And, moreover, no one covered boat on the Erie Canal could have contained our whole party; and to have divided them would have been productive of considerable inconvenience.

The personal safety of emigrants on the Erie Canal is much endangered by the frequent occurrence of bridges, which cross it almost at every mile, or mile and a half, and are only about three feet above the top of the boat. The following extract is a strong corroboration of what I say :

"The boats, too, are made narrow and confined, to ensure speed; and a very little inadvertence in moving about may leave you in the lurch. While on deck this forenoon, my attention was attracted by a splash, the boat going at a good rate, and, on looking round, to my consternation, I beheld George, a fellow of ten years old, in the centre of the canal, sticking erect, like Tantalus, with the water at his chin. He was speedily relieved, without further damage than a little fright and a complete soaking; but, had it happened a few yards further on, the event might have been very different, as the canal there suddenly deepens. It was altogether to be considered as a very providential escape.

"The numerous low bridges over the canal are extremely annoying, and require constant attention. My youngest boy was prostrated, happily without injury, as we entered Rochester, and a poor woman received a deadly blow on the following morning at Lockport."-Fergusson's Second Visit to Canada in 1833, p. 20.

The almost innumerable houses along the canal, where beer and spirituous liquors can be obtained at a very cheap rate, and the facility with which the people can have access to them, would render it a difficult task to keep them together and in order, and make the duty of a superintendent one of great responsibility and extreme difficulty in the execution; while along the Rideau Canal, the temptations of this description to which the people are exposed are few.

A canal being also under formation on the St. Lawrence, to avoid the Long Sault, will, when accomplished, cause a more powerful competition to arise between the forwarders by the St. Lawrence and the Rideau than that which already exists, from which the expense by both these routes may yet be considerably diminished.

It is also a matter of great importance to British emigrants, that they should pass through a tract inhabited by their own countrymen, having the same habits, manners, and feelings as themselves; where they will be more likely to meet with sympathy and assistance, and, at the same time, avoid the impositions but too commonly practised on emigrants in passing through the States, and the risk of being driven back to their native country through despair of finding work, as was the case with many who returned in the same ship with myself from New York.

Some emigrants are induced to prefer the United States by the low price of their land; others may be enticed away by misrepresentation in passing through them. Against this there is no security.

Every settler in the States must take an oath, by which he renounces his allegiance to his king and native country, (not so in regard to an American settling in Canada.) If he have been dissatisfied with the existence of things at home, he may, perhaps, not be averse to this; but let me inform him, that he will not find the boasted prairies of America like the meadows of England, the richest of the soil. The advantages of the most fertile regions of the States are more than counterbalanced by the greater insalubrity of the climate, when compared to that of Canada.

The English emigrant may rest assured, that he will not long feel himself satisfied and comfortable amidst American manners and customs; but will become disgusted with the peculiar system of liberty and equality that prevails in the States, and will regret, when too late, the step he has taken.

Although 22,754 emigrants had arrived at Toronto this season, they had all been distributed, and were apparently lost sight of in the general population, and still there was a demand for labourers-for sober and industrious labourers and mechanics of every description. Young women, in particular, were very much wanted. Any reasonable number proceeding to Canada would find places there in a few days. In fact, the deficiency of young women in that colony is so great as to be frequently mentioned in the emigrants' letters, and made the subject of much complaint in the newspapers. Middle aged women, qualified to act as housekeepers, cooks, nurses, and in various other domestic offices, are also much required.

I have already described the destination of the Sussex emigrants of this year. With respect to those of former ones, wherever I went I obtained satisfactory information concerning them. If, in any instance, there were an exception to this, it was uniformly accompanied by the expression, that he or they "might do well if they would."

Here are millions of acres, of very fine land, heavily timbered, still uncleared. Many gentlemen of considerable property have, within these two years, settled in Canada; and much capital is now embarked in these provinces.

Gentlemen, although possessing capital, cannot themselves clear the immense forests which cover this fine country. Capital must come to the aid of the workman, by increasing the demand for his labour, and keeping up the present high rate of wages; of which I will mention only two instances out of many that came to my knowledge. William Squibb, from the Isle of Wight, and Henry Heasman, from West Grinstead, were engaged at Blandford-the one at 251., and the other at 20l. per annum, with board and lodging.

The expense of living, taking every thing into consideration, will not exceed one half of what it costs in England. Every thing is cheap for the poor man except house rent; but he is usually lodged and fed by his employer.

Articles of dress were formerly dear; but the competition, caused by a greatly increased demand, has already much lowered their price, and is continuing to do so. It is clear, therefore, that this is the country for the mechanic and labourer.

Let the emigrant but carry with him frugal and industrious habits, or the determination to acquire them, and he will be sure to prosper.

