IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ■- IIIIIM 1^ lllilai tu m ■ 40 M M M 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 < 6" ► <^ /}. '<^, V] ^ >^^ Cj?l W Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716) 872-4503 S: ;i? iV iV \\ ^ CIHM Microfiche Series (Monographs) ICMH Collection de microfiches (monographles) Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notos / Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D n n n n Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur Cover: damaged/ Couverture endommagte Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restauree et/ou pelliculee Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes g6ographiques en couleur Coloure«; ink li.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relie avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge interieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela etait possible, ces pages n'ont pas ete filmees. n Additional comments;/ Commentaires supplementaires: L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a etk possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-fitre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger urte modification dans la methode normale de f ilmage sont indiques ci-dessoui. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagees □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurees et/ou pellicul6es Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages decolorees, tachetees ou piquees 1 The to t» □ Pages detached/ Pages detach6es The POS! of tl film Oric beg the sior othi first sior or il Showth rough/ Transparence Quality of print varies/ Qualite inegale de I'impression D Continuous pagination/ Pagination continue Includes indexl^s)/ Comprend un (des) index Title on header taken from:/ Le titre de I'en-tete provient: □ Title page of issue/ Page de titre de la livraison The sha TIN whi Mai diff enti beg righ reqi mei Caption of issue/ Titre de depart du la livraison Masthead/ Generique (periodiques) de la livraison This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est f ilme au taux de reduction indique ci-dessous lOX 14X 1SX ^X 25 X JuX .1 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32 X lu'il cet de vue ge ition ues The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible ccnsidering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or tha back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^- (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce h la g6n6rosit6 de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de l'exemplaire filmd, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimde sont filmds en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminac.t soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en lerminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symb jles suivants appara'itra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symboie — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour §tre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film6 d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 32 X 1 2 3 4 5 6 .# REPORT (As taken by Mesart. W. B. Gurney and SottiJ OP AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OP THE SHAREHOLDERS OP THE NORTH AMERICAN Colonial association of frelanli. BBLD AT THIi: COMPANY'S OFFICE, BROAD STREET BUILDINGS, ON THURSDAY THE 2Srd MAY, 1844. LONDON : PRINTED BY O. M'KEWAN, », GREAT WINCHESTER STREET, OLD BROAD STRBET. 1844. NORTH AMERICAN Colonial association of frelantr. „ GOVERNOR. EARL FITZWILLIAM. DEPdTl' GOVERNOR. ANDREW COLVILE, ESQ. DIRECTORS. JOHN AULDJO. ESQ. J GEORGE ROBERT MARTEN, ESQ COLONEL BRUEN, M.P. LORD PETRE. EDWARD HENRY CHAPMAN, ESQ. BRICE PEARSE, ESQ RUSSELL ELLICE, ESQ GEORGE FORSYTH, ESQ. ROBERT LA TOUCHE, ESQ. ROSS DONNELLY MANGLES, ESQ. M.P. THE HON. FREDK. PONSONBY, SIR GEORGE SIMPSON. JOHN ABEL SMITH, ESQ., M.P. JOSEPH SOMES, ESQ. B> :brs. MESSRS. SMITH. PAYNE and SMITHS, LONDON. MESSRS. LA TOUCHE and Co., DUBLIN. SOLICITOUS. MESSRS. FEW, HAMILTON and FEWS. SECRETARY. JAMES DEWAR, ESQ. AGENT IN CANADA. EDEN COLVILE, ESQ. NORTH AMERICAN COLONIAL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND. 7, Broad Street Buildings, London, Thursday. 23rd May, 1844. At an extraordinary Meeting of thb Sharkholdbrs in thb Capital Stock of the Company, held pursuant to Adver- tisement. Earl Fitzwilliam, in the Chair. PRESENT. Governor. Deputy Gov. 't Earl Fitzwilliam. Andrew Colvile, Esq. John Auldjo, Esq. Edw. Henry Chapman, Esq. Russell Ellice, Esq. George Forsyth, Esq. Ross DoNELLY Manoles, Esq.M.P. George Robert Marten, Esq. The Hon. Frederick Ponsondy, Brice Pearse, Esq. John Abel Smith, Esq. M.P. Joseph Somes, Esq. William Henry Ashurst, Esq. Charles Dickson Archibald, Esq. Sir Henry Winston Barron, Bt. M P. William Fechney Black, Esq. Robert Barnett, Esq. Henry Bentley, Esq. George Bentinck, Esq. Sir Josiah Coghill Coghill, Bart. The Rt. Hon. Edward Ellice, M.P. / William Ellice, Esq. William Fraser, Esq. William Hutt, Esq. M.P. Captain Hattan, R. N., M.P. Charles Hope, Esq. DoNATus Henchv, Esq. John Innes, Esq. William Lyon, Esq. James Leman, Esq. n'ain Edward Lloyd, R.N. Cap ain M^ynell, R. N., M. P. Donald Maclean, Esq. Pierce Mahony, Esq. Mr. Thomas Moorcock, Joseph Parkes, Esq. Sir John Pirie, Bart. Thomas Pordon, Esq. Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart. George Sedgwick, Esq. Henry Shank, Esq. Edward Wilson, Esq. The Secretary read the Advertisement convening the Meeting, which was pubhshed in Six London and Four Dublin Newspapers. The Secretary read the article relative to the Company which appeared in the Times of the 7th instant. The Secretary read the Correspondence with the limes and Three of the Shareholders. The Secretary read the Report. I^ was then moved by Pibrce Mahont. Esq.— Seconded by Henry Shank, Esq. That the Report now read be received and adopted, and printed, and circulated among the Shareholders, and that thereunto be appended, the Report of the Committee, recommending the purchase of Beauharnois, and that the other Reports referring to the value of that Estate be open to the inspection of the Shareholders. Moved by W. H. Ashurst, Esq. as an Amendment.— Seconded by Mr. Thomas Moorcock. That a Committee of Shareholders be appointed to consider the affairs of the Company, to whom all documents shall be open, and that the said Committee report to the Shareholders upon the said affairs of the Cora- pany, and upon the propriety of contbuing the Association. The amendment having been rejected by a show of hands of 27 to 3, and the original motion having been put from the chair. It was moved by W. H. Ashurst, Esq.— Seconded by Mr. Thomas Moorcock. That the word " adopted" be left out, and that the words, " and aU other documents relative to the said purchase," be added at the end of Mr. Mahony's motion. The leaving out the word " adopted" having been negatived by a show of hands of 27 to 2. The original motion of Mr. Mahont with the addition at the end proposed by Mr. Ashurst, was carried by a show of hands of 27 to 1. Moved by Sir John Pirie, Bart.— Seconded by William IIutt, Esn. M. P. and Resolved unanimously. That this Meeting desires to express its thanks to the Governor, De- puty-Governor and Directors for their valuable attention to the affairs of the Com])any. and its hope, that, they will henceforth deem it unneces- sary to take any notice of such totaUy unfounded imputations as have been the occasion of the present meeting. Earl Fitzwilliam having been voted from the Chair, and Andrew CoLviLK, Esq. having taken it, It was proposed by Captain V. F. Hattan, R. N., M. P.- Seconded by Sir Coghill Coqhill, Bart., and Resolved unanimously, Tlmt the cordial thanks of this Meeting be given to Earl Fitzwilliam for his patient attention to the busmess of the day. FITZWILLIAM, Chairman, I ^ \ - T- V MIXUTKS O PROCEEDINGS AT AM Extraordinary Mbetino of thb Sharkholders in tiik Capital Stock of the North American Coi.oniax Association of Ireland, held at their House, No. 7, Hroad Street Bitild- iNGS, London, Thubsday, May iSrd, 1844. Earl Fitzwilliam in the Chair. Chairman. — Gentlemen, this is on extraordinary Meetinf? of the Shareholders in the Capital Stock of the Company ';cld pursuant to an advertisement, which probably it will be right that the Secretar, should now read before we proceed to any further business. Is it your pleasure, Gentlemen, that the Secretary should read that advertisement ? Mr. Dewitr (the Secretary J .—T\\e advertisement is in these terms. The Directors of this Association hereby give special notice, that an extraordinary Meeting of the Shareholders, will be held at No. 7, Broad Street Buildings, in the City of London, on Thursday, the 23rd instant, at T\velve o'clock at noon precisely ; for the purposs of taking into consideration the allegations and insinuations contained in an article relative to the affairs of the Association, which appeared in the Times paper of Tuesday the 7th inst. By order of the Board, JAMES DEWAR, Secretary. 7, Broad Stbekt Buildings, London, 'JM May, 18 H. This advertisement appeared in the Globe and Standard, of the 9th instant; Times, Morning Post, Morning Herald, and Morning Chronicle, of the 10th inst.; also in the Freemans Journal, Saunder's News Lelter, Dubhn Evening Post, and Evening Packet, Dublin Papers, on tiie 11th of Mav. A Shareholder. — Would it not be right to read the article of which complaint is made } Chnirmnn. — The notice seem;? to refer to one purtieular article. Is 10 it the pleasure of the Meeting that the article referred to in that notice be now read ? A Shareholder.— Is the article stated in the report that ia to be laid before the Meeting ? Mr. Dewar. — No, it is not copied. This article appeared in the Times Newspaper of Tuesday, May 7th. Chairman. — 1844. Mr. Dewar. — 1844, Article from the Times of 7th May, 1844. There is a virtue in classification, even in a classification of roguerv. It saves the trouble of considering to what particular category of guilt any implicated culprit ought to be referred, and enables us to present him at once with chapter and verse — with the style, title, and definition of his precise delinquency — ready drawn out, ticketed, and labelled. The Commisioners on Stock-jobbing Companies have earned a title to the gratitude of the country by their services on this head. They have sub- divided the pleasing subject-matter of their inquiries, secundum artem, with all the love and skill of accomplished anatomists, and have appro- priately meted out, and dignified with a " local habitation" " and a name." all and sundry the separate terms and variations of the whole species of fraudulency submitted to their discussions, to the eternal edification of all future inquirers, and to the great and particular easement of all thos-e who, like ourselves, are occasionally troubled with the task of searching practically into these unexplored regions for the purpose of providing for specific candidates their fitting and appropriate names, classes, and designations. All suspicious and rotten concerns, the Commissioners tell us in the joint-stock-jobbing line, are, either, first, well-meaning, but faulty and mistaken in their objects, construction, and nature, — or, secondly, well- meaning, and having a good object, but iU-constituted, and therefore liable to fail through mismanagement,— or, thirdly, fraudulent and faulty from the first throughout, f)oth in intention, object, and constitution, being started only to create and to raise frauds. That is to sav, they either cheat without knowing it, and this in two ways, viz, by inducing people to embark either for a mistaken object or in a mistaken manner ; or, on the other hand, they cheat, and do know, and that very well, both what they do and what they mean. Our own column could doubtless furnish many an example fur the ■i .# ■ i 11 illustration of these regulce generates. And many more, with equal cer- tainty, are there, some no doubt referable to the second, and some to the third and blackest of these classes, which, for want of a fortunate expo- sure — ^ " omnes iJlacrympbiles " Urgenlur, ignotique longA " Nocte, carent quia vate sacro," But others, as we have said, are found out. We are to-day recalled by the information of a trustworthy corres- pondent to one of this latter description-to a case, in short, which has been already commented upon -by ourselves, but which seems now scarcely enough developed to admit of being yet referred with anv de- cisiveness to any or either of the Commissioners classes. We shall be curious to see to which of them it will ultimately belong. The " N h American Colonial Association for Ireland" became generally reu..rkable about this time last year as a company which havmg existed since the year 1834. had as yet fulfilled no one object of Its creation, had proceeded not a single step towards realizing any return upon Its investments, had published no accounts, recorded no opera- tions and (it IS of course needless to add) declared no dividends It was a colonization company, yet it had not colonized a single man. What it had done was to spend all. or nearly all. its subscribed capi- U, and as this process was effected, first by purchasing some hundred, of thousands of acres in a country where (as the former owner of those acres himself told us) •. no purchasers could be found ;" and. secondly. by largely remunera- ting the services of the agent through whom the purchase was effected a natural suspicion arose that such purchase might possibly have been, from the first the sole aim and end of the aforesaid company's existence, and that nothmg further was ever even intended to be done Mr Edward Ellice. the owner of the land thus purchased, on his pari, pub^ hcly asserted his individual innocence, and his ignorance of any such fraudulent intention on the part of the devisers of the company ; and he denied, on his part, all collusion and underhand dealing whatever The case on the part of the company, however, remained in stata quo; that body purported to be a colonization company-it had existed for ten years; yet it had done nothing but purchase a large estate of Mr. Edward Elhce. pay the said Edward a large sum down on account of his pur- chase money, secure the remainder to him by mortgage, pay his interest at four per cent., and pay a handsome a^encv to the .oL.r^.r. ,vho carried through the purchase, viz., Mr. E. G. Wakefield. °To the share 12 holders this certainly looked unpromising ; but we were assured that the land was still to turn out a great speculation— that colonization was hereafter to go on like wildfire— that Ireland and Canada were to be mutually elevated, through the agency of this same colonization, to a pitch of prosperity hitherto quite unheard of— and that the shareholders of the company which was to work all these wonders were to reap golden harvests from their philanthropic and enterprizing confidence. Well, another year has gone by, and we have begun to look for some fulfilment of these magnificent pledges. What do our readers suppose has been actually done ? Has any colonization commenced ? By no means. Has any prospectus 04 scheme of intended colonization been put forth ? No. Has n single indication been given to the public of the manner in which the company intends to realize the interest on its investment ? Not one. Has even any report whatever been pub- lished during the past year ? No— none at all. What then has been done ? The question may perhaps best be answered by asking another. What may we suppose would the company be likely to have done ? It might have been expected, of course, to have paid Mr. EUice his year's interest upon his mortgage, and it has done so ; and for the same reason it has, equally of course, liberally remunerated the year's services of its agent, Mr. Gibbon Wakefield. This was, of course, but natural. What further has it done .'' Its shares, we are told, fetch just nothing in the market ; and as we cannot see any mention of them in the usual returns of these things, we much fear that it is so. They do not even seem to be at any mentionable discount — they are nowhere. Can it then be true, as currently reported, that the only further transaction of the society, in addition to the ordinary and businesshke ones which we have already recorded, has been to purchase in certain of its own shares at par P We confess we hardly like to give full credit to this report, though it has been invested, as narrated to us, with all the authority of circumstance. We should really like to know, in case this society should happen by any chance — we must beg pardon for suggesting such a thing, but it will be obser\-ed that it is possible — in case this society should just happen to stop payment, and go to the dogs, without having advanced any further than its present stage, to what class of fraudulency would the Commissioners on Joint-stock Companies refer the scheme, and how would their proposed remedies meet such a case ? The proposed re- gistry might here have been completed. Prospectus, act of settlement, fvi^;p<;>f i^lace of business, ra'iital, nominal and 'oaid-up-. names of mem- bers, trustees, &c. — all might appear, and all might be real and ;» i 4 . 1 ' ..J^ 13 bond fide of their kind; but yet what should hinder that the paid-up capital should be invested in purchasing Mr. EUice's land as aforesaid, and in remunerating clerks, agents. &c., that matters should end here suddenly, and that not a shilling further should ever be called for or subscribed ; that Mr. Ellice should re-enter into possession of his land as mortgagee to secure the remainder of his money, and that the un- fortunate shareholders should never get a farthing, principal or interest, for the money thus paid up ? We put such a case for the consideration of the C\ mmission on Joint-stock Companies— of course, it is not to be presumed that the " North American Colonization for Ireland" will really eventuate in any such unhappy consummation as this. Chairman. — Now Gentlemen, is it your pleasure that the correspond- ence with the Editor of the Times Newspaper and with some of the Shareholders, subsequent to the appearance of that article, be now read ? I hear no objection to that proposition. Mr. Detfar.— The following letter was addressed by me, by the desire of the Directors. North American Cohnial Anst station of Ireland, No, 7, Broad Street Buildings, London, 2th May, 1844. To the Editor of the Times. Sir, I am desired by the Directors of this Company to request that you will favor them with the name of your correspondent, on whose authority you inserted the article relative to this Company, in the Times newspaper of Tuesday last, the 7th of May, instant. (Signed) Jambs Dewar, Sec. ANSWER. 2, Lancaster Place, Strand, lOthMay, 1844. To James Dewar, Esq. Sir, Your letter of the 9th mstant, addressed to the Editor of the Times, requesting the name of their correspondent on whose authority an article referring to the North American Colonial Association of Ire- land, was inserted in the Times of the 7th Inst., haa been forviarded to ,-r^"; 14 me. In answer thereto I beg to state that it is not the pract.ee of the Propnetors of that Journal to give up the name of any Lrespond n untd they are made acquainted with the intentions of the party making n^ ST"' "1 ''r '? °PP"'""*y ^^"'•'^^^ ^h-" of communicat ofumns nf .h T ^ ''""'' '' "^^' ^'^° *° ^"^-- y°- that the thi a^ 1 !^""'' r °P'" *° ^"^ contradiction or explanation of «^e article m question which the Company may think proper to commu- nicate under your hand as the Secretary. (Signed) A. Dobie. REPLY. lltA May, 1844. To A. Dobie. Esq. Sir -In reply to your letter of yesterday's date, in which you state that .t IS not the practice of the proprietors of the Times Journal to g v 2e tLT" 1 r ^°"^^P°"^-* -tU they are made acquainted I h t«nir«ff". H I '^r^ "'"^"^ '^" ^PP"'^^*^-' -d have an oppor- umty afforded them of communicating with the Author. I am in- structed^to refer you to the mclosed copy of an advertisement whch appeared m the Times of yesterday, and to inform you that the otl^^^^^^^^ the Directors m desiring to obtain the name of the correspondent o„ ^ir :f thTc' ^ ^ ^^"^\^" ^"^^"°"^" -^"^"' '^' i^^e be a share" holder of the Company, or the agent of a shareholder, to invite the com called by the advertisement, and to repeat the complaint again t the Directors which has been made to the Editor of the Times If the article in the Times had contained a specific complaint the Directors might have availed themselves of your assurance tha' t cohimns of that Journal are open to any contradiction or ex 1 nalr but as It consists entirely of inferences and insinuations, which how' ever mjurious. do not admit of contradiction, thev a e desir;us o caUing on the correspondent of the Times to make, not anonZuslv with the subject he specific accusation on which thev naturally suppose the injurious article to have been founded. ' ^^ (Signed) Jame? Dewar, Sec. 15 To that letter, my Loru, we have had no reply. The next is a letter addressed by desire of the Directors -o Mr. Morrison : 7, Broad Street Buildings, London, 15 May, 1844. To James Morrison, Esq. M. P., 57, Upper Harley Street Sir, — I am instructed to call your attention to the accompanying public notice of a General Meeting of the Shareholders. It having come to the knowledge of several of the Directors that you have expressed yourself in terms of disapprobation of their proceed- ings in the management of the Company's affairs, I am directed earnestly to desire your attendance at the Meeting, when the Directors will be prepared to answer any complaints that may be made, and to justify their conduct and proceedings. (Signed) J. Dbwar, Sec. To that letter, my Lord, the following answer, was received yesterday : 57, Upper Harley-street, May 22, 1844. To the Directors of the North American Colonial Association of Ireland, Gentlemen, I have rect.ved from your Secretary a letter in which he states that he is directed earnestly to desire my attendance at the meeting advertised for to-morrow, and this request it appears is made in conse- quence of its having come to the knowledge of several of the Directors, that I have expressed myself in terms of disapprobation of their man- agement of the Company's affairs. I am somewhat uncertain at the moment of writing whether or not I shall be able to attend — but as I learn from your printed circular that the meeting has been called for a special object, it appears to me that the proceedings of the meeting ought to be confined to that object. My attendance is of the less importance, as the desire which you have now evinced by calling a public meeting, to establish a system of open 16 and explicit communication, between yourselves and the shareholders, will of itself effect most of the objects, which I could either hope or desire to accompHsh. The complaints both of myself and other Shareholders who have coji- versed with me on the subject of the Company, have doubtless taken their rise in the course hitherto adopted by the Directors, of confining the information given to the Shareholders very strictly within the limits of the Act of Parlian ent, an Act certainly not framed with a view of giving them a satisfactory insight into the state of the affairs. If, in the public light hitherto afforded us, or in any instance, we have taken an erroneous view of any of your measures, that error was unavoidable, and indeed the step which you are now taking, seems to shew that you yourselves have arrived at the conclusion, that the best mode of pre- venting the shareholders from falUng into such error in future, is to give them a full knowledge of your proceedings, I take it therefore for granted, that you are prepared to lay before the body whose interests you represent, a clear account of the trans- actions of your Board. The history of a Company which has not yet advanced so far as to commence the undertaking for which it was constituted, can hardly be long or complex. Your expenditure however has been larg«. You will. I am sure, see the propriety of fully explaining it. In the short abstract of accounts, which lis laid before the Shareholders, various heads of disbursements are compressed into single items. — which per- haps you will think should be dissected and explained. By way of example I will particularize two items, the justification of which is certainly not self evident. The first is the very large sum paid to one of your Agents ; and the other, the purchase at par of 500 shares from one of your own body, at a time when the value of the Shares in the Market was below zero. A fuU investigation will, I trust, remove all the objections which have been raised, and I beg to repeat my satisfaction that a disposition has been shewn, to enter upon tliat investigation. (Signed) J. Morrison. \r : REPLY. 7, Broad Street Buildingt, London, ^ind May, 1844. To James Morrison, Esq. M. P. 57. Upper Hurley Street. Sir,— I urn instructed to acknowledge tlic receipt of your letter of this day, in reply to mine of the lath instant. The Directors desire me to inform you that they find in vour letter the strongest additional reasons for earnestly desiring your presence at the meeting to-morrow, and that they claim from you. as a right, that you will attend m person to hear a repetition of their explanation of those acts to which you refer, and wliich have already been approved at a general meeting of the Company. (Signed) J. Dkwar, Sec. (The following letter was not read at the Meetini/.j 57, Upper Harley Street, May 23, 18M. To the Directors of the North American Colonial Association of Ireland. Gentlemen.— I fed the utter inability of my attending the meeting of this day. to hear a repetition of the explanati.)n given at the annual meeting. My complaints are— the non-publication of accounts in a full and detiuledmanner— soas to shew all the transactions to the shareholders— of the payment of an excessive sum for services to one of your Agents— and of the purchase of 500 shares at par. These complaints cannot be met by the repetition referred to in the letter of your Secretary, and no discussion upon these points will be cither useful or satisfactory, which is not produced by a clear and de- tailed statement of the transactions and affairs of the Company, published and distributed amongst the shareholders. (Signed) J. Morrison. Chairmun.~U that the whole of the correspondence } Mr. Z)m'«r.— The whole of the correspondence with Mr. Morrison* ;• Mr. Morrison's letter of the 23rd May, was not received till just the close of the •iicctiiig, and was uot oi)cued till the meeting broke up. B 18 o'te .:;,';l:;;;;;,'"^"-™^ "■ '-■"-"■ ^^--^^ >^""-'^>. .:,.. 