a i ee ein a eee eee | * ake com tl K < . te a tt ORI ra a eee ee CN pet a te lll aE ag nb ESE SEER PIE CT Rail a. % ' ; not know the exact number conveyed by that mail-coach, but be knew that at one time the number of passengers cenveyed compelled the driver to put om an extra horse, If railroad were once established, there would no coubt, be twenty passengers for every one there is at present, ‘The mai'--ov.ch formerly went from Charlotie- town to Summerside but once a week, but the trips were increased to twice a week, and latterly to once a day, and yet the coach had as many passengers as it couid carry. To oppese the construction of a rail- way Was & retrogade movement, for the time had ar ived tor the commencement of the undertaking. It had been staced that the proprictory lands should a)l be p»rchas- ed before building a railioed; but he thought it possible that time anght. never come, for the proprietors could not be com- pelled to sell their estares. If those lands could be purchased it would greatly benefit the couniry, but a compulsory law would not be allowed by the Lmperia' Government. He, for one was vot afraid to entrust the Goverom: ot wih the construc ion o! a rail- road, for he believed they would carry out the work to the satisfaction of the country. Tt was for hon. members to say whether tha Government should proceed at once with the work, 1t was bisopimon that the Gov- ernment would adopt such measures as would carry it cut to completion. He had heard it s'ated at the Kustico meeting that the Government were not to be trusted wiih the undertaking ; but that was not a sound argument, lor the Government could only work by the cousent of the majority of the House, and then they bad to comend with the Uppos:tion besides. Some of the lead- ing men 1p the Government had been very successful in business, and that was a good criterion of their abilt y to undertake the consiruciien of a rairoad. For his own part, he did not see any difference between the measures trought torward by the Lib- eral: and those by the Conservatives. The Conservatives had become Liberals. just as much as the Liberals had become Conserva- tives tie hoped hon members would give the matter coutaised in the paragraph due consideration, and tbat they would not pass it lightly, for it was very important Our det was very light, compared with the debts of the sister proviaces, but if they had debis, they had public works to show for them, which’we bad not He had uo doubt ' Whatever that @ rail‘oad would te the means vi creasing our trade 100 per cent, Mr, ARSENAULT thought that if no more epposition could be offered to the construc- tion of a railway, than bad been given, it was an omeu Of success. It Lad been stated that the mail carrer to the westward had only one passenger per week; he (Mr. A ) bad frequently met him, and he had always scen him conveying @ good many passengers, When tke price uf a passage was two or two and a half dollars, there would yot be as many passengers as when the cost was only five or six shillings. If the coachman got as many passengers as he could carry at the higher price, what number would the railway convey at the lower one? Mr. Howat said that in stating the number of passengers per week conveyed by the Western Mail carrer, he had only reported as he bad heard, not from what he had seea. The hon. member for Tignish (hon. Mr. Perry) had alluded to the dredging of Crapaud Harbor, and stated that it had been done at the expense of the Government, This was neé correct, for the Crapaud people had accomplished all that had been done at their own expense by laying atax of one half penuy on every bushel of oats shipped from that harbor. He would oppose taxing the whole population of the Island for a work which would only benefit a few localities. Hon, Mr. McEAacuen said that the convey- ing of only one passenger per week by the mail coach, could be easily accounted for. It was very probable that the peoplealong the road through which it pissed, had the means at their own control of travelling just as fast as the mail carrier; but if there wag a ruil- road from Cascumpec or Tryon to Charlotte- town, the number of passengers on those routes would be greatly increzsed on account of the speedy and comfortable mode of con- veyauce. Merchante would not then be obliged to. drive their own teams, for they would have the means of traveiling twenty miles por hour, If hon, members had the ad- vautazes of a railroad that evening, they would not have been seen begying {or leave to go home to see their friends; they could step into the cars and some could go to the west end of the Isiand to their homes, and could return on Monday in time for’ business. Indeed all hon. members, even those from the most distant-part of the country, could pro- ceed to their homes every evening if they desired to do so, and return uext morning in time to resume their labors. He had not heard any arguments, #0 iar, that would per- suade him that a railroad was unnecessary, Hon. P, Sincuair thought that if every farmer had a team of his owr, as stated by the hon, member for Souris, ke would not require a railroad in order to travel, for he had the means of doing so at his own command. In most countries there was a large floating population and numerous factories in which considerable numbers of peop'e were employ- ed, and as that class of people generally own- ed no horses, there was considerable tuavelling by railway; but it was not so in this country. He thought there was not sufficient information cn the matter laid before the Committee in order to enable them to give the subject the consideration which it required. He agreed with the hon. member for Summer. side (Mr. McMillan) that the House should be informed where the ruad was to be located; for if it does not extend to Souris. the hon. member for that place (Hon Mr. McEachen) would