New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-19
CANADA.
Land Monopoly In British North America
Railroads.

TORONTO. Friday Dec Is
In the F all of 1913 the Canadian Government
adopted the system of granting 50 acres of land
free to every actual settler To this grant certain
conditions were attached such az were necessary
to Insure actual settlement, To clear y acres in
four years, build house and reside on the lot,
were necessary to enttle the settler TO demand
title to the property. In every instance the adj
joining 100 acres were reserved tor the settler, II
he chose to purchase them at : 90 an acre The
settlements filed up rapidly, and the system nay
be said to have worked weIl-she practical draw
back being that the free grant did not cover
face sufficient for the wants of family and 1t IS
easy TO imagine that the $50 adjoinings would. ia
many cases, with great difficulty be brought With
in the reach of the settler This system Of free
grants, however, was only partial, being confined
to two Districts in the Western Province. The
Government is now about to bring into market an
other million of acres but in what way or at what
price the land is TO DE disposed or has not trans
PRED. That the system OF free grants will not be
applied to these lands may be regarded certain,
lnasmuch as they were set apart by the Legisa-
ture ID ls49, as the means OF forming a Common
School Fund for the Province. The price will be
either 81 so or 50 an acre.
The British territory on this continent haa been
the scene OF the most gigantic systems OF laud
monopoly. To the Nova Scotia and New Bruus-
wick Company the British Government granted
500,o00 acres to the Canada Company for a NOM
nal price it sold 2434, AS acres and to the Brit
ish American Land Company 5l7,66l acres. In
addition to this the Hudson Bay Company holds
in prirnevaI barbnrism immense tract of coun-
try North Of the Canada line, comprising 100000
SQUARE miles. The same monopoly has set its
iron heel upon Vancouver's Island to arrest the
march of civilization To it the most profitable
Inhabitants of the vast territory over which II
holds sway are bears, foxes and wolves. In thus
way has England disposed of the greater part OF
her territory on this continent, while millions OF
her subjects are unable to procure foot OF land !!
1t is this fatal policy that explains, IN great de-
gree, the comparatively slow progress OF these
North American Colonies of Britain. Every one
of the existing land monopolies has done much to
retard settlement; while the Hudson Bay Com
panv renders all settlement on lts territories I'M
possible 1t is the great breakwater az the North
ern line of Canada, which stays the onward tide
OF civilization in that direction. 1t that immense
territory which Was granted to lew iayorites OF
Geo /. bad been free to al. Corners, II every set
tier could have appropriated goo acres without
cost the past halt century might have done much
to people it and instead OF lying IN jungle and IN
waste, it might by this time nave become the
germ OF great Northern Empire As it IS, such
a thing has scarcely been thought of
The remaining British territory that has not
been within the grasp OF these monoPolles, has
for the most part been miseTably mlsmauagad. In
Canada the proceeds Of the sales OF public lands
which have generally been sold sufficiently high
has hardly paid the expense OF the Land Depart
ment and the same may be said OF NeW-Bruns'
wick. We have 100 100000 OF acres yet unsoldi
New Rruns wick has / 2 900 0O0 These quantities
are exclusive of what is held by monopollzing
companies. In Canada the public lands are Tor
the most part held considerably higher than the
price at which the United States Government dis
poses of its public domain.
In addition to all the monopolies have men.
toned, Lower Canada is cursed with the Feudal
System, to supersede or ameliorate which ell at
tempts have hitherto been In vain.
The Canada Company have introduced the leas
ing system into the very heart of the forest and
through this instrumentaIity they are raising up
race of serfs where under other conditions OF set
Element every man who cleared piece OF land
would have been a proud and happy treeholder j..
have said enough to show the Importance oil
the and question in Canada. country settled
under the disadvantageOus conditions nave des-
cribed, has at least good reasons for the slowness
of its progress.
There is a great stir through the whole Pro.
vince lust now about Railroads. Projects tor con,
structng new lines thick as blackberries In
Summer The Toronto and Lake Huron Railroad
is no new project The City Council has voted
100000 toward this work on certain specified con
dtions. The work il not yet under contract The
Montrcaers are naturally alarmed at inc success
of the Ogdensburg Railroad, and they are m ahlnS
efforts to secure the construction OF line from
Lachne to Prescott, opposite Ogdensburg, IN the
hope OF bringing the commerce OF the West to
Montreal Bvtown is making exertlons TO secure
the construction Of line to connect 1t with Pres
colt Meanwhile the great Western line at the
head of Lake Ontario is being proceeded with,
some sections OF it having been under contract for
several weeks.
The boats between this City aud Kingston have
laid up for the season. Last Saturday snow Tell
to the depth of several inches, and has every aP'
pearance of remaining The Winters in this
Northern climate are every year becoming milder