HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1931-11-13, Page 1f.
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Seventy-second Year `°-
Whole Number 3335
Colonel Anthony VonEgniond and the Rebellion of 1837.
In Huron County.
Written for 'The Expositor
by, W. Brenton Kerr, M.A.,
Oxon., Ph.D., Tor.
Prof. Kerr asks any per-
sons having in their pos-
session letters or papers
bearing on the early his-
tory of Huron County, to
leave their names at The
xpositor Office in order
at. ' he may compare
t e"information contained
erein with that already
in his possession.
CHAPTER VIII
BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE'
The Reform House of Assembly of
1832-1836 possessed a Committee on
Grievances on the active look -out for
business, in which the most indus-
trious member was, as might be ex-
pected, William Lyon Mackenzie. This
Committee perhaps instigated by Van
,Egmond, fell on the scent of the Can-
ada Company dispute and proceeded
to investigate it. They summoned
witnesses from the Huron Tract, one
for each side; Dr. Dunlop for the
Company; Colonel Van Egmond for
• the critics of that organization, and
heard both in the sitting of February
6, 1835..
Dr. Dunlop, in his capacity as War-
den to the Forests of the Canada
Company, gave evidence first. Asked
concerning the organization of the
Company, he stated that the nominal
value, of a share was one hundred
pounds, the amount which each holder
was obliged to .pay if called on, but
that in fact so far only seventeen
pounds ten shillings hall been paid
kn each share. -)The quotation on the
London Stock Exchange had reached
fifty-three pounds and in January,
1835, had receded to forty-two pounds,
a valuation which might seem optim-
istic
ptimistic for a ';hare on which only sev-
enteen and a half 'pounds had been
paid, but which was, the Doctor said,
in no way attributable to the opera-
tions of the Company, merely to the
boarding of bullion in Europe. The
precise connection of the • supposed
hoarding with the exchange quota-
tion, however, he failed to explain.
To the enquiry whether the Company
had been involved in lawsuits with
settlers, he replied that • it had- ex-
perienced only two, one with Bergin
for supplies he had.• furnished the
Company's clerks; the., other pending
with Van Egmond for the balance of
a road account. For the rest, he was
emphatic that no settler of the • Com-
pany had ever been ejected from a
lot. The Company. -were now selling
lands in the Tract at from eight shill-
ingsninepence to fifteen shillings an
acre, for which they had paid two
shillings sixpence an acre for re-
serves in the unsettled townships
they had charged nine shillings in the
first year of 'their operations, lis. 6d.
in 1834. As terms, they usually ,gave
credit with interest, payable in sik
instalments in five years. Only oc-
casionally did the Company's agents
receiveready money, but they were
findingsales much more extensive and
payments more regular in 1835 than
.in the first three years, 1827 to 1830.
For this satisfactory condition of af-
fairs the arrival of settlers of a
more wealthy class was probably re-
sponsible. •
To enquiries concerning finance, Dr.
Dunlop..replied that the Company had
paid 1,800 pounds taxes on unsold
land in the Tract, nothing, on unsur-
'veyed land, from ihich facts it is to
be deduced that taxation was not a
serious burden on the company's fin-
ances. They had: laid out 4,65,000
pounds which was ample corhpensa-
tion, said Dunlop, for any sums they
drew out; they had never had loans
from the government but had arrang-
ed in their contract with the Crown,
for a deduction of 48,000' pounds from
the purchase price to be expended in
improving lands,\ in bulding roads,
'bridges and harbours, a sum of which
2,600 pounds had already been spent
to the satisfaction of the governor,
who, had -power of supervision., The
capital of the company comprised
9,000 shares, most of which were held
in London, some in Scotland, by peo-
ple who received four per cent. on
their money. But -this four per. cent.
FowlSnpper,Concert-
and Bazaar
will be held in the United
Church, Brucefield, on
• FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20th
Supper will he followed by a
Goncert given 'by the "Exeter
Huronia Male Chorus," includ-
ing Duets, Quartettes, Violin
and Mouth Organ Selections,
Scotch Comedian, and Elocu-
tionist.