7, nroa,l Siren liuiUlinys, Londnn. [ l") May, 18 11. the enclosed notice. md beg- 7, flrcarf street /iuildinffs, London, rpi ... i^ May, 1811. and Ijoij "'"■"»«"— '''l'« "Mt proceeding, I telieve will h,. , i , port of tlic Directors rea,l I. It ti < " *" ''"'' "i° re- roport Wnow rZ o^JZ^J^'^'''' ''^ '''^ ^'^-^"'^ Aat that '•7-ocorre,o„d;nceptrj.?:,:~r--^^^^^ '" ™.H- rcla„Vet„.l.e charges ag^st^Ke Lttio' '^^^t: T°" clearly refute themselves, „„d with re=„eel to n^r f"'''"' charge made against the Comnanv „f ^„ olhers-such as the tention of etfeclng cmigra'oTr,^:: Vc°r;fe°tha:''" °"''"" '"'■ very little importance beca,,.^ th, r ™"=f "o "lat is a matter of matured ,0 enable Z to doto b°T"''h f ,"' ""* ™**""^ Secre^,y.„hetherthcrera„;e;trv Jtolw '"''°r' '''= paid to Mr, WakeHeld respectfng .he or^^l^^cl:^ '^ """ '""'°"' Mr. Dmar.—Not one farthing. Captain Hatian.— Because I under>*tood tint th. u we are concer^ed, „. a tr^sfer of a h^^Slytrd: ^trM^ A/r. DeM;ar — It was so. C/i«/m««.-I think it will be better to hear the report read in .. first u.tance, and then you will see whether it meets your 1 , not. Is it your pleasure, Gentlen.n, that the rc^o b; ^r^: "[ hea.- no objection made and therefore U had better be read al and ilii- f , . R E P O 11 T III- I UK DIRECT O R S OF THK mmi AMJ<;JtIOAN colonial ASSOCIATIOxV of IUELANJ) TO THEIR shari':holders Ai the extraordinary Meeting, held on the 2.ird May, 1811. Although the advertisement and c ^rrespondcncc which have just heen read to you, descrihe the occasion of the present lueeting, we thuik it right to state more fully our ohjccts in culling you together. ^ The article h, the Time, is not the first of which we have had to complmn as being injurious to the character and interests of this Company. Such repeated charges, when left wholly uiicontradicted, necessarily obtain a temporary belief If they had affected ourselves only, we should have been dis- posed to let them pass in silence, relying on our own character mul then- total want of foundation in truth ; but their tendency J« so very mischievous, as respects the property of the Share- holders, by raismg doubts as to the integrity and stability of the Company m the minds of the thousands of persons with whom you have pecuniary dealings in Canada, that we are de^simus of contradicting them as publicly as they have been thnT,tr 'T"'" •'""''. ^'"'''''' "' '^'^ ^^PP^'"^^ ^" t^e -^^es, est whl '' '"^T"' '' ^^ '^'^ ^""^ ^^^" ^'''''' ^"^ specific- rest wholly upon mference and insinuation, and are therefore not liable to contradiction, except in the most general terms. Our msh has been to meet them hi a tangible form. It was nith this view that w. resolved on cuiihig you here to L, 30 an,l tl,„t «-o «.,,! the I.tf..,-,, whi,.|, y„„ l,a„. hoar,! rea.l, , M "r„,„l S„|,,,t„r „r „,, ,,„„. ,,„., ,„ „,„,;s,„c ■ Wh-S „„..,„• other „f „.|,.„„ „ ,,,„, ,„,,„„ ,„ „,i„k r,t o,n,„,„„.,,„o„ o„ „.„ich his ,.™u.Ks are foL.de. T ' |.u>»,o„ ha, heen confinued by step, whiel, they have Z, ..nee the uotiee of thi» „,oeti„K .J ,„„„w,e,l. M Bertl ev tra„,ft,rre, a si„g|e ,hare to Mr. James Le,„an, of the fi m of Vzar a H..,a„,ofLi,,,,,,,,vin„.fieh,»,„hoa;ehi,;„U^^^^^^^ C 1 ."* '' I'""' '" ■"'•• «"'K"i''l<. " sl.ort.ha„i,l I '""""f' "' "'C <^>o shares to Mr. ^^^n^.A!:':^^:^,^:::,^';^^:: iftc leeent t,,msfer of one share, one share, one share and Ove slmres, thongh made since the published notiee of v' ■ -.e made before Mr. iientliy, Ca "li!; te t f -• 2' ™::r: : r r'tr^ '^""^ r-- -' '"""-« «■- ~ wHel, shewth ^nn ' '"' ''"""■"">'« "■ onr possession wLieh shew that all the ree. „t transfers, exeepting Mr Morri son's, were prepared in the offlee of Messrs Vizard and iT We eannot indeed eompel our aeeuser through Lt^""- repeat, when sub;eet to the responsibility of heh,rknrwrth .mputattons of v hieh he is the anonytnoL author^ C^."'iZ we have afforded him the opportunity of pursuing hat strli^M forw rd and manly eourse. If he is present. JcJlpJ^tt to state here. ■„ your presence and ours, not by inference „ msmuatton, but in plain terms, any complaint that he ma/have to make against us. " ^^® Whether or not this invitation shall be ,«epted, it behoves ns to ,lraw yc.r attention to the charges eonv^ed by theirt"!" > ul, to lln' L*o Share- ink niu8t c'ctly, the This im- ive taken Bentley e firm of mlicitors, (1 writer ; I, 11)8 of a porter irred one his own but who number, I, at the rred his fr. Mor- \shur8t. and five ncetin^, nd Mr. attend- sscssion Morri- Leman. imes to vn, the at least traight- m him !nce or ly have ehoves article f 21 III the Thnrs, and, so far as it is possilile, to contradict such mere inferences, to shew you (heir utter want of truth. 'liie principal insinuation in the Times is, that the Com- pany \\as forujcd for no other purpose but that of purcliasinj,' tile Jk'iiuliarnois Sei^niiory from Mr. Elliee ; the words are, — *• a natural suspicion arose that such purchase might possibly liave been, from the iirst, the sole aim and end of the aforesaid Coujpany's existence, aiul that nothing further was ever in- tended to be done * * * Mr. Elliee has asserted his ignorance of any such fraudulent intention on the part of the devisers of the Company." A brief Statement of facts wi". be the best answer to this imputation. The Act for incorporating the Company was passed b. 1835, four years before Mr, Elliee ceased to be the proprietor of Beauharnois, or had any sort of eomnuuiication >vith any body connected with the Company respecting the sale of his property in Canada. On the 5th Fe])ruary, 1831), Mr. Elliee sold Beauharnois to Mr. Henry Kiugsccte, who was at the time Deputy-Governor of the Company for 150,00')/. On the 27th March in the sume yenr, Mr. Kingscote sold the property to the Company for the same price. At the time of the sale by IMr. Kingscote, the number of shares issued was 2,393, representing a subscribed capital of 47,860^ of which 9,572/. was paid up, and there remained un- appropriated 12,607 shares, which, if placed, would have repre- sented a capital of 252,140/. Down to this time only four of tiie present Directors; namely, Earl Fitzwilliam, Mr. Ponsonby, Colonel Hruen, and Mr. La- touche, were Directors of the Company; and of the present Directors, not one besides the four above-mentioned was a Shareholder. In June, 1839; that is, nearly tliree months after the pur- chase by the Company, Mr. Auldjo and Mr. Morrison became Shareholders and Directors; and Mr. Morrison remained a Director until July, iii42, when, in consetjueace of his not I i 22 J'aviiig alU'ij(|,>,| th, Hoard fliiiM,,,, n "•■ M. .,,n.o,, 1,1. Sett ,' r/T"' '" '""'■' '■»"" -'"« '■"luccl number „f Ui. "■"■'' '""""« ll"""'"' H.c /n,„r,,nr,.ii,„, ' "'""'"™ "'■'"■""-' I7 your Socnd A.-t „f 't Ucis not till the suiiuiu'r of lui/t r ■■ tiK' l.ulk of tlu. ,.r..,..„t nlnw T "" " "'■"""■. ""' nny ro,„K..ctio„ with the Company ^^'"•"•^'•oi'lcTs, or hud At that time, no more than •< fific . r , -re ,„k..„. tlK. re,„„h„Ier l.-h,' 'Cl2'' . " "/^' '''""■' "iK'r the |>urcl,a,e I ,„ i, ' '"'"="' '"" '"''relv '-nK ".. ".l.ancc,l,,ricT 1, 1 ■''■"'''.'' '" "'""" l'"rti-.s a„.l „ f "„„•, „„'„ t:;™; !^i rji-r:::,;;'"'''''' " ""'""'^- "f otlin- power, vlicl, t" "" "'""'' '" ''■'' M"' .•xorcis,- rfiarcs arc held by their neli!'. • "'"' """ ^''""' making together U^ J^t^ :::Tr T'" '*""" ™l>ital of 300,000/. The«; liireM "'"■"I'"'' "' ""^ whole a»n adopu-d by the whole bodv as one calculated to prove advanta was founded on facts which adnn't of no dispute, and has been strengthened by others which have occurred since the H(pii- sition. Wo relied on the great extent of tho property, vhich exceeds a (piarter of a million of acres, and its vicinity to Mon- treal ; on the fact that the amount »>'" the original purchase money of the Seigniory by ]Mr. Kllitvs 'Utl-.er, together with the great outlay by Mr. Ellice on local im,)rovemr!its circumstances, which could not but add greatly to that valt ■ ; and in this hope we have not been disappointed. Since licauharnois was so purchased by the Company, Montreal, which was always the commercial, has become also the political capital of the province. Already, before the change t(M)k place, that City was making as rapid advance in imjnovement as any on tlie continent of North America; and we leave such of you as ae acquainted with the sti-vject of the netual and probable comjnercc of the 24 to , J.. , ' "* attraction as the scat of Toveniniwit Co^P r"o7 J " "''"'?""'' '" ^™' "' Shareholder L- all, sic Bea^Ll" T '^'"^'"'" '" •''''■"™'- »"' ^''•>- ".cnts'f thesri' " ^ "T'-"'"'"''"* ">-e great ™pr.,vo- theooeanafEfea, t : K'oT V'"" '"' "'""'""" "^ A principal link „f ,v • , "■ '''^'' ''"""' "•■'vigation. lakes S. F : tl "st T" ".'"'^T "' '"" ^""•■'' •«>™" "hetherthilcCal v!^n ' '"" "'""R '-o-""''""! in doubt opposite Me of'thcStL? ""^ T'"'' "' ''™''™" ™ "'^ ■■trbf -f ^^^^^^^ on the ine JVortli, or Vaudreuilline wa« simn™. j i jority, in consequence of the Imber J'^^'f ^ "r™' ™- constituents weri interested in Ttr T."'^ "'™''"'"^ "'"'»« of the county of BeaXmor „ "' "*''' "'^ ''•"^' ■■•""«' g-sition of th'a. coun^r la ted " ,Trr.> "' "" '"'"'"' York, were defended in .1,7 , ■ , ^^ ""^ """^ "'^ Nw Unde; these rcut,s,anc„r-^^''^.™'^ " "'"^''^ "'™''-- Lave been inevitabC " the ex mil J"^^-"'^- ™"'" ll.e means of establishin^./r :."'"■ '*«''"' '"«' ""t been .ndtheAssonblTth !?e: , -'■?'-'»" "f «'- Government »:th a view to t e nC ':;r'^ °' •"'^ """"'""'"■^ "-' indefatigable efforts for th!, P'"""'" '" S'»™>- Hi* Befbretheolof: /. ye r'TrBet ^' I?™^"' ^"^^=-^"'- been completed bv an omT .,t.''™"'''-"'"«« ^anal will have two and t ueehumrdt'' "'. '■""'■ l""P-'y "f between .o estimate The "it ,/'?•'"" '"""f' "^^ ''" ""' ^"''^ pri„cipan.„dow„::ii„';L'':„:::;u: rr'' v- "- "-■ "'"y, out ot Its general importance 25 to you in that character, you may form somo conception fion« the |x)wcrful combination of private interests which sought to deprive you of that advanta<>-e by securin»- it to themselves. We cannot close our remarks on the subject of the Beauharnois property, without acknowledging with an expression of "ur fjjratitudc, the obligations which we feel you owe to Mr. Ellice for the readiness and liberality with which, iii our transactions with him while carrying out the contract, he has invariably given us every facility and assistance which it was in his power to afford . It is further imputed to us by the writer in the Times^ that we have neglected to ])ursue the original objects of your incoi- poration in any respect beyond the acquisition of the Jkau- Imrnois property. The fact is so; but the causes of it remain to be stated. When in the spring of 1840, after the whole capital had been subscribed, a plan was formed for the purpose of settling the wild lands of Beauharnois, by means of emi ,! '""" '"''''^ '''^'"=' '" :"f' -;■ -\be sei, ■o"^ir:,t :;;!r:;;;:™:i f t^: ;:? Kins ry and enterprise throughout the county of loan 1, li l.at the I)„.eetors are perfectly satisfied that ,7 m/ W M ,' .ad not been on the spot in 1S.2, to looU after Ui„te~ '" '"""' '"'.^ »f 'I'e Si. Lawrence, and out „t 27 I siifTcrinir tl)c influ- m\ partly er duties, ice failed -liirds are e incxpe- s in the We are evidence Cuiuida ; ! t. by a nscttled et forth e wronc;- ts with ;an only I before , 181 J, to Mr. ned by Wake- during absent range- ty, in- ' than ect in igs of irit of riiois ; :efielil sts of neot- )unty ul of the Beauharnois domain, would have accomplished their object through the force of powerful local influences which were most vigorously and perscveringly exerted, and that when the Directors applied to Mr. Wakefield for his services, he at first ()l)jected to the proposal on account of his engagements in this country, and was not induced to comply with it until the Directors assented to his own terms of pecuniary remuneration. The Directors admit that those terms appear high, but they also belie\'c them to lie moderate when coiupared with tlu> idti-- matc value of Mr. Wakefield's services, which they felt it to be their duty to the Shareholders to obtain on the only icrms which Mr. Wakefield did not decline. We abide by every word of that portion of our last Report, and we thiid< it due to Mr. Wakefield to take this opportunity of repeating our high sense of the obligations of the Company to him, our conviction that he discharged most conscientiously the duties which he undertook to perform, and our deliberate impression that the remuneration of his services, however large it may appear to those who are unacquainted with the circum- stance, is really not excessive when compared with the advanta- ges secured to you by his exertions. The last of the insinuations put forth by the article in the Times has grown out of our relations with Mr. Wakefield, and the real facts of the case afford another proof of the ignorance or malice of our accuser through the Times. Some time after we came to the pecuniary settlement with Mr. Wakefield, under which we bound ourselves to pay him 0,900/. iu July, 1846, he spontaneously offered to take 3000/. of that amount in' the Company's stock. The Directors gladly accepted this offer, as a proof of his confidence in the stability and ultimate success of the Company. The recjuisite number of shares were taken from a large mmi- ber held by one of us at the request of his colleagues, and for all the payments on which he was responsible, but with an understanding that they should be kept available to nseet any future application for shares, with which it might be desirable to comply. Inasmuclu however, ,-',s we had logal advice, iiiul, Mr. Wakefield could not, consistently with his eniragiMniMit as i as «liol,„v(. j„i„„, „,„ p """""'•'." '^'^''"■•c'l.ol.ler, except thcs,. "o.. of „„r Minutes, o vl.ic fho „,"'*' V ">' """ "'"''1'™- ■»««i»« y. ur focil tics „ et ,„ r '*''';' '"'"•'""»">'' ""«- gives every shareholder ^ 1'" '"'" ""'• l"'"^'--"!",^., ™..".ci >■„.! that ea^Ivit?'"';, ;■'«':'' "'"' "•^' ■»"»' »'th respect to ...eetiL' „, , " /'' '"''"'■"™™t, kc'cu strictly cou.piied witi " au "^ ' '" "™"""'' '-' ^' "■''Ming of Shnrcheldcr ou'r R 1 "" ","""■'' """>'"" "f t: '- ..„ ™.„i,..ou;i:::uSc:„;:r p:::r ■" " - w^rzr ir::^- ^^^^^^^^^^ rr- - acc„.ti„„s filled ,he proudse .1,1, ,vMc 1 ;;l'\r"f ''>' ^'"-e. fu>- «ut of fouudaliou i„ truth ', t "''''>''*''"»"« f'eir tolal there be any other subje t ull, ^ 7 '""" ""'^ *" "*'' "'»' if info„„ati„,/which i, .uiy be h ' : ,r ""' *""'«''°W" -'esircs to supply it without reserve >^,"'"''.°'"^"'''''-™""ea''y which we shall refuse a d crt li T'T '"" """ "''^.•d to should be your pleasure- for wet 7''"-' '"'""• '^ ^-''h the proceedings of the Co™ „n " """ "'"^' '" ""' "' ••>" since ,840, -y part.cuhri ^U^;:™';^ T °""°-' own aecou,it, court the strictest ! '"'"''' '""' «" oui' At the san>e tin.e it is o d. 1 " / ^' ""' ^''^^h-l'lers. respects the future ., an 1„ et/„V™"' ™"° you, that, as there ,„ust necessarily beTanv /""I' '"'"l'"'>' ''» Canada, i"'li«-reet to n.ale the s^" ^'7"'^ «:'"^-'' " -"uld be most subjec. of discussion at a public meeting. -:;t:^Tz!:;-t:;:i:=:rr£ 29 is another entry of busincstf on the paper before me, I should wish to know wJicther you would like to go to that first. We have to read a letter addressed to Mr. Eden Colvile. That is the only remaining entry of the agenda on the paper before me. Is it your pleasure, Gentlemen, that that letter should be now read, or do you wish to go to the cj. - sideration of the report now. A Shareholder. — It will be better to read the letter now. Chairman. — And then the whole of the agenda upon the book will have l)een gone through. A Shareholder. — May I take the liberty of asking that the report laid before the Shareholders before this property was purchased from Mr. Ellice be now read ? Chairman. — Will you allow the question to be disposed of first, whether it is considered convenient that the letter to Mr. Eden Colvile should now be read. If that is read we shall have disposed of all the agenda upon the paper, and it will then be open to any Gentleman to make any observation he may think right. Mr. Dewar. — That letter is in these terms. (Reads the letter. J The Right Hon. Edward Ellice, m. p. — My Lord, I think I may ask the Meeting to hear one word from me in exjjlanation after they have heard read the report which has been made by the Directors, inasmuch as I have been most especially the object of the attacks which have been twice made in the newspapers — attacks for which I was the less prepared because I do not think that any Gentleman will go away from this Meeting, after I shall have stated my case, with an impression at all events, that I have done anything in the most remote degree to justify those attacks. Now, first of all, it will be probably news to many of the gentlemen who are here assembled, when they hear from me that I have not re- ceived one single shilling from this Association, except the interest of my money, which interest has been amply paid out of the returns from the estate itself. I received 25,000/. from Mr. Kingscote before I had anything to do with tliis Association. I was very willing, under all the circuniiitances of the case, to transfer this contract from Mr. Kings- cote to the Company. There is no reason why I should go into a par- ticular statement as to the reasons why I thought that course more for my interest ; but about that time there was an expectation that a great deal might be done with the powers grunted by Parliament to this Com- pany ; and there did a])pear to me to be good grounds for hoping that great good would be done both to the })roperty itself und to Ciuiada i 'I 30 ''y the arrangement But J i ever ocmrral to mo wa= fl,.„ , "™' ™^' l"8t thin.- th-t ; served „ ,ett„ froJu^XSZlt"'''' "'"' "" ""■>■ "^ -""'e ta„„do,„,e „„._tt„ , ^ ,, eX/,'™'- '^-'""■'y. 'f J consider •rfore m Ameriea-that I „„, ' eeH '^'^ *" '"' "«> P'-"PMy 'onable under the circ„mstancn„ ' "'""S'" " "'ight be rea. ■"-.proposal on the par Twr , ,„? . *' ***"*=„ J,; Pon-Ience, I aeeepted il, and oul^totZT °"''' """ ™-" "-- '""''■ ' »<^ Mr. Waketield pre J,t l? T'' ""^ "=»"™ti„n into mo out in the statement I „„' bo ' ,„ ' T' '"' "■'" ' ""' ™- be r »"« signing the oontraet. s^ aWd 1 7'": '^'"" ^'- Kingseote -methinghedid„„t„„d«.tan^h,T ' "■""■e might be bUg I-nvate Reports of my Agent forH' ^f" "'°' ""' "' >». «U thf aocomt of all the reeeipts^f tl! ^""^'"^ "^" y™"- He hlrt a„ ""^ ;»= ..gent's opiZlTthTS' :/ .r ^'="'"' °'*^ ™ ertv »I..ch was not given with a view to " „ ' P™P=«y-«n o .inio'n h.nes, that he might elearly sTwh^t 7 if' , ' ^"''^ >"'- "Jl these him.-.. Now, Mr. Kingseote \Z ^ *""'■ """I 'hen I told .'- a^ring my life , j;'::-:iT:TtZi'''" * ■-'-^^" apply capmd to advanee the seHleme„rof it T Tn t^'"' """^ ""'^^ 1 w.th that result." Therefore i, ? ' *'J' ""^ P<-*etlv content .0 Mr. Kmg3,„.e undert " IXw^'' "■'"'* *Cpt; a..ons think j, „„, ,„ ^J t stateLtir '° "">' •'™ "P-- I gave to Mr. Kingseote before he twd Mf '' ™' *' '■"'"™°''''° Subsequently Mr. Ki„g,,ote becameT,i T "'' '■°'' »"' P-^chase " Pe«y, ™d he proposed to me thrhe si Zh 1 *'""''"« °^ '«» P- of whteh he was Deputy-Governor A " ! " '° "" ^»"'™'^". presumed ,„ have very large pow ^ Zj, l""' *" ^"''^■■■'» « fnends, ™o entered i„,„ a „i„,^;"°f/,'^*= «• «« some of my «ha. tnne. did it with the expeetSC t , !■"":*"'= "' *•= ^^'e at carrymg on very mueh larger transae f 7, «""= *="> ^e means J estate itself. Jhe Compaf^: r ~ » ''"^ """"''-' "'«■ ' ' banhng, both in England and 1„ Canada '"d™ " '°"'"'* P"™' "' »l..eh would have been a very val- .bfc t' ? '^'" "' P'^ament. afterwards, on ,« examinatiotf o .1 ''l« Tf f Z- '"' " ""' "■— d w»»e,t,.ertooUmited,orthat,i„f„-1if*Ser:r; 31 : sold the thing- that estate. J *ncd from ■vhether I consider property J>ut that t be rea- en made corros- ion into ire bear ngscote buying alJ the liad an aperty, 'pinion I these I told ■ty is, iless I •ntent perty tpec- ation tiase. * pro- tion, was my e at scf the •of nt, •ed rer ry I on tlie transactions which they expected they should have it in their power to nccomplii^h. There was then another plan for the settlement of the estate. All 1 can say is, that when that ])lan was laid before mc, 1 thought it very much too promising. It was proposed to dispose of the land in lots, as had been done in some other of the colonics ; and if that plan could have been carried into effect in the way proposed, after paying the sum due to mc, a profit of 100 ,000/.* would have resulted to the Slmrcholders. I had nothing to do with the framing of that pro- ject. I was a little sceptical as to the realisation of it, but I know that gentlemen engaged in similar transactions were confident of its success. These two projects failed after the purchase was made. I think that my friend, Mr. Morrison, was himself a little led away by the prospect of profit, for I know from conversations that have passed between ua, that he thought it would not be a very unsafe speculation if the expectations could have been reahzed. That is all I have to state with respect to my transactions up to the moment of the transfer of the contract to the Company. Sines the transfer of the contract to the Com- pany, I have received 25,000/. under the arrangement with Mr. Kingscote. I have since received 28,000/., from which there has been a deduction of 7,000/. for commission upon the sale, making 35,000/., and there is a sum of 90,000/. still due to me. I am a Shareholder to the whole extent of the capital paid up — 28,000/. At all events, the Company have nothing to complain of me — for every halfpenny I have received has gone back, and is as much at rUk in this Association as any money which any Shareholder has subscribed. Now, with respect to the interest from the estate, during the transaction with Mr. Kings- cote, the matter was so little complete and accomplished, that I held not only the title to the property in myself, but I required that my agents should alone have the control over it. I think my account states, that in those three years there vyas 10,900/. received beyond all the expenses, because I find in my account the Company charge me with 10,900/., which went towards payment of my own interest. I have only received interest from the Company for a year or two, I think, but I am satisfied that the esti\te itself has produced it ; therefore why, under these cir- cumstances, I should be represented to the public as having been de- * In the Report of the meeting which appeared in the Times of 24th May, among other misrepresentations this "£100,000" is mentioned as "£100,000 a year;" ami upon tlie gross mis-statemeut in its own Kcuort, the Times has since fomided a charge against the Company of seeking exorbitant profits. 32 ^^zt: zrcxi/: "- '-^ ■" -^ «-. « «.„„„. ""Willing ,„ ,„, , „.„^j 2 ;t",„t '"Tf J' '" -• ' "-vet *»t Mr. Morrison ,„y, |,e ^^ y ^^^^ ' 'wo been (old. h„„„,,^ wake ,v„h respect .„ I,u „„„ £ <' „\^,«'? ;™W '» "^ tolerably wil' '""■=: ""S"' '-e re,„„„ ,„ „■ ("^^^''^e* -™o poor Sh„e. ''<'va.,taj.e „, his expense, I do „, , l. u'°°«'" ' ■■■••'' S»i"ed „,. very much with Mr M,„l,-. '"'' ""= ""fW will .L,, ,1. WoroIhadanythingtodXiH /'":'*, '" "^^ -"«"c 7o t from h,s pocket into mine. , ; Mr tl ' ■■'"' '° '™-'f" ™0"»? havenor,gh,,„i„p„, *ese thingsTo him 7™ '""' '"'" k-- ' Je has charged me with having 000/ „fr """ ""'''• ''"""er, that hcfore that I have not a single sh'iffini' 1 "''""'■ ' ^ave told vo„ to th s Sociotv Ti. *■ """''"g of any man'« m™. 1 . ■ oociety. The money I have in m,. . . ™oney belonging I 'cccved from Mr. Kingscote Td 1"'^^^"' •' ^e 23,000/., wLh »".e from the estate. Ho not "1 't '"'""' "W* ' am surrta. l™eedi„gs „, ,he Company, tlh" 2 T T*"" "■«■ "-e otW pocu^uir interest, I have kepf veX much , ,'^r' ""^'""- ""at having a the Company itself, j Je fte uT^"'""' fr™ "-e proceedin J„f w^o manage the affairs of theclpt;" Zt"°' '■" '"^ «»«-•>" "me, « IS, and it always has been Vfl^ • ^ """ "^ ""iwe at anv way in which I have be™ pltd , ' """i; ^.^™- ■ "« consideri^ Z con,p.raey «» defraud othi, I have ral'T^ ^™''' "'* "■»>!"* a» well as I do, that the Report wLl , *" """^ ^ »"'» '% know """ *'f of it. are as newrmlt th f ? '""' '"" »» *' ^^ r"- " was proposed to me.Tho* X '° ="^ ^»«™™ « .Us Company, to make a title to the estate T I »™"e'^"ont with ,he °^TL ""-.'I-dttamylgen^: tfn '"* "°' «■«'-' , *''• fd controlling the management^Ht ^^ " ""■'-"='*» "" the mpe ed tl,e progress of the arraCt^^ , ftreo" '°'°*"'' "*■ »"■' was, that I might not. under other circum,, f"'"'""''- % ""^er •l™ude myself „f ,he «„, , b„ "^ Z-TT"'' ''' =° """''' *P»"ed Z ject,o„ " and I have acco dingly made , ,r" "'* "' ' '""'''"> "b. ™» toU you. ,h„t denuding mysdf 7l """ '" "''" «»"=• And le, anosed to no ob- ^dlet operty, nsions, y'upon leman. 33 reeling dissatisfied with my conduct, should have come to me and asked for an explanation of it. It is very well known that I am not in my habits very uncommunicative. If anybody had come to ask me a ques- tion uj)on the subject, I should have answered him with nmch pleasure ; and I think that such a course would have been much fairer and more straightforward than having recourse to these anonymous attacks in news- papers. Mr. Bentinck. — My Lord, it might appear from my name having been mentioned as one of those with whom the Secretarv has com- municated on the sul)ject of this Meeting, that I am connected di- rectly or indirectly with the late article which appeared in the Times newspaper ; and as this would give me the appearance of being an anonymous accuser, I am anxious to state that I have no knowledge, directly or indirectly, of the article, or of the writer of it. It is true, as has been stated by the Secretary, that I have disposed of the shares I originally held at the price which has been named. I offered them, in the firs*; instance, to the Directors at par. I was abroad at the time when the first attacks were made upon the Company in the Times news- paper. There were one or two attacks made about a year and a half or two years ago. At that time I was abroad. On my return to this country, I naturally inquired from various sources as to the prospects of the Company ; and from all I could then hear, and from the opinions of some of the principal Brokers in London, and the repute in which the Company generally was held in the money world, I came to the conclusion that the concern was in a very bad and unprofitable state, and 1 was induced to take the step of getting rid of my shares, and so divesting myself of all responsibihty. I find that many of my friends have taken the same course. I received no information either here or elsewhere, to lead me to suppose that the step I took was an unwise one, nor have I yet heard anything which leads me to regret it. I shall be very glad if I can be shown hereafter that I have made a mistake, and that the prospects of the Company are brighter than I have supposed them to be ; but from all 1 have seen and all I have heard, I do not regret the course 1 have taken. My object in addressing the Meeting now, is to state that I have made no accusation again -t anybodv, except by word of mouth, at present ; and as to any other accusations which have been made by other people, I am altogether disconnected with them, and ignorant of their authors. If the Directors can prove to me that I have taken an unwise and unfair view of the merits and pros- c f < li i I 34 i'«" "f the A»„oi„ii„„, r «h„ii i„ Mr WW r "''"^' "^ ^he Compapv very few observations. ^ '' ^ ^'" ^''""'^^^ the Meeting v.ith a Chairman.