat it is w rong; o r to state w hat difficulty lies in th e w ay o f its ad o ptio n. M r. M althus hints at building cottages and letting them to th e poor; b u t this w ould be a m ighty expensive and com pli­ cated m atter, while it w ould pro du ce no grand effect. H e also speaks o f M r. E stcourt’s plan o f providing for th e p o o r ,- o f letting land to the poor, at Long N ew ton, in G loucestershire, (N o rth W iltshire); but this is all trifling. I have repeatedly been at Long N ew ton, seen M r. E stcourt’s provision for th e p oo r, and inquired into his plan. It is nothing m ore th an a second edition of the cot ter-rigs o f old Scotland; and its continuance rests w ith M r. E stcourt’s will and pleasure. M r. E stcourt can deprive his poor tenants o f the ridges now let to them ; on which they grow a little grain, beans, potatoes, and so forth. T he p o o r m ust be m ade independent o f all caprice: they m ust have som ething which they can call their ow n. T hey m ust have th e pow er o f loco-m otion: they m ust have a chance o f acquiring a fre e h o ld ,-a n o pportunity o f rising from out the m ud in which they are now stuck. The p oo r o f Lincolnshire are placed beyond the caprice o f th eir im m e­ diate m asters, th e farm ers. T hey rent th eir cottages and cow pastures from the chief landlords, (see page xciv) and as they never disturb them in possession, it is so far well; but it w ould be

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so m uch better if these cottagers could call th eir cottages their castles, as all Englishm en should be enabled to do. T he little feuers o f C eres parish can do this. T here, after they have obtained a fe u , they are as independent as he th at has granted it. T he feuer can build to any extent on his land w ith safety: he can keep, sell, o r divide at pleasure; and the foregoing T able shews how things go. T he practice o f thus accom m odating the labouring class w ith land is infinite. T here is no w ant o f hom es in Scotland; w hether for sale, taking by lease, o r exchange. In the parish o f C eres there are, perhaps, four tim es as m any sm all properties as those exhibited in th e table; an d all over Scotland there are abundance. H ow was it in W ily parish an d the country round? T here, nothing o f th e kind was to be seen. In every parish there w ere a few co ttag es, gen erally in m o st ru in o u s co n d itio n , w hich had, form erly, had their little independent occupiers, but now w ere held by parish officers as public property. T here w ere a few also attached to the farm s; but n o t a place o f refuge rem ained for the p o o r m an w ho had spirit to wish for a hom e o f his ow n; and w hat said a parish-officer o f W ily, w hen he w anted to get q uit o f som e o f th e poor. H e said, “ he w ould p u t them so close that th ey w ould he obliged to sw arm -'' m eaning, th at he w ould drive them from the parish, w here they had a legal right o f m ainte­ nance, by discom fort. W hoever bestow s serious reflection on this speech, cannot be longer insensible to th e necessity which exists for a thorough change being m ade in favour o f th e p oo r o f England, - th e necess­ ity o f restoring to them som e landed property in every parish, to ensure independence and the pow er o f locom otion. T he ancient com m ons, though in m any respects nuisances, w ere, in this w ay, o f vast im portance. A lm ost every parish in E ngland used to have its com m on o r cow -dow n; and every high­ w ay w as skirted w ith w aste land, on which the people could at will erect freeholds. T here was not then in E ngland a m an to w hom such a speech as the above could be appalling. Till w ithin th e last thirty years, th at com m ons and w astes have been so generally enclosed, w ithout regard to the rights o f the poor, and till all the cottages and gardens w ere taken out o f their hands, they could not be m ade to "sw a rm ," from over-crow ding in alm shouses, o r parish hovels. T he m om ent th at a p oo r m an was oppressed, by farm er, priest, o r ’squire, under w hom he lived, he could find for him self a place o f refuge. H e had only to ask the assistance o f a few friends. In a single night they could erect a hut, on th e com m on o r waste, an d before day-light the boiling p ot proclaim ed him a freeholder; n or could the king him self drive

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o u t th e poorest o f his subjects from such a tenem ent. T his, I say, was a m ighty affair for the p o o r - a m ighty stay for independence. By the enclosure o f com m ons, E ngland has becom e greatly m ore productive: m any m illions a year have been added to rentrolls; b u t by th e regardless m anner in w hich th e change has been effected, m illions o f the p o o r have been deprived o f their m ost valuable rig h ts -h a v e been enslaved. Surely, I have said enough; n or m ust I forget th at 1 am not w riting a book, but an introduction to a book. T o th e theory o f M r. M althus I shall m ost faithfully adhere; and m ost happy should I be to see so able a w riter seconding m y plans. If M r. Y oung flattered m e tw enty years ago, by saying, th at I “ knew m ore o f th e p oo r o f England th an any m an in it,” it m ay not be taken am iss if I m erely state w hat has happened since. A t no m om ent, since then, have I lost sight o f the cause for which, tw enty years ago, I shaped th e course o f my life; - neither in Scotland, nor England, n or C an ad a, - neither by land n or by sea, - neither in prosperity nor in adversity, - neither free nor in jail, neither supported by friends n or deserted by a ll:-su re ly , then, I m ust be a fool indeed, if this cause is w orthless, o r m y schem es to advance it, are good for nothing. Colonial Government. On this subject I shall address m yself To th e People o f England. S th e U nited States m ade good their independence by the sw ord, N orth A m erican C olonies m ust have cost us little less than fifty m illions o f pounds sterling; and I question if they have retu rn ed so m any farthings for o u r governm ental care. Till o f late th e annual charge could not be m uch less th an h alf a m illion; and this fact I shall m aintain, th at instead o f throw ing aw ay m oney on these colonies, w e m ay draw from them a considerable revenue, m erely by th e econom ical disposal o f w aste lands. A t the present tim e, w hen th e bonds o f society are ready to burst w ith over­ strained taxation, surely, such a consideration ought not to be thought a trifling one. O ur N orth A m erican colonies are not yet ripe for independ­ ence, o r th at should be granted them ; - not independence o f the crow n, but o f m inisters. T he colonies stand in need o f kind nursing for ten years to com e; at the end o f which period they m ight be allow ed to m eet in C onvention, and choose a govern­ in ce

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m ent for them selves. It is th eir interest to rem ain for ever co n ­ nected w ith this country, and there is not the slightest reason to suppose th at they w ould ever h arb o u r a wish to throw o ff its so v ereig n ty , o r d en y us th e rig h t o f d isp o sing o f w aste lan d s to th e best ad v an ta g e . Set free from th e w retch ed co n tro u l o f haughty, ignorant, and capricious governors, they w ould m ost assuredly cherish a pride in th eir affinity to the parent state: they w ould rem ain for ever o ur friends, and fellow-subjects. W ere a liberal system o f governm ent established in the C olonies, liberal m inded m en w ould spring up there; and, thither, liberal-m inded m en w ould em igrate from B ritain. It is from liberality alone, that B ritain can retain and derive benefit from her colonies. Let us then at once have liberality. L opking back to th e history o f A m erica, how sim ple do the m eans ap p ear by which we m ight have retained th e U nited States. G o o d heavens! w hat m adness was it to drive free-born A m ericans to rebellion, by denying them the rights o f m en! W hat folly to im agine th at w e, islanders, could coerce th e people o f a continent, 3,000 miles rem oved! H ad A m ericans been perm itted, in d ue tim e, to govern them selves, they never w ould have denied to this country the right o f disposing o f w aste land; and by the judicious disposal o f th at we could not only have draw n hom e a considerable revenue, but have planted th e new w orld w ith a sup erior race o f m en. Surely we m ay now be taught by experi­ ence; - surely, in this m ore enlightened age, we m ay learn how to turn to profit the im m ense territory which we yet possess on the continent o f A m erica. Let the eye only glance over the m ap, from the A tlantic to the Pacific, an d from th e St. Law rence to the Pole; an d , then let m e ask, if it m ay not be for the h o n o u r o f England, holding profit ap art, to consider by w hat m eans so vast a region m ay be tenanted w ith civilized m en - w ith happy souls and loyal subjects. F o u r years ago th e charm ing possibility o f this being realized daw ned upon my m ind; and I said th at “ England co u ld sp a re 50,00 0 p eo p le an n u a lly , and be refresh ed w ith th e discharge.” T he truth has grow n m ore and m ore obvious, an d I now repeat it with perfect confidence. T he vision o f quickly and thickly peopling the earth w ith o u r species, brightens in my im agination day after day; an d m ost earnestly w ould I intreat every benevolent m ind to give serious attention to th e subject. T he idea m ay be easily realized. It requires but system atic arrangem ent, an d the judicious application o f capital which we have in abundance. It will pay: it m ay be resorted to , not only for th e perform ance o f th e first great com m and to m ultiply and replenish; but for o ur individual advantage an d o ur national

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aggrandizem ent: it m ay be looked forw ard to as th e peaceful m eans o f establishing a new an d a better o rd er o f things in the w orld. H itherto m en ’s chief em ploym ent has been to butcher their kind. T hey have gone on from age to age, destroying and depopulating: they have striven to give aid to vice and m isery. W hy should it be so? M erciful G od! W hat cause have we to quarrel with the people o f the U nited States; o r these people with th eir neighbours in C anada? Is there not room for us all, and should we not first consider how th at room m ay be filled up? O ne and all o f us m ay, for centuries to com e, have positive and great advantage in settling the w astes o f nature to th eir rem otest verge. England alone could, in prosperity, easily supply 50,000 recruits annually, for em igration and settlem ent; and th e U nited K ingdom 100,000. Yes! by the sim plest arithm etic it can be proved, if p ro o f is called for. O ur N orth A m erican Provinces should be confederated. They should hold congress in the m onth o f Jun e, at Q uebec. Low er C anada: U pper C anada: N ew B runswick, having G aspe and Prince E dw ard’s Island laid to it; and N ew foundland, m ight constitute five independent, b u t confederated provinces. L abra­ dor: E ast, S outh, W est, and N orth H udson, m ight fall into the confederacy as they becam e civilized and sufficiently populous; and, in the course o f tim e, those parts o f the U nited States, w hose w aters issue by Q uebec, (never to be gained over by conquest), w ould, I d ou bt n ot, jo in th e N orthern C onfederacy, and swell the G overnm ent o f th e St. Law rence to its natural size. T he best C onstitution for a N orth A m erican Province, while at nurse, w ould, in my opinion, be this: to consist o f an Assem bly chosen by th e people, as in C anada; a G ov erno r and C ouncil. T he G ov erno r m ight be a m ilitary m an, and have th e com m is­ sio n in g o f m ilitia officers, w hile he an d th e C ou n cil ap p o in ted judges, m agistrates, & c., w ho should be subject to rem oval on the application o f a certain large portio n, say four-fifths o f the peo­ ple, am ong w hom they were appointed to act. T he C ouncil m ight co n sist o f te n m em b ers o r m o re; o ne h alf to be ch o sen by the people eligible to sit in Assem bly; th e o th er half to be real m en of busin ess, sent from E ngland on salaries for service. T h ese m en, besides doing duty in the C ouncil, as advisers and legislators, m ight form a land-board, altogether independent o f the Provincial G overnors o r G overnm ent, an d be subservient, in th at capacity, to a grand land-board at hom e. T he grand national land-board, w ith its branches in the several Provinces, m ight dispose o f w aste lands on strict business principles; and by system , every way defined and adjusted, m anage in th e best possible m anner for

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public good. A ccurate surveys an d m aps m ight be m ade, and exhibited both at hom e and ab ro ad , for th e expediting o f busi­ ness, either in purchase o r exchange; and under th e auspices o f the land-board and its branches, a grand system o f em igration m ight be organized and m aintained in constant operation. T here is nothing in m ere m agnitude which should frighten us. M agni­ tu d e in general m ay be m ade to contribute to success; and with system atic arrangem ent, and ad equ ate m eans, m ay be turned to its utm ost account, w ithout difficulty, confusion, o f failure. 1 avoid particulars. T he subject o f profitable em igration and settle­ m ent, is one to which I have devoted p art o f m y third volum e, and should the public happily conceive favourable opinions o f schem es now hinted at, it shall be my utm ost am bition to go on to practical illustration and detail. A few w ords on the fundam en­ tal principle m ay not be throw n away: they m ay assist in arresting attention . Land is valuable, according to the degree o f conveni­ ence attached to it; and o th er things being equal, increases in value as the density o f population increases. A single fam ily planted dow n on a square m ile, as is the case in U pper C an ad a, can have no convenience - no sufficient strength to m ake head against obstacles to im provem ent; and while the settler is held in m isery, little value is added to the land he occupies. Plant dow n tw o fam ilies, twelve, tw enty, o r m ore, on the sam e extent o f g round, an d each addition, up to a certain p ro po rtion , insures greater an d greater com fort and convenience to th e whole, while an instant and great value is given to the soil. O ne solitary family, settled on a square m ile, m ust pin e for years, becom e poor, dispirited, beggarly, and brutal, w hile tw enty fam ilies will not only retain their strength, their spirit, and th eir m anners, but instantly flourish, feel contented, feel happy, and be m ore and m o re am b itio u s to excel in activ ity an d skill. E ngland h as th o u ­ sands o f people to spare; and for her thousands o f people she has m illions o f acres to settle an d im prove. She is the greatest land­ o w n er on th e g lo be, and she h as th e g rea te st co m m an d o f capital. T hat capital is now running to waste; o r w orse than w aste, it is running on to increase pauperism and idleness; idle­ ness both am ong th e rich and th e poor. W hile this capital is yet at com m and, England m ay do w onders, by setting in m otion a vast m achinery at hom e and ab ro ad ; but let this capital waste itself, as it is now doing, and a little tim e only will see its end, - a woful end! N ew foundland now contains 70,000 perm anent inhabitants. T hey are sending hom e petitions, to obtain a free and regular constitution o f governm ent. Let experim ent be m ade there.

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Before the chartered constitutions o f N ova Scotia and N ew B runsw ick, o r those o f C an ad a, fram ed by A ct o f Parliam ent, are pulled to pieces, let N ew foundland have one fram ed w ithout delay; and w hen th at is found perfect, the older constitutions m ay be new -m odelled, to correspond w ith it. An im m ediate experi­ m ent m ay also be m ade in rightly laying o u t and disposing of land in N ew foundland. In general, th at country is unfavourable to cultivation; but still it contains im m ense tracts, w hich, under good m anagem ent, m ay be brought to value, and be occupied at once to the advantage o f individuals, and th e n ation . A t present, the people o f N ew foundland are not allow ed sufficient land, even for p o tato e gardens. H ow m onstrous! A nd this to o , because o f an absurd, antiquated notion, th at th e cultivation o f th e soil there, would injure the fisheries. It w ould assist the fisheries: it w ould enable us to cope with th e people o f the U nited States, in th at trade, along th e N orth A m erican shores, w here they are striving to rival, and, by all accounts, only require tim e to go beyond us, notw ithstanding th at o ur natural advantages are superior. But colonial policy is every w here at w ar w ith nature. T he people o f N ew foundland w ould, no d o u b t, be willing to give a fair price for land, to suit th eir convenience; and a judicious m ode o f laying o ut, and disposing o f land, as it cam e to be w anted, is o f the u tm ost consequence to insure th at convenience, and m ake it valuable. T he N o rth A m erican Provinces m ight choose three or m ore m em bers each, to attend congress at Q uebec; and o ne of these for each Province, m ight be allow ed to com e h om e, and have a seat in th e British Parliam ent, w ith liberty to speak, but not to vote. T hese m em bers m ight, from the C ongress being held in Jun e, annually visit England, an d return to perform their duties at Q uebec; and thus a direct, social, lively, and w atchful intelli­ gence m ight be m aintained betw een the hom e and the colonial governm ents: all w ould be sim ple and efficacious; friendly and independent; active and harm onious. If desired by th e provincials, one o f o ur Princes m ight reside at Q uebec, as Viceroy, to be directed by m inisters, subject to im peachm ent; and to the Viceroy m ight be given a pow er, m uch w anted ab ro ad , to pardon offences o f every kind: indeed, saving acknow ledgm ent to the Sovereign o f England, th e V iceroy m ight be clothed w ith every royal preroga­ tive. A t Q uebec, to o , a suprem e judicial tribunal m ight be estab­ lished, to supersede the necessity o f appealing to th e K ing in C ouncil at h o m e ;- a palpable b ar to justice. T he m ere skeleton o f provincial governm ent is sufficient now to have exhibited. It is now only m eant to attract notice to the subject, and to lay the foundation for m ature discussion. N ever did necessity call m ore

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loudly for investigation into colonial policy, th an now . W e can­ not, indeed, a ffo rd longer to trifle with this m ost im portant subject. O u r colonial policy over the w hole w orld is abom inable; but in N orth A m erica it ought m ost speedily to be seen to; for there it cannot be m uch longer endured, even though o ur M inis­ ters had still m eans to riot in folly and extravagance, in holding co lo n ies only fo r th e p o rtio n in g o f th e ir frien d s an d re la tio n s. Bickerings betw een provincial assem blies an d th eir governors are now continually heard of; and even the little island o f B erm uda has for years been in a state o f distraction and discontent, from arbitrary proceedings. T he cause is obvious. C olonial G overnors are all o f them arm ed with too m uch pow er, w hich, alm ost to a m an, they abuse. T hey are blinded by th e sycophants w ho sur­ round them ; an d invariably becom e either stupid or m ad. O ur N o rth A m erican colonies afford, in their history, not a single trace o f com m on sense, discretion, o r econom y. M ism anagem ent and m isrule have prevailed, and are prevailing. N o t only do they yield no revenue, but, as consum ers o f British m anufactures, the inhabitants are not half so advantageous to us as any like num ber o f people in the U nited States; for this clear reason, th at colonial policy has kept them spiritless and poverty-stricken. By the sim ­ plest and safest m easures, all m ay b e changed for the better. W e m ay speedily lessen o u r expenditure, and, from im proved m an ­ agem ent alone, we m ay at once have a direct revenue and flour­ ishing people to deal with in trade. M y pen m ust not be laid dow n w ithout noticing th e opposite sentim ents o f politicians in an d o u t o f pow er. M inisters seem to have no idea o f holding C an ad a, but by enfeebling th e people; ruling over them by a w retched system o f patronage and favouri­ tism ; and guarding certain points by ships, and fortifications. M ost expensive w orks have, w ithin the last tw o years, been com m enced at Q uebec and Isle-au-N oix, for m ilitary defence, while neither th e one n or the o th er post could have a thousandth share in m aintaining th e provinces to B ritain, in the event o f invasion. In fact, all that is w anted for this, is th e good will o f the people to defend them selves, an d w ith liberal treatm ent, th at w ould never be w anting. O ur O pposition m en run to an o th er extrem e. T hey are for abandoning C an ad a, o r selling it to the U nited States. T his is w orse and w orse. I can answ er for th e loyalty o f th e C anadians: it abounds; and th eir desire to be independent o f the U nited States is strong, from one end o f the country to th e other. All th at they w ant to continue and ensure this for ever is, the prom ise o f independence now , and the reality after a given period o f years.

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T o attract notice to this m ost essential point, I have twice repeated the w ord in my engraved title-pages; and, by accident, th e sun has been m ade to shine from th e north , to em blazon it. T he m om ent th at the prom ise o f independence is g ran ted, that m om ent all chance o f discord an d w ar betw een the U nited States and British A m erica will cease, an d England m ay forthw ith begin to reduce her m ilitary and naval establishm ents in th at q u a rte r of th e w orld. A t K ingston and S ackett’s h arb o u r im m ense ships of w ar are upheld, reproaching at once hum anity and com m on sense. In a very few years these ships will be rotten, and why should not each nation, w hile th e m aterials are yet fresh, have them disposed o f for useful purposes? T hese and the G overnm ent stores, at K ingston and elsew here, w ould go far to m ake good the navigation o f th e St. L aw rence; an d nothing m ore can be required to have these safely disposed of, b u t a plain agreem ent with th e U nited States, th at th e breaking up shall be m utual and sim ultaneous. T he late invasion o f C an ad a by the people o f th e U nited States, was a b urst o f m adness, o f w hich these people are now asham ed, and which never w ould be repeated, w ere C anada independent o f British M inistry. All o f us rejoice in the independ­ ence o f South A m erica, now secured by years o f civil w ar; and w ith th at country there is now every reason to believe w e shall cultivate a m ost friendly and profitable intercourse. H ow glorious w ould it be for B ritain, while opp ortu nity yet rem ains, to grant independence to N orth A m erican colonies! how glorious for her to enjoy the im m ortal h on ou r o f being th e first nation upon earth to do justice to her progeny, - the first truly entitled to the endearing appellation o f parent S ta te ! N iagara S pectator, June 10, 1819.

N iagara Jail, 7th June, 1819.

To The Parliam entary Representatives o f the People o f Upper Canada. G entlem en,

It is a lam entable fact, that m en will som etim es continue to hate those whom they have injured, for no other reason, but because they them selves have already done so m uch w rong. Having m ade this rem ark, I shall not apply it to any particular case, but wish that all of us, for the future, may be guarded against a propensity so very detestable, and ruinous to hum an felicity.

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You are this day m eeting together, to legislate for your country; and I, driving from my m em ory all past occurrences, looking anxiously to the eventful m om ent, and keeping only one object in view, viz. the general g ood, have considered by w hat m eans, and to w hat en d , y o u r labours m ay be m ost beneficially directed . W ith a m ind thus ab stracted and serious, know ing that you are not prepared to go so far as could be wished, it seem s prudent to confine m yself to that which is m ost likely of being accom plished. In my earliest reflections upon the political condition of this province, I saw restraints which greatly retarded its im provem ent, and which seem ed so obvious, that I could not doubt they w ould be speedily rem oved. T he greatest im m ediate restraint seemed to arise out o f the state of property, to which there appeared a sim ple and effectual rem edy in the adoption of a new system o f taxation. T o this subject m y attention has been very often directed; and to this I would now beg leave to call particular notice. It is not vanity to say that I have, for m any years, devoted much reflection to the subject of taxation, generally. It is m erely stating a fact; and liberal m inds will adm it o f m y frankly com m unicating som e of the results, w ithout being m oved by this or any other passion. M y reflections have led m e to believe, that the chief perfection of G overnm ent is to be looked for in the adoption o f a correct and just system of taxation. This, I am convinced, m ay be so regulated, as not only to contribute sufficiently to every public enterprise, but to com m and the destinies o f pow er and property, every way to good. M ankind have looked with astonishm ent to the m ighty achievem ents of England. T hey have seen her, single-handed, contending with Europe, -n a y , alm ost with the w orld besides; and they have seen her rising in strength as effort was required; - they have seen her unexpectedly preva'1 over innum erable difficulties. W hence has she derived her strength? From her system of taxation. In form er ages, the energies o f our species have been called forth to w ar, as furiously as we in our day have witnessed. In form er ages, we have seen those energies som etim es elicited by superior genius, and som e­ tim es impelled by the influence of accum ulated treasure; but, till this age, never did the evanescent skill o f the financier fully display its powers; never did hum an policy so com pletely excite and control hum an exertion; never did waste, to such a degree, induce excitem ent; nor excitem ent so com pletely supply the devouring jaw s o f waste. O ften have I wandered in m y fields at hom e, rum inating on the princi­ ple which upheld ou r national greatness: often have I indulged the blissful reverie, that it was possible to m ake the sam e principle operate in tim e of peace, to the increase and enjoym ent of our kind, as, in war, it had been bent on destruction and misery. But w h e re -w h e re , I would say, is there room for action? This little island already overflows w ith people: every spot is cultivated every art driven to perfection. A rrived in C anada, surveying its boundless forests and its noble river, there were at once before m e scenes o f action, objects o f em ploym ent, and incitem ents to exertion. W hat m ore is w anted here, but to give the first im petus to

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m otion? A nd w hat m ay not m otion effect - w hat m ay not be its wonderful increase? - But before com ing to the point o f action for C anada, let me glance at som e o f those circum stances which have enabled England to display such m ighty power. H er system of taxation is not one which could prim arily have been brought into full play; neither could it at all have been practicable in every country. England, happy in her local situation, contains w ithin herself m ore natural advantages than any other spot of equal extent; and her population, sufficiently great and dense, is pent up and secure by the surrounding ocean. In England, honour and sham e are m ade to toil together. T here am bition has the highest range, and necessity the direst spur: there, from poverty to extrem e w ealth, we behold a highway, but it is crow ded, and only he who labours hard can get o n. He looks behind, and is terrified with w ant: he casts his eye before him , and longs for the glittering prize. C om petitors pant by his side: there is health, there is vigour, there is joy in the race. W here, in the wide w orld, do we see m ankind so busy, by night and by day, as in England? In England, at all events, there m ust be action, and in action there is gain. It was from the extraordinary increase of this action, arising from a variety of causes, that the m eans were created which sustained the late war. T he G overn­ m ent sent abroad its arm ies, and tens of thousands were annually slain; yet the waste o f life was inferior to the supply, and population continued to increase. T he G overnm ent squandered its hundreds of m illions, but the m onied m eans becam e m ore and m ore ready at com m and. In all this, there was no m iracle. A full inspection of the m aterials and m achinery, is sufficient to account for the w onderful results. M ere population, how ever great, will do nothing w ithout excitem ent; no r will w ealth alone continually sustain ex ertio n . C hina sw arm s w ith hum an beings; but they are things w ithout p assion, - feeble, and ta m e loiterers in the paths o f im provem ent. Spain had her treasury long replen­ ished from M exico and Peru; but her wealth served, ultim ately, only to enervate; and her body politic, as well as her people, becam e plethoric and dull. England has wealth, directly poured into her from the W est and East Indies, besides the general profits of trade; but this wealth flows not im m ediately into the Treasury. Its course is better directed. It first spreads out am ong the people; gives pleasure to the rich, an aim to the am bitious, and em ploym ent to the poor. A n inw ard flow o f wealth so very great, would be ruinous to society, had it no vent: it would tend to repletion, and repletion would induce disease. T he w ar afforded vent to the vast surplus o f English wealth, as well as for her spare population. In one sense, it created health and vigour. T he cessation of w ar has, in some respects, already produced languor and disease: it has dim inished con­ sum ption, and stopped up the ducts o f beneficial waste. W ar and waste w ere, of them selves, to be deplored; but so far their effects were good. The desideratum now is, seeing that such agents have prom oted beneficial action and production, to draw forth activity, and thence have production by peaceful m eans, and for peaceful ends. I have not lauded, and shall not laud, the English system of taxation, as one which I approve, or should wish to see im itated. It has rested on oppression, and has begotten oppressors. I have spoken of it only as it has

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displayed the w onderful efforts which m ankind can m ake, with sufficient excitem ent. T he English system of taxation would never have been m ade so productive, but by a corrupt representation of the people. W ith the people, Boroughm ongers have no com m on feeling: nay, their interests run counter; and, as tools of the M inister, they are altogether perfect. They are the handspikes which squeeze from the grape the wine which itself would not yield. N o system of this kind can be established here. The people, fairly represented, will not endure that degree of pressure which is required, to put industry to its full stretch; and while there is not sufficient necessity to goad, there is a w ant o f am bition to lead on. Still, however, nature presents here m ost inviting objects for exertion, and when the course is fairly opened, the race m ay not be slack. In contriving the system of taxation which now has place in this province, no thought, I am convinced, was bestowed on the effects which m ight be produced from one system m ore than another. It was only considered how the required m eans, for G overnm ent purposes, could be m ost directly procured. A t first, m oney was only seen in shops and taverns; and a licence upon these was adequate, for a tim e, to afford the little w anted. By and by, the farm ers’ stock increased, and the principle of taxing property, according to its value, was adopted. A s a burden, taxes are here trifling; and it is a saying that w ithout challenge, all is well. T he wild lands o f absentees being untaxed, first gave rise to com plaint. T o tax the lands o f absentees, has been the object of repeated m otions in Parlia­ m ent; and a Bill, for this purpose, got so far as to be printed. T he order o f the day now is, that they m ust, at least, be m ade to contribute to the im provem ent of roads. I am to propose that they shall do m ore. In fact, I m ean to strike at the root of the present system of taxation, and exhibit an entire new one for adoption. I shall first briefly sketch out m y schem e, then pull down the old one; and, lastly, set forth w hat effects m ay be produced by the other, when substituted in its place. M y proposal then is to have but one tax for the collection of revenue in this p ro v in c e -a general land tax, m aking no distinction w hatever betw een wild and cultivated land, public or private property, that of residents or absentees; the rule o f estim ating value to be governed by one consideration, the rate of population o f the tow nship in which the land is situated, taken in conjunction with that of the neighbourhood. A few exam ples will best illustrate what I m ean. Let us take it for granted that the average value o f land throughout the province is 20s. per acre, and the average rate o f population, 1,000 souls to a tow nship of 60,000 acres. Say that tow nship A has this precise population and extent, is bounded nine miles by the lake or river, of which no account shall be taken, nine miles by Tow nship B, containing 1.500 souls, nine miles by Tow nship C, containing 1,500 souls, and nine m iles by Tow nship D , uninhabited, or, by unsurveyed land. Tow nship A being w ithin itself a t par, and, thus bounded, rem ains at par, viz. 20s. per acre. Say again, that T ow nship E, of equal extent as Tow nship A, contains 1.500 souls, is b o u n d ed nine m iles by F , co n ta in in g 1.000 souls, nine miles by G , containing 800 souls, nine miles by H , containing 1,800 souls,

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and nine miles by I, containing 2,000 souls. T hus situated, the land of E shall be reckoned w orth 28s. 4yl0d. A gain, say th at Tow nship R, o f equal extent as the above, contains no inhabitants, and is bounded by T ow nships S, T , W , and X , containing, respectively, 500, 400, 300, and 200 souls. T his will m ake the land of R w orth 5s. 7!4d. A gain, say that Tow nship W contains 500 souls; and is bounded by Y for nine miles, containing 1,000 souls, and on the other three sides by uninhabited land. This will m ake the land of W w orth 6s. per acre. T hese exam ples sufficiently shew the principle upon which 1 would have the value of land estim ated. A Tow nship m ay contain m ore o r less than 60,000 acres, or it m ay be bounded by m ore than four townships, and perhaps irregularly. In such cases a little m ore calculation only is w anted to give an equally fair result. T he idea o f raising all taxes from land, is not new. It has often been the subject o f political discussion; and often have I m used upon it before m y acquaintance with this country. In an old country, m any objections start up against its adoption; here I know o f none. T hroughout the whole province nature has wonderfully equalized the value of land. W hat is better in point o f quality, is generally w orse in point of local situation; and, at this early state of settlem ent, m inute differences in this respect are o f very little consequence. The sim plicity of such a schem e the econom y and ease of m anagem ent are highly to be prized. If the ow ner o f land is out of the country, or tardy in paying his assessm ent, an entry o f debt can forthw ith be m ade against him , his account to becom e chargeable w ith com pound interest, a half per cent, above the ordinary rate; the law declaring this debt inseparable from the land, and preferable to every other, while it gave a pow er o f sale for recovery, at the term ination of a given num ber o f years, say 10, 15, or 20. The perfection of a land tax, in a new country, is obvious, so far as speculators must either settle, sell, or pay for their profits. H aving said thus m uch o f w hat I propose for adoption, let m e briefly state wherein the present system o f taxation is erroneous and im politic. In the first place, rating all wild land at the sam e value o f 4s. per acre, is glaringly w rong. Som e wild land in rem ote situations being w orth less than even 4j., while other wild land is w orth ten tim es as m uch. In the second place, it is very unfair to rate a lot o f wild land one farthing less than a lot o f cultivated land, to which it is im m ediately adjoining. The wild land rises in value merely from the labour bestow ed on that which is cultivated, and, in strict justice, ought rather to be rated higher, from the consideration of its being a nuisance. T he revenue from Town lots is a bagatelle, which should be left to the control o f the inhabitants o f the towns respectively, for their im m ediate com fort and convenience. Taxing houses, and their fire-places, in a new country, is a sin against nature: good houses should rather have a prem ium . T axing mills is dam nable: taxing shops and storehouses is nearly as bad; b u t, w hen we get am ong the taxed horses, the taxed milch cows, and the taxed horned cattle, what can we do but laugh at the m onstrous absurdity, and think that the whole scheme was contrived by an ass? Suppose a m echanic, whose daily bread is earned by his ten fingers, has a certain weight continually to bear about

