TH£

ANNUAL REPORT

OF

OF THE

WELLAND CANAL COMPANY.

-PljBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE BOARD. -

H. LEAVENWORTH, PRINTER-ST. CATHARINES.

1833.

" .. . -,.' .,

-THE Board of Directors have deferred the publica­

tion of their annual Report, beyond the usual period, that they might be enabled to announce to the stock­holders and the publick, the completion of the Weiland canal; which will be in readiness at the opening of the navigation, to pass vessels, by the new route, from Port Colborne, on lake Erie, to lake Ontario-the en­tire distance being only 28 miles.

The rapid manner in which the work progressed, un­til the prevailing epidemick reached the canal, will suf­ficiently support the statement made in the last Report, of 1831. That the new route', or continuation of the ship channel direct to lake Erie', would have been com­pleted at the time specified; bllt so soon as the cholera made its appearance, the affrighted workmen fled from the scene of death. One Doctor fell a sacrifice to his humane exertions; a second, hired at double pay, was seized with sickness, and oblicred to return to St. Ca-

. ::'"

tharines. No competent medical aid could be procured at any price; and upwards of seventy labourers, who a few weeks before were in perfect health, fell victims to this sweeping scourge. When the disorder abated, and the work was resumed, it was found too late for the contractors to filli~h their jobs before the close of the season-the accumulation of water, and other obsta-

4'

des occasioned by the suspension of the work, render­inO' the fulfilment of their engagements impracticable.

Before and during this interruption on the new route, other important works were carried on with vigour: the canal and feeder underwent a thorough repair; the Grand river dam was made permanent with stone and (Travel; waste and stop gates were placed at Dunn­~ille, head of the feeder, Port Robinson, Broad creek, lVIarshville and the aqueduct, to prevent over-pressure on the dam and banks, by a regular discharge of the superfluous water.

A berm bank has been erected from Dunnville to the new cut, on the entire line of the feeder, on the recom­mendation of the Arbitrators appointed by the Legisla­ture to award damages to the various individuals resi­ding on the line of the canal, who conceived it necessary to preserve the health of that part of the country-it will also reclaim a large tract of land which would have been overflowed. The embankments have been raised and strengthened on the entire line of the main canal, and the work throu~hout has been made as permanent as time' and circum:-;tances would permit.

The navigation was interrupted about one month last ;-:eason, in consequence of grass growing up in a part of the feeder, or Cranberry marsh, unobserved by those having charge of the work, as well as the boatmen passing daily on the canal. The obstruction was re­moved in a few days, after the cause was ascertained. No casualty of moment occurred on the line, from any defect in the works, during the season. The removal of this obstruction tended, however, to cOllvince a com­mittee ~ppointed to investigate the ~ause of thi.s long and serIOUS stoppage of the navigatIOn, that to msure an abundant supply of water at all times, it would be only necessary to deepen the feeder from near Broad neck to the main canal, which they recommended to be done, and which was accordinO"ly executed during the winter. ;:,

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Present State of the Canal. The dam at the Grand river is a most permanent

woltk. It was constructed in 13 feet water, 7 feet high, with a base of 150 feet, forming a tumbling way; 9 chains in length. Waste weirs are likewise construct­ed on the right bank of the river, 10 chains in length, on a clay bank or point, which hu~ an elevation barely sufficient to retain the water. In addition to this, there is a length of about 9 chains cut down through this bank, so as to discharge the surplus water fi'om the Grand river when it rises two feet above the natural surface; by which means a sufficient space is allowed to discharge any quantity of water, 'rhich is under per­fect control, and regulates itself; so that, with ordinary care, no danger nl'ed be apprehended to any part of the works in this importal1t part of the canal, which may be considered the key to the whole.

An embankment is made from the right bank of the river, across the low lands, fifteen chaills

L

in length, slope two to one, with an elevation three feet aboye hi;.!;h water mark. A large stop-gate is constructed immediately at the mouth of the feeder, to control the water at its en­trance into the canal. A culn'rt is placed under the canal, about 200 yards below this, to drain the country from Dunnville to Cranberry creek, 3 miles distant; and another waste weir and waste gate to draw off the wa­ter when necessary at Broad creek. Thence to Marsh­ville,9 miles, no artificial erection is necessary. Here a waste weir and another stop gate is placed; half a mile below this, is a culvert, through which Mill creek passes, which discharges the marsh water for an extent of nine miles; thence, for the distance of seven miles, no other erection is necessary, with the exception of a waste weir already erected, and a stop gate, which were intended to retain the water at full head in the feeder, in case of a breach occurring in any part of the main canal. [The dimensions of this feeder are 20 feet. bottom, 36 feet surfac.e, 4 feet depth, and 20. miles in

6

length.] This point is the termination of the feeder or boat canal, where it discharges into the main canal seven and a half miles from lake Erie.

Leaving the feeder at thi~ point, we will, for the pur­pose of giving a more accurate description of the ship canal, commence at lake Eric. First, with respect to Gravelly bay, now Port Colborne. This may be con­sidered almost a natural harbour: two reefs of sunken rocks converge within 620 yards of each other, leaving a depth of from 8 to 22 feet water; the main channel being to the westward of the entrance to the canal. The water maintains a sufficient depth to near t he shore, and the harbour is sufficiently spacious for all purpo­ses. The bottom is of clay, affording excellent anchor­age, and the approach to it unobstructed and safe. Piers are ill progress, which will form a perfect shelter for vessels, and completely protect the entrance into the canal.

A lock of 6 feet lift, constructed of stone above wa­ter, brings you to the summit, which is supplied with water from the Grand river, by the boat canal or feed­er, before described. From this harbour, a towing path is made on both sides of the canal, to the junction; one ~ide of which forms an excellent carriage road, 30 feet wide. Two bridges and two culverts are con­structed in this distance, which altogether forms as beautiful a line of canal as any in America.

The aqueduct over the river ""Velland, one mile from thi~, is constructed of wood, 600 feet in length, and serves as a waste weir, to regulate the water to near the deep cut, four miles; where there are two other waste weirs and a stop gate. At the south end of the deep cut are two locks of 8 feet lift each, by which you desc.end to the Chippawa or river ""VeIland, on the route leadmg to the Niagara river. Proceeding two miles fur­ther, to the north end of the deep cut, another waste weir regulates the supply of water for the remainder of the descent to lake Ontario. The water can be discharO'ed o

1

from this level, at pleasure, into the WeIland river. The first descent towards lake Ontario, is made at this point, by two locks of8 feet each. Thence one mile, is a waste weir on the west branch of Beaverdam creek, and a culvert under the canal. Thence two miles, is another culvert, to pass the middle or main branch, and a waste weir on the east branch of said stream. Thence to Thorold, two miles, are two waste weirs, to discharge as much water from the canal as may be required, by the 10 mile creek, or to retain it in the main channel. Thence a continuation of waste weirs and locks al­ternately on each level, (except three, where they are also required,) to the harbour.

The water is taken out of the canal, from the sum­mit, in three different positions, for hydraulick purpo­ses; so as not to interfere either with the navigation, or to obstruct it for any necessary repairs.

From the Grand river throughout to lake Ontario, the levels and waste weirs work well, and answer the desired purposes.

Repairs and Erections, Recommended to render the canal perfect for the navigati(Jn of vessels.

1. Deepening the feeder, from within two miles of Broad creek to the main canal.

2. Repairing two locks on the main canal, one of which was found defective at the close of naviga­tion, so as to render it necessary to take up one end from the foundation.

3. Deepening some parts of the deep cut, and ex­tending the pier 100 feet at Port Dalhousie. The outer pier at Gravelly bay is under contract, and will be finished during the season.

4. To construct a stop gate or feeder above the main canal.

5. To strengthen the banks for the last time; to raise all those over ravines, or low ground8, one and a half feet above the ordinary height, to prevent damage from sudden floods.

8

Those repairs would have been nearly perfected be­fore this time, h ad the Board been provided with means; as the weather in the latter part of the fall, and the com­mencement of tile ,,-inter, has been peculiarly favour­able for such operations. [They are now in progress.]

Altcl'atiolls, Reco1llmclIdcd to command tlte entire transportation between tIle lakes.

It must be olwious to the most casual observer, from the facility and certainty which steamboats offer, they will always command a great portion of light and valua­blf' freig;ht, as well as passengers; and without putting our harbours in a situation to receive those boats, the canal cannot depend on receiving this portion of the transit. The lock at Port Dalhousie was erroneously placed at the entrance of the harbour, at the commence­ment of the work, before steamboats were extended to their present enlarged dimensions. It is necessary, therefore, to remove this lock about half a mile up the bay, so as to admit steam vessels with ease and facility, and leave a large basin on the same level with the lake. _Mr. Nathan Pawling, who owns the pro­perty at this point, has offered to make the alteration for £2,500, and not obstruct the navigation.

2. Extending the outward piers at Port Colborne, lake Erie, and erecting a light house.

3 .. E:,tendi~lg the main pier at Grand river 500 yards, a:<; ongll~all} l.lltellded; and one 200 yards on the east SIde, whIch WIll make it the most spacious harbour on the lake. . These alterations and improvements may ~e made It;t d':le process of time, without interrupt­mg the naVIgatIOn, and will not in all exceed £12,500.

Alterations That may be effected hereafter .

. A very ,great difference of opinion existed at the tIme the slIps at the deep cut occured, many contending that the plan of making the rivers NiaO'ara and WeIland the feeders and summit, should be adhered t0

1 and the

9

slips removed, be the expense what it may. Experi­ence has since proved the alteration then adopted, in taking a higher level, was judicious; in fact, the canal could not have been constructed without it. By refer­ring to the Report of the Directors, for 1828, it will be seen that the deep cut was excavated to the bottom of the level, at both ends, and that only a small portion of earth remained in the centre, a distance of 40 chains; and that with the force then employed, ten days or a fortnight would have remo.ved it, so as to have drawn the waters of the WeHand through into lake Ontario. The bottom of this part proving to be quicksand, slips occurred, which rendered it indispensably necessary to resort to a higher level, which is now attained from the Grand river.

