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i OME a RO i NN EI: 3 Rainn te

dusts. It is impossible to make roads over our soil, such as will stand the wear and tear of heavy hauling, particularly in the spring and fall of the year. it has been a very difficult matter to get the productions of the country to market, with such inade- qaate facilities as we have at present, and it has already been a necessity to expend a large sum of money in order to enable our people to carry their surplus products to convenient harbors, and the question which forces itself upon us, is, whether it is most advisable to spend money in macadam'¢'ng and improving our common roads, or in building a line of rai'road through the Is- land? It is a question which deserves our serious consideration, and should be taken up by this House, and dealt with upon its owa merits. It is a fact readily admitted, that we have no loose stone or granite, such aa is found in the neighboring Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, suitable for the construction of roads, and the cost of macadamizing with imported stone, has been found to be so very heavy, that it is quite evident that we never can prosecute that mode of road-making to any great extent. In this country labor is becoming very scarce, and the farmers are becoming better off, and markets tolerably good; ready cash is to be obtained for products of all kinds, ‘she moment the harvest is over, farmers begin their threshing, and after- wards c.mmence to bring their products 10 market; in many cases travelling a distance of 10 or 15 miles. This takes much time which ‘s wanted on the farm, We all know that time is money, The expense to the farmer of getting his products to market, under existingeireumstances, is equal to :hree times what it would bad wea ratiroad, tiad we a railroad, our farmers would be enabled to spend upon their farms, in preparing for the next year’s crop, much of time vow con- sumed in hauling their prodec‘s to market, As the coustry grows older, and as far- mers cultivate their jands to a greater ex- tent, the more will the want of improved communication be felt. Under these cir- cumstances, it is evident that, with the in- creasing prosperity of our people, something must be done to give them corresponding facilities of transport, Now, as | have said, the question is, shall we undertake to charter vessels to bring stone and gravel from abroad, with which to macadamize our toads, or shall we andertake to build a rail- toad? I kuow some bon members are op- posed to the latter expedient, because the line will not run down to particuiar dig. tricts. Along the western part of the country, for many miles, there is no harbor, ner means by which the inhubitents cun provide themselves, by warer transport, with many articles indispensably necessary to the eomfort of their families, They have fire- wood in abundance, timber, staves for mak- ing barrels, and many other things required in other parts of the Island, the sale of which wou'd go far towards enabling them to pay for their lands, a!! of which are now useless to them, by reuson of the want of a a railroad. Again, we have been told that building a railroad would bring ruin upon the Colony. Those who say this apparent- ly contradict themselves, for nearly all the resolutions passed at public meetings, al- though they express opposition to the undertaking, nevertheless, admit that all countries in which railroads have been built, have flourished. So, if we take this for granted, these objections are untenable, and that facts which these op- ponents of a railway admit, are amongst the strongest arguuients that can be ad- Cuced for building one. It is admitted by the opposition, that railroads are, in all countries, beneficial. The next question is, have we the resources adequate to such an undertaking? My own opinion is, that our pecuoiary resources are, not only equal, but surpass those of our sister Proviuces, Aud here [ may be pardoned for making al'usion tothe press. There is uc maa who more highly appree‘stes the advantages of a free aud enlightened press than I do. 1 glory in the liberty of a manly and inde- pendent press. But there are some people so foul and invidious, that no slander is too glaring or false; uo insinuation too vile; nothing too bad to be put forth by them as afact. I say, 1 glory in the liberty of a free press, | would be very sorry to inter- fere with its liberty ; but a licentious press is a course to the country in which it exists, The inference thes? caluminators of their country would have their readers draw, is that we have no resources for such an en. terprise Now, sir, what, in all probability, woulda railroadccst us? It is well known that a first-class railrrad can be had here for £5000 currency per mile for construc- ticn, including all the aparatus, whilst in England, they cost £39,0 © sterling on the average ; in Seotiand over £2).000; in Ire- land Jess. Of the earnings of a railroad, the only proper way to judge is by compari- son; comparing with ours ‘he resoore:s and pop’ lation of those countries where rail- roads bave been built. It we take New Brunswick, we find that the cost of con- struciing the Shediac live of JOS miles was $14 UUO per mile which, taking their then population at 194,.0', amounted, on an average, to $24 per head. for every man, woman and child in the Provivee. Our railroad, from Cascumpce to Georgetown, a distance of 120 milesyat £5,090 per mile, would cost the peopie of this Isiand, an average of $20 a head. No-sensible man ean be found in New Brunswick who will say that they could do without their rail- ways. The question then arises, can the people of tais Island as well afford to have a railway us the people of that Province ? There, much of the country is barren and worthless, sud their people are largely ea gaged in the lumber trade, and that, not unirequent y, fails to prove remunerative; consequent y, the people in general are poor compared with ours, who have fire tertile lands, and, by their industry, are growing rich from the products of their farms. This is a strong argument in favor of the con- struction o! a railroad in this Island. Be- sides this the population per square mile on this Island, is much greater than in any of the other Provinces, Iu Upper Canada at the Jact census, was 11.57 per square mile; In Lower Canada 5.29; Nova Scotia 1772; New Brunswick @.29; P. KH. Is. land 8720; Newfoundland 35; thus, making our population, per square mile, mere thaa three times that of Upper Cana- da, seven times that of Lower Canada, double that of Nova Seotia, four times that of New Brunswick, and twelve times that of Newfoundland, The returns from the Shediac road for the past year, gave about one and a half per cent upon the cost of construction, over and above working ex penser. Bul, if that road had been built by the gauge of dit. Gin., instead of ft. Gin., and had cost £5,000, per mile, instead of £14,C09, the same amount of work would have been performed, and the profit would have been 4 per cent, instead of 14 per cent Take again, the difference in the the working expenses and the wear and tear, between the narrow and bread guage, which

