278 REVIEWS. 



first United Parliament, 15th of June, 1841, Lord Sydenham dwelt on the impro- 

 vements in the navigation, promising the Imperial guarantee to the loan required 

 " to effect them. " The generous aid," continued his lordship, " which I have al- 

 " ready announced to you ; the determination which I am also empowered to 

 " state on the part of the Government, to devote annually a large sum for themili- 

 " tary defences of the Province ; the fixed and settled determination which I have 

 •' the Queen's command to declare, that her North American possessions shall be 

 " maintained at all hazards, as part of her empii-e, are pledges of the sincerity with 

 " which the mother country desires to promote the prosperity of Canada, and to 

 " assist in the well-working of the new institutions which it has established." la 

 conformity with this pledge, on the 20th of August a message was sent down to 

 the House, enumerating, in one general plan, the different works demanded by the 

 public voice. The total cost was £1,4*70,000 currency, to be expended in a period 

 of five years. The sum named for the Welland Canal was £450,000. The reso- 

 lutions confirming the expenditure were carried on the 1th. of September, one 

 member only voting against them. 



Some efforts were made to increase the size of the Welland to that.of the Saint 

 Lawrence Canals, Lord Sydenham, however, shrunk from the expense. He 

 considered that, with the present size of the locks, the "Welland could sufficiently 

 compete with the Erie Canal route, Nor was the military view of the question 

 neglected, for a proposal was made to construct locks 56 ft. wide by 280 ft., with 

 10 ft. depth of water. Although this proposition was rejected, it was wisely 

 determined to construct larger locks at both ends, so that in case of danger, 

 steamers could enter and run some miles inland. The adoption of this plan led to 

 the ultimate enlargement of the succeeding locks to St. Catherines, bringing that 

 town within the navigation proper of the Saint Lawrence. The work was imme. 

 diately commenced, and the enlarged line, by the way of the Grand River feeder 

 to Port Maitland, was opened in 1845. Consequent upon the progress of the work, 

 the main canal from the junction westward to Lake Erie was laid dry, to give the 

 bottom a width of 26 feet, and to make Lake Erie the feeder. But the failure of 

 several " sets of contractors, and the prevalence of sickness amongst the laborers, 

 retarded the operations so much," says an official account, that this portion of the 

 route was not opened until 1850. It was even then unfinished, and accordingly 

 arrangements were entered into to complete the work by means of dredges. 

 This operation was carried on until 1854, when the contractor abandoned it. In 

 the meantime it was found that the width of 26 feet was totally insufficient for 

 the trade, and it was determined accordingly to increase it to 50 feet. On the 

 other hand, it has been seen that the Grand River supply year by year becomes 

 less, and that the steadiness of that source can not be relied upon ; that to keep 

 the Canal so supplied was to run the risk of failure in the navigation ; a contin- 

 gency not even to be thought of without alarm, and against which there could only 

 be one remedy, viz., to turn to Lake Erie as the supply. The consequence has 

 been, that the work is nearly brought to a close, and that the canal throughout 

 has been widened to fifty feet at the bottom, to a level admitting the Lake 

 waters. 



