The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-07 00:00:00

E sIIGRATION TO CANADA.

Trlio Otiaft& gortipany, establi;hed for coloniz-
ing a rich distridt On the banks of Lake Huron,
have published a statement ef the results
which have attended emigration to that part of
Uppr.J.l* Canada, from the formation of the Com-
pany until thitii present period. According to
this, the success ul' the speculation has been al-
-1 most unexampled, as attested by several letters
from* emigrants, which accompany statistical re-
turns respecting' the rapid growth and present
state of the Colony. We extract the following
from the introductory statement ;
Th e Canada Company, in laying befog' the public an ana
lysis of their labours during the la t twelvc years', in effect-
ing the settlement o` astir lands in C 'nada, felt cmivinet-:
that a more grat'fying spectacle than it presents, of the
;ignal success that has attended industrious exertions in
the Western Hem.sphete, has never been collected before.
In order to obtain this intelligence, and that its fidelity
and accuracy migut be eitab'is'ied beyond the re.tch of card
or suspicion, they procured theinstrutnentality of some of the
most influential, longest settled, and respectable inhabitants,
re3idleg in various parts of the province, to collect the
necessary Information. They were directed to spare
neither trouble nor expense to procure the most minute
and f,ithful returns, From the very diffuse and extended
information thus obtained, the Company have made such
seleetions, and furnished such an abridgment, as they
deemed Oge-lent for general purposes; but as they are
desirous of afrordmg to any individual an opportunity of
examining the details, persons wont' be permitted, on
appli!'ation at the Office of the Company, 13, S Helcii's
place, to inspect tnese returns. Nothing can be more
'rhtifyi,,g or triumphant than these interesting accounts.
A body of settler', who emigrated to Upper Canada a
little more thin ten i ears ,iace. placed themselves on the
Company's lands near Oa Tney consisted .f Ib6
somilia,, of which number 129 had no capital whotever
the wboJd nthaher of persons were 436. They now pos-
sess 100 house#f they hive cleared and cultivated 2 820
a .rce ; they 439 heal of e ,ttle, 41 she ei), and ni.ie
horses; and the aggregate value of their property, formed
:in a low estimate during the spring of last year, was
found no be 23 653/. _ . .

