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The Huron Expositor, 1880-01-23, Page 44 THE HURON EXPOSITOR NEW AD VERTISEMENTS. Store to Rent—A. Dickson Card- H. W. 0. Meyer. . Farm for Sole--eNelsou Mousseau. Notice-ereter Adamson. Vermin Exterminator—J. S. Roberts. Great Inducements—Hill Brothers. Notice—Wm Elliett. , Important Notice—John Rogers. Church Directory-eRev. J. F. Renaud., Farm for Sale—Themes Johnston. - $12,000 at 71 per cent.—A. Strong. Tenders Wanted—A, HaIly. Money—J. H. Benson. litrou txpooitor. SKAFORTH, JANUARY 23,, 1880. Again to the Rescue. Our esteemed Clinton contemporary •again rushes to the rescue of the County Council. As it is so seldom that we •den find anythingin print favorable to the continued existence of that body, we smote one contemporary's remarks. It says.: "THE ExPosiTon is still industriously laboring to extinguish County.Comicils„ bat so far as we eau, understand the • matter, has not yet '--given good and sufficient reasons why that should be done. As we have not the slightest idea that County Councils will Oease to exist in our day, we Will not occupy much space in pointing out a few weak points in the Argument of- our cote,m- porary. He says that the work could be equally well done by a committee of . three men. For argument's sake we Will grant it. Now how- are these three men to be appointed? Our coterapor- ary does not sane but we will suppose they are elected by the people, one for each riding; are they to do the work. the Councinnow does., such as equaliza- tion of the • assessment rolls.„ read and bridge coromissioners,nappoint.ing. ar- • bitrators to settle disputes between.. neighboring comities, in relation to road and bridge making, dm, ino. If that should be done, More power and labor would be . imposed on theshoul- ders of those three men.. than on the shoulders of tear local members, a,nd there would be no • way. of checking them,orof remedying any mistake they might make." • Our contemporary till clings to the assertion that we have not given suffi- cient reason why - County Councils should be abolished. On a former oc- casion we stated that our reason was that there was nothing for them to de, ann we ,at the same time challenged our contemporary to show what they had tAlo aside from the items we pointed out. Instead of doiug this, however, it affeets to believe that as there is no immediate prospect of the proposed change being effected, it is un- necesstay for it to go into partioulars.. If thisis its belief, it should leave the subject alone e-ntirely untii it is pre- pared to discuss it intelligently. It , does, however, raise certain objections ,to the carrying out of thee- sterna. First, that it does not see how • these com- missioners -who are to do the work of the County Council are to ,Ito appoint- ed. Well, this may be. It es not for us or for it to formulate the Iegisle- tioe of the country. That duty de- volves upon the Governmsent and Le- gislature. This is the work we pay them for dollen Our duty is to point out what is required, and it is their duty to provide the 'machinery. For - oar part we do not care mach how they are appointed, so long as the 'sys- tem of appointment or :election is such as:will secure the best and ablest men, and have them responsible to the peo- ple; They could be elected by the va- rions municipal Councils, or the county could be divided into three or five dis- • triots as the case might be, and have a man el:ea:eel directly by the people for eaoh district. We are not -partipular mane the mode, so keg as we get the • result. The second objection is that • a- the- labor imposed upon these men would be too great. Let as see. The equalization of -the- assessment . rolls usually occupies three days each year; the labor in connection with the bridges would. not .be any greater than it is now, and the four commissioners we have perform the work without. incon- venience and: make no complaints: and . as for the appointment of nrbitrators to settle disputes between neighboring - counties respecting bridge, &c„ there has, SG far as we can recollect, been only one case requiring arbitrators (lur- • ing the last ten years. In this instance the respective County Councils. ,inter- eated had been bantering .away for years and could net come -to an sans-, feetory conclusion. Arbitrators ,were • appointed, and settled _the difficulty in • a few hours, showing again the "use- fulness of County Councils." .The third objection is, that if these commission- - era coininitted mistakes, these mistakes. could not be reinedied., The same • thing applies to the . County COUI1C.Ii. We are ell- fallible and liable to err. County Counbils frequently err, and it • ia not at all: likely that commission-, erS would be less fallible, but they, like -the County Couucillors, would; be an- • swerable to the people for any errors they might make, and consequently, • it lareasenable to suppose that uud.er the rule of the srnallen body the errors would not be any more frenneut or ag- gravating than they are now .under the tele of the larger. • But, after all, there isnot such a wide • ...difference between the \news of our coo- • temporary and our own.