362 BAD EFFECTS OF SELLING ON CREDIT. 



the west, and returned again to York to petition and make 

 interest with the authorities to get certain lots put up for sale. 

 When they succeeded, they had to live in idleness for a month 

 until the day of sale arrived, and again travel to the place of 

 sale. Sometimes applications to have lands put up for sale 

 are frustrated, and rather than suffer delay and dance attend 

 ance on men of influence, many people have passed into the 

 United States, where a person can go to the land-office of the 

 district and fix on any lot which pleases him. There cash is 

 the only interest that can be employed, and its non-payment 

 the only delay to settlement. 



Paying the purchase-money by instalments induces people 

 without capital to become purchasers, who, for the interest 

 of themselves and the community, ought to have assisted 

 others in clearing and cultivating land, until they had accu 

 mulated sufficient capital, by saving, to purchase without 

 credit. To the system of disposing of land by credit, much 

 of the wretchedness and poverty of the present Canadian 

 landholders may be justly attributed. The experience of the 

 United States government demonstrated this, and a law was 

 passed to abolish credit on the price of land. How difficult 

 it seems to be for Britain to adopt legislation to the existing 

 age of the world ! 



The Canada Company possess immense tracts of country, 

 and sell land on terms similar to government, giving credit 

 and drawbacks to induce people to purchase. The price of 

 the company s land at Goderich is 7s. 6d. per acre, and equal 

 to the price of crown lands in other parts. 



Much land is held by absentee proprietors, or the members 

 of the party who sway the councils of the province. It is 

 commonly in the hands of agents empowered to sell. The 

 prices are generally higher than crown lands, and credit 

 unlimited. 



The greater portion of British emigrants, arriving in Canada 

 without funds and the most exalted ideas of the value and 

 productiveness of land, purchase extensively on credit, and 

 take up their abode in the midst of the forest, with the proudest 

 feelings of independence, and in the confident hope of meet 

 ing their engagements, and becoming fine gentlemen at the 



