WINTER AND WINTER -CLOTHING. 215 



1849. Objections and proposed remedies. Amount of school-tax in 

 the State of New York. What a proportionate tax would be in Great 

 Britain. Importance of education to a free people. Money-value to 

 the holders of property of education among the masses. Can the 

 voluntary principle support schools 1 Duty of Governments on the 

 matter of education. Total taxation of New York State. Compared 

 with taxation in the British Islands. Different modes of making this 

 comparison. Voluntary contributions for the support of religion. 

 Difference in taxation between the United States and Great Britain. 

 Both regulated by the same principle of human nature. Banking 

 system in New York State. Usury laws and legal rate of interest in 

 the several States of the Union. Case of usury in New York, and 

 change of the law. Moral weight of the New-England character. 



The weather continued fine at Fredericton during the 

 remainder of the month of November, with occasional 

 frosts, but no snow. On the morning of the 26th, 

 the thermometer in the shade at sunrise stood at 56 

 Fahrenheit. But, soon after, the frost came on sharp 

 and sudden, so that the river was closed on the 2d of 

 December. A few days later, carriage-tracks were 

 marked out on the ice, opposite to the town ; and 

 carriages of all kinds, and waggons of hay and other 

 produce, were driven across the broad river. 



Snow fell also, and covered the ground, so that sleigh 

 ing commenced, and the season of furs and sleighing 

 parties, and all the enjoyments which this season brings 

 with it to the young people of the provinces. Mocassins, 

 fur-caps, buffalo-coats, and other wraps of skin, which 

 alone are impenetrable to the piercing winds that 

 occasionally blow, were the order of the day ; and as I 

 proposed to travel into the States during the severity of 

 the winter, I provided myself with an ample supply. 



On the 20th, I started for St John in an open sleigh 

 at 9 P.M., that, by travelling during a part of the night, 

 I might be able to arrive in good time on the morrow. 

 A thaw had commenced, and it rained upon us for 

 several hours very heavily. This change lessened the 

 cold, but it had brought other discomforts along with it. 