Come and Bring Your Friends.
This will be a Real° Treat.
Admission 500 Children $5c.
c
wtl?e�vnla;ul
did not represent profits, mer part
of the principal obtained 'from eir
subscriptions. The last statement
seems to indicate a rather doubtful
method of finance.
Ii is evident front the above that
the worthy doctor said as -little as he
could concerning the Company, doubt-
less feeling himself in a hostile at-
mosphere and reluctant to discuss the
affairs of his employers in such at-
tendant circumstances of publicity.
His main defence had been that the
Company was far from making ex-
orbitant profits, that it did not eject
settlers, that conditions in the Tract
were improving largely on account ,of
the Company's expenditures on pub
lic services. On the other hand it is
evident that the shareholders were
by no means unduly) burdened' in be-
ing required to pay only one-sixth
of the sums for\which they had con-
tracted, that the price, at which they
sold was' .from three to four timet
that at which they had bought, and
that the payment of interest was not
done in a manner indicative of sound
finance. The prospects of the Com-
pany were by no means bad.
Asked his opinion on'more general
topics, the Doctor stated 'his belief
that the number of schools was in-
sufficient, ,that letter rates were too
high, that clergy of all denominations
should share in payments` made out
of the public chest, i.e., the clergy re-
serves. He favoured the British
Constitutional System of having the
ministers chosen by the _House of
Assembly, -but he objected to the
election of the Legislative Council'
and he ,had no confidence in the abil-
ity of the Legislature to manage the
clergy and crown reserves, as sug-
gested by the Reformers. The worthy
doctor was by no means too confirmed
a Tory; he had in mind the parlia-
mentary system of the Britain of his
time, and thought of the House of
Assembly as corresponding to the
Commons, the Legislative Council to
the Lords, the executive council to the
cabinet and the governor to the King,
who still exercised considerable con-
trol over tiie executive and the pro-
perty of the Crown. Only, in detail
would he have differed from William
Lyon Mackenzie if both could have
got rid of the emotional "- lement
which surcharged the, politics of the
time.
After Dunlap, Van Egmond appear-
ed, described with his military rank
and initials in full; Colonel A. G. W.
G. Van Egmond of "Ross," Hullett
Township, in the Huron Tract. "I
have been settled in the Tract six
years this Christmas," he declared,
"and 'I'm the oldest settler in it," by
which he probably meant that he was
the first ,seriously to set, about the
business' of farming as a means of
living. He commenced by a recital
of certain facts concerning the C'om-
pany's finance. It had contracted to
pay 2s. 101/2d. per acre *for the Tract
over a period of sixteen years with-
out interest, "and less the. deduction
of 48,000 pounds, a sum. equal to a
shilling an acre, allowed for its own
improvements to its own land. -,..The
Company had received in return 1,-
200,000 acres, of which 1Q0,000 was
given them for nothing as valueless
swamp; and they were selling this
land at from 12s. 6d. to 13s. '9d. an
acre. Only in the first year, accord'
ing to. the Colonel, had the Company,
encouraged settlement, not since that
(date. Last year the officials' had en-
gaged a steamboat to bring settlers
from Detroit to Goderich, but instead
of so using it, they had taken it for
pleasure tris up the lake for weeks
at a time, through one of which the
settlement had lost sixty Scots fam-
ilies. The Colonel believed' that alto-
gether from 250 to 350 families had
been lost, who had settled in -Michi-
gan and other states 'because the
Company had neglected to attract
them. Worse, the agents of the Com-
pany, except Mr. Wilson, were "very
arbitrarly, very tyrannical . . . I
speak of agents residing on the
Tract" There were nineteen town-
ships arid only 'three magistrates,
Charles. Prior, John Webster, Captain
Dunlop, who "do just what they
please," the particulars of which
pleasure the Colonel omitted to speci-
fy. "We must be very polite to the
agents." The Company had scared
settlers out of the Tract and ejected
them without any form of law or jus-
tice; "there is no other law than that
of the Company's servants." What
inducement was there to the settlers
to, come' or stay, the Colonel implied,
when land in the States was selling
at.6s. 3d. per acre and was likely to
come down to 3s. 9.? The European
working settlers expressed themselves
as "dissatisfied in the highest de-
gree." As regards improvements, the
Company had constructed one road
from Wilmot tb Goderich and another
from Vandersburg to London tillage
ninety miles in all, at a cost of 17,0'00
pounds, which was allowed out of the
purchase money; they had also laid
out sibout 5,d00 pounds on grist;,,and
saw mills. They had made a !profit
of .28,000 pounds in 1833 after paying
all expenses. Whether they took
large sums out of the country, the
Colonel did not 'know. The ')Company
had -been in the habit of paying for a
third of their labour in money, for
the other two -third in land at the
rate of 7s. 6d. an acre, which had
cost there not much more than is.'an
acre. These terms they had con-
tinued during their first five years
In response to questions on subjects
other than that of the Company's
alleged misdeeds, the Colonel stated
that there was only one school in the
Tract, in Goderich,• a school maintain-
ed by the Company that there were
rf
3"lM1,krl 4iw la\Wa716,
SEAFORTII, FRIDAY, MIER.13, 1931.