~....
' There are many letetenees of an increase of capt ti in ten
- years severietted, and other eases siii mere start i g aid
wonderful, wheie the increase le valise has arisen from
loc 1 eiretenstances and peculisrnies, each es contiguity to
a village or town, water powers, &e. lase ; but these do
not term a part of the general cid n tte.
The county of }feral hers been described at gecat e•
- length a- d tai more detail then other counties of town-
ships, 'principally because it stilt afford; . the Largest
sespe f.r settlement, offers great earl peculiar ad-
vantagee, and establishes, beyond all donor. or dis-
putation, the fell ability of the ieliabieinte of the
&rose Isie4 succeresfeliy to subdue the wilderness arid
convert it into produetiete lends It is essentially 4 B tiih
settlement; its Cultivation has been principeilv effected
by immigrants from England, Ireland, and Scotland : and
the cheering results of their peraersrauce arid vigour era
to be seen is this fine fertile and extensive district, by the
formai-an of numerous Magee, and in the quaatiry of
cultivated land. Tne teen of Getlerich, the capit Aof
' this dletriet, beaut fully situate at the merg tt of the ma-
jesiic Lake Hume, at the confluence of tee River Malt-
aeinadsma'bnleenhtairre-
whose fertility of soil is unsurpassed by any in the Continent
'illi'l-abyCaaar'c-ohu°n7rey.
Guelph, in the neighbourhood of this &strict, originally
of America, and blended by a 1 inland sea, supplying the
ebalwaiinediuddal'aerbpasnotoenussdystgae7ralijeiornl' yaegirenannenad: and
:bin ants,clea atstt shi
dar r'B re:vs°lli t:re:op9llllP:tiiirrhl;lo:llfl'in;al fish. The town
belonged to the Company, and wee settled by their in-
strumentality. In 1827, it was untenan el but by the
beasts of the forest, without a tree having been felled;
it is now a district town, with four ceurchee, numerous
public buildings, possessing a large and increasing popu-
lation, and is still progressing in wealth and importance.
To this statement are suVoined two tables,
giving an analysis of returns from seventy-eight
townships. In the first table, we find that in
Otanabee twenty-one aetlers, who had com-
menced business without capital, have accumu-
lated among them a property of (3,105/., the ave-
rage property possessed by each being 2901. 14s.
in Camden East, thirty-five settlers, who had
also commenced without property, have accumu-
Itted 8,1671., giving an average of 233/. each. In
others the average extends to 5001., and in some
instances to 80'J/. each. It appears also that 724
persons, who, on arriving in Canada, possessed
together a capital of 34,5171.. had acquired
Property in 1840 to the amount of 323,7161. Of
these persons 337 were without any funds what-
ever, and they now possess au average of 3411.
each; 89 arrived with capital in suns of 20/. and
under, and they have now an average of 429/.
each.. In the second table a similarly flattering
picture is drawn showing the following results:-
640 persons who on arriving in Canada possessed
collectively 28,4021., in 1840 possessed property
to the amount of 224,0311. Of these, 310 settlers
arrived in Canada with no capital whatever.
They . now collectively possess property to the
amount of 95,7871., being an average for each
person of 3081. 19s. 9[1.; 113 .settlers arrived in
Canada with capital in sums of 201. and under, to
the amount of 1,1511. 17s. 7d., being an average
for each person 'of 101. 3s. 104.; they now collec-
tively possess property to the amount of 36,5181.
12s. 6d., being an average for each person of
323/. Bs. 94.; 217 settlers arrived in Canada with
capital in sums above 20/. to the amount of
27,251/. being an average for each person of
1251. 1 ls. 7d ; they now collectively possess pro-
. perty to the amount of 91,696/., being an ave-
rage for each person of 4221. lls. 2d. 610 per-
sons. Total value of property, 224,031/. 125.61.
Some of the letters also contain interesting de-
tails, particularly that by Dr. Robert Alija.- the
emigrant agent at Guelph, addressed to the Com-
missioners of the Company. He thus describes
the country and• the character of the settlers:—
Guelph and the adjoining townships are remarkably
healthy, and will bear a comparison with the most healthy
spots known. Having been in man, parts of the world
while in the medical deparewint in the Royal Navy, and
nearly twenty tears in eye neive print ce in England,
some good opportteitiee hare been given me to form
a judgment upon. Guelph abound; with the b•st build-
ingearth, mate Ws, such as stone,
and hard timber : pine we are shot of, and have to
fsti hit from a mill some few miles fr em us, our lands
being too good to grow it. All the hard woods,
and those said to indicate good soil, farm almost exclu-
sively the trees of this township; tee population of the
township is 2,290: of the town 643. The settlers are
nearly all English. Scotch, and Irish, and these in about
equal numbers. I have said, is this report, Guelph was
at a low ebb in 1832, and as many persons who may lead
what I write know tbat the township had been partially
tot led and carefully fostered by the Canada Company for
some four or five bears pri r to that date, they will be cu-
rious to know why it was so little had been dote by the first
settlers, and as I was myself at a loss to account for this, I
made some inquiries at the time of my arrival here, and
many since. From these I learn of the old settlers them-
selves, that when the Company's chief office was in Guelph,
many of these settlers were employed for months and even
years on the cutting roads, clearing town plot, constructing
bridges, making mill-dams, rai•ieg and hauling building
meterials, &c. &o , and thus long kept off their several
lots of land • and it appears that when they did go en
land they did not do much, having been nearly and some
quite spoilt by the. Company's high wages, too liberal
fie/dings, and much too lenient overseers. It may be and
undoubtedly is good to give a measure of aeistence to
poor men on first coining to this country ; but I am of
opinion, east after doing a little for them, the sooner
they.are thrown on their own resources Cite better it will
be for them. I have :et?
teat Feeley of the late-come poor
-
penniless working men neye far outstripped the earlier
settlers ; hence I must conclut.,7 that too much nursing
of this class (We not turn out .beneficial to them.
We have here (as no doubt It the ease elsewhere)
abundant evidence t ) show that the insists:rim!s sober
emigrant, who resolves to succeed, will and se:es suc-
ceed, help or no help; while, on 'be other hand, sone
never do succeed, nor will th •y; give them what money,
advice, and assistance you may. These men are to be
found all over the word, so far as I have seen it ; bu-
we must remember that we who invite emigration to our
adopted country, aid those well-intentioned ineividuals
who send emigrants from home, are in the pale ef
duty. Men are placed in precisely the same situ ii ion
in which thousands have gained a comp tence, and
same a little forturie and thus tar we have served our
neighbour; it is for him to make his election whether be
will do as others have done by the use of the same means,
or whether he will not. From pretty close observation
dieing the past eight tears, I have come to the conclusion
that the Scotch are the bat and most successful of all
emigrant. Come they wee) or without money. come they
with great working sons, or with only little useless girls.
it is all the same ; the Scotchman is sure to better his con-
dition, and this very silently, and almost eitheut a cern-
plaint. Of ail the sous poor Scotehmen bring out with them,
scarcely any become servants. 'I observe they weir'. with and
for their parents Bill the latter are well 'ticked in and se-
Curdy provided fur, when these young man betake them i
velvee to land on their own account. Tt is is worthy of no-
tice, and should he imitated by othere, as the great: et ad-
vantages are derived farm the family having a head in good
circumstances, and ready with its essietence in times
of need. The industry, frugality, and s ibriety of the
Scotch, mainly contribute to their success, and Path
habits are abarilutis necessary le he rigidly fnallowed by
poor settlers on first entering the .'"
Bush " I have care-
fully waecl:ed the progress and result of the Scotch. Dish,
and English emigrants ie the rsce to the goal desired br
al', viz , to obtain a deed for their land, and find that,
where a'l have apparel to me to be equally well mounted
and preci-O the same course to go over and the same
hills of difficulty to ascend, the Scotceman is generally
fiist in at the winning-post Next to the Scotch, I am of
opinion the Enalishman comes in fee his (need of praise;
but it is infinitely more eifficult to speak of him than of
his Scotch or Irish neighbours, as every shade and grade
of character, conduct, and sue: cis, is to be found amongst
the English in this piece and its r ciglabouring townships ;
suffice it to say, that were it not fer a considerable num-
ber of gs,od men from Yorkshire and Notenghstnshii e, who
are prospering in this part of Canada, I must leave lent my
own countrymen to be noticed last. Gene aly speaking,
English families do not hold toeether ling enough to ensure
success; the sons of poor English emigrants leave teeir
parents, and become servants at the usual high wager, and
instead of saving money to purchase land, the same is
squandered away in fine clothes., and at the numerous
Country balls. &c. This courteis followedsup by taking a
wife, becoming a Common labours r„. ri 'inlet.; a smart
house in the town, where he is determined his wife shall
wear as rick I silk dress on a Sunday as any lady in the