The middle branch of the twelve, or Beaverdam creek, commences at the north end of the deep cut, and forms a natural ravine, falling off 40 feet below the present surface of the water in the deep cut. The Board has reason to believe that by cutting the embank­ments and letting the water rush under this head, it would remove the sand from the bottom, and deposit it in the ravine below, leaving a sufficient cavity for the clay to form its natural slope. The embankments can be replaced in the spring without damage to the canal.

The Doard considered it due to the former as well as present Directors of this company, to take a brief re­view of their past transactions. It was not their inten­tion to have entered into this explanation, until after the work was fully and perfectly completed in every respect, according to the alterations and improvements recommended; but recent occurrences have rendered it necessary.

In the first place, it will be remembered, that when this undertaking was commenced, in 1824, no work of a similar nature had been attempted in the province. The object theil in view, was making a snlall cut to draw the ,vaters of the Chippawa into the Beaverdam

n

10

anti 12 mile creeks; improving or 'ridening the beds of those streams to lake Ontario, and descending the mountain by a wooden railway. The summit of the deep cut was apparently a level swamp, from whence the waters gradually flowed both into the 'VeHand river and 12 mile creek. The depth of this cut was supposed to be inconsiderable. At this period there was not a person to be obtained in Upper Canada, who knew the use of a spirit level. In August, an Engineer was pro­cured from the state of New-York, who surveyed, le­velled, and reported thereon.

In January, 1824, an act of incorporation was ob­tained, a part of the stock subscribed, and the work commenced on the 30th November. At this time the subject began to attract publick attention. The stock­holders applied fol' an extension of capital, with a view of enlarging the canal for ship navigation. Mr. l\'l'GiI­livray and others, of the Canada Company, having ta­ken an active part, the Directors were under the im­pression that company would co-operate most cor­dially in promoting the object, and that the stock would be t~ken up in Great Britain, through their influence. Durmg thi:;; year, surveys were made by Messrs. Clows, Hall and Roberts, who reported thereon-the last be­ing one of the principal Engineers employed in con­structing the Erie canal, and a gentleman· in whom great confidence was deservedly placed .

. It was discoyered during this year, that the moun­tam could not be descended on the original route, with a .canal of the increased dimensions contemplated, WIthout a combination of locks; to avoid which, ano­ther route was selected, at a great additional expense. . In 1826, an act was passed, authorising the deviation l~ th.e route, and granting a loan of £25,000 by the pro­nnClal Legislature This sum the Directors. had rea­son to IJelien' would be refunded by the stock expect­ed to be su?scribed in England. In this expectation they were dl!Sc'ppointed; and to thi-=: cau~e, the difficul-

11

ties and embarrassments that attended the undertakinO' may be attributed. b

A great part of the private stock had been paid in; the work was all under contract, and in a state of for­wardness; the only alternative was, to prosecute the work with vigour, and make every exertion to obtain subscriptions for stock, and such other aid as could be procured; or ahandon the work now committed to their charge. The Directors, happily for the province and all concerned, decided on the former. They applied for, and obtained, through his Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland, a grant of all the waste lands ill the Cranberry marsh; and employed David Thomas, one of the prin­cipal Engineers on the Erie canal, to take charge of the work. .

In 1827, the Legislature of Upper Canada subscri­bed stock to the amount of £50,000, and the Legislature of Lower Canada £25,000; and His Majesty's govern­ment granted £16,360 on certain conditions, which were complied with, on behalf of the company. This year 1\'11'. Alfred Barrett was appointed principal Engi­neer, having been, since the commencement of 1826, a resident Engineer.

At the close of this season, the Directors had every reason to believe that the work could be accomplished by the end of the ensuing year, provided means were at their disposal; to obtain which, in 1828, they made an application to the Home government for assistance, and obtained a loan of £50,000, payable in ten years, at four per cent. Subscribers for stock to the amount of £30,000, were obtained at the same time from private individuals. Every part of the work was pressed for­ward with the greatest energy, and placed in readiness for the early navigation of the ensuing year, by the Niagara river; and up to the 9th of November, they were in confident expectation that their views would be realized, when an end was put to their hopes by the slips in the def:'p cut. Thi:,; casualty was attended with

12

the most serious and appalling consequences, which no enerO"y or exertion could fully counteract. The most se~ious evil was the delay attending the new plan they were compelled to adopt.

Every exertion was made to bring the feeder from Bearfoot rapids, or from some point up the Grand river, of sufficient height to avoid erecting a dam across that stream; which, after repeated attempts, was found by the most experienced Engineers, [Mr. Geddes.as well as Mr. Barrett,] to be impracticable, at any expense within the means of the company to command. They mention this more particularly, as an opinion prevailed that this survey was never made.

The best situation for building a dam across the Grand river, was about half a mile from the mouth; where the ground was marked out, the work placed under con­tract, and about £400 expended; when, by the repre­sentations of Commodore Barrie, a stop was put to the work, and the company were compelled to select ano­ther situation five miles up the river, and cut an entire new feeder that distance, at an additional expense to the company of at least £10,000.

Notwithstanding these obstacles and their attendant delays, in 1829, an entire canal or feeder 27 miles in l~ngth, a dam of no ordinary dimensions across the Grand rIver, an aqueduct over the WeIland, and four locks at the deep cut, were constructed, and the water let in by the 5th of October. To forward the work, the feeder was excavated one half its intended width, to admit the. water into the main canal, to prove the levels, and s~bsfy the publick that the plan would answer the de­s!red purpose, which was generally doubted at the t~me. A. ve,ssel was passed through, from lake Onta­rIO to Ene, 111 ,November of this year. Another effort was made durmg this season in EnO"land and a consi­derable sum subscribed by i~dividu~ls. '

In 1830, an application was made to the Legislature· for a further grant of ,£25,000, to payoff the debts and

13

widen the feeder. A commission was appointed by the Legislature this session, whose Report we subjoin. (See Appendix, A.)

The navigation of this season, by the Niagara river, was quite sufficient to show that impediments existed, of so serious a nature as to induce the Directors to re~ commend the extension of the ship canal to lake Erie, by a more direct route; which was most fully concurred in by the Commissioners appointed by the House of Assembly. .

In 1831, an application was made to the Legislature for a grant of £200,000, to extend the canal into lake Erie, finish it in a durable manner, and to enable them to payoff all demands against the company. This mea~ sure was recommended byacommittee, as will be seen by reference to the accompalying Report, (see Appen~ dix, B.) and at one time adopted by the House; although subsequently altered to a loan of £50,000, under certain restrictions. This alteration is to be regretted, as it has failed to accomplish the desired object.

From various delays in exploring the different routes, the work was not put under contract until late in the season; and very little progress was made in it, from the heavy rains which prevailed during that year, and the peculiar situation of the route, which could not be drained until back ditches were formed nearly the whole extent of the cut; in consequence of which, together with the low price at which the work was taken, every contractor on the line, with one exception, failed to finish his work, which had.to be re~let to other contractors.

During the past season, (1832,) the work was prose~ cuted with a degree of vigour and energy equal to any former period.

It is not the intention of the Board to discuss whether this work has been sustained with that degree of pub~ lick spirit with which similar undertakings have been prosecuted in other countries; or whether the embar· rassments they have had to contend against, from time

14

to time, are not principally to be ascribed to that cause. By those who have had any practical experience in the construction of canals, or works of a similar descrip­tion, an excess of expenditure over the original esti­mate, is considered a matter of course; by those who have never given the subject much consideration, the causes are not so readily comprehended. In the dif­ferent estimates alluded to, the enlargement and exten­sion of the canal is generally kept out of view.

The first loan granted from the Legislature of this province, of £2.5,000, was supposed to be repaid out of the stock which the Directors had reason to believe would have been subscribed in London. In this expec­tation, as already shown, they were disappointed.

The stock to the amount of £50,000 was subscribed, on condition that the company would pay the interest until the canal was finished; and this was supposed sufficient to get it in operation, and open the navigation by the Niagara river.

The casualties arisin~ at the deep cut compelled the Board to resort to the Grand river for a supply of wa­ter, and protracted the completion of the canal nearly two years. This cause, of itself, greatly increased the expenditures, besides accumulating interest, and depri­ving the company of any income. <The loan of £25,000 was for widening and increasing the dimensions of the feeder; and the last loan of £50,000 was for a new ob­ject, the extension of the ship canal to lake Erie by the shortest and most direct route, thereby avoiding the Ni­agara river altogether. This navigation extends from lake Ontario to lake Mile ••

Erie, for vessels drawing eight feet water, 28 From Port Robinson to N"iagara river, 9~ From the mouth of Grand river to Dunnville, 5

Total, ship canal, - - -Boat canal, or feeder, four feet water,

42~ 20 62'

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With a lockage of 340 feet, and the construction of three entire new harbours.

The canal has already cost £345,955 There will still be required to pay the debts

due for labour, &c. 11,000

Making 356,955 It may be asserted, without fear of contradiction,

that including all delays, casualties, and unavoidable expenses, few works, in any country, have been con­structed at less cost. It is notorious that the work has been constructed in the cheapest manner, and with a degree of economy perhapsuever equalled by any si­milar undertaking: as one: instance, we will merely mention, that the Erie canal,with four feet water, cost, from lake Erie to Lockport, before descending the mountain ridge, a distance' of 28 miles, $1,600,000. The deep cut, for one mile and thr~e-fourths, was from 30 to 56 feet deep, and cost one half of the amount of the whole canal from the \Velland to Ontario.

