Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-05-18
UPPER CANADA.

AT this interesting crlsis, WhS.s ~
brave soldiers have taken possession OF
the capital OF Upper Canada, some &C,
count cf tho territory they are expected
to conquer will not be unacceptable 10
our readers. We are indebted tor 1t TO
the latest edition of the Geography OF
DR.. Morse.
UPPER CANADA.
Er.ent-If, as we suppose, this pro
vince is considered as extending to iake
| WINNIPEG westward; and noIthward to
| Poplar river, which falls into the mo
die OF that lake from the east; the iol
loving account of its size and situation
may be regarded as generally accurate.
Its stuthern extremity on lake Erle Is
in lat. 20, so, N its Northern at Poplar
river in lat So, so, lis eastern on iake
| St Francis in lon. "A degrees Nv. and
its western on lake WINNIPEG in lon. 81
| degrees. The northern line generally,
! however, is believed TO be considerably
sou'h OF lat. 50, so lis length from
east to west on this supposihon is lo9o
mies-I,s greatest bre adth from lake
| Erie to the northern line is 525 miles !;
Inc average breadth is rot more than $50
or 800.
" by New
Britain; n. E. by Lower Canada; E.
By the same. and by the river st Law
renee, lake Ontario, and Niagara river,
which divide it fr., New York; 5. by
lahes Eric, Huron and Superior. and
WINNIPEG river, which divide IT from
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Mlchl.
ean Territory and the N w parts OF the
United States; w. by Detroit river,
lake St Clair, Huron river ana lake,
WINNIPEG river and lake WINNIPEG.
Rehgiom-Tae great part Of the pro,
vince is destitute of regular gospei
ministry. A, Kingston, Newark and a
lev other places, there are settled cler-
gymen. Except these places the Me-
lhedists are almost the only preachers
in the country. Methodlsm is the pre-
vailng religion of the province There
arc few Presbyierians or Episcopa
hans, and scarcely any Catholics,
Government. y CsDA DiOisions.-I.ikc
the other provinces, Upper Canada has
q lieutenant governor, who acts as go
werner in the absence of the governor
general.
The legislature is composed OF le-
gisiative council and hoase OF assembly.
The former contains moi less than seven
members, the latter not less than l8 =
The manner Of election and the tenure
of The Office are the same as IN Lower
Canada.
The legislature meets annually IN
My, and has the sole power OF taxation.
Weekly courts are held in every town
in the province, by two justices OF the
peace who have final cogniz'hee OF all
debts under dollars. District courts,
are held every three months, by dis
trict judgs, in which cases are tinally
decided by jury of -, where the DC
mand does not exceed 60 dollars
Greater sums are tried BY jury, before
the circuit court composed of tie, Chief
Justice and two associate Judges, who
make an annual circuit through the pro-
vince. From them is an appeal to the
governor and council
This province is divided into ie coun-
ties, which arc subdiylded into townships
ordinarily oi 9 by IL miles.
The constitution Which guarantees 70
the people their political privileges, was
received from the British government
in l79l-That government bears the
whole expense Of the civil establish
ment There is nc lard tax, quit rent,
or any other, excepting Tor the regola-
ton of internal police IN counties and
smaller computations.
The people regulate ali local matters
and choose their town effiiesrs, as IN the
United States. Their privileges are
much greater than we've those of the
American colonies previous to the re-
volotion.
PohulQtion.-The number Of inhabl-
,ants, in 1888, was 10000, in 1906, 80,
ooo.-They ere composed chiefly OF
emieran,s from New England and New
Jersey. Some of the settlers are from
Great Britain. Many Of the towns have
the names of the towns in New and Old
England.
7'owns,-York, formerly Toronto, the
seat of government, stands on York bar
Dor, on the north side, near the west
end of lake Ontario, in IS IS N. directly
opposite the mouth Of Niagara river,
which is 10 miles distant by water, and
100 BY land. A long and narrow Pc
ninssia, called Gibraltar point, forms and
embraces this harbor, securing 1t from
the storms of the lake, and rendering 1t
the safest of any on the coast The
town is projected to extend a mile and
a half in length from the bottom OF the
harbor, along the lake. Many houses
are already completed, some OF which
display considerable taste. 1t was laid
n