no ministers of religion of - ny kind
and that there was no Militia or-
ganization,Money was not more
scarce than in any other place since
Mr. Taylor kept a private bank and
issued notes from a dollar to a pound
denomination which served as cur-
rency. The population of the Tract
was generally estimated at 2,000 in
all, a figure which could be only, ap-
proximately correct. Asked where
the best polling places would bei in
case Huron were formed into a coun-
ty with representation in the Leis-
lature, he replied, "One at Goderich
and one where the big Thames river
crosses the HurQn Road about thirty-
three mileh from Goderich " the last
place being apparently in the neigh-
bourhood of Mitchell.' -'This question
evidently foreshadowed the intention
of the government to grant Huron re-
presentation in the House of Assem-
bly in dm capital.
From the evidence it is clear that
the Colonel felt strongly on the sub-
ject of the Company. "Very arbi-
tary, very tyrannical . . . dis-
satisfied in the highest degree," these
expressionist seem hardly justified by
the facts. His declaration that the
Company had ejeoted settlers is .at•
variance with Dr. Dunlop's emphatic
statement to the contrary. Perhaps
the 'Colonel referred to 'the rather
high-handed action by Mr. Prior, the
deportation of twelve families adjudg-
ed "of a bad stamp" whom Dr. Dun-
lop would not have classed as settlers
of the Company" perhaps he referred
to sgfiaiters and intruders who 'may
have helped themselves .to the Com-
pany's land pr perhaps to people who
had abandoned their land through in-
ability to keep upthe payments. The
Colonel's definite charges amounted to
these, that the Company sold land at
a price high in comparison with the
purchase price, high also in compari-
son with the price at which similar
land could he obtained in the States
and that the agents in Goderich were
Hrs EXCELLENCY
Right Reverend John T. Kydd,
D.D.,L.L:D., Bishop of London
will pay his first official
. visit to St. James Parish,
Seaforth, on Tuesday,No-
venther 17th. On that
occasion His. Excellency
will administer
Sacrament of Confirmation
to a number of children
on Tuesday evening at
7.30. A cordial 'invita-
tion is exte ided to the
public.
neglecting opportunities to bring in
settlers, in !brief, that the Company
was not properly promoting settle-
ment. The Company would have re-
plied that they were compelled to
charge a high price- to recoup them-
sellves\ $or their expendi
they had built the Huro
the settlers, were allows)
es, 'that
Road for,
g part of
the purchase price of Jand to be work-
ed 'tl'if in labour, and were maintaining
a school, in short that they. were car-
ing for the settlers to the best of
their ability. The controversy nar-
rbws down to tlfe single point whe-
ther the Company's price for land,
stated by Dr. Dunlop to be 8s. 9d. to
15s. an acre was too high. At that
time thecurrent price for 'Crown land'
appears to have -.been 5s. to 10s. an
acre, depending on the location. Whe-
ther the excess charged by the Com-
pany more than balanced the cost of
the conveniencesthey provided for
the settlers could "Ibe decided only by
an examination, of the Company's
books. A superficial -glance, howev-
er, does not suggest that the charges
were exorbitant.