The Board has reason to regret, on account of the stockholders, that the completion of the canal has been prolonged so far beyond the period anticipated at the time the work was commenced, as well as the great in­crease of expenditure beyond what was then contempla­ted. They alone are the sufferers: to their enterprise and exertions are the provinces indebted for the un­dertaking; and in no way have they derived any advan­tage from the work; the actual dividend hereafter to be made, is all they can look for. Notwithstanding, those most deeply concerned have only expressed a desire to see the full and perfect completion of the canal; having every confidence that, when completed as it should be, it will meet their most sanguine expec­tations.

The British government, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, have different views and interests, and are already gainers by the work, which every per-

16

son having any pretension to financial affairs, must admit.

In the first place, with respect to the British govern­ment. They have expended a large sum in the con­struction of the Rideau canal. The completion of the WeIland is indispensable for the profitable use of that communication, by drawing a great share of the transit from the southern and western parts of the United States of America through it.

Secondly, the crown lands held by government, ad­joining lakes Erie, St. Clair and Huron, have been en­hanced in value by its construction, to an incalcu1able amount, be~ides the indirect advantages accruing to the shippil1.g interest, and the increase of commerce to Que­bec, Montreal and Great Britain.

Thirdly, government has the privilege of passing the canal free of toll, with all government vessels and stores, secured by un act of the provincial Legislature, in 1827.

The above act was passed in consequence of recei­ving the following Despatch:

"Downing Street, Sept. 30th, 1826. SIR-His Majesty's government having granted the sum of twelve

thousand pounds. in aid of the expellse of constructing the Lachine ca­nal in Lower Canada, upon condition that all boats and vessels with publicI. stores should be permitted to pass without the payment of any toll or duty; alld considering that the Weiland canal, now in progress on tile l\Tjagara frontier, will atlord great facility in forwarding stores to lake Erie alld tIle upper parts of t!le pro\ince of Upper Canada, and tllat hy constructing the locl.s of the width of twenty-two feet, it would become a work of much greater publick utility; I am to desire that you wil~ ~cquaint the Directors, that His Majesty's government would be willing to afflJl'd the same degree of assistance towards the ex~en~e of the \V.elland canal, which was given to that of Lachine, which IS about ~ ntnth of the estimated sum required in its completion; and as the estImated expense of the Weiland canal is one hundred and ~orty.seven thousand two hundred and forty pounds, the sum to be con.tnbuted by the pll~lick for the privilege of forwarding government stOl es. &c., would be sl:"teen thousand three hundred and sixty pounds.

In the ev~nt. of the DIrectors agreeing to this proposal, it is necessary that a provincial act should be passed, in which the company shall en­gage to construct the locks of the canal of the width of at least twenty·

17

two feet, and securing the use of the canals to all vessels and boats, the property of His Majesty; and also, to all other boats and vesi;:els, when engaged in carrying government stores, without the payment of any duty or toll, in consideration of the slim of sixteen tIJollsa"nd three hundred alld sixty pounds; to be paid in four equal annual instalments, or sooner if the canal should be completed at an earlier period.

I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, A true copy. (Signed,) BATHURST.

Major General Sir PEREGRINE MAITLAXD, K. C. B.

Besides the above advantag('~, the government has been accessary, although witjh the best intention, to in­creasing the expenses of the company, by compelling them to remove the dam on the Grand river. It was expected at the time that government would make this harbour, which would in p&rt compensate them; but they have been under the n.cessity of constructing it since, at their own expense.

In 1828, the company m~e an application to the British government for assiftance to finish the work. The terms offered were a lo\:l.n of £50,000, payable in ten years, at four per cent. ; qr a grant of £27,000, paya­ble in four yearly instalments. Their necessity com­pelled them to accept the former; knowing the canal would be useless until in op€\ration, the company have at all times made that a primary object, and have been compelled to accept any terms to accomplish it. How­ever, now that the main obj~ct is effected, the Board entertain no doubt that His tIajesty's government will carry their original intention into effect, and place the Welland at least on as favourable a footing as the La­chine canal, by still making a grant of one-ninth of the actual expenditure.

"\Vith respect to the province of Upper Canada, al­though the capital invested in stock and loans ~mounts to £150,000, the company have kept down the mterest from time to time on both; so that the outlay by the pro­vince, in payment of interest, is about £15,000. The du­ties from the U. States, and the one-fourth from Lower Canada, On the increased consumption created or cau·

e

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sed by the canal since 1824, we assume', from the best information we can obtain on the subject, at £2,000 per annum, for eight years; which amount8 to £16,000. The present increased and flourishing state of the re­venue of Upper Canada, compared to 1828 or '29, will fully corroborate the above assertion.

The province of Lower Canada has three-fourths of the revenue collected at the port of Quebec, the increase of which has been very great for the la~t few years. In 1829, the value of imports, on which two

and a half per cent. was paid, amounted to £874,082 In 1830, - - - - - 1,190,8:36

Showing an increase in one year of - £316,754 Without entering into a detailed calculation on the

subject, it is evident that the increase created by the WeIland canal, is abundant to overpay the interest on the capital expended by the Legislature of that pro­vince in its construction, besides the advantages from the transit, commission, profit on foreign commerce, shipping interest, and all those indirect though posi­tive advantages which every port acquires, by drawing an excess of produce to it.

The population of the two Canadas is about 750,000. ~V e assume one-tenth for the increase of that portion mfluenced by the WeIland canal, which cannot be deemed overrated, as the district of London alone con­tains 42,396.

If those advantages are already felt, what ,,-ill they be ten years hence? It is evident a much greater extent of country lies to the south and west of the W ella~d canal, than to the north; and if so, a greater quantIty of produce must be brought through it for the l\'Iont~eal market, than reaches that market at the pre­sent tIme from that part of the country now situated below the canal. ~

During the past season the Board were apprehensive 1hey would not be able to pay all demand:-: ~gain:st them

19

on the cOll~pletion ?f th~ wo~k, and made a timery representatIOn to HIS lVlaJesty s government, to relin­quish the mortgage they held on a part of the proper­ty belonging to th.e 'Velland Canal Company, consist­ing of the hydrauhck works, and a large tract of land lying on the margin of the canal. The subject was left to the decision of His Excellency, Sir John Col­borne, Lieutenant Governor, who promptly acceded to the application.

This property, which is conf.;idered by competent judges to be of far greater value than the sum required, they offi'red a~ security to the Legislature, in order to obtain a sufficient sum to enable them to payoff all de­mands against the company, ,and finish the canal.

The subject was fully di~ussed, and the same fa­vourable disposition was manifested by a majority of the House towards the und,rtaking, which influenced their decisions on former oqcasions; at the same time they deemed it most judicious to appoint a commission, consisting of three gentlemenJrom different parts of the province, with power to appoint an Engineer to examine the works, and make a gener:¥ Report to lay before the next Legislature; and in t~e lllean time to put and keep the canal in repair for the present season, for which purpose £7,500 was placed at their disposal, leaving the security proffer~d, at the disposal of the Board, to liquidate the debts already incurred. Those commissioners have already examined and reported on the efficiency of the canal, w~ich, in their opinion, not­withstanding the late period when the work was com­menced, will be open by the first of May next.

The Directors also presented a memorial to the Le­gislature of Lower Canada, early in the season, praying for a loan of £12,500 to enable them to finish the har­bours at each termiuation of the canal, on a sufficient scale to admit steam-boats of the largest dimensions now navigating, or which may hereafter .navigate those lakt·~, a~ :-:hCH\ll in tht' former part of thl;'; Report..

20

They have seen a document published by a commit­tee of the Legislature of that province, si~ned by Aus­tin Cuvillif'l', 'Esq., Chairman, stating in the first place, that they had recei \'ed no information whatever on the !'ubject 'of the canal; but after examining the various acts of the Legislature of this province, showing the several sums borrowed, they are of opinion that it would be imprudent to grant the loan.

On this subject the Board would merely remark, that Reports have been publi"hed each year on the pro­grc"s of the work, and forwarded to e8ch individual ~to('kholder, besides being inserted in different papers; in addition to which, they prevailed on Wm. Berczy, Esq. 1"1. P. P., a gentleman living in the Western dis­trict, who posse"scs the most extensive information re­!'pecting the country aborc it, as well as the situation of the company's affairs, to go to Quebec two succes­sive years, 18:30 and '31, for the express purpose of af­fording the Legislature every information on the sub­ject of the canal.

The different acts of Parliament, amount of expendi­ture, and Reports of commissioners appointed by the Legislature of this province, are publick records to ,,·hich every member of the Legislature of Lower Ca­nada has access. The Eoard therefore feel it due to themselves, not to pass over in silence, an imputation or censure, for ,,·ithholdillg information which they have "pared no pains or expense to communicate.

It would further appear by that Report, the commit­tee did not fail to avail themselves of the information alluded to; as they recapitulate, with much precision, the amount of debts for ,vhich the company are liable .

. We have shown in the preceding pages, that the pro­'",H1ce of Lower Canada has benefitted by the construc­tIOn of. the canal, in a pecuniary point of view. At the same tIme. the Directors never could have entertained a doubt th.at th~ Legislature would be actuated by those COIL~lderatlOns; neither do they think so now, had

21

the question been brought fairly before them. The Di­rectors conceived it necessary only to submit the fol­

.lowing facts for their consideration. The "Velland canal commences near the same point

with the Erie canal; the one intended to draw the pro­duce and commerce of the southern and western world to the New- York mm'ket, the other to Montreal.

The general government of the United States have laid out annually large sums of money, and are continu­ing to do so, in the construction of harbours at every feasible point on the south side of lake Erie. Not less than $200,000 have been expended on the harbours of Buffalo and Black Rock alope, by which facilities the commerce of their country is increased, and they ob­tain a return in duty, at the ,ort of N ew-York, in pro­portion to this increase. Whereas, while we possess the most decided natural adrantages, they are lost for want of publick spirit to improve them; for we main­tain, that if Lower Canada would contribute a portion of her means to effect thoae objects, she would be immediately repaid by the increased revenue which those improvements wo.uld create; and ,vhile that pro­vince is receiving threefourths of the revenue procured by our exertion, where coulkl we or should we apply with more confidence for assistance?