be about 40 per cent and 70 per

cent, respectively, of the earnings; and in this way, assuming ourtraflic to be equal to that of the Shediac line, our Railway would not only pay working expenses, but leave a net profit of over 6 per cent, equal to the full interest on all the money invested in its construction; and, consequently, be no burden upoa the country, As before remarked, the population of New Brunswick to the square mile, is only ove-fourth that of oure. There is much of ‘he land along their line which is rocky, barren, and un productive, nevertheless, it is a fact, as shown by their returns, that over 95 per cent of all the passengers traflic of the Shediac road, is wayside or local traffic, and less than 5 per cent through traffic. Of the freight traffic, four-fifths is local, and only one-fifth passes through. As our country is settled all along the proposed line, and as we havea much denser population to the square mile, than New Bruuswick, it is but fair to assume that we should bave more traffic, So that if we take this as the standard of comparison, I don’t see bow a railcoad through this Island eould fail to be more remuverative than a railroad in the neighboring Provinces—receiving as it would, more work, the population being much greater to the square mile, and our products three times greater than they are in New Brunswick ; co that, instead of the road ruinivg ouc people, it would be the means of sdding to their wealth, by the benefits which would result from the in- creased facilities for transport of their pro- ductions, and the higher prices which they would obtain for them. In all progressive couutries, railways are looked upon as ne- cessities The United States are intersected in every direction by lines of railway, and the people of that country were looked upon as amongst the most progressive and enter- prising people in the world, Upper Canada, New Bravswick, and Nova Scotia, are fol- lowing in the same progressive path, aad why should we lag behind? A substantial proof of the success of railroads in New B. unswick, is given by the faci, that they were now ruuning a line from Fredericton to River de Loup, in Canada. With your permission, Sir, L will now allude toa letier cf Mr, Derby. of Boston, which appeared in cur loc¢al newspapers a short time sivee. This gentleman is admitted to be one ot the first statisticians in the United S:ates, and he gays that, if the country would (urnish 50 tons of freight per duy, each way, or its equivalent, that is, 25 tons and 25 passen- gers, the railway would pay working ex- penses and iuterest, Now, every bon. member of the commitiee must be sas stied that the freight aud travel wouid double the amount named, There can be but little doubt, therefore, that the work would pay, and would be no burden or expense upon the country. The raijroad from Cuscumpec to Georgetown, at a cost of £000 a mile, (the distance being 1.0 miles) wuld be £600,000. Right of Way, say £10000; Engweer, say £22 0 for three years; Commissioners, £4006; Appraisers, £3000, and say, ao additions! 42750 for Couting- evcies—the total cost wou.d thus be £6. 2.- 000, During the first year of construction the expenditure would notexceed £150,100; and as the Xpenditure would exend over the whole year, pot more than six months interest could be estimated, viz: 44500. The second year we should have to provide for the interes: for twelve months of the £150 000 expended for the first year, and £.00 000 expended the second year for six montbs, amounting (0 419,000. The third year interest of £350,040 ior 12 wonrhs, and balance of expenditure, say £272,000 for, say, three mouths, equal to £26,580. Io all, £ 6,080 in three years. Two and a balf per cent on the imporis, wou'd amount in three years to 45,0. 0, and balance of interest On this amuuut; say £600, 10 be added. So that, whilst in the years of con- stiuction £46,080 would be spent, the 2 per cent would reaiize £45,000,—~—only 48 Z Jess than the expenditure—to say nothing about the saving in the Road Service aud

. Post Office Department. One of the papers

publisbed in this city, the Patriot, stated a few days ago, to the effect that the Goy- ernment coutemplated levying a tax of 3 per cent on the imports, 24 per cent on the advalorem, and 1} per cent on the exports of the country, ‘That sta:ement was in- correct, and without the shadow of truth to support it.