—l feel it n i to ask you a question- ' ■' '"^' ^ '-'">' '''"^^nsreeable duty it i._ ''"'«• "Wch have been sold fo,^;t ^ " °' """^^ "''o hdd 300 noUnow how th^ A. ^i^^j^^f /^'^ ^"f ^o" to you is this-J ,o ^y of aU our constituti "1" ^T' 'T^^^^'^^^ to all t e constitution, persons who acquire "htl V "^f^'^^"-"ts under o.r t'n.e of exercising them ha.l be^''';; ^ f- '"'"'^ ''^^"^ ^^- I suppose) of the Legislature for bidcfr ' '^'"'''"^ '>' ^^^ -'-'om t .ey would otherwise have. For .? '''''■"'' '^''' "^^^^ ^^hich e ecfon for a Member of Parlial: :;:;,: P •" T'' '^^^ ^^ - of the property in right of wl„ch he vo e ""^ " ^"""■^^'«" ''o »ot exactly know how this Act of P r ' ''''^"" J'^^^^. Now I commg along this mornino- and con • f "'"'"' '""^^ ''»* as I wa^ Perfonn the duties of Chai^^^f , : ^e^t"'' ""■''''' '^^ ' ^^^^^ to -e thnt that was a question it would I ^"^^' 1 "'•*""^>' '''^ °-»r gentleman who offered to address tirtlt 1"' '"'^ '° ^^^ *° -7 ; W answered it. If i ha;e nS ^Lr^ '\' ^"^^^'°" ^« - -^ draw at once, but I may state tha I Lh " ^ '''" °^ ^""'"^^ with- ^^->-«.-I think .at the . '° ^""' ''' ^^^4. the right. '"* ^^^^ ^-^ -^ y-r having had notice gives you At '.vith 4 35 Mr. Colvile.— There is i»o provision tliiit a Slmreholdcr sluiU be in possession of hid shares at any particular period before voting or at- tending a meeting of Proprietors. Mr. Lyo... or any gtntleman. holding only one share would not have a right to vote in ca.>^e of any question arising. No persor. Ha a vote who holds less than five shares. Mr. milium Lyon.— My object, my Lord, in coming here is not to vote but to .'.peak what I know of the facts of this case, and I promise to detain yon, my Lord, and the Afcetlnir, as short a time as possible. In the first place I would observe that we are met here in consequence of an article which has appeared in the Tinifs newspaper, and 1 wi^ii to give you my word that I have no knowledge whatever of that article, directly or indirectly. 1 am particularly an.xious to avoid adopting the term roguery, and other wonis of tiuit dcseiiption which arc to be met with in the article in question, but at the same tiuK' I adopt everv word of the facts (which have been called, however, in.sinuations here) that that article contains. Tlie only fault I fiud with the article is that it is written by a person who, in tho first place, has committed an error in not provmg roguery if he knows of it ; and who is ignorant of many facts with a relation of which I shall have the pleasure of enlightening the party here met. Having said thus much as regards myself, and having disclaimed all connection with the article in the iVwM newspaper, I only wish to observe with regard to the report, which is extremely long and which has been read to me for the first time to duv. that I do not feel able, nor probably does any other gentleman present feel able, to go over the whole of it. It may be a very able report for anything I know to vhe contrary -it certainly appears to me to be a verv rambling one. However, such as it is, I wiU only offer one obsen-ation about it. which is, that a great deal of tr.juble seems to have been taken to prove how improving this property has been, and how very good it is ; whereas, the best answer to all those assertions is given by referring to' the value the shares have held since they have been in existence. The last proof attempted to be brought forward ia the report with regard to the value of the sliares is, that .Air. Wakefield has accepted 500 of those shares hi payment for money due to him. All that I can say is. that, that does not carry conviction to my mind as to the value of those shares. Mr. Wakefield may be aware that it is not probable that he will ever get a penny from the property, and therefore it will be better to have the shares than nothing at all ; and I do not at aU a-ree therefore, that the fact of his taking these shares iroes anv wa^'v to c 2 ■ ' M will read this article in the Tl>r.. h u ^ ^'''"pnetor posiuvdy what has If T 7' ' '"" '"'■"■''^' ^''"' '^ «^"t^« The^ea^nol-n^tir r" w""' T'" ""^ "-" '>"'""• beinc. sold at par T I'i /' : " '"■*"" """''^^■'- «^ ^^'""-^^ an insinunfion Tliere i, J . . P""*'^^ ""sertion. not "'i.'iiuii. mere is no answer to the fact« sot fnrtu ;^ *u '/.• except the broad word " insinuation." I eon ve tl t ^ / "" not insinuations. For mv own narf I ' "'^'^ "'"^ ^•'"^ "''^ ^"^ts and ji-.i....i.,hi«„.i,^,„i,.;t--Xt7^-*-'- Association with a tacit understanding I d„ . , "'" binding one, bat certainly witht," i ^~ „t T ^ »"°«*- » «l.ich woald be 41. „pon each sble 1 T k ? « "'"' •"" «■"'• »hich we should have to subtit T; Zl" 'V ,""""" '""'"' '' call was ™de, and so,„e o? iTe Directo "Xb 'vTho T"^ °' " """' when that third eaU „a, n.ade, to col::: c Ci * t-- M^ shares ,« to the c.„„c of that eJI being made and then tT. ^ arose whether that was a good or a bad Zl"! T 7 ''"''"°" The reasons given to us wL, that aslXl^laTweTe ""• 'f run a canal through the Beauhamois nronertv it b ,M ^°'°^ '" VMr^WaWeld to cleueh the u.^rs'',: t' XTrS;" the Government a certain sum of monev Thi, th r ^ cause asserted for that call being r„S:i,U.^lZ^-Z,t upon each share. I.™ith manyothers.and togetherwith Mr Mol refused to pay that call ; but we found on referring t^ L Act^f Xr ' oment that we could be forced to pay and I ,b!„ 1 ! ''" .en.,e,nen.ca„eberc to ascertain ^^^.ytV^^^ltlZtZ u 37 ft II, fipliHcd. We uskt'tl tlu" Scorctun-, who give u» tin answer, nnd referred a friend of mine to some of the Directors who were willing to see him. He stated thut the eull had heen made for tiie purpose as I state, of lending money to the Covernnjcnt ; hut that when the eiUl hiul l)een madf^ and tiie money colheted, it was found tiuit the Goverinnent did not want the money, and therefore the money wa» apphed elsewhere. I stated then as I state now, that if that was the case, and if I am quoting the conversation correctly, tluit was u misapplication. 1 have nuuh; this assertion more than once, and my friend Mr. Hentinck called and saw one or two of tlie Directors here, and he also made the sanie observation, and the answer always made to us was such as might have been expected if we had said, " You have stolen the money — you have taken it and applied it to your own purposes, or you have taken it from us to put it into Mr. Ellice's pocket, or have done something with it which amounts to what is stated in tliis article in the Times newspaper." But we have never said, nor do we mean now to say, that the money was applied so dishonorably as that, although we do state — and if we get an answer now, it is after an application made for years for the information — that thut money has been misapplied, because it has been apphed to a i)urp()sc for which it was not raised. I have a riL,'ht to say that it has been misapplied. The misapplication of money may be so great as to render the parties liable tc a prosecution for fraud ; but we do not charge them with that. All we say is, that the money has been misapplied, aiid very much so. Tliat is what is stated in the Timc/i, and that is what I say myself, and what other gentlemen ako ha\c said. From neither the Secretary nor fr m the Directors have we ever received any satisfactory reply, but on the contrary, we have received what I hope I do not use too strong a term in characterizing as an evasive answer, and if any one of the Directors should now get up and enter into a long story about the way in which the money has been applied, I say that however it was a; plied, unless applied to the pur- poses in respect of which the call was made, there has been a mis- application. Mr. Mangles. — I think it is desirable that Captain Lyon should state who told him, and upon what authority that that third call was made for the purpose of enabhng the Company to lend money to the Government of Canada. Mr. William Lyon. — Mr Russell Ellice told me so. Mr. Euwari E'lke^^l may perhr.pe be allowed to mention, that I was 38 il/r. 7F///;.,„ Lyon.-And I have a note also, which would prove it if necessary so far then with regard to that call and the misapplication of vV r]"V^r,r.^ great many other focts which I can prove, and vh,ch led Mr l....tmck and myself to ask further ciuestions/ hut to no 'T aV"" w'T "'" """^'^ '° ''''^ '•^^^'•^ t" ^^-^ heavy legal expenses collec^t dl that has heen read in the Report. It would require that it should he m one s hands some days hefore it would he competent to one to speak of It. I do not think that the sum is named in the Report. als^n Z7'''~''T~'' '"" '^^'^^ "°' '"^^ '" '^' ^^1'-^ *« ^■'^-' ^-t also m the former Report. Mr. William Lyon—l dont understand whether it is £o 000 or £.2 000-£lo,000 I am informed. Now that is another subjtt which has been mentioned frequently. It was mentioned by Mr. Bentinck also, and no satisfactory answer has been given with regard to it, nor do 1 tJnnk the Report gives anything like a satisfactorv answer. The Di rectors themselves say they are of opinion also, that the sum is large^ but that as no other person could he found, Mr. Wakefield was allowed to go makmg h,s own terms with them. Unsatisfactory as this Report appears to me to be. we have never yet been able to get anvthing half o lucid, nor have we been able to obtain anything like so fulfan amount of information as to the position of our affairs as that which has been now delivered. Then again as to the value of the property, with re- gard to which Mr. Edward Ellice has spoken. I consider that the short answer to al that (particularly from us who have never been much in Canada), is that we have a right to judge as to the value of the land, bv the value of the shares, to a certain extent. If this were a thing of 'a year s standmg, and we were immediately to expect that the shares shou d be at a premium, that would be unreasonable; but this associa- tion has been now going on I believe for ten years, and we are told that many gentlemen who are conversant with the subject, and conversant with Canada, are of opinion that the thing though not paying immedi- ately, ,s a very good speculation, or rather that it will turn out to be so I mention these things merely to remove an idea that we have sacrificed our shares-about 1000 in number for the nominal price of 14s or 15s merely to serve oiu- own purpose, or merely to make this Association appear m an unfavourable light. That is not the case, even th« partie. ■K" 59 V who have been addressing the Meethig u^jon the subject, and who state that this Association will eventually turn (lut a i^ood thing have refused, as Mr. Bentinck has told you to accept his shares at par ; and further they have refused to name a price for them at all, and that being the case there was nothing for us to do in order to get rid of all further responsibility but to go at once to the City. If I mention the name of Mr. Vine, and also of Mr. Thomas, Brokers in the City, they are both very well known as most respectable men. When applied to, the answer of one of them was that these shares were not in the Market at all, and the other said that they were totally worthless. If I am wrong in sta- ting that these shares are so wholly valui'less, how is it that not one of the Merchants who know of this Association, and many of whom are in the direction of it, would offer a farthing for any share, so that at last we were driven to get rid of a most dangerous responsibility, by seUing our shares to persons whose fortune was so moderate in comparison with our own, that they would not stand in the dangerous position in which we should stand ? How is it that finding '200 shares faUing into the hands of a Ticket- Porter, the Secretary writes and offers £40 for these shares,* and finding that will not be taken, I suppose this Direction composed of gentlemen of considerable wealth, muster anoth' r £'20 among them, and offer £G0 for them. But the man is not so ncedv as may be sup- posed, and therefore holds them still. If T have not made out a case as as to the valuelessness of these shares, I ask von mv Lord, luul I ask this Meeting whether the pi'.blin will believe that I am wrong, merely because Mr. EUice has stated (he care more al)ly and more clearly than I have been able to do ? Will the public believe that these shares are of any value at all, when they find that nothing whatever can be got for them, until when they fall into the hands of a person of whom the Di- rectors are afraid there is an offer of £40 made for them. The public may say that Mr. Ellice is more accustomed to speaking than I am, and that he has made a much better case than I have done, but I ask you my Lord and the Meeting, whether the public will not say that the shares are totally valueless at this time } It is not as if the Association was started only yesterday, it has been ten years in existence. Now there are two subjects which I wish to mention — one of which is rather a startling one. 1 dare say when I first mention it, before I explain that * Only one offer was made by the Secretary for these Shares, and that in person, Bnd of thst offer t'ie Dirv'tyrs wcr= iP;r.orant, til! after it was made, — Siscv. r! 40 I can prove it. it will scarcely be credited-It is that thi« Association, or rather the Directors of it, or some person concerned in the direction ot It have had a map. or have probably now a map placed in some part of this house, .hewing the property and where it exists. It has been reported to me-l heard it and have therefore gone into the enquiry and found it to be an undoubted fact, that some persons concerned in this Assoeiation coming into the house and examining that map. said ilns IS the map of our property I suppose," to which the Secretary or .«ome person there said " Yes." the party replied " Jt does not look at all a promising tliing-I think a good many more trees in that direction would improve the picture very much, and make the propertv appear of greater value, and therefore I tinnk you had better have ihose trees added. •' Well," said the Secretary. " I think you are right-I think It would be better." Now I am not prepared to prove whether those trees were actually added or not but I am prepared to prove the man- ner in which this occurred, and that the order was given to put them in ; and after all this I certainly was not much surprised when the Bro- kers told me what was the state of the Market with regard to these shares. There is one other observation which 1 have to make with respect to the sale, I have not seen the papers, for in the management of the concerns of this Association, there has not been that publicity which perhaps there ought to have been, and which would have enabled me to go into this question. If I am not wrong however the sum paid for the Estate was £150,000, and the number of acres 270,000 or '!'Z"n!^r!"' ^'"' "^ '^'"'' ^^"'^^^ ""''''' ^here are I believe about loO,000 let at a quit rent. I am merely going into this question to shew whether the sale was a good one or a bad one. If it be correct that about 150,000 acres were set at a quit rent, then we must ascer- tain what is the revenue produced by that ? ^^'■- £.5000. Mr. Willinm Lyon.— I believe that the expense of collecting it. and the different expenses upon it eat up the whole. I understand, how- ever, it is stated that if we get upwards of 1000/., that would leave about 20s. an acre ; and I believe the price of land in Canada is about Us. or 12s. an acre. Probably this may admit of some explanation ; but, be- fore I could argue the case. I think I ought to have a more full investi- gation of the accounts. Now. I have mentioned these facts, because, as I said before, I am verv' unwilling it should be thought that I adopted, without being able to prove them. I think I have proved the valuelessness of the shares. J -\ 41 >i nm i)repared to prove what I have said with regard to the trees. With regard to the purchase of the property, I have stated what I beUeve to be the fact. With regard to the produce we receive Mr. Edward EUice has just whispered to me that I am mistaken, and that it is 5,000/. that this property gives, and not 1 ,000/. a-year ; but if you look into the accounts, I think you will find that our expenditure exceeds our income ; and, if so, the whole property does not produce any tiling clear. If the expenses of collecting it are as great as the sum it produces, then, in fact, it produces nothing. We seem to me to receive about 4,000/. or 5,000/. a-year, and to pay 6,000/. or 7,000/. ; and, so far as I can understand it, my conviction is, that the calls are the only means out of which the interest is paid to Mr. Ellice. As far as I can understand it, the calls, added to what we receive, make up our expenditure, but that the sum we receive alone is not sufficient, I am not a very good ac- countant myself, but others who are, have looked into the matter, and their report is that no surplus whatever is shewn ; but that on the other hand there is a deficit of 2,000/, a-year. There do not appear to be any settlers at all upon the property. I need not say that I purchased the share which I now hold for the purpose of enabling me to come here and do what I have done. I have mentioned, as far as I am able, all the facts which have come to my knowledge ; and I am quite pre- pared to prove those things which I have said I can prove. The other things which I have said are only reports I have only mentioned as such. Mr. E. Ellice. — I wish to say one word in explanation. I offered no opinion with re*pect to the Company or its affairs. I only come here to explain my own position as the seller of this estate to the Company. What the value of the shares may be I am sure I do not know. I have not ever interfered with respect to the management of the Com- pany Mr, William Lyon. — I only meant to quote Mr. Ellice as an authority for the value of the property, not of the shares. Mr. E. Ellice. — With respect to the value of the property I have stated that I told Mr. Kingscote that I expected, during my life to receive 3,000/. from it, beyond the immense quantity of unsettled land ■which you, in your opinion, think worth about 12s. an acre. With respect to ihci. nd producing nothing, while it was in my posses- sion, for three years, all that I can say is, that the Association have charged me 1 1 ,000/. for money received by me after deducting all the expenses. 42 A/r. mmam Lyon.-W. f,ot nothino:. acconiing to the accounts tlierctore, our agent administers it very badly. Andrew Colvile, /^.sv/.-I think the "conversation has wnn.lcred awav from the real question before this Meeting. We have heard u gre.'t deal about the possible value of this estate, and whether it was atood or a bad purchase. I do not think that now is the time to go into that subject. The purchase has bee.i nmde. and the purchase must be adhered to. and fulfilled, and carried through ; and I do not think it probable that any gentlemen here. or. at all events, b„t a very snvdl proportion of the shareholders present can. by anv possibilitv. have any ground of complaint whatever with regard to the purchase. ' Thev were cognisant of the purchase before they became shareholders ft was be- cause the purchase was made that tlu-y really did become shareholders • and. therefore, I say it is not competent to those ^^entlcnen to turn round and say to Directors who did not make the purchase, or to anv even who did, • You have made a very foolish bargain." It mav be' a bad bargam or a good one, but surely the bargain will not be benefitted bv gentlemen acquiring for the purposes of to-day a single share in o-de'r to enable them to come forward and decry your Assoeiation and your position, and hold out. in conversation, that vou are a Comnanv' I do not know what designation he would give it. butaCompanvnot likelv to produce any good to the Shareholders. What benefit can possiblv ansetothe bharehokLrs or to anybody by a person buving a share merely for the purpose of entitling him to come and decrv the concern .' Mr. Bentinck.-At least the benefit of knowing that he cannot be made responsible for any further calls without knowing Ins exact position. " ^^ Mr ColvUe.~U a man makes himself responsible to the extent of 14/. that is not a malter of any very great moment ; Gl. has been ^ilready paid, and the utmost amount to which a man can be responsible IS 14/. ^ Mr.BentincL-lt is a question whether it is not desirable to have a complete investigation of the affairs of the Company so as to enable parties to know whether they are not going or, at a dead loss by remain- :-g under a liability to pay fresh calls. That seems to me to be the object of the investigation sought, and a very clear straightforward and simple one. Sirli W. Barron. M. P. -As one r the original Sharehold- ers in the Association, and as the person who brought the H-ll inf. 'i 43 Parliiiincnt, and took a good deal of pains in the original formation of the Society, I may be permitted to say two or three wordn, I feel, of course, niiturally anxious for the welfare of the Society. I hope it may succeed with all my heart. 1 do not come here for the purpose of accusing the Directors, or with any view to decry the Association. I am rev.lly one of those who come lure for information ; and I must sny that, after the lapse of ten years, it is natural that we should wish to have some information, and that we should know in what position we stand now, and to what we have to look forward. Let us have that ex- planation bona fide, and then let us determine whether we shall go on, or whether we shall dissolve and sell our property. I think it is the heigiU of imprudence for us to go on from year to year, with deferred hopes, without coming as men of business to understand how we are really cir- cumstanced. I do not make any allegations against the Association, itsresp'c'ci' Chairman, its Directors, or its Managers, for I know them to be men above all suspicion, and who can have no object in leading us astray. I, therefore, claim from them, as men of business, as men of the world, and as men who understand these matters a fair and bona fide explanation. Jf what has been done to-day is not cotisidered satis- factory let us adjourn in order that we may have an opportunity of read- ing and considering the lit p^rt. Let every thing be fair and al)ovc board ; and above all things let us come to a determination either to dissolve the Association and sell our property, or else let us see that there is some prospect of our doing good by continuing its existence. Mr. Colvilc. — I was stating when I was hiterrupted by Capt, Ben- tinck that, from a great deal of what fell from the honourable gentle- man who had addressed the shareholders, gentlemen might suppoi-e that no communication had ever been made to the shareholders as to the state of their affairs, or as to any of the transactions of the Direc- tors. But that is not the case. There have been Annual Meetings held according to the provisions of the Act of Parliament constituting the Company. A statement of the Accounts has been regularly sub- mitted to the shareholders, and under the provisions of the amended act, which is now on the table, those Accounts aro required to be for fourteen days open to the inspeciion of the shareholders, as they have heen, and some of the shareholders, one in particular, Mr. Bentley, the holder of a large number of shares, did come here and was occupied more than one day I beheve in the examination of these accounts. He saw evei-y thing that he required to see. He was toU', " there are the books, you may go through them and see every transaction of u\c . i f 44 «"«re„.i .,„,„,„, Matins twfp^'t''- '^'"■' «'I'« "'".* TI.0 Aoooun,, were l„i,| bcfo e [hi T'".''™'.' '° "" '''•"I™-'- ■•%nil«r .„o,lo. No „p„„,i,i„ ' ,' '""' "P™ the table m the ^«ou„. , „„,, thoX Td ir;;: "'r* ° "- """°« - "> '*= 'l'i« Kiad, that parties *„uW ToJ 'f. ™ t" """""" "" ™— "' Ml stateraeala havi,,^ been mat „. „ '?« 1"ita the rever»>, every provision of the Act of ;1 r , '''''''"'"'' ^"»"»' *«««"?» -dnoo,,po,i,io„havLX:'„^^ 7;;; '-"« — co.nphed „i^, it is no. mting „„„ ,0 I .J ^* ;' 'I'e P™p.;-r tin.e. 1 ,,„,,, „,„, Wy a. the Annual Me!,i„g Ba atthe" ' "• " """ '«^"='' -t'u- have under the Ac. of P„?,ia„fe:;;\*4rrLh;r'- ''^ ''™''™'- nitne ,nto tlie affairs and proceedin -, of T n-® '""''"' «"'« Hght, whieh the Act of rjc::,:;::!:f}r" '» «-e f„„ o, .,. b. done, and whether you 1 1*7.1" ^ '""^''""^ ""»' ^^ "-' «> «M the shares in the' mar e. or X/ *:mf '" ^ ^^^^^^ not admit of that. Tl,e Com„„r r ^ ^""«' ' """k i' ''"cs ■anded proper,,-. You e Lno.^Hh rinT'"' T" "' " '»'«= You must go through wi.h i. Y„, ' , , ? '" "" "■""«^' '«='■<'■ can be re„fe.d by ae.„al a, ' ,1 "h" " """ '"'''""y "»"' i' chasers. Tha. is'an opera,': 'oflme' wZ"""'^" "■°" "" - mves.s its money in .he purchase of ami in ■" ™""™ °' "* «"<" it canno. >oo. for annu'a, divM^riXr T' '^ '*« '^"■'*. wheh ,s .0 yield a profi. no. in the wav of re i. .1 ° 'Peculation the l,,„d purchased ; and i. U un™ T v ^"' ''>' ''<^"'»' '"'c' of *e sales .h„. p„r.ie; Zt^ZZ^ :,:^';^ "" "Z *= »-»'» <>' tained a loss. A man his n„ r t. . '^ """'^ » P"-<"i' "f '"s- income u„,il .He s.,e:L!:\:errrt:r:i;te"* r" """™' can. .tough .h.; spec;.- ^X:^^^^:^^ tlie provi- port w}iich ted all the 'roj)rietors. ^pted tliiit ble in the or to the now, and >ncerns of : day and ' reverse, Meetings, led with, lohl that ed regu- ^prietors ind exa- s far as ion has of the e Asso- best to ion and it does large t here, intil it e pur- 8 kind irmda, lation les of Its of • sus- inuaZ ir to pany nust e as 46 pofsihle. Tlie expenses Iutc are very small. The Directers are unpaid, the Secretary has a small salary ; and as it is necessary that accounts should be ke[)t, there is a clerk who has been appointed for that i)ur- posc. 