. PRINCE

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EDWARD I

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AND

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SLAND ADVERTISER. .-

' the Report of the evidence of the Honorable Samuel ' - before a Committee of the House ofCommons, and . .. "g the same to be at least very incorrect on many . at points, think it necessary that the same should be a ' ; -. , in order that the people of the Colony may see the

‘ , ntof the mic-statements on the subject: Therefore, Re-

:l‘ That the said Evidence be now published in each of MWWN -

.: r. r By order of the House, WILLIAM CULLEN, Cferk.

Ii"-

frnm the Second Report from the Select Com- . .. . ofthe House of Commons appointed to inquire into ’ condition ofthe Islands and Highlands ofScotlund, and

‘ Emigration—24th May, 1841.

‘ fins-tel Cunard, Esq. called in and examined. ' Chairman.] IBELIEv. you haven large es- Itt Prince Edward Island ?‘—I have some property

‘A: Can you inform the Committee whether Prince 1 ard Island affords great advantages to emigrants? *3 think it does; very great.

“9. Have there been many emigrants from Scotland lsd'hte to Pridce Edward Island ’f—Last year there were

1 at many. r The previous year ’l—A few; but last year a great m'any.

; 981. ‘Can you tell what numberi—No, I cannot; they ‘ aodilmost immediate employment; they were absorb-

Liithout anydelay whatever.

m Weds, those emigrants without capital'l—Most , W ofthem. ' ’

’ i In what way did they find employment, in ag- . l , al labour or as fishermen 'l—They found em ov- , chiefly iii agricultural labour, which I think i y

life best plan to adopt. .

.' They were employed as labourers chiefly 'l— ‘sorne cf them got on to farms, those who had a . nioney. ,‘ Do you think that Prince Edward Island could the take yearly a considerable number of emigrants this c0untry l—Yes, a great many; it has much - r facilities than any other province I know of; v . greater than Canada; very superior in every point w. a"? Mr. C. Bruce] State in what particulars?— ~ . first place the distance is about half. Admitting could get to Quebec as soon as you could :0 Prince ’ nrd Island, when you get to-Prince Edward Island ._ y are at once on your ground; but when you get to hec, you have to get to Montreal, and thence to the country. ,' 7. Can you state the difference of expense to an ‘ t'that would exist between his being landed on Edward Island, or his going on to Montreal '1— d not exactly; you can form some idea front has.) sits and moving of luggage, 6pc. _ _ tan] The expense of gomg to Prince

fit ‘ “t! w0uld be about the same as to Quebec?

1 “fp'et‘hp's you might estimate it very nearly the poor men chiefly find their own provisions; 1 to Prince Edward Island iii three weeks; you nth or six weeks going to Quebec. Mr. C. Bruce] Go on and state the other ad- —The soil is very good and easily worked; ~ shore abounds with fish, so that the labourer “ atoes and getting plenty of fish, is at once iii- ' Now in Upper Canada that is not the case; .My from the sea altogether.

Would he have any facilities with regard to fish‘ ,fé’nets and boats T—They would have to furnish .selves. The American 'fishermeri resort to ‘. I have known 70 take shelter in one harbour. ‘. Mr. W S. 0’Bricn.] What number of emi- ,, ight be received at Prince Edward Island in one ,--.’ Not titore than 5,000 iii one year; they would

"Icon. They want a little money; you should f,leiid it destitute man, but give him a very stnall , ,hcp him from destitution for a few days.

'Mr. 0. Bruce] Would you name any sum v oald be sufiicient’I—Give him a few pounds, he be idlea day; there is no part of Prince Ed- -’ Ind that you could put him on 10 miles from the

item nova

;; then .1 the dib- ‘ o cit)! e saint 3e so at- ‘ and a" .

_.Lord Teignmaulh.] How does he get lodged .lru'val’l-—Many of these would go as farm serv- _ e farm-houses. Then, ifthe man has a little mo- .goes on to a place; he puts up- a log house in , I 3; ogtteuinla being on the spot, the wood is there; : my "land to spare, generally have it laid out I II“ I, rant when he comes iti says, “ I want

loggfdnitd'ft'om you.” “ There it is. It is ge-

': quality everywhere.” The man uses ' Iti‘d’gets his neighbours around him to

emigrants show a disposition to pur- ( _vos when they make money ‘l—Yes. facilities have they for procuring land? "1 my plan: Ihad the land surveyed out, ‘ , Is I should find customers, into lots of 50 or t 5 100 acres is quite as much as they ought to V is a great desire to get a large freehold. I Mien: for 999 years, for one shilling an acre, IIOt generally charge them for the first two ; with the privilege of purchasing it when- 0. ’ what price ’l—Twenty shillings an acre; Inn cannot grumble who gets land on those

