etratisgs fint Thu VIIT[k5 filth Cah (f It it I

ILIL THE PROGRESS OP CANADA.

In the Report of the Canadian Commissioners of Public Works, pre- sented to Lord Elgin last autumn they state that arrangements have been made for the circulation in Britain, and in other parts of Europe, of such books, pamphlets, or maps relating to Canada, as the Government may see fit to send for that purpose, and also to have the same translated into various languages and distributed. Some such course as this, they remark, is necessary, on account of the prevailing ignorance as to the mineral and agricultural resources of Canada, and of her progress and advantages as a place of settlement. A glance at the "Report of the Past and Present State of Canada," presented to Parliament last session, strengthens this observation ; and the results of the general ignorance relating to our North American Colonies are seen in the starthng fact, that out of 368,764 emigrants who left the United Kingdom last year only 30,011 persons were bound for Canada, while no fewer than 241,261 went to the United States. This year the painslak-en to obtain labourers for the new railways and other public works in Canada, have caused a considerable change in the current of emigration. From the last quarterly report of the Emigration Commissioners it appears, that, out of 115,959 emigrants who sailed from the United Kingdom during the second quarter of the present year, 20,107 sailed for our North Ame- rican Colonies. Since abundance of employment and good wages for as many ablebodied labourers as are likely to go there for some years, the probability is that the current will continue to flow in that direction. The success of, one detachment of emigrants soon prepares the way for another.; and it is evident, from the returns relating to the trade of the

THE SPANISH SLAVE-TRADE.

From the report of the Commons Committee appointed to inquire into the results of the measures taken by this country to put down the slave-trade,, it appears that this iniquitous traffic would have been entirely abolished. some years ago but for the open encouragement given to it by the Spanish Government. On the West coast of Africa there has been a great &mum. tion of the slave-trade since 1848. From the 14th October 1846 to the 30th June 1848, Sir Charles Dotham. captured 122 vessels, containing 9567 slaves : whereas Captain Seymour, the last officer from the West. coast of Africa, states that in the years 1850-'1 not one vessel with slaves- was captured on the whole coast ; that a legitimate trade was springing up in exports of the produce of the country ; that he had lately counted at Benguela (formerly a noted slave-port) as many as fourteen merchant- vessels at one time, all engaged in legitimate commerce ; and that, in fact, "wherever the slave-trade has ceased commerce is beginning." If the Cuban market for slaves could be closed, Captain Seymour thinks the slave-trade would soon be entirely extinct. When the Committees in 1848 and 1849 made their reports, Brazil was carrying on an active trade in slaves ; but that is now completely put.. down. In 1847, the number imported into the Brands was 53,172; sm 1848, 60,000; in 1849, 54,000; but in 1851 it had diminished to 3284 and in 1852 to 700 ; of which last importation a considerable number bat been seized by the Brazilian Government. From the speech of the Ens- peror to the Assembly, this- year, the stringent laws passed by the Go- vernment, and above all, the seizure and banishment of some Brazilian merchants who were suspected of an intention to renew the trade, the Committee express their belief that the Brazilian Government is sincere, and that the slave-trade is actually abolished in that country. In Cuba, on the other hand, the slave-trade has grown up again ohm 1848, after having been, to all appearance, fairly put down. Mr. Ken- nedy, who resided thirteen years at the Havannah, proved that the slave- trade has increased or decreased in Cuba according to the conduct of the Captains-General and other public officers. Up to the year 1810, the Captain-General of Cuba received a doubloon for every slave introduced into the island. During the two years and a half of General Valde's Go- vernment, from 1840-'1 to 1843, the fees were refusedby him, and the

colony, that Canada is in a very thriving condition,—quite able, in heti to sustain a great increase of population in comfort. The progress will be seen from the following table of the declared value of exports and.im. ports at three decennial periods. Imports. Exports.