But it should be remarked, that the rate of wages I have mentioned, so advantageous to the poor labourer, in the first instance, in procuring him an abundance of all the necessaries of life, and exciting the hope and prospect of obtaining greater comforts, becomes his chief obstacle the moment he attempts to emerge from his present sphere. He will then, in his turn, feel the pressure of high wages. The price of oxen also, which are indispensable, is gradually rising with the increase of population and of capital in the country.

The man of small means, even if he has been accustomed to labour, finds considerable difficulties to contend with, for the first few years, in clearing the forest and getting his land into a state to produce a return.

To him who has been brought up as a gentleman the task is still more severe; and very few of this class are qualified to succeed in it. No one, therefore, under such circumstances, should make the attempt, unless he is capable of enduring fatigue and privation; can be satisfied with the necessaries of life; and look on its luxuries with indifference.

Those who are possessed of such qualifications, and, at the same time, have a knowledge of agricultural pursuits, a few years will place in a state of comfortable independence.

He who has the command of money may readily surmount all the obstacles in his way arising from the expense of clearing land; building his house (and offices), or renting one at a very high rate; providing himself with oxen and horses, now much advanced in price; and furnishing his farm with the requisite stock and implements of husbandry; and the expense of living until he shall have cleared a sufficient quantity of land to meet his expenditurc.

Much caution is requisite in making a purchase, not only to the man whose means are limited, but even to him who has a considerable command of money. In purchasing from Government or the Canada Company, great care must be taken to ascertain the qualities of the soil; the access to roads; the facilities of water communication; the existence of good mill-streams, or, as the Americans call them, water privileges.

In purchasing of private persons, care must be taken to ascertain that the property is perfectly unincumbered by debt, for which the land in Canada is, at all times, answerable.

Into whatever township or district the emigrant passes, he will find many persons who will represent to him that the land in their particular neighbourhood is the best in the country; who will point out to him the great comfort and advantage of purchasing cleared land; how much expense of cutting down trees, burning them, rooting out stumps, and fencing the fields, he will thereby save: how much the land has been increased in value by these labours, but without once alluding to the number of crops that have, in the mean time, been taken from the ground, or hinting that hitherto no system of agriculture has been adopted in the country by which the land can be kept in proper heart.

I have observed land in Canada that had been cropped until apparently it could be cropped no longer; covered with weeds and totally neglected.

I believe it to be an every day occurrence in the Canadas, as well as in the United States, for persons to dispose of lands in this condition, and remove further into the bush, (or woods,) where they can purchase at a lower price.

I am apprehensive that, from the price of Government land in Canada, four dollars per acre, many emigrants may be induced to go into the States, where they can purchase at one dollar and a quarter per acre, who would not otherwise think of doing so.

Many respectable settlers disapprove of Government giving small grants of land to industrious labourers and persons of small means; for no better reason than that the difficulty of obtaining good and respectable servants, which is already very great, is thereby increased.

The immense tracts of land in the Canadas in the possession of Government are of no real intrinsic value so long as they remain in a state of nature; the first object, therefore, would seem to be, to people the country, in order to convert the wild and now uncultivated forest into a fruitful soil, increasing the revenue of the colonies themselves and the commerce of the mother country by a continually increasing demand for her manufactures; providing the means of still further exertion, and thereby tending, in no small degree, to promote the stability and welfare of the British empire.

I do not advocate indiscriminate or unlimited emigration, aware of the evils and misery that would arise from such a measure; but, if it bear a fair proportion to the increase of capital carried out, and if it be made, after previous arrangements, well and duly considered, the country cannot be too soon covered, from one end to another, by the frugal and industrious.

It is certainly most desirable to secure the labours of the actual cultivators of the soil (for the labourer is the producer of capital) by allowing to many, or to all, a small portion of land, from ten to thirty or forty acres, at a very moderate price, thus giving them an interest in the soil, and attaching them to their country.

It is not less desirable to provide some check to the number of speculators, who purchase land with the view of making a profit by the advance in price; but actually clear no more than they are compelled to do by the conditions of sale.

VOLUNTARY SYSTEM.

Taunton, 7th Feb. 1828.

MY DEAR SIR,-Enclosed you have one pound six shillings and sixpence, the amount of subscriptions paid to me by the undermentioned persons for Yours truly, RICHARD MEADE.

Dr. Davies, to Christmas last.

Atkins, Thomas

Staley, Benjamin
Warren, Mrs.

