New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-24
AFFAIRS IN CANADA.
Correspondence Of The Tribune.

Correspondence Of The Tribune.
ToRoNrO, Saturday, Jan. IL.
II is not vet announced when the Provincial
ParIiamen. will meet though an opinion begins
to gain ground that it will not be till April
That the Government will move to Quebec in
the beginning of next Summer, seems to admit Of
no doubt. This is the present determination OF
the Executive, and it is not likely that any Oppo-
siton that may be got up in Upper Canada to the
removal, will have the effect Of changing that de.
termination.
On the impocy of making transferable the
Land w arrants issued to American citizens who
served in the Mexican War, some important evil
dence may be found in the history Of Land Scrip
Transactions in Canada. When it was first re-
solved to make grants Of land to the Buffers
Rangers and Royal Workers, who took refuge in
Canada at the time of the revolutionary war that
brought the United States into the family of ma
tions and afterward in 1918, when the British
Government sent orders to the Provincial Gov
ernments Of Upper and Lower Canada to make
like grants to the parties who had served in the
war OF 1922 in both instances the grants were
coupled with conditions of settlement Certain
townships were surveyed and laid out, whereitwas
intended the claimants should locate themselves
Several of them had no need for the land for pur-
poses Of settlement, and before the year 1885 the
majority of them had disposed Of their claims to
spectators for the most triAing considerations for
cash. The spectators found themselves in a diff.
fculty; they had bought the land but they had at
the same time contracted the obligation to
perform settlement duties. They set them
selves to work TO free themselves from this
obhgationi and they succeeded. The Legis-
lature Of Lower Canada addressed the Lieu
tenant. Governor to issue proclamation ab-
rogatiDg the original conditions OF settlement. 1t
was not till 1888 that and Scnp-which passed
in payment OF a given quantity of land-was IS
sued heretofore the practice had been to grant
70 the claimants specified quantity OF land In a
part of the country appropriated 10 that purpose.
This scrip was like what suppose yonr Military
Land W arrants to be-good 70 the holder tor the
amount OF land expressed upon the face OF t. Its
depreciation was very great many scrip claims
for 200 acres having even lately sold for $40 70
$50 the ordinary depreciation, after the scrip had
fallen into the hands Of jobbers was generally
thirty or forty per ceIt, they having frequently
purchased II for the merest tribe. Almost the
entire benefit OF these grants has been enjoyed by
SPECTATORS. The expense OF examining the claims
and issuing the scrip was very great and the re-
suit of the whole business is that we have alien
ated thirtyfour millions OF acres for which not one
farthiug has gone 70 augment the public revenue;
but on the contrary, the cost Of alternating the
lands has been an annual tax upon the Province.
And it must be understood that this has occurred
while we have been selling our public lands az a
pretty high figure except Of couse, those that
were granted in the way have described, and
which have nearly all gone to enrich the land.
jobbers.
The ar Of the District Of Quebec and Of Three
Rivers is still in state of rebellion against the
new, and what they consider the too low, tariff of
costs. The Montreal Gar has done what it could
to comfort its brethren in distress, but it has not
courage or audacity enough TO go the full figure;
so il has contented itself with caviling az the ex-
preston Of the President Of the Superior Court,
that "the Bar had improperly obtained copies of
the new rules contrary to the wishes Of the Court"