208 AGRICULTURE AND INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



large a number of persons who appeared anxious to use 

 all their influence, direct or indirect, for the advance 

 ment of the common interest. I therefore conclude 

 that, though jobbing may to some extent prevail, and a 

 good deal of Bunkum, in the New Brunswick House of 

 Assembly, yet that, on the whole, the small means at 

 their disposal are as equally divided among the several 

 objects to be promoted, and as small a percentage of the 

 whole thrown away, as in most other Assemblies of 

 a similar nature. 



Among the encouragements to material progress in 

 this province, which I have not yet noticed, is an annual 

 grant of 200 for the encouragement of agriculture, in 

 each county, wherever one-third as much is raised by 

 voluntary subscription. The establishment of a Central 

 Society, through w^hose hands these sums should be 

 issued and expended, and to whom a general supervision 

 of the agriculture and local agricultural societies of the 

 colony should be intrusted, has also been in agitation. 



The navigation of the river St John is another object 

 of great importance to the internal communications of the 

 province. Steamers regularly run up to Fredericton, 

 ninety miles above St John ; and during the season of 

 floods they ascend to Woodstock. But it is possible to 

 make the river navigable for small steamers almost to 

 the Grand Falls ; and to effect this object the Assembly 

 have recently voted a sum, not to exceed 10,000 

 a-year. 



Among other means of communication, upon which 

 the hearts of the people of the province are set, are a 

 series of railroads, intended to connect the port of St 

 John with Halifax, with the St Lawrence, and with the 

 American line from the west, now in progress through 

 Maine. Could these railroads be made, there is not the 

 shadow of a doubt that they would greatly benefit all the 

 three North American provinces. But it is almost 