- The differ- ence is more in degree than in _ princie pie : The Nen Era admits thin the County Councils axe too large, and that the Deputy Reeves should be decapi- tated. We desire the decapitation of the Deputies and the large majority of the Reeves also. Instead of having a Council composed of a representative from each municipality as desired by our contemporary, we want a Council composed of three or five -men repro/ seating groups of municipalities. Of course, they may be called Councillors, Commissicluers, or by any' other name. By whatever name they would be known, they would have uearly the same functions and powers that the larget body now possesses, but the ma- chinery would be simplified and the la- bor would be lessened, and as a conse- quence the ekpense would be largely decreased. to which drainage has been carried; the- creation of u. stock law; the clear- ing of land, fencing, and a vast number of other subjects -which will suggest themselvee k every farmer. The Com- mission will, I understand, proceed with its enquiries early uext summer. and the iuforrnation it will collect will be printed in book form, and thus be- come a work.of permanent utility. . GARB OF THE INSANE. I have no hesitation in pronouncing the report of the Inspector of Asylums and Prisons of Ontario the most inter- esting blue book in Canada,. No docu- ment gives us so accurate "and compre- hensive a view of the conditiori and so- cial life of our people, or suggests so many questions having a direct bearing on their happiness and well-being. Mr. Laugmuir's task, though an excedingly trying and difficult one, and though of- ten overlooked, is none the less great, ; and to his remarkable energy, efficiency I and enthusiasm in his work, the Pro- • vine() owes ore than the mere tunount The Ontario Legislature—Note From the Gallery. (From Oar Special Correspondent.) THE wEEEWORT C. woR. • The intim has now fully entered up on the work of the session, and th past week, though quiet and compare, tivoly uneventful, has witnessed con sidera,ble progress. A large number o I1 8 of his salaxy1 cau possibly represent. This year's report—that is, for1879—is I garnished with wood cuts of the asy- lums and the chief Previncial prisons. , On glancing over the report, I was par- ticularly struck with a few facts re- (' toting to the care of the insane. .It - states that during the year 515 persons _• were admitted to the different asylums, f -that they ito ' afford accommodation for 2,692 patients, and that at the end Y of the official year there were vacancies , for 367. The Inspector recommends e an addition to the Orillia Asylum for _ Idiots a,ud epileptic imbeciles, which is now full, so as to make it capable of ac- - commodating 150 mOre, and a similar addition to the Kingston Asylum, So that the eastern part of the Province will be as well furnished as the west- ern, where most of the asylums are sit- uated.. el tbese recommendations are acted tipon, he is of opinion that the Province will be able to provide for our Whole insane and idiotic population for the next ten years. He concludes that with very few exceptions all existing eases of iusanity qu the Province are uow under treatraent, and that insanity is not on the increase to a greater ex- tent than the ordinary population. Among the causes of insanity, heredi- • tary stands unit, self-abuse -next, do- mestic troubles and adverse circum- stances next, then religious excitement, intemperance, mental anxiety, 'worry," • brain disease, &c. I observe that Dr. Clarke, the superintendent of the To- , iiinto Asylum, strongly inveighs against the practice 'of cramming too many les- sons into children attending our public schools as a nredisposer to insanity. The medical superintendents indulge in their usual dis utes as to the value of wine. beer an4 spirits as medicines. Dr. 'Clarke is now, I believe, the only superintendent who favors their use, and with the exception of his asylum, it is now almost abandoned. How little liquor is now used may be understood when it is stated that the annual cost per patient during the past year was, at Toronto, '2.14; at London, 20 cents; at Hamilton, 49 cents; at Kingston, nothing, and at Orillia nothing. meson NOTES. Mr. Ross is endeavoring to secure the passage of a bill intended to establish - the legality of the by-law passed at • Blyth last year to grant $3,000 in aid of the salt works, but I am afraid it will be rejected on the ground, that the pro- moters of the by-law should have assured themselves that they were pro- • ceeding legally. A private bill, how- ever, would serve the same, eud. Petitions have been presented. from the town of Winglia,m, for a bill tot en- able the council to put down water works and to legalize a certain by-law; from the town council of Clinton, fora reduction in the number of town coun- cillors; from the county council, of Huron, praying that non resident property owners in school sections may seed their children to school on the same terms as residents (tlx. Ross has introduced a bill in accordance With this petition); and from the same, ,op- posing any change in the limits of the county, in connection with any scheme for the formation of new counties. i Mr. Gibson yesterday obtained ! an order for a ,detailed statement of the receipts and expeuditures . of the Agricultural and Arts Association for 1878 and 1879. THE GRANGERS AND MARKET FEES. A deputation from the Executive Com- mittee of the Dominion Grange has waited on the Attorney General and the Commissionerof Agriculture with a petition praying for an amendment to the Municipal Act abolishing market fees on. faxmerstproduce. Messrs Moevat and Fraser listened to the views of the deputation and promised them their best attention. The deputation