not support it The Government should get the track surveyed in order to find what rivers would have to be crossed and what the exact length would be, before pro- ceeding any further, As there had not been a word said about building a railroad at the General Election, publie opinion should be more fully consulted before any steps were taken to carry out the work; for if it was not the wish of the people, the Government would not be justified in thrusting it upon them. Hon. Mr. McEacnern said that perhaps the hon, member tor New London, (Hen. P. Sinclair) thought to put variance between him and his constituents ; if so, bis purposes would be thwarted. He believed that the Government would do Souris justice, He was not particular as to what name was given tu the railroad, as long as it was built, It might be ca!ied a grand trunk or branch iine. He déd not believethe hon. gentleman of the Opposition opposed the construction of a rail- road, from the conviction that it was not required, but for mere oppositicn’s sake. Surely they did not think the Government were 60 mad as to undertake the work with- out ascertaining the route on which the road was to be built. If the majority of the people did not approve of it, they would not be called upon to pay additional taxes for ita support, ~ Hon. B. Dayigs would protest against the uncalled-for haste with which the question before the Committce wastakenup, The ob- taming of a majority im favor of a railroad at a pablic meeting in Charlottetown, was not a sufficient index to the views of the people in the country districts. There had never been much sympathy between the people of the town and those of the country ; for, in all ihe great struggles of the farmeza, to free themselves from the proprietors, the people of Charlottetown had been their etudied and determined enemies. It was not (o be wondered at that the people in general were becoming seriously alarmed at the atti- tude of the Government in reference to the building of a railroad. The people ef Queen's County were becoming alarmed, and men of means were extremely anxioue lest the Gov- ernment should force it upon the country. “Although there might be persons at the ex- tremes of King’s and Prince Counties in favor frit, the vast majority of the people in gene- 1, were much opposed to it; and he was sure the hon, Leader of the Government would ascertain the opinions of the people belore proceed'ng further with the matter. Queen’s Connty was very poorly represented in the Llouse; according to her population aud resources, she should have nearly as many representatives as the other two Coun- ties. In wealth and population she was equal to Loth King’s and Prince Vounties, but was represented by on'y one-third of the members of that House. While Queen’s County sent eight members to the House of Assembly, the other two Counties sent gix- teen. It was evident to all that that county ehould have three or four more representa- tives ; particularly when such a great measure as the building of a railread, was in contem- plation. The construction of a railroad through the Island at the present time would be premature, and he hoped and trusted that the Government would have discretion enoagh to see that the question should be more fuily sifted, and that the people should be allowed to express their views in reference to it, If it was persisted in by the Government, petitions would come in from all parts of the country, asking that it should not be taken up. Meetisg after meeting had been held throughout the country, and the almost un- animous voice of the people had been raised against the building of a railroad by the Gov- ernment. Every memberof the Louse would agree to the building of a railroad by « pri- vate company, and he, for one, would support @ subsidy for it, and also aright of way, when the question was fully settled, if the people agreed to it. He would never support it without consulting his constituents, and knowing the views of the people throughout the Island) The work would, no doubt, bea profitab:e one to merchauts and speculators ; for they would take contracts, for whieb the Government would have to pay them. We had a Steamboat Company and a Gas Com- - pany, and otner companies, all of which had @ strong voice already in the Government; but a railway echeme would cap the whole. The money spent in the country, while a railroad was in progress of construction, would, no doubt be a beuefit, but the expenses would ultimately be ruinous to the agricultar- ists and the people generally. He would not sacrifice the interests of the people, even if he were to make a fortune out of the speculation, He represented men far wealthi- er than himself, and more independent than many who were rolling in riches; for he looked upon the yeomaary as the bone and sinew of the country, If the railway were proceeded with, it would produce such an ex- citement through the country as had never before been heard of. Hou. Mr. Perry.—The hon. member for Beltast bad stated that Queen's County wae not fairly represented in the House of As- sembly, in proportion to ber population ; but he (Hon. Mr P) believed that more than half the revenue was generally spent in that county. Her people enjoyed many advan- tages and conveniencies which the peopie of the other Counties knew little of. They en- joyed the benefit of a steamboat three times per week, when navigation was open, and by passing over to Shediae, could get the advan tage of a railroad. They had also better markets, and better harbors for exporting their productions, while his constituents, one hundred miles from Charlottetown, did not enjoy half those advantages. The views of the hon. member for Beliast were, in his opinion, too narrow altogether: because his constituents would not derive as much benefit from the railroad as tho:e of distant parts of the Island, was no