.0“ suppose emigrants who come on lands ,. _ , ‘ Able to cultivate them in aproper manner 1 ' Icon; in a shorttime.

continue on the lands, or are they dis- ‘u'un l—They are never dispOsed to move; 1., . I have one property on whichI have . which I have a rental ofl,600[.; those Nov} mail of. 1‘. in never find them {silt—They are till

4i”.

mpmcticability ofafl‘ording the people relief by means '

one year. 3050. Have

cumstances ?——Yes, they all get well off. I speak ofmen of industrious habits.

ally.find persons who are not, but I think generally they are. , 3."; 3052. Do yot'i think their industry ever slackcns with

success l—Iftheir industry slackens tliey,arc not sucess-

ful; but they are always successful ifthey fire industrious. I know of no want of success where there has been con- stant industry.

3053. You have never found, as it has been said in Canada, that when the pressure ofnecess‘ity has ceased, that the emigrants are occasionally apt to slackeu in their efforts ’l—The property is their own; they baVe every incentive to industry, because they have the pri- vilege of obtaining the freehold at any time.

3054. Has the experience you have had been confirm- ed by the experiencc of other proprietors 'l—I fancy so. It is the poor man’s country; a mart cannot go there and become rich suddenly: his riches must proceed pro- gressively.

3055. Mr. C Bruce] What is the extent ofthe sur- face of the land improved already in Prince Edward Island 'l—I sliotild suppose about a fourth of the whole.

3056. What is the whole ’l-Tlie whole is about 1,400,- 000 acres; about a fourth oftliat has been improved ; perhaps it would be more safe to say a fifth.

3057. Something like 300,000 acres'1—Yes; but I cannot speak positively.

3058. T ten the unimproved part is covered with wood? —Yes, a good deal of wood. ‘

3059. What character of wood ’l—-—Beach, and birch, and maple, and ine.

a larger growth, and therefore the land is much more easily cleared.

3061. Mr. IV. S. O’Brien] What is the current value ofland in fee l—Twenty shillings an acre.

3062. That is the case on other estates as well as yours 'l—Yes.

3063. Is it usual among proprietors to let the'land on lease on the same terms ’!——Most of them do. Some time ago there was some dissatisfaction, and a representation made to the Colonial office, and I happened to be in England, and laid before Lord Glcnelg the terms on which we let our land ; I have let many thousands since on those terms.

3064. There was a sort of compact entered into be- tween the proprietors and the Colonial office '!-—-Yes.

'3065. To 'the effect that emigrants going out there should have laiid oti those terms .”---Yes. \

3066. You spoke of the diSSatisfaction that existed among the settlers with respectto the terms for land;will you explain what was the nature and cause ofthat dissatis- faction ’!-—'I‘he House ofAssembly applied to Government to get an escheatofthe very lands they were occupying as tenants, under the pretext that absent proprietors were retarding the improvement ofthe Island. The proprietors submitted to Lord Glenelg the terms upon which they were willing to part with their lands to settlers; these terms were considered by his Lordship as very liberal, anti no person wanting land could complain with jus- tice. ‘

3067. The island was originally granted, I believe, to 60 proprietors in one day, or a very short time ’l-—-Yes, the Government gave it at that time to persons for ser- vices.

3068. And for a long time'the prosperity ofthe island was very much retarded by these grants not having been brought under actual cultivation by the possessors, who were absentees in this country ’l—I do not agree with you there.

3069. State your views in opposition ’l—In part it is correct, that it was granted in large tracts of 20,000 acres each; I do not know that retarded the cultivation, because those persons took means of getting out a num- ber of settlers, and were at very great expense. 'I‘hose settlers would never have been there but for those par- ties. But they did not go on and settle it so fast as they should haVe done perhaps; but it has been settled much faster and located than the adjoining provinces of New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, therefore the result you state is not the case.

3070. But previous to the arrangement you spoke of being made with the Colonial office, was there not. a difiiculty of obtaining possession of small lots of land in consequence of those large grants ?——Yes there were some of the proprietors who did not give leases.

3071. In point of fact, that mode of colonization by these extensive grants to few individuals, tended to re- tard the advancement of the island ?—I cannot agree to tlid't, because Nova Scotia, the adjoining province, where we get land whenever we ask it, has not increased so much as Prince Edward Island.

