NOTES.

“It can hardly be said that England has hitherto drawn any positive advantages from the possession of these provinces, if we place out of view the conveniences afforded during periods of war by the harbour of Halifax. But the negative advantage from them are evident, if we consider that the United Slates of America are greatly deficient in good harbours on the Atlantic coast, while Nova Scotia possesses, in addition to the magnificent harbour of Halifax, eleven ports, between it and Cape Canso, with sufficient depth of water for the largest ships of war.”—Clockmaker, 1841.

The same author, in speaking of the principal features of the Iron Bound Coast and Western Archipelago, in the centre of Vancouver’s Island, the Straits of Fuca and Puget’s Inlet, says, “Its maritime importance is entirely confined to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and southern extremity of Vancouver’s Island. Here are presented a series of harbours unrivalled in quality and capacity, at least within the same limits; and here, as has been remarked, it is evident the future emporium of the Pacific, in West America will be found.” And now that it has been settled that this magnificent strait and its series of harbours (this great emporium of West America) is open to that great and enterprising nation, the people of the United States, as well as to ourselves, it becomes most important to us that we should, and quickly, open the best possible and shortest road to communicate with it.

“Alexander Mackenzie, who had risen to the station of a partner in that Company, and was even among them remarkable for his energy and activity both of body and mind, having, with others of the leading partners, imbibed very extensive views of the commercial importance and capabilities of Canada, and considering that the discovery of a passage by sea from the Atlantic to the Pacific would contribute greatly to open, and enlarge it, undertook the task of exploring the country to the north of the extreme point occupied by the fur traders.”—Rev. C. G. Nicolay.

In 1794 this enterprising man ascended to the principal water of the Mackenzie River, which he found to be a small lake situate in a deep Snowy Valley embosomed in woody mountains; he crossed a beaten path leading over a low ridge of land, of 817 paces in length, to another lake, situated in a valley about a quarter of a mile wide, with precipitous rocks on either side,—the head waters of the Frazers’ River. On the 19th of July, he arrived where the river discharges itself into a narrow arm of the sea thus showing that a communication between the west and east of North America was open to mankind.

“We ought to be sensible of the patience and good feeling which the people of Canada have shown in the most trying circumstances.”-Mr. Labouchere, Debate on Navigation Laws.

“We may conclude then that improvements in production and emigration of capital to the more fertile soils and unworked mines of the uninhabited or thinly peopled parts of the globe, do not, as it appears to a superficial view, diminish the gross produce and the demand for labour at home, but, on the contrary, are what we have chiefly to depend on for the increasing both, and are even the necessary conditions of any great or prolonged augmentations of either; nor is it any exaggeration to say, that, within limits, the more capital a country like England expends in these two ways, the more she will have left.”—J. S. Mill, Polit. Econ.

“When a few years have elapsed without a crisis, and no new and tempting channel for investment has been opened in the meantime, there is always found to have occurred, in these few years, so large an increase of capital seeking investment, as to have lowered considerably the rate of interest, whether indicated by the prices of securities, or by the rate of discount on bills; and this diminution of interest tempts the possessors to incur hazards, in hopes of a more considerable return.”—Mill’s Political Economy.

“Our exports have increased in value since 1824 from 38 millions to 68 millions.”

“Now, dividing the sum of 1451 millions by eighteen years, it appears that 80 millions a year was raised; and, taking the legitimate expenditure of the country, during those eighteen years, at an average of 45 millions a-year, a sum so high as to preclude all cavil, it appears that the country raised and expended eighteen times the difference between 45 and 80 millions, that is 630 millions; notwithstanding which expenditure, let it be observed, the country got richer and richer every day.”—Bradshaw’s Almanack, 1848.

As to our Navy,—let those advocates for reduction go as my friend Captain B——r wished they would,—to the top of the monument, and look around at the forest of masts they will see of vessels coming from and going to all parts of the world; then reflect for a moment on the power required to defend all their interests; and (if they dare),[see Note 63] then come down and ask for reduction.

We strongly recommend the perusal of the letter of Emeritus on this subject in the Times of the 5th February.

“Teutonic prevailing in Great Britain and part of Ireland, 22,000,000.”—Physical Atlas of Natural Phenomena.—Alex. Keith Johnson.

And it is very curious to observe, that, in the new world, the first colony of Great Britain we reach after crossing the Atlantic is called Nova Scotia; and the last land we should leave after crossing the continent would be New Caledonia; and both in Nova Scotia and New Caledonia (Vancouver’s Island) nature seems to have placed great deposits of coal, as if she there intended the industry of man and the advancement of science to overcome all natural barriers between the different nations of the earth.