reason why it should not be entertained. If a railway was to be a pub- lic benefit, let the subject be discussed in a blic and liberal spirit. It was very small indeed to cry out, ** we are going to be ru:n- ed; it ie a dreadful thing, * &. Let the matter be discussed in @ progressive spirit, and ‘let hon, members look at the effects of railroads in the other Provinces. The people of New Brunswick declared that they did not feel their taxes pressing heavily upon them ; anid they could handle a pound now, where they could only get a dollar a few years ago, before the construction of railways. If the taxation in this Colony, on account of the construction of a raiiroad, were a little higher, the people would pay it a bandred per cent easier than they aid at present, and the hon. member for Belfast knew tbat well. Why should the people be kept jogging on at the same old pace as their fatbers had done beforethem? why not improve with the rest of the world, and keep pace with the times? Hon. Mr. Wicurman.—The bon. member for Tignish had the consent and support of his constituents in advocating the cunstruc- tion of a railroad; but there were other members whose constituents were stronyly opposed to it, and therefore could not be ex- ected to support it. When he, (Hon, Mr. W.) neard the Hon Leader of the Govern- ment eta:e the great expense attending it, and the vast quantity of freight waich was likely to be conveyed upon it, he thought the day had not arrived to require such great accommodation, - 425,000 per mile for tne road, with all the necessary appliances did not seem a large amount; bat when the cost of 120 or 130 miles of road was reckoned, it was found to be a very large sum. He understood the G-vernment would piedge the faith of the country for the payment of the interest: if so, he could not quite give it his support without the consent of his constitu- ents. [Every man in the Colony was interested in the matter; for ull would be taxed in pro- portion to what they consume?, He had met two or three of bis constituents lately, who strong!y opposed the building of a rail- road, but were nut opposed to bis supporting a survey of the route, for the purpose of as- certaining what the expenses of construction, &c., would b2, and what part of the country the road would pass through, to enable the people to judge for themselves. He wzs, therefore, prepared to go that far. The mnatter ehould Jay over till next year, by which time the people could direct their re- presentatives what course to take in r ference to it; and the latter would have the returns of the survey to guide them Thehon, mem- ber for Cardigan, (Mr, A. C. McDonald) had stated that be, (Hon. Mr. W.) nad no ob- jection to put his hand into the public puree for the purchase of a dredging maebine, but be opposed the railway, He thought a dredg, ing machine was necessary throughout the whole Isiand; bat, as be had not the consent of his constiteents ut that time, to the build- ing of a raiiroad, be feit bound to oppose it at present. When the people turned tn favor of it, he would gladty support ic. Hon. B, Dayiss.—The hon. membor for Tign’sh (Ion. Mr. Perry) had stated that the people of the other Provinces were better able to pay their taxes on account of the ad- vanteges which they received from their rail- ways, No wonder it .was so; for the Canadiars had drawn from the Imperial Goy- ernment at the race of three millions per year, in one way and another; bat that would not alwavs goon. tow did the railway affect Nova Scotia, when she b the first fifty miles of it? And that was a province with three times our population, Hon. Mr, Howe declared that £2 i0s, or £2 15s, was all that they could grant for the common roads dur- ing the next year; the remaider of the revenue having been spent, principally, on the raifroad. But -he (lflop. B. D.) believed that, if the proposed road were built in this Colony, we woud be placed in a woreo posi- tion than Nova Scotia had then been. Mr. McNuitt said that the hon. member for Belfast had made a very short speech, hat a very sensibls one. He did not think the Government would force the matter upon the people so precipitately as had been sup- posed. The question had been agitated in New Branswick fer a long time—ever since 1842—ard he thought our government should follow that example, and not be too hasty, There were intelligent men in the country, uite as able to discuss the ion as any on. member of the House, and time should be given them to think on the matter. There was no government or &tatesmen who deserv- ed the name, that would force the measure ao precipitately upon the country, as not to allow the people time to give their decision upon it; for th-y would require avery 8 majority to carry it. The New Brunsw government had carried the Maine Liquor Law by only a small majority, and the conse- quence was that it was repealed after only two years had expired) If a railway were once started, there would be no repealing it, for it would have to be carried on. He be- lieved the western part of the Island would be benefited by the railroad, but it would not be justice to tax the whole Island to such an immence eftent, for the benefit of only & portion of the population of Prince County. Che inhabitants ot the extreme west had, no doubt, great inconvenience in getting their produce to market ; but many other parts of the country would receive little or no benefit whatever from a trunk line of railroad. If the Government attempted to carry the measure, it wouid provoke a most tremendous discussion. He believed the Government bad no intention te carry the mezsure: but the introduction of the subject was a sign of pro- gress, and the road might be built some time or other. Our ports were go near the interior of the ccuntry—indeed we could seareely be said to have any interior—and people had to keep borses and