The publick advantages arising from the canal are at this period so generally understood, that a further allu­sion to them may appear unnecessary. As a proof, how­ever, we would merely notice, that at Dunnville, Grand river darn, (a place which before the construction of the canal was a waste, or not inhabited,) there are three lumber mills, one flour, fulling and carding mill, three merchant's shops, three store houses, and some thirty or forty dwelling houses; and the lands in the neigh­bourhood, formerly valueless, are now selling from $4 to $8 per acre. A small village, with a grist and saw mill, is sprin~ing up at Marshville; another is laid out, and 'will form a prominent point at the junction.

Port Colborne has been retarded in consequence of the company not ~etting a t.itle. to the l.and. adjoining the harbour. As soon as tIlls dIfficulty IS dIsposed of, a number of individuals are ready to erect buildings; and from its favourable po~ition, a large town will sud­denly supply the place of a sunken morass, w~-lOlly unfit for cultivation; but which has, by the operatIOn of the canal, been effectually drilined and rendered valua­ble. About 30,000 acres of land has been likewise reclaimed in the townships of HUlllberstone, 1f aillfleet, and Moulton.

Port Robin~on at the south. and Allanvi11e at the north end of the decp cut, have not increased as rapidly as the situations warrant, in consequence of a general belief that the deep cut ,rill be lowered to the level of the WeIland. A small village is commenced at the for­mer; and a grist and lumber mill building, and one in operation, at the latter.

Thorold is rapidly increasing. The largest grist mill in the province, four lumhering mills, and a large vil­lage, are erected, where it was quite a wilderness when the canal was commenced.

The value of lands in the neighbourhood of the canal increase in proportion, so that it would be difficult to es­timate the extent of wealth created by its construction.

Further, the price of conveying a barrel of flour from Fort Erie to Queenston, :!8 miles, around the falls of Niagara, was formerly 2:-:. 3d. It it is now conveyed from CleaYt>land to Prescott, throu~h -lake Erie, the 1Velland canal, lake Ontario, and 70 miles down the river St. Lawrence. in all 500 miles, for 28. 2d. This proves beyond question, that no mode of cOllveyance c~n successfully compete with the double voyage, made wlth?ut trans-shipment; as well as the great gain the p.roYll1ce derives by lessening the price of transporta­tIon generally.

From the most authentick information, we have rea­son to believe the contillllatiull of the Ritlpau canal.

23

(now finished to the Ottawa river,) to the Lachine ca­nal, will be completed during the present season. The Report of the Ohio canal commissioners is now before us, and announces the completion of that work from lake Erie to the Ohio river, 308 miles in length, besides the tributary feeders; which will give an uninterrupted water communication from the ~lississippi to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

These facilities for transportation, of themselves, warrant the belief of a great increase of transit. It is hoped the British government will place such a dis­criminating duty on cotton and tobacco, when received in the ports of Great Britain, as will insure a fair pro­portion of the transit of those articles through our canals, from the southern and western parts of the U. States.

The increase of transit from the American side, du­ring the past season, under all the difficulties and de­lays attending the roundabdut and tedious navigation up the Niagara river, was 100,000 bushels of wheat.

The increase of upward freight was principally in salt, which amounted to 35,000 bbls., about as much as reached lake Erie by the Erie canal three years ago.

Information from various quarters on the American side sanction the belief, that a great increase may be expected the approaching season; but very little from the Canada side, as the continued emigration consumes the greater part of the surplus produce now raised.

Reca pitula {ion. From the preceding Repqrt it will appear, that the

aspersions so fi"8quently cast on the Directors of this canal, are neither just nor reasonable. There has been no want of exertion or skill in conducting, nor economy in executing, this arduous undertaking. The increased expense and tedious delays proceeded from causes not within their power to control, nor were they accounta­ble for the consequences.

The changes made in the line of the canal, its increa­!Sed dimensions, alteration of tile original plan, and the

24

removal of the dam after the works had been in consi­derable progress, involved the. company in great addi­tional expense and loss, for wInch no allowance has ever been made in publick opinion.

The :-;tockholders alone, who have paid closer atten­tion to the subject, yiew the undertaking in its true liaht, and are entitled to the consideration of the coun-.., try for the sacrifices they have made, and for the spi­rited manner in which they have sustained the work. They have laid out of their capital for many years, and have sustained a positive loss; while the British gov­ernment, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Cana­da, Rre posilire gainers.

The losses, delays, disappointments and embarrass­ments against which the company have struggled since the extension of the charter for ship navigation, and the failme in procuring the :-;tock in England, can only be kno\\;n to those stockholders who have examined the subject, and the former Directors, who are entitled to all praise for their patriotism and perseverance. We would name them individualh", but it is unnecessary: the publick knows \yho are and have been the undevia­ting supporters of the undertaking, and by whose exer­tions the present Directors have the satisfaction to an­nounce to both hemisphet'es, (for both are deeply inte­rested,) that "esseb fit to navigate the Atlantic, of 120 to 150 tons, can pass fredy from lakes Huron, lVIichi­gan, St. Clair and Erie, tu Prescott, embracing an ex­tent exceeding 1,000 miles; and on the completion of the ship canal, which is now commenced on the St. Lawrellce, may continue their voyage to Great Britain, 01' any part of the world.

(Signed,) ALEX~R l\l'DOi'\ELL. rice President. WILLIA:'II CHI~HOL:'\l, , "'ILLL\l\l ELLIOT, I GEORGE KEEFER, (Director8. OGDE:\f CREIGHTON, I THOJIAS BUTLER, j

lVella'ld Canal Office, 81. Catharines, .1Iarc/t 1, 1833.

APPENDIX.

[A.]

Report of Bobert Bandal, Esq. Commissioner, Appointed under "an Act to grant a further loan to the 'Velland Canal CUIll­

pany, and to regulate their further operations."

To his Excellency Sir John Colbdrne, K. C. B. Lieutenant Gover­nour of the Province of Upper Ca.ada, M.ajor General commanding his Majesty's forces therein, <tc. ~c. <tc.

At an early period after the passing of the act authorising and ap­pointing me to examine the WeIland canal, and to report to your Ex­cellency, all such" facts and inform,tion" as I might" deem useful in aid of forming a correct opinion" of that work; "its progress, condi­tion, and future usefulness," I proce~ded to Port Dalhousie, and from thence along the whole line to the dam at the Grand river, and person­ally inspected, as far as the state of the weather would admit, the har­bour on lake Ontario, the deep cut, the locks, the aqueduct, the feeder, the dam, and the excavation generallj.

DEEP CUT. As the 13th section of the statute 'requires a very minute and parti.

cular examination of the deep cut to ,be made, in order to ascertain as far as practicable, "the probability there is of the stability or instabili·

. ty of the banks," I have visited and inspected that section of the work fi'om time to time, since the b~inning of April, carefully inqui. ring into and noting down such fact& and occurrences as I considered likely to prove useful.

Several slips in the left or west bank have taken place this spring, the surface area of one of them, perhaps exceeding half an acre; but the soil thus deposited in the canal, has partly filled up the vacant space below the new bottom level, and by widening the summit level, rather benefitted than injured the navigation. I was informed that at the place where the banks had chiefly given away during the present year, the workmen on the canal had first discovered the soft clay bottom, and on further digging arrived at a stratum of quicksand. . .

An opinion is very generally entertained, by persons resldmg n~ar the canal, that the margin will give way in other places along the lme of deep cutting, and it is indeed probable that such will be the case, for the banks that remain unbroken are apparently in the same unstable condition as were those places which have already fallen in, the qua­lity of the soil is the same, and they are equally steep; but I do not

D

26

apPI'ehend any very serious consequences from this state of the banks, for there are now eight, ten, and in some places twelve feet of water and vacant space in the canal, below its present base level, where the mar­gjn has not ca\'ed in, and unless the ~)anks were to c-i.\'e way on both side,"" the >'oil, (jud ging from the expcncnce of the last l'lghteen months) would not be likely to fill the canal ,IllY farther than to its base level, and scarcely, if at all interrupt the 1I<t,·igation. The slips that have ta­ken place since the Well and river lewl was abandoned, have occasioned very little additional exca\'ation or trouble. I found a few labourers employed clearing out a bottom channel of twenty feet width, for a short distance; the cutting was neither deep nor extensive.

The banks on the towing path side are steep, but have, thus far, stood the test of the seasons, except in a very few places. When the canal is filled with water, there will be much less chance of the :sides gil ing way in this section, than there is in its present state, and looking at the subject in this its ,,"OI'St point of liew, I can decidedly expl"l:~s my opinion, that the anticipation of such an event ought not to be al­lowed to prevent or hinder the completion of the canal, or he received as an argument against its utility as a permanent publick work. Were the iioil to cale in, so as to stop the passage of vessels, it could be clear­ed out and placed at a proper distance at no great expense, and without much loss of time, and that is the worst that can happen.

It is to be rcgretted, however, that more precaution was not made use of by the principal Engineer employed on the canal, before the sum of eighty-five thousand pounds had been sunk in excavating this stupendoll" ra,·ine. lIad more pains been taken to ascertain, by deep boring at short distances, the nature and quality of the substratum on which the banks were intended to rest, and \I hich was to form the bot­tom level of the canal, a vast sa\"il:.Q" would have been effected to the co­lony, ~nd the canal by this time, probably open for ships from Erie to Onta1"l0.

I visited the deep cut so late as Tuesday last, and found it opcn and almost clear of every obstruction.