3072. Mr. C. Bram] You consider therefore the in- terest ofthe proprietors obtaining grants of land so great to get their land cultivated, that they give greater facil- ities‘ to the settlement of individuals than the Govern- ment reserving lands and granting them in small fees? —In all the other provinces the roads have been made by the public, outofthe public revenue. In Prince Ed- ward Island, the House ofAssembly has been so power- ful at all times that they have passed Acts compelling the proprietors to make roads for them, levying the as- sessment on lands, which assessment in some cases is for making improvements at the capital; but fibre Is one Act levying an assesment on all your land to make roads through all the island, without reference to the convenience of the proprietors, and if they are unable to pay, their land is sold for that purpose.

3073. W S. O’Brien.] Land is sold every day for

that: do you object to a moderate assessment on land

producing wheat and grain of every kind in great abun- dance. I sent three cargoes of wheat to London myself

. _ you found the emigrants soon get over the difficulties arismg from accidental and temporary cir-

3051. Do you find the general body ofemigrants who are so located ageindustrious 'l—cYes, you do occasion-

3060. Old wood l—The land is lightly wooded, not of many years' growth; on the main land you see trees of

"road should be well executed 7—Yes, I think. they do

case to compel me to make roads where I do not want them. I havefto make roads for my own settlers, at my own expense, exclusively of the assessment roads. 3074. Mr. C. Bruce] Do you find under that local Act,‘ compelling assessment for the purpose of makino public roads, that a greate: fiiimber'of roads are mad; than when it was left to thelegislature, such as New- Brunswick or Nova Scotia has, to make them l—No; I believe they“ are necessary roads for the public good. 3075. Are there a greater number ofthese necessary roads made than in any other province ’l—No; in the other provinces they make the great public roads; these are‘the samepbtrt here they are made out of thc imme- diate funds ofthe proprietor, whereas in Nova Scotia they are made out ofthe general funds ofthe province.

extension of roads than the other’I—No. t

3077. Mr. IV. S. O’Brien] Do you find it frequently happens that a proprietor of a large tract ofland is tiri- willing to co-operate with his neighbouring proprietor in making arrangements for the cultivation and settle- ment of both estates l—I- do not think that is so at pre- sent.

3078. Formerly uch was the case ?—Some ofthem did not give leases; some would let for only five or ten years; I let for 999 years.

3079. Suppose, for instance, that two proprietors are very. anxious that a road should be made through their estates, but an intervening proprietor resists all co-ope- ration in making such road, and that his co-operation is essential to its being made, is not the improvement of that district retarded under those circumstances ?——I am not aware ofany such circumstance having occurred; it would retard the improvement if it were to occur.

3080. Mr. 0. Bruce] You stated, that under a local Act. assessments are levied on proprietors for making public roads; who decides what lities of public roads should be made ?-—Commissioners are appointed, who are paid for that express purpose; they go through my land without reference to my convenience; I do grumble, but I have to pay for it. / .

3081. Have they the character in general ofconduct- ing the measures 'in a disinterested spirit, and with a view to the general improvement of the country .7— Yes, I should hope so; they are disinterested men gene- rally. .

3082. What is your control over them .7—None ; they are appointed by the Governor; there is an Act of the Legislature for such an appointment, and the appoint- ment emanates immediately from the Governor.

3083. And to the Governor they are responsible .7— Yes.

'3084. Lord TcignmouthJ Do they require that the

their duty in that respect; they are commissioners ap- pointed to lay out the line, and other commissioners ap- pointed ‘to’ execute the service.

3085. Chairman] With regard to the emigrants who came last year, they were principally from the Isle of Skye ?—-Yes.

3086. Do you find them a good class ofemigrants .7— Yes; I would rather have sortie from other parts ofScot- land more immediately agricultural, but they were very good men.

3087. Mr. C. Bruce] “'ere they fishermen, partly? —Both; the land seems calculated for both fishermen and agriculturists.

3088. What language did they speak 7—Gaelic.

3089. Do many ofthem understand English ?-I do not know a great deal about them; I have been very little in the island since they were there.

3090. But the general language ofthe island is Eng- lish ?—Yes, although I know whole settlements where they cannot speak English among them.

3091. How is the population located; is it a scattered population, or are they settled in villages ?——-It is a scat- tered population; but almost in every district there is something like a village.

3092. What is the principal town 7—Charlottetown.

3093. What is its population ?--:I should think about 4,000 or 5,000; the inhabitants ofthe island altogether are 50,000.