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with him , I should should think that, if he could not distribute the burden equally over his body, that som ew here between the shoulders m ight be an appropriate situation for the mass o f it; but certainly, not a single grain should be allowed to entangle the fingers, or even the parts adjoining. H usbandry stock, shops, and mills, are the very fingers o f industry, and ought, at all events, to go clear o f incum brance. W hen we see any thing very far wrong, and but feeble efforts em ployed for am endm ent, we m ay w ith som e reason suspect that there is a snake in the grass. T o excuse the ass above-m entioned, I have occasion­ ally thought that the present system of taxation had been introduced by som e law -beleagured ju d g e from E ngland, partly p e rh ap s un d er in stru c­ tions from th e landed oligarchy, or partly b esotted w ith the notion that M r. P itt’s practice was correct, of running into every corner to tax the m iddling and poorer classes o f society, while his friends o f the higher order w ent com paratively free; but then looking across N iagara river, and finding that a system som ew hat of the sam e kind obtains am ong our neighbours, my investigation into the cause is still restless - 1 am still disposed to m ake further conjecture. T he m ajority o f those who legislate in all countries, rank with the w ealthier class o f society, and selfishness will invariably have its bias. Let us first consider the private circum stances of our legislative councillors of U pper C anada. Say that one holds 100.000 acres of land; another 80,000; a third 60,000; a fourth 40,000; and the rem aining five so m uch as to bring the average o f each council­ lor’s landed estate to 20,000 acres. T his being the case, we cannot w onder much that these gentlem en have hitherto stood in the way of fairly taxing wild lands. N ow , further, am ong yourselves, m ost honourable representa­ tives o f the people o f U pper C anada, we shall say that there is one who possesses 50,000 acres of land; another 25,000; a third 15,000; and the rest of you such extent, as to m ake out, on the whole, an average possession of 5,000 acres o f land, which possession, though it will not operate so powerfully as a selfish bias against the due taxation o f wild land, as the greater average possession of legislative councillors, will still m ake you tardy, as you really have been; it will still m ake you in som e degree not so frank as in duty you ought to be, for prom oting the interests o f your constituents, w ho on an average do not possess above 400 acres of land, o f which a fifth part is under tillage; while out o f your 5.000 acres, not m ore than a 25th is cultivated, nor, o u t of the average possession of legislative councillors, not a 50th. Being m yself a holder of little m ore than 400 acres of land, I, o f course, sym pathize m ost purely with m y brother farm ers; but, G entlem en, were I a holder of 40,000 acres o f land, such is m y assurance that the principle o f taxation now proposed by m e, would be infinitely for the advantage of all, that I would push the adoption o f it with so m uch the greater zeal. Land in A m erica is the very lubber-fiend which checks its own im provem ent. Could nine-tenths o f it be sunk in the sea, and afterw ards em erge by tenths, gradually, as it becam e absolutely necessary for the wants of m ankind, there would be infinite gain in every way. The people of the States are wasting their strength by spreading too rapidly over their w ide dom ains: nor is the dropsical condition o f that country likely to have a speedy cure. H ere, in

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C anada, circum scribed by narrow er bounds, the disease m ay be easier checked, and the fullest advantage obtained from com pact settlem ent. Before proceeding to consider the use and effect to be m ade and produced by condensing all taxes into one upon land, let m e sweep down the rem aining lum ber o f the old system . T here are all the trashy duties upon im portations from the U nited States, which should fall by the lump, not excepting th at upon salt, im posed by the w isdom o f your very last session. To go to the cheapest m arket, w herever it m ay be, is econom y: to punish ourselves, that others m ay suffer, is wretched policy: to give scope to free trade is noble: to beggar custom -houses is delightful; and, looking to m oral im provem ent, there is m ore hope in the end o f sm uggling than in the beginning o f preaching. T he tax upon whiskey stills is m erely a prem ium upon rum , a less w holesom e beverage, and a draw back from the profits of the C anadian farm er, in favour o f the W est India planter. To tax billiard tables, which m ight give exercise in bad w eather to idle gentlem en, and perhaps draw them off from drinking “ O ne bottle m ore," is a foolish conceit, especially when dice m ay be rattled at will, and a dirty pack of cards m akes part of the furniture of every cobbler’s stool. Lastly, and here I shall have opposition from every bench of worshipful m agistrates, there should not even be a tax upon taverns. All all should be free o f taxation but land. T o tax taverns as a palliative against debauchery is delusive: to tax them in order to m ake advantage, of travellers is ungenerous an d unw ise: to tax them at the discretion of m agistrates, is giving an inlet to favouritism and a rb itrary pow er: to tax them merely as a source o f revenue, is altogether unnecessary. O ff-o ff, with all taxes but one upon land; and then, the heavier that is m ade by large and judicious expenditure on public w orks, so m uch the better: then, indeed, C anada shall flourish. Let us take it for granted that the province contains one hundred tow nships o f 60,000 acres each, on an average, valued at 20s. per acre, thus giving a to tal value o f £ 6 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 : o n e p er cent on w hich, viz. £ 6 0 ,0 0 0 , we shall assum e as th e first re q u ired annual revenue. How sim ple and fair becom es the business o f voting the yearly supply in future. An estim ate is m ade out of w hat is required; and w hatever it is, double, treble, a half, a fourth, or a sixteenth, m ore or less, becom es the sole consideration. O ut o f this supply I should propose to defray every public charge whatever: the charges o f the civil list of m aking and repairing roads, canals, &c. A s to roads, they should rank under three descriptions. Provincial, being those great leading roads which connect together the rem otest points, and which should draw from the public fund an absolute sufficiency for their being m ade and kept perfect. Secondly, district roads, being those connecting less distant points, and which should have support proportionate to the assessed value o f the districts through which they pass; and lastly, tow nship roads, which should have their proportion afforded on the sam e principle. It ought to be allowed, at all hands, that good roads are o f the first consequence in the im provem ent o f any country; and it is clear that if a fair principle is once fixed upon for the m aking and support of these, the

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hand to extort m eans to such ends m ay be at once relentless and just; for, the greater the expenditure, the greater, certainly, will be the gain. But, G entlem en, I now proceed to the grand purposes which taxation, on the p roposed plan, w hen once ad o p te d , an d put in sp irited a ctio n , m ay accom plish - I m ean its application to the im provem ent of the St. Law ­ rence navigation; and its being m ade a bond o f connexion betw een C anada and E n g la n d -a bond by which both countries m ay reap infinite advantage. Let m e first, however, rid m yself of a little latent contem pt, by laughing outright at the grave resolutions o f your last session, to apply to H is Royal Highness the Prince Regent for a hundred thousand acres o f land , to be intrusted to a com m ittee for executing this great work out of the sales thereof. G o d help us! w hat will the sale o f such a q u an tity o f land fetch, as things are now m anaged? Truly, perhaps as m uch as, added to the pittance (£ 2 ,0 0 0 ) voted out o f the taxes o f the province for defraying the expenses of a survey, m ight com plete that object respectably w ith plans and estim ates. Very truly, m y clodhopping brothers - most august legislators, I am asham ed o f you: so do be so good as wipe off this nonsensical concern along with the gagging act, that w e m ay all be friends again; and, in the issue, recover som e little claim to the possession of com m on sense. Y ou cannot think how anxious I am to get hom e to England, and report you all in a sane state of m ind, after the dam nable alarm you have given to Jo h n B u ll.-W e ll, hoping the best, let us p ro ­ ceed. G entlem en, the St. Lawrence navigation should be looked to as a great national object; this province affording security for the repaym ent of all charges, and Britain prom oting the work w ith a loan of m oney' and the supply o f hands. W as the affair properly represented to the im perial parliam ent, there would neither be difficulty nor delay in the accom plish­ m ent. Perm it m e to give you a slight sketch of ways and m eans, for the sake o f illustration. N ow that there is peace, Britain could spare out of her population, annually, 100,000 souls with advantage; but they who would willingly em igrate, have not the m eans o f transport. M y very first fancy tow ards U pper C anada, burned forth from a desire to effect the vast object o f finding a vent for these p oor people, w ith w hose circum ­ stances I have been peculiarly well acquainted for near twenty years; but, here I am , for m y zeal in the cause. U nder the wing o f wealthy farm ers, m any thousands of them might before now have been com fortably lodged in the province, had all gone well; and by next sum m er m any thousands m ay still be at work on the St. Law rence navigation. I have taken the present value of the settled part o f the province to be 6,000,000/. Suppose a navigation for vessels o f 200 tons could be opened from M o n treal to L ake O n ta rio , in the course o f five years from the p resen t tim e, and that during the sam e tim e there was an influx o f 20,000 souls annually into the province, pray, m ay we not fairly calculate that from 6,000,000/. value, the territory settled by the end o f that period, w ould be fully w orth three tim es as m uch; and that an expenditure o f 2,000,000/. m ight very easily be repaid o u t o f the taxation o f the province before the end o f ten years?

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Let us exhibit a jotting of how things m ight go on; 5,000 able-bodied m en could be transported from Britain, at the rate o f 10/. each*, and be at work on the canal by the 1st o f June, 1820 £ 50,000 T ransport of 10,000 wom en and children, supposed to accom pany the m en 50,000 Pay of 5,000 m en at w ork, from 1st June, till 1st D ecem ber, 1820-s ix m onths 100,000 D itto, till 1st A pril, 1821, four m onths 30,000 D itto, till 1st D ecem ber, 1821, eight m onths 130,000 T ransport of 5,000 m en, with 10,000 wom en and children, 1821 100,000 Pay o f these second year's m en, from 1st June, till 1st D ecem ber, 1821 100,000 Interest and contingencies 40,000 600,000 A t this period discharge the first year’s m en, w ho refund their transport, and have in pocket 101. per m an 100,000 Total expenditure up to 1st D ecem ber, 1821 500,000 Brought forward 500,000 Pay of second year’s m en, from 1st D ecem ber, 1821, till 1st A pril, 1822 30,000 D itto, till 1st D ecem ber, 1822, eight m onths 130,000 T ransport of third year’s m en, w ith wom en and children 100,000 Pay of these m en from 1st June, till 1st D ecem ber, 1822, six m onths 100,000 Interest and contingencies 40,000 900,000 D educt, refunded by the second year’s m en, now discharged 100,000 Total expenditure up to 1st D ecem ber, 1822 800.000 It would serve no purpose to go farther with such a sketch. M y m eaning is already clear; and the practicability of the proceeding is obvious. I suppose the m en to contract at hom e only for the labour of tw o seasons; and they are above represented as entirely quit o f the work at the end of the second sea­ son. O ne half however m ay be supposed to return, and m ake engagem ents for labour, the third, or even fourth sum m er, so as to give any required accel­ eration to the business. T o em ploy the hands during the four m onths of their first w inter, would require a little arrangem ent; but with this, jobs sufficient could be found w hile so g reat an und ertak in g w as on foot. It will be observed, that there are never m ore than 5,000 m en to be thus provided for; and being free by the com m encem ent o f the second w inter, w ith a sufficiency o f cash for present w ants, they m ight either spread them selves over the coun­ try, in the service of others, or they m ight m ake a beginning in clearing land * By personal inquiries m ade at the ports of G lasgow , Leith, and A ber­ deen, spring, 1820, I found £ 7 . was the com m on charge for a m an. On contract, and after a grand system of em igration was set on foot, the charge would be greatly lowered.

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for them selves. By this tim e, not only reconciled to the novelty of their situa­ tion, but pretty well inform ed as to the various m odes o f m anagem ent, and taught to handle the axe, they would be free o f all that gloom and aw kw ard­ ness, which is so heartbreaking to old country people, when they have to go directly into the w oods after their first arrival in this country. G entlem en, could I be assured that there was to be a speedy end to all illiberal and trifling proceedings, how joyfully should I continue to write on this glorious them e. R obhrt G o u r l a y .

C onclusion To The People o f U pper Canada F ebruary II , 1822. C a n ad ian s,

It is this day tw o m onths since th e d ate o f m y last A ddress to you. I w as then feeble; and had shortly after to abandon p art of m y plan; to throw aside my p en, and fly to th e country. T hat m ovem ent set afloat new ideas; and my A ddress to the People of W iltshire led m e first to produce som e extracts from Salisbury new spapers, and then to exhibit others out o f th e N iagara Specta­ tor, which you will find link well together, and m anifest at least consistency in opinion and principle. D uring these tw o m onths m ost eventful occurrences have taken place; and up to this h ou r th e landed an d farm ing interests have been getting into greater and greater trepidation: have been holding m eetings in every direction; and com ing forth with speeches altogether radical, led on by noble L ords. Parliam ent is now m et; and we are all upon tip-toe to learn w hat is to be done. M inisters, it is said, are ab o ut to borrow five m illions to lend to landlords and farm ers, to keep peace in this island; while penal laws and m ilitary force is applied for to cure disturbances in Ireland!!! M r. C obbett having raised a cry ab o ut Peel’s bill, (a m ost excellent bill) thinks, I presum e, th at he m ay trust to th at for a w hile w ith m ore hope th an to “ C o b b ett’s p arliam en t,” which is put off, sine d ie: so, after all, o ur fate is left “ to the force o f events,” and we know not w hat a day m ay bring forth. N ew spapers have inform ed us th at your provincial parliam ent m et on the 30th o f N ovem ber: th at it was expected th at the session w ould be short and tranquil; also, th at the question o f your farfam ed sedition law was agitated. I am sorry for this. It

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has lessened m y expectation o f a com m ission com ing hom e im m ediately; but 1 shall not yet despair. T he sole duty o f your representatives should rest in refusing supplies till a com m ission is appointed: but th e silliness o f last session m akes m e suspect that silliness m ay still prevail. It is reported th at the G overnorin-C hief has asked the parliam ent o f Low er C anada to g ran t the civil list during th e life o f the sovereign. Surely they will not be fools enough to com ply. T hough I am a friend to free trade w ith all the w orld, and wish to see th at brought ab o u t as speedily as possible, had your representatives sent hom e a com m ission last year, instead of trifling aw ay tim e, by ap p ointin g a select com m ittee (see page 666, Vol. II.) only to exhibit ignorance and vanity, I should have been happy to have seen the tim ber trad e continued for a few years in favour o f C anada, w ith notice th at the favour should be gradually w ithdraw n. T his w ould have given opp ortu nity to peo­ ple in the trade to have w ound up th eir business econom ically, and to have disposed o f o r w orn o u t their m achinery (saw-m ills, & c.) to som e profit. Should a com m ission com e hom e this ses­ sion, I should on th e sam e principle be happy to see o u r N orth A m erican provinces favoured for a few years in the corn trad e. I should wish to see your corn an d flour adm itted for sale here at all tim es on a certain duty, to be dim inished year after year, till th e trade was free to you; and, after being free to you, for som e tim e, to be m ade free to all the w orld. A n a d valorem duty would be th e thing; but for illustration, say th at y ou r w heat should this year be adm itted to sale, on paying a duty o f 3s. per bushel, next y ear 25. 6d., and so on, dim inishing 6d. every year till th e duty w as extinct. T he H alton petition, and y ou r parliam entary p ro ­ ceedings o f last year, plainly m anifest your wish to b ar o u t your neighbours in th e U nited S tates from trading through Q uebec w ith E ngland on equal term s w ith yourselves. T his is a selfish and narrow -m inded notion, on y ou r p art, and it w ould not suit Eng­ land, even though you w ere to be gainers. It is besides im practic­ able. W henever provincial duties are im posed to any great am o u nt on produce o f th e U nited States, and vent is found for it at Q uebec, th e extent o f unguarded boundary line betw een the C anadas and th e States will afford such opportunities to sm ug­ gling, as effectually to blast y ou r illiberal policy, and I rejoice in this truth. In th e event o f th e St. Law rence navigation being effected on my plan, I had a schem e to propose for m aking A m erican produce pay tow ards that; but at present there is no occasion for enlarging on th e subject. It is the interest o f Britain to trade with A m ericans through th e port o f Q uebec, as freely as

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w ith you, C anadians, though her shipping interest only was taken into consideration; and w ere an act im m ediately passed, adm itting corn and flour to be im ported from our N o rth A m erican colo­ nies, an d sold here at all tim es on a duty, as above proposed, the benefit w ould be instant and g reat both to England and the colonies. If y ou r com m ission w ould com e hom e, and propose this sim ple m easure, w ithout any invidious, grasping, and illiberal view tow ards y ou r neighbours, I d ou bt not but it w ould be adm itted; and perhaps you m ight yet get to rights w ithout becom ­ ing b an krup t. H alf the farm ers o f H alton probably have their nam es standing on the books o f Jam es C rooks, Esq. M .P . for goods furnished to them w hen prices w ere high. H e again is perhaps indebted to m erchants in M ontreal; and they to m er­ chants in L ondon. In the course o f tim e, trad e m ight assist in adjusting these accounts. I spoke lightly o f a general bankruptcy am ong you, keeping m y eye bent on the infinitely greater distress w hich general bankruptcy am ong British farm ers w ould produce. Y our distress w ould be com paratively nothing to th eir’s; and th eir’s w ould not only be to them selves ruinous, but it w ould spread death and destruction arou n d to m illions: yes, w ere the public credit o f England once vitally touched, and a general breaking dow n am ong the farm ers w ould certainly so touch it, not less than tw o m illions o f hum an beings w ould be sw ept from existence - paupers, annuitants, an d fundholders; young, old, and infirm ! I have said above, and I say again, th at no nation on earth w as ever situated as we are, from th e factitious state into w hich we have been brought by th e Pitt system o f finance, as it is called, in conjunction w ith the greatest o f all evils - the evil o f the poor-law s. I have already said, and this to o I repeat, that w ere reason to regulate o ur affairs, all danger could be avoided: even th e Pitt system could w ith discretion be followed up in tim e o f peace to infinite advantage; and taxation itself could be turned to profit. R eason, how ever, I am afraid, will never be consulted w hile we are ruled by boroughm ongers: w hile m inisters study only their ow n interest, and are totally regardless o f public good. H ow m ad are all their m easures! Let us look for an exam ple o f it to Ireland, at th e present m om ent. T hat unhappy country could be cheaply redeem ed from distress. E m ancipate the catholics: let not onefifth o f th e nation lord it over four-fifths. If clergy are to be paid by governm ent, let catholic clergy be paid as well as p ro testant clergy, on condition o f their allow ing the people to be educated: let tithes be com m uted; and let em igration be assisted. All this w ould be reasonable; but m inisters are equipping an arm y to

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m ake w ar against the poor, ignorant, d istracted, starving Irish; and L ord R oden has ju st told us in parliam ent, th at the great evil is to be traced to “ the non-residence o f gentry and landow n­ ers” !!! In England we have m uch to gain by m ere legislation. Tithes could be com m uted by an act o f the sim plest kind, m erely to m ake them payable at a fixed rate, depending on the price o f grain. T his w ould instantly ensure peace and harm ony between tithe-holders an d farm ers: it w ould instantly give the rein to the spirit o f im provem ent; and it w ould free th e clergy from a w orld o f reproach. But the clergy, w ho, o f all others, w ould b e m ost benefited, w ho w ould indeed secure to them selves, as a body, a chance o f lengthened possession o f church property; - the clergy set th eir faces against this!!! In five years, five m illions o f annual expenditure on th e poor could be saved to England by reform ing th e poor-law s; an d at least five m illions m ore w ould be added to national w ealth by greater industry an d better conduct on th e p art o f the poor them selves; b ut, will the poor-law s be reform ed? T his session they could be reform ed, as well as in any o th er session; but th e last Edinburgh Review is for delaying th at m ost necessary o f all reform s for several years!!! Since autu m n , 1813, farm ing has been unprofitable (since then I calculate th at 200 m illions o f m oney have been lost to the farm ing interest); and though th e present low prices could have been guarded against, it w as clear th at w ar prices could not be k ep t up: it was clear th at som ething should have been d on e to give farm ers relief from contracts form ed when prices w ere high, w hich could not possibly be fulfilled when prices w ere low: it was clear th at an act o f parliam ent, to allow them to pay rents according to th e price o f grain, w ould have protected them from ruin better th an a cornbill; b u t th eir landlords could not think in tim e o f lowering rents; and they now do it partially, only to increase m ischief!!! H ad landlords, w ho rule this n a tio n ,- th e landed oligarchy, seen, and they m ight have seen, had they opened their e y e s ;-h a d they seen th at rents could not be paid in peace w hich were contracted for in w ar; - had they seen th at even the Pitt system , ju d iciou sly a cted upon in tim e o f peace, could not uphold w ar prices, after o ur m onopoly o f trad e w as at an end, after other nations enjoyed dom estic peace, and could supply them selves; after they w ere freed from ancient encum brances; an d , with “ cheap labour and rem oved absurdity, could afford the produc­ tions o f th e soil at one-third o f o u r price:” had o ur oligarchy seen

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all this, an d it w as quite visible; - had they seen this, and liberally proposed low ering their rents according to the fall o f corn prices; - h a d they thus low ered rents, and insisted at th e sam e tim e, w hich in th e om nipotence o f th eir pow er they could have done, th at fundholders should be paid in the sam e portion; th at all governm ent officers should be paid in the sam e p ro po rtion , &c. & c .:-th e n , indeed, w ith peace w e should have had plenty and prosperity. W hat is to prevent this to be d on e now ? W hat is to prevent a general arrangem ent th ro u gh ou t his M ajesty’s d om in ­ ions, th at all contracts m ay be paid on a certain scale o f reduc­ tion? Suppose you august parliam ent, C anadians, was to enact th at all contracts w ere to be com pounded for at a certain low rate, w hich w ould save you from universal bankruptcy am ong yourselves; which w ould enable th e inhabitants o f H alton to get o u t o f the books o f Jam es C ro ok s, Esq. M .P . Y our provincial law could not let him out o f th e books o f th e m erchant in M ontreal; nor could an enactm ent o f the Low er Province let the M ontreal m erchant o u t o f th e books o f th e L ondon m erchant; b ut if th e British Parliam ent w ere to set ab o ut the w ork; - if the suprem e governm ent w ere to ad m it o f debts being extinguished at 30, o r 40, o r 50 p er cent, discount at hom e, and o ur governm ents abroad w ere to act in unison, w e should be all able to start afresh, hale, sound, and unincum bered; and w ith the dire experi­ ence o f w hat has happened, avoid in future such scrapes as those in w hich we are involved. All this could be easily effected, had reason th e controul; but I m ust confess, th at my hope o f reason guiding o ur destinies is not very sanguine. A gain, adieu. Introduction to Sketches and Township Reports o f Upper Canada. Sketches w ere prepared for publication in 1811, b u t laid aside in consequence o f th e w ar w hich broke o u t in 1812. O n th e re-establishm ent o f peace, the w riter revised his Sketches, and inserted accounts o f battles, & c. o f which he had the best opportunities o f being correctly inform ed, again intend­ ing to publish, b ut, for reasons not com m unicated to m e, that intention w as relinquished. In 1818 th e m anuscript w as offered to m e, as a fund o f m aterials for m y Statistical A ccount, and I had a w ritten o rder to receive it from a prin ter in the U nited States on m y way to England. W hen shut up in N iagara jail, it occured to m e, th at I m ight beguile som e dreary hours by publishing in U pper C an ad a the T ow nship R eports, w ith a general A ccount o f th e Province, from T he

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m y ow n know ledge, so as to have th e w hole im proved on the spot, by additions and observations o f the inhabitants, for rend er­ ing the publication in England m ore com plete. I took steps tow ards this, and had the Sketches sent to m e; but they did not arrive till after I had found it im possible to accom plish my purpose, and I did not give them an attentive reading till my return hom e. H ere I found the w ork so perfect, the style so good, and th e statem ents so candid an d im partial, that I judged it w rong to pull it to pieces. I conceived th at as a w hole, it was b etter than any general account I could draw up, and w ould be m ore peculiarly interesting, as com ing from th e pen o f a native A m erican, and o ne w ho had been long resident in th e province of U pp er C anada. T he T R need no o th er introduction th an the follow ing A ddress, w hich called them forth. o w n sh ip

epo rts

TO

The R esident L and-O w ners o f U pper Canada. Q ueenston, O ctober, 1817. G e n t le m e n ,

I am a British farm er, and have visited this province to ascertain what advantages it possesses in an agricultural point of view. A fter three m onths residence I am convinced that these are great, - far superior indeed to w hat the m other country has ever held out, either as they concern speculative purchase, o r the profits o f present occupation. U nder such im pressions, it is m y purpose, as soon as circum stances will perm it, to becom e a settler; and in the m eantim e, would willingly do w hat lies in m y pow er to benefit the country o f m y choice. W hen I speak in this sanguine m anner o f the capabilities of C anada, I take it for granted that certain political restraints to im provem ent will be speedily rem oved. G row ing necessity, and the opinion o f every sensible m an with whom I have conversed on the subject, gives assurance o f this. M y present A ddress, therefore, waves all regard to political arrangem ents: it has in view, simply to open a correspondence betw een you and your fellow-subjects at hom e, w here the utm ost ignorance prevails with respect to the natural resources of this fine country. Travellers have published passing rem arks, - they have told wonderful stories, and am used the idle of England with descriptions o f the beautiful and grand scenery which nature has here displayed; but no authentic account has yet been afforded to m en o f capital, to m en o f enterprise and skill, o f those im portant facts which are essential to be know n, before such m en will launch into foreign speculation, or venture w ith their families, in quest o f better fortune across the A tlantic. In this state o f ignorance, you have hitherto had for settlers chiefly poor m en driven from hom e by despair. These m en, ill-inform ed and lost

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in the novelties which surround them , m ake at first but a feeble com ­ m encem ent, and ultim ately, form a society, crude, unam bitious, and w eak. In your new spapers I have frequently observed hints tow ards bet­ tering the condition of those poor settlers, and for ensuring their residence in the provinces. Such hints evidently spring from benevolent feelings: they are well m eant, and m ay tend to alleviate individual distress, but can produce no im portant good to the country. C anada is w orthy of som e­ thing better than a m ere guidance to it of the blind and the lam e: it has attractions to stim ulate desire and place its colonization above the aids of necessity. H ands no doubt are necessary, but, next to good laws, the grand requisite for the im provem ent o f any country is capital. Could a flow of capital be once directed into this quarter, hands would not be wanting, nor would these hands be so chilled with poverty as to need the patronage of charitable institutions. A t this m om ent British capital is overflow ing; trade is yielding it up: the funds cannot profitably absorb it: land m ortgages are gorged; and it is stream ing to waste in the six per cents, o f A m erica. W hy should not this stream be diverted into the w oods o f C anada, w here it would find a still higher rate o f interest, with the m ost substantial security? G entlem en! T he m om ent is m ost auspicious to your interests, and you should take advantage o f it. Y ou should m ake know n the state o f this country; you should advertise the excellence o f the raw m aterial which N ature has lavishly spread before you; you should inspire confidence, and tem pt able adventurers from hom e. A t this tim e there are thousands of British farm ers sickened with disappointed hopes, w ho would readily com e to C anada, did they but know the truth: m any of these could still com m and a few thousand pounds to begin with here; while others, less able in m eans, have yet preserved their character for skill and probity, to entitle them to the confidence o f capitalists at hom e, for whom they could act as agents in adventure. U nder the wing o f such m en, the redundant population o f Britain would em igrate with cheerfulness, and be planted here w ith hearts unbroken. W e hear of four or five thousand settlers arrived from hom e this season: and it is talked o f as a great accession to the population o f the provinces. It is a m ere drop from the bucket. England alone could spare fifty thousand people annually, while she would be refreshed and strength­ ened by the discharge. In war, England sent abroad annually m ore than twenty thousand of her youthful sons to be slain, and m ore than twenty thousand of her daughters shot after them the last hope o f honourable love. In these twenty-five years o f w ar the population o f England rapidly increased: w hat is it to do now , w hen w ar is at an end, when love and opportunity are no longer to be foiled, and the poor-law s have provided sustenance for children independent o f the parent’s care? U nder existing circum stances, it is absolutely necessary even for the dom estic com fort of England, that a vent should be im m ediately opened for her increasing population, and the colonization o f C anada, if once begun, upon a liberal footing, w ould afford this vent. T he present em igration from England affords no relief w hatever to the

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calam ity occasioned by the poor-law s. T housands and tens o f thousands o f paupers could be spared, w ho cannot possibly now get off for w ant of m eans, but who would be brought over by m en of capital, were confi­ dence for adventure here once established. T he extent of calam ity already occasioned by the system of the poorlaws, cannot be even im agined by strangers. T hey m ay form som e idea, however, when I tell them , that last w inter I saw in one parish (Blackwall, w ithin five miles of London), several hundreds of able-bodied m en, harnessed and yoked, fourteen together, in carts, hauling gravel for the repair of the highways; each fourteen men perform ing just about as much work as an old horse led by a boy could accom plish. W e have heard since that £ 1,500,000 has been voted to keep the poor at w ork; and perhaps the m ost m elancholy consideration o f the whole is, that there are people who trust to such m eans as a cure for the evil. W hile all this is true; when the m oney and labour of England is thus w asted; w hen th ousands of o u r fellow -subjects are em igrating into the States o f A m erica; when we even hear o f them being led off to m ix with the boors of Poland, in the cultivation of a country where the nature of the governm ent m ust counteract the utm ost efforts tow ards im provem ent, - i s it not provoking that all this should go on m erely from a reigning ignorance of the superior advantages which C anada has in store, and a thoughtlessness as to the grand policy which m ight be adopted for the general aggrandizem ent o f the British nation? Som e have thought the exclusion o f A m erican citizens a great bar to the speedy settlem ent o f C anada; but a liberal system o f colonization from Europe, would render this o f small im portance. Before com ing to a decided opinion on this im portant subject, I took m uch pains to inform m yself o f facts. A m inute inquiry on the spot w here governm ent has endeavoured to force a settlem ent, satisfied m e as to the causes of the too notorious failure there. It convinced m e that the fault by no m eans rested with the incapacity o f the settlers, but resulted from the system pursued. I have since spent a m onth peram bulating the G enesee country, for the express purpose of form ing a com parison betw een British and Am erican m anagem ent. T hat country lies parallel to this: it possesses no superior advantages: its settlem ent began ten years later; yet I am asham ed to say, it is already ten years before C anada, in im provem ent. This has been ascribed to the superior dexterity o f the A m erican people, but most erroneously. T he art o f clearing land is as well understood here as in the States: m en direct from Britain are as energetic, and after a little practice, sufficiently expert with the axe, while they are m ore regular in their habits and m ore persevering in their plans than the A m ericans. N o im provem ent has taken place in the G enesee country, which could not be far exceeded here, under a proper system . It was indeed British capital and enterprise which gave the first grand im petus to the im prove­ m ent o f that country: m uch of its im provem ent is still proceeding under British agency; and one o f its m ost flourishing tow nships is wholly occu­ pied by m en, w ho cam e, w ith slender m eans, from the H ighlands of Scotland. In the G enesee country, the governm ent pocketed m uch, but forced nothing, and charity, there, has been left w ithout an object.

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G , - T h e inquiries and observations which I have recently m ade on the subject o f settlem ent, assure me, that neither in these Provinces nor in the U nited States, has a proper system been pursued. T he m ere filling o f the world with m en, should not be the sole object of political w isdom . This should regard the filling of it w ith beings of superior intellect and feeling, w ithout which the desert had better rem ain occupied by the beaver and the bear. T hat society of a superior kind m ay be nursed up in C anada, by an enlarged and liberal connexion with the m other country, I am very confident; and its being realized is the fond hope which induces m e to com e forw ard with my present proposals, and which, if these proposals m eet w ith support, will continue the spur o f my exertions to com plete the work which I have now in view. M any o f you. G entlem en, have been bred up at hom e, and well know how superior, in m any respects, are the arrangem ents and habits of society there, to w hat they are on this side the A tlantic. Such never can be hoped for here under the present system of colonization, which brings out only a part, and that the w eakest part of society - which places poor and destitute individuals in rem ote situations, with no object before them but groveling selfishness no aid - no exam ple no fear either of G od or m an. Is it not possible to create such a tide o f com m erce as would not only bring with it part o f society, but society com plete, with all the strength and order and refinem ent which it has now attained in Britain, beyond all precedent? Surely governm ent would afford every facility to a com m erce which would not only enrich, but eternally bind together Brit­ ain and her Provinces, by the m ost powerful sym pathies o f m anners and taste and affection. G overnm ent never can too m uch encourage the grow th of this colony, by a liberal system of em igration. W hen we com e from hom e, we are not expatriated: our feelings as British subjects grow m ore warm w ith dis­ tance, and our greater experience teaches us the m ore to venerate the principles of our native lan d -th e country wherein the sciences have m ade the greatest progress, and where alone are cultivated to perfection the arts of social life. A t hom e, we have experienced evils: we know that influ­ ences are there, which w ar against the principles o f the constitution, and counteract its m ost benevolent designs. Here, we are free of such influ­ ences, we are perfectly contented, and a fine field lies open to us for cultivating the best fruits o f civil and religous liberty. A n enlarged and liberal connexion betw een C anada and Britain, appears to m e to prom ise the happiest results to the cause of civilization. It prom ises a new aera in the history of our species: it prom ises the grow th o f m anners with m anly spirit, m odesty with acquirem ents, and a love o f truth superior to the boasting of dispicable vanity. The late w ar furnished the strongest pro o f of the rising spirit of this colony, even under every disadvantage; and pity it would be, were no noble a spirit ever again exposed to risk. The late war show ed at once the affection which Britain bears to C anada, and the desire which C anada has to continue under the wing of Britain. W hen a connexion is established betw een the tw o countries w orthy o f such m anifestations, all risk will cease. Britain will no longer have to expend her m illions here. This e n t l e m e n

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country will not only be equal to its own defence, but the last hope of invasion will w ither before its strength. W hile C anada rem ains p oor and neglected she can only be a burthen to Britain: when im proved and wealthy she will amply repay every debt, and becom e the powerful friend of the parent state. W hat I conceive to be the first requisite for opening a suitable com m unication w ith the m other country, is the draw ing out and publish­ ing a w ell-authenticated statistical account of U pper C anada. T his cannot be effected by a single hand: it m ust be the w ork, and have the authority of m any. T o give it com m encem ent, I subm it for your consideration the annexed queries; and could these be replied to, from every tow nship in the Province, the work would be far advanced. These queries have been shewn to m any o f the m ost respectable individuals in the province, and the schem e of collecting m aterials in this way, for a statistical account, has, by every one, been approved. Som e have doubted w hether there exists sufficient energy and public spirit in the rem ote tow nships to reply to them . I hope there is; and certainly no organized tow nship is destitute o f individuals qualified for the task, i f they will hut take so much trouble. Som e gentlem en have m et my ideas so cordially as to offer to collect inform ation, not only for their ow n, but, for other tow nships. Correct inform ation, how ever, is not the only requisite: authority is also w anted of that species which will not only carry weight w ith it to a distance, but rem ain answerable on the spot for w hat is advanced. T he desirable point, therefore, is to obtain replies separately fro m each township , and to have these attested by the signature of as m any of the respectable inhabitants as possible. T o accom plish this in the speediest and m ost effectual m anner, a m eeting m ight be held in each tow nship, and in the space o f an hour or two the business m ight be perfected. T he Q ueries have been draw n out as sim ply as possible, w ith a view to the practicability o f having them answered in this general way. They em brace only such m atters as it m ust be in the pow er of every intelligent farm er to speak to, and the inform ation to be obtained by them will be sufficient to assure farm ers and others at hom e w ho have m oney to engage in adventure, that adventure here, will not only be rational and safe, but that they them selves m ay sit down in C anada with com fort and independence. A lthough, to prevent confusion in the general fulfilm ent of the schem e, I have confined the range of Q ueries, it would still be very desirable if intelligent individuals would com m unicate their sentim ents with regard to any m easure o f im provem ent which occurs to them , or any rem arkable fact or observation they m ay have m ade concerning the cli­ m ate, soil, or cultivation of the province. Should any correspondent dislike m y using his nam e publicly, he need only give a caution, and it shall be observed*. * These lines were throw n in at the suggestion of the printer at Y ork, w ho th o u g h t few people w ould choose to give th e ir nam es, as authority. So very different was the issue, that 1 have received only

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If the Q ueries obtain notice, and sufficient docum ents are forw arded to me, I shall arrange and publish them in England, w hither I am soon to return. Had this task required superior ability, such an offer would be presum ption. I think it requires industry alone, and that I shall contribute m ost willingly. W hoever thinks well o f the schem e, and feels a desire to prom ote it, let him not hesitate or delay: prom pt assistance will be every thing; and, as to trouble, let individuals com pare their's to m ine. T hough I gratuitously m ake offer of my tim e, I m ust be relieved of expense as much as possible, and shall expect all com m unications to be post paid: N o person, I think, who interests him self at all in the m atter, will grudge his item in this way. Divided am ongst m any, such charges will be trifling, but accum ulated upon one, they would be serious. Should the work succeed to m y wish, 1 would propose not only publishing it in the English, but G erm an language. It is well know n that the people of that nation are m ost desirable settlers, and it is a fact that m any of them have not the m eans of com m unicating to their friends the very superior advantages o f this country. One of them , who has been in C anada 13 years, lately told m e, that “ tousands and tousands Would com e over, did they but know how good a country it is for poor peoples.” ROBERT GOURLAY N.B. Address alt communications fo r me, to the Post Office. Queenston. R. G.