At the close of his speech, he submitted the foliowing :—

* Whereas, the Trade and Exports of this Island have much iacreased during the past few years; and wherezs it is found almost impossible, in the

absenee of stone or gravel, to Keep the roads in an eflicient state of repair, to render eusy the trans” port of the productions of the Colony ; and where- as the constructton and maintenance of a line of Railway through the Island, weuld greatly facili- tute its trade, develop its resources, enlarge its re- venue, and open more frequent and easy communi-

cation with the neighboring Previnces and the United States:

Resolved, therefore, That the construction of a first-class Railway, ef three feet six inch guage, from Cascumpec Harbor to Georgetown, calling at Summerside and Charlottetown, with branch pines to Souris and Tignish, the cost of which not to exceed Five Thousand Pounds, currency per mile, is worthy the serious consideration cf this Honse.”

Hon the Leaves or tHE Oprpositiox (Mr. Wightman) —As the principies of the measure had been pretty fully discus- sed a few days ago, he would not enter at any lecgth into their consideration then, Would merely say with respect to the reso- lution of the hon the Leader of the Gov- ernment, that he still saw no immediate necessity for committing the country to so costly an underiaking. The people should first be consulted, aud as they had not been, nor any tangible expression of opinion in its tavor obtained from them, he thought it would be an uowarrantable assumption of authority to commit the country to the building of one hundred and twenty miles of a railway, without knowing whether their constituents were willing for it or not, They came there as the servants, and not the mastezs, of those whom they represent- ed‘ and hence their opinion should be first taken before proeeeveding further in the matter. Ifthe work was undertaken, the money to build it, and the interest wou'd have to be provided and paid by the people ; and what was more reasonable than that those who bad to bear the burden should first*be consulted? It was premature to proceed with the matter until the route bad been ascertained by a practical Engineer, and his report with the probable cost of construction, laid before them. The hon. member (the Leader of the Government) says that a railway can be built for £50C0 currency per mile; but equally sanguine were others that it would cost much more. The Opposition, he could assure the Hon. Leader of the Government, was not opposed to the principle of a railway, but wished, before undertaking the work, to have the consent of the people. Ue (Hon. Mr, W.) felt confident if the matter was put off for another year, there woule be more in favor of the undertaking thau there were then,.

ais

because time would be given to their judgment, and elicit information public discussion that might eb; opinion of opponents and give the their eupport. The result of the mectings which had been held in the coun. try to discuss the question, went to show that the people were divided in opin: with respect to it; and he did not gee it was the duty of that hon. Committee to undertake so important a step until tie country had more time to consider the mat. ter, She people were fully competent tg judge for themselves, and would not thank them to press forward so important a work without their consent, In no country wag the buik of the people more capable of judging of what was for their adyant than the people of this Island were, lie would regard so has'y a movement eg sulting to their intelligence. It had argued that it would afford greater facilities for conveying wood and other articles to market than were then enjoyed. He wag free to admit that to many along the North side such might be the case, but all al tne Southern coast of the Island, he thought the tac.lities for shipping were such as to render so expensive a work unnecessary, Nor did he think there were many who thought otherwise along the whole southern coast, except those who wished it in Georgetown, In proof of that, he begged to submit that they 4id not hear of a single man complaining that the facilities for shipping were insufficient on the south side of the Island Nor did he believe that a railway would have much effect in evhan- cihg the value of propert; generally through« out the countey. It might in a few places but wot otherwise, He did not believe, either, that a rai!way would add one fare thing a bushel more to the price of produce, How could it? Would men who had facil- ities ample and sufficient for shipping at their own doors seud it away by a railear? They would not. I: was unreasonable to suppose they would, He would beg leave to submit, as an amendment, the foliowi Resolution : “ Whereas, the construction of & truuk line of railway through the colony Was not submitted to the people at the late general election, and 20 expression of pub- lic opinion upon the project has been given to this House by petision, and whereas suf. ficient information has not been Jaid before this House to enable it to decide satistactor- ily upon the proper gauge of the road, or the best route it should run, a8 afso the ex. penditure necessary for its constructi which woald nece sitate a Jarge increase in our taxation. Therefore R-solved, Thag Do resolution to frame a Bill upon for the construction of a railroad through this Ig- land, be passed in this House until a of the route, by competent engineers, be first made, and the report of such surveyors, embodying their estimates of the cost of the road, be published for the ap- proval cf the people,”

ine

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