For Van Egmond, himself this ap-
Rosedt
,ALBERTA,.,
,
t1a11n,�,'
DOMESTIC COKE
Two Canadian
Fuels produced by
CanadianWo>i" tn, en
N. CLUFFC SONS
AL
pearance before the ,Grievance, Com-
mittee of the Legislature seems to
have had important results., On this
occasion if not before he made the ac-
quaintance of William Ly6n Macken-
zie. The two must have found much
in common in their Liberal senti-
ments. a Whether the acquaintance
ripened into personal friendship we
do not know, but it led Van Egmond
into close political assogiation with
the leaders of the Refor
eventually into partici'
venture -of 1837. In dll probability
the Dutch Colonel returned to his
home inthat February of 1835, the
home in that February , of 1835, the
Party in the Huron Tract. ,
Party and
ion' in the
(IOW MY WORLD WAGS
-By That Ancient Marine
DEAN D. HURMDY
If those Canadian mining stocks do
begin -to rise, -won't they be the old
laughing -stocks!
* * *
• Both 'St. Thomas and Milton report
second crops of raspberries. What is
Ontario coming to? A. saint and a
poet trying to give the rest of Can-
ada the,razzberry?
* * *
An ad. in the" Nugget, North Bay,
Ont., calls for musicians to form a
symphony orchestra; then follows an
ad. regarding filing says and sharpen-
ing butcher knives. Ho, hum! The
old watchword, +preparedness. ,
* * *
That Cbnadian Mountie who mas-
queraded as a Communist for 1,0 years
might be detailed to dors kilts
and mingle among the Scotch for a
season. Perhaps he'll find out where
all the money went -that used to be
in circulation.
* * *
The Graphic of Campbelleton, N.B.,
carried a story from, New York about
the burning of a toc factory, and of
how, the dolls were heard to call "'Ma-
ma! Mama! Mama!" These must
have been old stock, as the modern
doll, we understand, always calls in
any emergency for her sugar daddy.
a: * *
"Miss Agnes 'Macphail is on • a
speaking tour of Western Canada."
Hail! Hail; Miss Agnes Macphail!
Lone lady treading political, vale.
"Arms and the man" do not cause you'
to quail.
Grim -+visaged war undismayed you as-
sail.
Mars and his over -lords roundly you
flail.
Height upon eloquent height how you
scale,
Simply determined that peace must
prevail!
Life for us surely :will never grow
stale
While we have with us -Miss Agnes
Macphail.
* * *
Old King Coal.
Old King Coal was a merry old soul,
1 Anniversary Services.
Northside
United Church
Sunday
Nov. 15; 1931
Public Worship, 11 a.m.: Rev. Stanley Owen, M.A.,
St. John'g United Church, Stratford.
Public Worship, 7 p.m.: Rev. Edmund' H. Oliver;
Ph.D., D.D., F.R.S.C., Moderator of :the United
Church of Canada.
SPECIAL' MUSIC BY THE CHOIR
MORNING SERVICE .
1. "I Heard the Voice of Jesus 'Say" Anthem -The Choir
' Soloists ---.Miss R. Lane, Miss M. Crich, Mr. "Ed. Bright.
2. ``Watchman, What Of The ,Night" Anthem -The Choir
•)Soloist -,Mr. E. H. Close.
• EVENING SERVICE•
1. "Praise Ye, Jehovah" • Anthem -The Choir
Soloists• -&Miss M. Turnbull, Mr. Ed. Chamberlain
2. "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee" Duet
lir. and 'Mrs. James A. Stewart
3, "Come Unto Me" Anthem -The Choir
REV. W. P. LANE, MR. and MRS. JAMES A. STEWART,
' - Pastor. • Choir Leader and Organist.
N. ,
r7u
And a merry ol4 soul was he.
He said.Vi h a cheer:
"Now, ain't I a ...Jar,
For, they charge pre- g dear for Inert"* ,* *.
Canadian Wheat.
