New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-22

heel inst the size for the Montreal locks, and 10
nm between Montreal and Hamilton, at the head
of this Lake The fare from Toronto to Lewis
ton. Fort George, Queenston and Youngstown,
across Lake Ontario, will probably be reduced
soon 20 % cents through competition.
A good deal Of substantial building IS gong on
here; some Of the houses are very handsome ana
durable. remember when we had bat one BRICK
house in Toronto and not one In Hamilton May
we expect 20 see you here at the annual festival
Of the Sons Of Temperance in June next l.,
The government have put of their move 10
Quebec TO the Fall, and their last session OIL tnls
Legislature is adjourned 20 next Summer, sup
nose. AS the elections are likely to take place
before January next. we have the usual quantity
Of the magnificent Railway meetings, speeches.
and projects. while the whole OF the Railways IN
Upper Canada measure nine miles, all told. 1
hear that seven or eight sections OF the W este'n
Railway from Hamilton to London near Lake
Erie, upon the plain where the battle OF Tue
Thames was fought in 1871 have actually been
given out to contractors, and that excavation pro-
crosses near Burlington flights. Could tue
Western Railway be built-that is, could capa.
Bile workmeD, fathful directors, and plenty OF
cash be obtained, the journey from the head oil
Lake Ontario, say Dundee or Hamilton, to De-
troit. could be performed in eight or mae hours.
Economy in the management Of public affairs
here is not even dresmt Of: colonial politics
means, as elsewhere, a scramble for the sPohs,
which are here abundant, and the strongest tie OF
party is public plumber. / wish it were other
wise Yet to old inhabitants like me, the pro-
gress Upper Canada has made during the last
thirty years is nearly marvellous. The euperln-
tendent of Education, Ryerson, is urging the Peo'
pie to follow your example, and adopt the free
School system ] think it will be done, ShreWd
men were those Massachusetts Yankees that es'
tablished on really social basis the New Eng
land Free Schools of the Seventeenth Century
Nav their names and memories be forever held IN
honor
During ls49, there were 255364 children in
Canada West, between the ages OF and 10 OF
these o. 537 boys and 6l,929 girls were at the
Common Schools, and $3.50 at private establish
ments. leaving more than 1907 900 uneducated OF
without scholastic lore. The Free School system
would bring under the teachers eye another
so 600 children at the least. A substantial draw
back here is the want of your school or village
libraries. We had in 1s49, bat 81 OF them IN
Western Canada containing but 5,3l5 volumes
There is no legislative provision for establishing
them. OfSunday School Libraries we have now
nearly 500, with some 10000 volumes OF DOCKS,
Our school houses are, generally speaking. Ill
ventilated, temporary buildings, consisting OF one
apartment only and deficient In proper scnool
furniture-nevertheles am glad to see what has
been done since 1916, when our first school act
was passed, in imitation of yours Of 1913. Tenn
perance is beginning to be greatly encouraged
its advocates gain ground.
You have regular correspondent here an
old and lazy, and news is scarce. Our local
legislatures or country municipal councils WorR
well. | like them much. Yours 8