The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-01
Our Quebec Correspondence

J. + Delsplane, !" J. McGill Richmond;
Our Quebec Correspondence.
QUEBEc, Nov. 10, 1852.
Railroad from Gaiena, on the Mississippi, to Hall
far, Nova Scotia-Legislative Actio~ on the Sab
jet Proposed duplication for Imperial Aid
| O,cing to Increase of the Public Debt of Casada-
Steam Communications bet,cees Liverpool asd
Quebec, Montreal and Portiand-T Terms of the
Contract.
Previous to the recent adjournment Of the Legs.
lature, Mr. Hincks had succeeded in having tho
various bills passed that were pending for the con-
struction Of main trunk line from Detroit to the
Trois Pistoles river $50 miles below Quebec, on the
route surveyed by Major Robinson, and approved by
the British government, comprising in all dis.
lance Of SSl miles, and passing through and con-
Meeting all the great towns and cities Of Canada.
From tho Trois Pistoles to the Restigouche river,
on the eastern frontier Of Canada, it is l27 miles,
and from the Restigouche to the Mirimishi, it is
100 miles-making 227 miles, which may be con-
sdered as the only portion of the line that is not
under contract, or for which arrangements are not
in progress towards completion, the province of
New Brunswick having entered into contract with
Mr.. jackson, the English agent, to complete the
line from Mirimchi to the Nova Scotia lne and
offer having been made by another company to
construct railway from thence to Halifax, 1t the
rate Of 900 per mile, the entire distance through
that province being only ia miles, and through
New Brunswick 234.
The distance from Detroit 10 Halifax, by the line
which has been surveyed, is l, $3.50 miles; and the
continuous line from Galena, on the Mississippi, to
Halifax, Of about 500 miles, which, with the aid Of
the natural outlets of the interior lakes. will, it il
expected, secure fair share Of tho commercial in.
| ut fho 2<ok~ IL
Canadian government to relinquish their dog iuthe
mapger policy, and would authorize the construction
of canal, at the foot of Lake Superior, or permit
which is at present before the AssemblyNto con.
meet by steamboat with the line of railway that is
being opened from Toronto to Georgian bay, ut the
head OF Lake Huron, these expectations would
doubtless be realised to the fullest extent
The line OF railroad from Detroit to Halifax will
be enc Of uniform gauge of FIVE feet five inches and
Of the most permanent character-superior to those
the United States, and upon which cars will travel
at the rate OF sixty miles per hour. To effect these
objects, the provincial governments, in addition to
grants of land, either take stock to q certain
amount, or, as is the case with that of Canada,
make advances at the rate Of l2 600 per mils being
secured by lien on that portion which lies within
their respective limits; the effect of which will be,
as regards Canada-for the other provinces are
comparatively free from debt-to incur an addition
to its present public debt Of $40 900 O0O or at least
twelve or fourtt en- millions Of dollars more.
III mas therefore peen Qeemed necessary by tho
executive to solicit aid from the British govern
ment, and accordingly, when the adjournment took
place, series Of resolutions before the House,
which had been introduced by the Inspector General
and which viii doubtless be agreed to, on which to
found address to the Queen, stating that in pro.
vdipg for the construction of the railway from De-
tIoit to the Tros Pistoles, the Of the pro-
vince will be too much exhausted to allow the con.
tinuipg it to Restgouche, without assistance from
the Imperial government, and expressing the opin-
ion Of the House that this might be
given for the completion Of line from the Trois
plstGle' to hiiimiehi by appTopratng $500 900 an
years, in favor Of Canada and New Bruins wick,
which is piece of the most modest assurance that
can be well conceived.
The facts are simply these. The late Colonial
Secretary in England expressed the willingness Of
the imperial government to advance some thirty
fve millions OF dollars, or to guarantee provincial
bonds to that extent-the revenues Of the provinces
being pledged as security for the regular payment
OF the interest and ultimately Of the principal-for
the purpose OF opening railroad through British
territory, from halifax to Quebec; and the line in
4 Dictated was that which had been surveyed about
three or four years since by competent surveyors
rent from England
This proposition was assentcd to by the Iegisla.
lures Of Canada and Nova Scotia but the people Of
st. John bad sufficient interest to induce the Legs-
latuIc Of New Brunswick to refuse compliance
4 with the offer Of the Imperial government unless
the line we're to pass through that city; and tho
Colonial Secretary had already intimated that no
i aid would be given to that from Portland to the
boundary line OF Nova Scotia, IL was insisted that
it should pass through the valley Of the St John,
and thence through Sussexvae to that point, at the
head of the Bay Of Fundy, thus unnecessarily
lengtheDing the route.
The result was that the British government re-
fused to grant the proposed guaranty, or to I'D.
be expended in opening line that would connect
with foreign State; and the Legislatures of both
Provinces, in defiance Of this ntimation, have
pledged their entire revenues either for the purpose
nf fpInU ~. In N oTo lima sak nrst xhA
ception OF the one hundred and fifty miles between
Quebec and the Trois Pistoles, is to tho westward
OF that cityor of opening line in New Brunswick,
British government Refused to assist, because il
formed part of that to Portland.
The reasons, however, that are urged in behalf
Of obtaining the proposed aid. are plausible and
wcighty, and will doubtless receive corresponding
consideration on the part Of the British government
namely: that the Undertaking will afford to the in
dnstrious but crowded population Of the United
KINGDOM, q ready means Of access to millions Of
acres Of fertile land. utterly unproductive, in
which they will be ,ome consumers Of British manu-
features; it win save large sums of money annu-
ally in the expense Of conveyance Of the mail from
England, while it will render that conveyance more
rapid and secure, and avoid the necessity Of its de
pending upon the suferance of fore On power;
and it will follow that line which ali military
authorities have agreed in selecting as best calsu-
lated to make It eminenty useful 70 the defence Of
the country
h Not only have the Canadian government adopted
these measures for opening a railroad communic&-
ton with Halifax-the nearest harbor to Europe
available for such purpose--but, as stated in q
former letter, they have contracted with Messrs.
Mexican, AcLarty Co., Of Liverpool, to run
line OF steam vessels once fortnight, while the
navigation is open, between that port and Quebec,
and once month between Liverpool and Portland
during the winter season--the Canadian government
paying t95 00 and the city of Portland and the st.
Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad Company in Mon
tresl s25 ,000-- making $l20, 900 per annum for
the due performance Of both services
The steamers are not 10 be less than twelve hun.
dred tons, carpenters measurement, and Of three
hundred hosse power; to be first class vessels, and
hour. the ayora0a Tharo MT "A h Las