3094. Is the Governor’s residence at. Charlottetown .7 ---Yes. I

3095. Lord Tez'gnmout/i.] \Vhat is the proportion of Protestants to Roman-catholics .7---The Protestants are perhaps five-sixths ; the other sixth are Roman-catholics.

3096. How are they supplied with religious instruc- tion ?---Badly; I wrote a letter the other day, and they very kindly gave three clergymen, and promised more if wanted.

3097. To whom ?«~The Society for the Propagation ofthe Gospel in Foreign Parts. I agreed to do certain things; I agreed to build three churches; they gave me 4501. towards building the churches, and agreed to ap- point three clergyuien at 1201. a year each, and to give more if required. _ _ _

3098. Mr. W. S. O’Brien] What contribution did they expect from you ?-—I agreed to give them 100 acres ofland in each township where we built a church; and I also told them I would see the churches built, and give a site for each church also, and a school-hotise: I wrote to my agent to go round in different districts, where persons were disposed to subscribe for.building the churches. I think people should belinterested in the church themselves, that every man should giye a pound or halfa pound. I desired my agent to give 100 acres iii each district, and to subscribe £50 more for each church, and then to say to the inhabitants, “ You hear Mr. Cunard has done so much; ifyou think proper to make up the difference you shall have a church; ifyou do not, we will go to another district."

3099. There are some churches there ?---There is one at Charlottetown; one at St. Eleanor’s, and one at Georgetown. . _

3100. Are there any Dissenting places of worship in the island ?---A good many of my tenants are Scotch

3076. Do you tliiuk one is not more favourable to the

_f CHARLOTTETOWN, SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1342. [No 2'43 HOUSE OF-ASSEMBLY, well off. They have had difficulties as in this countr;y for the ' - - - ' ‘ i . , I , I purpose ofexecutin ublic works’l—I think ithh h f E l . April 16th 1842. g P _ . . ' _ are 0 ng and Churches .7—Yes, I am of. the V?” N I" HEREAS this House, “Wing had unde; consideration when you have a bad year, but the country is capable of is a hard case, but I agree to it. I think it is a hardEChurch

of England myself, and Ithink it my duty to encourage building the churches ofthat denomination.

3102. Mr. C. Bruce] Is the principal part of the po- pulation of the Church of England denomination ‘l—Yes, Church of England and Presbyterians.

3103. There are some RomanocatholicsL—Yes.

3104. Irish ?—Both Scotch and Irish.

3105. What quantities ofland do they hold ’l—I have . a rent-roll of 400 people, which would show you‘bow the lands are given out to them ; none above 100' acres, many 50 or 70. a

.3106. From that rent-roll, to which you refer, might oneyudge fairly of the average state ofthe Island? —Yes ;'mine is as lous any.

3107. Chair-mam] With regard to the character of the people i—Yes; because it goes over 10 or I2 differ- ent lots in different parts ofthe island; I have got a little pamphlet. It contains a good account of the Island.

3108. Mr: 0. Bruce] Be so good as to state to the Committee the climate of the island as compared with Upper or Lower Canada’l—-I think it is very superior; it is cold, and so is Canada.

3109. Which is the colder T-—-I do not think there is much tlifi'erence; it is dry and healthy, and not subject to fevers and ague, being surrounded by the see. That is 01H: 01 the great difficulties that emigrants going to Ca- nada havcto encounter; it takes them years before they are seasoned to it.

3110. Does the snmv lay long in-Yes.

3111. From what period ?~--It is frequently open until Christmas, and perhaps it is hardly navigable again from Christmas to the middle of April.

3112. The siirface of the country can they get at, for the purpose of cultivation, as late as ChristmasI-gflome‘ seasons they shut up sooner. '

3113. With regard to getting at the land for the pur- pose of cultivation, can they get at it in frost and snow as late as the beginning of December film-Sometimes.

3114. But on the avera'ge ’l---Perhaps they do 0p to the middle of November, or the first of December.

3115. How soon in spring'again film-From the middle oprril to the first of May. ’ .

3116. Lord Ter'gnmouth.] Are there high lands in Prince Edward Island ’!---Not what you can call high lands in regard to Scotland, but the land is very undulat- ing. ’ a

3117. But such lands as are necessarily confined to pasture ’!---There are none; it is all arable in all large tracts ofland; there are some swamps or things of that kind, but there is none such as I see in Scotland; _ your heath land, for instance.

3118. Mr. 11’. S. O’Brien.] the cultivation of \vheat’l-uYes. . » ‘ x