28 The Illumination of Joseph Keeler, Esq. 



necessary, it was stated, because of the cheaper freight via the 

 Erie Canal which ran from Oswego to the Hudson. As bearing 

 intimately on this matter, Mr. Keeler found a letter to Lord 

 John Russell dated 21st January, 1841, from Lord Sydenham 

 then Governor of the Canadas. It stated: 



"Upper Canada is, as you are aware, entirely dependent upon 

 the sale of its agricultural produce and especially of wheat for 

 the production of which it is eminently calculated. Great 

 excitement prevails in that Province at the present time with 

 regard to this subject. The abundant harvest both here and 

 in the Western States has greatly increased the quantity for 

 exportation; but the prices are so low that the farmers and 

 laborers are unable to derive the advantage they expected. The 

 consequence is that there is an outcry raised for what is termed 

 agricultural protection in the shape of duties upon the produce 

 of the United States imported into Canada a scheme, it is 

 hardly necessary to observe, which would, even if it were not 

 objectionable in principle, be utterly useless to an importing 

 country for the end sought, namely, to raise the price; whilst 

 it would diminish if it did not destroy a great branch of trade, 

 the grinding of United States corn admitted into the Ports of 

 the Mother Country."* 



But there were many side-lights which illumined for Mr. 

 Keeler the actual situation as it existed in those days, while one 

 dealing with matters in his own lakeshore district was of intense 

 interest to him. 



Before a committee of the Legislature in 1842 the pros and 

 cons of the conflicting claims for the expenditure of a grant of 

 1,500 on a settlement road leading from the lake to the head of 

 Rice lake in the rear townships were discussed, the competing 

 towns being Cobourg and Port Hope. The evidence went on, 

 John Gilchrist, member of the House, being called: 



* Answers in committee brought out the fact that the price of wheat on 

 the shores of Lake Erie was 2s 9d, on Lake Ontario, 3s \%d, that freight 

 from Chicago to St. Catharines was 9d per bushel; from Cleveland to St. Catha- 

 rines 6d; thence to Kingston 2rf; from Kingston to Montreal 7?d; and from 

 Montreal to England 2s; while from Cleveland to New York the freight was 

 Is Sd, and that wheat on Lake Erie to remunerate the owner ought not to 

 be less than 4* ($1.00) per bushel. 