T he U pp er C anada G azette, in which th e above was first p u b ­ lished, having a very lim ited circulation, and th e President, C olo­ nel S m ith, having approved o f the A ddress, 700 copies were throw n o ff as a C , and sent by post to th e public officers o f each tow nship, w ith the following note: ir c u l a r

"S ir, " T h e within A ddress, &c. appeared in the U pper Canada G azette o f the 30th O ctober, but lest that pap er should not fa ll into yo u r hands, this is sen t to you; and it is earnestly requested that yo u will endeavour to procure a m eetin g o f y o u r respectable neigh­ bours, as soon as possible, and otherw ise fo rw a rd the object in view, which w ould be o f the greatest service to th e Province. R. G ."

one com m unication out of nearly a hundred, with a feigned signa­ ture. 1 m ention this to the honour o f the peop'e of U pper C anada, while I express my regret for adm itting o f a supposition that any one would hesitate or w ithhold his nam e in support o f the inform ation required.

SKETCH ES O F UPPER CANADA Sketch V. Civil Divisions. B y the constitutional act th e governor was authorized to divide the province into districts, counties, o r circles, and tow ns or tow nships, and to establish th e lim its thereof; subject, how ever, to alteration by th e provincial legislature. Lord D orchester h ad, three years before, form ed th at p art of the province o f Q uebec, which now com poses U pper C anada, into four districts; L unenburgh, M ecklenburgh, N assau, and H esse. A t the first provincial parliam ent in 1792, those nam es were abolished, and the Eastern, th e M idland, the H om e and the W estern substituted as the nam es o f the respective districts; but th eir lim its w ere not altered. Soon a fte r L ie u te n a n t-G o v e rn o r S im coe u n d erto o k the adm inistration o f th e province, he issued a proclam ation, dated July 16, 1792, dividing it into 19 counties. In 1798, the parliam ent revised the civil divisions o f the province; and, m aking several alterations and additions, estab­ lished eight D istricts, 23 C ounties, and 158 Tow nships. The Eastern District W as com posed o f five counties: 1st. The C ounty o f G lengary, containing the tow nships of L ancaster, C harlottenburgh, and K enyon, w ith the tract o f land claim ed by the St. Regis Indians. 2d. The C ounty o f S to rm o n t, containing the tow nships of C ornw all, O snaburgh, Finch and R oxburg. 3d. The C ounty o f D undas, containing the tow nships of W illiam sburgh, M atilda, M ountain, and W inchester. 4th . The C ounty o f P rescott, containing th e tow nships of H aw ksbury, Longueil, w ith th e tract o f land in its rear, Alfred and Plantagenet.

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5th. The C ounty o f R ussell, containing th e tow nships o f C larence, C um berland, G loucester, O sgood, Russell, and C am ­ bridge. The District o f Johnstown W as com posed o f three counties: 1st. The C ounty o f G renville, containing the tow nships o f E dw ardsburgh, A ugusta, W olford, O xford on the R ideau, M arl­ borough, M ontague, N orth G ow er, and South G ow er. 2d. The C ounty o f Leeds, containing the tow nships o f Eliza­ bethtow n, Y onge (including w hat was form erly called Escot), L ansdow n, Leeds, C rosby, B astard, Burgess, Elm sly, and K itly. 3d. The C ounty o f C arlton, containing the tow nship o f N epean, w ith the tract o f land to be th ereafter laid o u t into tow nships, betw een N epean an d a line draw n north, 16 degrees west from the north w est angle o f C rosby, until it intersects the O ttaw a river. The M idland District W as com posed o f four counties, w ith the land in their rear, to the northern lim its o f th e province. 1st. The C ounty o f F rontinac, containing the tow nships of P ittsburgh, K ingston, L oughborough, P ortland, H inchenbroke, B edford, and W olfe Island. 2d. The incorporated C ounties o f L en o x and A ddington, containing the tow nships o f E rnest T ow n, Fredericksburg, A dol­ phus T ow n, R ichm ond, C am den (east), A m herst Island, and Sheffield. 3d. The C ounty o f H astings, containing the tow nships o f Sidney, T hurlow , the tract o f land occupied by the M ohaw ks, H ungerford, H untingdon, and R aw don. 4th. The C ounty o f Prince Edward, containing th e tow n­ ships o f M arysburg, H allowell, Sophiasburg, and A m eliasburg. The D istrict o f New castle, T he organization o f which was postponed until th e num ber o f its inhabitants am ounted to a thousand, was com posed o f tw o coun­ ties, w ith the land in their rear, to the northern limits o f the province.

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1st. The C ounty o f N orthum berland, containing the tow n­ ship o f M urray, C ram ahe, H aldim and, H am ilton, A lnw ick, Percy, and Seym our. 2d. The C ounty o f D urham , containing the tow nships of H ope, C larke, and D arlington, w ith som e adjoining lands. The Hom e District W as com posed o f tw o counties. 1st. The C ounty o f Y ork, containing, in its East R iding, the tow nships o f W hitby, Pickering, Scarborough, Y ork, E tobicoke, M arkham , V aughan, K ing, W hitchurch, U xbridge, G uillem bury, and a tract o f land, thereafter to be laid out into tow nships, betw een the C ounty o f D urham and lake Sim coe; in th e W est R iding, the tow nships o f Beverly, H am borough (east and west), and several tracts o f land, not then laid o u t into tow nships. 2d. The C o u n ty o f S im c o e , co n tain in g M atch ed ash , G loucester, o r Penetangueshine, w ith Prince W illiam H enry’s island, and a tract o f unlocated land, extending to the northern lim its o f the province. The District o f Niagara W as com posed o f tw o counties, together with the beach betw een th e head o f lake O ntario, and B urlington bay, and the p ro m on ­ tory betw een th at bay an d C o o t’s Paradise. 1st. The C ou n ty o f L incoln, containing, in its first riding, th e tow nships o f C linton, G rim sby, Saltfleet, B arton, A ncaster, G landford, B inbrook, G ainsbo ro u gh , an d C aistor: in the second riding, N iagara, G ran th am , and L outh; in th e third riding, Stam ­ ford, T horold, and Pelham ; in th e fourth riding, B ertie, W il­ loughby, C row land, H um berstone, and W ainfleet. 2d. The C ounty o f H aldim and, containing the tract o f land on each side o f the G rand river, then in th e occupation o f the Six N ation Indians, and lying to the southw ard and south w est of D undas Street. The District o f London W as com posed o f three counties, w ith a tract o f land extending back to lake H uron.

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1st. The C ounty o f N o rfo lk , containing th e tow nships o f R ain h am , W alpo le, W o o d h o u se , C h a rlo ttev ille, W alsing h am , H oughton, M iddleton, W indham , and T ow nsend, w ith T urkey Point, and the prom ontory o f Long Point. 2d. The C ounty o f O xfo rd , containing th e tow nships o f B urford, N orw ich, D ereham , O xford upon th e T ham es, Blandford, and Blenheim . 3d. The C ounty o f M id d lesex, containing th e tow nships o f L o n d o n , W estm in ster, D o rch este r, Y a rm o u th , S ou th w old, M alahide, Bayham , D unw ich, A ldborough, and D elaw are. The W estern District W as com posed o f tw o counties, w ith all th e north w estern region o f th e province not included in any o th er district. 1st. The C ounty o f K en t, containing th e tow nships o f D over, C hath am , C am den (w est), the M oravian tract o f land, called O rford (north and south), H ow ard, H arw ich, R aleigh, R om ney, T ilbury (east and w est), and the Shaw ney Indians’ tow n. 2d. The C ounty o f E ssex, containing th e tow nships o f R ochester, M ersea, G osfield, M aidstone, Sandw ich, C olchester, M alden, and th e lands o f the H urons, and o th er Indians upon the strait. T he adjacent islands, in the rivers an d lakes, w ere generally annexed to the tow nships in front o f which they w ere situated. A num ber o f o th er tow nships have been since laid o ut; and others still will doubtless be added as fast as th e population and settlem ent o f th e province shall requ ire them . In a few o f th e tow nships there is a plat o f a m ile square, distinguished as a tow n, but w itho ut any distinct corporate privi­ leges. In som e instances, the nam e o f th e tow n is different from th at o f th e tow nship, as Brockville, in the tow nship o f Elizabeth tow n. Several applications have been m ade to the provincial legisla­ ture for th e incorporation o f o th er districts; but they have n o t yet been granted. As civil divisions, these districts are peculiar to this province, an d have alm ost annihilated th e im portance o f counties. T here are district courts, but no county courts. T he court house and gaol belong to the district. T he sh e riffs authority is com m ensur­ ate w ith the district. T he com m ission o f th e peace extends through th e w hole district, an d o f course, th e jurisdiction o f the

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court o f sessions is equally extensive. So is th at o f th e surrogate court, an d th e co u rt o f assize, & c. T he locality o f ju ries, o f real and o th er local actions, and o f crim es, has reference to the district. In short there are only tw o o r three respects, in which counties are regarded by law: o ne is th e registry o f land titles; an o th er the organization o f th e battalions o f m ilitia*. T h e to w nsh ips ex tend nin e m iles in fro n t, an d tw elve m iles back. T his is a general rule, from which there have been excep­ tions, occasioned by the shape an d quantity o f land rem aining to be laid o u t after preceding locations. T he tow nships were laid out into C oncessions and lots, in this m anner. A front line was first adjusted to the shore, so as to leave as little as possible o f head land betw een it and the w ater, an d o f back w ater betw een it and th e land. A second line was then draw n parallel w ith the first, an d at the distance o f a hundred chains, o r a m ile and a quarter, besides the allow ance for a road. T he intervening range o f land was called th e first o r front C onces­ sion. In the sam e m anner a second C oncession was laid o ut, then a th ird, fourth, & c. In the front and betw een th e C oncessions, a strip o f land was allowed for a ro ad . T he allow ance for th e front ro ad w as generally 60 feet, and for the o th er C oncession roads 40 feet. Each C oncession w as divided into lots o f 200 acres, by parallel lines at right angles w ith th e C oncession lines, and 20 chains, o r a q u arter o f a m ile distant from each other. A t inter­ vals o f tw o o r three miles, a strip o f 40 feet, betw een tw o lots, was left for a cross road. In several o f th e first tow nships the lots w ere laid only nine­ teen chains w ide, and consequently th e C oncessions w ere p ro p o r­ tionally w ider, to give each lot, by an ad d ition o f length, its com plem ent o f 200 acres. A nd in som e o f the later tow nships, I believe the C oncession lines have been draw n so as to m ake the 200 acre lots sho rter and w ider. In th e tow nships bordering upon the lakes and great rivers, th e C oncessions w ere fronted on th e w ater. T he ranges o f tow n­ ships laid o u t on each side o f Y onge street and D undas street, w ere fronted on those streets respectively. T h e C oncessions being num bered from the front to th e rear o f th e tow nships, the lots in each C oncession w ere distinguished by th eir ap p ro priate num bers, and are com m only described in th at m anner; as lot N o. - in th e - C oncession o f the tow nship o f - . * M em bers o f parliam ent are generally chosen by counties. In N iagara district by ridings, which are equivalent to counties. The district of O ttaw a is still joined to the eastern district, as it concerns assize courts. - R. G .

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T his d escrip tio n , by th e n u m b er o f th e lo t an d o f th e C on ces­ sion, w ith the nam e o f th e tow nship, is sim ple, fam iliar, and uniform , and at th e sam e tim e so definite, th at it has been adjudged by the C ou rt o f K ing’s Bench to be sufficient, not only in a deed o f conveyance, but even in a w rit o f ejectm ent. T he inhabitants o f these tow nships hold annual m eetings, ap p oint certain officers, and regulate som e m atters o f police agreeably to th e provisions o f law, but have not such various co rp o rate pow ers and duties, as those little republics, the tow ns of N ew England.

Sketch VI. Settlem ents. The whole north eastern L im its settled - C ornwall - C harlottenhurg W illia m sb u rg - B a ttle o f C h ry sle r's F ield Jo h n sto w n P rescott - E lizabeth Tow n - B rockville - K ingston E rnest Town - Tow nships around the B a y o f Q uinte - N ew castle D istrict Yonge S tre et - York - N iagara D istrict - Indian Lands - London D istrict - W estern D istrict - S hores o f L a k e s E rie and O ntario L ord S e lk irk 's P lantation - S itu a tio n o f London on the Tham es. I t has been stated th at U pp er C anada began to be settled in 1784. A brief sketch o f th e progress and present state o f the settlem ents will be added. From the north eastern line to Elizabeth tow n, ab o ut 70 m iles, the w hole w idth o f the province, betw een the tw o bound­ ary rivers St. Law rence and O ttaw a, was early laid o u t into tow nships, in tw o, three, and four ranges. T hese tow nships are all settled, and m any o f them well cultivated. Som e o f them have im provem ents on alm ost every lot. C ornw all is a flourishing tow n, w atered by a rivulet running through it, and situated on a com m odious bay o f the river below the L onge S a u lt. It is the seat o f th e courts for th e eastern d istric t, has a very resp ectable literary in stitu tio n , a ch u rch and rectory, and considerable trade. C harlottenburg next below , has m ore agriculture, and a larger n um ber o f inhabitants. It is well w atered by the river A ux R ais­

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ins; b u t is not conveniently situated for trad e. T he first settlers w ere chiefly C atholics from Scotland. T hey have a C atholic chapel in the tow nship. T he front o f W illiam sburg is a beautiful situation on the bank o f the river. In this tow nship there is a L utheran church. C hrysler’s farm , in this tow nship, has acquired celebrity from a battle fought there, N ovem ber 11th, 1814, betw een a p art o f G eneral W ilkinson’s arm y on th eir way dow n th e St. Law rence, an d a body o f British troops, collected and com m anded by Lieutenant-C olonel M orrison, pursuing and harassing the A m ericans on th eir m arch. T he latter, led by B rigadier-G eneral Boyd, in the absence o f G enerals W ilkinson and Lewis, w ho w ere in the boats, faced about, and com m enced th e action, in the early p art o f w hich they w ere successful. But C olonel M orrison, by his ju d i­ cious m ovem ents, and the discipline and firm ness o f his troops, m aintained a well chosen position, and tu rn ed th e fortune o f the day. G eneral Boyd being forced to retreat, form ed his troops again, w ith a view to a further engagem ent; but was ordered to em b ark, and proceed dow n th e river. T he loss in killed and w ounded was severe on both sides. G eneral C ovington, o f the A m erican arm y, died o f his w ounds a few days afterw ards. This short but severe action is called by th e British officers the battle o f C hrysler’s field, and by the A m ericans the battle o f W illiam s­ burg. Johnstow n, in th e tow nship o f E dw ardsburg, is calculated for a m ercantile depot, at th e head o f the R apids, being the lowest p o rt to an d from which lake vessels sail. It was th e court tow n of th e eastern district; and since the division o f th e original district, the courts for the district o f Johnstow n have been attended here, as well as at Elizabeth tow n. Johnstow n has experienced a com ­ parative decline. P rescott, a village in A ugusta, opposite to O gdensburgh, is beginning to vie w ith th at place in exertions to obtain th e for­ w arding business o f th e M ontreal boats, and the vessels o f the lake. A lthough it is not so low dow n as Johnstow n, it has a bolder shore. E lizabeth is a populous and w ealthy tow nship, situated near the centre o f th e district, has a good agricultural country around it, an d is increasing in com m ercial business. T he village at th e front o f this tow nship has received the nam e o f Brockville. A lthough n o t regularly fortified, it w as the station o f a few troops, an d the scene o f som e m ilitary o p era­ tions. O n th e 7th o f F ebruary, 1813, C aptain F orsyth, w ith 200 volunteers from O gdensburgh, landed in this village, surprised the

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g uard, and took ab o ut 40 prisoners, w ith som e arm s, am m u n i­ tion, and other public stores. F rom the tow nships adjoining the O ttaw a, and th e rivers R ideau and Petite N ation, w hich em pty into th e O ttaw a, the p ro du ce is transported in boats dow n th at river to M ontreal, and goods are rem itted through th e sam e channel. T he head w aters of these stream s com m unicate by sh o rt portages w ith those which fall into th e St. Law rence; and by m eans o f locks and canals, an inland navigation m ight be easily effected betw een th e St. Law ­ rence and the O ttaw a, to the benefit o f com m ercial intercourse, an d the security o f the province in tim e o f w ar. T he forks o f the R ideau, around which th e tow nships o f O xford, M arlborough, and G ow er, are situated, are expected to becom e an em porium o f in terio r com m erce. T hey afford advantageous situations for w ater w orks, especially for th e m anufacture o f iron, and it is said there is a good supply o f ore in the vicinity. F rom Elizabeth tow n u pw ard, the settlem ents are o f the depth o f three tow nships, o r betw een 30 o r 40 miles throughout the district o f Johnstow n. In F rontinac, the eastern county o f the m idland district, two ranges o f tow nships are settled, besides the settlem ents on the islands. T he h arb o ur o f K ingston has already been described. T he tow n fronts th e h arb o ur in full view o f th e w ater and shipping. Streets are laid o u t parallel w ith the harb o ur, at convenient distances from each other, and are intersected at right angles, by cross streets dividing the tow n into squares. O ne square is an open public area in front o f th e court house, and gaol, and episcopal church. - In this area is the m arket. Besides these public buildings there are a new C atholic church, barracks for the troops o f th e garrison, an hospital, an d a house for th e com m anding officer, ab o ut 300 o th er dwelling houses, a num ber o f w arehouses and stores, ab o u t 50 shops o f goods, several public offices, a respectable district school, a valuable library, besides m echanic shops, & c. T hough the w ar destroyed N iagara, checked th e p ro ­ gress o f Y ork, and m ade Ernest tow n “ a deserted village,” it doubled th e population, the buildings, and business o f K ingston. T he court house and gaol, C atholic church, m any o f the principal dwelling houses, and som e stores, are built o f a bluish lim estone, dug out o f the ground, in large quantities, in the m idst o f the tow n. T his species o f stone is com m on in th e country, and will be m ore particularly noticed in a sketch o f the soil. T he q uarries o f it here are convenient and valuable for purposes o f building; but the style o f building is not tasty and elegant.

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K ingston is not well supplied w ith w a te r.-W e lls are difficult to be obtained, and their w ater is not very good. T he w ater o f the bay is less p ure th an th at o f the open lake. Som e springs in the rear o f the tow n, yield a partial supply o f clear w ater, very slightly affected by its passage through strata o f lim estone. T he tow nship o f K ingston is in som e places stony, and con­ tains a num ber o f lots still unsettled, probably because they are ow ned by gentlem en engaged in other em ploym ents th an the cultivation o f land. K ingston is subject to one local disadvantage, th e w ant o f a p opulous back country. Loughborough situated north, and P ortland north w est, have m ade som e progress in settlem ent, but are yet thinly inhabited. T he next tow nship on th e lake is E rnest T ow n, vulgarly called S econ d Tow n. It is level, and has a rich soil, w ith but little waste ground. T here is m ore arable land than m eadow or pasture. It is w atered by tw o rivers an d various sm aller stream s, running into the lake, and furnishing convenient mill seats. N early all th e lots are settled, and generally under good im provem ent. T he settlers are m ost o f them practical husbandm en. T heir farm s are well fenced, well tilled, and accom m odated with barns. T here are now (1811) above 2,300 inhabitants, a greater num ber than are found in any o th er tow nship in the province. T hey have three houses o f public w orship, one Episcopalian, one P resbyterian, an d one M ethodist, attended by clergym en o f these respective d en om ina­ tions. In th e front o f the tow nship, adjoining the h arb o u r, 18 m iles above K ingston, at th e division o f th e great road into branches, passing up on th e inside and outside o f th e bay of Q uinte, a village is begun, w hich prom ises to be a place of considerable business. Its h arb o u r has been noticed in th e descrip­ tion o f the lake. From the lake shore, th e ground ascends about seventy rods, an d thence slopes o ff in a gentle northern descent. T he ascent is divided into regular squares by five streets, laid parallel w ith th e shore; one o f them being th e low er branch o f the m ain road, and all o f them crossed at right angles, by streets running northerly. O ne o f these cross streets is continued through the C oncession, and form s th at branch o f the m ain road which passes round th e bay o f Q uinte. On the east side o f this street at the m ost elevated point stands th e church; and on th e opposite side is the academ y, overlooking the village, and com m anding a variegated prospect o f the h arb o u r, th e sound, th e adjacent island, the outlets into the open lake, and the shores stretching eastw ard and w estw ard, w ith a fine landscape view o f the country all around. T he situation is healthy and delightful, not surpassed perhaps in natural advantages by any in A m erica.

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T he village contains a valuable social L ibrary; is increasing in buildings, accom m odations, inhabitants, and business, and seem s calculated to be th e central point o f a populous and productive tract o f country around it. A m herst island in front, has betw een one and tw o hundred inhabitants, and is a distinct tow nship, although for som e public purposes it is annexed to Ernest T ow n. C am den lies n orth , and is settled to th e distance o f about tw enty miles from the lake. A lthough Ernest tow n is entirely east o f th e bay o f Q uinte, it is com m only considered, especially by people residing a t a dis­ tance, to belong to th e bay. F redericksburg, the next tow nship, is not so uniform ly settled and im proved; but has a large p opulation, and m any excellent farm s, an episcopal church*, and a L utheran m eeting house. T he A pp anee separates it from R ichm ond on th e north. A dolphus Tow n is surrounded on th e south west, and north, by the bay, and is indented w ith several fine coves, furnishing convenient landing places. It is not large, but is well cultivated, and has a tow n, o r village, w ith a court house, w here th e co u rt o f general q u arter sessions for th e M idland D istrict sits sem i­ annually; the o th er tw o altern ate term s being holden at K ingston. A society o f friends have th eir m eetings in A dolphus Tow n. T ravelling the m ain road to th e seat o f governm ent, you cross the bay from this tow n to the peninsula o f Prince E dw ard, by a ferry o f ab o u t a m ile. In M arysburg, H allow ell, Sophiasburg, and A m eliasburg, the four tow nships o f Prince E dw ard, the peninsula south o f the" bay o f Q uinte, there is som e rough and w aste land; but a large pro po rtion o f noble farm s under good cultivation. H allowell is a flourishing village, advantageously situated on the bay. T h e road over th e isthm us, from the head o f th e bay to the lake, has A m eliasburg in the m idland district, on one side, and on the other, M urray, a tow nship o f th e district o f N ew castle. It appears to be a place o f increasing activity; but th e soil is not o f th e first quality. In M arysburg, opposite to A dolphus T ow n, there is a lake or pond o f several hundred acres on the to p o f a hill, tw o hundred feet higher than th e surface o f lake O ntario . T here is no stream entering this sm all lake; but o ne issuing from it sufficient to carry a m ill, called V an A lstine’s m ill, standing by th e shore o f the bay o f Q uinte. N orth o f th e bay there are tw o ranges o f tow nships. W est o f R ichm ond, is the M ohaw k land, a fertile tract, nine m iles in front, and twelve miles deep, assigned to a portion o f the

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M ohaw ks, w ho chose to separate from th e Six N ations on the G ran d river. It is inhabited by the Indians only, according to th eir m ode o f habitatio n , and o f course is little im proved, an d the roads are bad. In the front o f the village is a church built by the Society for propagating the G ospel in Foreign Parts, w ho have, for a num ber o f years, m aintained a reader o f service, and a schoolm aster for these Indians. Thurlow , adjoining w estw ard, is well settled in front, and near its south w estern angle, M yers river has good im provem ents, extending five o r six miles up the river. A t the m outh there is a handsom e collection o f houses and shops, with a pleasant public square o r com m on. T his village is built on low ground, an d is subject to inundation w hen th e river is choked w ith ice. T he im provem ents continue pretty uniform th ro u gh ou t Sid­ ney, an d to the river T rent, in th e tow nship o f M urray. T hence through the fertile well w atered tow nships o f th e district o f N ew ­ castle, generally, th e settlem ents ap p ear new; but they are begin­ ning to flourish. T heir natural advantages are o f a superior order. C ram ah e, H aldim and, H am ilton, and H ope, are m aking good progress in population. H am ilton is the seat o f justice for the district o f N ew castle. From th at district to Y ork, th e country, notw ithstanding its fertility, is thinly settled; an d , consequently, the roads are unfin­ ished and out o f repair, th e land having been granted in large blocks to non-resident proprietors. T he governm ent, as well as travellers, ap p ear to be convinced o f the ill policy o f such grants upon a great public road. F or, in later instances, th e lots located on such a road have been granted upon condition o f actual settlem ent, th e clearing o f a certain quantity o f th e land, th e erection o f a house, an d the m aking o f the road across each lot. U pon these principles, th e tw o ranges o f tow nships butting upon Y onge street w ere g ranted, except th at th e troops under G eneral Sim coe w ere em ployed in opening the w ay at first. T hus a noble chain o f agricultural im provem ents has, in a short tim e, been extended from Y ork to G uillem burg, near lake Sim coe. A new region is peopled, and th e public are accom m odated w ith a good ro ad . In consequence o f w hich, the country is enriched, and the tow n o f Y ork highly benefited, notw ithstanding som e n o n ­ resident lands in its im m ediate vicinity. York has o th er advantages, natural and adventitious. It is situated on a beautiful plain, in a rich soil, and tem perate clim ate. Its h arb o ur and connexion w ith th e lake have been already sketched. T he tow n plat, m ore th an a m ile and a half in length, is

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laid out in regular streets, lots, and squares, having th e G arrison , and th e site o f the parliam ent house on its tw o wings, and a m arket near th e center. T here is a public square open to th e w ater. M any neat, and som e elegant houses are erected, and the tow n has a mixed appearance o f city and country. It is the seat o f governm ent, the place o f the residence o f his excellency the L ieutenant G overnor, and o f the annual session o f parliam ent. H ere the provincial offices are kept, the public officers reside, and the business o f the province is transacted. It is the resort o f persons applying for land, o r m aking any o th er applications to governm ent, and of travellers visiting the country. It is likewise the seat o f th e courts and offices o f th e hom e district, and has an episcopal church, a district school, a printing office, and m uch professional an d m er­ cantile business. In sum m er th e beach o f the peninsula is a healthy and delightful ride; an d th e bay, covered w ith level ice, form s an extensive plain for the w inter am usem ent o f sleighing. Y ork increased but little in its buildings during th e war, except som e m ilitary erections at th e west end o f the tow n, and a naval store-house and w harf in front o f it. Since the general establishm ent o f civil divisions in 1798, several new tow nships have been surveyed, g ranted, and partially settled, am ong which are three in the new Indian purchase, west o f Y ork, betw een E tobicoke an d the head o f the lake: viz. Toronto. Trafalgar, and N elson. T he district o f N iagara w as originally settled in 1784, by the disbanded rangers o f C ol. B utler’s regim ent. In 1785, and the succeeding y ears, m any em ig ran ts arriv ed th e re from th e states o f N ew Y o rk , P en nsy lv an ia, an d N ew Jersey , p articu larly the county o f Sussex, in the latter state. O ther settlers have been annually com ing in from various quarters. T h e w hole district, ab o ut seventy m iles (since th e form ation o f G o re m uch less) by forty, is now generally cleared, inhabited, and cultivated. In the cultivation o f fruit, the inhabitants o f N iagara district have been peculiarly successful. M any o f the settlers o f th e district o f L ondon also, p articu ­ larly o f the county o f N orfolk, em igrated from the sam e states as the settlers o f N iagara, and are pursuing sim ilar m odes o f cultiva­ tion. T he land being thinly tim bered, settlem ents w ere easily effected, and good roads soon form ed. C olonel T albot has a flourishing new settlem ent called Port T albot, on the lake shore, west o f Long Point, in th e tow nship o f D unw ich, and th e tow n­ ships in this section o f the country generally are rapidly progress­ ing in population and im provem ent. In A ugust, 1814, a party o f

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Indians and A m ericans, painted like Indians, surprised th e settle­ m ent o f Port T albot, took a num ber o f the inhabitants, and plundered ab o ut fifty o f them o f th eir horses, an d other property. A n extensive and valuable territory on th e G rand river was assigned by G ov erno r H aldim and, in the nam e o f the crow n, to th e Six N ations o f Indians, to com pensate them for th eir services in the revolutionary w ar, and supply the loss o f their lands in the province, now state o f New Y ork. T his confederacy o f Indians was originally com posed o f five tribes only, w ho w ere called the Five N ations, o r Iroquois. They afterw ards received into th eir national union th e T uscaroras, a trib e th at m igrated from N orth C arolina; and thereafter they were generally denom inated the Six N ations. In th e revolution they divided, som e o f them sided with th e colonies, and rem ained in possession o f th eir lands. T he others took up th e hatchet on the side o f the king; and being obliged to abandon their possessions, rem oved into C an ad a, and w ere liberally rew arded by the sover­ eign they had served with land on both sides o f th e G ran d river, purchased for th at purpose, o f th e M issassaga Indians. U nder th e auspices o f th e late C aptain B randt, they sold several blocks, o r tow nships o f land, and to o k bonds for the paym ent o f the stipulated price, upon condition that th e sales should be confirm ed by the crow n; and they have accordingly been confirm ed on certain term s, respecting the investm ent o f the principal o f th e m oney arising from the sales. T he Indians have, according to their m o de o f proceeding, since given long leases o f o th er blocks o f their land; an d the lessees, to the num ber o f several hundreds, have entered and are now in possession o f the land thus leased; but not having obtain ed confirm ations, they are em barrassed for w ant o f a legal title. They are form ed into a county by th e nam e o f H aldim and. O xfo rd , on the upper fork o f the river T ham es, in 42 miles from B urlington Bay, by the ro u te o f D undas street. Blenheim and B landford lie north. D orchester is situated on th e m iddle fork, and L ondon on the low er o r m ain fork, w ith W estm inster adjoining it; C hatham and H arw ich are low er dow n the river, in th e county o f K ent. T he country along this fine river, and betw een it an d the shore o f lake Erie, including th e peninsula form ed by th at lake, th e D etro it an d lake Sinclair, is surveyed into tow nships, m ost of w hich are settled, is surveyed into tow nships, m ost o f which are settled, or in a course o f rapid settlem ent, w ith a prospect of becom ing one o f th e m ost delightful regions in the w orld. A line o f settlem ents is thus m arked o u t along the lakes

SETTLEM ENTS

95

O ntario and Erie. Should population continue to advance w ith its usual ratio o f increase, the shores o f these lakes all arou n d, as well on the side o f the U nited S tates, as th at o f C an ad a, will in a few years be an extensive range o f villages and cultivated fields. T he produce o f this fertile interior m ust be great, in w hatever p ro po rtion it m ay eventually go to m arket, through th e St. Law ­ rence o r the O hio and M ississippi. O r w hether any o f th e gigantic projects o f lock and canal com m unication w ith H udson’s river, the D elaw are, the Susquehannah, o r th e Potow m ac, shall be carried into effect o r not. By an inspection o f the m ap, it m ay be seen that the C anadian shore is all laid out into tow nships, from th e low er province up to lake Sinclair. L ord Selkirk, o f Scotland, has com m enced a plantation on th at lake, but was not very fortunate in his location. T he land in general is low and wet, and although it is exceedingly rich, proved a t first to be unhealthy. Som e o f it, how ever, is adapted to the breeding o f sheep, in which he was successful. His settlem ent is said to have suffered by the war. G eneral Sim coe, in his adm inistration, is thought to have contem plated London as th e future capital o f th e province. T he natural advantages on which his expectation is alleged to have been founded, w ere the centrality o f its position betw een th e lakes O ntario , Erie, and H uron, its fortunate situation on th e Tham es; the fertility o f the country; the m ildness and salubrity o f its clim ate; the ab undance and purity o f its w ater; its m eans of m ilitary and naval protection, and the facility o f com m unication w ith lake Sinclair through th e outlet o f the T ham es; w ith lake H uron by the northern branch o f that noble river; with the G rand river by a short portage; and w ith lake O ntario, by th e m ilitary way called D undas street. W ith a view to this expected state o f things, the nam es o f the river, th e contem plated m etropolis, the adjacent tow ns, & c. w ere taken from those o f corresponding objects in the m o th er country. T his project how ever o f G en eral Sim coe, if he ever enter­ tained it, appears to have been a visionary one. Before London can becom e a seat o f provincial governm ent the province m ust be divided. If the governm ent should be rem oved from Y ork, the rem oval will probably be to K ingston.

