The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-29 00:00:00

OANADA.-

-DESPATCH OF LORD ELGIN.

COPY OF A DESPATCH FROM THE EARL OF ELGIN AND
KINCARDINE TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE.
Government House, Quebec, Aug. 16, 1853.
(No. 58.) (Received Sept. 5, 1853.)
My LORD DUKE,—I have the honour to transmit
herewith the Blue Book for 1852, together with two
printed volumes, containing respectively the public ac-
counts of the province, and tables of its trade and navi-
gation for the same year.
2. In my despatch to Sir John Pakington, No. 116,
of the 22d December, 1852, which accompanied the Blue
Book for 1851, I endeavoured to submit as detailed and
accura.te a representation of the then state and prospects
of the colony, and the bearing of recent legi:lation, both
imperial and provincial, on its material and moral in-
terests, as in a document of that character it was pos-
sible to furnish ; it is-not necessary, therefore, that I
should on the present occasion go over the same ground.
agr an. I have only to inquire how far the experience
of :mother year inay have modified conclusions previously
arrived at.

3. The value of imports into Canada for the year end-
ing the sth January, 1853, is stated at 4,168,457/. Bs. sd.
against 4,404,409 Os. 3d. for the year immediately pre-
ceding. Here then is a falling off, though to no great
amount, into the causes of which it may be proper to
inquire.

4. It will appear, on a close examination of the returns
which accompany this despatch, that a considerable por-
tion of the falling off in question has taken place in
goods which are classed as free goods, the total value
of goods imported under this head in 1851 having
been 372,058/. lls. 10d., and in 1852 256,407/. 16s. Bd.
Among the goods comprised in this category, of
which there has been in 1852 a diminished im-
portation, are military stores, wheat, to the large
importation of which from the United States in
1851, I called special attention, in the second
paragraph of my dispatch to Sir John Pakington, No.
116, of the 22nd December last, and coin and bullion,
which represent in the imports of 1851 the sum of
90,3971. 2s. Bd., but are altogether omitted from the re-
turns of 1852. This circumstance may in some mea-
sure account for the fact, that the diminished importa-
tion for the year has not been accompanied by a corres-
ponding diminution in the revenue for customs, the said
revenue having been-.--

For 1851

For 1852 .

£. s. d.
Gross 606,114 5 2
Net 577,15S 15 8
Gross 607,613 18 11
Net .

5. As respects dutiable articles, there appears to have
been a falling off in cotton goods, which were imported
in 1851 to the value of 802,4921. 15s. 11d., and in 1852
to the value of 636,3211. 17s. Bd. Of woollens, linens,
and many other' manufactures, there was, on the other
hand, an increase in the latter year over the former ;
but on the whole I am inclined to believe that importing
merchants looking to the great and rapid increase that
had recently taken place in the aggregate amount of the
annual imports which had risen from the value of
2,468,130/. Os. 9d., in 1849, to the value of 4,404,4091.
Os. 2d., into 1851, conducted their operations with espe-
cial caution during 1852.
6. With the view, however, of ascertaining whether
or not the check which had been given in 1852 to the
rapidly progressive increase of Canadian imports was
due to causes which were likely to be permanent, I have
caused returns to be prepared, showing the comparative
amount and value of the importations during the first
six months of 1852 and 1853 respectively. It appears
from these returns that the imports into the province
during the six months ending. the sth of July, 1852,
amounted in value to 1,782,4641. 13s. 11d., and during
the six months ending the sth of July, 1853, to
2,811,970/. 10s. id., showing an increase of about 50
per cent. in the latter period over the former. I may
observe further, that the importation of articles paying
an ad valorem duty of twelve and a half per cent., which
includes cotton and other manufactures, has increased
from 1,199,0961. 19s. 2d. in the first six months of 1852,
to 1,910,0551. 17s. 3d. during the same period of 1853.
7. The exports for the year 1852 exceeded those of
the year preceding.
Total value of exports during 1852 :--
From sea ports
From inland ports 1,285,923 15 4

2,888,214 0 0
Against 2,663,083 14 4
or 1851. Or, with the addition in either case of 20 per
cent. to the valuation of exports from the inland ports,
in order to approximate to the actual values.
Grand total of exports in
1852
1851