1832 £1,567,719 ...... £9.52,463 1842. 1,923,223 1,327,306

1852. 5,071,623 ...... 3,513,993

The articles which figure most largely in the list of Canadian exports are timber and flour. Last year, the quantity of flour exported—re,. duced to wheat—was equal to 5,496,718 bushels. This year, the crops have been all secured in excellent condition, and the quantity of wheat available for exportation is estimated at 8,250,000 bushels. This is a considerable increase on the export of 1852, but it falls far short or what might have been expected had our former reports relating to the harvest not been exaggerated. With 1,200,000 acres in wheat, a general return of much less than 40 bushels an acre, which was said ta be the average yield, ought to have afforded an available surplus of twe million quarters at least.

From the agricultural abstract of the quantity of land under culti- vation, the aggregate produce, and amount of live stock, in Upper and Lower Canada respectively, some interesting facts may be gleaned re- garding the difference between the French and the Anglo-Saxon colonists.. The inhabitants of Lower Canada are chiefly of French origin, and am not much fewer in number than the Upper Canadians ; the latter being 952,004, and the former 890,261, according to the last census. But although so close to them in point of numbers, and also in the quantity of land they have under cultivation, the inhabitants of Lower Canada raise a much smaller quantity of agricultural produce than the Upper Canadians obtain from the soil. With the exception of maple sugar and flax, in which they far surpass the inhabitants of the Upper Province, they fall greatly below them in nearly all the more valuable products ; as the following table will show.

Agricultural Produce of Pper and Lower Canada.

Urrua CANADA. LowEa coups.

Wheat, bushels 12,692,852 .... 3,075,868 Barley „ 625,875 .... 668,626

Rye I f 479,651 .... 341,443 Peas If 2,873,394 .... 1,183,190 Oats P I 11,193,844 .... 8,967,594

Maize „ 1,606,513 .... 400,287 Potatoes „ 4,987,475 .... 4,466,111 Turnips „ 3,644,942 .... 369,902 Butter, pounds 15,976,315 .... 9,637,152 Cheese „ 2,226,776 .... 511,014 Beef, barrels 817,746 .... 68;747

Pork Of 528,1 .... 223,870' From this table it will be seen that the aggregate quantity of grain raised in Upper Canada is equal to nearly four quarters per head of tha entire population, while in Lower Canada it does not reach two quarters per head ; nor is there any counterbalancing excess in any other article of produce. The comparatively short commons on which they are brought up, however, does not appear to hinder the population front increaaugg at a remarkable rate compared with that of their fatherland. 'When the colony was surrendered to Great Britain, about ninety years ago, its peg; lation was estimated at from 60,000 to 65,000; it is now 890,26L

progress of Upper Canada has been still more remarkable. It amounted In 1791, to 50,000 1811, 77,000

1 1824, 151,000 1832, 261,060

1842, 486,056 , 952,004

The next census will probably show a still greater rate of increase, now that the labouring classes of this country are beginning to discover that they can make their way in the world quite as fast in Canada as in the United States. According to an Irishman who writes from the Province, an ordinary " lumberer " on the Ottawa river can earn a dollar a day;. one with skill and experience, from a dollar and a half to two dollars a. day.

trade nearly ceased. In 1843, after the arrival of General O'Donnell, the fee was advanced to three doubloons for each slave imported, and was re- ceived by him all the time he was there. In 1850, General Concha made known his determination to accept no fees, and took active steps to put down the nefarious traffic : but he was soon recalled, and the general understanding was that his recall was owing to the measures he had taken to put down the slave-trade. Other witnesses stated, that persons of rank and distinction at Madrid have invested money in that traffic, and that their influence is understood to be sufficiently powerful with the Spanish Government to obtain the recall of an honest officer like General Concha.

