140 GRUMBLERS IN ST JOHN AND IN MAINE. 



vince, it is that they were not caused by any action 

 either of the Provincial or Home Governments, or by 

 any evils which annexation to the United States would 

 cure. This is proved by the fact that the adjoining 

 State of Maine, which possesses very much of the same 

 natural capabilities and resources of wealth as distin 

 guish New Brunswick, has suffered of late years as this 

 province has, and in a similar way. Thus, in a petition 

 presented to the Legislature of this State as late as the 

 12th of June 1850, it is stated 



First. &quot; That, for some three years past, shipbuilding 

 and lumbering have been severely depressed furnishing 

 less returns even than investments in railways, which 

 have yielded confessedly little.&quot; 



Second, u That, for a series of years, we have been 

 compelled to witness the withdrawal of much of our 

 capital into enterprises in other States ; and, instead of 

 attracting emigrants, the departure from among us of 

 the most enterprising of the young men of Maine.&quot; 



Third, &quot; That it is vain to expect to retain the natural 

 increase of our population, without holding out induce 

 ments for labour beyond what are offered by the pur 

 suits of agriculture and lumbering.&quot; 



Were I to sum up in brief all the complaints I heard 

 in New Brunswick, they would not assume so strong a 

 form as in the above words of the people of Maine. 

 And yet, to cure these evils, the men whom I found 

 agitating St John professed to believe that annexation 

 to the United States was alone required. Trade would 

 then amend, capital would flow in, emigration would be 

 checked, lumbering would revive, and European immi 

 grants would pour into the new Paradise ! The com 

 plaints of Maine are a sufficient answer to all these 

 fallacious assertions.* 



* Tt is gratifying to learn that the year 1850 has revived the spirits 

 of the people iu St John, and in the whole province. The harvest has 