Sketch VII Population. I

h ave

num ber

not of

throughout

been

ab le

in h a b ita n ts the

to in

p ro v in ce ,

ob tain the but

accu rate v ario u s

have

o fficia l

return s

tow n sh ip s

and

form ed

an

estim ate

o f the d istricts in

the

fo llo w in g m an n er.

In th e statem ents o f district taxes for the year ending M arch, 1811, returned to th e Provincial Parliam ent by th e clerks o f the peace in the respective districts, th e num ber o f persons taxed is in m o st in stan ces expressed; an d w h ere it is o m itte d , th e om ission being supplied by a calculation founded upon the relative num ­ bers o f persons, and am ounts o f taxes, the result is nine thousand s ix hundred and tw enty-three persons taxed. T hen having th e num ber o f persons taxed in the m ost p o p u ­ lous tow nship, as returned by th e assessors, and also th e w hole num ber o f inhabitants in th e sam e tow nship, including m en, w om en, and children, as taken by th e clerk, I find upon com par­ ing them , th at rejecting a small fraction, the p roportion is as one to eight. A pplying that p ro po rtion to th e province, it gives, for th e w hole population, seventy-six thousand nine hundred and eighty-four. A lthough this calculation is n o t to be relied on for absolute exactness, it is sufficiently certain to answ er th e purposes of general inform ation*. I have no d ata for estim ating the proportions o f persons o f different ages and sexes, or th e exact ratio o f increase. T he latter being affected by accessions from E urope and the lower province, and still m ore from the U nited States, had depended, and m ust h ereafter depend in a considerable degree upon the encourage­ m ent holden out to settlers. A fair understanding o f th e real state o f th e country in respect to clim ate and soil, th e cheapness of land, the security o f titles, th e value o f labour, the lightness of taxes, and the protection o f pro perty , will, under the continuance o f a wise and liberal policy tow ards settlers, p ro m ote em igrations, an d accelerate the progress o f population. * M r. Heriot has estim ated the population of U pper C anada at 80,000. This was in 1806.

P R O D U C T IO N S

97

Sketch XI.

I s h a l l not attem pt a classification o r botanical description o f the trees, shrubs, and plants o f U pper C anada. In 1784, th e w hole country was one continued forest. Som e plains on the borders o f lake Erie, at th e head o f lake O ntario, and in a few o th er places, w ere thinly w ooded: but, in general, th e land in its natural state w as heavily loaded w ith trees; and after th e clearings o f m ore than 30 years, m any w ide spread forests still defy th e settler’s axe. T he forest trees m ost com m on are, beech, m aple, birch, elm, bass, ash, o ak, pine, hickory, b utternu t, balsam , hazel, hem lock, cherry, cedar, cypress, fir, poplar, sycam ore (vulgarly called b u t­ ton w ood, from its balls resem bling buttons), w hitew od, willow sp ru ce. O f sev eral o f th ese k in ds th ere are v ario u s species; and there are o th er trees less com m on. C hestnut, black w alnut, and sassafras, although frequent at th e head o f lake O ntario , and thence w estw ard and southw ard, are scarcely to be seen on the north side o f th at lake and the St. Law rence. N ear th e line betw een K ingston and E rnest tow n, a black w alnut has been planted, and flourishes, and bears nuts. T h e su m ach , w hose leaves an d b erries are used fo r a black dye by th e curriers here, and by the dyers o f M anchester, and o th er m anufacturing tow ns in England, grow s plentifully in all parts o f th e country. E lder, wild cherries, plum s, thorns, gooseberries, blackberries, rasberries, grapes, and m any o th er bushes, shrubs, and vines, ab o un d . W hortleberries and cranberries (both the tall and th e low or viny) grow in som e places, but not generally through the province. T he sugar m aple is com m on in every district. Its sap, w hich is extracted in the spring, and from which m olasses and sugar are m ade, is useful to the inhabitants in th e early stages o f their settlem ent; and m ight be rendered o f m ore extensive and perm a­ nent use, by p ro per attention to th e preservation o f the trees, the m anner o f tapping them , and som e practical im provem ents in the process o f reducing the sap to sugar. T he w ood, also, being beautifully veined an d curled, is valuable for cabinet w ork. T h e butternut tree is useful for various purposes. T he kernel

98

SK ETCH ES OF U PPE R CANADA

o f its nut is nutritious and agreeable to th e taste. If gathered w hen young and tender, ab o ut the first o f July, th e nut m akes an excellent pickle. T he bark dyes a durable brow n colour; an d an extract from it is a m ild and safe cathartic. A healthy b eer is m ade o f the essence o f spruce, and also o f a decoction o f its boughs. T h e ju n ip er is an evergreen, the berries o f which are used here, as in H olland, in the m anufacture o f gin, and give to that liquor its diuretic quality. T he prickly ash is considered to possess m edical virtues. A d eco ctio n o f its b errie s, b a rk , o r ro o ts, is tak en fo r rh eu m atic com plaints. R ed cedar, being th e m ost durable o f all know n w oods, w hen exposed to the w eather, is highly valued for fence posts and o th er sim ilar uses. It is also a beautiful m aterial for cabinet w ork. F o r a num ber o f years past, large quantities o f oak and pine tim ber have been annually cu t on th e banks o f th e St. Law rence and lake O ntario, and its bays an d creeks, and floated dow n on rafts to th e M ontreal and Q uebec m arkets, for foreign exportaion. T he principal fruit o f U pper C anada is the apple. T he various species o f this m ost useful o f fruits grow in all th e districts; but m ost plentifully arou n d N iagara, and thence w estw ard to the D etro it, w here they have been cultivated w ith em ulation and success. N o country in the w orld exceeds those p arts o f the province in this particular. In the north eastern tow nships, orcharding has not been so m uch attended to, and perhaps the soil, although good for fruit, is not so peculiarly adapted to it. But there are m any considerable orchards, m ost o f them young, and som e valuable nurseries o f trees, not yet transplanted. A general taste for apples and for cider, a beverage m ost suitable to this clim ate, begins to prevail. Peaches flourish at N iagara, an d at th e head o f lake O ntario; but not on the northern shore o f that lake. C herries, plum s, pears, and currants, suceed in every p art o f th e country. Straw ­ berries grow freely in the m eadow , and are cultivated w ith success in gardens. S arsa p a rilla, sp ik e n a rd , gold th re a d , elecam p an e, lo b elia, bloodroot, and ginseng, are native plants. T he latter root, w hen dried, has a sweetish taste, sim ilar to th at o f liquorice, but mixed w ith a degree o f bitterness, and som e arom atic w arm th. T he C hinese esteem it very highly; an d it m ight therefore be a valua­ ble article o f exportation to C hina; but it seem s to be neglected. Snake root also is a native o f this province. It is o f a pungent taste, and is stim ulant and sudorific. T he Indians are said to

P R O D U C T IO N S

99

apply it as a rem edy for th e bite o f rattlesnakes, and hence its nam e is derived. S pearm int, hyssop, w orm w ood, w inter-green, w ater-cresses, penny-royal, catnip, p lantain, burdock, h orehound, m otherw ort, m allow s, and m any other arom atic and m edicinal plants are indi­ genous. W hite clover springs up spontaneously as soon as th e ground is cleared. G reensw ard also is spontaneous. T here are several o th er native grasses. But red clover, and m ost o f the useful species o f grass m ust be sow n, and then they grow very well. T he m ost com m on are T im othy, herdsgrass, foul m eadow , and red clover. L ucerne is cultivated in som e places. T he soil, how ever, is not so favourable to grass as to grain. W heat is th e staple o f the province. W hen the land w as first o pened, the crops o f this precious grain w ere luxuriant. T hey are still plentiful, although they becom e less abundant, as th e land grow s older. W heat, th at is sown as early as th e 1st o f S eptem ber, is found to be less liable to be w inter killed, as it is term ed, th an that w hich is later sow n, the form er being m ore firm ly rooted in the g round. As this injury from th e frosts o f w inter, o r m ore com ­ m only o f spring, is one o f th e principal causes o f a failure o f crops, it is an object o f im portance to the husbandm an to seed his w heat fields in good season. Som e years ago, w hen th e country w as infested by th at destructive insect, erroneously nam ed the H essian fly, it w as d an g ero u s to sow th is g rain early, b ecau se it w as then m ore exposed to the ravages o f th e insect. But, happily, th at scourge o f agriculture is no longer felt here*. O th er grains, such as rye, m aize (here called Indian corn), pease, barley, oats, buck-w heat, & c. are successfully cultivated. T he tow nships ro u nd the bay o f Q uinte, produce large harvests o f pease, and generally furnish supplies o f th at article o f provisions for th e troops o f th e various garrisons. W ild rice grow s in m arshes, and on th e m argin o f lakes. It has even given a nam e to the Rice lake, a sm all lake ab o u t 25 m iles long, from south west to n o rth east, and four o r five miles w ide, in th e district o f N ew castle, north o f H am ilton and H aldi­ m and. W ild fowls feed and fatten on this spontaneous grain. T he Indians also g ath er it, by thrusting their canoes into the m idst o f it, and th en beating it into th e canoes w ith sticks. T hey eat it * T his paragraph was written in 1811, since which tim e the insect has reappeared, and alm ost destroyed m any fields o f w heat.

100

SK ETCHES O F U PPE R CANADA

them selves, and sell it to the w hite inhabitants, w ho use it in p uddings and o th er m odes o f cookery. It is rath er larger th an the C arolina rice, and its shell is o f a dark brow n colour. T he soil in all districts o f th e province is adapted to flax, and in som e o f them to hem p. Legislative encouragem ent has been given to the latter. Seed has been purchased and distributed gratis; a bounty has been granted to the grow ers o f it, in addition to th e price they could obtain for it in th e m arket; an d at last a liberal price, above th at o f the m arket, has been paid by govern­ m ent, for the purchase o f th e hem p, on public account. T he gardens produce, in abundance, m elons, cucum bers, sq u ash es, an d all th e escu lent v eg etab les an d ro o ts, th a t are p lanted in them . T he p otato e, th at m ost valuable o f all roots, for the use both o f m an and beast, finds a congenial and productive soil. T he country is not free from noxious w eeds. A m ong others there are tw o species o f thistles; o ne o f them indigenous, which is prevalent in the U nited States also; the other, n o t a native o f this province, but brought up from Low er C an ad a, am ong seed oats and pease, o r som e other grain. It has already spread very gener­ ally, except in th e w estern districts. It has, likewise, passed from C anada into th e U nited States, w here it has received the nam e of th e C anadian thistle, and is now know n by th at nam e even here. It is o f a sm aller leaf and stalk th an th e com m on thistle, an d is n ot so easily eradicated. It is very troublesom e, especially in grain; but grass overpow ers it, an d gradually roots it o ut. A n English gentlem an o f science, w ho has resided here tw enty years, is o f opinion th at it is the p roper thistle o f E urope, brought over in seed from F rance, first into Low er C an ad a, and thence into th e U pp er Province.

Sketch XIII. D om estic Animals. O f all the dom estic anim als th e noblest is th e H orse. T he horses

o f U pp er C anada are o f the A m erican, the English, and C an a­

DO M ESTIC ANIMALS

101

dian French stocks. T he first are the p redom inant species. T he last are generally short, thick, and dull, not adapted to the saddle, but hardy and serviceable as drudges in the collar on a farm . T hey w ere never very num erous in this province, com pared with L ow er C an ad a, and their p ro po rtion is dim inished. T here are few full blooded English horses; but considerable portions o f English as well as French blood are interm ixed w ith th e A m erican breed. T he horses o f the country have been im proved in their appearance, an d a taste for further im provem ent is gaining g round; although th e unfinished state o f th e roads, and the m od­ erate circum stances and sim ple m anners o f th e inhabitants, have precluded that passion for equipage and elegant horses, which prevails in m ore populous and luxurious places. I am not singular in th e opinion th at th e farm ers keep too m any horses, in p roportion to th eir oxen, considering the differ­ ence in th eir expences, the greater liability o f the form er to diseases and accidents, and the value o f the latter for beef. T he assessm ent lists for 1810 contained 9982, alm ost 10,000 horses, three years old, and upw ards, and but 5991 oxen, four years old, and upw ards. T he oxen, how ever, are o f a good stock, and so are the cows; b ut large dairies are not frequent, although there w ere, in 1810, according to th e assessm ent returns, 18,445 cows in the province. Sheep w ould be m ore num erous w ere they not exposed to the ravages o f wolves. A s the country becom es m ore settled, th at evil decreases. T he spirit lately diffused through th e U nited States for im proving the breed o f sheep, w ith a view to th e quality o f their w ool for dom estic m anufactures, has already begun to find its way into this province. L ord S elkirk’s sheep are a m ixture o f several valuable E uropean stocks. His wool is not m anufactured in th e province, but exported to Scotland. T he C anadian hogs are o f a good size and quality. In fatten­ ing them the inhabitants m ake considerable use o f pease, which are produced in greater plenty than Indian corn. W hen th e m ar­ ket for grain is high, pork cannot be afforded for exportation. T he poultry o f th e country consists o f turkeys, geese, hens, ducks, and pigeons.

Sketch XXI. M oney. B efore

w e c o n sid e r th e subjects o f rev en u e an d

taxes,

it w i l l b e

p r o p e r to a tte n d to th e c u r r e n c y o f th e p r o v in c e .

T h e value o f gold and silver coins here current, is established by law at the following rates: Dwt. Gr. £ . s. d. 6 1 3 4 T he British G uinea, w eighing . . ................5 4 0 0 0 T he Portuguese J o h a n n e s .......................................1 8 10 0 18 1 D itto M oidore ..................................................6 Spanish m illed D oubloon, or 14 6 0 3 four Pistole p ie c e s ............................ ................... 1 7 F rench Louis d ’or, coined 2 8 4 1 before 1 7 9 3 ................................................. ................5 French Pistole piece ........................ ................... 4 A m erican E a g l e .......................................................... 11 British C r o w n ....................................... F rench do. coined before 1 7 9 3 . . S panish D ollar ................................... A m erican d o ............................................. F rench piece o f four Livres, French piece o f T w enty-four

4

0

18

3

10

0

6 — — — —

2

0

5 5 5 5

—

0

4

2

0

1

3

—

0 0 0

6 6 0 0

— 0 1 1 — 0 I 1 English Shilling ................................... Spanish P i s t a r e e n ............................... — 0 1 0 A nd all the higher and low er d enom inations o f the said gold and silver coins in the sam e p ro po rtion , tw o pence an d one farthing to be added o r deducted for every grain o f British, Portuguese, or A m erican gold; an d tw o pence an d one-fifth o f a penny for every grain o f F rench o r Spanish gold over o r under th e standard w eight. U pon a paym ent o f m ore th an £ 2 0 . in gold, at the request o f either party, it is to be w eighed in bulk, th e coins o f G reat B ritain, Portugal, and A m erica together, at th e rate o f eighty-nine shillings for each ounce troy; an d those o f F rance and Spain

REV EN U E AND TAXES

103

to g eth er, a t th e ra te o f eigh ty -sev en shillin g s an d eig h t-p en ce halfpenny for each ounce; after deducting one h alf o f a grain for each piece so w eighed, on account o f the loss which m ay accrue, by paying it aw ay in detail. Before 1809, several o f th e gold coins w ere differently valued; but this standard was then established in conform ity to th at o f the L ow er Province. T he currency o f H alifax and th e T w o C anadas is the sam e. A m erican eagles and half eagles com m only pass w ithout being w eighed; all o th er gold coin by w eight. T he value o f copper coins is not regulated by statute; yet coppers pass tw o o f them for a penny, w ithout m uch discrim ina­ tion; but no person is obliged by law to receive, at one paym ent, m ore th an a shilling in copper m oney. From th e foregoing rates o f th e value o f coins established by law, it will be perceived, th at one pound o f th e lawful m oney o f this province is equal to four dollars, o r eighteen shillings sterling, th at is nine-tenths o f a pound sterling. F rom a little east o f Y ork, th e currency o f th e state o f N ew Y ork is in general p op ular use through all th e southern and w estern parts o f this province.

Sketch XXII. Revenue and T axes. T engagem ent o f the British parliam ent not to tax th e prov­ inces is understood to be prospective, and not retrospective, renouncing future taxation, b u t not repealing taxes already laid. T here was then in force, an act o f parliam ent entitled, “ an A ct to establish a fund tow ards further defraying the charges of the ad m inistration o f justice and support o f th e civil governm ent, w ithin the province o f Q uebec in A m erica,” laying certain duties on brandies, rum , spirits, m olasses, and sirups im ported into the said province, and also a duty o f one pound and sixteen shillings sterling on each annual licence, to keep a tavern o r retail w ines and spirituous liquors, and app ro priatin g the proceeds o f said im post duties to the objects expressed in the title o f the act. he

104

SKETCH ES O F U P P E R CANADA

T hese duties continue to be collected, th e im posts at Q uebec, and th e licence duties in each province, to his M ajesty's use. A fter th e division o f the province o f Q uebec into U pp er and L ow er C anada, th e legislature o f th e Low er Province laid im post duties, for provincial uses, in addition to those laid by th e British parliam ent. A s th e goods thus dutied w ere in part consum ed in th e U ppper Province, and as th e consum er ultim ately pays the duty, this additional im post, although collected by th at province, operated as a tax upon this. T o prevent the injustice o f such o peratio n, an agreem ent has been entered into betw een the two provinces, th at th e dutied goods passing from the Low er to the U pp er Province, shall be entered at C oteau-du-L ac, and th e net proceeds o f the duties on such a p roportion o f the im ported g oods, shall be paid over to th e latter. T he legislature o f U pp er C an ad a, in the 41st year o f the present king (1801), enacted th at there should be raised, levied, collected, and paid into th e hands o f the receiver general, as treasurer o f th e province, to and for the use o f his M ajesty, and to an d for th e uses o f the province, the like duties on all goods im ported into th e province from th e U nited States, as are laid, levied, and collected under and by virtue o f any act o f the p arliam ent o f G re at B ritain, o r o f any provincial act o f Lower C an ad a, on goods im ported from G reat B ritain, o r parts beyond th e seas; establishing in this province ports o f entry an d clearance, providing for the appointm ent o f collectors, and directing them to collect and pay over, report an d account for all duties thus levied “ u nd er and by virtue o f any act o r acts o f th e parliam ent of G reat B ritain, o r under and by virtue o f this ac t.” T h e duties thus collected, to th e am ount o f the sum s specified in th e ab o ve stated act o f th e B ritish p a rlia m e n t, b eing d istin ­ guished from th e residue, are considered as belonging to his M ajesty, and not to the province, and are accounted for accord­ ingly, upon th e principle th at they are levied under and by virtue o f th at act, although their collection is provided for by a provin­ cial act. But som e gentlem en in th e province are o f a different o pinion , and have contended th at they ought to be considered as levied by provincial authority, and belonging to the province. Since the division o f the old province into U pper an d Lower C an ad a, the chief officers o f governm ent have been paid by the crow n. It is understood th at the fund collected for the purpose is not equal to th e w hole am o u nt o f th e civil list, a part o f which is consequently supplied from som e o th er source. W hether the g ran ts and leases o f crow n lands in this province, furnish such supply, I know not, though there is very little d ou bt th at th e rents

REVENUE AND TAXES

10 5

o f th e reserved lands o f the crow n, if applied to th at use, will eventually be sufficient*. A s the principal expenses o f th e civil list are thus defrayed by th e crow n, the expenditures o f the province are m oderate, and the provincial revenue is proportionally sm all. It arises first from the duties collected in the Low er Province, on good entered at C oteau-du-L ac, on their passage up to this province, the am ount o f w hich, for the year 1810, according to th e annexed statem ent, w as ............................................................................................. £ 4 8 4 8 12 11 2d. T he duties on goods im ported from the U nited States, supposed to am o u nt annually to ab o u t 1500 0 0 3d. D uties on tavern and shop licences, in ad d i­ tion to those laid by th e British parliam ent, and on still licences, the net am o u nt o f all which for 1810, w as 1304 0 0 4th. D uties on licences to haw kers, pedlars, and petty chapm en, am ounting in 1810 to 420 0 0 £ 8 0 7 2 12 11 T he n um b er o f haw kers, pedlars, and petty chapm en, licensed in 1810, w as seventy-six. T he duties on their Licences, after deducting the inspector’s 10 p er cent., am o u nted to £ 4 2 0 . T here is no provincial direct tax. T he only tax o f th at n atu re is a district tax for defraying the expences o f th e several districts. T he court o f sessions in each district, determ ine the am ount o f it, under certain lim itations o f law, and apportion it according to an assess­ m ent List returned by the assessors o f each tow nship, containing the nam e o f every person possessed o f property, subject to taxation, w ith a statem ent o f his taxable articles, viz. lands cultivated and uncultivated, houses o f various specified descriptions, mills, stores, shops, horses and cattle. T he rateable value o f these several articles is not estim ated by the assessors, but fixed by law; and a person pos­ sessing no such property is not assessed at all. T he direct taxes o f the several districts, for one year, ending M arch 1, 1811, w ere as follows: Eastern D istrict ........................... J o h n s to w n ....................................... M i d l a n d ........................................... N ew castle .......................................

........................... £ 6 2 7 ...............................451 ............................... 690 ............................... 180

8 8 14 2

2 1 VS 8

31/4

* Low er C anada, since 1816, has discharged its own civil list. T he vote of the Im perial Parliam ent for the U pper Province was this year, 1820, £ 10,800. - R .G .

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SK ETCH ES OF U PPE R CANADA

H om e ............................... N iagara ........................... L ondon ........................... W estern ...........................

...............................................479 ...............................................1060 ...............................................279 ...............................................364 ........................... T otal * 4,133

11 4 17 10 16

Vh 5 2Vi l'/4

7

T here is no p auper tax, no capitation, no tithes o r ecclesiasti­ cal rates, the clergy o f the established church being provided for by governm ent, from a fund grow ing out o f the lands reserved for that purpose, and by the Society for propagating the G ospel; and those o f the dissenting denom inations being supported by volun­ tary contracts w ith their societies. Instead o f highway taxes, every person included in the district assessm ent, is required to perform not less th an three, n or m ore than twelve days labour annually on the highw ays, according to the list o f his rateable estate. T he apportionm ent o f this statute labour, I perceive, is a subject o f som e popular com plaint; but the am o u nt o f it is light, com pared w ith the value o f public roads. N o country in the w orld, perhaps, is less burdened w ith taxes. In no other country is the produce o f labo u r left to the labo u rer’s own use and benefit, m ore undim inished by public exactions or deductions in favour o f landlords and o th er private persons; and it m ay, w ith great truth and propriety be added, that the objects o f labour, especially o f agricultural labour, the m ost useful o f all, are no w here m ore ab u nd an t, in p roportion to th e quantum of labour expended upon them .

Sketch XXIII. Commerce. M a n y circum stances relating to th e com m ercial situation o f the country, have been incidentally m entioned under different heads, and need not be recapitulated. * Som e additional duties have been laid, and the am ount o f the revenue as well as the expenditures of the province, are increased since the late war.

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107

A lthough agriculture is th e first interest o f U pper C an ad a, as it em ploys the greatest num ber o f hands, and produces m ost o f the articles o f prim e necessity, it is inseparably connected with com m erce, w ithout w hich th e cultivators o f the soil could not be supplied with m any o f the com forts and conveniences o f life, in exchange for the surplus produce o f their farm s. Such an exchange constitutes the natural trade o f the prov­ ince. It is negociated by the m erchants w ho receive an d m arket th e productions o f the country, an d introduce and sell such goods, w ares, and m erchandise, as th e inhabitants w ant for th eir con­ sum ption. T hese are principally British m anufacturers, and products, im ported from Liverpool, Bristol, and G lasgow , by th e way o f M ontreal. Som e o f them , how ever, in tim es o f ordinary inter­ course, have heretofore com e through New Y ork, and o th er ports o f the U nited States*. But th e statem ents in the last Sketch, will not satisfactorily shew th e relative am ounts o r proportions even o f dutied goods introduced through these respective channels o f im portation. F o r som e o f th e articles brought from th e U nited States into Low er C anada, are forw arded from thence to the U pp er Province, and form a p art o f the entries at C oteau-du-L ac. T he tobacco, for instance, entered there is m ost o f it o f A m erican grow th. T he ports o f entry and clearance, opened in the province for com m unication with the U nited States, are C ornw all, Johnstow n, K ingston, N ew castle, Y ork, N iagara, Q ueenston, F ort Erie, T u r­ key Point, A m herstburgh and Sandw ich. In such an extended line o f w ater com m unication there are places o f landing, w here, it is supposed, dutied goods are som etim es sm uggled into the pro v ­ ince. N o considerable factories o f cloth are established; but the farm ers by their household m anufactures, supply their fam ilies w ith m ost o f th eir ordinary clothing. T he principal exports from the province are lum ber, w heat (w hich is generally m anufactured into flour before it is sent to m arket), peas, p o t and pearl ashes, furs and peltries, pork, beef, and butter. O f the tw o last articles but sm all quantities are yet furnished for exportation. Provision is m ade by law for the inspection o f pot and pearl ashes, flour, beef, and pork; but as these exports pass through L ow er C an ad a, on th eir w ay to m arket, they are subject to reinspection there, by th e laws o f th at province. * By an act o f the B ritish p a rliam e n t, no goods, w ares, or m erch an ­ dise, except o f th e g row th, p ro d u ce, o r m anufacture o f th e U nited States, can now be im ported thence into the province.

108

SK ETCH ES OF U PPE R CANADA

By a statem ent in the preceding Sketch o f R evenue and Taxes, it m ay be seen th at th ere w ere, in 1810, 132 licensed retailers. A t th e sam e tim e there w ere no less than 76 licensed pedlars. T hese travelling traders supply th e in terio r o f th e country w ith light, cheap goods. T he duty, how ever, on their licences is now raised, w ith a view to suppress th eir em ploym ent, as less beneficial than th at o f regular, stationary traders. M uch o f the trade o f th e country is a species o f indirect barter. T he m erchant trusts his custom ers w ith goods, and, a t the p roper season, receives their p roduce in paym ent, and forw ards it by w ay o f rem ittance to th e im porter. In this m anner farm ers frequently anticipate their crops, and if these are cut sho rt, too often rem ain in deb t to the m erchant, w hose occasion for punc­ tual paym ent com pels him , in such cases, to com plain o f the difficulty o f collecting debts, w hile interest is accum ulating against him and them . A t present the inhabitants are generally less indebted than they were before th e w ar. T he public expenditures threw into circulation an unusual quantity o f m oney, o r w hat passed for m oney, and thereby facilitated th e collection an d pay­ m ent o f debts. T he lawful rate o f interest is six per cent. This regulation of interest, different from th at o f th e m other country, and th e neigh­ bouring state o f N ew Y ork, the form er o f which is five p er cent, and th e latter seven, depended upon an ordinance o f the old province o f Q uebec, until 1811, when a statute was passed by the legislature o f U pper C anada on th e subject. T he sam e act has established th e dam ages upon protested bills o f exchange draw n in this province on E urope o r th e W est Indies, at ten per cent, in addition to the interest, besides the cost o f noting, protesting, and postage; and four p er cent, on such bills draw n here on any p art o f N o rth A m erica, except th e W est Indies. Sterling bills, draw n by persons entitled to full o r h alf pay from governm ent, are negociated and rem itted by m erchants; and, in m any instances, prevent the necessity o f transm itting m oney across the A tlantic. T here is no bank in th e province, o r indeed in any o f the British provinces in A m erica. Som e efforts w ere lately m ade to procure th e establishm ent o f one at K ingston*; but th e cu rren t o f public opinion was perceived to set so strongly against th e m ea­ sure, that although supported by advocates o f intelligence and * There is now a bank established at K ingston, and two at M ontreal, which have agents throughout U pper C anada. - R. G .

E CCLESIASTIC INSTITU TIO N S

109

respectability, it was ab and on ed , w ithout even presenting the petitions for incorporation to th e legislature. Bills o f the bank o f E ngland are rarely seen here. T hose of th e banks in the U nited S tates, although discounted by a few individuals, w ho have rem ittances to m ake to th e States, are not in circulation. Besides the distrust arising from th e foreign situ a­ tion o f those banks, the num ber o f counterfeits am ong the bills b rought them into discredit. T hey w ere, indeed, counterfeited in C an ad a with im punity, there being no law to prohibit o r punish the counterfeiting o f foreign bills, until 1810, w hen an act was passed for that purpose by th e legislature o f U pper C an ad a. It has been followed by a sim ilar act in the L ow er Province. M ost o f the circulating specie is gold. Its plenty o r scarcity is affected by the fluctuations o f crops and m arkets, and the varying state o f com m ercial intercourse w ith the U nited States. A rm y bills, as a m edium o f circulation, grew out o f th e w ar. They w ere substituted for specie, o f w hich there was such a scarcity, th at m any private individuals issued their ow n notes, which passed for som e tim e instead o f cash.

Sketch XXV. Religion and Ecclesiastic Institutions. episcopal form o f religion, according to th e establishm ent o f the C hurch o f England, is supported by th e governm ent o f this province. T he constitutional act provided for a reservation o f lands equal to o ne seventh p art o f all the lands then g ranted, and to be g ranted. T hese reserves, altogether distinct and different from those o f another seventh, called th e crow n reserves, were required to be specified in the patents, and are appropriated exclusively to th e m aintenance o f a P rotestant clergy in the prov­ ince. U nd er instructions from th e crow n, the lieutenant-governor is em pow ered to erect parsonages o r rectories in the several tow n­ ships; to endow them with any p roportion o f the lands reserved in T he

110

SK ETCH ES O F U P P E R CANADA

respect o f such tow nships, and to present incum bents, subject to th e bishop’s right o f institution. A t present, these reserved lands are leased by governm ent, as lessees apply fo r th em , for tw en ty -o n e y ea rs, at m o d e rate rents, w hich go into the funds destined to support th e clergy, and will eventually furnish a very am ple sup po rt. T he clergy reserves, and crow n reserves, are leased on th e sam e term s. T he rent o f a lot of 200 acres, taken in its uncultivated state, has been ten shillings a year for the first seven years, tw enty shillings a year for the second seven years, and one p ou nd ten shillings a year for the last seven years o f th e lease. O rders, 1 believe have lately been issued for doubling th e sum s to b e reserved on lots hereafter leased. W hether the raising o f th e rents will proportionably increase the incom e, o r prevent applications for leases, is a question on which theoretic reasoners differ, but w hich will be determ ined by the experim ent. T here is only o ne bishop for the tw o provinces o f U pp er and L ow er C anada, and he resides a t Q uebec. In U pp er C anada there are six m inisters o f the church of E ngland, situated at C ornw all, K ingston, Ernest T ow n, and Fredericksburgh*, Y ork, N iagara, an d Sandw ich. T hey severally receive £ 1 0 0 per annum from governm ent, an d £ 5 0 from the Society for Propagating the G ospel in Foreign Parts. T hey solem ­ nize m arriages; b u t there is no ecclesiastical court in th e province. D issenters o f all denom inations are tolerated and protected by law . They are not subject to tithes, o r civil disabilities, nor disqualified for offices, o r a seat in the legislature. T heir contracts resp ectin g th e su p p o rt o f p ub lic w o rsh ip are legally en fo rceab le. O rdained m inisters o f the Scotch, L utheran, and C alvinist churches, upon producing satisfactory credentials in a court of sessions, are authorized to perform m arriages, w here o ne o f the p arties to be m arried is a m em ber o f th eir respective societies. A ny d enom ination, holding the distinguishing C alvinistic doc­ trines, are included under th e term C alvinist. As such, Presby­ terian, C ongregational, and B aptist clergym en, exercise the pow er o f m arriage. T he dissenting denom inations are, Presbyterians, L utherans, M ethodists, C ongregationalists, M oravians, A nabaptists, R om an C atholics, Q uakers, M enonists, an d T unkers. Several o f them are m ore num erous th an the E piscopalians. T he m ost num erous o f all * T he rectory o f Ernest Tow n and Fredericksburgh has becom e vacant by the retu rn o f the R ev. Jo h n L anghorn to his native place in England.