also proposed an amendment to the &hoe] Act, shortening the summer vacation in rural districts, and incidentally ex- pressed approval of the proposed agri- cultural commission, suggesting that it should be composed of practical agricul- turists. • TORONTO, JartMary 21, 1880. measures have been introduced_ b private members on all sorts of subjects many of which before the close of th session, must undoubtedly be consign ed to limbo. The ever -tinkered Muni cipal Law, I observe, 'comes in for an unusunlly large shaxe of attention, there being no -less than six bine on the notice papers for amendments to it. One of these under. the charge of Mr. Hex - court, the .member for Houck, proposes to abolish market fees, charged to farm- ers by cities and towns. The Government measures brought down during the week include (1) a bill to facilitate the working of co-operative associations; such as these established in Eugland, to enable their members to buy all kinds of goods at wholesale prices;• (2) a bill to make permanent regulations for the carrying on of . the Agricultural College at Guelph; (3) a bill to prevent unnecessary inquests, by -requiring coroners to make an affidavit ithat they have reason to believe that the deceased has come to his death by other than accidental means; (4) a bill' reSpecting drainage by-laws, the pro! visions of which have not yet come to light ; and (5) a bill for censolinating the Superior COurts of Law and Equity, - and establishing a uniform system of pleading and practice therein. . e , FUSION OF TEE COURTS. ' 3 , The last mentioned bill is so important that I must give you a fuller explaua- sion of its provisions. It is, beyond doubt, the greatest. law reform wg have ever nad. in Ontario, and will be one of the, largest feathers in Mr. Mowat's cap. The bill radically remodels our entire superior Court system, and has put the lipabs of the law at Osgoode Hall 1 in a tremend.ons flutter of exeitenaent. After it comes ' into force, which_ will not be for a year. yet, all the Superior Courts will be 'made ,into one great tribunal called the "Supreme Gourt of Jedieature of Ontario," and conaposed of all the present Judges of the courts of Chancery, Appeal, Queen's Bench and °cannon Pleas. This court will - be divided into two branches entitled respectively the "Court of AppeaA," (composed as, and possessing the func- tions onthe present court of that name), and the "High Court of Justice.', The latter body, which in its turn will have three divisions, called the Chaucerythe Common Pleas, and. the Queen's Bench divisions, will exercise jurisdiction in all matters of both law and equity,' though chancery cases will be confined to the .chalicery division. ' After . all, these changes are Very much like calling our courts by new names. - The ginatest features of the bill are those which by abolishing those sacred fossils, Hilary,. Michaelmas and Easter terms, by sub- stituting for the long, windy, wordy and perplexing legal declarations to which we are accustomed, brief and. simple statements of facts; by establishing a uniform mode of procedure in all the courts, anti by a variety of other pin- visions—will lessen the fees of lawyers and save the money of suitors. The litigiously inclined among -your readers may now rejoice at the prospect of iu- dinging in their favorite luxury at a 'smaller cost.than heretofore. As this bill is Need on Englishlegislatioumost of the lawyers here are iu favor of it, though those belonging to the old school and one Chief Justice have strong feen iugs against it. The bill passed its second reading yesterday. - THE •AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION. Some Opposition members and Tory newspapers are getting excited over the propositiori of the Government to ap- point a commission to enquire into agri- cultural matter. • They are treniulously asking, what is its object? and horrify themselves by answering that it is for the purpose of showinglow the fanners appreciate the virtues of the N. Pe Their fears are their own condemna- tion; for if they believed the N. P. to have turned out to be the blessing, to the fartn.ers which they had predicted, they would rejoice to have a Grit com- mission establish the fact. It May be remarked that we don't need a. Royal Commission' to reveal - to us what the, farmers thinkeof the N. P. But these perturbed spirits may become calm again. _The commission is for no such purpose. It is well known that fam- ilia in Ontario is too Often pursued in a rueae and primitive fashion ; that -much of the laud is becoming impoverished; that iuferior grades of cattle are too fre- quently the rule; that .our forests are diminishing, thereby giving rise to the serious qu.estiou where our farmers are going to get their fuel; and that gener- ally a lew standard of excellence iu the art of agricttltere prevails. This tate of thing e is largely owing to our I k of authbutip and properly arranged infor- mation cu the subject; and the bene- fits tofbet derived from the collection of statistics and other faCts on. the follow- ing, among other subjeets, by the pro- posed commissiou, cannot be over esti- mated : The number of acres under cultivation; the a,ggregate annual pro- duction, and the average per acre; the deterioration of the soil and how to pre- serve its fertility ;- the rotation'of crop§ • the best localities for growing different kiuds of cereals for dairy farming, for raising stock,or for cultivating fruit