The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-15 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Lord STANLEY presented several petitions against
Papal aggression.
RAILWAYS IN BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.
Lord gONTEAGLE presented a petition from the
Province of New Brunswick on the subject of railways
in British North America. He believed his Noble
Friend, the Secretary for the Colonies, was desirous of
giving every facility fur the improvement of rail-
way communication in British North America.
It was peculiarly important to establish a rail.
way communication between Halifax and our other
great military posts in North America, which should be
free from all danger of hostile interference by foreigners.
He thought that Parliament would hardly hesitate to
undertake the consideration of this important question.
At present communication between Canada and New
Brunswick was almost interrupted during half the Fear,
and great difficulty had been experienced in moving
troops from New Brunswick to Canada during the Ca-
nadian rebellion. Almost all those in authority in
those colonies, and more particularly the military
authorities, had recommended the construction ofa mili-
tary road between New Brunswick and Canada. - In
1847 the necessity of making a railway communication
from Halifax to Quebec was brought under the atten-
tion of the Government. Two officers of the Royal
Engineers, Major Robinson and Captain Aitchen were
employed to survey the ground, and on the perusal of
their report the Colonial Secretary expressed his opinion
as to the importance of establishing such a communication.
A great" road of communication through 700 miles of
uncultivated country could not be undertaken by private
enterprise. If it could be profitably undertaken the
aid of the State would not be asked; but it was because
it was a great State question, and rot a question of
commercial speculation, that ho asked for the assist-
ance of the State. The Rideau Canal had been un-
dertaken as a matter of State necessity, not
of commercial profit, and upwards of 1,000,0001. of
public money had been expended upon it. In the pro •
viuce of New Brunswick there were several millions of
ungranted and uncultivated acres. and which had no
chance of being granted or cultivated, unless this rail-
road should be constructed; It was most important
that the resources of New Brunswick should
be developed in order to attract emigrants there ;
whereas, under the present system, not only were emi-
grants attracted to the United States in preference to
New Brunswick, but upwards of 5,000 persons had left
New Brunswick to settle in the United States. In Ca-
nada'Went, on the: contrary, where State as-
sistnnee had been given to public works, set-
tlements, houses, and inhabitants had increased, and the
value of assessed property had increased from 5,000,000/.
in 1839, to 8,000,0004 in 1847. They were extending
assistance to Canada, where the inhabitants had re-
belled against the royal authority, and re-
fusing it to those colonies which, like New
Brunswick, had roan ained loyal. The emigrants
from this country, when they had a flee choice,
preferred the United States to our own colonies,
and that because they found they had not those advan-
tages extended to them in our colonies which they found
in the United States. In the last year 41,000 emigrants
only went to the British colonies, while 219,000
went to the United States. Now, it should bo
remembered that those who went to our colonies
became better traders with ourselves than those who
placed themselves under the rule of a government that
was jealous of the extension of our trade. The colonies
were ready to do everything to promote this rail-
way that they could do consistently with their
financial condition. The United States were aware
of the importance of rapid communication, and
were doing all they could to make Canada depen-
dent on the United States. The United States proposed
to construct railroads to place Canada in communication
with the seaboard of the United States, and they were
preparing to do the same with regard to Halifax and tho
c.ilony of New Brunswick. The proposedline would go from
Halifiii to Quebec. Tire whole lay through British ter-
ritory, and it would not be expedient to leave the com-
munication between those important colonies, Canada
and New Brunswick, solely in the hands of a United
States proprietary. There was a gentleman in this
country of the name of Howe, a member of the Legis-
lature of the colony, who had furnished much useful
and important information on the subjecr, and who was
equally distinguished by his intelligence, his desire to
benefit the colony, and his loyalty. Ho hoped that all
papers relating to the subject would he laid on the table.
Lord STAN LEY was not disposed to und' rrate the
importance of our North American colonies, and much
importance as he attached to the value of Canada.
he was not sure that New Brunswick was not
more important to this country than even Canada
itself. It was of the utmost importance that steam
should be kept up between all those colonies in unin-
terrupted communication. He held, therefore, that
the construction of a line of railroad from Halifax to Quebec
—a distance of 700 miles, through a territory exclusively
British, connecting the population of two important colonies
—to be an object of primary importance in a political as well
as in a physical point of view. It could not be unimportant
that the thousands upon thousands who might emigrate from
this country should find,at a distance not exceeding a twelve
days' passage by sea, an unbounded tract of public land and
a healthy climate. It could not be unimportant, whether
viewed as a relief of pauperism here, or an increasing of our
power there, that we should have the possession of ten or
twelve millions acres of fertile land, containing great mineral
wealth. It was no ordinary case, and 'was not to be consi-
dered with reference to whether the proposed line of railroad
paid or not. Even if it should not pay a shilling per cent,
for the next ten years, still the interposition of this country
for aiding those who were anxious to undertake a great
work of that kind was a subject well worthy the attention of
the Imperial Parliament, and was not to be looked on as a
question of mere pounds, shillings, and pence. Great sums
had been advanced by this country for public works in Ca-
nada, on the security of the provincial revenue, and not a
halfpenny had been lost. He agreed with the Noble Lord
that public works in a new country were undertaken upon a
different principle from that upon which they proceeded in
an old country. In the unsettled territories of the United
States roads were formed and post-offices established to in-
duce persons to settle and cultivate the soil. If it were de-
sired that our colonies should equal the United States in
progress. the same principle must be adopted, and great
works of public benefit must be undertaken as an inducement
for emigrants to settle there. A line of railroad from Halifax
to Quebec would pass through three seperate provinces, in
some respects differing from each other, yet all were anxious
for the establishment of the line. They were willing to give
a guarantee on the public fund, and a grant of land to the
extent of ten miles on either side of the railway, comprising
about 5,00^,p00 acres; and all they 'asked was the counte-
nance of the home Government. 'The Legislature of Nova
Scotia were adverse to their portion of the line being com-
pleted by foreign capitalists, and were determined to retain
the eontrol of any line passing through their own territory;
and it was of vast importance that it should be under the
control of a British province of unimpeachable loyalty,
and pozsessing in the port of Halifax the very
key,, of her North American possessions. It was
stated, by them that the cost Of their portion of the line
,would be 800,000/., that their revenue was 80,0001. ,a year,
and their surplus 40,000/. a year.' It would, therefore, take
ten years of their WhOle revenue to complete the line. On
their own debentures the money 'might be raised at 5 per
cent. ; brit at 3i , per cent., with the sanction of the Home
and Colonial Governments. Besides the security of their surplus
they were willing to 'give any amount of waste land in the
colons- which the Noble Earl might require. With regard to
New 'Brunswick, the line would not be so difficult of execu-
tion. The line would pass' through a rich country, well
timbered, and containing great mineral wealth. Besides
their revenue, the province would pledge 11,000,000 acres of
unoccupied land flir the repayment of the advances. If the
line were opened the whole of that country would be opened
to British settlement; but the 'refusal to assist the province
to complete the railroad would close the province to
settlers. There were various wayoi in which the Noble
Earl the Foreign Secretary might aid the undertaking,
Lie believed, if the Government were, to give their guarantee
conjointly with' that of the provinces, that capitalists would
be found in this country
perfectly ready to execute the line.
He did not recommend any particular one of the courses
suggested by the colonists for raising" the necessary loans,
but lie thought it was right that the colonists should know
what the Government of this country intended to do in the
matter At pre3ent Nova Scotia had passed an Act for mar-
rying out their portion of. 'the line. New Brunswick had
passed a resolution guaranteeing the waste lands anti a cer-
isoyearly sum. He did not blame the Noble Earl the Co-
lonial Secretary for beirg a little cautious in the matter; but
there were cases in' which a prompt and decisive course of
action was Ultimately the best policy, and he believed, if the
,Noble Earl would only Say that ' Giesernment would grant
assistance, that these great works would speedily be com-
pleted. He 'was afraid, that unless Government or the Par-
lianient of this country interfered,.these works:would beln-
definitely postponed, the communication between two great
provinces would not be opened, the stream of emigration