LAW

111

are th e M ethodists, w ho are spread over th e w hole province. T hey are followers o f W esley as to doctrines, and acknow ledge the episcopal authority o f the W esleyan bishops. N ext in num ber are the Presbyterians, w ho are o f the D utch R eform ed C hurch, th e C h u rch o f S co tlan d , an d S cotch S eceders, o r th e A ssociate R eform ed Synod. T he Presbyterians ap p ear to be increasing in num bers and respectability. T he R om an C atholics, w ho are com paratively few, are attached to the governm ent, and grateful for the religious freedom w hich they enjoy, and by which they are distinguished from their brethren in Ireland. Q u ak ers, M en o n ists, an d T u n k ers, b eing co n scien tiou sly scrupulous o f bearing arm s, are conditionally exem pted from m ili­ tia duties.

Sketch XXVI. Profession and Practice o f Law. In th e early stages o f th e province, gentlem en w ere adm itted to th e bar by licence from the lieutenant-governor, specially p ro ­ vided for by tw o successive acts o f the legislature. But in 1797, those w ho w ere then in practice w ere authorized to form th em ­ selves into a society, by the nam e o f The L aw S o ciety o f Upper C anada, and to establish rules an d regulations, under the inspec­ tion o f the judges; and it w as enacted, th at no o th er person, except licensed practitioners from som e o th er British province or dom inion, shall be perm itted to practise at the b ar o f any o f his M ajesty’s courts in this province, unless he shall have been pre­ viously entered of, and adm itted into, the said society, as a student o f law, and shall have been standing in their books for five years, and have conform ed him self to their rules an d regula­ tions, and been duly called and adm itted as a barrister. T he society was accordingly organized, and the act still rem ains in force. Every barrister is now allow ed to have four apprentices o r clerks.

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SK ETCH ES OF U PPE R CANADA

Sketch XXVII. Physic and Surgery. o f the ordinances o f th e province o f Q uebec prohibited the practice o f physic o r surgery by any person not licensed in the m anner therein prescribed. In 1795, an act o f the legislature o f U pp er C an ad a, repealing, in general term s, all form er laws on the subject, established a b oard for exam ining and licensing m edical candidates. F rom the state o f the province it becam e im possible to form such a board o f exam iners, and the act w as repealed. M any physicians and surgeons have gone into practice w ithout any provincial license, supposing there w as no pro hibitio n, and n o t suspecting th at an old ordinance o f th e form er province o f Q uebec, which w as not executed and had not been published am ong th e laws o f this province, was revived by a repeal o f the provincial act, so as to be in force here. A n act passed in 1815 has established a new licensing b oard , to consist o f the senior arm y physician o r sur­ geon, w ith one o th er practitioner, regularly licensed in som e of the British dom inions. It subjects to a penalty o f £ 1 0 0 every person practising, after the d ate o f th e act, as a physician, sur­ geon, o r m ale-m idw ife, w ithout a licence, excepting, how ever, any o ne w ho has had a w arrant as a surgeon o r surgeon’s m ate in the arm y o r navy. O ne

Sketch XXVIII. Trades and Apprenticeships. statute o f Elizabeth, requiring seven years apprenticeship before the exercise o f a trade, being local in its application, is not considered to be applicable to this province; and no provincial act has been passed on th e subject. A ny m echanic, therefore, is at liberty to set up his trade, w hether he has served a stated term o f apprenticeship o r not. But as th e sam e liberty is com m on to T he

IM PRISO N M EN T EOR DEBT

1 13

others, and custom ers left to th eir own choice will em ploy the best w orkm en, he cannot expect em ploym ent and success w ithout skill in his trade; and th at is not ordinarily acquired w ithout an apprenticeship, o r regular education for the business. In this view apprenticeships are useful and necessary; and contracts for them , in th e usual form o f indentures, are respected an d enforced by law.

Sketch XXIX. Imprisonment For D ebt, Insolvent Laws, and Liability o f Land for Debt. P e r s o n a l liberty is so highly respected by the laws o f th e prov­ ince, th at, in civil actions, the body is not subject to arrest or im prisonm ent, except in a case o f debt certain, and above 40 shillings, w here there has been an attem pt, o r is an ap p aren t intention to avoid paym ent. Before a capias can be sued o u t as m esne process o r execution, the creditor, his agent, o r servant, m ust m ake affidavit th at he believes the d eb to r is ab o u t leaving th e province, w ith an intent to defraud his creditors, o r has secreted o r conveyed his effects, to prevent th eir being taken in execution. An insolvent d eb to r, detained in prison on execution, upon applying to the court, and m aking oath th at he is not w orth five pounds, is entitled to a discharge o f his person, o r a dollar a week for his sup po rt, to be paid by th e creditor in advance every M onday, unless th e creditor prove, to the satisfaction o f the court, that the d eb to r has fraudulently secreted o r conveyed aw ay his effects. W here th e deb t does not exceed £ 1 0 sterling, and the debtor has been im prisoned a m onth, if he m akes oath th at he is not w orth m ore th an the am ount o f the debt, and has not frau du ­ lently disposed o f any property, his person is discharged; but any estate which he then has, o r m ay thereafter acquire, rem ains liable for the debt. A d eb to r’s land is liable to be taken and sold on execution,

11 4

SK ETCH ES O F U PPE R CANADA

after a w rit o f execution against his goods and chattels is returned unsatisfied; and though upon a p erso n ’s decease his land descends to his heir o r heirs, according to the rules o f the com m on law, and is not subject to adm inistration, as assets for th e paym ent o f debts; yet it is questioned w hether the sam e British statute which subjects the land o f a living d eb to r in the provinces to the paym ent o f debts, be not applicable to the land o f a deceased debtor. If this be th e true construction o f th e law, the jurisdiction o f th e court o f p robate, and o f executors and adm inistrators, should be extended to the adm inistration o f lands in such cases. T here is no ban krup t law in the province. In the general adoption o f English law s, those respecting bankrupts were expressly excepted; and the provincial legislature have m ade no provision on th e subject. In cases o f failure and insolvency, traders stand on the sam e ground with o th er debtors.

Sketch XXX. Gradual Abolition o f Slavery. com m on law o f England does not adm it o f slavery. But an act o f parliam ent authorized th e governor o f the province of Q uebec, to license the im portation o f slaves. U nder th at authority a few negro slaves were introduced before the division o f the province. A t the second session o f the legislature o f U pp er C an ­ ada, in 1793, the further im portation o f them was prohibited; and voluntary contracts for personal service w ere lim ited to a term not exceeding nine years. As to slaves theretofore im ported under authorized licences, the property o f th eir m asters w as confirm ed; but provision was m ade, th at th e children o f such slaves, born after th e passing o f the act, should be free at the age o f 25 years; and th at th eir births should be registered, to furnish evidence o f th eir age. It was further declared, th at if such m inors, during their term o f servitude, should have children born, those children should be entitled to all the rights and privileges o f freem en. O f course they cannot be holden to service after the age o f 21 years.

T he

C H A R A C T ER , MANNERS A ND CUSTOM S

1 15

T he principle o f this gradual abolition o f slavery, is sim ilar to th at o f som e o f th e A m erican States. T he num ber o f slaves in the province is very small.

Sketch XXXIII. Character, M anners, and Customs o f the Inhabitants. I f th e people o f U pper C anada have any p redom inant national character, it is th e A nglo-A m erican. A m ong th e first settlers there w ere natives o f G reat B ritain an d Ireland, and a few o f som e other E uropean countries; but the m ass o f them w ere A m ericans, born in N ew England, N ew Y ork, New Jersey, and Pennsyl­ vania. T hey retain a strong attach m en t to th eir sovereign, who rem unerated them for th eir revolutionary losses, m ade them lib­ eral grants o f land to settle o n , w ith farm ing tools, building m aterials and provisions, to facilitate their settlem ent, and is still granting lands to th eir children as fast as they becom e o f age. T hose w ho have since joined th e province are o f a sim ilar n ational m ixture. A considerable num ber o f em igrants from Scot­ land, settled together in th e eastern districts, and o th ers have, at a later period, been planted in the w estern district, under th e au s­ pices o f L ord Selkirk. O ne tow nship on Y onge Street has been chiefly taken up by G erm an s. B ritish, Irish, an d a few French gentlem en o f business have located them sleves in various situ a­ tions. S om e inhabitants have rem oved from L ow er C anada, N ova Scotia, and N ew Brunswick. Still greater num bers have com e from the U nited States, because o f their adjacency, and in conse­ quence o f the original A m erican settlers, w ho left behind them in th e States, their fathers, their brothers, and o th er relatives, neigh­ bours, an d friends, from w hom they had been separated by the revolution. As th eir revolutionary passions m utually subsided, the natural feelings o f consanguinity, am nity, and personal friendship revived. T hey w ere still interesting objects to each other. Friendly inquiries, correspondencies, exchanges o f visits, and renew als o f attachm ent ensued. T he tide o f em igration naturally flows from old to new settlem ents. T hese causes, com bined with the fertility

1 16

SK ETCH ES O F U PPE R CANADA

o f the C anadian soil, the relative cheapness o f land and lightness o f public burdens, have induced m any A m ericans, from year to year, to m ove into th e province. H ere they have generally acquired farm s and engaged in business, not as a distinct people, like th e F rench population in Low er C an ad a, but blended and interm ixed w ith th e form er inhabitants. T his interm ixture produces no effervescence, personal o r pol­ itical. Politics, indeed, are scarcely nam ed o r know n am ong them . T hey have very little agency in the affairs o f governm ent, except th at the freeholders once in four years elect their representatives. T he people are not agitated by parties, as they are in th e U nited States, w here all branches o f governm ent depend, directly or indirectly, upon frequent p o p u lar elections. T hey are here distinguished rath er by th eir occupations, than by th eir political connexions, o r the places o f their birth. A due p roportion o f them are in professional, m ercantile, and m echanic em ploym ents; b u t the m ost num erous class are engaged in agri­ culture, and have the ap p ro priate views, m anners, and sentim ents o f agriculturists. T here is here, as well as every w here else, a certain portion of idle and vicious persons, w ho hang loose upon society, and, instead o f adding, by their labour, to the general sum o f wealth an d prosperity, dim inish it by th eir consum ption and w aste. T heir num ber, how ever, is not peculiar. T he m ain body o f the inhabit­ an ts m ay be characterised as industrious. T heir diversions are sim ilar to those o f th e interior o f N ew E ngland. D ancing is a favourite am usem ent o f the youth. A thletic sp o rts are co m m o n . F am ily visits an d tea p artie s are th e m ost frequent scenes o f sociability. T he country is too young for regular theatric entertainm ents, and those delicacies and refinem ents o f luxury, w hich are the usual attendants o f w ealth. D issipation, w ith her fascinating train o f expences and vices, has m ade but little progress on th e shores o f th e lakes. T here are no splendid equipages, and few com m on carriages; but th e face o f th e country being level, they will doubtless be m ultiplied, as th e roads becom e well fitted for wheels. In w inter g reat use is m ade o f sleighs; and sleighing parties are fashionable; but taverns and provisions for travellers are, in m any parts o f th e country, quite indifferent. T he im provem ent o f travelling accom m odations has been retarded by the preference given to passages by w ater, during the sum m er m onths. Y et travel by land increases, and th e roads are advancing tow ards a m ore perfect state, by th e annual application o f statute labour, an d the

CH A RA CT ER, M ANNERS A ND CUSTOM S

117

aids g ranted, from tim e to tim e, by the legislature o u t o f the provincial funds. So m any T ow nships are situated upon w aters filled w ith fish, th at fishing is a com m on am usem ent, easily connected w ith occa­ sional supplies o f provisions. F ashions o f dress and m odes o f living are com m on to the inhabitants o f th e province and th eir neighbours in th e States. T he style o f building, how ever, on th e C an ad ian side o f th e line is less elegant; an d , in general, there are less am bition, enterprise, and exertion. T his difference is th e natural consequence o f the different circum stances, under w hich the original settlem ents w ere com m enced. T he habit o f sm oking is very com m on am ong all classes o f people th ro u gh ou t the province. By th e statem ents o f dutiable im ports, inserted in the sketch o f revenue and taxes, it appears th at the duty was paid upon alm ost 100,000 pounds o f m anufac­ tured tobacco, im ported in th e y ear 1810, besides all th at was sm uggled in, all th at w as produced in th e province, an d all the cigars, w hich, not being subject to th e duty, are not entered in those statem ents. In new countries people generally m ake to o free use o f ardent spirits, for their health o r th eir m orals. T o this fault th e early settlers here w ere peculiarly exposed, from th e m anner o f life they had followed several years in th e arm y, their w ant o f cider, that com m on drink to which they had been accustom ed before the revolution, and the facility w ith w hich distilled liquors could be procured as a substitute. W ith a decrease o f these causes, the pernicious effects are decreasing. Instances o f occasional excess and habitual intem perance are becom ing less frequent. T he rising generation, it is to be hoped, will com plete the reform ation thus begun. A no th er bad custom , once considerably prevalent in som e p arts o f the province, appears to be declining. I m ean th e vulgar practice o f pugilism . W herever this prevails, it m arks a low stage o f civilization. It is indeed a relic o f th e savage state, in w hich the avenging o f private w rongs, by personal violence, under the im m ediate im pulse o f excited passions, is a ruling principle. W hereas the object o f civil society and governm ent is to protect the weak against th e strong, and the peaceable against the quarrelsom e, and to establish reason and law, u nd er the adm inistration o f disinter­ ested judges, as substitutes for personal vengeance inflicted by every m an, judging, o r rath er feeling, in his ow n cause. U pon this g round assaults an d batteries are condem ned by law. T he practice

1 18

SKETCH ES O F U PPE R CANADA

o f personal com bats, therefore, is a d ep arture from th e first principle o f civilization; and, so far as it obtains, is a return to the barbarous, savage state o f life. It is also a direct violation o f th e know n law o f the land. M en o f h onour ought to view it in this light, an d reflect well upon the tendency o f countenancing it by exam ple o r indulgence. If one plain law is violated w ith im punity, o r w ith only nom inal o r very slight punishm ent, the respect due to laws in general is thereby dim inished, and th e arm o f governm ent proportionally w eakened. T his tendency to insubordination and contem pt o f authority is strengthened, w hen the violation o f law is rendered fashionable and popular, either by th e passions o f o ur nature, o r the conta­ gion o f influential examples. M en o f conscience should contem plate the subject in a still m ore serious light. T he practice under consideration is a trans­ gression o f th e law o f G od . Its indulgence prom otes o th er sins. It increases th e venom o f hatred , resentm ent, and all th e angry passions, from which the parties probably suffer m ore th an from th e pain occasioned by blows and w ounds. It som etim es ends in hom icide, an d frequently produces loss o f labour and health, and plants the seeds o f lam eness, disability, and disease. It involves fam ilies and friends in quarrels, an d spreads anim osities through w hole neighbourhoods and tow nships. It degrades a national or provincial character, injures public m orals and m anners, vulgar­ izes public taste, and checks th e progress o f social refinem ent. P o p u lar cu sto m s, d eriving th e ir fo rce from h a b it, are not easily changed; especially those w hich are prom pted by th e strong passions o f hum an nature. Such is th at w e are speaking of, which is stim ulated by anger and revenge, and not less by pride; for vulgar fashion has m ade it an object o f a false kind o f heroism . It is.n o t, how ever, too inveterate to be restrained by public senti­ m ent, which m ay always be directed by the enlightened p art o f a com m unity. T h e decline o f so degrading a practice indicates a state of im provem ent. Its extinction w ould be a subject o f additional congratulation. I have observed no essential peculiarity in the funerals or w eddings o f this country; but there is a singular custom o f chereverreeing, as it is called, a newly m arried couple, w here the m atch is thought to be unequal o r unseasonable; as, betw een an old man and a young girl, o r w ithin a short period after the death o f a form er husband o r wife. S om etim es it is in consequence o f the offence so frequently caused by a neglect o f invitation to the w edding. It is a kind o f riotous frolic derived from th e F rench o f L ow er C anada. Y oung m en, disguised in m asks, assem ble in the

C H A RA CT ER, MANNERS A ND CUSTOM S

1 19

evening before th e house o f the bride and bridegroom , bearing som e significant em blem , accom panied w ith horns, bells, pans, and other instrum ents, with w hich they perform a discordant serenade. It is often in vain for th e parties, w ho are the objects o f such a visit, to resist o r resent it. T heir wisest course is to treat it with good hum our, as a jo k e unw orthy o f serious notice. T his custom being discountenanced by people o f considera­ tion, as rude and injurious, seem s to be going into disrepute and disuse. It has lately been a subject o f prosecution; and, as p rac­ tised in m any instances, is undoubtedly indictable as a riot. In L ow er C an ad a, it is said to have been suppressed by the interpo­ sition o f th e police. Public days are not so frequent here as they are in som e countries. T he fourth o f June, being the anniversary o f his M ajesty’s birth, is noticed throughout the province, as a national holyday; but not w ith such orations, processions, and parade, as are dis­ played in th e U nited States, on th e fourth o f July. F reem asons attend th eir festivals as in o th er places. T he C hristm as holydays are observed in the usual m anner. T he churches and dissenting m eeting houses are generally plain. T he w orshipping assem blies ap p ear grave and devout, except th at in som e o f them it is custom ary for certain persons to go out and com e in frequently in tim e o f service, to the disturbance o f others, and th e interruption o f th at silence and solem nity which are enjoined by politeness, no less th an a sense o f religion. This indecorous practice prevails am ong several different d en om ina­ tions; but it is local in its prevalence, and scarcely deserves to be m entioned in a description o f provincial custom s. T he observance o f the sab bath , instituted by religion, and required by law, is m ost strict in those places, w here public w orship is regularly m aintained. Such places are not so num erous as m ight be w ished, although th eir num ber is increasing. In a country recently settled, and thinly peopled; w here various creeds are professed, and religious freedom is enjoyed, a regular m ainte­ nance o f th e public w orship o f G o d is a m atter o f difficulty; but its salutary influence on civil society, renders it an im portant object; and, when viewed in th e light o f th at eternal state o f retributions, to which this life is only a probationary introduction, it rises in im portance, beyond th e reach o f description. In this point o f view, every believer o f th e C hristian system , w hether connected o r not by national ties, m ust wish success to the m eans o f propagating th e gospel o f salvation, in any land w here hum an beings dwell.

120

SK ETCH ES O F U PPE R CANADA

Appendix T o S k e tc h e s A f t e r the foregoing Sketches w ere finished, th e Provincial Legis­ lature, at th eir Session in 1816, enacted several laws, w hich will be sum m arily sketched in this A ppendix. Tw o new D istricts w ere form ed; th e D istrict o f G ore, at the head o f L ake O ntario, taken from the N iagara and H om e D is­ tricts; and th e D istrict o f O ttaw a, com posed o f th e northern part o f th e Eastern D istrict. T he principal S ettlem ents in this new D istrict, are situated on o r n ear th e river O ttaw a. T his north­ easterly Section o f the Province has h ith erto attracted little atten ­ tion, but is rising in im portance. M any Settlers, w ho have recently em igrated from the British E uropean dom inions, under the auspices o f governm ent, and a considerable num ber o f the officers and soldiers o f th e regim ents lately disbanded, are located o r to be located there, and a new route o f inland navigation, betw een M ontreal and K ingston, is to be opened in th at direc­ tion. T he country has been explored, an d th e reports o f it are favourable. It is expected to pass up th e O ttaw a to th e m outh of the R ideau, and up th at river n ear to its head w aters, thence by a short portage to K ingston M ill river, an d dow n th at stream to K ingston. T he distance will be greater th an dow n the St. Law­ rence. But the difficult and dangerous rapids will be avoided; and, in th e event o f an o th er w ar, this interior com m unication betw een th e tw o Provinces, will be m ore safe th an th e old one along the frontier. T he tw o new D istricts are organized, and their respective officers appointed and sw orn into office. A n act was passed for th e establishm ent and encouragem ent o f com m on schools. It provides for a b oard o f education, to be appointed by the G ov erno r in C ouncil, in each D istrict, and authorizes the inhabitants o f any tow n, tow nship, village o r place, to associate by subscription for a school, and to choose three trustees o f such school, w ho have pow er to appoint a teacher, designate the school books to be used, an d direct th e course of education, subject to the superintendance o f th e D istrict B oard o f E ducation. T hese trustees are annually to certify the n um b er o f scholars instructed in their respective schools, an d report th e state o f th e schools to the D istrict B oard, w ho are to m ake a sim ilar repo rt to the G overnor, to be laid before the Legislature. T he act

A PPE N D IX TO SKETCH ES

12 1

grants 6,000 pounds (24,000 dollars) a year, from the provincial fund, and apportions it to the ten D istricts. T he D istrict Boards are to apportion it am ong the schools in th eir several D istricts, according to the num ber o f th eir scholars, w ith these lim itations, th at none be given to a school o f less than 20 scholars, and no school have less than a hundred dollars; an d th e m oney is to be paid to the teachers upon their producing certificates o f qualifica­ tion and good conduct from th eir trustees. T his law , how ever incom plete as a system , indicates a favour­ able progress o f public sentim ent on th e subject o f education. C om m ercial intercourse betw een the province and the states n o t h av in g been reg u lated by tre a ty , an act w as p assed fo r th at p u rp o se .. . . S c h e d u l e o f D u t ie s to be received on A rticles o f M anufacture, being o f the Growth and Produce o f the U nited S la tes o f A m er­ ica, under the O rder in Council, o f the 18th o f A pril, 1816. A d va­ lorem

A nchors B rass, iro n , o r steel locks, hinges, hoes, anvils an d vices Beer, ale, o r porter, in casks, per gallon D o. in bottles, do. Books, blank, & c. Broaches C ables and tarred cordage, per lib. C arriages o r parts o f carriages C ards, playing, per pack W ool and C otto n, per dozen C andles o f tallow , per lib. C andles, Sperm aceti o r wax C an es, w alking stick s, and w hips C otton goods C ab in et w ares, ch a irs, an d m anufactures o f w ood C ordage tarred, p er lib. u ntarred , do. C otton w ool, do.

0

s. 0

d. 0

22

0

0

0

0 0 35 35

0 0 0 0

0 1 0 0

6 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 1 5 0 0

Vh 0 6 3 2 Vi Vh

35 25

0 0

0 0

0 0

35

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 3V6 3 2

per cent 22

35

£

12 2

SK ETCH ES O F U PPE R CANADA

C lothing, ready m ade Fish dried, per quintal M ackerel, per barrel Salm on, do. All o th er pickled fish, do. Furs o f all kinds, undressed G lass, w indow , n o t above 8 by 10, per 100 square feet D o. do. 10 by 12 D o. d o . above 10 by 12 All o th er m anufactures th ereo f G laub er salts, per cwt. G lue, per lib. G unpow der H airpow der H em p, per cwt. Indigo, per lib. Iron hoop, an d slit, per cwt. . . sheet, do. L ead and m usket ball A ll o th e r m an u fac tu re s in w hich lead is th e chief article L ooking glasses M alt, per bushel N ails, per lib. Paper o f all descriptions Packthread and tw ine, per cwt. P aste b o ard , p a rc h m e n t, an d vellum Pictures and prints Salt, per bushel, o f 591b. Starch, per lib. Steel, per cwt. Spirits, distilled from grain, F irst proof, per gallon Second d itto ditto T hird ditto ditto F ou rth d itto ditto Fifth ditto ditto Sixth ditto ditto

Ad va­ lorem per cent 35

£ 0 0 0 0 0 0

s 0 5 6 10 5 0

d 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

12 13 16 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 7 7 0

6 9 3 0 0 5 4 4 6 9 6 6 0

0 0 0 0 0 2

0 0 1 0 0 0

0 0 0 Vh 0 0

35 35 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 1 0 10

0 0 0 Vh 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

2 2 2 2 3 3

1h 3 5 7 0 9

free

30

22 22 40 35

A PPEND IX TO SK ETCH ES

Ad va­ lorem 0

£ 0

s 3

d 9

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

1 0 0 0

3 9 2 Vh

0 0 free 20

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

4 7 0 0

free 25

0 0

0 0

0 0

30

0

0

0

0

12

6

3er cent

Spirits, from m olasses, do. M en ’s an d w om en’s shoes o f all d escrip tio n s, m ad e o f leather, per pair C hildren’s d o. do. Soap, p er lib. Snuff, ditto T obacco, unm anufactured, dit­ to -----------, m anufactured, do. Tallow Types for printing W earing apparel, and personal baggage W ood, m anufactured A ll o th e r m an u fac tu re s and g oo ds o f th e g ro w th and produce o f th e U nited States o f A m erica, n o t o th erw ise enum erated Except w heat, barley, rye, oats, pease, beans, p o t and pearl ash es, stav es, h ea d in g , oak and pine tim ber, an d other lum ber; beef, pork, and live cattle, cheese, butter, an d all o th er provisions, which may be adm itted free. 12 p er cent, upon th e above duties to be paid on such a r­ ticles, as are im ported in for­ eign vessels E very s h ip ’s b o a t, o r vessel, exceeding five tons burden, belonging to th e subjects o f the U nited States o f A m eri­ ca, entering any port o r har­ bou r w ithin this province, to pay a duty, per ton, o f

123

0

J o h n S m all,

C lerk o f th e Executive C ouncil.

124

SK ETCH ES O F U PPE R CANADA

T he tonnage duty laid by this o rd er, although intended to corre­ spond with th at o f the U nited States upon British vessels, was found to be higher. Its effects w ere to exclude the A m erican packets and sm all vessels, o r to cause them to be covered with nam es o f British ow ners, by real o r fictitious sales; and at the sam e tim e to turn the forw arding business from ports on the British side o f the lakes and rivers to those on the other side. T he duty was soon reduced by the following

ORDER of

th e

lie u t e n a n t

- g o v e r n o r , in c o u n c i l

Province o f A t a C ouncil for the affairs o f the Province, held at Upper Canada.Y ork in the said Province, on the 22d day o f M ay, in th e 56th y ear o f his M ajesty’s reign, and in th e y ear o f our L ord 1816, PRESEN T, HIS e x c e l l e n c y t h e l i e u t e n a n t - g o v e r n o r W it has been represented th at th e tonnage duty o f 12?. 6d. per ton, im posed on all vessels exceeding five tons, belonging to the subjects o f the U nited States o f A m erica, entering any port o r h arb o ur in this province, is higher than is im posed in the ports o f the U nited States, on the tonnage o f vessels belonging to his M ajesty’s subjects; it is ordered th at so m uch o f th e O rd er in C o u n cil o f th e 18th o f A p ril, 1816, as im poses a to n n a g e duty on vessels belonging to th e subjects o f th e U nited States, be can­ celled , an d th a t th e follow ing to n n a g e d uty b e im p o sed in lieu thereof. O n all vessels above five tons to fifty tons, th e tonnage duty to be three-pence halfpenny per ton. F rom fifty to a hundred tons, five shillings, o r one dollar per to n . O n all vessels above a hundred tons, twelve shillings and sixpence p er ton. J S , C lerk o f the Executive C ouncil. h ereas

o h n

m a ll

T he reasons here alleged for annulling the form er rates o f tonnage duty, and substituting these in conform ity to the A m erican stan­ d ard , m anifests a disposition for friendly intercourse; a disposition

A PPEND IX TO SK ETCH ES

125

w hich it is to be hoped will be obviated on both sides as well by the governm ents as th eir respective subjects. A w ar o f legislation, although not so destructive as a w ar o f arm s, w ould occasion serious inconveniences. O n the o th er hand a free com m ercial intercourse, on liberal term s, is not only pleasant, but m utually beneficial. Instances o f national civility have been w itnessed w ith m uch satisfaction. O f th at character was the act passed by C ongress, to exem pt from im post duty, G o v ern o r G o re ’s carriage, which was landed at N ew Y ork, on its w ay to U pper C an ad a. Such civilities have a conciliatory tendency, and are far m ore gratifying to a benevolent m ind than acts o f retaliation o r reciprocal irritation. A t the session o f the Provincial parliam ent in 1816, the annual labour required by law to be expended upon roads was extended, and som e o th er alterations m ade in th e statute. T he im portant object o f im proving th e public roads continues to occupy th e attention o f th e legislature. In addition to the statute labo u r annually required o f the inhabitants, liberal grants have, from tim e to tim e, been m ade from the provincial funds, and applied under th e direction o f road com m issioners, appointed for th at purpose in the several districts. T he provincial revenue has increased to such a degree as to enable th e legislature at their session this year (1816) to m ake liberal grants. T he view o f this subject, contained in a preceding Sketch, as taken from the statem ents o f th e year 1810, gives no ad equ ate idea o f its present state. A n au th en tic abstract o f the am o u nt o f the several sources o f revenue for th e last year could n ot be obtained in season to be inserted in this appendix. A t th e sam e session, the jurisdiction o f the courts o f requests w as enlarged to five pounds, in cases o f liquidated debts; but their process w as declared to be confined w ithin th e lim its o f their respective justiciary divisions, instead o f extending through the w hole district. Provision was also m ade for regulating the police o f th e tow n o f K ingston. T his tow n is now progressing rapidly in population and buildings, as well as business. From 1811 to 1816, the num ber o f dwelling houses only increased from 130 to 300; but it is estim ated th at a hundred m ore will have been erected at the close o f this year. A regular m arket is established; though the country im m ediately around is n o t yet cultivated enough to fur­ nish su fficien t sup plies o f v eg etab les an d o th e r p ro v isio n s. Im provem ents in m any respects are taking place th ro u gh ou t the tow n; but further regulations had becom e necessary, an d are provided for by the act. T hese regulations respect the repairing.

126

T O W N S H IP REPORTS

paving, and cleaning o f th e streets, rem oving nuisances, regulating slaughter-houses, restraining cattle, providing fire engines and buckets, and form ing com panies o f enginem en, and prom oting in general the health, com fort, and security o f th e inhabitants. F or these valuable objects, th e m agistrates are authorized to lay a tow n tax o f a lim ited am ount. H ere closes a very fair and im partial account o f U pper C anada, up to the year 1817. A destructive war seem s to have had little effect in repressing the prosperity o f the Province. K ingston continues to increase rapidly: Q ueenston “ is in a flourishing state,” &c. In 1817 great changes took place; partly from external circum stances, which affected the w orld at large; partly from the internal policy of the executive governm ent, or rather its im politic haste, in running counter to established law and confirm ed good practice. T he change alluded to will little appear from the perusal o f the following Reports; for the w orld does not contain a m ore contented people than those o f U pper C anada: indeed a cow in clover takes little heed o f the scythe which does not scratch its hoof; but if the clover is yet m ade into good hay, the cow m ay have no reason to com plain o f a tem porary stint. - r . g .

Q ueries. 1st. N am e, Situ a tio n, a n d E x te n t o f yo u r Township? 2d.' d ate

3d. 4th. 5th. 6th. 7th. 8th.

ber

o f

of

th e

peo ple

fir st an d

se ttlem en t

in h a b it e d

o f

y o u r

h ou ses

t o w n sh ip

, num ­

?

N U M BER O F C H U R C H E S OR M E E TIN G H O U SE S; N U M BER OF PRO FE SSIO N AL PREACH ERS, A N D OF W H A T SECTS? NU M BER OF M EDICAL PRACTITION ERS? N U M BER O F S C H O O L S , A N D THE FEES PER Q U A R T E R ? NUM BER OF STORES? NUMBER OF TAVERN S? N U M B E R O F M ILLS, A N D O F W H A T D E S C R I P T I O N , W IT H THE r ate

9th. 10th.

th e

o f

grinding ,

g e n e r a l

THE

k in d s

sa w in g

a n d

c h a r a c t e r of

tim ber

o f

c a r d in g

w o o l

the

a n d

so il

p r o d u c e d

O R D E R , AS T H E Y M OST A B O U N D ?

,

?

su r fa c e

n a m in g

?

th em

in

Q U ERIES

11th.

WHAT

M IN ERALS,

IN D IC A TE D ;

COAL

IF

ANY,

HAVE

LIM ESTONE,

BEEN

IRON,

127

DISCOVERED

STONE,

OR

PLAISTER

OF

PARIS, SA L T R O C K , S A L T O R O T H E R R E M A R K A B L E SPR IN G S?

