PROJECTED RAILWAYS. 209 



equally certain that at present, and probably for a num 

 ber of years to come, they could not be made to pay a 

 dividend sufficient to justify a body of shareholders in 

 taking the matter up without a guarantee from the Pro 

 vincial or Home Governments, or from both. Were 

 capital raised, however, and expended for this purpose by 

 the provinces, as was dune to make the Canadian and 

 New York canals, though they might never return a 

 direct percentage in the form of traffic-returns upon the 

 money expended, they would be certain to promote their 

 material advancement in so many other ways, as would 

 far more than overbalance the apparent loss. Of this I 

 believe the Provincial Governments arc fully sensible, 

 and several thousand pounds have already been expended 

 by them in preliminary surveys ; but the funds have not 

 as yet been obtained for seriously commencing any but 

 that of which I have already spoken as being now in pro 

 gress at St Andrews. 



Had the Home Government means to expend on pro 

 vincial objects of magnitude, this is one which would 

 well deserve its serious consideration. Indeed, I may 

 say that, if the British people saw, in the internal peace 

 and loyalty of the province, an assurance of a long and 

 friendly connection, their influence, if necessary, would 

 be exercised to induce parties in power to promote so 

 useful an object. I often felt regret, when I thought of 

 what might be done for the provinces, that restless 

 agitators, for their own private ends, and urged by pri 

 vate enmities, should throw such obstacles in the way of 

 the surest good of their native or adopted country.* 



* Since I left the province, trade and commerce have revived, and, with 

 these, the desire to accomplish the construction of one or more of these 

 projected lines of railway. A convention has recently been held at Port 

 land in Maine, consisting of delegates from the New England States and 

 from the Provinces, with the view especially of organising a plan to which 

 VOL. II. U 