GRAND RIVER DAi\I. The i?ea of obtaining an ample supply of water from the river OIl~C,

!or a shIp canal to connect lakes Erie and Ontario, is not a new onc­Jt occurred to the Commissioners of Internal N ayiO"atioll as fur back as It-l:~:~, as app~ars by their valuable Report made to your Excellency'l:! ~red"cesso~, In the month of February in that year, and lately re-pub­lIshed at KllIgston, under the direction of the crentleman who had been President of the Board. The same means of ohtaining a supply for the Weiland canal was proposed to the Board of Directors, in 1~:27, by MI'. Barrett, then Engineer; but was not then acted on. The dam thrown across the Grand river is nine chains in Icncrth and raises the

b ~ ,

water a out five feet auo,·c the former level. The dam is said to have grad.ua!ly settled down tw(·lve to sixteen inches :-;illce la:-;t June: the sollls tu\"oLlJ"able, being a clay bottom; the base of the dam is 100 feet,

27

and for a foundation, whole trees were cut down, drawn and laid lenll'th­ways into the stream with their branches on; gravel and stone :ere next thrown in, and the work finished with alternate lavers of brush and gravel. It is well timbered throughout, and the t'imbers in the abutment at its south end are well framed, and the workmanship sub­stantial. The north wing of the dam is in want of repairs; it should be filled in, to prevent the river breaking round, and raised with a breast \VOl'k of timber, brush and stone. Two or three hundred cords of small stones and gravel, if thrown on the top, would mix with the brush­wood and greatly strengthen the dam. South of the dam an embank­ment has been raised; its height is nine feet, twelve feet at top, with a slope of two to one; its length twenty two chains. I consider the top unsafe in its present state, and would recommend that it be faced with timber, and raised three or four feet higher than the summit level of the river above the dam at higher water !\Jark, South of this embankment is an artificial channel which is to be filled up; there are also two waste weirs on the same side of the river, the apron of one of which is 180 feet, and of the other two hundred f~et; the waste weir farther down, stands in need of repairs. .

Persons residing at Dunnville infolmed me that the river rises from two to three feet, that being tIlP range between high and low water level above the dam; last winter's ice did $0 material injury either to the dam or the embankment. At this season of the vear the waters of the river flow over the dam, but it is believed that ab~ut one fourth of the stream is lost in a dry season, a great pait of which waste water could be retained, were the dam tightened.

According to the best information I could procure, the space open in the dam, at low water last year, thro~gh which the stream passed, was two and a half rods wide, and the ~verage depth ten or twelve feet, with a current of five miles an hoUl'. : Thence may be inferred the im­mense extent and value of the water privileges on the canal in a dry season. Below the dam the river forms one vast harbour, four or five miles in length, six hundred feet average width, and of a mean depth of twelve or fifteen feet. At the rillage of Dunnville. (so named in honour of the President of the Canal Board, who has greatly exerted himselfto bring the undertaking to a successful termination,) the Com­pany have already rented water privileges to tlH'ee saw mills, and one grist mill. Arks loaded with flour, 'pork and whiskey, had arrived from Brantford, on the 15th instant, at the feeder, and were awaiting the opening of the navigation to cross the peninsula to Port Dalhousie. The erection and maintenance of this great dam across the Ouse is un­authorised by any Legi~;(ative act of this province; the lands of indi­viduals situated on the banks of the river for a distance of about ten miles, are overflowed without the consent of the owners, and without recompense havino- been afforded them, according to the award of aju­ry of the country;O fish are prevented fi'om ascending the river, and nei­ther the ark'gap, lock nor apron has been constructed 0\' maintained of a suftlcit:nt width and depth to admit boats, arks and rafts.

28

A pplication might have been ma~e to the ~eg"isl"ature~ befOl'e or since the buildinO' of this dam, for authonty to mamtam It durmg the pleasure of Par1ia~ent, and to regulate the mode of compensation to persons aggrieved, &c. but it has no~ been done. "It wil~ be for the Legislature to determine how far the circumstances In which the Company were placed, could be considered as a~ excuse fOf,their violation of t~e la\~s which assure and protect the rights of persons and property m thIS province. Had the dam been built at the mouth of the river, it would have tended to render the country more healthy-as it is, the lands be­low Dunnville will long continue to stand in the way of the comforts of the inhabitants. "Much of this level piece of water, (obeen"ed Mr. Geddes,) is bordered by a sedgy shore, where fotten vegetables are act­ed upon by the fluctuations of the lake, and the beams of a hot sun; and from this decaying mass rises a vapour that makes the lower part of the Grand river valley unhealthy-covering this amphibious descrip­tion of shore with a body of water that willl'emain permanently UpOll it, will doubtless act with great effect in improving the health of this sickly region of country, and will be hailed with joy by those living at tile naval depot."

THE FEEDER OR BOAT CAl\'AL. From the Grand rivpr dam to Broad creek, a distance of five miles,

the feeder is twenty-six feet wide at top, ten feet at bottom, and li'olll four to five feet deep: when filled, it will overflow a considerable portion of the surrounding lands, unless an embankment is thrown up on the berm or west side, and the surplus waters conveyed through, below the canal, by means of a culvert into the river Ouse.

I was informed that the country here is sickly, but that after passing Broad creek into the Tamarisk marsh, it becomes healthy, and free of fever. In this section the water used is tinged with the bark and leaves of the Tamarisk. to which the workmen ascribe their healthful state.­From Broad creek to the main curve, (the point where it is supposed the feeder will intersect the ship canal,) the excavation is twenty feet ~ide at the bottom, thirty six feet at the surface, and upwards of four feet deep. This section is fourteen miles and fifty chains in length, and p"I'II-ell)" str<light; it forms one of the most magnificent aVPlllles ill the "orld. On this line, ut the village of ~1arshville, there are two miles of euttin~ lIpon the old route, of the width of a ship canal, which have heen abandoned: it is said to terminate in an excellent mill site, but I did lJot examine it .. I will go over it some time during the summer, and see wllPther or not It could be employed in any way, so as to defray in some upgree the heavy expense of its excavation. Marshville i" but fOllr mile" distant from lake Erie, and is the centre of the Company's 1:3,000 aCI:ef< of land. From the main Clll've down to the aqueduct; where the w~~f'rs of the r;~nal pa~s over the Weiland ri\'er, the distance is three 1lII,I',; tlmty rhams, anrl the feeder is constructed with twenly feet hot­tom, a slopp of two to one, and is from five to six ft'('( deep. \Y herever therr lias luI\' fUltmg, it is the full width of the f<hip canal; and tlH' ai-

29

Jeged object in making it deeper neal' the deep cut is thereby to draw a more plentiful s.upply out of the Grand rive!". From the aqueduct to the village of Beverly, at the commencement of the deep cut, a nis­tance of three miles, the same general dimensions are continued. The plan of the feeder is four feet water in the canal at the dam; thence to Marshville, a gradual descent of six inches; thence to Helm'R creek, other six inches; thence to Caroll's ravine, six inches; and thence to the deep cut, six inches-in all a descent of two feet; natural reservoirs being provided at each six inches of descent.

The carpenter work of the bridge over the feeder, at or near the dam, is well done, but the abutment wanll! repairs; fi'om thence to Broad creek, there are two waste weirs, and tow-path bridges over them, the carpenter work of which is sufficient; also at Broad creek a flume, fhe carpenter work of which is not go04; the gates are insllfllcient, ami some puddling is required-the bridge and waste weir at Helm's, are ill good order.

THE AQUEDUCT ACROSS TIlE WELLAND. This is an excellent piece of workmanship, and a monument of the

superiour skill and ability of Mr. Marshall Lewis, the builder and con-tractor. .

THE WORKS AT OR NE,\.R CHIPPAWA. The swin~ bridge across the WeIl~d, at Chippawa village, is a suh­

stantial pieep of workmanship, and 'admits the passage of ships or steam-hoats offorty feet beam. That part ofthe original bridge which has not been repaired by the Compa~, is in a decayed state.

The towing path on the banks of lJ1e WeIland, is incomplete, as is that from thence to Fort Erie. The cllllal or cut across the point at the junction of the Niagara and WeIland rivers, has been completed, with the exception of some dredging at each end. This work is extremely well done, and adds to the safety arid convenience of the navigation greatly; the depth of water in the cut is eight feet. It is proposed to build a steam boat at Chippawa, to navigate the rivers Weiland and Niagal'3, and sail between Beverly, at the deep cut, and Fort Erie, rna­liing one trip each way daily.

THE LOCKS, WASTE WEIRS, &c. Locl,s No. 1, ~ and 3, are thirty-two feet wide, and 130 feet long:

above St. Catharines, the locks are ,20 feet in length, by twenty·two feet wide in the clear; in lock No.7, at the lower corner on the west side, the joints have started down stream a little, but not so as to inj ure the lock or the navigation. .

In lock No.5, the timbers inside have sprung inwards ahout twelve inches, the width therefore is only twenty-one feet; locks 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, are in good condition; some puddling will be required ~t ~0.1.~!. Lock No. 1:3 has sprung in the width at top, but not so as to lIlJure It; at the lower corner the joints have sprung open a little. Locl~ No. 14. bilged out like No. 13. Lock No. 15 requires some puddlmg .or filling ill, and the gate post will have to be repaired; some other repairs

30

are wanted, but it will not prove:m obstruction to the navigation. Lork No. 16 bik.·(\ Ol1t like 1:1 and 14. No. 17 is a good lock, and in good order. Locks X o. IS, 19, 20, ~:~ and :!l, are all in good condition­~ome puddling' is rerp,ired at No. ,18. L?ck No. 21 is bilged outas much as :~Ij inches wldel·. There IS a brIdge across the canal here, which is in ~ood l'(·pait·. The lower comers of lock ~ o. ~~:3 are not well put tOCl'ether. Lock :No. 23 is in good condition: at this place is the comme~lcement of rock excavation. Between locks :~.') and :~(j, the' rock is full of chinks, and the watel' leaks through at bottom, to the serious inconvenience and damage of the farm adjoinill~, which is own· ed bv :'III'. lier, a settler from Scotland. No. 26 is a good lock, of fine worl~mallship: the lower end of this lock, and of No. 23, are hand­sOlllely faced with stone, laid up in dry wall.