* 12th.

B U I L D I N G S T O N E S , IF A N Y ,

MUCH

PER

TOISE

THEY

OF W H A T QU ALITY,

CAN

BE

O B TA IN E D

FOR

AND

HOW

AT

THE

QUARRY?

13th.

IF B R I C K S H A V E

BEEN M A D E , A N D TH E IR C O S T PE R T H O U ­

SAND?

14th.

IF LIME IS B U R N E D , A N D T H E

PRICE

PER BUSHEL, A T THE

KILN?

15th.

W A G ES OF BLACKSM ITHS, M ASONS, A N D CAR PEN TERS; AND

T H E R A T E O F TH EIR P I E C E - W O R K R E S P E C T I V E L Y ?

16th.

W A G E S O F C O M M O N L A B O U R E R S PER A N N U M , PER W IN T E R

MONTH, WAGES

PER

SUMMER

OF W OM EN

MONTH,

SERVANTS

PER

DAY

IN

PER

WEEK,

FOR

HAY;

HARVEST;

ALSO,

FOR H O U S E W O R K ,

A N D FOR SPINNING?

17th.

PRICE

and

OF

M O W IN G

c ra d lin g

GRASS

lodging is included?

18th.

COST

PRICE

OF

REAPING

saying in each case if board and

w h eat;

OF C LEAR IN G AN D

FENCING a

GIVEN Q U A N TITY

OF

W O O D L A N D ; S A Y FI V E A C R E S , B Y C O N T R A C T ?

19th.

PRESENT

o l d

20th.

PRICE

; also, a good

AVERAGE

OF

A

Q U AN TITY

GOOD

WORK

HORSE

FOUR

YEARS

, o x , sheep, of the sam e age?

c o w

OF

WOOL

YIELDED

BY

SHEEP;

AND

W H A T PRICE TH E W O O L N O W B R IN G S PER P O U N D ?

**21st.

ORDIN AR Y

TIME

OF

TU RN IN G

OUT

BEASTS

TO

PASTURE,

A N D O F T A K IN G TH EM HOME IN T O THE Y A R D O R S T A BL E ?

22d.

O RD IN AR Y

ENDURANCE

OF

THE

SLEIG H ING

SEASON,

AND

O F C O M M E N C I N G P L O U G H I N G IN S P R I N G ?

23d. 24th.

O R D IN A R Y SEASO N OF S O W IN G A N D REAPING W H EA T? QU AN TITY

HOW

MANY

OF

WHEAT

BUSHELS

PER

REQ UIRED ACRE

ARE

TO

SOW

AN

C O N SID E RE D

ACRE, AN

AND

AVER­

AGE CROP?

* In m any of the R eports, prices w ere given in D O L L A R S : in som e, N E W Y O R K C U R R E N C Y , o r 8s. to the d ollar, was spoken of. T o prevent confusion, I have converted these into the provincial currency of 5s. to a dollar, and four dollars to the pound, of 18s. sterling. ** T o quote all the Replies to Q ueries 21st. 22nd. and 23d. would be unnecessarily tedious. I shall, th erefo re, only give them in two adjoining R eports of each D istrict, which will be quite Sufficient for the reader's inform ation.

128

W E ST E R N DISTRICT

25th.

Q UALITY o f p a s t u r e : 1 s t . a s

W H A T W EIG H T AN OX A su m m e r ’s OF

it y

r u n

D AIRY

it

r espects

, and

f e e d in g

OF FO UR Y E A R S O L D W ILL GA IN

; 2d . as

PRODUCE,

it

r espects

N O TIN G

m ilk

THE

, and

PRICE

th e

W H ICH

WITH q u a l

­

BUTTER

A N D C H E E S E M A D E IN T H E T O W N S H I P W I L L N O W F E T C H ? 26th.

O RDIN AR Y COURSE

AFTERW ARDS WHEN

OF C R O PPIN G

BROKEN

UPON NEW

LAN D S, AND

U P FROM G R A S S ; S T A T IN G A LSO

W H E N A N D F O R W H A T C R O P S M A N U R E IS A P P L I E D ? 27th.

IF A N Y L A N D IS L E T O N S H A R E S ; T O W H A T E X T E N T T H I S IS

p r a c tise d

* 28 th.

THE

THE

; and

PRICE

w h a t

th e

OF W ILD

TO W N SH IP;

ITS

o r d in a r y

LAND

AT

PROGRESSIVE

term s

?

THE F IRST S E T T L E M E N T OF RISE

AND

PRESENT

PRICE;

A L S O O F L A N D S O F A R C L E A R E D ; S T A T I N G C I R C U M S T A N C E S AS TO

B U ILD ING S,

ANY,

OF

LOCAL

PROPORTION

CLEARED,

OR

SITU ATION ;

REFERRIN G

IN

PECULIARITY, EVERY

IF

INSTANCE

TO A C T U A L SALES? 29th.

Q U A LITY OF LAND N O W

30th.

STATE

OF

IM PROVEM ENT WATER

P U B LIC AT

A

CONVEYANCE;

FOR SALE?

ROADS,

AND

MODERATE OR,

IF

IF

CAPABLE

EXPENCE;

THIS

COULD

OF

ALSO, BE

MUCH IF

ANY

O B T A IN E D ,

E X TEN D ED, O R IM PROVED, BY MEANS OF C A N A L S , L O C K S , &C. &C. 31st.

W H A T , IN Y O U R O P I N I O N ,

R E T A R D S T H E I M P R O V E M E N T OF

Y O U R T O W N S H I P IN P A R T I C U L A R , O R T H E

P R O V I N C E IN G E N ­

E RAL; A N D W H A T W O U L D M O ST C O N TR IB U TE T O THE SA M E ?**

Township Reports of Upper Canada W estern D istrict Sandwich A t a M eeting o f th e R esident L a n d O w ners o f the Tow nship o f Sandw ich, in the W estern D istrict o f U pper Canada, this 18th D ay o f D ecem ber. 1817. R esolved, T hat

an answ er be given to the Q ueries o f M r. R obert G ourlay,

* M y 28th Q uery required a reference to actua l sales ; which unfortun­ ately has been to little attended to. ** For G ourlay's tabulation o f the replies to the thirty-first of these quer­ ies, see p. 293. F or his com m ents on the replies, see p. 312. [Ed.]

SA N D W IC H

129

for th e inform ation o f o u r fellow subjects in B ritain, w ho ap p ar­ ently are ignorant o f the advantages in this section o f th e em pire, w hen they em igrate into th e dom inions o f foreign potentates, incongenial to th eir habits and feelings, and w here they becom e for ever lost to th eir country. • 2d. T he tow nship o f Sandw ich began to settle under the French governm ent ab o u t the y ear 1750, and perhaps earlier, and contains at present ab o u t 200 inhabited houses, and ab o u t 1000 souls. T h e front on the river only is settled, w ith th e exception o f a few houses in the interior, and notw ithstanding its nearness to m arket, an d natural advantages, we do not know o f one ad d i­ tional settler for this num ber o f years. 3d. O ne R om an C atholic church, and tw o priests, no P ro t­ estant church o r chapel (the sam e having been destroyed by the enem y during th e late w ar), and but one preacher o f the church o f England. 4th. Tw o m edical practitioners. 5th. O ne school, with one m aster, w ho draw s a salary from the provincial fund, o f £ 1 0 0 p er annum , besides tuition fees. T here are also tw o inferior schools, the teachers o f which receive from the sam e fund £ 2 5 per an n um , besides m oderate fees. 6th. T hirteen shops o r stores. 7th. 8 taverns. 8th. E ight w ind-m ills and o ne w ater-m ill for grinding w heat. N o saw o r carding-m ills. Inch pine boards are at present 51. per thousand feet; but they will soon be at half th at price. 9th. T he face o f th e tow nship is level, an d m uch ditching required; the general character o f the soil is yellow and black loam , with a clay under stratum . T he m iddle o f th e tow nship is sandy; but a m ixture o f these renders th e soil w arm and grateful to vegetation. W ild hay in abundance. C attle thrive well. 10th. A great p art o f th e tow nship is a plain, and the tim ber m ost abounding is, w hite, red, an d black o ak, ash, elm , hickory, poplar, m aple, and chestnut. 11th. N o m inerals, lim e-stone, salt rock o r springs, coal, plaster, o r rem arkable springs have as yet been discovered. 12th. N o stone o f any kind but w hat is tran sp orted from M alden, the next tow nship, and sold from 31. to 31. 155. per toise, o f 6 cubic feet. In the quarry they m ay be had for 2s. 6d. p er toise, and quarried for Is . 6d . one m ile from the river. 13th. Bricks are m ade, but not in a sufficient quantity, and are from 21. to 21. 10.9. per thousand at the kiln, though th e soil is favourable for m aking them . * This seems extrem ely high; but I give it as given to m e . . . R .G .

130

W E STE RN DISTRICT

14th. N o lim e but w hat is brought from M alden, an d gener­ ally sold at Is. 3d. per bushel; but it can be m ade for m uch less, and has been sold at IVid. per bushel. 15th. B lacksm iths generally have shops o f their ow n, and earn from 11. to 21. per day*. C arpenters and m asons, 10.9. per day, with board and lodging; and when they w ork by th e piece, they calculate on m ore. 16th. W ages o f com m on labourers, p er annum , 251. to 371. 10^.; per w inter m onth, 21. to 21. 10.9.; per sum m er m onth, 31. to 31. 155.; per day in harvest, 5s. to 6.9. 3d.; w om en servants, 11. 55. per m onth, but very few are to be hired; spinners none. 17th. M ow ing, reaping, and cradling, 5s. to 6.9. 3d. 18th. C ost o f clearing and fencing five acres o f land, about 121. 10.9. on an average. Som etim es w oodlands are given for a certain tim e, and then on shares to repay the person by whose labour it was cleared. 19th. T he price o f a w ork horse o f four years, 121. 10.9., a cow 51., an ox 71. 105., and a sheep 11. 20th. W ool three to four pounds per fleece; som e has had nine pounds and tw enty pounds o f tallow : com m on w ool, 25. 6d. per pound. 21st. A bout the 10th o f A pril, and the 10th o f D ecem ber. H orned cattle are seldom housed; they do better under sheds, and if n ear the w oods, they brow se, and w ant but very little fodder; horses the sam e, except those kept for w ork. 22d. Sleighing season from th e latter end o f D ecem ber, to the beginning o f M arch; but com m only its duration is b u t two m onths, January and February; ploughing begins ab o ut the begin­ ning o f A pril. 23d. Sow ing fall w heat in A ugust an d Septem ber, an d reap ­ ing in July. Spring w heat is sow n as early as the season will adm it; in M arch, if the frost is out o f the ground. 24th. O ne to one and a h alf bushels o f w heat p er acre, according to th e richness o f th e ground: average crop ab o u t 10 bushels per arpent*, but w hen well cultivated it has been known to produce 20 bushels. T he land is not as well cultivated here as in B ritain; it has never m ore th an one ploughing, and th e sod has not sufficient tim e to rot and to pulverize. 25th. Blue grass and w hite clover, th e natural production of th e land; no m ade m eadow s to signify; yet an ox o f four years in a sum m er’s run, will gain ab o u t 120 lb. M ilk is rich, and in the season overflows th e pail. B utter excellent; cheese very little * T he arpent is to the acre as 180 to 200.

SA N D W IC H

131

m ade; it is purchased from o u r neighbours over th e straight, and is generally at 15. 3d. per pound. B utter is from 1s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. per pound. 26th. Land is often cleared for th e first crop, and som etim es three crops, according to the labour; and when taken, it is at for h alf the produce. M anure is seldom w anted but on old ground, for w heat; tw o o r three crops o f Indian corn is taken o ff new lands before w heat is sow n. 27th. Land w ithin fence, and fit for cultivation, is generally let for half the produce; but there are few tenants o f this descrip­ tion, as every one th at chooses can get land o f his own. 28th. T he price o f wild land ab o ut tw enty years ago was from U . 3d. to 2s. 6d. per acre, an d its progressive rise ab o u t 2s. 6d. for every five years. T he present price o f land is from IQs. to 155. except in particular situations, such as lie on th e straight. N o lands have been recently sold in th e tow nship; th e settlem ent has been long at a stand. Im proved farm s on th e border o f the straight, with a com m on farm -house, barn, and out-houses, orchard, and ab o ut 50 acres, w ithin fence, w ould rate from

Q

D u tch ess S p rin g o

W ife am

County,

5 child r.

18 11

Z

«C

c

a

I

1c

c

C ;

a?

a

=

nns. T h e a h o t c T a b l e w a s m a d e out b y i n e w h e n I m e l l i n " t h r o u g h ] l e f t s c h e d u l e * t o b e l i l l e i l »i|i i n N o r w i c h , a n d o n f o u n d in t h e i r p r o p e r p l a c e s .

the coun try, and

the T a l b o t R o a d , w h i c h w il l be

T h i s table exh ibits a settlem ent j u s t be-finn iii". T h e y

m a rk the pro gress o f sonic y e a rs o f im p ro vem ent.— It. U.

TA BLES

TABLE. Westminster New Settlement, London District. 1 D»U ■>( romm-nHi.* * iapr>

• H I rag .

lOOj

97J 5673

7 6

1 3 .. 1 PrT I £

10 0 10 0

V

10

76 76

22

in

M.

t.

6 16 3 6 8 * 5 35 0 l 0 6 5 10 0 10 0 I SI* S 5 13 6 5 * «| *0 00 IJ 6 6 11 311 I5 . . 2 5 1 37 6 , 1 0* .. 7 6 J O i25

0 t

N*

37! 101 3

|

.. .. 8 . . . . 13 5

I

7 0 9 j,6

5

T . in column iljt standi fo rT u n k er; Men. for M ew nU t;

0 9j

8 1 *1

9

TABLE 2 0 7

TABLE. Reports of the District of Gore. L^ Is I? ■ -j252 r5^ r |£ b

P R IC E S O F L IV E STO CK -

it

III

o Ci

s oi -I C1oSSL

i X I •I

d. i. d. j,. i. L. i t . . ja

o

06

t.

L . I . i.

lb 0

a

d. lb.

U 15 4 15 7 10 19 6 18 15 15 0 5 0 7 10 15 0

I. d. 1 . d.

1010

941

0 74

I

5 0 6 3 15

0

15 0

6 0 90

0

17 10

8

15 19 6

$

34 a

1

6

30

7 6 99 10 0

95 0

74

6 *0

0 1 0 0 74

5 0 6 6 25

0

5

010

5 0 20 0

0 12 6 900 0 10

9 03

6 3 6 8 90 ! O 6 3 5 0 12

9 0 3

O .. 5 0

20

0 10

0

15 O 16 5 4 10 10 17 10 5 0 10

II S 10 0

9 6

100 0 11

0 19 6

i 6

150 1 3 0 10

0

3

6

196 1150 9 0 8 7 40 0 87 6

U 1519 19 10

9 93 6

26 E. for EpUcopal; M. for M ethodist

10

8

9

1941 143 1 0 0

9

b

8|8

0 91 10

4

208

G O RE D ISTRICT

m unication. But to confine th e m atter to Saltfleet, a canal m ight be easily cut through th e long beach which separates B urlington bay from lake O n tario , (th e p resen t o u tlet only a d m ittin g sm all boats, and som etim es a canoe can scarcely pass), th e distance not exceeding one-fourth o f a m ile, and the height above th e w ater not m ore than eight o r ten feet, com posed wholly o f a fine sand; w ith a bold shore in m any places on both sides; an d the bottom o f both lakes indicating nothing m ore to resist th an a clay; the accom plish­ m ent o f which w ould be an object o f no less im portance to th e gov­ ernm ent than th e people; and h ere the benefit derived w ould not be confined to Saltfleet: this little w ork, o f vast im portance, w ould form one o f the m ost secure and capacious h arbours to be found; here the fleet m ight bid defiance to an enem y in tim e o f w ar, o r act in con­ ju n ctio n with an arm y; B urlington heights having once been the last resort o f the arm y, and ultim ately proved the saving o f th e country. It w ould also, by changing the route, shorten the distance o f convey­ ing th e exports an d im ports o f a large p ortio n o f the district o f G ore in w hich it lies; an d also a large portio n o f the L ondon D istrict, lying w estw ard, an d could not fail to add new life an d energy to th e whole. (Signed)

H u g h W il l s o n , C hairm an.

G ore D istrict S u m m a ry o f Population, &c. T he above T able directly exhibits and the average to each o f nine tow nships, com pletely reckoned, is 577. T he average n um ­ ber o f persons to a house in these tow nships is 6%. W ellington Square has .............................................................. 16 houses E ast F lam boro’ ...........................................38 ditto T hese m ultiplied by 6% 54, give T otal population thus calculated T he only organized tow nship in the district o f G ore, not reported, is G landford: it is pretty well settled, and will equal in population at least the average o f the reported tow nships, ..................................................................................577

5673 people;

330 6003

GORE

B inbrook had in 1817 only 16 fam ilies, which reckoned at 6 % gives ............................98 W oolw ich only one f a m i l y ........................... 6 T otal w hite population T he Indians on the G rand river are stated in th e R eport o f H aldim and, to be ab o ut 1800 People o f colour, by w hom are m eant, I presum e, negroes and m u l a t t o e s ....................30 But I have seen an accurate governm ent list of the G rand river Indians, which m ade their num ber T otal population, reported and estim ated

209

— 681 6684

1829 — 1859 8543

F o r the reported population o f 6003, there appear to be four places of w orship, and six resident preachers; viz. three M ethodists; two T u n k ers an d M enonists; and o n e E piscop alian . T here a re th ree m edical practitioners; thirty-seven schools; and thirty-four taverns. Im provem ent is said to be retarded, in seven reports, by crow n, clergy, and other reserves: in seven reports, by the great extent of non-resident’s land: in three reports, by w ant o f capital: in tw o reports, by shutting out A m erican settlers: in one report, by w ant o f enterprise: in one report, by w ant o f m echanics: in one report, by the poverty o f beginners: in one report, by the effects o f the late war: in one report, by the w ant of em igrants, and the difficulties opposed to them : in one report, by bad roads: in one report, by w ant o f m en: in one report, by lands held by Indians, w ho cannot alienate: in o ne report, by w ant of-liberal and indiscrim inate encouragem ent to em igration, by the govern­ m ent o f the province: in one report, the people w ant rousing up.

210 NIAGARA DISTRICT N iagara D istrict. Tow nship R eports.

Humberston 14th January, 1818. M S ir ,

r

.

R o b e r t

G o u r i .a y ,

H considered y ou r queries, we now present you with answ ers to the sam e: 5th. T here is one English and one D utch school. 8th. T he rate o f sawing, 3s. 6d. per hundred feet, o r one h alf o f the tim ber. 9th. M uch o f the soil is a rich black loam ; som e o f a yellow ish cast and poorer, and a sm all p roportion clay. T here is a considerable extent o f m arsh. T he surface throughout is flat and low, unless along th e lake shore, w here there is a narrow ridge o f blown sand, occasionally elevated into little hills, th e highest o f w hich is called the Sugar Loaf. It m ay be 150 feet high, or upw ards. 10th. T im b er abounds in th e following order; o ak, pine, hickory, beech, m aple, w alnut, ash, elm , bass, tam arack, black spruce, hem lock, and cedar, red an d w hite. llth . T here is abundance o f lim estone, and tw o sulphur springs. 12th. L im estone is used for building, and is got on the lake shore for the picking up. 18th. N o land has been cleared by contract for m any years. 21st. Beasts are turned o u t to p asture ab o ut th e beginning o f M ay, and taken hom e the beginning o f N ovem ber. 22d. Sleighing generally lasts tw o m onths, and ploughing com m ences th e first o f A pril. 23d. W heat is sown in Septem ber, and reaped the beginning o f A ugust. 25th. T he pasture is capital. C heese is seldom taken to m arket. 26th. A fter clearing th e land, w heat is the first crop, an d is often sown the second year, w hen it is sown dow n w ith tim othy and clover. W hen broken up from grass, w heat is sow n, then oats, and then again laid dow n to grass. Som etim es the succession is w heat, Indian corn, w heat an d grass. O n th e best spots, Indian corn is grow n several years in succession. M anure is generally applied to m eadow s, and som etim es to w heat. a v i n g

BERTIE

211

27th. Som e land is let on shares, one-third o f the crop being given to the landlord, and o ne-h alf if he furnishes team , and tackle; excepting always, potatoes, flax, and garden stuffs. 28th. A t th e first settlem ent, w hen m uch land was held on location tickets, lots o f 200 acres could be bought for 20 dollars. T he price has gradually increased, an d o f late years sales have been effected at 2 xh dollars per acre. 29th. A considerable quantity o f land is now for sale. 30th. T he roads are not good, but could be m uch im proved. W ater conveyance is by lake E rie; an d a canal could be very easily cut from this to Lyons’ creek, to com m unicate w ith C hippaw a. 31st. Increased p opulation, and im proved roads, are m ost to be desired. (Signed) C h r is t ia n A l e x a n d e r J e s s e Is a a c D a v id

Z a v it z , G

l e n

,

Z a v it z , M

i n e r

,

S t e e l ,

W il l ia m

(for self an d father)

S t e e l .

Bertie 3d. A bout once a fortnight a M ethodist preacher holds a m eeting here. 6th. T here are eight m erchant shops, and four store houses for receiving and storing m erchandise in the tow nship. 8th. O ne carding m achine. R ate o f carding w ool, 6d. per pound. 9th. T he soil, generally, is a m ixture o f clay and loam ; the surface flat. 10th. T his tow nship is tim bered w ith w hite and red oak, beech, sugar m aple, pine, elm , bassw ood, black an d w hite ash, w hitew ood, hickory, black and w hite w alnut, and tam arack. llth . T he only m ineral th at has been discovered is w hat is here called bog ore, o f .which there is said to be plenty in the m arshes. Lim estone abounds in every part o f the tow nship. 12th. L im estone is the only building stone w e have. It can be obtained for ab o ut 15s. per toise at the quarry. 15th. Blacksm iths have generally IZ id. for w orking iron b rought to the shops, and 5s. for shoeing a horse; none o f the iron found by th e sm ith.

212

NIAGARA DISTRICT

21st. C attle are not generally put out to pasture fields in the spring, but are turned into th e w oods, ab o u t th e 1st o f M ay, at which tim e they thrive well on th e tender grow th, and are taken into the yard again about th e 1st o f D ecem ber. 22d. Sleighing com m ences ab o ut th e 1st o f Jan uary , and ends ab o ut the 1st o f M arch. Ploughing com m erces th e 1st o f A pril. 23d. T he season for sow ing w heat, is from the 1st to the 20th o f S eptem ber. W heat harvest generally com m ences ab o ut the 1st o f A ugust. 25th. Pasture is productive. An ox o f four years old, will gain ab o ut one-third his w eight in a sum m er’s run; th at is, if he weighs 400 lbs. in the spring, he will weigh 600 lbs. in the autu m n . A milch cow, at pasture, gives from ten to fourteen quarts o f milk per day. 26th. N ew lands are generally sow n w ith w heat in the autu m n , w ith grass seed in th e spring; after w hich, they rem ain in m eadow or p asture ground for three o r four years; w hen th e roots and stum ps becom e decayed: they are then ploughed in the spring, and sow n w ith w heat in the fall. M anu re is m ore generally applied to the spring crop, th at is, Indian corn, buck w heat, p otatoes, and flax. 27th. L ands are frequently let on shares, and th e custom h ere is, to allow the landlord one-third o f th e produce raised on the land. 29th. T he quantity o f land now for sale in this tow nship, is ab o ut 2000 acres. 30th. P erhaps no tow nship in th e province has greater advantages on account o f th e w ater com m unication th an this. Property o f all kinds is conveyed in vessels o f 130 tons burden, from hence nearly 100 m iles w estw ard. A canal is projected at F o rt Erie rapids, w hich, w hen com pleted, will adm it o f boats passing through, o f five tons burden. Public roads are rath er in a bad state, but by a strict application o f th e statute labour, and a m oderate expence, they m ight be m ade good. 31st. F o r the last tw o years this tow nship has im proved; but its im provem ent m ight be greatly advanced, and th at in a very few years, had we but a few m en o f capital and enterprise from the m other country am ong us. Perhaps, no tow nship in th e dis­ trict o f N iagara, can boast o f better lands than the tow nship of Bertie, and w e are certain th at very few have greater advantages either for th e m echanic o r farm er. W e, Sir, are convinced th at th e plan you have u ndertaken for

W ILL O U G H B Y

213

encouraging o ur fellow subjects to m igrate to this province, and settle am ongst us, is an excellent one, and we earnestly hope and trust it m ay and will succeed. Tow nship o f B ertie, 1st January, 1818. (Signed) J .

W a r r e n , J .

A n d r e w S a m u e l

M

C h a r l e s H e n r y W il l ia m

M

P .

i l l e r

J o h n ,

’A f e e , H il l ,

W a r r e n ,

A p p l e g a r t h ,

T h o m a s

B.

M o o r e ,

H a r d is o n ,

J o h n

M

a x w

M a t t h ia s

e l l

,

H a u n .

P o w e l l ,

W illoughby 2d. Surveyed and laid o u t by governm ent in 1787, at which tim e it got its present nam e; previous to this, in 1784, there were ab o u t ten fam ilies settled upon som e parts o f the land, under the sanction o f the then com m anding officer a t N iagara. 3d. T here are frequently illiterate M ethodist preachers, of w hom there is no scarcity in th e country, w ho occasionally hold forth; and such o f th e inhabitants who have not the benefit o f these, attend divine w orship in th e neighbouring tow nships when an occasion offers. 9th. Surface is in general flat and low. Soil in general a black loam and clay; an d very heavily tim bered. 10th. T he kinds o f tim ber are red o ak, elm , m aple, beech, pine, hickory, bassw ood, black w alnut, black spruce, w hite oak, and a variety o f different descriptions. llth . T here are tw o sulphur springs in th e interior o f the tow nship, very strongly im pregnated. 16th. W ages o f a labourer p er day in harvest for cradling, th e price o f a bushel o f w heat; th e sam e for th e person th at rakes and binds, both being found in provision, and in as m uch grog as they choose to drink. 17th. Price for m ow ing grass per day, ab o u t 3.v. 9d. and treated as above. 18th. C ost o f clearing and fencing five acres o f land, ab o ut 201.; th at is, cutting, burning up all the tim ber a foot diam eter and under; the larger tim ber being killed by cutting the bark all round; in doing this, the person clearing the land, finds him self in provisions and every o th er expense. 21st. Beasts are com m only turned o u t to p asture in the

214

NIAGARA DISTRICT

beginning o f M arch, or so soon as the snow is off the ground; cattle finding food m uch earlier in heavy tim bered land, than upon open land; w orking cattle are only housed when th e snow begins to fall, which is ab o ut Jan uary ; young cattle com m only run out all w inter an d get a little fodder in very severe w eather. 24th. O ne bushel, and som etim es only three quarters to an acre, if sow n early. 25th. T he p asture th ro u gh ou t the tow nship is excellent; the w hite clover grow ing so soon as ever th e land is cleared. A good cow will give m ilk enough to m ake six o r seven pounds o f butter per week. 26th. N ew land, when first cleared, is com m only sow ed with w heat in th e m onth o f Septem ber; tim othy and red clover seeds are sown on th e sam e g round early in the spring following, then lays in grass till th e roots are ro tted , so as to allow the plough to go through; this requires three o r four years; then ploughed, and four o r five crops o f any kind o f grain are taken off successively, w ithout any m an u re w hatever; th en laid dow n in grass for tw o or three years, and again cropped as before. 27th. Very little land let upon shares; but w hen this is the case, th e landlord gets one-third o f the grain, and o ne-h alf o f the hay, th e ten an t finding team an d tackling; but if the landlord finds team , and tackling, and stock, he gets half o f all the increase, both grain and stock. 28th. A farm o f 200 acres, o ne-h alf u nd er cultivation, with tolerable fram e buildings, and orchard, sells now for 6251. to 7001. F arm s, how ever, upon th e N iagara o r C hippaw a rivers, will sell m uch higher according to th eir situation. 29th. F ro m th e best inform ation there m ay be from eight to ten thousand acres o f wild lands, and eight o r ten im proved farm s for sale in this tow nship. 30th. T he roads in this tow nship are principally upon the east, west, and north sides, and are in general good, there being little o r no settlem ent in the interior and south side, ow ing to large tracts being ow ned there by non-residents; good roads can be m ade any w here through the tow nship, if ever settled; good w ater conveyance on the east and north sides by the N iagara and C hippaw a rivers, and Lyons creek, on th e north-w est p art o f the tow nship. M uch m ight be done in the im provem ent o f this tow n­ ship and th e adjoining tow nships o f C row land and W ainfleet, by bringing the w ater o f lake E rie into Lyons creek, which em pties into the C hipp aw a river, ab o u t a m ile from the m outh, the distance from th e head o f Lyons creek not being m ore than a m ile from lake Erie, in digging w hich, eight feet w ould be the

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deepest to ab o ut three feet at th e least; th e soil o f w hich, part sand and p art clay; this im provem ent has been talked of, but from th e w ant o f m eans and inhabitants, has never been attem pted. D id this im provem ent take place, it w ould be a great benefit to the tran sp ort betw een lakes O ntario and Erie, th e dis­ tance from th e m outh o f C hippaw a to the place w here it is proposed to let the w aters o f lake Erie into Lyons creek, not being greater th an from the m o uth o f the C hippaw a to F o rt Erie; besides, at th e proposed place for this cut, there is a good h arb o u r for vessels on lake Erie. In case o f a w ar this line o f tran sp ort w ould be o f m uch use, it being quite rem oved from the division line betw een this country an d the U nited States. 31st. W hat in o ur opinion retards th e im provem ent o f this tow nship, is, th at a great p art o f it is in large tracts, being ow ned by persons not resident on the land, and w ho cannot find p u r­ chasers; w hat retards th e im provem ent o f th e province in general, is the w ant o f good w holesom e inhabitants to cultivate th e soil. E m igration from the united kingdom o f G re at Britain and Ire­ land is m uch w ished for, and at the sam e tim e it w ould be strengthening th e province against o u r enem ies; even a few inhab­ itants from th e U nited States, u nd er proper restrictions, w ould add m uch to the advantage o f this, as also to the m o th er country in cultivating th e wild lands. W e w ould earnestly recom m end a large em igration from the m o th er country o f industrious people, w ho, by obtaining one or tw o hundred acres o f wild lands from governm ent, m ight set them selves dow n with their fam ilies, and in th e course o f one or tw o years m ake a good living in th e province. (Signed) T h o m a s

C u m m in g s , J .

P.

J. P. W illoughby, 4 th Dec. 1817.

J a m e s

C u m m in g s ,

S tam ford. Nov. n th . 1817. R o b e r t S ir ,

G

o u r l a y

,

E s q .

H seen y ou r address to the resident land ow ners o f U pper C an ad a, and it appearing to m e th at if th e views o f w hich are carried into effect, m uch benefit, in m y hum ble opinion, will result to this tow nship, but m ore particularly to the province at large, I have, therefore, convened a few o f o ur oldest and m ost a v i n g

216 NIAGARA D ISTRICT respectable inhabitants, in conjunction w ith w hom I now send the follow ing answ ers to y ou r queries for th e tow nship o f Stam ford, viz. 1st. T his tow nship, a t its first settlem ent, was called M ount D orchester, o r tow nship N o . 2, and got its present nam e from L ieutenant G o v ern o r Sim coe, in 1793. 2d. It was first settled in 1784, by ab o ut 10 fam ilies, w ho had adhered to th e British cause during th e A m erican war. 3d. It has o ne Presbyterian church, built in 1791, by sub­ scription; an o th er church w as also built by subscription in 1795, for th e use o f all persuasions. T his last w as d estro yed .du ring the late w ar. O ne o th er church is now building for the M ethodists. W e have one resident Presbyterian clergym an (supported by sub­ scription); also itinerant M ethodist preachers, w ho preach once a fortnight: and occasionally divine service is perform ed by the established episcopal clergym en o f the neighbourhood, w hen they see convenient. 8th. O ne fulling m ill, an d tw o carding mills. A b o u t 7d. sterling per yard for fulling and pressing cloth, and ab o ut 5 '/id. per pound for carding wool. 9th. T he soil is in general o f a loam y clay, w ith som e sandy an d o th er soils, all o f which have been found good for w heat and o th er grain, as also for hay and pasture. 10th. T he tim ber is chiefly o ak , beech, m aple, hickory, w al­ nut, elm , chestnut, bassw ood, ash, and som e pine, as also a small quantity o f o th er sorts. 11th. O f m inerals there are none, except bog iron ore: lim e­ stone there is abundance; it being the general strata o f th e tow n­ ship, all the bank o f the N iagara river being o f this, as also the rock over w hich th e N iagara Falls pour. N o plaster o f Paris has yet been found o f a good quality; som e m arl; no salt rock; som e salt licks on th e banks o f th e C hippaw a; no salt springs; several inflam m able gas springs, w hich ooze out o f th e bank o f the N iagara river, from the m outh o f C hippaw a river, and extend ab o u t IV 2 m iles dow n. T he air, from som e o f these, w hen con­ fined in a tube, will burn constantly. 12th. T here are building-stones plenty; the quality a bastard lim estone, and cost ab o ut 25s. per toise at the quarry. 17th. H ay, in a plentiful season, is frequently m ow ed and cured to the halves, either divided in stacks, or in cocks, as agreed upon. Price o f m ow ing an d m aking an acre o f grass, 3s. 9d. to 5s.