“The Menai Bridge consists of about 2000 tons of iron, and its height above the level of the sea is 120 feet; its mass might be lifted from the level of the water to its present position by the combustion of four bushels of coal.”—Dr. Lardner.

“The traffic of a system of lines, connected with one another, can always be worked more economically and conveniently under one uniform management than by independent Companies. The Company which works the main trunk line, and possesses the principal terminal stations, can run more frequent trains, and make better arrangements for forwarding the traffic of the cross lines, than it could afford to do if two or three separate establishments had to be maintained, and the harmony of arrangements depended upon two or three independent authorities.

“It is found also in practice, that unless a very close unity of interest exists among the different portions of what really constitute one great line of communication, it is scarcely possible to introduce that harmony and accuracy of arrangement which are essential to ensure speed and punctuality. Many important branches of traffic also are apt to be neglected, which can only be properly developed where a long consecutive line of Railway is united in one common interest. Coals and heavy goods, for instance, can be conveyed for long distances with a profit, at rates which would be altogether insufficient to remunerate a Company which had only a run of ten or twenty miles: and thus many of the most important benefits of Railways to the community at large can only be obtained by uniting through-lines in one interest.”—Report of Board of Trade on Railways. Sess. 1845.

Since the year 1824, a considerable establishment of convicts has been kept up in Bermuda, employed in constructing a breakwater and in perfecting some fortifications at Ireland’s Eye. The number at present (1836) so maintained is about 1000.

One of our periodicals observes—“We have no hope that a class of criminals will ever cease to exist in this country, and it will always therefore be a question, what is to be done with them?.... There are certain conditions directly essential to every successful effort for the repression of crime; the legislature should see that the penal code, while as merciful as a reasonable philanthropy can demand, should yet be severe enough to be truly merciful—merciful, that is, to the entire community.”

“Nor is there any reason to believe that 1849 will witness a diminution in the rate at which this extraordinary process of depletion is going forward; on the contrary, there is every symptom of its probable acceleration.”—(Morning Chronicle, 1849, on Irish Emigration.)

“Wherever the head waters of the rivers, on the east and west sides of the Rocky Mountains, approach nearest each other, there have been found passes through them. Of these, perhaps the most important is the south pass. Between Mount Brown and Mount Hooker, in latitude 52½, another very important pass, offering great facility of communication between the Oregon and Canada, by the waters of the Columbia and the north branches of the Saskatchewan, which, flowing into Lake Winnipeg, gives easy access to Hudson’s Bay and the great lakes.

“Among the most awful features of mountain scenery lies the great northern outlet of the territory, resembling the southern in many of its features, with even more sublimity of character, but especially in having the sources of several great rivers within a very short distance of each other. Here are the head waters of the Athabasca and north tributaries of the Saskatchewan, which falls into Lake Winnipeg; and on the east the northern waters of the Columbia, and the eastern branch of Frazer’s River, near a deep cliff in the mountains, which has been called by British traders the Committee’s Punch Bowl.”—Rev. C. G. Nicolay.

The first who penetrated the Rocky Mountains was Sir Alexander Mackenzie, then in the service of the North-West Company. In the year 1793 he crossed them in about latitude 54°, discovered Frazer’s River, [A] descended it for about 250 miles, then struck off in a westerly direction, and reached the Pacific in latitude 52° 20’. In 1808 Mr. Frazer, also under the orders of the North-Western Company, crossed the Rocky Mountains and established a trading post on Frazer’s River, about latitude 54°; and in 1811 Mr. Thompson, also an agent of that company, discovered the northern head waters of the Columbia, about latitude 52°, and erected some huts on its banks.

The Marquis of Londonderry was Secretary of State for foreign affairs up to August, 1822, and Mr. Canning succeeded him; and to the watchful care of these two eminent statesmen it may be owing that Russia and the United States did not divide the coast and territory between them.

Lake Superior.—“Copper abounds in various parts of the country; in particular some large and brilliant specimens have been found in the angle between Lake Superior and Michigan. Henry and others speak of a rock of pure copper, from which he cut off 100 pounds weight.”—Montgomery Martin, Esq.