The Committee of the Lords in 1850 stated, that, in their judgment, it was "worthy of consideration whether the three great maritime Powers— France, the 'United States, and Great Britain—could not be brought to combine in joint representations, and, if need be, active measures, for ob- taining from Spain and Brazil an actual suppression of this traffic." The Commons Committee remark, that the conduct of the Brazilian Government had rendered any such measure unnecessary so far as regards Brazil. "As regards Cuba," they remark, "it is a matter of great surprise, that while Spain is at this time indebted to England and France for their ef- forts to form a tripartite convention with the United States in order to protect Cuba from piratical attacks, the Government of Spain should not take warning from the fact that one of the reasons alleged by the United States for not joining that convention, is the continuance of the slave- trade in that island." Mr. Everett, in a letter, dated Washington, 1st December 1852, to Mr. Crampton, the British Minister at Washington, writes—" I will but allude to an evil of the first magnitude ; I mean the African slave-trade, in the suppression of which England and France take a lively interest : an evil which forms a great reproach upon the civiliza- tion of Christendom, and perpetuates the barbarism of Africa, but for which, it is to be feared, there is no hope of a complete remedy while Cuba remains a Spanish colony."

It is fair to add, that the latest intelligence from Cuba is of a rather more encouraging nature. Mr. Crawford, Consul-General at the Ha- vannah, in his last despatches, dated the 21st and 25th June 1853, re- ports, that "there is a manifest difference in the measures adopted by the Government of Cuba to check the alarming extent of the slave-trade." Unfortunately, however, this is not very definite ; whereas the whole of the unfavourable evidence is as clear and precise as figures can make it.

THE DECIMAL COINAGE REPORT.

At the commencement of last session, a Select Committee .was ap- pointed to consider whether it was advisable to adopt the decimal system of coinage. A number of witnesses were examined; including Sir John Herschel, Professor Airy, Professor De Morgan, Mr. Rowland Hill, the Duke of Leinster, Mr. Thomson Hankey junior, Sir Charles Pasley, Mr. Thomas Bazley, Mr. Bowring, Mr. William Brown M.P., and Mr. Head- lam M.P. ; and a report was ultimately presented, in which the Commit- tee, "having well weighed the comparative merits of the existing system of coinage, and the decimal system, and the obstacles which must neces- sarily be met with in passing from the one to the other, express their decided opinion of the superior advantages of the decimal system," and their conviction that the obstacles referred to "are not of such a nature as to create any doubt of the expediency of introducing that system, as soon as the requisite preparations shall have been made." The plan recom- mended by the Committee is very simple. They propose that the pre- sent pound sterling shall be the unit of account, and that, instead of being _made divisible into 960 coins, called farthings, it shall be divisible into — 1000 coins of the smallest size, to be called mils. The relation of the existing coins, down to the sixpence, would then be as follows.

Sovereign 1000 mils.