'J hat is the whole establishment here. On the other side of the water, also, the expenses are but small. Your Agent there has not n large salary. Tlicre is also a book-keeper there to keej) the accounts, and there is no great expense going on there to set against the income of the estate. Owing to the situation in which Canada has been for the last two or three years, the reeeijjt of reserved rents, and the fines on alienation, which we have a riglit to draw according to the feudal . tenure on wliicii part of the lands have been conceded has not been so great as miglit have been anticipated. The people have not had the means to pay, and it has not been considered expeilient to press them—it would have i)een improper management of the estate if they bad been pressed for payment more than they have already been. That is a nuitter which must be entrusted to the discretion of the Directors, and I would not be a Director for an instant if that discretion is not to be left with them. 1 will not consent to be put into such a position as to be the instrument of oppression and tyranny to the people who hold those lands. The state of Canada has been such, partly from the state of mercantile matters in the neighbouring country, (the United States,) and partly from bad seasons and bad crops, that the people have not had the means of paying ; and it would have been the height of indiscretion to have urged them for more payments than have been obtained from them. The result of that, however, is to show a much less amount of income received than would 1 i the fair annual rental of the property. I believe that nearly 22,000/. is the amount of the arrears that are now due. Considering the better times and the better prospects that are now in view for Canada, and taking the fair average of seasons, (and we may justly expect that good seasons must come in their turn,) I have no doubt in my own mind that the whole of that 22,000/. will be ultimately received, because the right which these parties have in land, and their position altogether affords ample security to the Company for the claims that they have upon them. I have no doubt, therefore, that the whole 22,000/. will be ultimately received ; and if that sum is received, the accounts will assume a very different appearance. Now, all those matters a Shareholder, instead of making a complaint that he cannot sell his shares at an increased price, or get a dividend, and instead of coming here to utter his grumble, and to decry the Assooiation-, should have found out for himself by looking into the accounts, and by making himself master of the subject. If he had done 1 i f 46 -ally think it is not theprope b ^n "7 M " '"^'^ ''' ■^^'--- ^ - ^J- value of the .hare! in the la Z t f "'"^' ^" ^•""-'- ^'"'^ concern, and he must stand by it .NV h , T 'l '''"'"'" '^'^'^ '" the that the real value of the propLt of^h U •';'"'^ '"^ ""^ — t by ascertaining what is the value v-, 7"? "^" '^^ "^-^^-"-' «l>-e. It i« not a share in a cone n • ^^""V'""'^''" P"^« »P«° « expected until you are in a «L'Z , ^'"'"'^ ^"^ ^"^'"'-«' -" be Mr. EUice the balance due to h n , T '" ' ^"^"''^"^ ^^"^ to pay tbo surplus will hecome divit ; "'"^^^^^^^ however, must be at some d^^n V,:;:;^ te Shareholders. ' L. concern like this, is not of a nltire ' T ''"''"'^' '^ ^'^^^ - « fetock Exchange. I cannot, there o" ..t" I^T ' ""^"^ ^'^'^^ "" ^^e a stock-broker mav put upon a s nTe is fu'' '^'^' '^" ^"'"^ -bich ascertain its real value. ' '' "' '" « J"«t thing by which to fierce Ma/iony, Esq —Until I ignorant of the object for which thirMee^ *'""' '""'" ^ ^^^ ^"^''•^'y very accidentally that I am here nlf 7"' '°"^'^"^^'- ^' bappens article complained of in the T.W newspape it""^''"' "'''''''''''''' '''' this Association was got up fraudulenT ? . """""^^ *° this-that estate from Mr. Ellice' Noflt^ ^ ^f/ " T""^"" ^' '^">''"^ ^ well as personallv engaged in the I . u '''" P'-ofessionally as «tate here that the ob^l of the LdSak ""'"•^^'^"^' ^"^ ' '- fraud. Tl.e object was to b nefit the „"'' -s anything rather than the habit of emigrating to Canada ft "^ "'^ People who wer. in of whom I now see in'this room Mr Z 'T^' '' ''^"^^^"^^"' -"^ Chan-. Sir H. W. Barron. Admrd S^r f .n'' '''''' ^"^''^^h^P ^" "^e «nd others, all Irishmen. ignoTnt of theT' ?^''"' ^^'•- ^^^-^ney estate in Canada at all. We fled' 'T ''''' ^" ^"^^^ ^^^ an our money most freely. aU parties^ Association and .subscribed both political and reh^ilfa^d j fvT ^ H '"^^^ ^'^^^^ ^'ff— everanAssociationwhL.l okltoi^ 7 1"' -^though if there was a« "orange." this was tha AsSt 1 7. '!' ""^^* ^^ '»^«^"b.d -ere most willing to co-opt tetn a ' ''^ "^'^"^ ^'^'^ radicals therefore. I do tUnk it hart 1 we To""" "^'""^^ ^^^^^ ' -d. of the affair, should be charg d vL .« '^'' '''^'""''^^' ^"' '^' ""^'"^ 47 on my own part and on the prut of those with whom I acted, any such intention or ol"' as that which has been imputed to us. For some two or tliree years we were most desirous to cariT out our object, which was this. You, my I-ord, have manafjed your estate witli f^reat advantage to yourself, to your tenantry, and to your country, but you have been obliged, as other landed proprietors have been obliged, to find room for those who wanted room elsewhere, and you have sent them out at a great expence to yourself to Canada. Humble as I am, I have done the same, and I might a|)peal to other friends who have done so too. But we wanted an estate which should belong to an Association, where our Agent would be present, and where the poor emigrants who had no home to go to might be received in houses, and where fi\cilities might be afforded them to procure land. Having failed in getting sufficient capital, this Company was taken up, as I understand. Tlic first name that I read connected with it was the name of Mr. John Abel Smith, to whom Ireland was so much indebted. That gave it a great recom- mendation to us, and we were exceedingly haj)py to find that it had got into such good hands. We then found a most wealthy and respect- able direction, and we find your Lordship continuing in the direction. We found Mr. Ponsonby and others, who occasionallv came here, and we were quite content with your management, and felt happy that the undertaking was to go on. We found Mr. Morrison also a Director. We all know his wealth and his intelligence, and it never occurred to me, certainly, that he was a person likely to have made a bad bargain. I must say, from the amount of information that I have before me, it does appear to me 'iiat we have made a bad speculation, but I must likewise say in Mr. EUice's presence, that I cannot blame him at all if the bargain does turn out a bad one. Mr. Ellice sold his estate to a most respectable and intelligent gentleman, who re- sold it to the Com- pany, who have stepped into that gentleman's shoes, and Mr. Ellice has embarked 28,000/. of the purchase money in our joint speculation, so that if we lose our money he will lose his subscription likewise. I do say, with Sir Henry Barron, that it is doing a great injury to a Company such as this is, to allow charges of this nature to be brought forward without their being met and ref' ""d ; I am sure that there is no measm-e of explanation in the jjower of the Directors which they will not readily give, and no measure of enquiry which chey will not most willingly meet. I am exceedingly glad that this course has has been taken instead of having recourse to publications i" newspapers, I think that the Directors have taken a most wise and manly course, and I am told, that by tomorrow's post, the base imputations which !I i 48 Jmve been put forward will be dis,,ellc(l for I ... fi ^ u I have been verv d-]-.,I fn h ' '''"™' ^""^ ^ «ee tl.a' .he press is here. I think he Z'l^:tZ^7^'V \'^^^^^^^^^^ very ,la.l to fin.l Sir I " wTn'on \C^ ""^'- "'' '"'^ ^ •^''""''' '- «>e report should be printed an I that " ' P"^""^'"" ^""•'-'' ^'-^ of considcrino. it ' ' ""'^ '^"^ "^^ opportumty should be afforded Kinsscote said I s p„ Ze^^^h ™',rr''^- ""'' "'™ «^- Mr. Kingscote said that tl,e rl T ®°"""''"'= '"'""•"■•'»' from hta. I «d ' No t r ■ '"^ *° ''""""'' ""= ■'™1'=«)' into the value of the ^ro " Tv ""' ■" ""'"""=''• '« "^ «ine propose tirili°f„'„f7"'^:,''?'',f,"^ «'«' "«" " ■•' «rth what you m A, an7i:fret:rr "tferr •'■ ^'^ '°''"' ""''"'"'• it. We sat for days over itl„d 7Tu^ r.""'" '° '"'^'"s»" pt:::-h::£:-~ cpinionf that it ^Z trv elX'n^sr^l ""' ',™ ="" °' *"' *o, that a larger tract „>cS;:iteCr^^ ' "°""'"^ which to settle some nf .),. T,- i, c ■ * "' ° cheaper rate on to Canada, ZuZ'l^tl^t ^'^""' ™''° "''"•^ "■" ^''"S °»' «B they CO Id be set, d „' ' f "TT ""* "' ""■ "" °°' '-" to reeo„„„e„d the purSe L M T' ™ °°' °'*= '''^' ""'°S'>' take .y share of Zt^^^-f^^r^Je "", T "t"' '^ turn out to be a ffood nurcha^P T i. .u , ^""^ ** ^^^ n.e„ Of hi,h chaLtt^njerhir a^; oTC^r "7 i:t i: r ttrr^doT fh™ ^'d n'" "^ - gtate these f-irf, w J ^ '^"PP^'^ '" ^^^^^o" "^^^--ely to 40 it necessary that I should be nearly every day sitting at the board, both in London and in Ireland, I conceived that I could give nome explana- tion of these matters. To conceive that Mr. Ellice had anything to do with the formation of the Con'pany is as gr^at a falsehood as could possibly be uttered. He had nothing to do with it. When it was first proposed to purchase this property, the Honorable Mr. Ponsonby, now sitting at the board, moved a resolution that we should not purchase it, and I se- conded it. It was then purchased by Mr. Kingscote, who held it for a length of time in his hands. We were then negotiating for a purchase from the new Brunswick Company, and we sent out an agent to Canada at an expence of 200/., to inspect the property which he did. Finding some difficulty about it, I suggested to the board the propriety of pur- chasing Mr. Kingscote's property ; but that, before doing so, it should be investigated by a Committee. That Committee was appointed and Sir Josiah Coghill was a member of it. We made a report as to the value of the land, and I should wish that report to be read, because I conceive it will clearly shew the position in wiiich we then stood. We have already advanced 6/. a share, and my feeling is that if we advance more we shall get a return for it. When I look at the property in Ireland which was purchased by the Irish Society, and find that they held it for a number of years before it made any return, and that it is now very valuable, I cannot help thinking there is very reasonable and good ground to hope and believe that this will turn out ultimately to be valuable in the same way. I remember when the subject came be- fore us that Sir James Duke was the only individual Director who op- posed the purchase of this property. A memorandum has been put into my hands, shewing that he gave as a reason for it that it was departing from the original plan upon which the Association was formed. He was the only person, however, out of a board of eight or nine Directors, who opposed the purchase. Sir H. W. Barron. — In corroboration of what Mr. Henchy has just stated, I can safely say that this Association was formed at least five or six years before the purchase was made from Mr. Ellice. I ought to know something of the origin of the Association, for I brought the Act into the House, and got it passed ; and I know that Mr. Ellice had not an intention of selling his property at that time ; and we did not hear a word of it for years after the Association was formed. There cannot, therefore, be a greater mistake than to accuse us of forming the Asso- ciation foi the purpose of benefiting Mr. Ellice by purchasing his pro perty. '9 \ 50 -- .».« wi:,; I;;;: '' r;r';;; ::«;i''7^-^^ ^ :* "■» BiHunj^, timt lie found noth ntr n thi« Ro.,^^» • ^ <= «icrs. 1 am m the recollection of the Me«»tincr *>,„* t j r , •tated ,„ the T™,™. and »,d that I ,,„d „„, ,,„, ,„ „,^^ , S.T" r r' ""' ■' ""= '■ "^" '""— °f "ha. y u said thing that ha, fallen frU CaptilTv„7 ' T r ■!" """"'•■^""' ""''■ o „J^ I , v^fiptam Lyon. I know how essential it is to a Bood an^er that you should fairly stata the case of your opll Kepor.,„hieH are stated in l^^'P^Ziil:^ CZXl^:! the present occa„„„. Now, what are those fact,, which ZTZl.i 3 nuauons. The firs. is. that this Company was apparently formed for X" purpose of bnytng up this estate from Mr. X. Now TappeL to .M . t this Meetinjj, whether both in the lloport and by the toHtiinony of Sir Henry Winston liiirron, mid the tCHtimonv of Mr. Ilcncliy, thiit insin- UHtion, or fact, whichever you. cull it, hu.s not been most completely iefuted. Mr. fVin. Lyon. — What I said wiim, that the artiele, if you road it, says thiit the estate wuh purchased from Mr. EUicc for the purpose of emi- gration. The hon. member behind me ha« proved my ca.sc. Accordinf? to hU statement you piireliase uii estate for the purpose of emigration and do not emigrate. That i» what the Times says. Air. Muhony. — I stated that one of the original objects was to buy an estate to which to send emigrants. The emigrants were sent out, but wlien they arrived they had no place to go to. We found that a great difficulty, and our object was to buy nn estate, where we might have agents to r(!ceive them. Mr. Mangles. — I will address myself to the ground which the hon. gentleman takes. Now, what does the Report state upon that subject ? (jientlemen here present, who are only responsible for tlieir own acts, joined this Association when less than three thousand shares bad been taken up. We by ourselves, or by our friends, iilled up the whole amount of the Association. We subscribed the full capita! , and that I think may be in some degree an answer to the charges that have been insinuated, that we have conducted ourselves (in the words of the 7'imes) wit'n " roguery" in this matter. If we hve other perFon, unknown, I think this map looks very ugly as it i?, would it not be better to add a few more trees ? Tlie other says, " Yes, I think it would, " and tiicn that conversation is to be br()uu;ht forward to-day as a story almost incredible, but the effect of which is that it is to blacken all our faces, and to shew that this board is unfit to exercise the trust reposed in it, and that the whole concern is a swindle. Mr. William Lyon. — I believe I said I did not know whether the trees were put in, in fact, but that I could prove the order was given to put them in. Mr. Colvile. — Do not make a mystery about it — let us know who did these things. Mr. Manghs. — It was that the property would be better represented if the map had trees upon it, and no doubt they would make it look more like wild lands in Canada. Another of the grave charges made by the honorable gentleman is, that there was a tacit understanding that there should be no more than two call? made. I became a Share- holder at the same time as he did. I never heard that there would be no more than two calls made. On the contrary, I believed, and for my own part have always pressed that more calld should be made, and that more money should be paid up to improve this property, which I believe to be very valuable. At any rate 1 never heard, and I am sure that m?.ny gentlemen in this room will bear me out in that, that such a tacit plv^dge was given. The honorable gentleman also says it was notified that the third call was made to enable the Company to lend money to the government for the purpose of beginning of the Beauharnois canal, and that the money not having been applied to that purpose there was misrepresentation and fraud in that. Mr. William Lyon. — Misapplication. Mr. Mangles. — And that in that respect th? Directors were highly culpable. Now, I never heard that that was the object of the third call. I believe that the third call was made as the second had been, for general purposes ; but this I do know, that no such misapplication in fact took place, because the money was actually lent to the Board of Works in Canada, to enable them to commence the Beauharnois Canal at a certain time. The money was actually lent to the Board of Works — I do not know why, as proprietors of this estate, we should not admit what was our object, it being a perfectly honest one — our object no doubt was to get the work begun because we knew the power of jobbery and misrepresentation on the other side ; and we knew that, if possible, M even . the eleventh hour, in c.e of «., change in ,l,e Adni„i„r„,i„„ or oAer c,rcnn,ta|.c the work, would be carried ,o ,he other ,ide of be n told rr V f ."''"r' "' ""' ^''"'"y- ' -y -y ' h.ve W,rthar,t f '"."T"^'" ""--"try connected „i,h the PMdI T. r '■ r "° ''°'''" "■'■"'°"'" ''""■ "■» "'P* "f Captain Fh. pott., the Royal Engineer, »ho w», .»nt out to examine it that the south was the proper line. My friend Mr. Trevelyan told m tZt h, clr:' '"1""°"' °-' '"■' »° "<■"•>' «'« " »» 'he prop ■ ne Great „flue,.ce however. w„, „,ed to g.. it carried on the otlL de We bcheved that our property would be greatly benefited if th- c»„J were camed through it, and therefore we were very anxiou, to hav « bird "°^, ' T "'""'"' "' °^''" *«' "■'^ P*' ">°-y Wnrem barked .a the work, .t ahould be carried through. That Incy b'il .o lent reonained ,n their hand, for more than I year, and it Z bZ that the th,rd c^l wa, made for the purpose of being lent to theGotrn ment, he has the satisfaction of knowing that it wa. appled to Ja very purpose. It wa. lent to the Government, and ha^ been sn^ repaid by them to the Company. I will now say a few words as to the valae of the property. Tliat is a matter of opimon. Captain Bentinck and Mr. WOlil %l ha^e 'oM us they thmk it an entire loss, and that they have been rfadTo .!n .1 sWes for five shUUngs to a ticket porter .L to ottr pttl 1 o^ of the respons,bd„y. My belief is, that the estate is . very vlabl one and .f those shares have been in reality transferred, I hope Ao mmd (fliough .t IS purely a matter of opinion derived from the LZ mat,on I have received from persons who have been inCanoda, Id wto are competent to give an opinion upon the subject), that from the * eumstonce of the Beauharnois Canal being carried through thetta «,d from the circumstance of Montreal being made the capital, the estate' has bea,me exceed ngly valuable. It has been said truly tha the pri 1 of hares among jobbers in the share market is no criferion whate as to die value of property. Property may be worth fifty times ml than what we give for it. It is certain tiiat from cases which 1 72 explained to the Meeting, we have been unable to carry on aryoperlio: upon the property, and tiiat circumstance, no doubt.ls grL^ ded to Ih. depreciation m the value of the share, in the marfet. Vhave embarked m the concern and I intend to remain in it. I have „' mte.es. m misrepresenting it. If ,he«; ,™>,fer,, which have been r 6T nmde to the ticket porter and others, have not been bona fide transfera, I cannot see what advantage can result to these "gentlemen from what is commonly termed fouiinjf thair own nest. Every information they could desire would have been and v.ill be given to them. From the commencement, and long before these attacks appeared in the Times, there has been no sort of intentional concealment on the part of the Directors. There is not a single fact known to ourselves connected with the management of the affairs of the Company, that I would not myself have personally communicated to any Shareholder who had asked me for information. There is not a fact that would not have been made known to any gentleman who came here to ask it. We have held public meetings of the Shareholders annually. Our accounts have been regularly laid upon the table. I'here is no part of the transaction that has been attempted to be concealed, because, being as I hope, men of honor, we have nothing whatever to conceal. Now as to the value of the property there are these proofs of it. I would refer to any gentleman who has been to Canada, as to the value of land there wliich has a large Canal like this Beauharnois Canal running through it. But, besides that we have the report of Mr. Tower, who was sent out by Mr. Kingscote. He is a member of a well known Essex family, and the brother-in-law of Mr. Kingscote. He went oat to survey the property. He was on the estate for two years, and there is his report, which is at the command cf any gentleman who wishes to see it. We have also the report of Mr. Aitcheson, a gentleman well known in Canada, and who is perfectly competent to '..m an opinion on such a subject. I should say that his report is a little over sanguine, but let any gentle- man enquire who and what Mr. Aitcheson is, and what are his quaUfi- cations for forming an opinion — let me beg of you or of whoever does it, before you charge honest and honorable men with deceiving you, to take the trouble, in the name of fairness, to enquire into this matter — take the trouble to etiquire who Mr. Aitcheson is from any Canadian gentleman, and whether he is competent from his character and ability to give a fair report upon the value of lands in Canada ; and when you shall have done that, let me beg of you to read his report, which our Secretary will shew you or any of you, and then see whether you do not wish to get back your shares from the ticket porter. I do not know that I have anything to add to what I have already said, but this one thing J will say, I do not know whether any gentleman is in the room either representing Mr. Morrison or representing the party who wrote those articles in the 2'imes or caused them to be inserted. w.<j«tagast9ai roaiM ds I have my belie/ as to who wa« the instigator of those articles. If either he personally or his representative is in the room. I a.k him to come forward as an honest man and say by what right he seeks to blacken my face, for I am personally concerned in this matter. I o.k him come forward as an honest and honorable man. and prove, if he can. that I and the honorable gentlemen with whom I have been and am associated, have acted with roguery ; and I say, in conclusion, that rf he does not come for^-ard before this meeting, and either disavow aU knowledge of the article in the Times, or prove the matter which is there asserted, he stands, if he be present, in the position of a con- victed slanderer. Mr E Ellice.-l wieh to say one word in explanation. A question was asked as to the value of the unsettled property. I see that from he ye^ 834 to 1839 before I sold this proper^ to the Association, I sold 9 700 acres of this wild land. 8,900 of which were sold at from 20s. to 30s. an acre, and the greater part of the value (all the money remaining on mortgage) is now the property of the Association James Leman, Esq.~My name being mentioned in your projected report, rather in the way of insinuation. I beg to say that neither di- reetly nor mdirectly do I know anything of the article which appeared m the Ttmes. and I may. I presume, say the same on behalf of the tacket porter also. One ol)servation which has been made by Mr EUice induces me to go a little further into this matter than I originallv mtended. I think he stated that the probable income which he ex- pected to ^se from this property during his life was but £3.000. a year Mr. E. Elltce.— Certainly I did. ^ ^ Mr Leman.— The purchase money paid for the estate was L.O.OOO^ therefore it is impossible not to see that instead of getting 3 000/ a year. Mr. EUice in fact gets according to the rate of interest double W fT' M^^'lir^ ^"^"^ ^ ""'"''"" °^ '^'' ^"««"^«" Pr-««nt to that fact. Mr. Ellice says I never expected more than 3.000/. a vear for this property, whereas the company have given him 6,000/. a vear He has at this moment a mortgage for 90.000/. and therefore he' may take the estate back from you if you do not pay him the interest and principal. A genUeman at the end of the room said that there was a report upon the subject. We never heard of Mr. Aitcheson before Mr. Mangles.— You might have done. Jtfr. I,«»an.-In8tead of the Society or the Directors of the Society being mdignant at the article which appeared in the Times, they ought to be much obliged to the writer for giving them an opportunitv of ■ >■ A0 explaining that which has been kept a mystery— this startUng thing that we start upon with respect to the 3,000/. Mr. E. Ellice.— l did not state that 3.000/ was the value of the property. Half the property was unsettled. 1 did expect from that part that was settled 3,000/ a year during my Ufe, but I did not intend to give to the purchaser a hundred and twenty acres of this property near Montreal. I considered that as a reversionary interest, which would come to me afterwards. Mr. Leman.—l certainly understood Mr. EUice to say, that the whole income that he expected from this property was 3,000/ a year. Mr. E. Ellice.—l admit that perfectly. But are not people to have reversionary interests? Will the honourable gentleman allow me to state the nature of this property. Every body must be aware that I have been very cautious about giving an opinion as to the value of the property, from the very first. I stated to Mr. Kingscote at the time he had my agent's valuation in his hand, which estimated the value of this property at two hundred and odd thousand pounds. I refused after- wards the 100,000/. for the property before, let me tell this meetmg, if that is of any importance. I refused it when I was in America myself. I gave to Mr. Kingscote the valuation which my agent had made some years before, not with any intention of sale, and I said to him, " I think it fair to tell you when you are purchasing that which you cannot un- derstand, that tliough I look on this property as valuable, and I shall leave the reversion of it, I do not expect, without applying further capital to it, to receive more than 3,000/ per annum during my life." Mr. Lnnaii.— That is precisely what I state— that this property was not to produce, except with a considerable outlay, more than 3,000/ a year. If that is so, it does seem to be a large sum for tliis company to have given 150.000/ for this property. Thirty years purchase I con- sidered to be a very high price for land, but this is more than sixty. That is the mode in which I look at it. Mr. Elhce had a most perfect right to make the best sale he could of his property, and nobody can doubt that he acted quite right in getting from Mr. Kingscote the highest price he could obtain. I do not stand here to complain of what Mr. Ellice has done, but I stand here as a shareholder to say. that I doubt whether the Directors have acted with prudence. I am told, that in fact, even 3,000/ a year is not received, and that, if the accounts ere looked into, it wiU be found that there is no income at all. I am told by a shareholder that he could find no report of any. Mr. Manyles. — Name. ^ss^wit 60 answ'' f'f "w/ ^ 7 '^^^'^ '^' ^"^^^°"' ^ '^ ^o.t ready to give an answer to ,t. When the property was purchased there were consirrable arrears due a large amount of which has been since collected and Je behevew^th confidence that all the arrears now due are good and wTu be pa.d I have alread, stated that the an-ears havfall Je" tr^T "^ ''-'- ''' '-' - «-^ ^" ^^« -epoTalT I Mr Leman-Oi course the arrears are canied back; you receive the arrears when you receive the rents. The only fact whi;h I in nded to bnng before the notice of the meeting was the^tartling one h t ' property was to produce only 3.000/. a year, and that l.O.Om!'