trees; the value, sources and cost of the different kinds of manures; the extent • Political Notes. —Mr. Chauveau who "ratted" from Mr. jenny's Governmeut at the time of the dead lock, has now received the re- ward of his recreancy. Ile has been appointed to a lucrative poeition Quebec by the Chapleau Government. soon be a year since Sir A. T. Gant was appointed the Canadian Ambassador to England at a large salary. It is eminently satisfactory to learn from the Mail that he will leave Ottawa in a few weeks to assume his duties. How comforting. Just imagine how Mr. Mackenzie would have been abused had he permitted such a gross There is certainly scime explanation re- quired from our contemporary. We were led by it to believe that should its friends get into power, and should their National Policy be once fairly launched there would be no poor, and suffering from poverty would become a, thing of the paste that every, persoe would speedily become rich and prosperous. Well, Sir John has been in power a year and a hall; the National Policy bas beeu in full operation, and still the organ confesses the poverty aud suffer- ing is even greater than it was before. Flow is this, pray ? • News of the Week. Rutin FRUIT.—Ripe Strawberries at Charleston, South Carolina, andon the New York market. Inisn RouGHS. — Five professional roughs, ringleaders of the late breed riots in the county of Cork, hare been sentenced. to six weeks' imprisonment. THE TAY BRIDGE.—The North Brit- ish Railway is recovering from the Tay calamity, and it has ,been decided to re -build the bridge twenty feet lower than. before: THROWN OUT OF THE FOLD.—Sanauel Webb, the Hoboken Councilman, 'ac- cused of lottery dealing under an as- sumed name, has been expelled from the Methodist Church. FATAL EXPLOSION.—By the explosion of three powder mills near Yellow i Springs, Ohio, two men were killed. Thirty- ve lives have been lost by pre- vious explosions at these mills. Leernainu Muses.—A party of West- ern. oapitaliets have made exteusine putichases in the Leadville mining dis- trict, Colorado. The purchase amounts to $5,000,000, the largest yet made. &AD SUICIDE. — Mollie Brooks, a beautiful and accomplished young lady, of New Yorles aged 20, commit! ted suicide by taking morphine on Stms day. It is on account of a quarrel with her lover. LONDON Peureen—The official re- port of the Poor Laws Board which has juin been issued, shows that there are 92,482 paupers in London, being an in- crease of 8,338 over the showing of last year. , DOWN WITM THE TELEPHONES.—The English Postal Departmeut will short- ly apply for an injunction agaipst the telephone lines, on the ground that they are an infringement of the Gov- ' ernment monopoly of telegraphs. THE /non oe Itlesoisee.—A discovery of Masonic emblems is reported in the foundation of the obelisk at Alexan- dria, under the pedestal upon which it was set up by the Romans. Drawings were made and the emblems were pre- served as found. THE HAYDEN MURDER CASE.—The jury in the Rev. Hayden's case—tbe New 'Haven Clergyman charged with. the murder of Mary Stannard'.. -were discharged Monday evening, beieg un- able to agree. They had been 'locked up since noon on Friday. A WAYWA.RD YOUTH.—George Jones, sou of a St. Louis clergyman, ann brother of a Long Island minister, wen arrested in New York on Thursday, charged with stealing $4,000 worth of diamonds from Major Morton's house, Fifth Avenue, on Januar 2nd. The prisoner is said. to be one o the adroit - .esti thieves in the country. Several other large thefts are charged against him. CRUELTY TO CHILDREN.—The mana- gers of the " Shepherds' Fold," a chari- table institution in New York, have been arraigned at the instance of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, to investigate charges made against the Fold, of starving and neg- lecting the children. The case was ad- journed until Saturday. The children meantime, were placed in charge of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. AFFAIRS IN AFGHAN.—General Rob- erts is strongly fortifying Cabul and. the posts surrounding it. A son of Dost Mahommed, one of the former- Ameers of Afghanistan, has been ap- pointed Governor of the city. The Af- ghan Chiefs at Ghuzni are quarrelling among themselves, and the serious op- position threatened ty Mahommed Jan gives promise of coming to naught. The peojected, railway to Jellalabad has been a,bandoned. A. BAcESLIDER.—The churcle trial of the Rev. John Lane, charged. with un - ministerial and immoral conduct, began Monday in ttitte 'Methodist Church of Kensico, a little village five mileenerth of White Platns, N. Y. The accused preacher has a wife and two children and is pastor of two congregatious. Several ladies testified that Mr. Lane kissed,' embraced or carressed them. Much of the testimony cannot be printed. Mr. Lane says he kissed. the sisters in a spirit of Christian affeetion. donbtedly afford, the roora was much Religious Instruction in Public Schools. 