carriages, so that ke could not see there was any great necessity for it. During a covsiderabie part of the year, there would be no outiet for our produce, and it would be am expensive job to keep up com- munication with the mainland, or with the ocean, in winter. ‘'t was not because the preseut Government bad the matier in hand that the people in general were so much op- posed to it; for he believed they would oppose it, Bo matter what government under- took to constfuct it. If tt were undertaken, it would involve the country in sach diffical- ties, that it would never be in a position to pay the cost of construction. (To be Continued.) IS THE TRADITIONAL YANKEE DYING OUT. Out of the total population of less than a million and a half in Massachusetts, one-fourth are foreigners-—according to the return of the new Census just published in the complete official form. The exact figures are ag follows: Total population, 1, 457,351—natives, 1,104, 008 ; foreigners, 353,343. The statistics jus- stify some of the dismal moans which have been uttered, for years past, by the desponding descendants of the Mayflower people. The Jand of the Yankee 18 iosing its traditional flavor. The shadow of Piymouth rock is shrinking back towards theo de-late strip of sea-coast whence it started, The twang of the lish accent is displacing the nusalgresonance of the oid bucolic districts; and the bland and child-like smile of the Heathen Chinee is vig ble in place of the hollow-jawed solemnity of the Puritanic visage. In the whirling mills, the sweet-faced and trimly proper Lowell fac- tory-girls have given way to a race of women whose muscular performances are totally un- relieved by the itterary pastime of contribut- ing to an Offering; and the new Babel or sounds is varied by the mongrel of the newly imported ** Kanuck.” Irish, Eaglish, Cana dian and Chinamen have made sad inroade upon the old fashioned and precise habits of the greatest of the Yankee States. They are filling the places of profit, and aspire to the posts of honor, driving out the younger branches of the venerable Massachusetts stock, and getting the Staie into anew condivion—on the whole, perhaps, ao improved condition, The lametations over things have been loud and deep, aud the steady-going old Boston journals, each of which represent a clang or a clique, have speculated upon the future until they have become befozged; but the fizures of the Census show how useless il is to ery out against Fate. The Sons of Massachusetts must emigrate ; there is ao help for it. Vast fields in the West await their coming, and their shrewd wit and undemable habit of in- dustry are wanted for the work of building up new and prosperous States Jt is a melan choly reflectiun that the s.netity of the old Bay Siate should be doomed to descorat:on, but how can the Bay State help it-elf? It has failed to hold its Own, and now it must change bands. Similar processes are goin ou in the other five New Eugland States. Neurly. one quaiter of the population of Con- necticut is foreign; more than a quarter ot the population of Rhode Island is also foreign ; Maire bas 46,000 tcreigners out of a total of 26.000; Vermont has 47,000 and New Hamyshire 30,000 citizens of foreign birth. The limited area of these six lutle States alfurd no room for the prospective increase of both classes oi population, and inasmuch ag the ineoming fore'gners are content with cheaper ways of lite than the independant Yankee—working for l-ss aud spending less— there is evidently no other solution of this Ne» England problim than a wholesale emi- gration of the native clement, during the next ten years, to broader fields in the aewer States, Besides the statisticians tell us that the foreign races multiply more rapidly thau the native, aud so New England must make-up her mind tu see the oid stock gradually displaced, through the operation of the natacal laws of human increase, as well as those ot social life and political necessity. In the West, the Yankee biood will get new life, aid Piymouth Rock. we grieve to say, is fated to become a dim and dis:egarded tradition of the pasi,— —Commercial Advertiser sensei iene MISCELLANEOUS. The stud of a Late Buglisi Lord, consisting of forty-nine hunters and six backs, was lately sold in Lendon, and realized over £10,000. A correspordent writes from London that Robert Browning has never made more than £2090 from all his poems, and that but for a private fortune he would have starved to death, Queen Victoria has recently given forty acres of her estate in the neighborhood of Coburg to the childcea of Prince Albert’s nurse. Governer Cooke, of the District of Co!um- bia took possession of bis official residence on Friday. In Mnnegota they vall the Rey. Mrs, Tupper Wilkcsa*‘olergyman,’’ and give her $2,030 a year. Prsident Grant contemplates a visit to California at the close of April, He will remain there some weeks, M.ssachusetts proposes to pay the mem- bers of its Legislature $750 each per session whitnout reference to its lengta, The largest salmon ever caught in the Sacramenio River was sent Has: on the 7th instant. Its weight was filty-tive pounds, A German Lutheran minister, named J. G. Van Doren, committed suicide in the lock-up in Pittburg, Pa, on Friday morr- ing. The lately deceased Prince Puckler Mue- keu, of Prussia, crdered in his will that bis wortel remains be burned or destroyed by some chemical procese. His pbysiciang adopted the latter mode, The people of Bordeaux msnifested their patriotism at the arrival of the seven bun> dred and fifty members ofthe Frereh Ne- tional Assembly, by demanding fabukus prices for the poorest accomodations. Pre- tident Thiers was charged six thousend francs a month for two ewall rcowa, very indifferently furnisbed ; and the governmcnt bad to pay fifteen hurdred tianes daily {cr the theatre where the Naiicnal Assemly held its sittings,