^:. Un^^n^'^Zt^:^^^^ °^'" '''' °^^^ ^^-' -*hin these ten nnnutes that ,t is not the fact-that you are misapprehending the thmg-you do not understand the question. PP'-enend.ng the .y.^u^"^.T~^ '^^ "°^ '^'"'' *^** '« q"it« the language which should be addressed to me. "S"age wnich Mr. Colvile.~You do not understand the nature of the property of which you are speakmg. and therefore you do not understand'the ques tha1^ffhT"rL''""''"'^^^''*°'''""^'*^"^^*^«"- Whatlsay ' that If the probable mcome to arise from that property is only 3 000/ per annum, there is not income enough to pay the interL of I'so 000 / at 4 per cent. An hon. Shareholder has suggested the proprietv of an pomtmg a Committee to investigate the matter. I think'tha't tha^ wo^W be the wisest course for all parties. The fact to which I have adverted did certajnly seem to me to be a very strong one. and I felt it rir o clear that the mcome of this estate, according to Mr. Ellice's view ^tr T vl '^TV: ''' '^' '''''''' "P^'^'^^ purchase-money • Mr. Smtk.-m. Elhce read to you himself from that Report that the year before he sold his estate he sold 9.000 acres of the land. Tha IS not income. ^ 61 was Mr. E. Ellice. — I do not think that my hon. Friend, Mr. liCman, knows anything about American property. I have inherited American property, and have probably had more experience in it for forty years, than any man in this country. I have bought a greai deal of American property which has yielded no income. You buy land with the expecta- tion of selling it at some future day to repay the advance which you originally made. I hold a great deal of American property, and there is very Httle of it from which I get any income. It does happen in Canada, that rents are received, but instances of that are very rare in America. "You buy land which produces no income, to sell again by degrees. Mr. Leman. — I do not think that that quite answers the question. This Company is bound, T apprehend, to pay the interest to Mr. Ellice, and it is liable to very large expenditure. Some one tells me that there is a lumping sum of 15,000/. charged for management. That must come out of the pockets of the Shareholders by calls. My friend who has addressed the Board to-day says, that there are no sources from which to pay the interest to Mr. Ellice and the expenses, except the calls. Mr. Ellice. — I merely wish to say, that Lord Egremont, with the very objects of this Society, bought a large tract of land in Upper Canada, to which he sent out emigrants. Lord Egremont never ex- pected a shilling of income from that estate until he should be able to sell it. Mr. Mangles. — What advantage does Mr. Leman expect to result from this ? If it be a bad purchase we cannot get out of it. The pre- sent Directors did not make the purchase. What is his object to be gained by proving that this is a very bad concern ? Mr. Leman. — You are come here to give the Shareholders an ex- planation ; and surely nothing should be withheld. You ought to be anxious that I should make these statements, in order that you may explain them to the public. Some one said just now, that by doing this I am fouling my own nest. I want to get at the facts, and that you should be able to show that what has been done is all right. Mr. Mangles. — The question is, whether we are honest men or not. The attack made upon us is, that we are not. Honest men may make bad purchases. Mr. Leman. — I know nothing whatever of the article to which you refer, either directly or indirectly. W. H. Ashurst, Esq.— I am too old a stager to be induced, by the observations of the gentleman who spoke immediately bciorc •.Ax, ^^= ■ *l!-vJ^fe-B^,^i.y ;ts*iiei '"riitiiiftttmn I 1 i I Hi man, to enter upon personiil matters which are wliolly irrelevant to the objects for whioli we arc called here to-day, but I take the opportunity of saying that Mr. EUire forgot to state one fact, which I know he will state when I call his attention to it. I did not know that thin wan to be attempted to be made a personal (piestion. I understood that the Directors of this Company felt that they themselves were upon their trial, and that they had called this meeting in order to give to the Shareholders full and explicit imfornuttion in relation to a particular article which contained certain facts ; which facts it was their business on this occasion, and which facts they themselves had declared it was their business on this occasion to give an answer to. The fact to which I desire to call Mr. Ellice's attention is, that Mr. Morrison, last year, was applied to by him upon the suhjrct of the article which then appeared in the Tinips, and which, it btrikes me, was written by the same hand that wrote the article which has given rise to this meeting, to know whether he (Mr. Morrison) had anything to do with it. Mr. Ellice then re- ceived an answer from Mr. Morrison, which prol)ably Mr. Ellice ought, when he referred to the matter and saw the course the thing was taking, and when be was paying a e.)n>pliment to Mr. Morrison, to have stated to the meeting. I now go to the business of the meeting. Chairtnan. — You are a Shareholder I presun.e. Mr. Ashurst.~l am. This is not a charge against the Directors of anything that is personally imputative except it be that they have denied information (ami I am here to state that fact relative to their course) which the Shareholders were entitled to receive. C/iairman.-^T\\at is not the charge in the paper. Mr. Ashurst.—The charge you will find, my Lord, is in the paper. Chairman. — But that is not the charge. Mr. Ashurst.—The charge in the paper I will read if it be material —but it is a charge which I, at all events, desire to make here, because it is the root of all the matter as against the Directors. The whole sum and substance of any charge or imputation that has been made against the Directoi-s, baa been founded upon the fact that they have withheld infor- mation from the Shareholders. Now, I was extremely desirous myself to get information on behalf of Mr. Morrison, relative to the course which the Directors had taken, and I refer to my own proceeding be- cause I am here with a knowledge of that fact from those on whom I can rely. I was also a party to a correspondence with the Directors' Solicitor, in which I sought the information which would have rendered it satisfiactory to Mr. Morrison, to pay the caUs which were made upon him, but the iriformation was refused by Mr. Dewar upon the ground f :j ! m that the present Act did not ttUthori«c nny Shareholders to require in* formntion l)oy(>nd the period of it« own date, no that with reference to niutoriid (nrtu whiili lay at the root of everything, and from which any deduction was tu he made aa to the present state of circumntances and the propriety of f^oing on with the Association, could not be got at, and I rise now with the object of putting something specify before the meeting, si that if it be the desire of the Directors to g ve full infor- mation, that full information may be put within our reach. Share- hoUlers are but a rope of sand tinless they ran be congregated in some way ally constituted ; and that it is desirable that all such do- cuments .hould be put before the Shareholder., in order that they may see whether the benevolent objects to which one of the Proprietor! the m tructions wh.ch have been now sent out. It w.is a good and benevolent object at first, and now it is to be made a tradin'g object I thn.k there .s nothmg mconsistent witJ the notion that it is a trading object m the mstructions sent out to the Agent, and it surely may be permit ed to the partners in such a concern to see whether it is desirable to put an end to the concern at once, or to carry it on further I say that ,t .s an alarming thing if persons having a large interest in this Company are not to be furnished with the means of coming to a conclusion as to whether it is wise to go on with the speculation or to abandon .t at once. None of the Directors have adverted to the 3 000/ said to have been paid for shares. I merely call your attention to h because Mr. Mangles undertook to make out the case, but the honour- able Director wholly forgot it. Now, it is certainly very desirable that the whole transaction relative to the purchase of Shares at par. when they have been offered for sale bv Shareholders at a price so much below par. should be laid open. I impute ..thing to anvbody, but I say that it is a thing which requires investigation^, which is what all men ought to contend for, and no man ought to refuse. I have there fore to suggest that an investigation should be had in such a form as to satisfy the Shareholders, and I would therefore propose the ap. LoTdsT' °^ ^ Committee of Shareholders to be nommated by your Chairman. — Oh ! no, no. Mr. Ashurst.~Then, that a Committee fairly chosen be appointed to examine all documents, and to make such a report as they may feel under the circumstances it is desirable should be made. There has been a caution thrown .ut and a very judicious caution no doubt it is that there may be facts and circumstances which it is not desirable 65 sliould be publicly made known. Be it so. Cannot a judi<;iou8 sielec- tiun of Shareholders be made, and can they not be trusted with the discretion of not making known fticts which it ia their interest to conceal. When I H|)t>ak of concealment, I do not mean concealment in an improper sense, but we all knew that there a)»' frequently facta and circumstanres which it is desiriible should not see the light until a certain time. If there be any such (and the suggestion having been thrown out from authority it is rcisonable to infer that there may be), surely it ia not a point for the Shareholders to enquire. Let ua have this enquiry, and if the enquiry be granted, let the resolutions to which the Committee may come, if they con\e to any, or kt the report that thev ..t»:: be printed and circuluted uini)ug the Shareholders, or let 8uc^ mean-i ')e taken as v.ill enable parties to see really what their si ua^'on is. ad that being done, any resolution that may af- terwards bv:. comi to by the Society will doubtless be satisfactory, otherwise, • ivx'iever statements may be made here io day will not be considered satisfactory, and tlic parties having been once refused infor- mation, and having felt that there was son\(tlung which they vvcic not to see, and that you would not allow them to walk by sight, will never be induced to walk by faith. Let us now, thrrefore, appoint a Com- mittee who will be able after their entiuiries shall have terminated, to give us that information which every Director has professed his willing- ness to give. Let the facts be distinctly brought before the Share- holders, and they will then be able to come to a satisfactory conclusion. Mr, Muhony, — I think it is plain that there is a mistake between Mr. Ellice and Mr. Leman. The view which I take of Mr. EUice's statement is this, that he had a net rental of 3,000/. a year out of this estate. He Imd besides that, a hundred and twenty thousand acres of unsettled land. He did not iut ■ ' to spend any more capital in bringing that into cultivation, but he did intend to sell it, and he told us that he had sold a portion of it at the rate of 1/. an acre on the average. Chairman. — That he had sold about eight thousand acres at that rate. Mr. Mahony. — That was the value that he put upon it according to the data furnished to him in his accounts. That, of course, could not be realized within a short period of time, but still it was to be realized after the lapse of some years. Mr. E. Ellice.-— b.QOOl. was the rental, and the net 3,000/. Mr. Mahony. — His ageat reported it to be worth two hundred and odd thousand "ounds. He sold it to Mr, Kinfifscote. makiuer to him a i f m i> 60 ^11 disclosure of every thing, and giving to him all the information he hnnse.t possessed. Now if Mr. Leman will bear in mind, that it was not a mere rental that was sold., out capital, the realization of which was only defen-ed. he will at once see that all this clamour i. not so just, as at first sight, it might appear to be and that the price paid was not so extravagant as it would seem to be, if the rent only were Rooked to. But I think that Mr. Ashurst's object may be obtdned without castmg an unjust slur upon the Directors. If the proprietors shoud come now to a resolution, such as that proposed, they would in effect be cas mg a slur upon their Board. They wodd be saying, there was justifiable ground for our seeking information and enqui,^. I co^! sequence of the articles of which complaint has now been made. I think r. M fT " °^J''' ''" ^' ^'■'•^y S-^'"''^ by ^^"°ther mode. I have asked Mr. Ashurst to lend me the Act of Parliament, and I have no hesitation in saying that I can, if I like, go into Mr. Dewar's office and by aw satisfy myself upon every one of these points. I have nJ doubt also that the Directors, after this meeting, will feel the propriety of giving the Shareholders an opportunity of considering the RcportI which they possess one supphed by Mr. EUice himself, and the ither spenftwn ;■ 1"""''*''^ brother-ir-law. who, I understand, pent wo years m Canada, and who made a Keport to him upon the subject. There is another Report which has also been referred to- Mr. Aitcheson's. That Report, the Directors likewise have, and that I know can as a matter of right, read. I refer to no document that I am not by law entitled to read. Mr. SmitL^Mr. Tower's Report is a private Report. Mr. Henchy. -Th^t report was laid before the Committee, who made a Report, which I wished to have read, because I conceived it would shew that all these other Reports were noticed in it. and that It was upon those Reports, that the lana was purchased. I really do feel, that where a just suspicion exists, the amount of enquiry should be mo.- searching; but when men of honor have been put torward in this way. and that anonymously-and when the articles which have appeared in the newspaper have been disavowed by every one who has spoken. I. for one. Nvill not vote for the appointment of any Com- mittee ; but I will press upon t le Directors the propriety of submittmg to the meetmg a resolution, that the Report read to-day be printed and Ci/aulated. and that in an ^Appendix to that Report, there should be printed, all the various Reports which have been made from time to time. -Mii ,»'hich formed the basis of the contract. ' 07 11 r Mr. Leman. — I hiivo only one word to say, I quite understand what Mr. f^llice says, — that there was a present positive income of 3,000/. per annum, and a cliance of selling the estate, consisting of a hundred and twenty thousand acres in futuro. Tlie present income, therefore, is precisely what I supposed it to be. No man can feel |more strongly than I do that Mr. Ellice had a right to sell his estate to Mr. Kingscote for any sum he could get. I do not for a moment insinuate anything against Mr. Ellice in regard to his conduct in selling the estate to Mr. Kingscote. But the directors entc .;d into a negociation with Mr. Kings- cote. A gentleman who has addressed the Meeting to-day has said that the original object in forming this Company was to benefit Ireland. That object has not been carried out. No one can doubt for a moment what was the benevolent object intended ; but it appears to me that in the progress of this business that object has been lost sight of. Now, I have no desire to misstate anything. I have heard it stated that Agents have been employed to buy up shares in Ireland, and that they succeeded to a great extent in collecting them together, Wdliam Hutt, Esq., M. P. — I rise to order. We are really wander- ing fi'om the matter before the Meeting. I and other gentlemen pre- sent have business at the other end of the town, and I do trust that gentlemen who have frequently addressed the Meeting in the course of the morning, will consider that it is not desirable for them to travel into new matter. Joseph Parkes, Esq. — The object of this Meeting I need not state further than to say it was called simply to consider certain articles which have appeared in the public press, commenting on the proceedings of this Association, implicating many persons in relation to it, and the Board of Directors who manage our affairs. I do not know that vve have any right to comp'.ain of the course taken by the public press with regard to those comments, but we have a right to complain of any individual or individuals who have been parties to misleading the public press. I have heard several gentlemen here differing in opinion as to the policy and good judgment shown in the conduct of the Association, come forward in a plain and manly and straightforward manner and disclaim all knowledge of, or connexion with, the author of the articles in the Times, which have occasioned the present Meeting, either di- rectly or indirectly. It is obvious, that the origin of those articles must be within our own body, and really, in my humble judgment, suspicion is limited to a very few individuals. I do not mean to say that at all offensively. Tiiere aie gentlemen here present representing the great K 2 68 ^whom„eyh„vetn.„sferred shares. I h,v= heard wrth '^^Ir hn« =« . ^ published, IS to state frankly whether he tZtT.t:71-- ""Z" " """^ '"^" '"'''■ "1 ™7 « ty Mr pea " n Ae V TT °' ""J""'™*-'"" ™* *= «icle which ap. Sa b Mr M ""T,''' *" ™ "'«''= '" » P"™'= le"er -.-..,..,„,..-i,;';.r;'.'^s;:;;;'-s- «ho™ as I th „k •: js reel :■ "T"'"'^ ""™ '' '' p'-^"y -" err„„e;„,, ho.^ „ . : . 'n S Uh" f?' '"' "'."^ "'* '' geaUemaa who has been reeUv or Mree, " "T""'""' ™ ™'' i«.pu.a.i„as ,„ co,.e wT^ I tl^tT Mbt X^T '^ or indirectly, of such articles I h^v. nfi T ' ^"'^'^^^y ^e,ues..o„.Mr..sh„r:rperlX;aM^^^^^^^^ r^rrv tw7"°^ """"''■""'''' '=™ -« SharehoWr™ re nearly, two years ance, personally requested by Mr. Ashurst whh ! vew on,y .nterfering between this Association Ld m7 Ciso' ,„ an action then pe.,ding at law I certalnW Au , ,. ""'"'"n in m ledge, hftP-^ny knowledge, directly or indirec^'iy, of the writer of the articles in question. I do not think that if they were the authors it would justify any reflection upon either of t\em, provided they now come forward and state they admit that representations have heen made by them not altogether founded in iact. Mr. Ashurst. — I canrot answer for Mr. Morrison. I can answer for myself. I have every reason to believe as re<^ard3 Mr. Morrison, that he has neither directly or indirectly had any connexion with the Times newspaper on this subject. As regards myself I have spoken on many occasions, and to many persons connected w>th the Times with regard to the treatment I received at the time when I applied for information, and was denied it ; and in that way it is pot sibk those fcrrner articles may have originated. But with reference to the article which has called yo;a together to-day, T pledge my word that I never knew directly or indirectly anything of the writing of it, nor did I know that it was written or publi ihed until twenty four hours after it appeared. I had purchased the paper, but had not seen the article t nor did I know any- thing of it until it was pointed out to me. I hope, however, it is not intended by this to avoid explanation, or to refuse that information which it was the great object of my coming here to procure, and which has been so constantly proffered in the course of this' discussion. Russell Ellice, Esq. — There is no doubt that when I first spoke to Mr. David Lvon respecting taking shares, I did lead him into a belief that 41. a share would be all that he would be called on to pay, because I understood from that gentleman that he did not propose to take shares for the purpose of an investment but with a view to turn an honest penny when the shares should get to a premium. I think that from thence has ari.«en the mistake. I could not mean that 4l. was all that the Shareholders were likely to be called on to contribute, inasmuch as I knew that banking was one of the objects of the concern, and that capital would be required for the purpose of carrying on that business. With reference to what Mr. Ashurst has said about information being denied to him, it must be recollected that Mr. Ashurst came here as the Solicitor of Mr. Morrison, his object being to obtain information with a view to his defence to an action for calls due to him. It was not rea- sonable, therefore, that he should get from us information which was to be made use of for the purpose of defeating our just claims. Then with regard to the payment of 3,000/, for the purchase of certain shares at par, the fact is, th«Li when the subscription for these shares was first made, Mr. .John Abel Smith, in the most liberal way, said, whatever "IinroR nro not pubsciibod lor I iv;ii « i . . ;:™.«..:;l^;:::-r=:;;i;r ^//•. /'ff?-x Of Acs.— intorosf. and the cost, .c-e to 1, t , '""' *" '" ^""'^ "''^^^ on ., ,. ..n, that Mr. Mo.:;r ^^ t ^L: t:;:::::^ ^ tii^ nccnunts and papers, and tlmt ho should pve us his ar," !! V th. objects of the (\>nu>anv Reallv unHI tL '"promoting in Quction I xvn. ...f •/ "^ "Ppt-armicc of the article nllv ^1 t »^v«re except by private eomnunnention occasion- contuu.ed I do not see what practical good could re.ult A-oni carrvi.u! ^a..ns ,l.o,„u.<., ,l,c. .no,., „f „,,i,.l, .,„„,, „., •,„'„;„,„;, ' "" fulcc. ,vl„ch ,l,e Si„.rc.Iu,:dm „„gl„ ,„ fed i„ „„ „;„,,„. "" ' "', our ,«.,„ „. ...ucl, „«.„ ,of. i„ „,i, „™„, , „,„ „ 2.:J^t 71 llif extent of ihiity'iivc Shiiroi* Tin HliarcB 1 had oriji^inally, and nlthoi'gh I liavc never been in more lliiin three ])uhhc cotupanie? in my hfe, nnd inn not i)iutial to Ppeenlations in them, I sent for tlie other twenty-five Sliaret* partly in conReciuenee of knowing that Mr. Morrison's nanu' was added to tlie dircetion, and that he was ahcnit to take ii considerahU; stake hiniHeU' in tlie eoncern. Mr. William Lijon.—l would rather oeoujjy the meeting five or ten miiMitea longer, than return, saying I am not satisfied with the answers whieh have been given to my eoinplaints. Not being satisfied with those answers, I will state very shortly my reasons for bring dissatisfi^id, which will be better than leaving tiie thing open. One (nrX has lately come out in this diseussion, which surprises mc very much. It is what we have been long trying to get at, and never could. I mean the fact which has just now been stated by Mr. Russell Elliee, with regard to the side of those Shares to Mr. Wakefield, 'J'lure is said to have been nn agreement between the (Company and that gentleman at the time of his taking shares that he was to have ll.e privilege of selling those shares again to the Company at par. Are the Directors autorized to take the Shares of a Shareholder at par, when they can get them from other persons at a much less price ? If there was any such an agree- ment as that entered into, 1 own 1 should like to see it. If the Directors want to purchase Shares, why do they not go into the market for them ? Chairman. — The Directors might have bought them at u nnich lower price, no doubt, but if they had done so, that would have been a breach of the engagement entered into with Mr. Smith. It was not a job of the Directors. Mr. William Lyon. — If such an agreement was entered into, I should like to know whether it was a written agreemen., and if it was, I should like to see it. Then with regard to x\k v;,lue of this ])roperty, nnd with regard to the arrears, I am not a mtui of business, but Mr. John Abel Smith is. I ujulerstood inm to say, large arrears have been paid up, and that the .uTCiu-s arc continually incrca^ ■ )g. Mr. Smith.- -YrB. Mr. William Li/on. — I do not -"ce any sense in that. If so, it shews n most rotten state of affairs. Mr. Smith.— T\w property has been in the pos9essi(> :i the i)rep i!t proprietors, somewhat less than five years. During the three first rf those five years, very large collections of arrears were made. Durin- i'oliist two of those five years, (those being most eulaiuitous years in Canada,) fresh arrears have arisen. Mr. Williau Lyon.— Then that 8})ew8 the most unfavourable possible 72 •n,wortl,em ?" lu, speech, however, wl.icli •„«» cut mther ,l,.,.t I «h a We. . „ee„„i„ .heir „pl„i„„ ., ;„-,i: X „ V sh^^r'Tr "f v.)„e .he word of a S.oek.hroker ' ° "" '"""°" ^/r. C./* -I beg to know preeisely wi... was ,he coma,u„ica.io„ f'.at you „,ade .o a.y Diree.or. Did you „sk hiu, whaTHw opinion as to .he value of .hese shares? If ,„„ .','"" '' >°" .h«. it would have been e«remely in&eree in rfltt. T " "•"• oi>imon on .he snbjee.. and it is no „.rr„f , *" ^""^ '"'' ♦III , , , P^* of his business to do so I ^^ryXtior^^ "^-^^^ -- "« "' -"Xifh: ^/r. William Lyon.— I did not 4:u'^rr.'U^L?airbrte:'dr„:^ by which to judge of the value of .ke sWes ^^ '"" ""' ™"" J/r. Wftom tyon.—l aid„„,,, wrote and n,ade i. known to ourfricndsTn he TLocia.!™ Z'a^ or^anyhody .hey knew would hke .„ have .he sljs'ry"':';:!;';.: .Wr ^,J„r,(._The point is that 3.000/. was paid by the Director, for certam shares, which they might have had fo, 1 ooL aT fore that 3000/. wUl stand a^ainsfthe Co.pL' ^: .^T„ •.o"^/^"" Mr. &„M.-With regard to the purchLe'. . efe hlrcT' name has be: ■ „e„.ioued, I wffl state ' ,t urr^ when t^' r '"'' panywasf. .J I took such a uumbe , ...ZtT^^ and a cons.deraole number too. Those si. ... - Mi now. AfZJ, ".' 