1 • To the Editor of the Huron Expositor. • DEAR Sin, — When the great Re- form party was so triumphantly sustained at the last elections, all true men who were interested in good government were highly pleased, as we were assured that many reforms would be the result. And although we are likely to have our hopes realized in many things, there are some in our Public School system which seem to be overlooked, although ansolutely neces- sary in the opinion •af many well -mind- ed, men. I would ere merely call the attention of the pu lic to two, and tbe first is the, entire ant of religious in- struction. By this term I do not mean instruction in the tenets of the various Christian sects, which would. not be productive of good in our Public Schools, dereliction of duty. •i but a general knowledge of the' Great , n -The Montreal Gazette the Conserve, - nee organ of the Province of Quebec, edi- torially alludes to the Bill introdecen by Mr. Mowat for the consolidation of the Superior .Courts of this Province, and after giving some idea of its intention iu a commendatory. veiu, closes with tbe following :—There is little doubt but that the Bill iutroduced. by Hon: Mr. Mowat will, subject to the amendments in Committee, pass into law, and that before many months a most benefinal change will be made in the administra- tion of law in Ontario, a change which will render strictly trtie the aphorism that law is the height of reason, —The Toronto Mail of :Monday has a lone article descriptive of the terrible sufferings of the poor of that .city. Its article is headed with the following rather • startling titles: "Shall t ey starve ? "• The struggles of the Poor.'' Startlirin sights behind the Scenes." "Respectability in the last Ditch," &c. 1-: Father and Creator of all men, His goodness and mercy in sending His son to die for sinners, the necessity of the help of the Holy Spirit to enable us to love and serve Inna, doing to others as we would they should. do to us, future rewards and punishment,' &c. And I hold that Without this knowledge secu- lar education only fits the evil -inclined to impose more cleverly on the more ignorant. These thoughts have been deeply impressed epon the writenwhen, in the capacity of trustee, I have visited OUT school, and found children who were - well up in English grananaar, geography and various other branches, almost totally unable to answer . ques- tions on the above subjects. I ain aware that I shall be told that the school law gives permission to clergy- men and others to give religions in- structioa after school • hours. But I have got to learn of 'a clergyman com- ing into anyeof our country schools for 1 that purpose, and the majority of coun- try trustees are unfit to do so, and even if capable, their daily avocations pre- vent them from doing so, and as many of our day scholars do not attend Sab- bath Schools in the country, the result is gross ignorance. Now the remedy,or reform by which I propose to do away with this state of things is that a part of the programme in the High School training should re- quire a certain knowledge of these sub- jects, which, sayiug the least; are as useful as many others for which marks are given to teachers, thereby qualify- ing them for this part of their duty, of which many who axe clever in other things are lamentably ignorant, and then require that it ahould be carried out in our Public Schools, and thereby raise their moral status. The next matter to which I would refer is the excessive length of our summer vacations, and on this eubject I have never spoken to one individual who did not consider them injuripas to the progress of the children., It may be endured in cities and towns, nut in the country it is positively injthrious. The. reason given for its continuance is hot weather and foul air, when so many breathe the same. But the country children get plenty of pure air in going to and retnrning.from school, and most of our school houses are now so spacious and well ventilated that this objection falls to,the ground. Besides, the pres- ent school law places trustees in an anomalous position, for we are by it re- quired to fine or otherwise deal with the parents who do not sehd their children between the ages of seven and tWelve years to school a certaiu num- ber of days; and when attempting to do so, we are universally met by the objection that when little children could go, the school is ciosed, and in the winter, on account of bad roads, distance, scareity of clothing, &c., it is impossible. I have said so much in behalf of the bbildren, but there is an- other phase of the subject to be looked at, namely, justice to the •ratepayers. Now, the general outcry amongst school teachers is for higher ealaries, which, in certain cases, would be reasonable enough ,but to be obliged,as at presenato 'pay e high salary whilst the teacher, instead of earning it in the school, is amusing himself for about oue-fourth of the year, is simply an imposition on the ratepa,yer. I expect these thoughts will raise a storm ,of indignation in the minds of many; who, from interested motives, or some other cause, wish the. present state of things to continue; but I am satisfied that they will be endorsed by nine-teuths of the community, and if fairly laid before the Minister of Edln cation, I believe be is too true a gentle- man and too stauuch a Reformer not to advocate measures se much needed for the public good. Please excuse me, Mr. Editor, for taking up so much of your valuable space, and believe me to be yours truly, TRUSTEE. Hui:LETT, .Ystn. 19,1880. A Scotch Farmer's Opinion of Ontario. We have been favored with copies of the Dumfries -shire and Galloway Her- ald, published. in Dumfries, of "date 26th of December, and of the Galloway Gazette of the 20th De- cember. These papers contain the re- ports of two of the delegates who visit- ed Canada last fall, at the invitation of the Dominion Government, to ascer- tain the capabilities and suitableness of this country as a field for -emegation for the Scottish tenant farmers. The one report was by Mr. George Coeval', and the other by Mr. James 'Biggar. Both reports are very exhaustive, owe- .