The above is a copy of a note addressed by Mr. Meade, now Mr. King, to one of the treasurers of Mary Street Congregation, soon after I had ceased to be its pastor. Till within these few days, I was always accustomed to regard the mean and wanton insult thus offered to me as meditated and sanctioned by all the parties whose names were alphabetically inserted, to prevent, as I presumed, the indulgence of any jealousy with regard to the post of honour. Lately, however, I have had sufficient reason to doubt what I had too long taken for granted, and I lost no time in writing to Mr. King, particularly requesting him to inform me whether he was authorized in affixing to the original, for the purpose for which he had employed them, ALL the names that it contained. Mr. King has deigned only to open and return, but not to answer, my letter. At this conduct I am not surprised, as it appears to be in perfect keeping with the note itself, which requires only to be read, to be instantly viewed in its proper light.

Neither from Mr. King's refusing, nor from his own peculiar mode of refusing, the requested information, do I draw any inference; but from what has recently been told me by more than one individual, I find it impossible any longer implicitly to believe that TWENTY members of a religious society could have ever combined to outrage so disgracefully the feelings of a minister, as to pay each, on an average, one shilling, three-pence, three-farthings, and threefifths of a farthing, to defray his half-year's salary. However, if I am wrong in thus withholding my belief from what now seems to be so extremely improbable, as that such a number of worshippers within the walls of Mary Street Chapel should have actually joined Mr. King in deliberately and gratuitously insulting their former minister, who never injured them,-if this should eventually prove to be the fact, they will, I hope, pardon the error into which I have fallen, and enjoy, undiminished, the satisfaction which must. always arise from the remembrance of their truly Christian behaviour. H. DAVIES.

February 13, 1834.

CHURCH MATTERS.

Few things can be more grievous and afflicting than the imperious necessity which exists of giving so much thought and time to matters of finance and pecuniary arrangement respecting the church. An air of mere secularity is thus spread over all that is written or said, which is anything but satisfactory or grateful to the feelings. For

this, as well as many other such good things, we have to thank the busy race of reformers who occupy their own time and other persons' in discussions which tend neither to peace nor to advantage of any sort, but which cannot be declined, because silence would imply approbation, or, at least, non-condemnation, of mad and mischievous projects. Hence come long discussions about incomes, and tithes, and fees, and rates, which are perfectly odious; and the only consolation for which is, the knowledge that it is a duty to expose falsehood and folly, and to state truths respecting the temporal establishment, by means of which, as we believe, the gospel is more fully and effectually taught than it could be by any other manner. Such were the feelings under which the last paper on this subject, and many others, were written. Such are the feelings with which another yet more odious subject is approached now,-viz., the feelings of dissenters towards the church. But, fortunately, hardly anything need be said. All that is necessary is said by dissenters themselves. This only. should be observed, that the one truth that shines out from all which the active and prominent dissenters say and do is, that dissent is political, not religious, in essence; but that it is most dangerous because it gives those who look on it merely as a political engine, the power of working on the mass of their adherents through the most powerful of all motives, religion, and thus leading them on to conduct of which the effects cannot be painted in too strong colours. Religious faction, in short, is by far the most dangerous of all faction. The manifestoes of the Red-cross Street Committee, and the Committee of the Congregational Union, were given in the last Number. The reader's attention is now requested to the following documents, from several quarters. They are particularly desired to observe the tone of Mr. Timothy East's answer to Sir R. Peel, and the truly Christian temper and decorous and gentlemanly style of this minister of the gospel.

1.-(From the "Patriot," Dec. 31st, 1834.)

"All suspense is at an end. The glove is thrown down. His Majesty having, in the ill-advised exercise of his undoubted prerogative, dismissed his liberal Cabinet, has thought fit, by and with the advice of his present ministers, to send his faithful Commons back to their constituents,-the only punishment of which the constitution itself admits. Yesterday the first reformed Parliament was dissolved by royal proclamation. The new Parliament is to meet on the 15th of February for the dispatch of business; and on the composition of this new Parliament, it is admitted, will depend, in a great degree, the peace and well-being of the United Kingdom for many years to come.

"All ye, then, who think that the late ministers had deservedly forfeited the confidence of his Majesty by their too liberal reforms, vote for the Tories. All ye who think that the last Parliament deserved to be broken up for going too far or too fast in the march of improvement, vote for the Tories. All ye who think that Colonial Slavery ought not to have been abolished, vote for the men who opposed the emancipation of the negroes, All ye who think that to abolish the vestry cess in Ireland, and to reduce the number of sinecure bishopricks of the overgrown Beresford church was spoliation and sacrilege, vote for the supporters of the Rodens, Percevals, and Stormonts. All ye protestant dissenters who love the yoke which your fathers were not able to bear, and who wish to transmit your political grievances as an heir-loom to your children, in order to keep up unsocial and sectarian feelings towards their fellow-subjects, vote for the men who have consistently opposed every measure of real redress. All ye Church-of-England men who agree with the Bishop of London's friend, Mr. Gathercole, that dissent is as great a crime as drunkVOL. VII.-Feb. 1835. 2 D