73 it was tliought desirable to fill up the number of Subscriptions, there being at that titno a certain number of shares unappropriated, and I took those shares upon myself, entering at the same time into an agree- ment with the Directors such as Mr. UusscU EUice has stated, and in compliance with that agreement when the Directors wanted these shares for Mr. Wakefield they took them from me. Mr. William Lyon. — I think that the Committee are not authorized to enter into any such agreement. Chairman. — I really think my duty now is to remind the Meeting that it would be desirable that some practical proposition should be put into my hands to put to the Meeting. Mr William Lyon. — Instead of rii^ing and merely saying ' am not satisfied with the explanation which has been given, I will, if it so pleases you, tell you why I am not satisfied. If, on the other hand, you do not wish to hear my reasons, I am quite ready to sit down. Mr. Russell Ellice. — I would much rather you should come here and talk to me for half an hour some day. Mr. Mahony. — In order to carry out practically your Lordship's sug- gestions, I beg leave to move that the report now read be received and adopted — that it be printed and circulated, and that in an appendix all the reports in relation to the value of the property should be also printed. Mr. Colvile. — I beg to mention that those reports are very fit docu- ments to be seen by the Shareholders, but thoy are not reports which could be printed and circulated to the world with benefit to the Share- holders. They are reports containing suggestions as to the best mode of disposing and dealing with the property, and ther^ are many other subjects there stated for the consideration of the Directors, but not in a shape for general publication. Mr. Mahony, — Then I will confine myself to the printing of the Report of the Committee of Shareholders, and add that the original documents therein referred to are o])en to the inspection of any Pro- prietor. Henry Shank, Esq. — I beg to second the motion. Chairman. — "Will you have the goodness to state the precise terms of your motion that I may take them down. Mr. Mahony. — That the Report now read, be received and adojjted, and printed, and circulated among the Shareholders, and that thereunto be appended, the Report of the Committee recommending the purchase 74 of Beauharnoi, ; and that the other Reports refernng to the value of that estate, be open to the inspection of the Shareholders. Chairman.— Then I will put the question. Mr. ^^A«r./.-I beg to move as an Amendment, that a Committee of Shareho ders be appointed to consider the affairs of the Company to whom all documents shall be open, and that the said Committee' do report to the Shareholders th<. .tate of the affairs of the Companv. and upon the propriety of continuing the Association. ' Mr. T. Moorcock.—] heg to second that. Mr. Mahony -Mr. Ashurst seems to have forgotten what both he and I are famd.ar with. I have heard that there has been a litigation between tins Company and Mr. Morrison, and that one of the causes of the bad feehng which has e .isted has been, that certain documents were not given to Mr. Ashurst. It was afterwards agreed, that "ver; ih rZ rw'' ^"^"- ' '"P^ ^^^ I^roprietorslill not sanct on this motion, which I consider as tantamount to a motion for a vote of censure on the Directors. We know, that as a matter of right he can W .at he wishes, and I would rather propose to Mr. AsC th he should exercise his right, and if he finds in the course of the investi- ga ion, that there are things which ought to be brought before the Com- ™.t tee, . meetmg might be called for the purpose of considering that question on a requisition to that effect being made bv him. and ether persons agreeing with him. Do not let it be forgott'en. that what we aie now doing, vvill be before the world to-morrow. If there are any it tltf VV /-T" '''"^ Shareholder justify a vote of censure! let those facts be plainly stated, a .d let the vote c^" censure be plainW put from the chair, but do not let it be done by insinuation. Mr. Ashurst -The matter which has been adverted to between Mr Parkes and myself, has nothing whatever to do with the question ot to-day. The question is. whether the Shareholders shall see through heir own instrumentalities. If they are not allowed to do that, then let the public judge of it. Mr. Makony.-U you reject the original motion, it amounts to a vote of censure. 6ym««.-The original motion made by Mr. Mahony is. "That the Report now read be received and adopted, and printed and circulated among the Shareholders, and that thereunto be appended the Report of the Committee recommending the purchase of !ieauhar .ois. and that other Reports referring to the value of that e^.ate. be open to the in- spection of the Shareholders." Tlie Amendment moved hv Mr A sT,.,rst 75 is. " That a Committee of Sliareliolders be appointed to consider the affairs of the Company, to whom all documents shall be open, and that the said Committee report to the Shareholders upon the state of the said affairs of the Company, and upon the propriety of continuing the Association." As many as are in favour of Mr. Ashursit's Amendment, will he pleased to hold up their hands. (Three hands were held up.) As many as are in favour of the original motion will please to hold up their hands. (Twenty seven hands were held up.) Chairman. — Then the original motion is carried. Mr. Ashurst. — Will your Lordship allow me to suggest that Mr. Mahony's is now become an original motion, to which I have to move an amendment. I beg to move the omission of the word " adopted," and the introduction at the close of the motion, of the words, "and all other documents relative to the said purchase," and I would make this observation in support of my motion. If you adopt a Report of that kind you do so after it has been submitted only to one hearing on the part of the Shareholders, who cannot be supposed to be able to go into such a document, and who have all along considered and expressed an opinion' that they ought to have time to examine it. Mr. Moorcock. — I beg to second the amendment. Chairman. — Tlie original motion was " That the Kept .vv read be received and adopted," upon which Mr. Ashurst moves as ai) amend- ment to leave out the word " adopted." I will put the question upon that first. As many as are of opinion that the word " adopted " should stand part of the resolution will please to hold up their hands. (Twenty-seven hands were held up). As many as are against that word remaining as part of the resolu- tion will please hold up their hands. (Three hands were held up). It is then proposed to add at the end of the Bejolution the words, " and all other documents relative to the said purcnase." Mr. Mangles. — There is no objection to that, I think. Mr. No, I do not see any objection to it. Chairman. — Then the motion now fetCL.-«da as it did originally, with the addition of the words at the end, proposed by Mr. Ashurst, " and all other documents relative to the said purchase." As many as are in favour of that Resolution will be pleased to hold up their hands. (Twenty-seven hands were held up). I< 76 fo:z,:;:,r;V' ""'•'» '''-^■' •"'■"■'' "p '■■=i". po»e tuc DlwH-fu^n i will ,inn.lvf L ., V. ^''"^'^'"H.n who com- Rt.ulut.on,- that this Mcotiiiir dosin-M tn „ """^"'fft''^' fallowing Governor. Don utv Governor It in- '"■"' "' *'^""''" '" the to the affairs o^l^^ZZ^'t^^^^^ 'T '''" ^"'""'"^' '''^-••- d.cn: it unnecessary toZ^lnyl^' 'T u"' ""'^' "'" ''^■"^^'^-'h tations a, have been , ' '" "' '^"^' ^°^'^^>' ""^-""J^'d i-'l-- ^.///«m H«,,. £^, M P I . ^ ^^^'^ "••^■-"t Meeting, hnps the Mooting wli t.Zl ""'" """"^ ^'"« »^-«'"tion. and per- -!to that I wa. cr th^ ;::di^:;??^;:r " ;" v^^ ' operations of the Association an- nor'ondLted T "I ''" necess..i,y cognizant of the extreme diffi , ^whieh Z' ''T''' form.ng th^ Direction have had to encou.^ter in ), , g'-ntknien the logitin^te purposes of the AssL": ^ ^ ^^ t 7-""-° ^ quaiuted with that fact I sav wifh . « i """""^ ''■^"" «^- tbe purposes and the o.n It ^^^i^,^^ sZ^^'u'"' ''"^' '^'^^^ ^^^■•'«' ^ Pnulenee. sagacity, -d^ him^an'ri: "^^^^^ ^''^-^ v^armest thanks of f c Proprietors Tl.n Z ^ ! ^ ''"''"'■''" *''« moved l,y n.y honorable f d g ; J' P ''" T" '^ '^" ^""'"'*'"" for one moment, only for i purl; ? •"■ [ """^' ^'^" ^^'^^^ »» geutleman who has^dverted "T^^^^^^^^^ '^ ^'^^ columns of the Times newspa^ ' II :L ', T"^'' "^ ^•- that those charges are ver^ 1 ttle credit d I f ^ ' " ""' "^""'""^ have been in any ..y conceVned in tl^t Ui^Z "^^'^ ^^"t 1'^ be any one present who ^MU not heartiU . J^'^re can hardly the Res. : tion M.,„elv tl, t tht t ^ "'"'" '" '^' ''^°'"' ^^'^ "f Bn-eetors .11 henclr't^l::'^'^^^^^^^^^ ''^ ^^- ^^- the totally unfounded imputations as have Z th, '""^ "f "" ''^"'^^ Mooting. ^^" ^^'^ occasion of the present Mr. Wim.u.i Lyon.~\ have stated from thr ; « • • that I do not think the facts .. .nfoundeT 't,;.^^"/""^ *° '^' -^ most of them. I find f ult w,fh rr.H • ' ^"'^ established I thought it a very ta. ' ^ " f^n": TT '''''''' '^''^'''''y- are anonvmous. I an- ,re I ol 7 " correspondents who me Of having .Htt Jtb;:rticir::7ifr^:^" :::;: - ---^ -ag„,eeven that I knew who it was who^rotet it^W r""' gla1 to g.ve hi. my handwriting authorizing the editor io gt V^ 77 name of the writer. If I hail had anything to do with it I would not hesitate to avow it; but at the same time I cannot remain silent, having eaid already so much and heanl it stated that we are of opinion that the faet'^ stated in the Times arc unfounded. For my part 1 do not think that any one of tho^e facts is unfounded. Mr. E. EUice. — 1 think it necessary, lifter tlie appeal which Mr Ashurst has made to me with reference to Mr. Morrison's d sclnimer of the former article in the Times, to say I was perfectly satisfied with that gentleman's assurance, that he had no connexion with it ; and I do hope that Mr. Ashurst will report to him what has passed to-day» and I am sure that on a little consideration and reflection Mr. Morrisot\ has too much sagacity not to see that these attacks can do no good, but that whether the concern be a good or a bad one — whether there have been mistal< made or none — whether we are in a prosperous state or not, common sinse would teach us to make the Association appear in as fuvourable a light as ])ossible. Mr. Ashur.it. — I am sure you have only to allow him to walk by sight. Chairman. — It is moved and seconded, — " That this Meeting desires to express its thanks to the Governor, Deputy Governor, and Directors, for their valuable attention to the aflaira of tne Company, and its hope that they will henceforth deem it uimecessary to take any notice of such totidly unfounded imputations as have been the occasion of t'.'.e present Meeting.'' As many as are in favour of thut Resolution will be pleased to hold up their hands. [^Eighteen hands were held up,'} As many as are against it will be pleased to hold up theirs, ^No hands were held up.} Mr. Mangles. — Mr. Ashurst said just now, that we had only to allow Mr. Morrison to walk by sight. I beg to suy in answer, that Mr. Mor- rison was for three years a Director of this Association, and that he never thoiijjjht fit to attend once. Captain Hattan. — I tliink the Meetinp^ our: vt not to separate without thanking Lord Fitzwilliam for the patieuf heuiuig which he has given to the business of the day. Sir C. Coghill, Bart. — I beg to second that Motion. Captain Hattan. — I beg to Move that Lord Fitzwilliam leave the Chair, and that the Chair be taken by Mr. Colvile. {Earl Fitzwiltiam left the Chair.} Mr. Colvile. — It is proposed and seconded that the cordial thanks of this Meeting be given to Earl Fitzwilliam for his patient attention to the business of the day. As many as are in favom* of tliat Resolution. I has not turned into frni,i „„ „ ^ /••■'"'& "ley have touched before have done 11 ' %T T' '''^^' ^^^^^ ^^^'^ ^''^^'hed should have hppn nn^r i;»*i„ • , '"'foive n, even « there J 79 REPORT, RECOMMENDING THE PURCHASE OF BEAUHARxNOIS. I Tu the (Jovernin; Dtputij Governor, and Diredors of the Xurth Amct'tciin Colonial .'Jssociation of Ireland. Gentlemen, Wk, the undersip;nc{l, the Committee to whom, by the Resolution of your Board, it was on the 18th ihiy of March instant referred to consider the propriety of the Asso- ciation purchasing the Seij^niory and estates of Beauliarnois in Lower Canada, do report, tliat we were attended by Mr. Kings- cote who informed us that he had purcliused the whole of the estate of Mr. EUice for the sum of 150,000/., that he had not the slightest wish to part with the property, but if, after ex- amining all the circumstiinces connected with it, the Association were desirous of talking it, he would be willing to transfer his interest in the estate to the Association upon the same terms as he had purchased it, provided they paid the commission of 2J per cent, to the gentleman who had negotiated the purchase — one thousand guineas, which he had agreed to give to the gen- tleman he had sent out to take possession of the property, and all the law expenses which he may incur in the transaction — and we further report, that by the directions of Mr. Kingscote, the agreement under which he purchased the property from Mr. EUice, together with the correspondence that had taken place between himself and that gentleman, ar.d every paper and do- cument which had been submitted to him as the basis on which the purchase had been effected, were laid before us, and as from the local situation of the property and other circumstances connected with it, your Committee were necessarily obliged to place much dependence upon the statements which these do- cuments contain, your Committee deem it right to explain the nature and character of the documents themselves, that the Court of Directors may be enabled to exercise their own iijflopnient aa to the deo^ree of weisrht which may be iustifiably 80 docJmemrartfiftee" InVuZf'T""' "'"' '•''''•'>■ The annually transmitted from MrL r"^"'' '° ""^ R--port» General Agent. residenTon therf"" ^'"^^'^ '^•'^ -""^ England-they are consecmive T i '" '"' ''""'^'P''' "• 1823 to l83SU-the ori2T ""''™'' " P"io™Perty that they are drain up „^h 1 'f ^ "''""■ ^'^ should add! and manifes, on the pari of M .f"™"^'' "'«' Perspicuity le%e of every part of the su^jecf "™™ " "'orough'kno,.^' one re;''e;: frrCetTv:""; f^""-' -'"•^- diirers in addition to the details vlfchTtVor. '"■"''=''' ''"'""'-* - '» " likewise gives an hyX 1 vT Z" TT"" """ "■«»' "■en stood, a sum^ar/of wh.eh 1 append , ^l ■""'''''"'^ "' " Ihis document bears date in the nonnf ft ' ""' "^P""- was furnished in reply ,o eertlsn'fi '""""■''• '^^''" ^^ been propounded to Mr Brown h^" 'f'"™^ »''™'' had r-deration, preparatory to ,rv'ii^. "^^ ^'"-. ^r his own ■ng summer. The repor(of the, ^' "'""' '" 'be follow- of this report has bee'ntl; ^ ';:,^:"^ '-""lin^ the date exhibits no important chanT „ ,he' "\'.\^"'"=™™'. and as it -oeptin augm'entationofrvalue rrt'm """ "^"P"'^' to be executed by Mr Flli,.„ „ 7- , . ""P™vements directed been executed atT c^r^Tlto^O ^^ ^^'1' ^"' ^*^ ^^e report of February, 1836 as thp h /'^ ^^'^ ^^°P^^^^^ ti^e J, i Wb, as the basis of our calculation of the 81 tlicii monicd value df the property, l(X)king at it in that liffht alone— the influence which political events since that period have exercised over the estimated value of the estate, ought of course to be taken into consideration, and it has not escaped the attention of your Committee. It appears that the Seigniory of Beauharnois and the con- tiguous township lands contain about 271,000 acres, of which about 135,000 are in concession (that is to say, are granted accoiding to the old French tenure in perpetuity), at annual rents amounting to £3,000, together with a fine upon ali- enation proportioned to the value of the property. The average of the fines (called, lods et ventes) throughout the Seigniories in the province, it appears, generally bear a pro- portion of about one third to the amount of the rents. In Beauharnois it is something more, arising from the improved character of the Seigniory, and this item will of course increase in amount as the general improvement of the district creates a corresponding improvement of the particular properties in con- cession. Payment of these rents and charges is secured upon the property, and the law for enforcing it appears to be most stringent and effective, but it is represented that from peculiar causes arising from Mr. Ellice's poUtical position, and from temporary circumstances affecting the province, those rents and charges have been permitted to run in arrear to the amount of nearly £20,000. ; these arrears pass with the purchase, and it is strongly advised that the purchaser should immediately proceed to enfbrce payment, or to resume the possession of the farms by legal process, it being represented that in every instance the valtie of the property is such that it would readily command an increased price, either to let or to sell, more than equal to the arrears due and all possible charges attending the resumption of possession. It appears that the net annual produce of the grist and saw mills was at the date of Mr. Brown's report, in 18.36, one thou- sand pounds, since which time upwards of £5,0(K) have been laid out by Mr. EUice, in building and improving these edifices. The unsettled state of the province has prevented Mr. El lice iroiii iixmg tiic aiiuitionai rcTits; out lie reprcsen,s ,.ia^ — ..:- Ill ■ b 82 rrx.-irr,:- tit "-"^ ™'^ •"•"•' — - am,>uu. I„ Mr Hr„„ ,' . ri""' "'"*' '" ^^'O P" f"rc.,„al rocci,,. wl.;' :,7'"'";".''«. "' *»'> P- annu.n of these, r Ji, i^ro 1 , . 7''''''"'^' "' ''"PP*""-' """ " P-f' no. say wl,. eV ^rit ' ","''"=^' ■•""' "'= ^P"" does without an enu ivit , . T^T "' "" "' " '""^''^ "' i""""". -.au.,.,.: z . a;ot:: "^ weiir-"",-'" ."""•"- ™^ ra^:a:'::^r-h^"''-""" prchend fr„„, the facts before Z'^t Z^'T^ " '"- 111 cons derin ' it us £4 'inn .,o , , '" ""^ ""foiig tlmt it will „:t uTdfr fod """"'"• '**■■• '^"'^'■' "'»"'•»» "^ -»,al revei.uX/ltf^toSr'*"""'' '"" *" ^''"'"" " "«' at e4.oOO,a„ i io^(^'«"'"-'''ff =" '«36 were estimated ^^.i« acres i,;;i::Sgr"X'"td6'^Tr^ at Clifton, all unlet and valu^ed by MrBrll h f ^.f" 'T' at £124,542 Halifi« currency ^®' "'«''">" oi..!:::ci:.i:t::;.:Ki^^^^^^^^^^^ -" ^-"- oft: esi M7b:trr:br '^ ^""i- "■- ^-' ™'"« uc intcisurecl, whether considered as a pur- J^ ;■; - 83 chuRc rflfectcd hy :in iiidividujil for the ^rouiul uork of a pecuniary speculator or by this association, for the important objects contemplated by the Act of Incorporation. To enable the Board to consider the influence upon the amount of the purchase-money which these extrinsic circum- stances ought to possess, they may 1)0 thus referred to. Ist. It is represented, and wo believe with perfect truth, that the water privileges throughout the Seigniory are of the most important and valuable character, and tluit they have been carefully preserved by the Seignior in all his grants — he having always had a view to the greatly augmented value which they would possess as mill sites, when the increase of population slumld create a suitable demand for them, for the various pur- poses to which tliey are applied in the United States, 2nd. For similar reasons the Seignior has reserved the land which will be .equirod as sites of villages. A great spirit of activity and improvement has shewn itself throughout the Seigniory of lute years, and hut for the check it has recently received from political causes, there is every reason to believe that these lands would have readily found customers ata;;roatly enhanced price. Churches atui chapels, and other public edifices have been built — bridges constructed, and roads made through the Seigniory, and considerable sums liave been laid out in effectually draining the hmds destined for new townsliips, ns means preliminary to their settlement. As these lands are now held in free and commoii soccage, they can be leased or sold at the pleasure of the owner. And whet' r locked to as the source of annual revenue by leasing, or tlie means of reducing the pur- chase-money by sale, it appears, by the various reports submitted to us, that, under ordinary circumstances, the prices assigned to the land by Mr. Brown may be obtidiied, and that with the stimulus to the prosperity of the district which the establish- ment of the association would give, and with the example of many new settlements in the United States before our eyes, it is impossible for us to affix limits to the increased value which property so situated may be leasunably expected to acquire. il if' .' 84 3rd. The Seigniory of Beauharnois has been selected as the spot where great improvements will have speedily to be executed. Surveys have already been made— plans and sections have been prepared for a railroad through the Seigniory, and a subscription list has been got up in the colony for this purpose. Mr. EUice himself proposed to subscnbe £10,000, which is nearly one third of the whole capit.d required. A survey by the order of government has likewise been made for a ship canal through the Seigniory. This is the only thing required to complete the navigation of tlie St. Lawrence, and there appears considerable probability that it will be adopted. Should either of these works be executed, the value of all property in the Seigniory will of course be greatly increased. 4th. There is every reason for believing that among the political changes which the govenmient of the Canadas is des- tined to undergo, Montreal will become the seat of the united legislature ; this has been long admitted to be a desideratum of the greatest importance — Montreal already possesses a popula- tion of 30,000 souls — when established as the capital of our North Anurican Colonies it cannot fail to attract to it the wealthy and enterprising, and to establish itself as the principal seat of commerce as well as of government Beauharnois already possessing 12,000 inhabitants, in such an event must become a place of the greatest consequence, and every yard of land will acquire a proportionate value. A careful consideration of the foregoing 'facts and circinn- stances has led us to the conclusion that it will be greatly to the advantage of the association to make the purchase of Beau- harnois upon the terras stated by Mr. Kingscote. And we are of opinion that that gentleman is entitled to the thanks of the Shareholders for the very handsosne and liberal manner in which he has placed the property at the disposal of the Board iipon the same terms on whick he made the purchase ; notwithstand- ing, as we have reason for believing, that had he been desirous of parting with the propMty, he might have disposed of the whole in one lot at an advanced price. Ju the course of our inquiries^ respecting Beauharno;«, wo If.-* -'^ 85 have been struck with its singular adaptation both in situation and circumstances, to the complete carrying out of all the ob- jects of the Association as defined by >,heir Act of Incorporation — by their Act the Company are appointed Carriers of Emi- grants, Bankers to Emigrants, and Settlers of Emigrants. For the first of these purposes Beauharnois possesses unequalled advantage : it is situate on the River St. Lawrence, the high road for emigration from the United Kingdom ; it Is opposite to Montreal, which may be called the Portal of Upper Canada, and, as appears by the Emigration returns, it is the point from which five-sixths of the emigrants from this cotmtry are dis- tributed over the several parts of both provinces in which British settlemente are efiected. The same circumstances that render this spot the centre of distribution for newly arrived emigrants, point it out to be indispensable to the Association as the principal seat of their banking operations. Viewed as the place of final settlement for such of the Company's own emigrants as choose to be located on their lands, Beauharnois possesses many advan- tages scarcely to be found m any other part of either province. Settlers may here be landed without changing from the ship that conveys them from their home ; and there i« no location in any part of the settlement more distant than half a day's iourney from the port of debarkation. At the very threshold of the colony and to the place of his ultimate destination the emigrant will be greeted with the sight of commodious churches and chapels ; good roads and bridges ; substantial mills and stores and the various other indications of civilization and settlement. At the back of the Seigniory in the townships of Godmanchester, Hemingford, and Hinchinbrook, there are (we understand) large tracts of ungranted crown lands : these lands, though intrinsically valuable, yet shut in as they are by the surrounding Seigniory, they, in the ordinary course of events, would command but a small price ; and we are of opinion, if the Seigniory be purchased by the Association, that applicatian ought to be made to Government for a grant of these lands upon favourable terms :— by the possession of this property, in 86 connection with the unroncedcd hu.ds of Bcauhamois, the As- «oc,„ .onwill have an au.ple Beld in which they may carry out the plans of setticment propounded in their prospect,,, L the Insh landowners. In these, as, in all other settlements in North America, the labonring emigrant can only expect .« achieve independance by the conquest of the wilderness-the operation fa,mthri.T',T^''' 'i'f-'^'ll'y regular set of clearances from tl^e settled to the wild d: ..rict, and the emigrant will be cheered m the prosecution of his labour by the knowledge that he ,s no cu ort from the enjoyment of those Christian services ad c.vd„ed Msoemtions which are intertwined with the habits and leehngs of his earliest days. Your Committee have not, in their estimate of the property, taken into the account the value of the churches, chapels schods houses „«ds, bridges, and other public woks ^Itytl structed. Yet as they have been principally effected I. "he expence of the late proprietor, and are indispensable to the colo- niza ion of the district, your Committee are of opinion thatTo" Z:r extent the amount of their prescn't value mlyl,: treated as so much fixed capital; which, hut from these ^'m provem.