- several PY g columns, on am a 1 vast dead of information respecting this I Canada of entre, which must be of the ;neatest interest. and benefit to the .pe people in the old country. Tbe meeting at which Mr. Cowan made his report is referred to as follows in the Gazette!'7-- One of the largest meet- ing of 'farmers ever held in Wigtowp- shire took place yesterday afternoon in the new Town Hall, Strauraer, the obe ject being to hear from Mr. GeOrge Cowan, the popular and genial tenant of Mains of Park, Glenluce, his report on Canada. Mr. Cowan, whose judg- ment on agricultural matters is always lools-ed up to with respect, was no doubt eminently fitted from his experience for the important task with which his colleagues entrusted. him, and it will be seen frtan the able and lengthy re- port he made' at the meeting yesterday that the -confidence reposed in him was by means misplaced. To welcome him home, and hear,his accouht, came farmers from every part of Wigtown - shire, and ae a result, great as the ac- •commodation the Town Hall can am - too small. Before two o'clock • every available inch of standing and sitting room was taken up, and those who came later had to be content with a peep in at the door. The:gallery„ too, from which. the strains of music are of- ten heard, was filled to overflowing, and at length it was found that those who came late had to go away disap- • pointed. Mr. Biggar, who was the delegate from the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, received an equally flattering recep- tion, and his meeting was fully as largely attended. Respecting the Pro- vince of Ontario he says: - In offering you these remarks on what we saw in .panada, I must ask you to remetnber thanWe have only seen it for a, period of nine weeks at one season of the year, and though in that time we have travelled between 8,000 and 9,000 miles—often travelling night and day— we saw only a very srnall proportion of the vast territory con:prised in the Do- minion of Canada. We eudeavored, however, to sene,s much as the short • season would. admit of, and found every- one ready to give us information. We were not biased or influenced in any way, but were allowed every facility to see what we liked and how we liked. We found the Canadian people exceed- ingly kind, hospitable and attentive, and warmly attached to the mother country., There was, however, a misap- prehension among many -with regard to our visit to Canada. •• They thought that the movement had arisen in this couutiy instead of from their own Gov- ernment, and. accepted it as an outcome of the depreesion in. this country. We met many Canadians, and Americans, too, who believed that the old. country was "played out" in consequence of American competition, and failed to re- cognize bad trade and bad season as factors in the agricultural depression JANUAltit 122, 1880. here. We also found that for at least five yes, owing to these same causes, the farmers of Canada had anything but good times. Many admitted that for several years they had net done more than pay expenses. We runt some who made very broad statements, but on the other hand we came in contact with many of the best men in Canada, whose statements could be implicitly re- lied on, and who frankly gave ,us both sides of the question. We have already noticed Manitoba, and may now, confine our remarks to the older provinces. Of these Ontario and. the Eastern Town- ships of Quebec impressed us very favor- ably. A great deal of Western Ontario would compare very favorabin with some parts of England. The land is good and Well managed, there is a nice proportion of timber, and the fanners' houses are in many eases exceedingly neat and comfortable. They have, in fact, an air of refinement and prosperity beyond what we expected in a corn_ ps,ratively new country. We believe it would be hard to find in any country of similar size as many men who had done so well as Ontario farmers. Many who went out 30 to 40 years ago with noth- ing, now own farms and stock worth £2,000 to £6,000. There are, however, a good many who have mortgages on their farms to a considerable amount, for which they pay seven or eight per cent. interest. This, together with bad seasons and emigration to the North- • _ west, accounts for the large number of farms which are at present for sale. rnay here remark that the cuetotxt of letting land is not so common as in this country. Farms are only let from year to year, and as the tenant in these cir- cumstances is supposed to take out what he can, owners are more ready to sell than let. At the same time, it is possible to get farms on rent, and emi- • grants from this country would do well to rent a farm for a year or two until they have time to look around. I bave stated the prices at which laud in different districts can be bought, and at these' prices it could be let to pay from four to six per cent. on the pur- chase, with every Prospect of an in- crease of value. In a statement drawn up for us by a committee of practical farmers, the interest on farming capital is shown at 6 per cent. ,on an average of the last five seasons. No exact system of rotation has been followed. Succes- sive grain crops have been grown too long, till wheat is in many cases not a paying crop, and the farmers of