£3,145,09814 3
2,837,785 9 11

8. In this statement of exports the value of the ships
built at Quebec in each of the years in question is in-
cluded.
It is estimated for
1851 at
1852 at
The estimate for the former year being thus considerably
in excess of that for the latter. It may be proper, how-
ever, to mention that from information I have received
I have reason to know that the returns for the current
year, when completed will show a great increase in ship-
building at the port of Quebec for 1853 over 1852.
9. The returns herewith transmitted give the follow-
ing statement of the commerce of Canada, with the un-
dermentioned countries for the year 1852 :
Exports. Imports.
Great Britain... £1,388,495 5 8 £2,192,698 6 7
N. A. Colonies 166,877 18 4 93,826 3 9
B. W. Indies... 2,867 15 8 1,050 19 8
United States... 1,201,340 1 8 1,743,991 15 4
Other Countries 38,731 18 2 133,890 0 9
As regards the commerce with the United States, how-
ever, it is to be remarked that it consists both ways, to ,
a great extent, of goods which pass through the country
in transit. The imports of the States comprising large
amounts of tea, West India sugar, and other articles not
indigenous and the exports thereto including, among
other items, vegetable food to the value of 654.7111. 9s. 6d.
10. The revenue on the provincial canals, which wa5£62,640
£62,640 3 8
52,545 5 6
69,536 3 7
57,034 17 4
in tons on the

in 1851

Gross
) Gross
Net ..
? Net
anidn IthBes2total movement of property
canals—

Welland.

SL Lawrence.

Chambl

1851 691,6271 450,4001 110,7261
1552 743,060 492,575 87,514
The decrease of traffic on the Chambly Canal is pro-
bably due to the competition of railways which have
come recently into operation, and afford a direct com-
munication from Montreal to the States.
11. The per centage of increase in the total move-
ment of property on these canals in 1841, as compared
with 1848, appears to have been as follows :
Welland 141.5
St. Lawrence 199.8
Chambly 364.6
Although the traffic on the Chambly Canal, therefore,
fell off in 1852, its ratio of increase on the longer term
was larger than that of the other canals. Its rapid growth
is attributable to the great demand for Canadian sawed
lumber which has sprung up of late years in the United
States.
12. The number and tonnage of the vessels from sea
which entered inwards at the ports of Quebec and Mon-
treal were :

In 1851 1,469 ships ......... 573,397 tons.
In 1852 1,332 „ ........ 528,738 2' Of which totals the following were foreign vessels belong-
ing to the under-mentioned countries :

:o
Countries. 1851. 1852.
Nu--T. t7,---ong• Num'
..------,--------____
_____--
_____
1 134
Bremen ............... ---
g 478 2 469
Mecklenburg .....................
Norway ... ......................
Prussia ...........................
__2 7
4.1.- 1707° 35128 2101:31
Hamburg ............................ 6 1,019
Portugal _ _
Sweden 3 989 3 979
............ 35 20,062 73 36,354
United States., ........... . ...... 1 212
Russia.....
Hanover . .. . ....
3,668 _
.............
117 50,716 176 71,409
rri..4-1 ' _ ..........

Total

13. The net revenue of the province of Canada for the
year 1852 was 623,724/. 7s. sd, ; expenditure including
interest on public debt and sinking fund, 535,171/. 6s.

7d. $a fo re concluding this report I will, with your
Grmission, offer a few remarks on two districts
ce Pe
of the province which I have visited since the close of
the parliamentary session, and which, though they are
out of the track of ordinary travel, possess features of
considerable interest.
15. Of these districts, the one which I first visited lies
to the south of the St. Lawrence, at a distance of about
60 miles from Quebec. The discovery of gold at various
points within it, and more particularly in the beds and
banks of some of the smaller streams which fall into the
River Chaudiere, has attracted attention to it of late
years. The geological formation in which these disc:-
veries have been made is held to be a prolongation of the
Green Mountains of Vermont and its strata bears a
pretty close analogy to those that run through Virginia,
the Carolinas, and other southern states in which gold
has been found at intervals in veins and alluvial deposits.
The goldworking in this district have been hitherto
conducted on- a, very small scale, by companies
employing hired labour, and for obvious rea-
-1 sons it is difficult under such circumstances to
ascertain what may have been the amount of the
actual yield. The encouragement which the com-
panies have met with is at any rate such as to
induce them, after the experience of two or three years,
to continue their operations. I was unable to visit the
most productive working, but a considerable quantity
of gold was extracted in my presence from the gravel on
the banks of a small stream called Des Plantes, which
runs into the Chaudiere. Whether the gold workings
in Lower Canada are likely to prove in any high degree
productive, and whether, if they were to become so, it
would be an advantage to the province. are questions on
which I do not venture to hazard an opinion, but of the
existence of that metal in very appreciableNuantities in