^s on the estate, would have to be expended in mak "g them ^o,r Committee are confirmed in this view of the sub simila public works forms a considerable item of expence and were th.s Association to commence the colonization rf 1 7t tensive wild tract it would consume a considerable length of Zl' ""'', 72""-^ "•" «''P™*ture of a large sura of money before they could hope to get it into a state of readiness for the com! fortable location of their emigrants. As Mr. Elliee is now wholly unconnected with the estate and has isposedof is entire interest therein, we are incline;! to attach considerable importance to the evidence which he gives of us opmion of its value and adaptation to the purposes „f tl"e Company, by the readiness he has expressed to take for him "if and family £,0,000 worth of shares, and the willingnl of wl son to take a seat m the direction, should it be offeL to him Other gentlemen, fnends of Mr. EUve, who are conneetcxi will \ '11 87 North America, and are, like himself, well acquainted with these Colonies, have likewise expressed a disposition to become con- nected with the Company, should Beauhamois be selected as the principal field of their operations. Although our judgment of the expediency of making the purchase is irrespective of these opinions, we confess that we recommend it to the Board with the greater confidence, from the knowledge that those who possess the best means of information concur with us in our views and opinions on the subject. It should be observed, that our opinion of the expediency of the Association making the purchase is founded upon the belief that arrangements are in progress for promoting tranquility to the province. JOSIAH COGHILL COGHILL, Chairman. D. MACLEAN. J. SIDNEY NORTH. JOHN HARMAN. D. HENCHY. T. LAMIE MURRAY. ft '■•"•— -^-i-r- REPORT i^ or THOMAS TOWER, ESQ. March 30, 1840. My Lord and Gentlemen^ Having been requested by the Board of Directors of the North American Colonial Association of Ireland, to embody the several reports and despatches transmitted to this country relative to the Seigniory of Beauharnois, and the township lands in Godmanchester, Hinchinbrook, and Clifton, in order that the same may contain, as well the result of our proceedings from the month of Fcl)ruary, 1839, to the commencement of this year, as a general descriptive account of their locality and present condition, I have attempted, in the short time to which I can devote myself to that object, to give you such a succinct and comprehensive description of them as may be a guidance for your present proceedings, and assist yourselves and others who may become interested in its affairs. I have, therefore, collected from the several statements ren- dered to me by Mr. Brown, the Right Hon. Mr. EUice's Agent, as also from other sources, such matters as seem most capable of rendering you every immediate information, offering at the same time such suggestions as my personal residence in that country enables me to dictate, for the speedy development of the vast resources of that choicest spot in Lower Canada, and its ultimate settlement. Trusting that my task may be considered as satisfactorily completed, and tendering my services or information on such future occasions in wliicb you, perhaps, may absolutely require them. I have the honor to be, My Lord and Gentlemen. Your obedient Servant, (Signed) THOMAS TOWER, il 90 Situation of Beauharnos. 'rhesc vast territorial possessions are situated in the county of Boauharnois, in the flourishing district of Montreal; and the country is bounded on the north-east by the county of La Prairie and ishuid of Montreal, on tlie north-west by the river St. Laurence and north-eastern extremity of Upper Canada, and south and south-west by the state of New York, one of the United States of America. It comprises the Seigniory of Beau- harnois and the townships of Godmanchester, Hinchinbrook and Hemmingford; contains a population of upwards of 20,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom are of British origin; and it was entitled, before the temporary suspension of the constitu- tion of Lower Canada, to a representation of two Members in that Provincial Legislature. Its principal rivers are the St. Lawrence, which, together with that part of it called Lake St. Francis, runs along its entire frontage; the river Chateauguay, which traverses the who', r untry; and the St. Louis, English, Onfarde, Nor- ton i; ■ - ' , and Black rivers, all of whose streams may be found, on < N ,. nee to the accompanying map, in various parts of the Seignlof'y. Having given this outline of the general features and position of this important county, I now confine myself to those vast portions of it which are comprised in your agreement for pur- chase from the Right Hon. Edward Ellice ; and purpose dividing their consideration under two heads ; first, that portion forming the Seigniory of Beauharnois, and, secondly, those of the town- ships of Godmanchester, Hinchinbrook, and Clifton, contained iu that purchase. Ist. The Seigniory of Beauharnois. This Seigniory, consist- ing of six leagues in front, is immediately bounded on the north and north-west by the river St. Lawrence, along which and the lake St. Francis, it extends for six leagues ; on the south-west by the townships of Godmanchester and Hinchinbrook; on the north-east by the Seigniory of Chateauguay, in the county of La Prairie j and on the south-east by the township of Hem- igfofd. Its total BUpcruciai contents, ma stated by Mr. 1, I 91 Brown, consist of 254,016 arpens,* exeluaivi' of the Grande Isle, which is supposed to contain 6000 arpens, making in all 260,016 arpens. Of these 1 10,176 have hcen conceded to settlers under the feudal teiuire, a general account of whom will be given herein; 10,031^ have been sold in free and common Boccage since the commutation of the tenure of the wild lands of the Seigniory under the provisions of the Canada Tenures Act; about 20,000 arpens (including the contested lands in Russell Tom n are squatted upon, or, in other words, occupied without title; ;i')out I" > are unavailable (comprising the Blueberry Plains, and otixer lands) from natural causes, and 76,809 remain available for settlement. Tiie summary of the above is a follows : — 140,176 conceded under feudal tenure. 10,031 sold in free and common soccage. 150,207 alienated by deeds. 20,000 squatted upon. 13,000 unavailable. 76,809 available. 260,016 of the above 76,800, 1780 arpens, as also the domains St. Louis, Buisson, Grande He, Peches au Saumon, Norton Creek, and river Outarde, remain subject to the feudal tenure, and the re- mainder to that of free and common soccage. I will now, after a brief account of the nature and principal ingredients of the former tenure, which may be useful in giving you a correct knowledge of that to which so large a proportion of the property is still subject, particularize those parts com- prising the 149,176 arpens of conceded lands, showing the state of the Livre Terrier (which forms, as you will see one of the incidents of the feudal law and of the Seignior's rights), and adding an account of the general condition and class of the holders, the rental arising from their collective holdings, the gross rental of the Seigniory, a description of the churches and schools already established, the mills, their sites and value, the * An arpsii, or cansdian, is r.-.ther less than an English acrs. n 9 ■<%, W" IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) <° W^.. .v ^9) .V ^ o .•^l, ^^'^'' %^,.^ <<«' V O'^ <^ «* » ^v- <\ Ki II I II ' K 'B'l 92 mill sites which may be rendered available, the villages now built, and the various spots upon which future towns or villages may be advantageously erected, in the general settlement of the property. The Kings of France, as feudal Lords paramount of the soil, in order to facilitate settlement, and at the same time reward distinguished persons, granted large tracts, comprising what are called the Seigniories to nobles and others who held immediately from the Crown, on condition of rendering fealty and homage, and of payment in the event of the transfer of their respective properties of the quint or one fifth of the purchase price. The Seignior was obliged to concede land to persons applying , and was entitled to subject the censitaires (or farmers) to whom he made such concessions, to the payment of the cens et rentes (or a species of quit rent) to the payment of one twelfth of the purchase price of any terre or farm which might be acquired by purchase within the limits of the Seigniory, and to the obligation of grinding all their wheat at his mills upon the payment of one minot in every fourteen so ground. The Seignior was com- pelled on his part to execute certain things, as for instance, the erecting adequate mills, opening new roads, &c., and was pre- vented from doing others, as for instance, the selling any land other than that reserved to his own use, which he called his dor.iains. He v/as entitled also to execute a droit de retrait or the as- sumption of any land purchased by any censitaire within the Seigniory, on the payment of the price at which it had been sold, and legal expences. This privilege seems to have been given him in order that some check might be put upon collusive sales between censitaires tending to defraud him of his just alienation fines, the one twelfth of the actual value of the terre. He was entitled also on application to the court of King's Bench, or other tribunal then in existence, to tlie formation of a Land Roll or Lettres de Terrier, and to oblige all his censitaires to exhibit their titles and acknowledge their Seignior and his dues upon their several lands. Thus it will be seen that this system in a new Country, and one in which the little capital possessed by an individual was not adequate to the purchase of lands 1)8 worked well in a two-fold respect. It enal)led the Seignior, a person raised into importance by his position and large terri- torial possessions, to derive an yearly revenue from his property and obliged hiui to concede in perpetuity to tlve intended set- tlers, lands in small lots of 100 arpens each, at a trilling rent and subject to other dues, and also to erect and promote such necessary objects in a new settlement as mills and roads for their innnediate benefit. The only objectionable part of this tenure in a new and improving country is the lods et ventes, or mutation fines, which, it must be allowed, offer some check to energy and en- terprise, when it is considered that every outlay or advancement of the value of such conceded property is shared by the Seignior, as well as the censitaires so eiduuicing it. If these could be made per se, the subject of commutationj the censitaire would be entirely released from anything savouring to himself of oppressiveness or hardship, and in paying the small amount of cens et rentes, he would be enabled to save his capital for the settling himself upon, and the cultivation of the soil. The immediate operation however of the commutation of the wild lands in the Seigniory of Beauharnois, described in the re-grant from the Crown to the Right Hon. Edward EUice, in 1839, is that as between the Crown and the Seignior, the latter is released from the quint, and all other dues upon the Seigniorial lands to which the Crown would have been otherwise entitled ; and the wild lands so described are converted into free and common soccage lands And as between the Seignior and the censitaires, the tenure remains unaltered as to the conceded Seigniorial lands, until the censitaires call upon the Seignior for a commutation thereof upon the valuation of his (the Seignior's) rights and dues, which would be extinguished by such an act. It will be as well here to state, that in no instance has any censitaire yet availed himself of this power, though Mr. EUice proposed terms for general acceptance, and it is quite clear that an object of so much importance as a general commutation, and On which persons in Lower Canada are becoming so clamorous, cannot be effected until the introduction of more capital into the country enables them to pay a compensation for burthens 94 which tney conceive to he so irksome. The longer the com- mutution is deferred in the Seigniory of Beauharnois, the greater will be the amount of compensation, when it is effected. I have already transmitted to the Board a plan having this ohject in view, but it seems to me that the censitaires generally are neither able nor anxious to accept that or any other at the present time. Livre Terrier. The state of this document which, when completed, will form an official land roll of all the censitaires and their holdings in the Seigniory, is explained by the following outline rendered by the commissioner. This will be more plainly seen on refer- ence to the accompanying account from that individual, specifying the several districts in which the exhibitions have been made. The total amount of exhibitions of titles is 1,839, of which 1,350 titres nouvelles, or fresh titles, have been delivered to the censitaires, (copies whereof have been reserved for the Seignior) 529 exhibitions were on the 2 1st of January last in various stages of progress, and the quantity of land contained in this state- ment, comprises from 120,000 to 125,000 arpens. This work is being now more vigorously prosecut an heretofore, but a few actions will, I fear, be necessary tt .ure its completion. The population in the Seigniory consists of about 12,000 souls, of whom the Canadians bear the proportion of 2 to I to those of British origin, giving as its result, 8000 Canadians and 4000 British. Of the former, kind, cheerful, and hospitable as they are, no one can know them, their social feelings and politeness, without feeling deep interest in their welfare — no one can know them without hoping that a race who, in former times showed them- selves such good and loyal subjects, may in the final and satisfactory adjustment of all Canadian diflSculties — return to that loyalty and allegiance from which it were well for them that they had not been so blindly and foolishly seduced. Many of the principal Canadian censitaires in this Seigniory live in a great state of comfort and independence, possessing ' • ' 96 ' ' ' excellent farms ; as for instance, those upon the banks of the St. Lawrence, and others in the Carcan settlement, and in various parts of the Seigniory. Their good and substantial stone-built houses and extraordi- narily fertile lands, place them among some of the best and wealthiest settlers, but the generality of the remainder are poor and their lands impoverished. The British are thriving in that degree which skill, capital, and industry, those elements of wealth, properly applied, cannot fail to attain in the cultivation of a rich and fertile soil. Many have I met within the Seigniory, who commenced with little or no capital, and have in a few years acquired one, two, or three farms, of 100 arpens each, by that perseverance and enterprise which so pre-eminently distinguish them, and which can secure to others as it has already hcaired to these that independence a.ul happiness, for which they miglit in vain have toiled for years in this over-peopled country. There are now to be seen upon the north bank of the Chateauguay and also upon the English river, British settlements extending for miles, which, if they could be witnessed by small capitalists in this country, I confidently believe would at once cause the sale of all the wild lands, supposing that the qualities of the soil of the one and the other are similar. Sub-division of Farms. I now add the following interesting table of the sub-divisions which have taken place in the original concessions to Canadians and British. This table shews plainly, that unless the former improve materially their system of agriculture, extend their sphere of action, and diverge from their present confined limits, they will, year after year, become poorer from these minute divisions, and be ultimately, as far as the great bulk of them are concerned, compelled to foego the remaining the proprietors of oi' upon which they can no longer live. The contrast of the compara- tively entire condition of the farms held by the British, is as favourable to their prospects, as it is distressing in those of the Canadians. But I am happy to add, in mos* of those instances in which the Canadians have purchased free d common soccage WptT' 96 lands, they are paying; their instalments with great regularity, and arc thriving upon their lots. The rental arising from the deeds under which the 140,176 arpens have been conceded, is as follows : — Arpens. 140,176 Rental. Whent. Minots Pots. 6,659 8 Money. Livres. Sole. 42,249 7 Halifax currency, @58. £1664 17 1760 7 9 £3425 4 9 This rental, which is received in money and wheat in nearly portions, is taken as to the latter at 5s. per minot. This is far below the price of many years, as for instance in the present, during which it was worth 7s. 6d. per minot at Beauharnois and Montreal. The other sources of revenue may be classed under two heads, the lods et ventes, or fines on mutation, and the profits of the mills— omitting all other casual annual receipts. In the Seigniory of Beauharnois, the yearly gross revenue taking the lods et ventes at the usual estimate, or rather under it, namely, one third of the cens et rentes, and the mills at the price at which they would let, may be thus stated. Cens et rentes . . £3400 Lods et ventes lOOG Mills 1450 Other profits including houses and two sawmills 150 £6000 Halifax currency. 4- 76 l-H 91 a. a P4 -y» " H I— ( a o lO 00 «o eo oi ^ w ^ eo -H (?) CO (74 •ly 'ar It, )is ed lal le, er lie Q r y- 13 t^ rt 00 to I— I (M w I a D a u S a .2 V h I ;3 (M l^ CO lO — (M -. p3 o a go 1 CJ w tn o o -• o I^W'/iPi CO 00 CO (N 98 II I now procecil with uu acctnuit (»f the churchf.'s uiul schooh iih-eady established in the Seigniory. Of the former there are twelve. Situatiuu. Beauharnois. KUiceton. Chateaiiguay. Officialincf Priest. Mr. Quintal. Archambeault. Power. F. Moore. 5» »J 1i Kev. W. Roach. Jas. C. Muir. j> i) .las. Anderson. Thus. McPhersou. Rev. Wm. Brethour. No resident ministers. 4 Catholic. St. Clement. St. Timothee. St. Martin's. Ormstown. 5 Preshyterinn. Village of Beauharnois. South (leorge Town.l North (Jeorge Town. I Durham, Ormstown. Beech Ridge. 1 Episcopal. Durham, Ormstown. 2 Independent. Russeltown, Upper Part) Russeltown, Lower Pert^ The catholic churches and parsonages are always kept in a good state of repair, each church having a fund for that purpose, which institution is called the /«6n(7Me, and is the only object with whose local management the people comprised in such locality are entrusted. The church at Beauharnois is a plain edifice of stone, which it was intended to have replaced by a new and more handsome one at a cost of 2000/. This improvement will be ultimately effected, and it is to be hoped that the wish of the present liberal and with justice highly esteemed minister may be gratified, to convert the present building into a large school for the education of the children of the inhabitants. The parsonage is a com- fortable stone house, and to the church, as indeed to all the others, is attached a public hall or salle des Habitans, at which public meetings and judicial courts are held. This priest receives about £200 per annum from the tithe of all grain ^'^th to which he is by law entitled, besides other fees, which together with the above tithe, may produce a revenue of about £'-»/v per annum. ) 09 t The St. Martin's church is a large stone one, superior to the other two. The parsonage is a comfortable stone house, and the living worth about £250 per annum. The small chapel at Ormstown was erected by funds supplied from the catholic establishment at Montreal, for the benefit of the Irish catholics of that neighbourhood. It was at first served by a curate of the priest at St. Martin's, but a priest now lives upon it. In these churches in which the priests officiate with the same zeal and earnestness so justly allowed to be the characteristics of the catholic priesthood of Lower Canada, Canadians and British Roman Catholics mix together in divine worship, religious distinction forming no obstacle to their union in the discharge of those important duties in a country, in which what- ever unfortunate diflerences have in past times occurred between the two races, intolerance or religious discords are as yet happily unknown to them. The Presbyterian churches are all new buildings. The one at Beauharnois village is a handsome stone one, with a portico and cupola, and was liberally erected by the Seignior in 1835, (whose property it slill is) at an expense of £500. The churches at North and South George town are built of wood ; the first, a respectable-looking kirk, and the minister has built for himself a neat manse or parsonage, in the village of Durham. That in South George T'>wn, of which Mr. Muir is the incumbent, was built by the pai ')' loners. The church at Beech Ridge is of stone, plain and decent, and a manse has been built for the minister. The Episcopal church was erected by means of funds, chiefly furnished by the late Bishop of Quebec, and is a small, bir neat wooden edifice, standing in the same lot of land in Durham, which had been reserved for ecclesiastical purposes, and was divided between that church and the Presbyterian. The two Independent clmrches were erected wholly by voluntary subscriptions, are plain wooden buildings, but no resident clergymen are annexed to them, nor is service I believe, regularly performed in both, or either of them. I am happy in being able to speak most highly in favour of all 1(K) tliCHG ministers. They are deservedly csteenieil, performiiij^ their duties with reguhirity, zeal, and attcntii-.,, to the spiritual wants of their several charges; and I wish I could add, that they arc all placed in that degree of comfort and independence, which their merits deserve. Mr. EUice allowed the four Presbyte- rian ministers £12 lOs. each, annually, but finding their iiicomts, av aging under £100 per annum, were insufficient to maintain them in that position, which I conceive should be rendered much superior to, and to a certain degree independent of the generality of their respective flocks, I ventured to increase each con- tribution from 121. lOs. to 20/. on thf* part of the association, and to make the same allowance to the Episcopal clergymen, expressly however stating that these alterations were made on the part of the association, and that should the transfer of the property not take place, they could not expect them as of any right to be continued. This I felt called upon to state in justice to Mr. Ellice, but I need not add, that these small additions, and the unexpected contribution to the Episcopal clergymen, received as well their grateful thanks, as the approval of all those who knew their position. Sc/iools. As to these, I state generally, referring the Board to the letters already transmitted, and others which I have received from the several ministers, w hich I now lay before them, that they consist of 22 in all : 8 in the Canadian settlements, and 14 in the British settlements. As to the first, they were originally built by legislative aid, but are now converted into private houses, and the Canadians are, and have been without instruction ever since the cessation in 18 , of all the legislative aid here- tofore allowed by the Provincial Legislature. As to the second, they are, with the exception of the one at Beauhamois village, to which 10/. per annum is allowed by the Seignior, entirely dependent upon voluntary contributions, and the exertions made by the British in this respect, are most praiseworthy. I strongly recommend, for a time at least, a small contribution to each of them, until the enactment of a systematic and comprehensive measure for education by the 101 : Local Le^ialaturf guarantees to the settlers some assiatanee towards so important, and by them, highly appreciated, an object for their children^ sake. l-H < ?: O .J ~5 O < OS o <; Q < w CQ 2; w a: O w H C ajw 60 O 1 o o o (M to (N , So. Georgetown Do. la Jones's. Durham Excellent, Durham mills on south side. On Englisli River. 19. Howick Excellent. English river mills iO. Long, near 82 Good. *v'i{lianist(jwn. I » ii 106 1 21. 22. Sangs, I English river Edwardstovvn Middling, llapidat, 7 ditto ditto Do. p • 23. Duncan's Good. Saw mill erected on one side, it ia said, without permission. ' * i On Norton Creek. t 24. Brownville Middling. 25. Nicolls,30,Edwardstown Do. Norton Creek mill. On rH-er Outarde, in Russeltown and Jamestown, there are also several small sites that cannot easily be pointed out, and on the Bl River and Sturgeon River, there are also two small rapids, the one near 34, 1st range Russeltown, the other at or near 1, William stown. With respect to the above enumerated mill sites, of which the Seignior has not availed himself, he has expressly reserved the following power in all deeds of concession — " to take a space of ground fit for the erection and building of millr. containing six arpens in superficies, in case a proper 8it:.^tion shall be found hereafter for that purpose upon the conceded lands, the said Seignior, or his representatives, paying a fair price for the same, according to the estimate of competent persons, to be chosen by the parties, in case such ground should be cleared and improved, and not otherwise, and reducing the rent of the said land, in proportion of the said six arpens, or other less quantity of ground." It is clear, therefore, that the Seignior could resume the possession of all these sites, including that on which Mr. Duncan lias, without any right, (as stated to me by Mr. Brown) erected his saw mill, but it would be a very questionable pi'oceeding as to its expediency, as being certain of producing angry feeling, and, in all probability, litigation with the censitaires. They are not allowed to erect mills, nor with the above ex- ceptions have they done so, and cannot therefore interfere with the profit of the present ones belonging in the Seignior. 106 The private buildings comprise the following : — 1. Seigniory house and Seigniory office, near the same. 2. Farm buildings and appendages. 3. The old mill or barracks, at Beauharnois. 4. Flouses in Beauharnois village. 6. House in EUiceton. 6. Ditto on Buisson Point. 7. Houses in various parts of the Seigniory. 1 . This is about 60 feet in length, one story high, and in the cottage form, with a verandah. It was, originally, a Canadian farm dwelling, built more than fifty years ago, upon a beautiful point of land, at the confluence of the river St. Louis, with the St. Lawrence. It has been recently put into as complete a state of repair as such an old and uncomfortable bvAlding will admit of. 2. The farm buildings are of a very superior description, and on an extensive scale, comprising a range of stabling, sheds, barns, &c., forming three sides of a quadrangle, with a house for the farm steward, and blacksmith's and carpenter's shops immediately opposite; all these are in an excellent state of repair, and are superior to anything of the same sort that I met with in Lower Canada. Besides their exterior, they contain 19 cows and heifers, eight of the best Canadian cart horses, all kinds of farming imple- ments, and a good supply of other stock, which I requested to be encouraged as much as possible in the preservation of seed stock, for the benefit of new comers. I may safely say, that the whole of this establishment is not only a most creditable possession in Lower Canada, but would be so in England. The best results have been produced from it, as well in the example set, as in the improvements effected thereby in the breed of stock, and the system of agriculture generally, through the Seigniory, but it has been a constant source of outlay and expense, rather than profit. I have brought with me a specimen of the produce of the Beauharnois flock, and of the carding and fulling mill at EUiceton, and strongly recommend the flock to be grcatiy I dk * <•• 107 increased, and this breed of animals, encouraged a., much as possible in the Seignory. 