The carpenter work of lock No. 27 is not well done. Lock:N o. 2'3 ~:111](, as 2(j. No. 29 is agood lock offine workmanship. Lock :No. 30 the game: the waste weir apron is too narrow. Lock X o. ;31 is in good condition: a waste \lpir between it and No. 30, and a waste weir ahove, are both in !.:'oOlI order. Between 31 and :3:2 is a highway and bridge across: X o. :J'~ is a fine lock; the same may be said of 3:3 and :31 ; close J'y:l1 is :'Ill'. l\('L'jer\; gristmill, and a g-rowing village of I.') or 211 dwe!­lin~ houses. Xo. 35 is a good lock, and there is another bridge at this place. Between this and the road from Decou's mill, is a waste weir in good order. On the BeiH'enlam road there is a bridge which wants rail>inr; on the pivot. Between Marlatt's and Upper's are 4. cul­\('rts in excellent condition. No, 36 is a complete lock, except the pad­dle galC's, which the Company are about to alter-some puddling requi­red-waste \reir good. No. 37 is a good lock: from this upwards of about a hundred yards of excavation will be required of nearly a foot in depth. A short di~tance above the lock there is a saw mill, and a flume is in progress for the purpose 01 uraining the deep cut, whenever it may be necessary to do so.

The carp~nter work on the whole line, from the harbour to St. Cath­arines, appears to he substantial, and in good order, except two tow­path bridges: the towing path bl'idO"e at Lock No. 10, requires some ~·cpairs. I ha\'e al'ailed Illy self of tl~e ex perience of a master carpenter HI matters appertaininrr to his line of busin.·,,~, and obtained the adl'ice and assistance of professional and other persons in whom I could place confidence, in all such matters as seemed to me to require counsel and information. A great deal of doubt has been thrown on the stability of the locks, and perhaps some of them may give way; hut I ha\'e not had ... ·aso)) to apprehend such casualty from any thing which came un­der my observation. I examined the locks one by one very carefully, a~ reg uired by the act, and consiuer them, upon the whole, as fine a spe­Cimen, both in desi0'1l and workmanship, as any others \\hich I have seen on t~lis continent. I ascertained, by enquiring of the carpenter,:, that the tlmher employed had been cut down at a proper period of the ~':ar. and not when full of sap; and that it was alierwards seasoned. I he lu(.:k gates, however, should be made of sunk oak, or timber that

I

31

lms been immersed some time in water, and afterwards thoroughly dried: such timber is very difficult to work, but makes a superior job; and it is well known that canal lock gates are, in Canada, exposed to great chan­ges of climate, being, from the duty they perform, neither wet nor dry.

PORT DALHOUSIE. This barbour has an advantage over that at Burlington, in being less

exposed to the storms on the lake; and the soil, which is a fine toug'h clay, is far more favourable for the purposes of canal navigation. The piers, dam, waste weirs, entrance lock, and other works, are in good order, having withstood the freshets of the creek fi'om within, and the storms of the lake from without, without suffering any material injury. Inside the lake lock, above the waste~eir, there are from ten to tweh'e, and in some places fifteen, feet of wllter in the channel for nearly two miles up the valley of the twelve. I ~scertained the depth of water ill this harbour at two different periods;1 the fir;.;t was in the beginning of this month, and the ·last time on Monday last-the lake was calm on both occasions, and the depth ofwatej- about the same. On the lower sill of the lock I found thirteen and I half feet of water; and outside the lock, between the piers, the sOUltlings were from eight and a half feet to ten feet eleven inches: two machines were in operation deepen­ing the channel.

Beyond the piers, in a line with the entrance, the depth of water ran­ged from ten feet nine inches to twelte feet six inches, until upon the bar, where the soundings were fi'om nine to ten feet. Farther out in the lake, about a hundred yards in the same direction, I found fourteen feet of water. The bar is about a chajn in width, and in the two intend­ed channels the least depth upon it is nine feet. It is intended to ex­tend the main pier sixty feet farther i*to the lake, and to place another pier across the bar in the same line fro.~ the lake, excavating the chan­nels sixty feet in width and eighteen itIches deep across the bar. The other ship channel, north of the mainipier head, is to be excavated to the same depth, and a buoy placed oIl/each side of the entrance for the guidance of the mariner. For his guidance also, two lights will be placed in a line with each other, and III a line with the main channel, at a proper distance. It is of conseqtence to the prosperity of the ca­nal, that this harbour should be speedVy deepened and improved so as to ensure the regular reception of steam-boats. A we;;iern merchant, at: ter his property has arrived at Fort Er" can depend upon its beills for­warded to Montreal by a given day, if sent over the portage and hy steam-boats fi'om Queenston. 'fo enlSure confidence in the \Velland ~anal, it is obvious that it should posse&s the same facilities for the regll­ar transit of property by steam navigation that are enjoyed on th~ ~ueenston route. Lake Ontario is now understood to be between fit­.een and twenty four inches higher than its level at certain seasons of ;he year, and its waters rise and fall not less than three feet, taking me season with another, ill a period of five or six years. I think it "ill be found necessary hereafter to widen the entrance lock, so as to admit steam boats of the size now na\igating lake Ontario, intu the

32

great dam; and if it ::-hould be determined to make this alteration, the lock olwht to be placed at the first turn, about a hundred yards above its present"scite, which would leave a large and convenient basin for steam boats and other large craft; the space outside the lock between the piers bein'" too much confined. On the dyke of the great pond, a mill, with a hori~ontal or "reaction" wheel, has been erected which for years, I was informed, had done considerable business. Already has the anticipa­ted commerce of the canal began to attract capital to port Dalhousie.­They are building houses and stores, and erecting granaries; and one merchallt has established a wholesale store, with a heavy stock of Bri­tish goods. A road from this place to Niagara, is much wanted.

The towing path from Port Dalhousie, for several miles up the creek, is an artificial mound of earth raised on the left bank of the natural channel. It follows the windings of the creek, and will have to be sto­lied up to prevent it from washing away, as will many of the artificial embankments on the line. The Erie canal had to be stoned up on each side for many miles, to prevent the soil from filling up the channel; but these improvements can be madein the winter season, when experience shall prove them to be necessary, after the canal is completed. Afloat­jng bridge is made through the towing path, about two hundred yards abolc tlll~ entrance lock, to enable vessels, rafts, &c. to pass £I'om the canal into the grand basin. Should it be considered expedient to widen the prcscnt entrance lock, instead of removing it farther up the ca­lIal, I would suggest the propriety of placing another floating bridge on the towing path, immediately above that lock.

WATER POWER. The advantages possessed by this line of canal for impelling machine­

ry, are very great. At the Grand river dam there is water enough to spare for impelling a number of mills. At whatever place on the lake the ship canal shall terminate, there w ill be a fall of probably six or se­ven feet, with a never failing supply of water for mill purposes-a most important acquisition, should the n;wigation terminate in the Sugar­loaf ~t'lt killent; for on the lake shore, in a distance of forty miles above Fort Erie, thl're is but one mill ~ite, which, though an indifferent one, \Ias obtaincd by layin!J' upwards of six hundred acres of fertile land under water many years ago, presenting an unpleasing spectacle to the eye, and generating fcver among the settlers. At the ground plot of th,' lillage of TInerlv, where the canal locks down into the Weiland river, there is a descent of about sixteen feet, with a large reservoir into \lllich the feeder canal "ill dischar!.('e its \vaters, and where manutacto­ries requiring water power might be carried on to great advantage. At th~ north end of the deep cut, after the commencement of the moun­tam ?cscent, a wa.ste weir turns the superfluous water around t\\O locks, maklllg a fall of sIxteen feet, after which it enters the canal again, and may l?e. used for any man ufacturing purpose whatevel·. Then, at Tho­rold, It IS conveyed around four locks--then around thirteen lock~, until It 1 c;·cntcr,) the (andi on ~ha\'er's fiulJI, below the mountain ridge j then

33

around - locks until it enters the canal at St. Catharines. By this con­trivance the mills and machinery that may be hereafter erected in the course of this descent, can be continued in operation, even at slIch times as the locks or sections are undergoing repairs.

Mr. Keefer. of Thorold, has built on the line of canal, an excellent grist-mill, of the most durable materials-the walls are of stone, and the machinery worked by cast iron wheels. It is calculated for eight run of stones, and has four run of French burrs completed: this llIilL is one of the finest establishments of the kind in the colonies. ~ix mills have been erected along the line of canal, four more are now in progress, and applications to the Conlpany for water power to tum othet" fifteen grist-mills. saw-mills, carding and fulling mill~, are now under consideration. These hydraulick p~ivileges will prove a never fi.liling source of revenue. ,

UNFINISHED WORK. A considerable outlay will yet be required to complete the WeHand

canal. The line of cutting to its terrnination in lake Erie. with the ex­pense of improving a harbour there;1 the alterations and improvements at Port Dalhousie; the lock and othet additions at the Grand river dam; the widening the feeder to boat canal size, from Dunnville to Broad creek; the stoning up of the banks where it may be found needful, and the erection of a weighing loc~ are some of the principal items. Unforeseen accidents may likewise o(£ur, and :S\l'('ll the list of expense's: but I have stated the grounds of my!apprehension whereever 1 cOII:si­de red a possibility of danger or risqtf to exist.

TERMINATION OF SHIP qANAL ON LAKE ERIE.

