230 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



Proper Surveys. 



"When any case of fraud on the part of a pretending settler has been 

 established the Department has cancelled the sale and seized the timber 

 cut on the land. In order, however, by more general action to do away as 

 far as possible with the complaints alluded to, and to afford legitimate pro- 

 tection to both the interests mentioned, I have been endeavoring to effect 

 discriminating and descriptive surveys with a view of ascertaining what 

 lands are suitable for settlement, and what are not suitable, and what 

 sections of the country may be reserved and advantageously laid off in 

 timber berths." 



Another abuse which Mr. Yankoughnet undertook to reform was the 

 delay in the paytnent of timber dues, which resulted in a considerable 

 accumulation of indebtedness, and in some instances in fraud, on the 

 Department. To put 'a stop to the practice the 30th November of each year 

 was fixed as the day for the payment of all timber dues. All amounts then 

 unpaid were charged with six per cent, interest, and it was provided that 

 if not paid before the following 1st of July the license held by the defaulter 

 was to be forfeited. No lumber of any kind was to be exported before the 

 dues thereon were paid. To prevent the practice of shipping lumber cut 

 by trespassers on the public domain to the United States, which was exten- 

 sively pursued, the co-operation of the Finance Department was obtained. 

 Previous to obtaining clearances all vessels having lumber on board intended 

 for the TJnited States were obliged to furnish the Collector of Customs at 

 the port of shipment with a certificate from the Local Crown Timber Agent 

 that the claim of the Crown on the lumber had been settled. 



Another Cormnission. 



During the session of 1863 the lumber trade was again the subject of 

 a Parliamentary enquiry. On the 15th of April the House of Commons 

 adopted the following resolution : "Resolved, that a Select Committee com- 

 posed of Mr. Dawson, Mr. Dunsford, Mr. McLachlin, Mr. Desanlniers, Mr. 

 Haultain, Mr. Robitaille, Mr. McCann, Mr. Hooper and Mr. Scott be 

 appointed to enquire into the state of the lumber trade in Canada, in rela- 

 tion to the settlement of the country, and the action of the Government 'a 

 dealing with these interests respectively ; to report thereon with all con- 

 venient speed, with power to send for persons, papers and records." 



The time at the disposal of the committee was too short to enable them 

 to go thoroughly into the subject, but they examined a number of witnesses 

 and submitted some valuable evidence with a view to a continuance of the 

 enquiry next session. 



One point clearly brought out was the unsatisfactory working cf the 

 regulation permitting settlers to cut timber for sale on their lots, which 

 operated as an inducement to settle upon land which was mainly valuable 

 for its timber and not adapted for farming. The following conclusions were 

 embodied in the report of the committee: — 



"First in importance appears the fact that the existing law, under 

 which the lumber trade of the Province in general is governed, has for 

 several years back been continuously and systematically violated in the 

 Crown Lands DeT)artment and an uncertain and ever varying action sub- 

 stituted for the fixed and definite provisions of law under the Statute. 



"A former committee of this House, of which the Hon. A. T. Gait was 

 chairman, in 1855, having had the subject under consideration reported as 

 follows: — 'With reference to the disposal of timber on the public domain. 



