226 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



equality with, the Americans in their own markets, we can ali'ord to leave 

 the lumber market to an interior population. The sooner that market is 

 supplied by the soil west of the seventy-seventh degree of longtitude, the 

 better for the country. All grain grown east of that will find as profitable 

 an outlet to the eastward. To arrive at such a state of things we want a 

 population of eighty or one hundred thousand additional souls laboring the 

 productive soil of the interior, and to have this we must encourage immigra- 

 tion." 



To Prevent Fires. 



"What means would you suggest for the preservation of the forest from 

 fire?" "Survey no townships on which the soil fit for farming purposes 

 does not bear a certain proportion to the pine-covered soil, which in most 

 cases is unfit for settlement, permit no isolated scattered settlers to locate 

 amidst the pine forests, and forbid by general law, or municipal regula- 

 tions, the burning of brush, etc., between the 4th of June and 4th of Sep- 

 tember." 



The report of the Select Committee was made on the 18th of May, 1855, 

 the two first paragraphs of which are as follows : ^ 



"That owing to the varied and extensive character of the subject 

 referred to your committee, and the very important interests liable to be 

 affected by such changes as might be recommended, it has not been possible 

 to obtain sufficient evidence to warrant your committee in arriving at a 

 definite conclusion and general report on the matters referred to them. They 

 are, therefore, obliged to report the evidence obtained to your Honorable 

 House, accompanied by the unanimous expression of their opinion, that 

 important modifications of the present system are imperatively required, 

 and they, therefore, recommend that the subject with the evidence here- 

 with submitted, be again referred to a Select Committee of your Honorable 

 House at the next meeting of Parliament. 



"With reference to the disposal of timber on the public domain, your 

 committee strongly recommend, that no change whatever be made in the 

 terms upon which present limits are held, pending the final decision of 

 your Honorable House in reference to this most important question, as it 

 is their unanimous opinion that, until the system is determined upon and 

 regulated by Act of Parliament, a change of the present regulations would 

 be detrimental to the public interests." 



Ground Rent. 



The ground rent system adopted under the Timber regulations of 

 August 8th, 1851, was modified by an Order-in-Council of the 20th of 

 August, 1855, providing "That the extreme amount of ground rent payable 

 as a penalty, over and above the single rent in any case of non-occupation 

 shall not exceed the minimum amount the berth would produce in duties 

 (on square timber) if duly occupied according to regulations ; but this limita- 

 tion not to affect timber berths acquired since the ground rent system was 

 in force by competition thereon, or other special regulation and not to imply 

 but what the Government may raise the rents or increase the duties, as the 

 future circumstances of the trade mav render expedient." 



The terms of this Order-in-Council clearly indicate the determination 

 of the Government to guard against any assumption that the purchase of 

 timber limits subject to a ground rent conveyed such a vested right, either 

 moral or legal as would preclude the imposition of new conditions or 

 increased payments whenever it might be deemed advisable. 