Since that time several canals have been finished, and I have no doubt, as the country becomes more populous, others may be undertaken for the purposes of drainage and internal communications; but my own personal knowledge has satisfied me that Railroads would be far more useful and a far more ultimate benefit, for there is no doubt that the waters of Canada have a general inclination to subside. Mr. Martin himself says, that “the Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior, have evidently been at one time considerably higher than they are at the present day;” and although Mr. Martin considers the subsidence of these waters has not been effected by slow drainage, but by repeated destruction of barriers, still the fact shows that the waters are subsiding.

Be this all as it may, I do not think that even Mr. Montgomery Martin himself would suggest a communication by canals from the Atlantic to the Pacific, as well might he recommend a man to travel by a slow heavy coach when a light quick one could be procured; and thus we dismiss the subject of canals.

“Sir,—With reference to your letter of the 18th ult. relative to the expenses incurred in the survey of the proposed Line of Railroad between Halifax and Quebec, I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury to request that you will move Earl Grey to instruct the several officers in charge of the Governments of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, to cause the proportion of the Railroad survey expenses to be defrayed by each province, to be paid into the commissariat chests on the respective stations.

“I have, &c. (Signed) C. E. Trevelyan.” “H. Merivale, Esq., &c. &c.”

“As it is obvious that we must either retain our convicts at home or send them abroad, and the latter can only be accomplished by transportation to a colony, it is obvious (especially after the results of the last experiments) that we must either found a new colony, as in 1783, or adopt the French system, which has nothing certainly to recommend it.”—Globe, 17th February, 1849.

The writer of this letter sailed from Cork on board H. M. frigate Pique, in January, 1838, with a wing of the 93rd Highlanders, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Macgregor, and he is happy in having this opportunity of publicly thanking Captain Boxer, the officers and crew of the Pique, for the great kindness received by every individual of the regiment. And he cannot do otherwise than refer particularly to the officers of the gun-room, who must have been exceedingly inconvenienced by having a large party of officers joined to their mess, and who yet had the tact and politeness to show they never felt it. It was a long and stormy passage of six weeks from Cork to Halifax, but it was a happy and a merry one; although a damp was at first thrown over us by the sudden death from accident of a serjeant of the Light Company, and another poor fellow was washed away from the chains during the passage.

A great number of the men of the 93rd have settled at and in the neighbourhood of Toronto.

I trust that the British North American Colonies will, in reply to the above remark, send forth such a voice of attachment to their mother country that will encourage her people at home and embolden them to come forward in aid of great colonial measures, resulting as they must do in universal benefit to the empire.

In page 100 of the work just above quoted we read—“The Banker’s argument satisfied me; but he was not aware of a peculiarity of colonies, as distinguished from dependencies in general, which furnishes another reason for wishing that they should belong to the empire—I mean the attachment of the colonies to their mother country.... I have often been unable to help smiling at the exhibition of it. In what it originates I cannot say.”

I cannot but deeply regret the use of these expressions, coming as they do from the pen of so influential an author. Has be forgotten or does he not feel that

“Cœlum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt?”

And surely from those who left their native land, carrying with them the literature of the day and the remembrance of her glory, it was not likely that there should spring up a generation otherwise than strongly attached to

“That fortress built by Nature for herself, Against infection and the hand of War?”

Well, indeed, has Lieutenant Synge remarked, “Let it also be remembered by those who would argue the defection of Canada, or other British provinces, from the history of the past, what were the circumstances attending the last revolt (and only one) of British Colonies.”

“Let the regret with which those colonies revolted be also borne in mind! Generations have succeeded, yet in the hearts of many of the best and noblest that lingering regret remains; not that the revolt took place, not that it was successful, but that it was rendered necessary.” I shall only add, I agree most perfectly with the author on the Art of colonization when he says, “But whatever may be its cause, I have no doubt that the love of England is the ruling sentiment of English Colonies.”

This assertion requires proof.

To Holyhead 8 hours

Holyhead to Dublin 4 “

Dublin to the west coast of Ireland 4 “

—

In all 16

It may therefore be worthy of consideration whether there could be established at one of her ports on the western coast, so often spoken of as the nearest point of embarkation for British America, an Emigration Company, which would greatly benefit Ireland by causing a large traffic through the centre of that country.

Printed by W. P. Metchim, 20, Parliament Street.

Transcriber’s Notes: 1) Text has been adjusted to eliminate notes within notes, particularly Notes 15 and 43. Certain notes have been inserted into the main text to eliminate duplicated note numbers. 2) Footnotes redirecting to Notes have been condensed to link directly with Note, eg: Original text: text text text[1] [1] See Appendix, Note 65. (65) text text text text text text Transcribed text: text text text[see Note 65] (65) text text text text text text