The Express.
London, England, 1848-09-22 00:00:00

liolooa the notional load of tondos I. really astortained by
the 'Durmast.

THE RIVER BT. LAWRENCE AND THE
NAVIGATION LAWS.
The eactinaaloos of the castrato= laws has camel
musk ezetteineet in Caned., and threatens the t
of a large portion of tke export. of that previa°. tbrl
the United States to Holland end New York, to
rain of trade between Great Britain and the Csaallos threat.

rise awe laid beton parliament towards the steer
ot the session show", in a long letter from the Chamber of
Commerce and hots the Legislative Council, how great the
loos will be to Canada, making the difference in freight on
• barrel Mbar from Quebec to England and from New York
to England of 3s.—an amount that must change the whole
"same of the imports and exports of the Canada, indirectly
limmegh the Uaited States.
What will the shipowners my when they find that their
of the navigation laws has been the ruin of the
Strad" between Canada and Great Britain ? But
it will infallibly be if them laws are not repealed ; in-
deed, the publle in Canada call on the government forthwith
to suspend the navigation laws, to give the benefit of the fall
trade to the Canada' direct with Greet Britain.
Whilst doubts have existed whether the receipt by tolls of
the canal navigation in Canada would ba sufficient to pay
the interest of the debt contented in making the canals and
navigation between Moatteel and the American lakes, two
singular events have occurred, which promise moat im-
portant results to the western provinces of the United States,
to the Cansulas, and to British North American poseestions. •
And we may offer these u instances of the rapidity with
which commerce finds new channels by which the goods can
be conveyed quicker or cheaper than by the old channels.
The western parts of the province of New York extend-
lag aloft the Brie Canal the Ohio, have been supplied
lto
with salted fish, mackerel, cod, and herrings, from the
British fisheries in the Nova Scotia and neighbouring
provinces. But last year upwards of 60,000 barrels of HA
were conveyed from Nova Scotia up the River
St. Lawrence, and through the canals to the lase, and
thence to the Lawrence,,
provinces of the United States; and
, it is confidently believed that as soon as the navigation laws
shall be repealed the greater part of that important
trade in fish will find its way by this new chianti, sod that
et • considerably reduced charge to the merchant, whilst it
will afford ample tolls at • redueed rate to meet the intermit
and to pay off the debt for which the province of Canada
is now responsible.
We make these remark", and we state one new and im-
portant line which the fish trade has taken, and which
most intros', with the growing population along the whole
of the great lakes of the American states.
We have seen in the Pilot of Toronto, of Aug. 17, just
arrived, a letter, which we subjoin, which shows how the
coast produce of these same western states of the union may
find their way to the British market through the channel of
the St.Lawrentre and its canals instead of passingu heretofore
down the Erie Canal, or by the Mieeiseippi to New Orleans.
The free trader ship from Chimp, at the bottom of Lake
Michigan, has arrived at Quebec in eleven days, with a
cargo of 6,000 bushels of flour—the distance 2,300 males,
nearly the distance from Halifax to Ireland—and thus hes
demonstrated that the produce from the country bordering
on the chain of lakes from St. Peter's to Lake Supener, •
distance of more than 3,000 miles, may be sent in
the same bottom to Quebec. without transshipment; and
the same vessel after delivering their cargo of grain and
other produce, may load with fish and other products of this
country and of Europe, carrying them to the doors of that
immense population that must soon border thcor mighty
lakes. _ _

WC therefore say that these facts hold out brighter pro-
spects to Canada than have of late been expected. We may
return to the subject, but subjoin the letter from which we
have !minted some of the facts :

AN STINT OP IMPORTANCII TO CONOIIIIOII.
(Praia the HaIA: Nom *atm.)
Mr. Bditte,—By papers lately received, end by some of
the city papers, we are informed of the arrival at Olutb to of
the gamer Free Trader, from Chicago, at the bottom of
Lake Michigan. If the statements in the papen be correct,
she has performed a distance of 2,360 miles of inland naviga-
tion, made up of lake, river, and canal, in eleven days, or at
the rata of 214 miles a day and hem brought a cargo of over
6,000 bushels of corn. Tat distance ia but little less than
the distance from here to Ireland. To hundreds, probably
to thousands, who have not had an opportunity of judging of
the importance of this arrival, the paraaraph announcing it
will be real as an ordinary notice. But by those who are
sclasinted with the natural difficulties that have had to be
overcome to aCmit of the glorious consummation, and who
can picture the result likely to flow from it, it must be read
with an intense interest.
_