Ontario are now beginning to see that they must pay more attention to green crops and stock -raising. A: few, very few, use artificial manures, but by -and -bye tbey are likely to come flint more general use. A large buyer of barley told us that a few farmers who used supernhos- pbate sent him barley as much as five and six pounds per bushel heavier than their neighbors. Labor in Ontario is about 15 per cent. dearer than in this ! country, but the farms are evidently worked with fewer hands. We were told again and again that no farmer should go there who did not intend to work, but taking the whole year round swe think we know many farmers here who work as hard as farmers seemed to do there. We now come to the ques- tion of emigration. I feel that there is much resposibility itt answering that question. I am satisfied that men with some capital could make more of it in Canada than in this country. T think there is most Money to be made in the Northwest, but even in Ontario and the other Provinces I thiuk prospects are good, I do not advise people who are doing well -here. with a prospect ef pro- viding for their families, to change. But there are hundreds with moderate capital and -working families who would do much better in Canada than they can do here. They evould find in many parts of it as good farms, as good houses. as good schools, and as good neighbors as they have here. They would also re- main unner the British flan. I met .ma,ner Americans win:edit' not hesitate to say that some day they expected Canada to be part of the United. States; but I have very much mistaken the feelings of the Jttuadians if there is any such feeling on their side of the line. They are proudnof their territory in the Northwest, proud: of their connection with this eou n try, and somewhat jealous of their neighbors. Of course you will sea that considerable capitaLis -required to purchase one of the improved On- tario farms, but in the Eastern Town- ships, and in Many other parts, there is plenty of land at lower prices, which can be bought for less than it would have cost -a few years ago. In short, young men and men with grown np families and small capital should go to Menitoba. Men with sufficient capital and yonng families should settle on thee older Provinces; but I do not think working men with no capital:would ''(lain much by emigrating. I feel thatin this report I have gone a good deal into detail. I have done so because, though I may have stated my views on some points, I wish any who think of emi- grating to be guided by the infornaation I have been able to gather rather than by any opinions I have expressed. The Drinking Customs of Canada. There is still far too Much drunken- ness in Canada, but there is one com- fort, it is sensibly and surely abating. In city, town and country the same story is to be told. People don't dripk so much as they did. The young dein' t, neither do the old. The poor don't, neither do the rich. Of course, We have plenty of sots, and too many are still always passing over the dividing line which separates the sober from the intemperate. Homes are being laid waste and lives are being blasted by this abomination which makes deso- late. Businesses are being ruined, and gaoN are being supplied with occupants, through strong drink ; but things are - not hardly as bad as they were. Let auv one who knew what rural Ontario was some twenty years ago, go through it now, and he will notice that the change is as marked as it is gratifying. Where the father was little better than a •drunkeu sot, the sons are strictly temperate, and in many cases, zealous prohibiticieists. - Where whiskey- was used on all OCCaSi011b and was thonght to be the indispensable proof of hospi- tality and good fellowship, it is seldom, ineenr, produced. Where people were pnessed to drink, they are not now oven at ked. Where merry matings and business bees could not get along with- out the "eratur," there is not a hint even of its necessity, and the enter- tainer does not think it necessary to apologize for its absence. In villages there is still a good deal of drinkiug about the taverns, and in towns ana cities drunken sprees and broken beetle ltreininnootisttyegtainuslitkrmn; andtt7enne Ptubl op who follow such courses Cannot glory* in them is they used no do mother fdeasysseo. toNhoarveinspgebeteaebnletigmhatn, annotiwtoet, seen staggering on the streets almost necessanly ineolves it loss of caste. We daftrhmer et hwts put lobnies offer of wine to visitors, Where ten years five years ago there were ten. It is eoal o er ri..4eavkieYb well to bear this in mind when there is any tendency to despond or to imagine that in the matter of society Canadians shew no change for the better. There may be lulls in the agitation against •these drinking, customs. The Dunkin. Act may be set aside in this munici- pality or iu that. Very great Scant:WS from drunkenness may sometimes crop ont. But it would be far -contraxy to truth to suppose that all the labor of other years was lost, Bain that things were going from ban to worse. The whole tone •of public eentinaent and Melina is becoming more and more what it ought to be. There is scarcely a young minister of any denomination who is not a total abstainer. It is taken as a matter of course that 'he both is and ought to be. There may still be some aged topers who write Revbefore their names, but as a class they are dying out. Even those persons who drink themselves don't like to see their