The" futme usefulness" of the ~nal will partly depend upon the skill and judgment that may be displhed in the selection of a plnce at which to carry it into lake Erie; and hs the Legislature ha,·e decided to defer that part of the work until the ~everal routes shall have been ex­amined and reported upon. it is my i~tention, in the course of the pre-8cnt summer, carefully to examine the coast; and, being assisted by professional men in whose skill and ihtegrity I can place full reliance, to collect all the information necess1lry for enabling the Legislature to decide upon th~ adva!ltages and disa~\a\ltages of the several proposed harbours and hiles 01 canal, and to report the same to yuur Exccll"lll·Y. Early in the present month I traverscll part of the country between l\Iar~hville and lake Erie, and found it fa \ ourable for can,t! purpo"cs, so far as an examination of the surface could enable me to form an opllllOn. I visited the coast from Gmvelly bay up to Kinnaird's bay, which latter is situated in that beautiful tract of coulltry known as the Sugar-loaf settlement, [0 Ill' miles from Marshville. Graybiel's bay is twcllty-four miles above fort Erie, twenty from Chippawa \ illag-e, be­tween six and seven from the aqueduct over the river Wellund, and about six from the nearest point on that river, due north; a~ulldance of gray freestone may be had within a mile, and hard wood I'; abund­ant. 'rhe !Jay is sheltercd 011 thc west by point Industry; aud, acculd-

E

34

ing to the information received from Mr. G raybiel, its bottom is ~ard clay, covered with a layer of sand and gravel, from one to four feet In depth. Gravelly bay, otherwise called Steele"s bay, is about four miles below Mr. Graybiel":'; house, and five alld three-fourths miles distant from the liue of canal. It is protected both on the east and west by ledges of rock, which extend a considerable distance out into the lake. If on due examination it should be found that Graybiel's bay possesses as ma­ny natural advantages for a harbour as Gravelly bay, it is (taking the two only into consideration) otherwise entitled to a decided preference -the country round the latter being low and unhealthy, while the lands in the neighbourhood of the former are pleasant alld salubrious, affording a most desirable situation, on which hereafter to build a village or city.

The settlers informed me, that from Sugar-Ioafup to the Grand river, the ice in the lake and bays breaks up much about the same time; and that this year it began to give way on the first day of March, and final­ly cleared out from Graybiel's bay on the 22d of that month. From such information as I have been able to obtain, I learned that the ice left Buffalo harbour this year on the 19th day of April-a month after the lake was open from Gravelly bay and upwards, on the British side. Last year the Grand river and lake near it, were open and clear of ice on the 11th of April; and it is stated in a supplementary Report of the Board of Directors of the Wcllnnd Canal Company, that no \'essels could have entered the port of Buffalo from the upper parts of lake Erie, that season, earlier than :hc 14th of May. By means of the boat navigation, termed" the feeder," the main canal will be placed in communication with the Grand river, which is now navigable for twelve miles above the dam; and it appears by the evidence afforded to a select committee of the House of Assenlbly, during the session of 182'3, that at a moderate expense it can be opened for boat navigation many miles higher up, passing through a rich and populous section of country, abounding in timber of all descriptions, and which now exports annual­ly a large value in flour, ashes, pork, whiskey, lumber, gypsum, and o~he~ pro~uce. By the feeder, the main canal will be placed in commu­nIcatIOn wIth the waters of the Grand river, below Dunnville, as soon as a lock shall have been erected in the dam; and with the Niagara river ~~ove the Falls, and the populous and wealthy settlements on its banks: Jt IS al~o connected to the river WeHand, which is also na vigable for at least elg~te~n miles beyond the deep cut, into the interior of the Ni­ag~ra dlstnct. The canal intersects nearly thirty miles of country, fertile and well settled, and is accessible from lakes Erie and Ontario with schoone~s. Being chiefly intended for schooner navigation, the shortest pOSSible route to its grand western termination, that offers a safe and convenient harbour, ought to be adopted.

The attention of the Legislature of Upper Canada appears to have been early attracted to the important subject of unitin:; lake Erie with the ocean .. I~ 1821, a statute was passed authorizing -the appointment ~f a commiSSion, '.' for the purpose of exploring, surveying and level­ling the most practIcable routes for opening a communication by canals

35

and loci,s be~we,en lake Edeand th~ Eastern ,boundary of this province." That commISSIOn reporte~ early ~n 1823, I~ favour of a ship naviga­tion throughout; and consIdered It of the hIghest importance that the assistance of Lower Canada should be obtained. Of this line the Wei­land canal is the only .part that has been attempted to be opened, and it is gratifying to perceIve that the undertaking approaches towards a successful termination. To Mr. Wm. Hamilton Merritt, the Super­intendant, great praise is unquestionably due for his indefatilJ'able ex­ertions to accomplish the work, though often placed in very difficult sit­uations. I heartily concur with Capt. Basil Hall, in the opinion he has expressed, "that to" Mr. MerriWs "perseverance and knowledge of the subject, as well as his great personal exertions, this useful work stands mainly indebted for its succeS/i."

A COMMERCIAL E~V(PORIUM. It is a circumstance greatly to be regretted, that Upper Canada re­

mains destitute of a commercial err{>orium under its control, and to which its rich and growing commerce could be directed. The trade of this colony being attracted to Montrml and Quebec, diffuses its "ge­nial warmth" over the whole of the si~er province, adds to its wealth, its productive industry, its power and it. population, and yields a rich re­venue over which we have not that effij:ient control to which it appears to me that we are of right entitled. The means of paying the interest and ultimately the principal of a loan wllch would be sufficient to continue the navigation of the WeIland canal~unbroken, to the ocean, is in the hands of the sister colony, and chiefl arises out of the commerce of the ports of Montreal and Quebec. A 1 rther claim on the Legislature of Lower Canada for assistance to defray the cost of the Well and naviga­tion, seems to me under those circumstances fair and reasonable.

Provided the produce of the uppe~akes within the territories of the U. States, shall be allowed to pass Hough the canal, the tolls will be greatly augmented, a considerable tr ck created, and the countries on its borders enriched: it is by far the best and cheapest route, even to the New-York market, and will of <burse receive a preference. The expenditure upon the canal has givenla large and wholesome circulation to money, and enriched many. V~lages are starting into existence upon its borders, and new employmetJt is created for individual indus­try. New capital is attracted and put in operation; settlers are ind u­ced to purchase lots and commence improvements; and the addit~onal value of their skill and labour will ~d to the wealth of the provInce, and the strength of the nation. In proportion as this canal will ena­ble the agriculturist, in countries beyond it, to bring produce to ma~ket, and carry merchandise back into the Interior at a cheaper rate offrelght, and by a speedier mode of conveyance than he formerly possessed, in like proportion will it augment the value of property in those coun­tries, and induce capitalists and enterprising men to form settlements where, without such improvements in the means of transit, th~y would not have been thought of. The migrations of the productIve class fi'om Europe to the United States, and especially to the state of New-

36

York of late vears, have been considerably augmented by reason of the c;na)s and railroads carried on in different parts of the union. To the commerce long established and carried on with the north west ter­ritories, great additional facilities will be afforded in the means of trans­porting- ""oods and stores upwards, and furs downwards; a region will be open~d to the inquiries of the acti'·e and enterprising, which is a~ yet but little known to Europeans. "Upper Canada," according to the statement contained in the Report of the joint Committee of the Lerrislature of this colony, oflS:!.), on Internal Navigation, "contains an "area of about 50,000 square miles," "regarding only those parts of jt within the great waters which appear to be capable of cultivation," "the soil of which is, with very little exception, most favourable to agriculture; and the climate being equally propitious, there iH no doubt that when sufticiently peopled, its prou uctions and consequently its trade lllust be immense.~' The character and happiness of the people is in­timately concerned in the extension of agriculture, and the increased productiveness of the soil; and 'hereafter the wheat raised on the banks of lakes Huron and Ontario, will enter into successful competition in the markets of Great Britain, wi:h that of N ew-York and Baltimore, of Dantzic and Odessa; and a commerce be established throllgh the 'Yelland canal alike important to the merchant, and beneficial to the agriculturist.

With the pecuniary affairs of the canal, tIle system of letting out contracts, the mode of measuring the excavations, and of conducting its husiness generally, I have but a very slight acquaintance; but shall endeavour to inform myself on Hese points before transmitting to your Excellency my concluding Report upon its condition. The tolls during the present sea"OI1 will not be a fair criterion by which to calculate the commerce of future YC<1rs. Large quantities of produce have already pa"H'd downward,.; by the portage at Queenston, the owners being ge­nerally anxious to reach the market as early in the season as possible. In Ohio, onl' house alone was prepared to have sent through the canal to OS" eg-o, four (lr five thousand barrels of pork, had the navigation been open on the 15th instant. Economy in the expenditures of mo­n~"~ lllo~erate rates of toll, and a prudent, careful management of the alicllrs ot the canal, may enable the stockholders before long to divide a per cl'nta!.:I' annually, utter payinCl" interest on loans, and the necessa­ry charges ji)r ol1icers and ser\'ants~

The future usefulness of the WeHand canal will greatly depend IIp-011 the removal of the obstructions which now impede the nayig-ation of the ~t. Lawrence below Prescott. In time of war the Rideau canal m~y ~e e!nine~tly: serviceable, and the expenditure laid out in its COIl­

sh lIC!i?11 IS ennchmg the colony; but it is to the St. Lawrence we must look for the cheapest and best mode of conducting to the Montreal and Quebec markets, the produce of the vast countries bordering upon the !!reat Jake~, and of receiving the most bulky and heavy of ollr im­fort.ed merchand Ise. It is the shortest and most dirF~ct route to the At­antiC, and the natural channel of the countries on its banks. When