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18th. T he cost o f clearing and fencing five acres o f land fit for the harrow , is from 50 to 60 dollars: by clearing, is m eant all the fallen tim ber, and th e standing tim ber o f a foot diam eter under, being cut up and burnt; th e larger standing tim ber to be girdled. 21st. Y oung cattle and horses frequently stay out for tw o or three m onths in th e w inter, w here the w oods are contiguous, a little fodder being only given them in storm s and severe w eather. 25th. T he quality o f th e pasture is in general good; the w hite clover com ing in naturally so soon as the land is cleared o f tim ber. A good cow will yield from 51b. to 61b. o f b utter per w eek. 26th. W heat is generally th e first crop after clearing the land; som etim es, but not generally, a second crop o f w heat; then grass three o r four years; then ploughed up for w heat, o r any o th er grain, and continued in crop for three o r four years. M an ­ ure seldom used for any o th er crop th an th at o f Indian corn or p otatoes. W heat is com m only sow n on fallow, that is, g round two o r three tim es ploughed, in M ay, June, and July. 27th. Several farm s are let out on shares, say to th e extent o f 20. 28th. A farm o f 100 acres partly cleared, say half, an d under cultivation, w ith tolerable farm buildings, including a good orchard (which alm ost every farm has), will sell for 5001. sterling, quick sale, and som e places at a higher rate, according to situ a­ tion. 29th. T he land being principally settled, and in general im proved, there is none for sale, unless an offer is m ade which th e ow ner thinks advantageous. 30th. T he great portage road from Q ueenston to th e w ater com m unication above the falls goes through this tow nship, and is in general good, as are also th e o th er roads. T he roads here, as in the o th er tow nships o f th e province, are m ade and repaired by statute labour, which is to o generally b u t indifferently applied. M uch im provem ent m ight be m ade in th e roads, was this labour com m uted. N o w ater carriage, except on th e C hippaw a river, on the south o f the tow nship, which is navigable for boats o f any description from the m outh for 40 m iles. L ocks m ay be m ade to pass the great falls, and connect lakes O ntario an d Erie; b u t m any years m ust elapse before th e province is rich enough to m eet the expence. 31st. W hat retards the further im provem ent o f the tow nship

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is the scarcity o f labourers, there being few not only in this tow nship, but th ro u gh ou t the province in general. T his scarcity is caused principally by th e w ant o f em igration, and by the ease w ith w hich industrious labourers can obtain lands in th e interior o f the country, w here they can m ake farm s o f their ow n; this tow nship, how ever, is m uch better im proved in roads, and in every o th er respect than m ost tow nships o f the province, ow ing to its being ow ned principally by actual settlers, with m oderate quantities o f land, and no reserves being m ade in it for ^ th o f the land for th e crow n, and an o th er '/7th for th e clergy. Som e few o f th e adjoining tow nships are in the sam e fortunate situation, these being surveyed and allotted to actual settlers before th e reserva­ tion o f th e above ftths o f th e land was thought of; o th er tracts have, how ever, suffered severely for this; in which are not only m ad e reserv atio n s o f th e ir ow n ftth s, b u t re se rv atio n s are also m ade in them for the tow nships granted w ithout. A no th er great hindrance to th e im provem ent o f th e province in general is, th at in m any o f the tow nships large tracts are taken up by officers of governm ent, and others non-resident in the country, for which lands non-residents pay no tax w hatever tow ards opening and m aking roads and bridges, and o th er im provem ents, w hich sub­ jects the inhabitants (who m ust o f consequence be thinly settled) to m any serious inconveniences, for w hich I see no rem edy until a tax is laid upon all wild lands, which will be the m eans of bringing ab o ut sales, and actual settlem ent. It is an idea w ith m e, and w ith m ost o f m y best inform ed acquaintance, th at, w ere governm ent, in place o f giving aw ay lands to actual settlers, in specific situations, it w ould be m uch b etter to sell them , which w ould raise a very large fund for public purposes, besides allow ­ ing settlers an d em igrants to place them selves agreeable to their choice an d m eans. Should I have answ ered your queries in a satisfactory m an ­ ner, I shall be gratified, and w ith every wish for success in your present undertaking, I have th e honour to be, Sir, Y our very obedient Servant. (Signed) J o h n G a r n e r , S e n . C ollector fo r Stam ford. G ra n th a m .

Pursuant to public N otice, a N um ber o f the oldest Inhabitants assem bled, to ta ke into C onsideration yo u r Queries. A C om m it­

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tee being appointed, the fo llow in g A nsw ers were adopted, which, we presum e, iy ill be satisfactory. 3d. O ne church; one Presbyterian (non-resident); tw o travel­ ling preachers (M ethodists). 8th. M illers’ w ages, from 51. to 71. 10s. per m onth. F our saw mills; if logs delivered at th e m ill, they take one h alf the boards; saw yers’ wages, from 51. to 61. 10s. a m onth. O ne carding m achine; price o f carding w ool, 6d. per lb.; carders’ w ages, 51. per m onth. 9th. T he soil in its natural state is covered with a black loam , from three to nine inches deep; is o f tw o kinds; the northern part, a sandy loam ; th e o th er a brow n clay, interm ixed w ith m arl, generally rich and productive. 10th. T he lands are heavily tim bered w ith w hite an d red o ak ; w hite pine; beech; sugar and w hite m aple; red an d w hite elm ; black and w hite ash; w hite w ood; chestnut; bassw ood; hick­ ory, and black w alnut; w ith som e cherry, b utternu t, button w ood, sassafras, iron w ood, dog o r box w ood. 1 1th. Very few m inerals yet discovered. A saline spring near th e village o f St. C atherin e’s, o f an excellent quality, has lately been discovered, and w ith im provem ent will be capable o f supply­ ing th e district w ith th e valuable article, salt. Iron bog o re in great plenty; it is found in low w et lands; is raised in large lum ps, th e size o f com m on stone, and m ade use o f for the backs o f fire-places, in place o f stone. 12th. T here is a ridge o r m ountain running along the southern boundary o f this tow nship, which is com posed o f an inexhaustible body o f lim e, fire and building stone, which can be obtained at 5s. per toise at th e quarry. 15th. B lacksm iths’ w ork at th e rate o f l x/id. p er lb.; shoeing a horse, 10s.; journeym en blacksm iths, 51. per m onth. 18th. H eavy tim bered lands, 51. to 61. 5s. per acre. Light tim bered, from 21. to 51. per acre. 25th. W hite clover, red top, and spear grass, natural to the soil; b u t produces red clover and herds grass, if sow n in good crops; w hite clover, best feeding pasture. A good four year old ox will gain, if attended, from 200 to 250 lb.; by running on the com m ons, o r in th e w oods, will gain 150 to 1701b. A milch cow will produce, (well kept), 81b. butter, o r 141b. cheese per w eek. 26th. N ew land, in its natural state, given from 6 to 10 years; the ow ner receiving th e im provem ent for his rent at the expiration o f th e stated tim e. M anu re is applied for flax, p o ta­ toes, oats, Indian co m , w heat, and rye.

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27th. Im proved lands are let out upon shares, ow ner fur­ nishing team and utensils, o ne h alf th e seed, and receives h alf the produce. If th e ow ner furnish land only, to cultivate, he receives o ne-third the produce. A single m an gets one-third o f w hat he raises, and found everything. 28th. F arm s o f 200 acres, situate on th e m ost public roads, o f a good quality, com fortable house, good barn , orchard, &c. from 100 to 150 acres im proved, will sell for 61. to 71. 10s. per acre. F arm s o f 100 acres, sm all house and b arn , 60 acres im proved, will sell from 51. to 61. per acre. L ands sold in the tow nship, in 1809, 10, and 11, for 61. 5s. per acre, now sells from 301. to 2001. for building lots. 29th. F rom 3000 to 5000 acres. 30th. V ery bad. C apable o f being m ade good at the rate of from 5s. to 7s. 6d. per rod; a w ater com m unication w ithin a mile and a half o f the village o f St. C ath erin e’s, for boats o f 10 tons burden, say 4 m iles, is capable o f being extended and im proved, by m eans o f a canal o f three m iles distant, w hich will bring the C hippaw a creek into the Tw elve M ile C reek, by which m eans it will connect the w aters o f lake Erie and lake O ntario . T he greatest expence, 10,0001.; the Tw elve M ile C reek runs by the flourishing village o f St. C ath erin e’s, and is the best stream for mills an d m achinery in this district. 31st. T he last o f y ou r queries is a question o f th e greatest im portance, and we do not feel ourselves com petent to answ er it correctly. T he province was in a m ost prosperous state at the com m encem ent o f the late w ar; th at o f course injured it in a m ost serious m anner, a stop being put to all agriculture. It was drained o f all its resources; m oney was left in the country, it is true, but it w ent but a short way to replace those necessaries each family stood in need of. Since then, we conceive the prosperity o f the country has been m aterially retarded, for th e w ant o f its being correctly represented to his M ajesty’s m inisters. In consequence o f the stop put to em igration from ab ro ad , hardly a family o f wealth o r respectability has becom e a settler am ong us; but sw arm s of m echanics and labourers overrun the country, and tak e to the U nited States m ost o f th e ready m oney w e have, they finding no inducem ent to becom e settlers from the above restrictions. W e think th e rem oval o f th e above evil, taxing non-residents for th e lands they hold in the province, and the em igration o f a few foreigners o f capital, is all th at we w ant at present, to m ake us a prosperous and happy people.

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221

In t h e c h a i r , M r . W . H . M e r r i t t . C o m m itte e , M r . W m . C h is h o l m , C h arles In g e r so ll , W m. M ann, Sen. A m o s M ’K e n n e y , P a u l S h ip m a n . (Signed)

Secretary. G rantham , S t. C atherine’s, N ovem ber 29th, 1817.

Samuel W o od ,

Louth. Jan. 5. 1818. A t a M eeting o f the Inhabitants o f the Tow nship o f Louth, D istrict o f N iagara, a n d Province o f Upper Canada, held this D ay a t the H ouse o f M r. R obert R unchey, In n keep er - the Q uer­ ies proposed in an A ddress o f R ob ert G ourlay Esq. to the R esi­ dent Land-O w ners, respecting the A gricultural S ta te o f this Prov­ ince, were subm itted; and a fte r due C onsideration, the fo llow in g A nsw ers were resolved upon, approved of, ordered to be signed by the C hairm an, and fo rw a rd ed to R. Gourlay, Esq. E b e n e z e r C u l l v e r , C hairm an, J o h n C l a r k , Secretary.

8th. O ne carding m achine. W ool is carded for 6 */2d . per lb. 9th. A bout one half o f th e tow nship is a clay soil, the other h alf a sandy loam , adapted to grass, w heat, rye, barley, oats, Indian co m , buck w heat, beans, peas, and potatoes. T he soil and clim ate throughout the province is favourable to fruit, o f which we have th e following - apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, ap ri­ cots, plum s, cherries, gooseberries, raspberries, and currants. G rapes have succeeded well in th e N iagara district. 10th. T he tim ber is o ak, pine, black w alnut, butternu t, beech, m aple, cherry, hickory, bassw ood, ash, and elm. 11th. Several salt springs have been discovered in this tow n­ ship. O n th e Fifteen and T w enty M ile C reeks w orks have been in operation for som e years past; a t th e Fifteen M ile C reek, for w ant o f proper attention , they yield but trifling, though we are o f opinion, if they w ere rightly m anaged, a sufficiency o f salt m ight

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be m ade for th e use o f the tow nship from th at spring alone. Salt, 7s. 6d. per bushel. 12th. B uilding sto n e, o f an excellent q u ality , can be obtain ed at 5s. per toise, at the quarry, from a ledge o f building, and lim e, stone running along th e south side o f the tow nship. 17th. M ow ing 3s. 9d. per day; cradling w heat 5s. 25th. T he average product o f a cow per day is 10 to 12 quarts o f m ilk, and ab o ut six pounds o f b utter per w eek from each cow. 26th. N ew land, when cleared, is never ploughed; th e w heat is sow ed, an d harrow ed in after th e crop is taken off th e follow­ ing year; then pastured, and th e next year ploughed and sowed: m an u re is seld o m used u ntil th e land becom es som ew h at exhausted. 27th. T here are several farm s in th e tow nship let upon shares, the land p ro prietor getting one-third o f th e produce. 29th. T here is no land at present offered for sale; b u t should purchasers appear, no d ou bt sales w ould take place. A farm o f 200 acres, w ith a house and b arn , 60 acres cleared o r im proved, w ith a sm all orchard, will sell for £ 7 5 0 . 30th. T he roads principally travelled are capable o f being m ade good at a small expence, and we do conceive th at sufficient attention has not been paid to that particular. T he m an n er in w hich th e statute labour is perform ed on them is quite inadequate to the im portance o f the object. W e have three w ater com m unications w ith lake O ntario, say the Fifteen, Sixteen, and T w enty M ile C reeks, running through this tow nship, and are navigable in th eir present state for boats of from five to 20 tons burden. T he T w enty M ile C reek is quite navigable to th e centre o f the tow nship for boats o f 20 tons burden, and is capable o f being im proved by locks an d canals, by w hich m eans a w ater com m unication m ay be carried on betw een lakes E rie and O ntario, at a trifling expence, considering the im portance o f the thing. T his creek abounds with fine fish, say salm on, bass, pike, pickerel, eels, m ullets, suckers, perch, and m any o th er sm all fish. A bove the navigable w aters o f this creek are m any excellent mill seats unoccupied. 31st. W e conceive the im provem ent o f this tow nship and the province in general is m uch retarded, from large tracts o f wild lands holden by persons residing in E urope. Low er C an ad a, and the U nited States, w ho d o not in any w ay contribute tow ards the revenue o r im provem ent o f th e country.

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T he statute labour is perform ed entirely by the people resid­ ing in th e tow nship, as also the revenue is raised from the sam e. T he evil ju st m entioned, and great w ant o f capital in o ur tow nship, is w hat m ost retards th e im provem ent o f it. N .B . W e know o f but one instance o f m en o f capital that have purchased lands to any extent in this province. A com pany o f D utchm en purchased a block o f land on the G rand river, now called the tow nship o f W aterloo. T he province, generally speak­ ing, is com posed o f discharged soldiers, w ho served during the A m erican revolution, and em igrants from the U nited States: m ost o f th e latter are w hat are term ed U .E . loyalists, all o f w hom had but little to begin with. F urther. W e have know n m en going into new lands, pay for the sam e, by m anufacturing the ashes m ade from th e tim ber b urnt in clearing their farms. (Signed) E b e n e z e r C o l l v e r , C hairm an. By o r d e r , J o h n C l a r k , Secretary. G rim sby. T w o carding m achines; tw o fulling mills; carding wool, per pound, 6d. T he soil very good for w heat, rye, oats, pease, buck w heat, flax, Indian corn, and grass. T he tim ber is w hite pine, w hite and red oak, hickory, ash, elm , sugar and soft m aple, chestnut, b u tter­ n ut, beech, and iron w ood. Price o f reaping and m ow ing, per day, 5s.; for cradling, 6s. Tw enty-five bushels an acre from new land, 15 from old land. If let on shares, if new , give the first crop for clearing and fencing; if old land, give one-third o f th e crop: land im proved, according to the situation, say from 11. to 41. per acre. Q uantity o f land for sale unknow n, but a great deal. State o f the roads at present is bad, but m ay be m ade good at a m oderate expence. A s to w hat retards the im provem ent o f o ur tow nship is, that th e w hole o f the tow nship is located, and a great deal o f land in the tow nship for sale, but no buyers; and th e province in general, is the sm all com m erce, and the low prices o f w hat we have to export, and the high prices o f w hat we have im ported. (Signed) A n d r e w P e t t i t , Tow n C lerk o f Tow nship o f G rim sby.

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A S econ d R eport W as S en t to M e From G rim sby, o f W hich the F ollow ing are E xtracts. A s to population, 1 m ay w ith propriety say th at there w ould have been at least one-third o r a h alf m ore, had th e laws o f th e British Parliam ent, for th e encouragem ent o f th e colonization o f this fine province, been allow ed to take their full scope; but for w hat reason o r cause som e o f o ur rulers have, by a dash o f th e pen, endeavoured to abrogate som e o f the w isest statutes th at ever em anated from th e British senate; o r w hether, from political m otives, o r w ith a m istaken notion o f th e interests o r security of th e province, o r by w hat other m otives they have been actuated I know not, but it has been endeavoured, in the face o f a British statute, to interdict the adm ission o f people com ing from the U nited States, avow edly w ith the intention o f becom ing subjects, by taking th e oaths o f allegiance, and settling in th e country. T hese reasons, Sir, will go a great way in elucidating y ou r query, o f “ W hat are the causes th at retard the settlem ent o f th e coun­ try ." L et these prohibitions be d on e aw ay, and proclaim th e high w ay from which this country can derive an efficacious population, open, and w ealth and prosperity will again sm ile upon it. It has been said, but w ithout foundation, th at it is not safe to adm it A m ericans am ongst us; th at th eir politics are dangerous to our m onarchical institutions, and th at if encouragem ent w ere given to them , they w ould ultim ately becom e dangerous to the govern­ m ent; but I w ould beg leave to tell such, th at if it had n o t been for A m ericans, o r em igrants from thence, im m ediately after the rebellion, and long since, th at this fine country, now so flourish­ ing, w ould in all probability be yet a how ling wilderness; an d let m e further tell, th at such m en, an d th eir im m ediate descendants, behaved during th e late w ar w ith th e U nited States, w ith as m uch fidelity and loyalty to his M ajesty’s governm ent as any natural born subject could do; and had it not been for their zeal and gallantry, w e m ight perhaps at this tim e been a province of A m erica, an d enjoying all the blessings o f republican fraternity. T hus debarred from getting a w ealthy and industrious em igration from the U nited States, the country is in a great m easure left to its own natural m eans o f population. A nother cause w hich may be nam ed as powerfully operating against the settlem ent o f the country generally, is the large and fine portions o f it w hich are locked up as crow n and clergy reserves. L arge tracts are likewise held by the o_______ rs o f g_______ t and absentees, w ho will not sell but at an exorbitant price, thus putting it o u t o f th e pow er o f the industrious p o o r m an to add his m ite to the general advance­ m ent and prosperity o f th e colony.

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R eligion, I am sorry to say, has hitherto been but o f second­ ary consideration. T his, how ever, is not to be ascribed to the general im m oral character o f th e people, w ho are naturally of pious and orderly habits; but is to be attribu ted m ore to the seem ing disregard o f th e head o f th e established church in the C anadas, under w hose im m ediate care and protection it m ore especially belongs; and although this parish is one o f th e few w hich can boast o f a church regularly dedicated to th e form o f th e w orship o f the church o f E ngland, we have the m ortification to say, th at in tw enty years w e have had but one solitary visit from the lord bishop o f the diocese. W hile such apathy prevailed for th e advancem ent o f the interest o f th e m other church, other sects and d enom inations w ere not idle, and the result has proved, th at th eir labours have been but too successful; as o u r church congregation, w hich was once respectable, is now alm ost dw in­ dled to nought. O n e good thing, how ever, has resulted to us from his lordship’s visit. A representation was draw n up to him by the parishioners, requesting a clergym an; upon w hich one was sent us from E ngland last spring; and although his efforts have n o t h ith ­ erto added to th e num ber o f the congregation, yet he has served to keep the rem nant o f th e flock from the jaw s o f th e alldevouring wolf; an d if p roper perseverance is shew n, th e good cause m ay yet ultim ately prevail. Independent o f the regular church there is one o f the M ethodist denom ination, which is generally num erously attended. T h e B aptists are likew ise a num erous body in the parish; but having as yet no public place o f w orship, their m eetings are for th e m ost p art held in private houses; but the prevailing religion o f this tow nship m ay be classed under Presbyterians and M ethodists. T he state o f education is also at a very low ebb, not only in this tow nship, but generally th ro u gh ou t th e district; although the liberality o f the legislature has been great in support o f the district schools, (giving to the teachers o f each 1001. p er annum ), yet they have been productive o f little o r no good hitherto, for this obvious cause, they are looked upon as sem inaries exclusively instituted for the education o f th e children o f th e m ore w ealthy classes o f society, and to which th e p oo r m an ’s child is considered as unfit to be adm itted. From such causes, instead o f th eir being a benefit to the province, they are sunk into obscurity, and the heads o f m ost o f them are at this m om ent enjoying their situations as com fortable sinecures. A nother class o f schools has w ithin a short tim e been likew ise fo u n d ed u p o n th e lib erality o f th e legislative purse, denom inated com m on o r parish schools, but like the preced­ ing, the anxiety o f the teacher em ployed, seem s m ore alive to his stip en d th a n th e ad v an ce m en t o f th e ed u ca tio n o f th o se placed

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under his care: from the pecuniary advantages thus held o ut, we have been inundated w ith the w orthless scum , under the character of schoolm asters, not only o f this, but o f every o th er country w here the know ledge has been prom ulgated, o f the easy m eans o ur laws afford o f getting a living here, by obtaining a parish school, w hich is done upon th e recom m endation o f som e few freeholders, getting his sal­ ary from the public, and m aking his em ployers contribute han d ­ som ely besides. It is true, rules are laid dow n for th eir governm ent, an d the p ro per books prescribed for th eir use; b u t scarcely in one case in ten are they adhered to, for in th e sam e class you will frequently see one child w ith N oah W ebster’s spelling book in his hand, and th e next w ith Lindley M urray’s. H ow ever p ro ne th e teachers are to variety in th eir schools, m uch blam e is to be attributed to the trustees, w ho are in m any instances too careless, and I m ight alm ost add too ignorant to discrim inate right from w rong, in the trust they have undertaken for the public benefit. It is therefore not to be w ondered at w hy the parish school system should m eet w ith alm ost universal reprobation from m ost discerning m en. O f these parish schools, we are burdened with a liberal share, having no less th an three o f them . If the establishm ent o f this system was m eant by th e legislature to abbreviate the present enorm ous price o f education, they have been m iserably deceived; for I can see no alteration o r reduction from the charge m ade before the passing o f the act. T he price then was 12s. 6d., and is now th e sam e p er quarter. W e have hitherto been blessed w ith so healthy a clim ate, as to require little o r no aid from m edical m en, the consequence, therefore, is, th at there is none in th e parish, the nearest to us being six m iles, w hose practice is not too lucrative from the country 12 m iles round. Fulling is regulated by th e quality o f th e dye, and description o f w ork bestow ed on the yard o f cloth; but m ay be estim ated at from Is. 6d. to 3s. per yard w hen finished. N o m inerals o f any consequence have yet been discovered, although the face o f the country indicates it as favourable to such productions. In m any parts, salt springs have shewn them selves, an d little d o u b t exists but the solid strata o f this necessary article lays at no great depth below the surface. O n the sum m it o f the ridge num erous specim ens o f m arine fossils, and petrifactions, are to be found, all which indicate th at the country has, at som e rem ote period, been covered w ith w ater. W ith respect to the advantages possessed by this tow nship for internal com m unication, o r navigation, nature indeed has been

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lavish o f her gifts, both in a com m ercial and political p oint o f view . It is w ashed by la k e O n ta rio in fro n t, w hich affo rd s a good roadstead for th e vessels that com e to carry off the superabundant produce o f th e country. F rom the lake to th e village, w here the principal mills are established, is ab o ut a m ile, and from here vessels carrying 6 o r 800 barrels o f flour, are generally loaded in a day; but this is o f m inor im portance to w hat nature has d on e for its interior. A fter you ascend to th e sum m it o f th e m ountain, to w here the creek m akes a rum bling fall o f ab o ut 25 feet, it im m ediately becom es, by th e help o f a small dam , a natural navigable canal, running in a southerly direction tow ards the C hippaw a, w hich in a right line does not exceed a distance o f nine miles from the fall ju st m entioned: through this tract there is no difficulty w hatever in uniting th e w aters o f the C hippaw a with those o f the F orty M ile C reek, there being no rising ground betw een them , and the m ake o f th e country has a gentle descent to facilitate th e run o f the w ater to lake O ntario. Indeed, w ere it necessary, I m ight have extended my views o f its superior internal advantages from the C hippaw a to the G rand river, a distance o f only six miles m ore, which has already been surveyed, and a fall o f betw een six an d seven feet has been ascertained in this short distance. So strongly are the inhabitants o f this and th e neighbouring tow nships convinced o f the practicability o f it, th at m easures have been taken at th eir ow n expence to have a survey m ade o f the m ost advantageous ground betw een the nearest points o f the F orty M ile C reek and C hippaw a. W as this com m unication once o pened, its political im portance w ould im m ediately m anifest itself in the event o f a future w ar, as affording a safe and direct inland navigation from this p art o f lake O ntario to th e naval establish­ m ent at the m outh o f th e G ran d river. Its com m ercial advantages w ould be the opening a short an d safe route for the produce o f the country west o f th e G rand river and the upper parts o f lake E rie into lake O ntario. T hus, in both cases, avoiding th e danger­ ous coast navigation, and th e circuitous route o f the N iagara, subject at all tim es in case o f w ar to the inroads and obstructions o f the enem y. Before the late w ar w ith th e U nited States, the roads generally throughout th e country w ere very bad, during the existence o f w hich, the public service very often suffered by it. T he com m on way o f opening, m aking, and keeping roads in repair, is by statute labour, app ortio n ed to the assessm ents o r rates paid by the householders in each tow nship. T hus, if a person is assessed to the am o u nt o f £ 1 0 0 , his p ro po rtion o f

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la b o u r fo r th a t y ear is six d ays, and so on in p ro p o rtio n as his rates advance, until it am ounts to twelve days, which is the highest, and w hich seem s altogether o u t o f reason, com pared with th e p oo r m an, w hose sm allest quantum is three days, and whose assessm ent is perhaps a cow, value 3d. tax. T his system has long since been found rotten, an d has been often attem pted to be regenerated by th e legislature at different times; but hitherto, with little advantage to the public; and th e reason is in som e degree evident, for w hen a m an is o rd ered to do his statute labo u r on th e highw ays, he considers it as so m uch o f his tim e lost, o r of no p ro fit to him : hence arises th e indifference w ith which he does his d ay ’s labour, and it often happens that th e m ost rigid overseer (w ho is elected annually from th e parish), cannot get even the m ost willing o f his party to do justice to his task. It is true that th e laws provides for a com m utation in m oney in lieu o f labour, a t a certain fixed rate per day; b u t this is seldom resorted to . T he road laws being thus radically b ad, w ould require radical revision. O ne essential step tow ards effecting this im provem ent in o ur road police, and w hich is o f the greatest im portance tow ards the inter­ nal im provem ent and prosperity o f the country, w ould be to abolish the p resent system o f personal labour, and substitute a certain m oderate rate in m oney per diem , in lieu thereof. T he sum thus assessed in cash, and judiciously expended under proper superintendance, w ould be the m eans o f im proving th e roads yearly, far m ore than the p resent system , and I am convinced w ould give m uch m ore satisfaction to th e public, an d th e tax w ould be paid w ith cheerfulness. A t the close o f the late w ar, th e legislature w ith great liberal­ ity granted such a sum o f m oney for the im provem ent o f the principal roads in the district, w hich in the opinion o f discerning m en, w ould have (if judiciously expended) alm ost tu rn p iked the w hole o f them : but it is a m elancholy fact, th at m uch o f it was expended w here it was not w anted; and w here im provem ent was actually required, in m any instances totally neglected. In m owing and harvest, th e price o f labour is m ostly gov­ erned by th e dem an d ; but in all cases they never fail to m ake you pay well, for I have know n in m any instances, an d successive seasons, two dollars per day paid to a m ow er o r cradler. T he wages o f this class o f people in the district o f N iagara, (for I do not confine my observation to this parish alone) are exorbitant, and far beyond w hat the present prices o f th e products o f th e country will o r can bear; hence the necessity o f bringing all these species o f labour to a p roper level, by giving encouragem ent to em igration into th e province o f this class o f people.

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In y ou r queries there are a num ber o f th e m echanics w hom you have not noticed, and w hom you m ay probably not conceive as necessary to your purpose, but w ho, I assure you, deserve as conspicuous a place in y ou r statistical pages as any other. A m ong them I m ay enum erate weavers, tailors, shoem akers, & c. I have often heard my neighbours assert, th at it was full as cheap to go to th e store and buy English broad cloth as to m ake hom espun, for this obvious reason, th at by the tim e it w ent through the hands o f th e carder, the spinner, th e w eaver, the fuller, an d the dyer, it cost him m ore per yard th an th e English, and generally o f inferior quality. A w om an has from six to eight dollars per m onth for hom e-w ork, and for spinning nearly as m uch. T he w eaver has, for w eaving a yard o f com m on flannel, from Is. to Is. 6d. T he tailor has from four to five dollars for m aking you a coat, and in p roportion for o th er garm ents; an d a shoe m aker will ask you three dollars for a pair o f shoes. F rom this statem ent you will not be m uch surprised at th e rapidity w ith which all kinds o f m echan­ ics accum ulate property, and slip as it w ere at once into a state o f ease and affluence unknow n to th e E uropean m echanic o f the sam e description, w ho very frequently has n ot, w hen S aturday night com es round, to afford from his labour w herew ithal to afford a scanty pittance to pass th e Sabbath before he again resum es his weekly toil. T hese are the sort o f people whose em igration to this country ought to be encouraged in preference to m ost others, for they w ould becom e doubly useful, first, as being the m eans o f reducing th e price o f m echanical labour, and secondly, as ultim ately becom ing good settlers, from th e know l­ edge they w ould acquire o f th e custom s an d habits o f the country, and at th e sam e tim e enriching him self by his trade. A lthough there are large tracts uncultivated in the tow nship, yet literally speaking, there is little o r none for sale. T he unculti­ vated tracts, belonging m ostly to the early settlers, w ho, perhaps, anticipating a num erous offspring, prudently provided, w hen in their pow er, for w hat is to com e. N or, has their foresight been ill ju d ged, for th eir lands are now m ore o r less falling under cultiva­ tion, alm ost daily, by th eir children. T he price, how ever, o f wild land, m ay be taken at from three to six dollars, according to situation and quality, but oftener over than u nd er these prices. A t th e com m encem ent o f the settlem ent, lands m ay be said to have had no value; b u t from the year 1794 to 1800, th e price was from 25 to 100 dollars for 200 acres; since which it has been progres­ sively rising, so th at the sam e cannot now be bought at an advance o f from 6 to 800 per cent.; and as the governm ent grants

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dim inish, there is no saying to w hat height they m ay attain; but m ore especially if A m erican em igration is perm itted. T he late w ar having drained the country o f horses, horned cattle, and sheep, their prices have continued high; but th e stock being now nearly equal to w hat it was, p rio r to th at event, they have declined. Y our obedient Servant, G rim sby. January 12th, 1818. To M r. R obert G

ourlay,

W m. C rooks.

Q ueenston.

P elham 8th. In this tow nship there is one fulling m ill, an d one carding m achine. T he price o f inch boards (pine) is 5s. per 100 feet, 3 quarters d itto, 3s. 9d. p er 100 feet; when tim ber, taken to the m ill, sawyers charge 2s. 6d. p er 100 feet for inch boards. T he price o f wool carding has been 6 lA d. per lb. this season. 9th. T h e northern p art o f this tow nship is rather uneven, or it m ay, perhaps, m ore properly be denom inated hilly, but w atered w ith excellent springs: th e southern p art is very even, o r level, and not so well supplied with w ater. W ith respect to soils, we may nam e them in th e following order: sand, loam , clay, and gravel. 10th. T here is a variety o f tim ber produced in this tow nship; am ong the m ost useful kinds we enum erate the following: beech, w hite oak, pine, sugar m aple, elm , chestnut, ash, hickory, and poplar. llth . In the southern part, iron ore, o f th at kind denom i­ nated bog, has been discovered in small quantities: we know not o f any other m inerals, except a sm all sulphur spring. 12th. In th e northern p art o f the tow nship are im m ense quarries o f lim estone, and tw o quarries o f freestone have been opened lately. 15th. T he price o f an axe, 12s. 6d:, th e price o f a hoe, 5s.; shoeing a horse, 2s. 6d. per shoe; m aking log, o r ox chains, 1 Id. per lb. 17th. Price o f m owing grass, 3s. 9d. per day; reaping, 3s. 9d. per day; cradling, 5s. p er day. 26th. O n low lands, w here the grow th o f tim ber has been principally beech and m aple, grass seed is sow n with the first crop o f w heat, and the land kept u nd er grass, either for p asture or m ow ing, for four o r five years, o r until th e roots are sufficiently

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decayed to adm it o f ploughing; it is then broken up, and sown w ith w heat, and then put under grass for tw o, three, o r four years. O n high sandy o r gravelly lands, w here the grow th o f tim ber is chiefly o ak, pine, and chestnut, th e land is sow n with rye im m ediately after th e first crop o f w heat is taken off; but w here the quantity o f cleared land is so sm all, there is scarcely such a thing as a regular course o f cropping; th e necessities o f the farm er will seldom adm it o f it. L ittle attention has been paid to the m anuring o f land in this tow nship; one farm er, th e last season, m ade a trial o f plaster o f Paris, b rought from the G rand river (on a small scale), both on w heat and grass; the success was such as to encourage a future trial. W hen m anure is used, it is generally to p ro m ote th e grow th o f Indian corn and potatoes. 27th. L etting land upon shares is not practised to any extent; w hen let, th e landlord reserves one-third o f the produce. 28th. W hen th e settlem ent o f this tow nship com m enced, wild land was selling at 61. 10s. per one hundred acres; in the year 1800, at 10s. p er acre; the present price is 40s. per acre. T he quantity o f land for sale now does not seem to be easily ascer­ tained, though we believe the quantity to be small. 30th. T he roads in this tow nship are not in a great degree o f forw ardness, but capable o f g reat im provem ent at a sm all exp­ ence. A mos C hapm an, Z enas F ell, E lija h P h e l p s , G eorge Bradshaw , Peter Beckett, Sam uel Beck ett, J esse W il l so n , John T aylor,

E li B r a d s h a w , A mos Sco tt, J o se ph W il l so n , L e w is W il l s o n , T h a d d e u s D a v is. St e ph e n Bec k ett, John M cG lashen.

