The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-21

Our NOvia Scotia Corrcspondoncc.
HALIFAX, IN. ST. June 8, 1854
Breaking Ground for the First Provincial Railway
-Commerce-A gricuitme-F inance-7As Flsk.
eries-TTade wiM the Reciprocity C,s.
fers going TO the Fishing Grotmds-Provineiaf
industrial Charlottesville Coasting Trade 0s.
ing all to the United States.
The construction of provincial railways has at
last been commenced in Nova Scotia. II is one
hundred and five years to-day, (June 81 since Hall
fax was founded by the Earl of Halifax, then Pres
dent of the Board of Trade and Plantations and
to-day tenders were accepted and ground broken
for railway from the metropolis towards the New
Brunswick frontier, and the work has been oom
menced in good earnest. After years of discussion
aud the failure of all other plans Mr. Howes policy
mas been adopted by both branches of the Legisls-
ture, and the railways Of NOVA Scotia, like her pub
lie highways, are to be provincial public works.
-Four acts were passed in the recent session of the
Legislature authorizing the appointment Of COM
missioner, with power to expend f2OO 900 per annum
IN the formation OF trunk line Of railway extend.
ing northerly from Halifax to the New Brunswick
frontier, and branches to Pictou and Annapolis The
government are by second act, authorized to raise
the necessary funds, upon provincial bonds or de.
bentures, for the payment of the principal and in
terest OF which the revenues of the province as we
as the income of the roads are pledged. Auxiliary
to this main source Of supply the Receiver General
has been authorized to issue ESQ 900 of provincial
notes, and receive into the Savings Bank f25 600
at four per cent To secure the final success of the
policy he had recommended, Mr.. Howe resigned all
his executive appointments, and accepted that Of
chairman of the railway commission on the Atm az
April last. There are associated with him two law
yers and three merchants the Hon. Jonathan Nc
Gully. member OF the Legislative Council, standing
high at the bar and prominent as public writer
and active member of the Legislature; VIM. Pryor.
Jr.. Of the old, wealthy and highly respectable firm
of VIM. Pryor Sons, and whose excellent pamph-
let on Railway Construction and Traffic was pub
lished in 1852; John H. Anderson, Esq., success
full and wealthy merchant, and owner Of the extern
sive plaster quarries at Walton; Thomas Tobin
Esq, of the old firm of James & Michael Tobin,
M. Cunningham, Esq, one of the largest andhold
ers and most intelligent in the county of Hants
This commission met for the first time on the 4th of
April, and to-day, only trfe over two months the
the head of Bedford basin is located and under con-
tract The commissioners provide rails, sleepers
plank &C., and let the grading, masonry and other
work by contract 1t is intended to have this Sec
ton equipped and in working order by the end Of
the year, and others located and graded. The COM
missoners pay cash for everything, and are deter
mined to furnish the means Of contrasting govern
ment with company railways
Commerce, agriculture and finance are in q
healthy condition throughout the province but
there is lamentable lack of enterprise and public
spirit everywhere perceptible. l have been in all
parts OF the British North American Colonies, and
through large portion of the United Statess but
nowhere, in any city of similar extent have found
SO little OF that active enterprising energy so ge-
neray manifested at the present day. as in the city
of Halifax and it's vicinity. Halifax has popular
ton OF $4,000 souls. The city is built on the south
west side of a spacious harbor, which ex-
tends ten miles into the country In the rear
of the city there is another harbor or arm
of the sea, extending three miles inland,
and affording deep water and every facility for ex
tensiye commercial operations. Excepting narrow
neck of fourteen miles of land which connects the
province with New Brunswick, Nova Scotia is sur
rounded by water, and in every part along the coast
fish abound, embracing in variety nearly every spe-
cies known in commerce; yet the amount of capital
commerce is comparatively limited, Mr.. Sabine's re-
port to the contrary Notwithstanding A Halifax
trader informed me to-day that the merchants Of
that city who are engaged in the fishing trade own
no vessels in the business If fisherman has YES
SELL they will advance his outfit for voyage and re-
ceive their pay in fish when he returns-always
keeping him in their debt and under their control.
All those merchants engaged in the business cleared
from $40 900 to $40 900 EACH last season. and twice
or thrice that amount might have been realized by
little additional outlay and judicious enterprise.
Farming is profitable occupation throughout the
province and all their surplus agricultural produc
tions find ready sale in the markets of the United
States. Boston commands larger trade with the
outpOrs of the province than Halifax does; and the
imporatons of goods into the small ports from the
States far exceeds their importations from all other
places; while even Halifax, during the last quarter
Of the year, imported from the American markets an
amount of goods equal in value to her impOrtatiOna
from all other places as will be seen by the custom
house returrs:-
IMPORTS AT TIE PORT OF HALIFAX FOR TIE QUARTERS ENDING
MARCH 81 1854, SHOWING THE AMOUNT IMPORTED FRoG