Half-Sovereign 500

Crown 250

Florin 100 Shilling 50 Sixpence 25

All these coins the Committee propose to retain ; but they think it would be desirable to withdraw the half-crown, and the threepenny and fourpenny pieces, which are inconsistent with the decimal scale. The only new coins which they appear to think requisite at first would be copper coins of 1, 2, and 5 mils, and silver coins of 10 and 20 rails ; to which others might be added should experience show that it is desirable. As to the time for introducing the new system, they think the present moment specially adapted for it, on account of the prosperous state of the whole community ; and "they recommend that the necessary preparatory measures should be entered on at the Royal Mint as soon as possible." As one of the means to be employed for preparing the public for the new system, they recommend that all the silver coins hereafter coined should have their value in mils marked upon them, "in order that the public may, at the earliest possible period, associate the idea of that system with their different pecuniary transactions." The obstacles to the adoption of the new system are twofold,—those arising from the difficulty of inducing the mass of the people to depart from standards with which they are familiar, in order to obtain advan- tages of which they cannot comprehend the value ; and those arising from the necessity of rearranging the terms of all pecuniary obligations, de- pending either on legal enactment or private contract, expressed in those coins which would cease to have legal currency. As regards the latter class, no great difficulty would be felt with most of the cases which would arise ; and as for the annoyance the public might feel at any slight in- convenience with which the change would necessarily be attended, it would gradually subside, while the advantages to all persons engaged in business, to the various departments of the public service, and to the con- ductors of education, would be incalculable. So far as can be ascertained from the reception of the Committee's re- port, public opinion seems to be strongly in favour of the change, but a good many suggestions have been made with regard to the denominations of the monies of account under the proposed system. One of the most sensible is that of Mr. William Entwiale, late M.P. for South Lancashire. While desiring to see the decimal system introduced, he objects to the making four denominations of coins, when three, as he contends, would be so much simpler. He would omit altogether the proposed cent, or one-hundredth part of a pound ; for which there is no particular use in accounts, and which would encumber the ledger with a useless column of figures. Instead of expressing the sum of two pounds, five florins, three cents, and seven mils, by the following figures—" £2. 5. 3. 7," he would express that sum thus—" £2. 5. 37," and thereby get rid of the fourth column in the ledger. A still simpler plan would be to adopt the florin as the unit of account, making it divisible into cents. This would assimilate our coinage system to those of France, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Russia, and the United States. Of course any practical suggestion of this kind, should it bear investigation and seem reasonable, may be adopted by the Government, as they are not committed to all the details of the Com- mittee's proposal.

COAL FOR THE MAIL-STELMERS.—Ill that part of the Appendix to the Report of the Committee on Contract Packets which relates to the Gene- ral Screw Steam Shipping Company, and the difficulties it has had to encounter, the Committee state that the rise in the freight of coals had very materially affected the company in its arrangements, and "turned the profit which they anticipated into a heavy loss." The difficulty would be met in the most effectual manner should the expectations of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal Coal and Mining Company be real- ized. This company has been established mainly for the purpose of working the extensive beds of coal which are said to exist in that colony ; and if they can raise a sufficient quantity, there can be no doubt that they will reap a handsome profit on the capital invested. At present the aggregate annual consumption of coal by the steam-ships calling at the Cape is said to be not less than 100,000 tons, at an average price of about 70s. per ton ; and even that price, high as it may seem, is likely to be exceeded, owing to the difficulty of procuring tonnage from this country. A few months ago, the contractors for the delivery of coals at Ceylon, Calcutta, and Bombay, were obliged to ask time ; they did not know when they would be able to fulfil their contracts, as it was impossible to obtain vessels. The Cape of Good Hope Company proposes to supply coal to vessels at a maximum charge of 408. per ton ; at which rate they would have a largo profit, while the steamers coaling at the Cape would effect a very great saving in their annual expenditure.

THE MANUFACTURE OF Foon.—In addition to the large demand from Australia for all kinds of iron implements of labour, there has been lately, in this country, a very great increase in the manufacture of agricultural labour-saving machines of various kinds ; nor is that kind of manufac- ture likely to decrease for some time. With increasing scarcity of hands in the rural as well as in the manufacturing districts, and the present highly remunerative prices of all kinds of farm produce, the farmers will be induced to adopt the latest improvements in the cultivation of the soil much more rapidly than heretofore. It is but a few years since they began to use guano as a fertilizer, although Humboldt had called their attention to it nearly half a century ago. Considering that they have the finest market in the world for all the food they can produce, it says little for their skill and enterprise that the supplies they furnish should fall so far short of the demand as to require an average importation of about 20,000,000/. worth of food annually. Next year they will probably reach 40,000,0001. ; nearly equal to half the declared value of our annual ex- ports of manufactures. Compared with the production of calicoes, broad cloths, and cutlery, the manufacture of food, so far as one can judge from price, would seem to be only in its infancy. It would be a mistake, how- ever, to suppose that the advance which has taken place in the price of farm produce generally within the last two years has arisen from any sen- sible increase in the cost of production. The main cause has been in- creased consumption by the working classes. Our farmers seem as if they could not bring the supply of any of the articles they produce up to the demand.