The daily union., 1854-07-30
THE TRADE COMMERCE, AND NAVIGATION OF THE
BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES

To The Hoaorable Secretary Qfhe Treasary
s In conformity with your personal directions and
usant 10 written instructions the undersigned has
oenty prosecuted certain inquiries with reference 10 the
British North American colonies especially regards
their foreign internal and lntereoonal trade their com
nerce and navigation and their fisheries Having pro-
cured some new and special Information these several
pons OF much citizens of the United States he
submits the without delay in the brietes possible
form 10 the consideration of the government
Since his appointment consul ST john New Bruns-
wick in s43 the undersigned has had the honor,
raj occasions Of calling the attention OF government to the
extent value and importance of the trade and navigation
of the British North American colonies and Of pointing
ont the necessity OF action the part OF the general
ernment meet the important commercial changes which
have taken place within the last few years He has also
had the Of suggesting the necessity Of wise and lib
er legislation in relation to this important and valuable
trade with the view OF securing It's proh,s and advantages
To citizens Of the United States in whose immediate neigh
horhood il exists and to whom under fair and equal sys
fem Of commercial intercourse be said to apperin
In the beginning Of this report the undersigned has
d 10 one mart OF the resolution OF the Senate relation
10 the trade and commerce of the great lakes and in the
latter portion he has the honor to submit number of doc
,ments aud statistical returns in relation to the British
North American colonies made up to the latest possible
moment He respectfully but earnestly, socits the
attention of the government and OF the whole commercial
community, to the documents and returns herewith sub
n;ttd and requests particular examination of the sepa
rate reports each colony respectively and OF the special
reports ON the British colonial and French fisheries OF
North America which, at TINS uhe VIII oe ouhu W pos
sess much interest
That full confidence may he placed in the statements re-
atno To trade and Of the colonies embraced IN
this report it may be proper to state that each colony has
been visited the three Following Canada Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick several times in person BY the undesgn-
ed and that the have been carefully compiled not
only from official documents but from trustworthy private
resources.
The possessions of Great Britain in North America,
elusive of West India Islands the united provinces
of Canada East and Canada West, the province of New
Brunswick the province of Nova Scotia which includes
the island of Cape Breton the island colonies of Newound
land and Prince Edward island, Labrador and the wide
spread region ncudng Vaucouvers island the most i'm
portan position the Pacific ocean under the control of
the Hudsons Bay Company, extending from Labrador to
the Pacific and from the northern bounds of Canada TO
the Arctic ocean except the districts claimed by Russia
These possessions viewed merely with reference to their
vast superces which exceeds four millions of geographic
cal square miles comprise territory Of great Importance
more especially when the manifold advantages of their ge
ooraphical position taken into consideration. But
their importance should be estimated less by their terrific
rial extent than by the they contain
their great capabilities for improvement the increase Of
which their commerce is susceptible and the extensive
field they present for colonization and settlement
The British North American provinces which these
reports and documents especially confined
py comparatively but small portion of the aggregate
perces of the whole of the British possessions this
nen yet they wide extent Of country will be
perceived by the following statement of their
Canada East, (acres) l2s,659,6s0
a. W,uf