minister taking a hone. And, as a consequence of this, , the drunken clerg,yman has become a rare wen curi- ous phenomenon. Let any one gather up the statistics and say how many ministers of the Gospel have been deposed for druakenness,duraug the last ten years, in the whole of our Do.. minion, or let him try to estimate how many, or rather how few, get even the credit ot being able to take st pretty.' • stiff tumbler." A poor wretch may still occasionally be_found who has dis- honored himself and cast reproach upon the cloth by having looked. on the wine when it was red, but the; caeca ere very rare, and every year itcreasingly so. t Public opinion,gets too strong for old use atadewont. Intoxicating hquors at ordination dinners, or where professedly religious -people do -congregate, are al- most things of the past, and the old brag of the clerical worshipper of toddy has all but entirely disappeared. At Presbytery, Spied and Assenably meet- ings the contrast betweeu the past and present is very marked. It used to be , that total abstainers laad to stand upon the defensive and. give reasons whyth.ey were what theywere. It is all changed now. Those who still drink, feel con- , strained to "rise and -explain," even , when none may be inquiring about ; their faith or finding fault with their • practice. 1 The future, in short, is full of hope- . fulness, We confidently anticipate that • at HO distant day intoxicating drinks will neither be made nor sold. through- ! out our wide, fair land, and. that not by a mere catch vote either of the Parini, naent or the people, but by public opine • ion having come round to the right side with such overwhelming force that the I liquor traffic, with all its abominations, • has. to disappear like snow before a. a summer's SUToronto Prewbyterim4 Ontario Public Works. - The report of. the Commissioner of , Public works for 1879 points out forcibly the necessity for new 1ntrliament build- ings, and gives a brief .summary of the operations: of the year. Construction works have been in progress on einbt new railroads, having_a, total length of over 400 miles, viz., The Credit Valley, Huron & Erie, Georgian Bay & Wel- 1ington, Midland Extension, Prince . Edward County, Canada Central Tx - tension, Stratford & Lake Huron and Grand. Junction roads. At Confedera- tion there were 1;464 miles of railway M in this province ;-since then 1,974 miles have been 'construe -tea and, 470 are under coastruction or contract. Of these a length on 1,410.66 miles have been aided by the Province of Ontario. The sum of $11, 0 was spent last year ete . in repairing the parliament banning.% and $8,100 was spent on Osgoode Hain The amount spent on the publie works . in 1879 was .$198,000, making the total- Sum Spent on that account since Confederation $3,855,000 of which no less than n80,000 has been laid. out in repairs- to the Parliament bnildings: The Central Prison has cost!$520.;000; the London Asylum, 594,ne0; and the Agricultural College and Farm, 000. Upwards of $400,000 had been • spent in wiarks in the 'Muskoka Ter- e ritory. The Commissioner :says the Andrew Mercer Reformatory is nearly finished, and will probably be ready for occupation before the end of June; the sum of $47,000 has been spent up°n. it up to the close of the year. The drain. age of the swamp landsis going OH satisfactorily through the machinery of the Towatehip Councils, to whom. the , • government advances money on the - security of their debentures. Alto- gether Mr. Fraser's department appears, to be flourishing. 08 Annual Meeting. The seventh annual meeting of the- Howick Mutual Fire Insurance -Com- pany, was held at Mrs. Day's Hotel, in the village of Gorrie, on Saturday, Jain uary 17, 1880, at 1 poets About 150 of the leading men of the townships of Howick, Turnberry, Grey, tnorris, Wal- lace and Minto were present, and ap- peared highly satisfied with the man- ner in which the affairs of the Company had been conducted during the pas year The,annual report of the Direc- tors and the financial report were passed almost without discussion, the meeting showing thereby the unaninaity of their vote. A considerable amount ef discus- sion toolnPlace as to the proper number of directors to be elected, and the ad- visability of employing paid. agents te take applications instead of allowing. the Directors to act in their own neigh- borhood as heretofore. It was, how- ever, deeiden by a very UllalliMOUS VOtift to retain the same number of directors, namely, is, a.nd the nominations having been all made thc menabers proceeded to ballot for the new directorate, the ballot resulting in the election of the following gentlemen as directors for 1880: James Eagan Wm. McKerchen • Edward Bryan, Alexander Thoinpson, Abram Jackson, John Follis, John Min - ler,: Wm. Giles, Wm_ Douglas, Henry Smith, Peter Hepiestall, Samuel John- sorn Charles Martin, Robert Scott and Spencer Game. The meeting wee througbout conducted in a mint orderly - manner, and a great many of the. amen- • berg e alive ti tion, n the bir jority 1 bane .41 the g had to ,cheap rehab aense port your r for th ootnit tne. 31 id po. Of inn VS Sik Dece amble 828; - ponse 13.1116ti 'aeaU. 11.t16 13 ; n2.,75f ' 4i Pe) edfro of as amoM, at be of ass n206s1 bean $83,g 'Then cies t age q ,00n3p Zebti nate' sinne been nos enhie xnen Ws V • • .., gent, Imo.' prom alien frien lows bad pare geee to.1 teal I just, dnel 13,p goo nut ' ba Pro at bus eve. of the gni to i Ta ha ena is eva,