The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-03 00:00:00

OUR NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES.

EMIGRATION PROSPECTS FOR 1858.
Is the present overcrowded state of the labour
market, when the minds of all who are in-
terested in the condition of the working
classes are anxiously turned towards the
means of lessening the evils which necessarily
arise from excessive competition, it becomes
of great importance to ascertain how the
strength and skill for which there is no em-
ployment here may be best applied to the
development of the resources of our colonial
possessions. Really authentic information
with regard to emigration is so seldom to be
obtained, in consequence of the reckless way
in which speculators garble the truth to serve
their own pecuniary interests, that we think
we shall do a service to all classes of our
readers by giving them, from official docu-
ments, some particulars with reference to the
prospects open to emigrants to our North
American dependencies during the present
year.
No part of our colonial empire possesses
greater advantages, or seems destined to
attain a higher importance in the future, than
Canada. Its present territory of 350,000
square miles will ere long be increased by the
addition of the Red River and Saskatchewan
districts ; and it is not too much to expect
that, before many years have past, it will have
no western boundary short of the Pacific. In
its means of communication this vast tract of
country is unrivalled ; two great trunk lines
of railway vie with the most magnificent
system of natural and artificial water highways
in the world, to facilitate intercourse between
the various parts of Canada and the sea.
The climate is healthy, and the soil prolific—
the average yield of wheat exceeding twenty-
two bushels per acre. And the political in-
stitutions of the country are on a par with its
natural advantages. The connection of
Canada with Great Britain secures her against
foreign aggression, while all her internal re-
lations between government and people are
those of a distinct and independent nationality.
Her own Legislature exercises complete con-
trol over her internal commerce, laws, muni-
cipal institutions, taxation, religion, and
education. She has an admirable system of
common schools, which furnish the means of
instruction to all her inhabitants ; in religious
matters there is pet feet toleration ; and the
only direct taxes which the settler is called
upon to pay are those levied for local pur-
poses, in respect to which he has the right of
voting. _ _

The recent selection of Ottawa as the
capital of this great colony materially en-
hances the value of the free grants of land
which are obtainable in the neighbourhood of
that city. These grants, of 100 acres each,
may be had on the following conditions :-
1. That the settler be eighteen years of age.
2. That he take possession of his allotment
within one month.

3. That he put twelve acres of land into
cultivation within four years.
4. That he Luild a log-house, •?0 by 19 feet,
and reside on the land until the above con-
ditions are fulfilled.

5. Families may reside on a single lot, and
the several members having land allotted to
them will be exempt from building and resi
dence upon each individual lot.
Another great advantage which Canada pos•
sesses over our other colonies is its proximity
to the mother country. In a fortnight, or at most
a month, after leaving his native land, the emi-

fi.