3. Barracks at Beauharnois. These are now occupied by a small party of regulars, but belong to the Seignior, and may be made very useful as a temporary abode for immigrants, being fitted for one hundred persons. 4. The houses at Beauharnois village comprise two very good wooden ones ; at one of which Mr. Bull resides, which was erected by Mr. Ellice. The other one has been let until the 1st May, to the government, as an abode for the small police establishment at the village. For the latter which was pur- chased by Mr. Ellice, an instalment will be due in the course of this year. 5. The house at Elliccton is a large building with a portico in its front, and was erected as an hotel, commanding a very fine view of the magnificent rapids between Elliccton and the north bank of the river St. Lawrence, (on which stands the " Cedars" village) and of the surrounding river scenery and its interspersed islands. This has also been let on the same terms, and for the same object as the above house at Beauharnois, but will eventually, in the establishment of a town at this spot, prove well worthy of its original object. 6. The summer residence at the Buisson Point is of wood, and nearly new, and its site has been admirably chosen, com- manding as it does, a view of the magnificent rapids round its base, and a view of the river on both gides of it, on the eastward to the mountain, at the bottom of which Montreal stands, and on the westward, to the Grand He, EUiceton, and the cedars. 7. These comprise the farm houses, built upon various lands which have been purchased at Sheriff's sale by the Seignior. Having given this general account of the locality and state of settlement, I will now enumerate the villages situated within the Seigniory, those which we may look forward to their occupy- ing places of importance, and considerable request in the general settlement of the property, and those spots, which, from their picturesque and grand scenery, as well as locality, may be II 2 108 I: t In doing so, I must draw your attention to the peculiarly advan- tageous position of the Beauharnois property, in being more easily and at a less expense than any other part of the Lower Province, made the direct line of communication between it and the Upper, by means of a canal or railroad. Reserving the statement of the reports of the several civil engineers employed on the ex- amination of these projects to another part of this report, and to your perusing them in detail, as already transmitted to you. I will briefly state that such a work could not fail to enhance the value of that section of the country through which it might pass, and it may be reasonably anticipated, that its completion would produce shnilarly surprising results, in the creation of towns, and a highly flourishing country, as may be witnessed by all who have had the opportunity of seeing in the United States, such extraordinary advances in the value of property by the completion of similar undertakings, in parts which were before hi a state of wilderness. The most promising and advantageously situated villages already established, and in which a population, churches, inns and stores, or shops may be now found, are Beauharnois, EUiceton, and Durham. The two P.rst are on the banks of the St. Lawrence, and the latter upon the Chateau guay river. The first, Beauharnois, is admirably adapted as the western terminus of either the canal or the railroad ; the point St. Louis at the western end of this village juts out upon the river St. Lawrence, from which it ascends to a height formed as a natural and advantageous terminus of the railroad. Its site may be extended largely by the purchase of the two intermediate farms, between it and the principal home farTr>, which latter is in the Seignior's hands, and occupies the space of about 400 arpens, with a river frontage. One of these farms is now offered for sale, and if these purchases were efltcted, and the present site of the Seigniory house and buildings, the large field opposite to the latter, the point St. Louis, and a field or two farther westward were appropriated to building lots, ample space would be afforded for a very extensive and flourishing town, independently of the lower home farm, and the domain Si. Louis, which last lies inland, at the back of the town. 109 The second, ElUceton, in which also a large church and mills are erected with water power to an almost unlimited extent from the great St. Lawrence, comprises lots laid out as village lots, and can be vastly extended. In its selection as a spot for a town, great judgment is shewn. The third, Durham, all of which is occupied on the north side, and on which three churches and extensive mills have been erectcil, is about to be extended to the south side of the river Chateauguay, (by means of a bridge, the materials for which are being now prepared by the inhabitants) and on its frontage, a lot of 100 acres has been reserved for that purpose. This last town possesses great advantages in being in the midst of very flourishing British settlers, and in the direct mail line of communication between Montreal and the northern parts of the State of New York, vi;i Huntingdon. Besides these, the Grande He and Buisson Point afford attractions hardly to be equalled in the Province, from the grandeur of their position — both are situate near the most magnificent rapids in the St. Lawrence ; the former forming a large island in its centre and comprising about 6000 arpens, only a small portion of which has been conceded. The latter extending four or five miles into the interior of the country, and possessing a most beautiful river frontage and a fishery, from which large quantities of sturgeon and other fish are taken. Of the other villages, that at Howick, Norton Creek, and , reserved as a village site near St. Martin, are good, but not in any advanced state, except in the mills, which are erected at them. We re-purchased four lots on the banks of the St. Louis, com- prising 1, 2, 3 and 4 range Ormstown, which we have designed as Fitzwilliam, and it possesses water power for the erection of mills, which power can be, as above stated, vastly extended by means of a feeder, from the St. Lawrence. Being situated about half way between EUiceton and Durham, it may be made the direct line of communication between those two towns or villages. The rivers, villages, mills, churches, as well as all the above named spots, will be seen on reference to the map, together W no M'ith the extent of settled and unsettled lands in the Seigniory, to which last I will now allude. Unsettled Lands. These, comprising, as already stated, of those which are avail- able, consist of about 76,809 arpens, and are situated in various blocks— the position of which will be best explained by reference to the map. I must also refer you to the letters transmitted from Canada in the month of August, containing the reports of the surveyor, employed in the survey of those parts situate in Helenstown and Armstown, for a complete description of the soil, timber, position, &c., rendered by him some few years back. For purposes of settlement, considering above all, that no such land can be now obtained by the settler, within fifty miles of Montreal, it offers great attractions, being in the midst of civilization and advancement, with mills so judicially selected, as to be adetjuate to supply immediately, the wants of the occupiers of those tracts. The situation of Beauharnois, shows it to be easily made part of the direct channel of communication between the two Provinces, or nearly the centre of them if united, to be within easy reach of the market at Montreal, at which all surplus pro- duce can always obtain a ready sale for ready money, and to be within such a distance from it, as to enable the settler (as is now constantly done) to leave Beauharnois with his goods in the morning by the steam boat to Lachine, and return again on the same evening. With such advantages, the war with the forest may be said to lohe most of its horrors and inconveniences, and to secure to the settler, prospects which he will rarely meet elsewhere. To the report of Mr. Livingston, I will add, that the soil of Beauharnois is good, generally speaking, and grows large (juaiitities of wheat, oats, barley, pease, potatoes, clover, hay, and turnips — though as to the wheat, which is of so much im- portance to the settler, inasmuch as he is enabled to sell all his surplus produce at Montreal, for the consumption of that town, or as an article of export to the mother country, under the pri- in vilegcd moderate 5a duty, it has much fillcn off in late years, ill both Provinces, from the ravages of the fly and rust. These destructions seem chiefly to attack in the Seigniory of Beuu- harnois, old and impoverished lamls, but their cause and its remedy are unknown. In many instances, I know of the pro- duction of good crops of wheat during the past year, and the absence of both one and the other upon fresh hmds, but the Hettlers generally, unwilling to risk any failure, have turned their attention to other crops, particularly green crops. It would be well worth the experiment of sending from this country a small quantity of good wheat, and trying the effect of a change of seed upon lands, in which these ravages have been the greatest. The best proof of the value of these lands, as estimated by settlers resident upon the spot, (many of whom have been there born) is, that since the commutation of the tenure into that of free and common soccage, 10,031^ arpens have been purchased by them, for the sum of 9,709/. 5s., Halifax currency, averaging nearly 1/. per acre, and these, it must be borne in mind, have been ao purchased not for purposes of speculation in large blocks, but in 100 acre lots, upon almost all of which, both Canadii-.ns and British are living, and improving their own con- dition and that of the country by their buildings, cultivation of the soil cleared, and their annually extended clearance of the wild parts of each lot. In the year 1839, 2601 arpens or acres were sold in various parts of the Seigniory and townships of Godmanchester and Hinchinbrook, for the sum of 2,650/. 2 , 6d to settlers^ wlio are now resident upon them. Township Lands. These, possessed by the Right H( a. Edward Elllce, com- prised originally, 26,704 acres in Godmanchester and Hinchin- brook, and 6,000 in Clifton. Of the two first, 10,670, or thereabouts, have been sold, besides 838 which have been transferred to the Indians — 8,000 acres, or thereabouts, are squatted upon — 1833 are claimed and possessed by two persons named Dupuis and Monaqui, and the remainder are avuilublc for settsoment. 112 li The inhabitants of the townships of Godmanchester and Hichinbrook, are amongst the best British settlors at present established in tlie Lower Province— possessing, at least many of them, large farms, and capital, and eiiterprize, with which they have brought them into cultivation most successfully. Their principal town, that of Huntingdon, is rapidly extending its lmiits> and is in a very promising condition. All these lots are surveyed and average about £1 per acre. The township of Clifton is situate near the town of Sher- brooiic, in the eastern townships, and is from the extension of the cultivation and settlement of the surrounding country, increasing in value, and is described to me by those resident upon the spot, and competent of giving a correct opinion— a " settling'^ part. A mill has been erected very recently, within a few chains of one of the lots which will facilitate the progress. A reference to a letter received from Mr. Wells, one of the Surveyors of the B. A. L. C. whom I employed for the purpose of examining them, will shew the lots and their position. I can generally state from an examination into the returns made by Mr. Brown and Mr. McGibbon, the local agent for the lands in the townships of Godmanchester and Hichenbrook, that inclusive of the 6,000 acres in that of Clifton, from 10,000 to 12,000 acres remain alone available of the whole of those comprised in the original grants, but as to the squatted lands in those two townships, I am expecting daily aome further information, as well as of the Russeltown ones in dispute, I must defer an accurate account of them until such receipt. I now proceed upon the actual condition of the property when I first arrived in the country, in the month of March last :— From various causes the greatest irregularity was perceptible in all its affairs — the books or censitaires ledgers, were in arrear from the years 1831— 1832— the livre terrier or Land Roll w-s not advancing to its termination— the arrears of debts due by the censitaires for cens et rentes and lods et ventes were start- ling in the extreme, as productive, in the lax system introduced, of the worst consequences to both the Seignior and the censi- taires— in a word, the property was as fast as possible de- teriorating in its value. V II 113 f ' I II Having at length, by great exertions urged upon Messrs. Brown and Nerval, ensured the completion of the first, and striking the balance in September 1838, at which time of the year the cens et rentes are in almost all cases payable, the amount as ascertained thereby to be due (much remaining still unknown, as to various mutations which have taken place with- out the knowledge of the Seignior, or rather his agent,) exceeded the sum of £17,000 Halifax currency. Of this sum, no less Bn one than upwards of £5,000 has been paid between the months of February 1839 and January 1840, and I expect to learn shortly by letters from Canada, that since the accounts were then made up, more has been paid. The greatest exertions were made by the censitaires so in- debted to make payments, and 1 am happy to add that these were made in the absence of il? feeling or harshness, not a single action having been commenced for the purpose of enforcement. Of the free and common soccage land sales, the receipts upon instalments and interest thereon are shown in the accompanying monthly abstracts, as rendered to me by Mr. Brown, and the sum of 5,999/. 4s. 5d. for principal, and 601/. Is. 6d. for interest, including the sales of the past year, remained due on the first of January in this year. Of the Godmanchester and Hinchinbrook sales, the receipts are also shown for principal and interest, and 2915/. 4s. 7d. for principal, and 997/. 14s. lid. for interest remained due, in- cluding the sales of the past year, on the 4th of January in this. The instalments upon the sales in Godmanchester and Hinch- inbrook, and in free and common soccage, cany the legal rate of interest, six per cent. The total gross receipts from February 5th, in last year, to January 31st, in this, amount to between 11,000/. and 12,000/. as will be seen in detail on reference to the principal items stated in the monthly accounts, and the general application of them is also therein stated ; those marked, having been done under correction of Mr. Brown as payments made on account of Mr. Ellice, comprising all sums of money paid out of the gross receipts after the 5th of February, for the discharge of debts due previous to that date, and other payments on his separate account. 114 No debts were allowed to remain unpaid for works or «ci vices rendered since the 5th of February, and the utuiost regularity as to the monthly payment having been enjoined and whilst I was in the country acted upon— this improvement upon the old system, in its adoption, has caused the best results to all parties. I established also by means of a most respectable firm in Montreal, that of Messrs. Kidd and Mc'Cormack, a branch store at Beauharnois connected with their firm, and a ready money system in the sale of goods at the Montreal prices. I am happy to add that it has been, as I had anticipated, a great boon to the inhabitants, both Canadians and Jhitish, in protecting them from the enormous charges to which they were before obliged to submit, and the best prospect of advantage to the firm in the custom which they had already obtained. Another object undertaken by Mr. Gerrard and myself (for his concurrence I invariably in the first instance sought) was the examination of Mr. Thompson, a surveyor at Montreal, of great ability in such matters, of the western terminus of the projected canal, for the purpose of ascertaining the depth of water in the the river St. Lawrence, and the rapidity of its current from McPherson's point to La Grosse Point, and laid his plan and report (a copy of which is now handed in) before the Board of ' Works for the Lower Province, to whom the canal reports had been referred by the Governor General, and objections had been started as to the impracticability of the line on the South side of the river from these i > causes, a too great rapidity of cur- rent round La Grosse point, and a shallowness of water between it and Mc'Pher'on's, which would prevent vessels running to and fro. The^e objections were removed by the accompanying leport and p'an, and the latter shows the existence of a very favorable canal or rail road and terminus for steamers or vessels running to or from its mouth. This statement brings me to the several reports of the lines of canal and rail road which have been proposed by the several engineers, Messrs. Baird, Stevenson, and Casey. The rail road can be effected according to the latter at the cost of 50:^00/. Hy. Cy. from the St. Louis point at Beau- harnois Village to Mc'PhersonX including the cos* of two . HA I : moderate sized steamers, for which he allow-s 10,000/., to run upon the river from Beauliamois villa^ to La Chine at the Eastward, and McTherson's point to Cornwall attheWestward. The distance between the two torminis is only 14^ miles, and the country is stated to be peculiarly favorable to the un- dertaking, the difference of level being only 82 feet, and the chief and only great ascent being from the St. Louis point to the hill immediately above the St. Lawrence. By this means the communication would be complete from La Chine to Cornwall, or in the event of the anticipated success being realized of stemming the rapids between Cornwall and Dickenson's landing, as will be shewn early in this spring, in the experiment to be then made by a fine steam boat erected for that pu4>ose, it would be complete to Kingston or Toronto in the Upper Province. In either case the saving of time would be very great, but it will, however, be -..ell worth your consideration whether, should tiiis undertaking be determined upon, it woidd not be desirable eventually to extend the rail road to La Prairie, as greatly facilitating the communication between Montreal and Toronto, and the whole Upper Province, and which line could never be interfered with should the proposed canal communi- cation between the Lakes St. Louis and St. Francis be carried into effect, in continuation of the Cornwall canal. The great success of the steam plough overcoming all impediments oc- casioned by snow in the Northern States of America, shew clearly that such a lengthened line could be used during the winter as well as the summer, and it would afford sllll greater attractions in being far more expeditious, in being unbroken, and in close communication with the St. John's and La Prairie' rail road, near the terminus of which it would also end. The following are the several canal routes proposed upon the South and North Sides of the St. Lawrence, as taken from the reports of the several Engineers employed for the purpose of surveying them, and the comparative cost of each. North Side of the St. Laivrence. Ibt Route.— Per Lake of the two mountainsl 4^o^«o as estimated by Mr. Milis, / ^■'"='»'^^2 19 Uj H 1 2tid 3rd 2nd 116 •liilaH'l onto alonj( the bunks of 1 ..,,. „ .„ the Hr. Lawrt'iice (Ki mil. b)]'*"^*'*''" ^* .') -River iinpfovement line ( U) miles i?;<5,782 South Side of the St. Lawrence. -Inlanid route along the 1st conces- uVoif of Helenstown, noiH estimated byM( venson and Baird, le 1st conces-^ vn, Beanhar-f „,. , ■Messrs. Stti-f'^^^' 1, - ) 3 2i 444 15 -Communication by the river St.l ,f.. q^^ Louis estimateJ by Mr. Buird,/ ^•^^''^"" 7 10 These estimates were made upon similar premises, viz. for locks of 200 X 65 X 9 feet water. It seems to be (jnite clear from the several statcmpnt6,diea(ly transmitted to the Board, that a rail road would afford a large return at even the present rate of passengers traffic only, be- tween the two Provinces, and if continued from the Western terminus to Huntingdon, as has been offered to be executed by the Inhabitants of Huntitigdon and its vicinity in Godman- chester and EJinchinbrook, by means of a tram road, a connec- tion would be also formed between the Provinces and the Eastern States — T .';e Champlain and the settlements on the Provincial Line — a rail road being projected, and an Act having been some time ago obtained from the Legislature of New York States, from Ogdensburgh to Lake Champlain. The canal offers the additional tempting prospect of ensuring the transport of the freight (which a rail road from Beauharnois to Mc'Pherson's could not be expected to convey on account of the transhipments, though a continuous one might he made from La Prairie to that point), if constructed on the dimensions pro- posed for a ship canal in continuation .)f tlie one at Cornwall, to and from the 1 pper Province and the Western Si-Htea of America, in competition with the E le ca:ial. My advice is forthwith to employ a competent civil engineer of the United States, to run a line for both the canal and the railroad, and to report upon the expense and expediency of the undertaking. For the canal, an additional line seems feasible, nmihiiy, from ConvlUan's landing to the western side of the -Huisson V y »*, — thence along the St. Lawrence to Eiliceton — iir 4 « and thence again by a canal to a point opposite to the Grand He, across which a dam couhl he thrown, as succettsfully jip- plied in the Ridcnn Canal, rendering the stream above a Mluck water luivij^ation, and sufficiently still for vensels — thence to the lake St. Francis. If this can he found by a civil engineer to be practicable, tin- line would be shortened by Bome miles, and the village of Klliceton, and the projected ones at tJ.e Bnisson 1 uint be rendered valuable and immediately available. It recpiires, in my opinion, but activity and honesty to ensure the carrying eventually of the canal upon the south Hide of the St. Lawrence, by means of an Utnted Provincial Legis- lature, for however specious the objection, the only remaini one is, of its being more assailable in the event of a rupr ire wii the United States. The advantageous position and diminution of cost, are admitted to be much in mvour of such line, and it would entirely fail when urged before those who did not consider it to be of any importance in the fo-mation oi* the Cornwall canal within musket shot of the Unit* 1 States. Besides, such an objection would be a just ground oi complaint by all resident on the south side of the river, if they are thus to be told that no improvement is to be effected in the narts in which they are living and interested, because such parts are less safe under the British dominions, than others placed upo i the opposite side of the river. My remaining recommendations are the immediate adoption of measures for the complete settlement < f all the wild lands and the seleclion of an able surveyor for th ir examination • the ascertaining the exact quantity and qualitr comprised in the several blocks, the laying out lots in the S- igniory and Grand He, and additional town, and village lots. I recommend also (this should be the first object) the selecti n of an Agent in whom the Association can place the fuUett reliance for the faithful and vigorous discharge of the duties intrusted to him • the selection also of a competent American civil engineer for the examination and survey of the proposed lines for the canal and rail-road, and the undertaking on the part of the Associa- tion such public and private works as will tenc to the ultimate 118 enhancement of the value of the whole of that section of the country, give immediate employment to artisans and labourers immigrating thither, but which, without such assistance, it is not proDable, nor can it be expected that the inhabitants will themselves undertake. I recommend also the introduction of a Bank of deposit at Beauharnois. In conclusion, I beg to urge upon you the consideration in the selection of emigrants to be sent out to those parts, that this spot is the only valuable and available one within fifty miles of Montreal; that it is in a high state of advancement and civilization from its position and the judicious assistance heretofore rendered to it by its liberal owner in the erection of churches, schools, mills, and the establishment of good roads, that it is within easy reach of an excellent market for the sale of its surplus produce, and that these advantages are invaluable to the new settler, who should be taught the fact, that the last consideration on his part should be the price of the land— the first the existence of such advantages. You must, therefore, bear in mind the importance of adhering to your right determination of not sending out a pauper emigra- tion, but of introducing persons of capital, and of all classes and conditions, and those only who, from their past good conduct in this country, afford some guarantee of maintaining the same orderly and industrious habits in that of their adop- tion. Such immigrants cannot, I think, fail of benefitting them- selves by the change ; and you may confidently anticipate from them the most favourable accounts, and the most grateful re- collection of those who may have been the means of enabling them to substitute for themselves, and by their own exertions, a state of independence instead of distress or misery; and brightened prospects instead of dread in the consideration of their own or their children's condition in this their own native and dear, but thickly peopled, soil. I will merely add, that the above anticipations are founded upon the past success of the settlers now resident upon the property, and upon the sup- position that the large blocks of wild land are as capable of •* * I J V 119 . improvement as those which in their immediate locality have been so successfully cultivated ; and I have the honor to remain, My Lord and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, (Signed) T. Tower. London, March 3Qlh, l84o.