This is virtually tapping the great prancing tracts of the
west by their principal—l might ay, natural—outlet. The
whole of the country bordering on the chain of lakes, from
St. Peter's to Superior, a distance of over 3,000 miles, can
now end their produce to the Atlantic market by the St.
Lawrence without reshipment, This is a desideratum that
manta be arrived at for the some cost, sad with the lams
advantage, by any other route. The advantage over the
New Orleans route is very great. The proximity of the
Atlantic ports to Europe, end the breadstuff, having to peas •
through a temperate, instead of a torrid climate, are groat
advantages, putting the cost of transit and risk of health at-
tending avo age to New Orleans out of the question.
B or other goods now shipped at Chicago could
he landed at the British Islands, and some part of Europe,
on an average of from thirty-five to forty days from the
day of shipment, allowing them to be reshipped at Quebeo.
From the vicinity of Chicago (which is now, or soon will be,
the heart of that great producing country) by the New
Orleans channel, it could not be done, at the least, in less
than from 60 to 70 days on an average. A cargo of bread-
stuff' by this route, being so long on ship-board, and a great
part of the time in a hot climate, the danger of heating and
souring, even in flour, is very great, and grain of course
much more so. lam not aware of the time or expense of
transit of goods from Chicago or vicinity to Boston or New
York, but have seen it pubhshed that a barrel of fin can be
taken from Halifax to Chicago, by the St. Lawrence route,
on an average of from 3s. to 4e, lees than by, any other. This
lid of vast inpiltliaoll to the fishing interest of the lower cola
idea, and emweially of Nova Stadia. The expense of transit
of a barrel or quintal of fish to the western states has greatly
tended to keep down the consumption. With a direct and
cheap tram* Eke the present one now opened, the consump-
den fa a few years of t`di produce of our province, and of out
iiimdes la partleular, when that great country fills up with,
em badestrisse population—es it is rapidly doing—will be
tattoo. And in return for which we shall ra
itiVtheir tuffs and other articles for reship sent else-
where, illicit required in the province.
Had the Free Trader proceeded on to Halifax, she would
have accomplished the voyage from Chicago in from 15 to
16 days. And I have no-doubt it will eventually be don.
Were the Quebec rai in operation, her cargo could have
been landed here in 11 or 12 days from the date of shipment.
If the Free Trader had come on to Halifax, she could have
landed her cargo here and taken one in return direct to her
hew in the west—a distance of over 3,000 miles, and farther
than from this to Liverpool, England.
Truly this is a wonderful age—an age big with mighty
events. One object alone that would be gamed would be
sufficient to make this the preferable route, even allowing
that it bad nothing elm in its favour to recommend it, and
that is, the better condition that a cargo shipped here, espe-
cially of fish, could be landed at any port in the far west than
it could be by a route where it had to be 'hipped and re-
shipped some three or four times ; besides which the cooper-
ing and repairing of packages would form a large item to be
added to the cod of the article. The supplies of fish to the
far west have heretofore been via New York, Boston, and
New Orleans.
Many of our vessels have of late years proceeded direct to
New Orleans with cargoes of fish. But the expense of this
route is very great, the charges on vessels at New Orleans
being enormous, all of which must, of course, increase the
price of the articledealt in. Besides which, a large portion
of the flour and meal landed here from New Orleans proves
to be sour. With them facts staring us In the face, it is
certainly the business of every man interested in the welfare
of his country to use his utmost endeavours to foster by
every means fa his power this budding outlet for our exports.
It has been the complaint of late that we have no market
for our products, and for our fish in particular—and that
there is more caught than can be sold at remunerating prices.
Eneourege, by every means in our rower, the prospects now
opening, and when the great western country, which is now
merely in the first stages of Infancy, shall be alive with its
millions of inhabitants, we may catch as much fish as we
please, and be certain of a remunerating market for nes.
besides many other products now scarcely dreamed of.
Let the selfish narrow-minded protectionist croak as ke
pleases about hedging ourselves in by a policy that is is di-
rect defiance of the laws and will of the Almighty ; I, far
one, sincerely trust that our government will not stop fa
their free trade policy, until they obtain for us a free trade
with the Baited State' at least. Should they accomplish
:12 a very short period those dishonest advocates of pro-
would be compelled to admit the invaluable boon a
free trade would confer. I term our pettifogging prate,-
demists dishonest, because I believe it is to make political
capital that they advocate it, and not because they have the
lightest idea that it would at all benefit their country. Let
them turn their thoughts to the trade that is just opening
with 111 and the great far west, and reflect for a ma
mint on the benefits our province would receive by a
mutual exchange, of products. With a trade that should
be es free as the air of heaven, bow much that we now pro-
duce is required in the far west. And in a few short piers,
how much more that we will produce may be required there.
And bow much of the surplus products could we take in ex-
change. The words of a celebrated poet, who one hundred
yeses sines pawed eff the Mese, are here very applicable :
OA Awls ands 'WA Othill WWII produce,
AM Wes asisredig to tre 'mend use.
Ird INS Sim to 0. MIMS 411• U.
Be la Mos mem itigly from en.
I bewe Wog these few remarks, tweeted on
rowing*" of the snivel a the Free Trader at
theabse, is hops that they will bring out some pens that
am do the subject the justisslt deserves.—A Nova SCOTIAIL