1352.J 



THE RAILROADS OF CANADA. 



lui 



named, passes through the best agricultural districts in Upper 

 Canada, and will command a profitable local business. 



The next Act relates to the " Peterborough and Port Hope 

 Railroad, a charter for which was first granted in 1846. It is an 

 important branch road, and when constructed, will biing a rich 

 section of Canada into communication with the navigation of 

 Lake Ontario and with the " Main Trunk." Another act char- 

 ters, or rather renews a charter, granted in 1834, for the con- 

 struction of a railroad from Cobourg (only seven miles from Poi't 

 Hope) to Peterborough. It is not, we presume, seriously intend- 

 ed to construct both lines, as in that event neither could be made 

 profitable, and either would answer every purpose in opening the 

 interior of the country. The rivalry is confined to the towns 

 of Coboui-g and Port Hope, which are bidding for the business of 

 Peterborough. Neither, of the lines, we believe, offei- any serious 

 engineering difficulty to their consti'uction ; and the only obstruc- 

 tion will be of a financial character ; the first to overcome that 

 will be the successful competitor. The engineer of the Port Hope 

 line has made his report of a pi'eliminary survey — we are not 

 aware that anything has been done on the other route. 



" An Act authorizing the construction of a Railway from Gait 

 to Guelph." This line will be an extension of the branch from 

 the Great Western to Gait, already under construction. It is an 

 effort to obtain for the Great Western Road and the City of 

 Hamilton, a share of the business of Guelph and its vicinity, 

 which will otherwise be drawn off by the Toronto and Guelph 

 line. It may therefore be considered as an extension of the 

 charter of the Great Western Company. 



The Hamilton and Toronto Railway Company has obtained 

 a Charter for constructing a Railroad between those cities. It 

 will be an important road, as connecting the two principal cities 

 of Canada West, and as a link connecting the Great Western 

 with the Main Trunk at Toronto. There are no engineering 

 difficulties likely to make this an expensive road, and it will 

 undoubtedly afford ample remuneration for capital invested in it. 

 A preliminary survey has been made under the direction of Mr. 

 Benedict — late Chief Engineer to the Great Western Company. 

 We think Toronto would have consulted her own interests had 

 she taken a more active part in the successful prosecution of this 

 enterprize — it will form the connecting link between this city and 

 the roads of the State of New York, and the interests of her 

 business in that dii'ection, as well as westward of Hamilton, make 

 a fair representation in its management of great importance. 



" An Act to empower any Railway Company, whose Railway 

 forms part of the Main Trunk Line of Railway throughout this 

 Province, to unite with any other such Company, or to purchase 

 the property and rights of any such Company ; and to repeal cer- 

 tain Acts therein mentioned, incorporating Railway Companies." 



This Act requires no comment — ^it is intended to facilitate the 

 future working of the main line through the Province, under 

 one management. 



" An Act to provide for the incorporation of a Company, to 



construct a Railway from opposite Quebec to Trois Pistoles, and 

 for the extension of such Railway to the Eastern Frontier of this 

 Province." 



This has already been noticed in connexion with the Main 

 Trunk, of which it will eventually form the eastern extension 

 towards Halifax. We understand that the necessary capital has 

 been subscribed towards this hne, and that there is a fair pros- 

 pect for its early construction. It will be entitled to the Govern- 

 ment guarantee of £3,000 sterling, per mile. From Trois Pis- 

 toles a road to Miramachi will meet the roads of Nova Scotia and 

 New Brunswick. 



" An Act to amend and extend the Act incoi-porating a Com- 

 pany for making a railroad from the Village of Industry to the 

 Township of Rawdon in Lower Canada." This road is nearly 

 completed — is has only a local importance. 



" An Act to amend the Act incorporating the Ontario, Sim- 

 coe and Huron Railroad Union CompamjV The amendment 

 relates to the election of Directors, and repeals that part of the 

 original Charter which empowered the Company to raise money 

 by lottery. This road is in a very forward state and will doubt- 

 less be tbe first completed road in Upper Canada. There are 

 already 27 miles of iron laid, and it is in contemplation to open 

 the completed portion of it immediately, beyond this twenty-seven 

 miles, the grading is very nearly completed as far as Barrie, (63 

 miles from Toronto,) thence to the waters of Lake Huron 

 about 30 miles, the surve3's are already made, and the road will be 

 constructed before the fall of 1853. This road will receive the 

 Government Guarantee for one-half of the cost of its construction. 

 It is a road of great importance, as being the nearest connecting 

 link between the navigation of Lakes Huron and Michio-an, and 

 Ontario, and will without doubt command a lai-ge share of 

 the business of the north-west, and all the business of the vast 

 mineral regions of Lake Superior, since the distance by this 

 route to the projected canal at Saidt Ste. Mary, and to the Straits 

 of Mackinaw, from New York and Boston, will be less by some 

 250 miles than any other route. Independently of this, however 

 65 miles of the road pass through a very rich and thickly set- 

 tled country, the business of which has hitherto found its way to 

 Toronto, over the " Yonge Street Macadamized Roads." 



"An Act to authorize the Brantford and Buffalo Joint Stock 

 Railroad Company, to construct a Railway from Fort Erie to 

 Goderich." This road had been commenced from Fort Erie to 

 Brantford, and partly graded under the General Road Act, since 

 repealed. The present Act empowers the Company to extend 

 their line to Goderich — it will therefore cross both the " Great 

 Western" and the "Toronto and Sarnia" roads at nearly right 



"An Act to incorporate the Grand Junction Raih'oad Com- 

 pany." The Grand Junction Railway, we believe, is intended 

 to connect Peterborough with the waters of Lake Huron at Glou- 

 cester Bay, with Toronto, and with the Main Trunk at or near 

 Belleville. It would undoubtedly open a vast and valuable tract 



