The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-06-27
Extract Of a letter dated
Canadian Internal improvements

We have been quite surprised to find by an ar
tcle in that ital Journal the Courier des Etats
Unis, that gigantic enterprise is on foot in Can
ada and England to unite the eastern and western
possessions of her Britannia majesty this conti
nent, and to connect them with New York and
Boston by railways. The last session of the Ca
madam Parliament authorized the fusion, into one
consolidated line, Of all the principal railroads
already built or to be built in that country. This
enterprise embraces the improvement which con-
meets Portland with Montreal, while a company
is to be formed in England to carry the whole plan
into execution. The Courier informs that,
when finished, the united work will comprise ,ll2
miles Il will cross Canada, Maine, Vermont, and
New Hampshire, and will link Portland with Lake
Huron. The region embraced in its iron band
contains three millions of people
At Portland, the line will find a connexion al
ready made by other works which terminate in the
north at Halifax, and in the south at New York,
through Boston. From the Canadian frontier, at
Richmond, there will be branch to Quebec, con-
Meeting that capital with Montreal by a journey
of SIX hours. In time, this lateral Improvement
may be extended to Trois Pistoles, Miramichi,
and even to Halifax and when the line touches
Montreal, it will connect with three railroads ra-
dating thence to Boston and New York.
But this is not he end of the scheme. West of
Montreal, this great artery will feed the line to
Bitours, cross the vast woodland districts of the
Ottowa, and unite with the railroad to Ogdens-
burg and with the lines to Rane and Cape Vincent
in New York. From Kingston TO Toronto it will
traverse the rich region north of Lake Ontario;
Ontario, SimercOe, and Huron line of which one
hundred miles now completed towards Geor
gian bay, whose border il terminates. In the
same city il will also connect with the depots Of
the Great Western railroad from Hamilton to
Detroit, two hundred and forty miles long, and a
communication with the southwest of Canada, and
with the railroad from Detroit to Wisconsin,
through Michigan and Illinois. The Great w est
ern line of the Mississippi will also, in all likeh-
hood, connect with this immense Canadian high
way.
Of the 29o miles betwixt Portland and Montreal
$50 are already under way, and the remainder will
be soon completed. Judging by the receipts of the
Canada and Ogdensburg line, it ia calculated thai
the finished sections will yield a revenue OF
s ,52l 900 IN 1858. If We deduct fifty per cent
for current expenses and 300 900 for rent of the
roads to Portland, sufficient will still be left
to pay the mortgage debt of the company. Its pro-
posed to build bridge over the Saint Laurent al
Montreal for the transit of the cars. Messrs
Peto, Brassey and Jackson, of London, have become
contractors for this splendid and important enter
prise,
The entire capital of the company will amount
to SAT 100000, of which S3,4l7,OOO are already
subscribed besides S Cos 900 borrowed on notes,
and SASS 900 embarked in the consolidated COM
panies. This supplies present active capital OF
Sl1 100000 The balance Of $50 900 it is
designed to raise on stock credits, and mortgages
payable in twenty-five years. The shares are al
legged to be already at per cent. premium in the
London market
The reader will be struck by the magnitude anc
UarlnR cndfacteF Vi Iuis VEIN "pen ue feheeu
that II 10 chiefly on the great American termlnl o.
it-east west, and south that il must rely for pro
1T on the enormous outlay. We are aware tina
Canada is rapidly improving in agriculture anc
commerce; yet we doubt whether the enterprise il
question will be able to encounter competition, dur
ing its long and drearv winter with the south
ern improvements across our territory. Still, WI
hope be project may be finished and become pro
ftable. Political economy breads an overcrowdeC
land But when will the millions of acres in Can
ada become sources of fear from such a cause? A
railway Ike this, with frequent branches to the
lakes and the northern forests, cannot fail to Sc
duce many a hardened laborer of northern Eu
rope, who possesses property and prefers to MAIN
tain his loyalty to British institutions The rict
agricultural emigrants, it is likely, will continue
to settle in Canada. The poor of Ireland and Scot
land will seek denser and richer population
among the cities of this Union-Balt. 4msrican.