from this country would not be to our own colonies. but
to
the United States, and the communication between Que
hcc
and Halifax and Quebec and this country would be ulti-
mately through the United States, liable to be cut off in
time of war, and in time of peace giving all the advr
,ntage: I
of the traffic not to our colonies, but to the United States. r
'
The course of Government was open, either for gre At evil or i
great good. It would be a great evil to exhibit apt' Aby ; and
he, therefore, hoped Government would act in that prompt
,i
manner which, iu such matters, best promoted the honour 4
and interest of the country. /1
.. .

Earl GREY would not say more than a few words: on tee
present occasion. He would, however, express.his fail semi
of the importance of the subject, and state that it had f or
some time engaged his most serious attention. He would
not now state the various difficulties that stood in the way
of a decision. The subject was under the considerati on of
her Majesty's Government, and a gentleman of great, stand-
•
ing in Neva Scotia had been deputed to collect infer elation
and to communicate with the Government on the. ,subject.
He hoped, long before the present session corethe led, he
should be able to come to a definite decision on the q uestion.
With reference to the slow progress of New Brume. Nick, he
believed it was to be attributed to the few publie rks that
had been commenced. With respect to Canathe, the t advances
which it had made in wealth and civilizat'.on—an advance
which was far beyond any other colony--was owin g to the
number of public works that had been :complete,l. The
effect of these public works had particularly been Veit since
the•repeal of our navigation laws. Few persons had been
able to anticipate the great development of caninerce that
these changes had given rise to. The now canals had con-
tributed most largely to that result.
Lord STANLEY, in reference to the Noble Earl's state-
ment of the great augmentation of commerce since the change
in the navigation-laws, referred to the great influx of foreign
vessels into the North American ports since that change had
taken place. Would the Noble Earl place on the table a re-
turn of the number of foreign vessels which entered the port
of Quebec, for two years before and two years after the re-
peal of those laws? •
Earl GREY had no objection to such a return ; but he
protested against the number of foreign vessels which bad
entered the port of Quebec since the repeal of the navigation-
laws being taken as any test of the operation of that change.
The time was, also, too short to afford any accurate estimate
of the result of the repeal; and it must also be recollected
that several circumstances, such as the large extra importa-
tion of food, had occurred to prevent any correct inference
from being drawn as yet as to the actual effect of the altera-
tion in the navigation-laws.

Earl NELSO'Si presented a petition from Chepstow on the
subject of Papal aggression (as we understood.),
Their Lordships then adj( urned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb 14.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
The Sheriffs of London appeared at the bar of the
House to present a petition praying for the repeal of
the window-tax.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following Bills were then read a second time:—
Cambridge Waterworks.
Manch ster and Aibteii •under-L3 ne New Road.
Pyecombe and theitar, ai Turnpike Road.
WINDOW DU HES.
A great number of petitions were presented praying
for the repeal of the window duty.
PAPER DUTY.
Mr. REYNOLDS presented a petition from Dublin,
praying for a repeal of the paper duty.
A great number of petitions were presented to a similar
effect.