The wheat situationand my sciatica
have 'been bothering me quite a' bit
lately. But, with the help of -a loose-
leaf note -book and a bottle of turpen-
tine, both troubles seem considerably
cleared up now.
I made three efforts last week to
get through tp Ramsay MacDonald
on the trans-Atlantic telephone; but
twice I got the wrong number, and
the third time the line was busy. The
only reason I didn't try again was be-
cause I didn't have the money handy.
Now,, if the Soviet cannot fill the
grain contracts, we must still consid-
er the per capita overhead of the old
oaken bucket -shops.
Despite the reduction in, railway
passenger cars, this would be fully
equal to Britain's Conservative net
gain, if not more so.
And -=expressed in reverse English
-it plainly shows that the square
root of all the touchdowns scored in
the 'Canadian autumn football series
coincides with the upward revision of
prices' for haircuts and shaves.
Which should leave a comfortable
margin for"cigarettes and Chocolates,
and possibly peanuts as. well.
Thus the wheat'situation'shows that
the- job of the cereal story -writer is
no more. As Shakespeare expressed
it:
Some millions of farmere. grew wheat;
We thought that they grew it to eat.
But they put it in bins
That reached up to their chins,
And they lived on potatoes and meat.
* * *
My Lady Motors at Night.
Thanks, all the same, Mr. Longfellow!
"Stars of the summer night,"
You are old-fashioned, quite.
"Far in yon azure deeps"
Why congregate in heaps?
"Hide, hideyour golden light."
You'll not be missed a mite.
"She sleeps, my lady sleeps." •
Oh, yeah! Like heck she sleeps;
"Moon of the summer night,"
Watch while her car takes flight
"Far down yon 'western steeps,"
Sixty -to her -just creeps.
"Sink, sink in silver light,"
Paled by her car glare bright.
"She sleeps, my lady sleeps."
Sure, kid;) like heck she sleeps.
-Dean D. Hurmdy.
IN MEMORY
I wonder if the poppies growing there
Have gone to seed, like ours and quite
forget, -
Because of withered stens and yellow-
ed leaf,
To flaunt their glories in -that burial
plot.
I wonder if the row on row of mounds
Are desolate, by autumn's winds
swept bare,
Are sad and sodden .by the falling
rains,
Soy far from loving hearts of those
who care.
I wonder if the crosses have grown
gray,
Sullied and lichen covered, by the
years,
Or, standing yet,"in orderly array
Gleam whitely through the gloom,
when night appears.
I wonder when the trumpet call will
sound,
And that vast army stand entire a=
gain;
Full "tecornpensed by Him who suf-
' fered first,
For every trial borne, for every pain.
I wonder not what songs their)tongues
will sing,
A paean of love and praise t'wiIl sure-
ly be, •
To Him who trampled death beneath
His feet,
And gaive to them eternal Victory.
Mary Wheatley Adams.
News and Information For
the Busy Farmer
The poultry crop all over Canada
this year is likely to be decidedly
short. The poultry which comes on-
to the market this.fdll, however, will
probably show a high degree of fin,;
ish because of the abundance of feeds
and most oft it will sell on a basis of
official grades. Price will be a big
factorcontrolling volume"
The Potato Situation.
In an effort to improve the pre-
sent potato situation the Ontario
Marketing Board has sent a letter to
eyery mayor in the towns and cities
of Ontario urging the purchase of po-
tatoes for relief work at the present
bargain prices. It is pointed out that
many municipalities will have to buy
supplies to feed unemployed this win-
ter and where this will be necessary
much money can be saved by taking
advantage of the very low figures.
Prices run all the way from 15 cents
"to 50 cents per bag just flow,. but it
is also stated, such purchasing will
have an indirect benfit also, as this
sort of thing should kelp. the farmer
and therefore the who country. The
Ontario Marketing Board still main-
tains there is no' surplus of potatoes
in Ontario if we take into considera-
tion the' fact that this province nor-
mally imports a couple of thousand
carloads every year.
Boys' Foal Clubs.
