276 REVIEWS. 



managed by four directors, three of whom should be named by the House of Aa- 

 Bembly. It is true, that by these means an appai-ent control was placed in the 

 hands of the Legislature ; but, by accepting the responsibility, the House became, 

 as it were, identified with the future management. The year 1835 was marked 

 by no particular vicissitude. Sir John Colborne was then Lieutenant-Governor, 

 and he communicated to the House an Imperial despatch from Mr. Spring Rice, 

 the Colonial Minister, that he could not recommend the Imperial Government to 

 cancel the debt of the Canal Company of £50,000, for a loan only made five years 

 before. The Assembly had, with some inconsistency, asked this act of favor at 

 the hands of the Imperial Government ; on what ground it is somewhat difficult 

 to say. During the session, Messrs, Thorburn, Duncombe, and Mackenzie were 

 appointed directors. There cannot be a doubt that these gentlemen went to their 

 duties with a knowledge of the general dissatisfaction which existed generally in 

 the Province. The continued calls on the public chest, the unsatisfactory and 

 contradictory statements, the Canal ever on the verge of completion and never fia^ 

 ished, had destroyed all confidence in the management of the undertaking. There 

 seems to have been a foregone conclusion that the Canal was a necessity, and that 

 if the Province did not complete it, it would remain unfinished ; and it followed 

 that the Province must take possession of it. Feelings of this character led to a 

 very unfriendly supervision of the accounts and antecedents of the Company, and 

 ended in Mr. Mackenzie making thirty specific charges against the directors. The 

 decision of a Committee of the Legislature, appointed to consider theoa has already 

 been given. 



" The following " concise statement of the property in the Canal, as it is held 

 by individuals and the public," was appended to the report : 



Loan by Great Britain (Prov. cur.) £55,555 11 2 



Loan by Upper Canada 100,000 



Stock taken by Provincial Legislature 107,500 



Stock taken by Lower Canada.....' 25,000 



Stock in England by private individuals 30,127 10 



Stock in United States by do 69,625 



Stock in Lower Canada l)y do 1 3,825 



Stock in Upper Canada by do 3,712 10 



Stock in New Brunswick by do 500 



£405,855 11 2 

 Advanced this year by Parliament 2,000 



Total £407,855 11 1 



The report concluded by stating that £425,213 3s. 5d. had been expended, "less 

 £100, which appears to be balance in hand 30th December, 1835." No money 

 was, however, obtained that session. But in November, 1836, the Directors came 

 again before the House i Sir F. B. Head was then Lieutenant Governor. On the 

 petition of the Company, a select Committee recommended that the Canal should 

 be made strictly a public work ; and that the Receiver General should issue de- 

 bentures to the stockholders for their stock. An amendment was moved to the- 



