The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-24 00:00:00

TRADE OF CANADA.

A dispatch from Lord Elgin, which has just been
printed, gives the latest statistics of the trade and re-
sources of Canada, and places the progress of the
colony in a very favourable light. It appears that the
total population during the ten years from 1841 to
1851, experienced an increase of more than 59 per
cent., the numbers having advanced from 1,156,139
to 1,842,265, while among the free population of
the United States the increase from 1840 to 1850,
was only 37i per cent., It is from the rapid
settlement of Upper Canada that this improvement
has chiefly arisen. In 1791, the population of that
province was 50,000, and at the commencement of
last year it was 952,004, the increase during the
past ten years having been about 1044 per cent. In
Lower Canada the population is now 890,261, of
whom 665,528 are of French origin. The imports
into the colony during the year ending the sth of Janu-
ary, 1852, amounted to 4,404,4091., against 3,489,466/.
in the preceding year. Of these the amount from Great
Britain was 2,475,6431., or at the rate of about 1/. 6s.
per head, the rate of British imports into the United
States being about 16s. per head. At the same time
the importations of United States' manufactures into
Canada are very large, the totals in the instances
of machinery and leather being greater than from
this country, while in the cases of cotton, linen,
silk, woollen, and iron manufactures, they are also
considerable a circumstance believed to be attri-
butable to the better knowledge exercised by the
United States' dealers with regard to the wants and
tastes of the people. The exports of the colony for
1851 amounted to 2,663,9831., of which 1,245,9271.
are classed as products of the forest, and 964,0971.
as products of agriculture, the remainder being derived
from fisheries, mines, manufactures, &c. The augmen-
tation in the estimates of the assessable property of the
country, which for Upper Canada alone was fixed at
36,252,1781. in 1851, and at 37,695,9311. in 1852, keeps
pace with what would be expected from all the other in-
dications of the growth of the colony, among which also
are to be included the revenues from the public works,
the Post-office, &c. Regarding these works and their
contemplated extension, the debt incurred or to be
incurred for their construction, and the existing re-
venues to meet the liabilities thus raised, the re-
port furnishes the following particulars :—The total
cost of the public works of Canada, classed as pro-
ductive, up to Jan. 1, 1852, amounted to 2,834,2341.,
and the net revenue derived therefrom in 1851 was
48,2781. This is under 2 per cent., but the returns are
progressively increasing. Among the most important
works are the St. Lawrence and Welland Canals, which
complete a continuous inland navigation to Chicago of
1,587 miles. The length of canal in this navigation is
684 miles, with 5501 feet in lockages, and vessels with
from 350 to 400 tons' freight are capable of passing. In
relation to the pecuniary responsibilities which the
colony is now assuming in connexion with the great
railway enterprises in progress within it the lines are
described to The St. Lawrence and Atlantic
Railway, 126 miles in length, running from the St. Law-
rence, opposite Montreal, and connecting with an
American line through the State of Maine, to Portland,
on the Atlantic ; 2, the Ontario, Simcoe, and Huron
Railway, from Toronto to Lake Huron, 90 miles ; 3,
the Great Western, from Hamilton to Windsor, 228
miles ; 4, the Quebec and Richmond, 100 miles ; 5, the
trunk line from Toronto to Montreal, 380 miles ; and 6,
the Quebec and Trois Pistoles line, on the route to
the lower provinces, 160 miles. The aggregate length
of these undertakings is 1,084 miles, and the advances
made to them will be in conformity with the act of
1849, which provides that they are in no case to ex-
ceed one-half of the amount actually expended on the
work, and that the whole property of the companies
shall be liable for principal and interest. The present
debt of Canada (of which 1,500,0001. is guaranteed by
the British Government at 4 per cent.) is 3,659,1461.,
exclusive of the liabilities incurred for the new railways,
which it is anticipated, under the conditions specified,
will never entail any charge on the Treasury. The total
expenditure in 1851 was 521,6441., comprising 183,7491.
for interest on the debt, and 60,000/. for the sinking
fund. On the other hand, the revenue was 692,2061.,
showing a surplus for the year of 170,5621.