A competition for members of
Boys' Foal Clubs in Ontario is an -
b
'1
Scene of Impressive Vete
•
The Seaforth War Memorial in front of which the Remembrance Day cere-
mony
took place Wednesday. The names of the soldiers who fell in the
Great, War, which are on the Monu ment are:
F.,Cluff
J. Jiutchinson
W. Scott Hays
W. Hart
Stanley 'Hays
George Mulholland
Arthur McLean
Arthur Neely
John Purcell ,
R. E., Rivers
Leslie Reid
Manson Reeves
(Charles Rolph `
Fred Weir
Clarence We tcott
Douglas Carr
H. Chapman
R. Cook
E. Edgar
Z. 'Dorrance
A. Archibald
B. Brown
J. Bullard
T. Govenlock
W. Hall ,
C. Garden
F. Weiland
J. McLeod
C. Ruffell
A. Parke
C. Dilling
J. Horan
J. Spearpoint
P. Vanner
R. Welsh
C. McNamara
' J. Jamieson
Russel Scott
CITIZENS HONOR WAR DEAD AT SERVICE IN VICTORIA,
PARK ON REMEMBRANCE DAY.
Services Conducted by Rev. Captain!
Edwards before the War Memorial.
Veterans, Highlanders Band and
Cadets Parade.
Altiough not as largely attended as
in previous years, the Memorial Ser- j
vice, as sponsored by the Seaforth,
Legion, was still very impressive. The!
service was preceded by a parade of!
the Veterans; Highlanders Band, Col-
legiate Cadets, Town Council and re-
presentatives of local societies, which'
marched from the Town Hall to the
monument in Victoria Park. The ser-
vice, which was l'onducted by Rev.
Captain Edwards, of Tavistock, was
the same as was used at all similar
Remembrance D a y gathering's
throrighoutCanada. The audience,
semi "Onward Christian Soldiers," fol-
lowed by a reading by Captain Ed-
wards, another hymn, a short address
by Captain Edwards, the Last Post
by Bugler Henry Swan and the two
minutes' silence. Bugler Swan sound-
ed Reveille, representatives of the
Province of Ontario, Local Branch of
Legion; TRed Cross Society, McKillop
Council, Tuckersmith Council, Holy
Name Society, Masonic Lodge, Public
School Board, .Collegiate Alumni As-.
sociation, Rebeccas, Oddfellows, Or-
ange Lodge, FirstPresbyterian
.Church, Anglican Church, North Side
United Church,• Egmondville Church,
Horne and School Club, Seaforth Col-
legiate Board, L.O.B.A., Seaforth,
Council, Lions Club, Junior Farm and
Junior Women's Institute, placed
wreaths on the monument, the audi-
ence sang "God S'dit•e the King," Capt.
Edwards pronounced the benediction
and the simple service was at an end.
The parade reformed and headed by
the Band, marched up Victoria Street
to 'Goderich Street, and down Main
Street to the Town Hall, where it dis-
banded. -
,q
In the a:tc:•ncon u lara2 number of
local veterans attended the Legion
parade at Exeter. Among the bands
there, was the Seaforth Pipe Band'
nounced as a new and interesting
class by the Royal Winter Fair, be-
ing held November 18th to. 26th a't
Toronto. In this competition the
boys will show foals of their own
raising and in addition to the
prizes offered for the foals by the
Ontario Horse Breeders's. Associa-
tion, the Dominion Government of,-
fers special prizes for "Horseman-
ship.," This will be judged on ap-
pearance and skill in handling in the
ring. Foals will he shown without
shoes and with only such decorations
as are made by the boy§' themselves.
The boys showing at the Royal will
all be winners at the local county fair
contests.' During their stay at To-
ronto they will be guests of the De-
partment of Agriculture and during
the two daysill he in charge of an
official of the Department.
1
MUSICAL CONCERT BY
The Seaforth Public School
under the .direction of Mr. A. W. Anderton
in
CARDNO'S HALL, SEAFORTH
011
THURSDAY and FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 and 13
Admission!, 35c. Reserved Seats, 45c.
Reserved Seats on sale at Aberhartls Drug Store on and after
Saturday, November 7th.
CURTAIN RISE,`S.8.00' P.M.
'Sf