37

n schooner can take in a load of wheat on lakes Eric or Huron and proceed to Montreal without transhipping her cargo until t;he is pla~ed at the side of the vessel that is to convey it to Europe, an immense bene­fit will have- been conferred on these colonies, and a stream of COlll­

merce directed, at a comparatively trivial expense, to the greatest em­porium of British manufactures and merchandise in British North A me­rica. The expense of improving the St. Lawrence is as nothin cr , when compared with the advantages that its uninterrupted navigatio~l would confer. Capt. Ba;;il Hall, ill his observations on the canals of Cana­da, seems to have been fully aware, of the value of the Weiland, and holV much its future usefulness woul4 be increased by the improvement of the St. Lawrence. "The most obvious and natural, and which will soon be the most advantageous comlllUnication with the sea/' ob" .. rves Capt. Hall, "is that by the river St. Lawreuce. One grand step to­wards the accomplishment of this opject, which is of the hig-he,.;t im­portance not only to the Canadas, b.t to the parent state, has already been made by the construction of thf Weiland canal, as it lin ks toge­tllt'r all the upper lakes by means of a ship canal, with lake Ontario.­Were the navigation of the river St Lawrence unimpeded, during ils course from lake Ontario to the seal there would be nothing fiuther to desire on that point, and Upper Can\lda would then virtually be what it ought to be, but what it certainly is not at present in any sellse of the word-a maritime province of Grea Britain. The advantages to the colony, and also to the mother co un ry, whirh would flow from the in­creased facility of commercial and othel· intercourse between them, which these channels would open, are more considerable than many people are aware of: It may be worth while, therefore, to consider the means which it is proposed to adoP~in order to facilitate the direct in­tercourse between Great Britain and Upper Canada." The opening of a navigation which is now about to alTY the ships of lake Ontario to the rapids of St. Mary, and eventu~ Iy to the remotest shores of lake Superior, will form an important er~ in the history of Canada. "Fu­turity will disclose the benefits it willlproduce, and experience will pro­nounce an unerring decision." A vessel arriving at Buffalo or Black Rock with goods or produce for Ne'jYOrk, transfers her cargo into the canal boats, from whence, at Alban, they are transhipped into schoo­ners or tow boats, and pay treble reight. The We!land canal will carry produce from the most remot inlet on lake Huron to the port of Prescott; and as soon as the St. Lawrence shall have been improved, to q,uebec or Halifax in the same bottom in which it was at first ship­ped. Men of husiness will readily percei\'e what an important advan­tage will thus be gained in the saving of double or treble fi-eight.

In concl udin er this Report I beer leave very respectfully to congratulate your Excellency upon the prosp~rous and forward condition of the ca­nal generally. I feel that it will daily deservedly become more and more an object of publick confidence and of publick interest: and should this plain statement of facts prove successful in removill~, in p~I'~, the doubts of some and the fcars of others, with regard to the stability of

38

the works, I would be pleased and gratified. When the canal is open. ed and has practically manifested its usefulness, for strengthening the ties of social connexion, for promoting and encouraging the progress of the arts of civilized life, for advancing the great interest of produc. tive industry, and for establishing the blessings of easy intercommuni· cation within the province, then will it be considered that the grand sys. tem of internal improvements has had a fair and successful trial amongst us, and that the policy of continuing the line from Erie to the ocean has obtained in its [.'lVour the test of experience. Should the junction of the great lakes with the Atlantic, by the line of ship canals thus hap. pily begun, be accomplished during your Excellency's administration of this government, your Excellency, by promoting and encouraging the great work, would deserve the lasting gratitude of the colonists, and the approbation of the British nation.

ROBERT RANDAL. Chippawa, .71,Iay 31st, 1830.

--[B.]

Report on the WeIland Canal Petition.

The Committee to whom was referred the petition of the President and Directors of the Weiland Canl Company, praying for certain al­terations in the laws relative to said Company; and also praying for such further aid, by way of loan, as, on examination may be deemed sufficient to enable the said Company to complete tile canal to that point on lake EI'ie most advantage()usly situated for the formation of a harbour-Respectfully Report:

That your Committee have e~amined and considered the various matters referred to them, and they feel great satisfaction in being ena­bled to state that this work, so important to the commercial interest of the province, has been so far completed that a communication for ves­sels fr,om lake Ontario to lake Erie is now opened by way of the Nia­gara nver. Although this route cannot be so advantageous to the pro· vince 01' to the Company as the one contemplated by an extension of the ,canal to a port on lake Erie, ~·et it has already drawn so much at­tentIOn, and proved. the utility of the connection between the lakes so ful~y! that the necessity ofa thorough completion of the work is, in the oplDlOn of your Committee, a matter no longel' to he doubted. In order, ~owever, to effect this object, a considerable expenditure remains to be mcurre,d; and it appears from the Report of the Board of Directors, that the available funds of the Company have been absorbed by the engage­ments of the last season. Your Committee, fully aware that it is deci­dedly opposed to the interest of the province to confine the Company to the one channel by the way of the Niagara river, now completed, ha~e had under their serious and deliberate consideration the manner which the Company should be aided.

39

The estimates of the expenditure for the different routes differ mate~ rially, and there are various opinions in relation to the advantages of each. 'fhe amount of expenditure within any reasonable bounds, is not so important as that the most advantageous harbour should be se­lected. The interest of the province and the stockholders beinno the same, no better prospect of ajudicious decision can be obtained th~n by leavinO' it to the determination of the Directors themselves; the larger sum, therefore, that may be required for this purpose, should be pro­vided.

There are, however, considerations of an important nature which have induced your Committee to propose an entire variation in the man­nerof making the loan to the Company.

For the present debt due from theCompany to the province, there is no other security than such as shall remain after the debt to the British government shall have been paid. The Company have already disco­vered, that this prior lien lIpon the c~nal and its tolls has prevented their negotiating a loan on their own resp~nsibility, without providing for the payment of that debt. It has been ,Presented for the consideration of the Committee, that the province, injltead of affording specifick aid for the particular object merely by borrolVing on its own credit and loaning the precise sum required, should ad~t a measure that would pren'nt a pledge of its income, and enable the ompany to restore to the province the security which it ought to hoI either for the money loaned, or responsibility assumed. In doing t is, the Committee have also con­sidered what sums might possibly b, required by the Company, in or­der to produce an advantageous ant profitable use of the canal. As the province will, in the event of .th recommendation being adopted, be the sole creditor of the Compan , and hold a lien upon the canal which shall prevent the Company ev I' looking to any other quarter, it is necessary that in the arrangement a .um should be provided for within the bounds of perfect safety to the province, and sufficient for all the exigencies of the Company. l

Your Committee, therefore, propdse that authority shall be given for the issue of the debentures of the province for £200,000, in sums not less than £200 each, to the Presidentland Directors of the WeIland Ca­nal Company, bearing an interest at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, payable half yearly in London, the trinciPal to be paid in 25 years in the same place; and that the said d bentures be not issued to the said Company until security shall have een duly given for the punctual payment of the interest and principal!ofthese debentures, as your Com­mittee have particularly provided for in the bill which they have pre­pared. The Committee have been governed, in naming this sum, more by the conviction that the security which will be given is abundantly s~fficient for the province, than by any opinion that this whole amount Will necessarily be used by the Company. ~he result of the examination they have given this bra~ch C?f the

subject, enables them to state the following as the probable SituatIOn of the Company, subsequent to this arrangement.

40

The deht (0 the Imperi;t1 government, The (kl.,t to the province, -

£55,55510 50,000 0

EXP('II~t:S of extendinC!' the canal to lake Erie, including hariJour and contin!!,!nt expenses, say, 50,000 0

ProYi~ion to ue maue tor one yean;' interest on the £200,­too in ad \'anre, 10,000 0

Inter(,,;t due upon Imperial and provincial loam:;, '1'111' amount of balance thus left, will not be more than may be re­

quired to enaiJle the L'ompauy to give the requisite aid to forwarding, j,y ueing prepared to pass \'e~.;els aud boats with the necessary des­IJatch.

This fitakment is exhibited to show wllat may be required from the Comp;lIlY, and that the sum of £~~OO,OOO currency, is not too large to pllt 1II1der their command. ShOllld the Imperial !!ul'ernment do what way reasonably be expected, the Company will then be enabled to return the amount they shall allolv under their former contract, to pay a part of the debt incurred by this engagement.

Till' Cummittee hart: had presented to them correspondence and other iniormati,'n that !rilt: assurance of immediate business on the ca­nal, at lea~t l'ufliciellt to pay the interest on the whole debt. They feci. llierl'liJrl', cOllfidcnt that the provillce, by making this arrangement, will be in a bettcr situation than it new is, and the operations of the Com­pany be unfettered by pecuniary di lliculties which must embarrass thcir prol"'l'dill!c~, ;;llbjl'ct them to exactions, otherwise to be avoided, and rendl'r a desirabk result doubtful, which may thus be made certain. '1'he ComllJittee ha \'e Ll'~towed UI'UIl this branch of the application much attention, and have treated it more folly, owing to its great importance. ThL' other objects embraced in the petition of the Directors, they have al,o examincd, and arc of the opinion, that the prayer of the petition, ill rl'iation to them, ought to be oranted.

'fhe diliiculty \\hich has occ~rred, in some few instances, with re­gar~l to compensation to owners of property, oU!rht to he provided for, so Jar as Legislatile enactment will conduce to that object. A clause ha~, therefore, been added, with a view to remedy the inconvenience cOlllplail1l'd of.

'J'hc Company will, al~o, if the aid recommended bv the Committee sh;t!1 1)1' afronl~d I)y the LI''!islalllre, be released li'or~1 pecllniary em­barrassment, and clI"bled pron'l tly tu pay to ilHlividua\s the alllOullt of d"llJage~ w;se::;sed, \Ibidl heretul'ure they could not do for wallt of Bleau>;.

'Fhe Committee have prepare(l a bill to meet these various objects; "]Ilch they bt:,;' leavc to prCSL'lIt with tbis Report.

All which is rt::3pectfully submittet1.

_, . H. J. BOC"LTOX, Chairman. l~oml/lIll«: Room, Cnmmnns HOIlSI; of?

.hscmb!!I, 11th Februar!l, 18~H. S