Pelham , Dec. 6, 1817. Postscript T he ridge, as it is called in this tow nship, is the highest land in the district, being 500 feet higher than lake O ntario: it co m ­ m ences ab o ut h alf a m ile east o f th e eastern lim it o f the tow nship, and extends w estw ardly nearly fo u r miles; the base is generally tw o miles in w idth; th e ascent on the northern side is mostly pretty abrupt, b u t on the southern side m uch m ore gentle and easy. T he soil upon this ridge is generally, and for the m ost part, o f th e coarsest kind; when first cleared, yields excellent w heat,

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though not in large quantities; it produces rye, buckw heat, and Indian corn. F rom th e sam e p o in t, on th e eastern extrem ity of this ridge, m ay be seen th e tw o g reat lakes E rie and O ntario; and in calm w eather, th e m ist o f th e cataract, rising like a cloud in the eastern horizon. It was over this section o f this tow nship the dreadful to rn ad o , on Sunday, th e 1st o f July, 1792, passed, which laid prostrate alm ost every tree th a t stood in its course. Before this, it w as covered with chestnut, o ak, and som e pine tim ber, an d w as reckoned, on account o f its openness, being entirely free from underw ood, the handsom est tract o f land in th e tow nship. Since th e hurricane, it has frequently been burned, which destroys the young tim ber, a m ajority o f which is a kind, here denom i­ nated, asp o r aspen. I am , y ou r m ost devoted Servant, M r. R obert G ou rlay .

E li

B r a d s h a w .

Thorold. W e the inhabitants o f the tow nship o f T horold, at a m eeting held at T horold for the purpose, give th e following as a true descrip­ tion o f the said tow nship. T he face o f th e land is level: the chief p art o f th e tim ber beech an d sugar m aple, w ith plenty o f w hite pine and oak; black w alnut; and a variety o f oth er tim ber. T he soil chiefly clay and loam ; produces, besides w heat, pease, good oats, barley, rye, Indian co m , and buckw heat. O ur m eadow s generally yield from one to three tons o f tim othy and clover hay p er acre; and o ur fields afford good pasture from the 1st o f M ay to th e 1st o f D ecem ber, four m onths being the ordinary tim e for feeding cattle in th e w inter. T he price o f b eef is five dollars per 100 lb. T here is in the tow nship one oil m ill, and 2 carding m achines. T he present price for an im proved o r cultivated farm , say 200 acres, w ith good buildings and orchard, from 15 to 25 dollars per acre. To M r. R o bert G o u r l a y . T his short an d sim ple statem en t o f th e above tow nship, is at you r service to correct and publish, if you think proper, as it is attested by tw elve o f the m ost respectable inhabitants.

CROWLAND G arret Vanderburgh, Jacob U pper,

A n d nine others. Thorold, 26th Nov. 1817.

Tow n C lerk.

233

John D ecou, A nthony U pper,

C ro w lan d .

C row land, Dec. 23, 1817.

S ir , P ursuant

M r. R obert G ourlay.

to y ou r inclination, an d anxious to facilitate the good o f o u r country, I offer th e follow ing reply to y ou r address o f the 30th o f O ctober last. Being u nable to obtain a m eeting for the purpose, I took th e task on m yself, which I could wish to have been perform ed by an abler h an d. 1 have taken the subsequent signature o f a few creditable inhabitants o f this tow nship, w ho casually fell in m y way.

J oseph C u rra n t,

Tow n C lerk.

9th. T he soil is various, and m uch given to grass, consisting o f w hite, blue and red clay, black an d grey sand, in spots, com ing near to gravel itself, black m ould, and yellow loam ; all these are som etim es found in th e com pass o f an acre, but clay is m ost prevalent. T he surface rem arkably level, except tw o spots n ear the southern lim it, w here it approaches to small em inences. 10th. T he ground in its uncultivated state is tim bered with w hite o ak, sw am p w hite oak, Spanish o r red oak, sugar and red m aple, bass o r linden, beech, hickory, and iron w ood, an d in som e places, heavy grow ths o f w hite pine; in others, a species o f sycam ore, som e b utternu t, black w alnut, elm , and black and w hite ash. llth . T he only m ineral found here is bog iron ore in small quantities, frequently in m arshy places; springs o f a saline tincture are frequent. 15th. O x chains an d irons, & c. are sold for Is. 3d. per lb. C arpenters have 10s. per hundred for fram ing; bricklayers, 7s. 6d. per day, and 10s. p er 1000 for laying. 16th. W om en’s wages, per w eek, for house w ork, 7s. 6d.; for spinning, 6s. 3d. T he cradler’s wages, per day, for cutting

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w heat, is one bushel o f the sam e, o r its price; the reapers threefourths; th e m ow ers o f grass for hay the sam e. 18th. W ood lands are cleared and fenced for 31. 2s. 6d. per acre, board, lodging, and th e use o f team , given withal. 26th. M anure is best applied to land in w inter, w hile in grass. 27th. A crop p er on new lands, custom arily takes three suc­ cessive yearly crops for his labour, o f clearing and fencing; w hen th e cropper breaks the land from grass, the ow ner o f th e soil com m only claim s one-third o f the crop. A farm let on shares brings to its ow ner one-third o f all the grain, w ith h alf the hay it produces; this is little practised, as m ost people can have land o f their ow n. 28th. A farm o f 100 acres, nearly continguous to m ills, with ab o u t 40 cleared, and very m ean buildings, w as lately sold for 3121. 10s. A s a price w ould purchase all th e lands in the tow nship, so the quantity for sale is lim ited. M ost o f th e public roads are capable o f beneficial im provem ent, at a tolerable expence. 30th. Lyons creek, a sluggish stream o f blackish w ater, rises in the sw am ps and m arshes o f H um berston an d W ainfleet, near lake Erie, and entering C row land at its southern lim it, passes through at a north-easterly direction, falls into C hippaw a one m ile above its m outh in th e tow nship o f W illoughby, from w hen ce it is n avigable fo r b o a ts an d b attea u x seven m iles up, w here it furnishes an excellent mill seat, occupied by C o o k ’s mills. H ere is a tow n in em bryo; this spot claim s notice as being the place o f a brisk action betw een a detachm ent o f the British arm y and th at o f th e A m ericans, on the m orning o f th e 19th Oct. 1814. T w o m iles above this, on th e ban k o f the creek, near H um berston, is a spring w hereof salts have been m ade, reputed to be equal in quality, as an aperient, to G lau b er’s salts. This spring is capable o f producing large quantities. N ature invites art, in strong term s, to open a canal between lake Erie and this creek, prom ising the expence to be inconsidera­ ble, as well as reduce the carriage o f com m odities, from ab o u t 42 m iles to 19, and render th e navigation entirely safe, besides conveying pure w ater through this p art o f th e country, w hich is a very desirable object. 31st. Lack o f m oney, and som ething to expel a to rp id spirit, m ost im pedes th e im provem ent o f this tow nship, and perhaps the province in general; plenty o f cash in circulation, an d a p roper

W A IN FL EE T

235

stim ulation to enterprise, it is believed, w ould be th e best applica­ ble rem edy. C a l v in C o o k , Sam uel Y o ko m , R ic h a r d Y o k o m ,

A n d eight others. W ainfleet. S ir , We

20th Dec. 1817.

the undersigned, according to the request o f y ou r circular letter o f O ctober, called a m eeting o f th e inhabitants o f the tow nship o f W ainfleet, and resolved on th e following answ ers to y ou r queries. 9th. G enerally clay soil. 10th. T im b e r-b e e c h and m aple, interspersed w ith hickory, o ak, w alnut, pine, black and w hite ash. 11th. N o m inerals discovered; a great quantity o f lim estone o f th e very best quality. 12th. A bundance o f building stone o f th e best kind, at 10s. p er toise. 16th. W om en servants per week for house w ork 5s.; spin­ ning 3s. 9d. 17th. Price o f m owing and reaping 3s. 9d.; cradling w heat 5s. per day. 25th. T he quality o f o ur p asture is principally w hite clover and tim othy; this m ost generally rises spontaneously. 26th. W hen cleared, the land is sow ed w ithout ploughing, only harrow ed in; after this first crop, it m ust rem ain th ree years in pasture, in o rder to rot o u t th e roots; the land is sufficiently strong to b ear 10 o r 15 years w ithout m anure. 28th. T here are 22 square m iles o f m arsh land ow ned by governm ent, which if d rained, w ould be preferable to any other land in the province for grow ing hem p, & c.; its soil o r surface is three feet deep; it lies alm ost as high as the highest land betw een it and the river W elland, which river is 15 feet lower th an the said m arsh, at the distance o f tw o miles therefrom , and several creeks o f considerable m agnitude run o u t o f said m arsh into the river W elland, an d also to lake Erie: if th e heads o f these creeks were opened a sm all distance into said m arsh, it w ould suffi­

236

NIAGARA DISTRICT

ciently drain the land for a considerable distance around them ; at each and every o f those creeks so running from said m arsh, w ould be excellent mill seats, th at w ould be o f th e greatest consequence; th e w hole expence o f draining this m arsh w ould not exceed 60s. average th e w hole p er acre. 29th. T here is ab o ut four thousand acres o f land ow ned by individuals for sale. 30th. O ur roads are in a bad state, but capable o f m uch im provem ent, a t a m oderate expence. On the north side o f tow n­ ship is river W elland; the d epths o f the river 15 to 25 feet, and breadth on an average 300. It is a com plete w ater conveyance; also there m ight be a canal cut from th e said W elland across the m arsh. T o M o rg an ’s bay, in lake Erie, th e distance is 6 m iles and 28 chains: said canal com m encing 16 m iles from m outh o f said W elland, which w ould be 20 m iles short o f the present route: we are o f opinion th at said canal m ight be furnished w ith w ater out o f said m arsh, sufficient to carry craft fully 20 tons burden: said canal w ould not require to be cut exceeding 6 feet deep; also an excellent road naturally w ould be m ade w ith the earth throw n out o f said canal, which w ould be o f th e greatest service to this and th e adjoining tow nships, as it at present prevents any com m unica­ tion w ithout going the distance o f 23 m iles, w hereas it could be accom plished by th e short ro u te o f 6 miles and 28 chains, by said road passing along said canal. 31st. T he above described m arsh divides o ur tow nship into tw o separate settlem ents; th e o ne on th e shore o f lake Erie, and th e o th er on the south side o f th e river W elland, which m arsh, if opened as described, w ould rem ove this obstacle. As to the province in general, a num ber o f causes m ight be assigned; but o ne great obstacle is the tardiness o f em igration from E urope; w hereas if o ur country w as peopled according to its extent, we then w ould calculate on m anufactures to be set on foot for th e em ploy o f artisans and m echanics, which w ould give m ore encouragem ent to the husbandm an to prosecute his labours, and w ould becom e a reciprocal interest to both parties. (Signed)

D a v i d T h o m s o n , A ssessor, T h o m a s P r i e s t m a n , C lerk. S t e p h e n M . F a r r , C ollector. S h u b a l P a r k , K ing's D eputy

Surveyor.

W A IN FL EE T

N iagara D istrict. S u m m a ry o f Population, &c. T he Statistical T able exhibits 11 tow nships, containing 1312 houses, m ake an average o f . . . . 6% H um berstone contains, houses . . . 75 W a in f le e t...................................................72 147 W hich, m ultiplied by 6%, gives T he tow nships o f th e district n o t reported, are N iagara, C linton, G ain sb o ro ’ an d W edder­ burn. T he three first being old settled tow n­ ships, m ay average w ith the above a t 763 each But we m ust add to th e population o f N iagara tow nship th at o f its tw o villages N iag ­ ara an d Q ueenston. In 1817 the form er con­ tained, h o u s e s ...................................................85 T he latter, d i t t o ...............................................27

237

People. 8398

941 9339

2289

112

O n th e su p p o sitio n th a t in villages such as th ese th e n u m b er in fam ily is increased by servants, shopm en, & c. it is fair to m ultiply b y ......................................................................................8 W edderburn has been settling these two last years; but in 1817 I presum e it did not contain m ore than four families

896 24 12,548

T h e g re a te r p a rt o f W ed d erb u rn is o ccup ied w ith w hat is called C ranberry M arsh, wholly unfit for cultivation till extensive drainage is executed. It extends into W ainfleet. T he late H on. R obert H am ­ ilton, o f Q ueenston, offered to com plete th e drainage, for h alf the land given to him in recom pense; but this liberal offer, which w ould have greatly benefited the country, was refused by the land-board!! It rem ains a h arb o ur for wolves, an d otherw ise a great nuisance. F o r th e reported population o f 9,339, there appear to be eight places o f w orship and ten preachers: viz. five M ethodists; one M enonist; one Q uaker; tw o Presbyterians; and one E pisco­ palian. T here are six m edical practitioners; 46 schools; and 33 taverns.

238

NIAGARA DISTRICT

ST A T IST IC A L Composed of Extracts from the Tow nship

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T h e a c c o u n t w a s t a k e n 1 st a i d sd J u l y , 1817.

j

1

276

EASTERN DISTRICT

im portant subject, the colonization o f this province w ith British subjects; and should it reach Scotland, it m ay afford satisfaction to m any individuals w ho m ay n o t otherw ise know the condition o f th eir friends. T h e schem e which governm ent adopted in 1815 w as expen­ sive. T he settlers had a free passage, rations, an d tools: next year, rations and tools w ere furnished to those w ho cam e out; an d this year m ultitudes o f p oo r people have com e to C anada in expecta­ tion o f being favoured in th e sam e w ay, but are disappointed, having nothing given but the land (100 acres each), w hich m any o f them , from poverty, are unable to occupy. H aving m ade it m y study, during three m onths residence here, to inquire into th e nature o f the country, and into every particular respecting settlem ent, I am convinced th at very sim ple m easures m ight be adopted, by which the redundant population o f B ritain could by conveyed, by a regular flow, into C anada, instead o f being w asted, to the g reat prejudice o f British interest, over th e w hole o f A m erica: and w ere such m easures adopted, this province could, in a very few years, be quite equal to its own defence in w ar, against the U nited States.

R obert G o urlay.

T here are several reasons for m y requesting the reader’s particular attention to the above tables. F irst, he m ay com pare th e co n di­ tion as to stock, and o th er circum stances, o f these em igrants, with those o f the settlers in the form er tables, a m atter which I shall, in an o th er place, particularly rem ark upon: he m ay m ark the m onstrous w aste and w ant o f good arrangem ent in this instance o f a governm ent attem pt to settle U pper C an ad a w ith British subjects, by inspecting colum ns 6, 7, 8, and 9, o f the first table. F rom the tw o first o f these colum ns it appears that the settlers w ere, o ne with an o th er, m ore th an a m onth from leaving hom e till they em barked: and from the other colum ns that they w ere m ore than a y ear before they got possession o f their lands in U pper C an ad a, - m ore than a y ear living upon governm ent allow ­ ance, altogether idle, and sickening with id leness!. . . E astern D istrict. 1st. C h a r l o t t e n b u r g i i is th e second tow nship in th e p rov­ ince o f U pper C anada: bounded in front by th e river St. Law ­ rence; on the east by th e tow nship o f L ancaster; north by the tow nship o f K enyon; and w est by th e tow nship o f C ornw all. It is

C H A R L O T TE N B U R G H

277

12 m iles square, including a strip o f Indian reservation on the west side. 2d. T he first settlem ent was com m enced in the year 1784, by a p art o f th e R oyal Y orkers (principally Scotchm en). T he p opulation is 2,500, exclusive o f a great n um b er o f em igrants from G re at B ritain since th e m o nth o f Jun e last. T he n um b er o f inhabited houses is ab o ut 500. 3d. T he churches and m eeting houses are one church, and three m eeting houses o f the church o f Scotland; one church (now building), and one m eeting house o f the church o f R om e. Both churches are o f stone. T he clergy are, one m inister o f the church o f Scotland, and tw o priests o f the church o f R om e. 4th. T w o m edical practitioners. 5th. Schools 12: average fees p er q u arter to each schoolm as­ ter, 151. 6th. Stores, 12. 7th. T averns, 18. 8th. Mills: four grist mills, w ith tw o additional pairs o f stones, one o f w hich additional pairs is for hulling barley and oats: rate o f grinding / 2: saw m ills, six: rate o f saw ing, o ne half: carding mills, one: rate o f carding, 6d. per lb. 9th. T he soil generally is a black deep loam , generally level, w ith som e swam ps. 10th. T he kinds o f tim ber are pine, o ak, m aple, beech, elm , bassw ood, cedar, fir, hem lock, ash, butternut, w alnut, &c. 11th. N o m inerals yet discovered, but som e appearances in different places. Lim estone in g reat ab undance throughout the tow nship: no rem arkable springs y et discovered. 12th. Building stones to be had throughout the tow nship: no price is paid for them , so th at th e expence in getting stone is no o th er than digging, carting, & c. to the building ground: quality, lim e an d grey sand. 13th. Bricks; average price, 11. 10s. per 1000. 14th. Lim e, from 6d. to 9d. per bushel. 15th. W ages o f m echanics p er day, being found by the em ployer, viz. blacksm iths, from 7s. 6d. to 8s. 9d.; m asons, from 7s. 6d. to 10s.; carpenters, from 5s. to 10s. R ate o f their piece­ w ork: blacksm ith (finding him self) for m aking plough irons, ch ain s, & c. from Is. to Is. 3d. p e r lb.: m aso ns, fo r b uild ing six feet sq u are, 10s., an d 3s. for each fo o t in h eig h t, o f a single ch im n ey in a w ood o r fram e h ou se. C arp e n ters, fo r flooring 10 feet sq u a re , 10s., an d 2s. fo r each p an el in a fram ed d o o r: 4d. per light for m aking w indow sashes. 16th. T he w ages o f labourers per annum is from 251. to 361.:

278

EASTERN DISTRICT

per w inter m onth, from 35s. to 60s. per sum m er m onth, from 50s. to 80s.: p er day in harvest, from 3s. to 5s.: for w om en servants, per w eek, for housew ork, 5s.; and for spinning, from 5s. to 7s. 6d. per w eek, being found. 17th. M ow ers’ wages: for m ow ing grass, per day, 5s.: for cradling, from 7s. 6d. to 10s. p er day: the kinds o f grain generally cradled, and w heat, oats, rye, and barley. 18th. F o r clearing and fencing five acres o f w ood land (that is to say, cutting, logging, burning, and fencing), ready for seed, 201. 19th. T he price o f a good w ork-horse, four years old, is from 101. to 151.: o f a good m ilch cow , 41. 10s. to 61.: o f a good ox, at four years old, 101.: o f a good sheep, from 15s. to 17s. 6d. 20th. T he average quantity o f w ool yielded by sheep, is from 51bs. to 61bs.: price thereof, from Is. 8d. to 2s. p er lb. 21st. T h e ordinary tim e o f turning o u t beasts to p asture is ab o u t th e 25th A pril: o f taking them hom e to th e yard, o r stable, ab o ut th e 15th N ov. 22d. T he ordinary endurance o f th e sleighing season is from th e 15th D ecem ber to the 1st A pril; and th at o f ploughing, from the 15th A pril to th e 15th N ovem ber. 23d. T he ordinary season for sow ing fall-w heat is from the 1st S eptem ber to th e 15th N ovem ber: o f reaping th e sam e about th e 1st o f A ugust: sow ing spring-w heat, from the 15th A pril to 10th M ay; and o f reaping th e sam e, ab o ut th e 15th A ugust. 24th. T he necessary quantity o f seed is ab o ut o ne bushel of w heat to an acre on new lands, and little less th an one bushel and a h alf to an acre o f old land: the average crop per acre is from 15 to 20 bushels. 25th. T he quality o f th e pastures is generally good, being seeded w ith tim othy, red and w hite clover. An ox, o f four years old, will gain, in the course o f a season, in pasture, ab o u t 'A m ore. As respects m ilk, and th e quantity o f dairy produce, it will average from four to six lbs. per w eek for each cow: the price of b u tter is from Is. to Is. 3d. per lb.; and cheese, from 5d. to 8d. per lb. 26th. T he ordinary course o f cropping new land: w heat is generally th e first crop sow n in dry land, and oats in low land, seeded also w ith tim othy, and will yield four to five crops o f hay before it requires to be let o u t to pasture: after pasturing a few years, it is then ploughed up, and will answ er either for fall or spring w heat, an d will yield three crops, an d then requires m anur­

C H A R L O T TE N B U R G H

279

ing, o r letting to pasture. M anure is necessary to produce a crop o f potatoes, o r Indian corn, except in new land, o r the first crop after pasturing. M anure is frequently used for a crop o f w heat also, in m ore sandy soil. 27th. L ands let out on shares, team , utensils, and seed being furnished, o ne-h alf the produce; and nothing being furnished, one-third to the landlord. 28th. T he price o f wild land for the first period, say six years o f the settlem ent, was from Is. to 5s. per acre; and at present, is from 20s. to 30s. per acre. A lot o f 200 acres, w ith 30 acres clear, under good cultivation, with a fram ed house and barn, w ith shade, & c. is w orth from 5001. to 6001. 29th. T he lands now for sale are a num ber o f valuable tracts in th e front o f the tow nship along the river St. Law rence, and a n um b er o f lots in th e different concessions, am ounting to several thousand acres, together w ith a num ber o f crow n and clergy reservations, w hich are leased to settlers a t a m oderate rent. 30th. T he state o f the public highw ays is greatly advanced w ithin a few years past, and can be im proved at a m oderate expence, the ground being generally suitable for roads throughout th e tow nship. T here are tw o m ain roads through this tow nship, leading to the province o f Low er C anada; one in the front, and the o th er near the centre o f th e tow nship, and both are suffi­ ciently good for any carriage w hatever. T he w ater conveyance is on the river A ux Raisins, navigable for boats ab o ut five miles from th e St. Law rence, and could easily be continued to the adjoining tow nship o f C ornw all, by building locks at the different rapids on said river. 31st. N ot having the front m ain road com pleted through the first tow nship in th e province, called L ancaster, is a great bar against the im provem ent o f this tow nship: the road is already so as to allow th e m ail stage to run w ithin three m iles o f the province line: there are also five miles o f th e province o f Low er C an ad a w ithout a road to jo in this m ain road, which m akes eight m iles in all to co m p lete th e lan d co n veyance betw een th e tw o provinces on this route, which, if com pleted, w ould be o f infinite convenience to th e province in general, as well as to the inhabit­ ants o f the adjoining tow nships: also the w ant o f a few locks being erected along the river St. Law rence, betw een the tow ns o f C ornw all and N ew Johnstow n, in the following places, viz. Long-Sault, G alleaus, and R apid A ux Plau, (which m ight be d on e w ith little expence) greatly retards the im provem ent o f the

280

EASTERN DISTRICT

province at large. A no th er g reat detrim ent, both to th e com m er­ cial and agricultural societies in th e province, is the w ant of capitalists becom ing settlers therein. C harlottenburgh, 5th Jan. 1818. J o h n C a m e r o n , M . P. A l e x . M e K e n z i e , J. P. A lex. F letcher, J o h n M e K en z ie, P eter F er g u so n , P eter M e In ty re, A lex. M e G r u er , J o h n M e M a r t i n , M . P. J ohn M e L ennan, W m. M e L eod, H ugh M e D onell,

D u n . M e K en z ie , A lex. C am eron, J o h n W rig h t, D. M e Pherson, L ew is C h is h o l m , A. F raser, D o n . M e K en z ie , J ames C u m m in g , A l e x . M e G il lie s, A lex. C lark, A llan M e D o n a l d .

E astern D istrict. S u m m a ry o f Population. T he above exhausts the budget o f regular T ow nship R eports put into m y hands by th e inhabitants o f U pper C anada, for publica­ tion in England. H aving b u t a single one from this district, I can by no m eans give an accurate estim ate o f its population. By the R eport, C h a r l o t t e n b u r g h con­ tained, in 1817 2,500 C o r n w a l l , including its village, m ay be reckoned to hold as m any 2,500 L a n c a s t e r th o u g h d o u b le th e o rd in ary extent o f tow nships (now by statute divided into tw o), and partly well settled, contained, till 1816, a large p o rtio n o f u no ccup ied land . Its p o p u l a t i o n c a n n o t, th e re fo re , b e re c k o n e d a t m o r e th a n O snabruck, W il l ia m s b u r g h , a n d M a t i l d a , b e in g fro n t to w n sh ip s, a n d a m o n g th e earliest settled in th e p ro v in c e , a r e p re tty p o p u lo u s . O s n a b r u c k is settled b a c k to th e e ig h th a n d n in th c o ncessions; W illia m s b u rg h to th e se venth: M a tild a is m a rs h y a n d unse ttle d t h r o u g h a c o n s i d e r a b l e p o r t i o n o f its e x te n t .

T he three together, I shall suppose, contain

2,000

4,500

SUMMARY

281

M o u n t a i n an d F i n c h a re regularly organized, and have considerable settlem ents: W i n c h e s t e r few o r none; and R o x b u r y b u t few: altogether w e shall say

1,200 12,700 T here are a few fam ilies resident on the islands o f the St. Law rence, opposite to this district; but having neither a precise estim ate o f th eir num bers, n or know ing how the boundary line betw een the U nited States and C anada has determ ined their cession to th e one o r the o th er country, I avoid giving them any place in the estim ate. T he tract belonging to the St. Regis Indians is now alm ost entirely in the hands o f w hite people, w ho hold by lease, and are reckoned am ong th e inhabitants o f C harlottenburgh and L ancaster. It is painful for m e once m ore to m ake excuse for so im perfect an account o f a considerable district o f U pper C anada, by referring to th e illiberal jealousy which orginated at the capital, an d had peculiar aids in spreading itself from thence dow nw ards to this place, w here it did not rest in m ere sullenness; but ultim ately b ro ke o u t into fury and outrage. T here w as no secret as to the cause o f this. T he parson o f Y ork had for a series o f years kept a school in the village o f C ornw all; and here he had w hipped a very considerable portion o f the youth into due subm ission, before he w as doubly installed in the pulpit and executive council. Thus situated, no talent w as required but th at o f activity, to deal out favours in such m easure as to ratify an authority am ong m en w hich had been acquired over them when children. M agistrates, m em bers o f parliam ent, and m ilitia officers, besides th e attorney and solicitor general, had sprung up in the school o f C ornw all, and w ere all zealous in the cause o f their m aster. T he above R eport o f C harlottenburgh was intrusted by the body o f subscribers to be forw arded to m e by tw o m em bers o f p arliam ent, both w orthy honest m en, and from one o f w hom I had received th e greatest civilities; but such becam e th e solem n hum o f suspicio n - such th e im p ressio n from th e m in iste ria l, or rath er clerical aw e and d read, after th e A ugusta parson had proclaim ed th at m y first address contained “ principles inim ical to the peace and quiet which the inhabitants o f this province so happily enjoy,” th at this R eport, dated fifth January, 1818, was not delivered till the m onth o f A pril, and then only at the instigation o f an o th er m em ber o f parliam ent, w hose letter, stating the dou bts which had w eighed against the surrender, I still hold as a curiosity. U nder sim ilar influences, o th er R eports w ere w ithheld, and

282

O TTA W A DISTRICT

tw o, if not m ore, w ithdraw n from th e post office o f K ingston, w here I had directed they m ight lie for m e till called for. A n attorney w ithdrew one o f these, an d finding afterw ards th at I was to be prosecuted by G ov ernm en t, had the im pudence to disperse over the district w herein 1 was to be tried circular letters by the dozen, declaring th at 1 had “ sinister m otives,” and this too while, by his ow n shew ing, he was in expectation o f pleading against me at th e bar. T he people o f th e T ow nship w hose R eport w as thus w ithdraw n, when they saw w hat had been done, furnished me w ith another, and publicly expressed in the new spapers their disapprobation o f the atto rn ey ’s conduct, w ho was, in fact, a notorious fool and blackguard. T he o th er R eport was w ithdraw n by a person o f a very different character, a w orthy m agistrate. Being assured th at p u re sim plicity o f fear had been the m oving principle in this case, 1 called on his w orship, dined w ith him , and held the “ sinister m otives” so cheap, to say nothing o f the “ principles inim ical to the peace an d quiet which the inhabitants o f this province so happily enjoy,” that we parted very good friends; the m agistrate having reported to m e som e acts o f a late governor, not very creditable. By giving place to these incidents, 1 do not m erely apologize for insufficiency o f local facts; but 1 hope they distinguish features grow ing o u t o f th e political circum stances o f U pper C an ad a not unw orthy o f notice. It never can be right to hide even w eakness, if by exposure th e cause can be rem oved, especially if th at cause originates in superstition o r the delusions o f pow er. O ttaw a D istrict. T h is district, recently form ed out o f part o f the Eastern D istrict,

had no com m unication by land w ith the o th er parts o f th e prov­ ince, till 1816, w hen som e Scotch em igrants w ere located in the u pp er p art o f Lancaster, and assisted in opening roads. A t great hazard I crossed to it through the new settlem ents, th e first week o f Jun e, 1818, on horseback, and spent a couple o f days there. T h e only settlem ents w ere in H aw kesbury and Longeuil; and I do not suppose the w hole population could am ount to m ore than 1,500; probably not so m any. M uch o f the landed property being held by m erchants in M ontreal, & c., th e farm ers in H aw ­ kesbury w ere so kept at arm ’s length by untaxed lots th at they could do little in union for public good o r th eir own relief. In L ongeuil, a party o f people from the U nited States w ere settled

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m ore com pactly, and shewed signs o f vigorous im provem ent. In passing northw ard from L ancaster, the O ttaw a river presents itself in grand style; and the w oods o f th e Low er Province rising from its opposite bank, upon hills, varying in th eir aspect, and som e of them steep and lofty, produce an effect very agreeable to him w ho has long been accustom ed to the greater tam eness o f U pper C an ad a. O n an island in O ttaw a river, opposite the higher p art o f H aw kesbury tow nship, are erected saw mills o f the best construc­ tion, and upon a scale superior to any o th er in the province. They w ere first ow ned by M r. M ears, o f H aw kesbury; but are now the property o f M r. H am ilton, from Ireland; and th e business seem ed to be carried on by him w ith g reat spirit; ab o u t fourscore people being em ployed in th e w orks on th e island. N othing can be better situated th an these mills, eith er as it respects the com m and o f w ater, as a m oving pow er for m achinery, o r as a conductor o f the log tim ber to th e mills. T he O ttaw a river, a little way above the island, expands into a noble sheet o f navigable w ater, extending as far as the eye can reach: at an d below th e island, for eight or nine miles, it is rapid. In m y sketch o f th e practicable w ater­ courses, inserted upon the large m ap attached to this volum e, I have introduced a canal for getting over this rapid, an d the accom plishm ent o f this upon a p ro per scale, is an object o f high im portance both for public good, and the benefit o f those w ho possess lands to th e w est and north . T he O ttaw a, indeed, for nearly tw o hundred m iles, could be m ade navigable for large steam boats, w ith little else th an locks, w ere this, one o f th e m ost considerable rapids, g o t over; and into it flow th e rivers Petite N atio n, R ideau, M ississippi, and others, all capable o f being navigated w ith an expenditure, quite m oderate, considered in p ro po rtion to th e vast com m erce which th e naturally fertile regions on their banks, well cultivated, w ould surely generate. T here is, at the extrem ity o f th at p art o f O ttaw a river, called the lake o f the T w o M ountains, a considerable current, b u t not such as to im pede navigation; an d w hen I left C an ad a, it was said th at a small steam b oat was established, to ply regularly from La C hine, near M ontreal, to the low er part o f H aw kesbury tow n­ ship. H ow glorious m ight be the day, and th at day m ay be w ithin tw enty years from th e present tim e, w hen, by the union o f British capital and C anadian capability, steam boats o f 500 tons burden, could tak e their d ep arture from Q uebec and M ontreal, pass up the St. Law rence o r O ttaw a into lakes Superior and M ichigan; excite industry and honest am bition by the display o f British m anufac­ tures, an d return loaded w ith the produce o f the distant and w idespreading shores!

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STATISTICAL Composed of Extracts from Township Reports of the i

N ia c i of Towo