| Title: | Basil Hall, Albany, to Wilmot Horton |
|---|---|
| ID | 1305 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hall, Basil/87 |
| Year | 1828 |
| Sender | Hall, Basil |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | captain |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Albany, NY, USA |
| Destination | Canada? |
| Recipient | Horton, Wilmot |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | letter about emigration to Canada |
| Source | The Belfast Commercial Chronicle, 26 January, 1828 |
| Archive | The Central Library,Belfast. |
| Doc. No. | 9807791 |
| Date | 26/01/1828 (?) |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 27:07:98. |
| Word Count | 1262 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | EMIGRATION TO CANADA A Letter addressed by Captain Basil Hall, R.N. to the Right Hon. [Honorable?] R. Wilmot Horton. Albany, State of New-York, 27th Sept. 1827. MY DEAR SIR - About two months ago, when travelling in Upper Canada, I went out of my way to visit the settlement at Peterborough, where the emigrants of 1825 are placed. I went with Mr. George Boulton and Mr. Falkener of Cobourg, and was accompanied by Mrs. Hall, which I mention merely to show you that in the matter of roads, things have improved since 1825, when, I believe, no lady could have gone over the same ground. Mr. McDonell received us at the village, which we reached by crossing the Rice Lake, and rowing up the [Otanabee?] River some seven or eight leagues. I devoted three days to an examination of the settlement, and though I could not manage in that time to see more of it than a very small part, I think I witnessed enough to give me a fair conception of the whole; and as the result is in the highest degree satisfactory, I take the liberty of mentioning it to you. I visited a good many of the different emigrants on their cleared grounds, and took care to come upon them unexpectally, but not to alarm them by sudden interrogatories, or to give them reason to fancy I had more than an ordinary degree of interest in their concerns. The circumstances of these people were different; some had cleared more land than others, or had cultivated it with greater success, owing to their having more or fewer grown-up children, or in consequence of their having been a longer or shorter period on their land. But it is no exaggeration to say of these emigrants, that they were all in a state of prosperity. They were contented in their present state, though a very laborious one, certainly; and they looked forward with the most satisfactory king of hope to what was before them. I call it satisfactory, because it was reasonable, and not extravagant. And I should say, judging from a pretty extensive experience we have had in travelling through these countries, that they are all in as fair a way of doing well as any settlers we have seen elsewhere, and in a very short time they cannot fail to be in most respectable circumstances. What is extremely curious, and I think important, is the fact of these people being not only duly sensible of the favours which have been granted them, but their being willing to acknowledge this, and apparently anxious to express their gratitude to his Majesty's Government; and all of them are most desirous of having it known that they have had all they wished or could want to render them comfortable in the first instance, and to advance their more independent efforts afterwards. It is material to state here, that although this account agrees, I believe, in substance with others which you must have received from Sir Peregrine Maitland last year, I consider the visit I have paid as being more to your purpose, inasmuch as the allowance of rations, and other assistance form Government, had not then ceased; but when I went there, all such adventitious aid had been stopped, and the emigrants had been working for nearly half a year entirely free. In the interval, as I was told by Mr. Stewart of Duoro, and others, there had been in many in stances considerable hardship, and in some case severe pressure from actual want. I made a point, therefore, of visiting some of these people; and found them to the full as cheerful and uncomplaining, and in all respects as grateful as the others - freely acknowledging that their distress arose from other circumstances than any want of attention of breach of faith on the part of the Government, for whose exertions they all said they felt the sincerest thankfulness. Upon the whole, my impression was that the experiment had completely succeded, if the object was to render a mass of destitute and miserable people independent and useful, instead of being burthens to the country. Of their loyalty there is not a spark of doubt; and I confess I never saw any set of persons upon whom, in the event of a brush, I should more thoroughly reply. The moral and political effect, also, of this successful measure, has extended, I conceive, far beyond the mere limits of the Peterborough Settlement; and the advantages which have arisen from it have been great. It has spread over all that country a sentiment every way creditable to England; and this feeling is not confined to the northern side of the boundary line. The whole business seems to have been managed well; and the result is equally creditable to the people who have been the object of the charity, to those who carried its very troublesome details into exception, and (if it be not impudent in me to judge of such matters) to those who suggested the trial. The liberal style, too, both of the conception and the performance, have produced their national effect in this quarter of the world; and I am well satisfied that immense public benefits have accrued from this measure alone, some of which, perhaps, you did not think of, and which, indeed, I did not dream if till they were brought to my notice on the spot. When I had last the pleasure of seeing you, you called my attention to the Welland Canal, and of course I made a point of investigating that subject with attention. At the request of some gentlemen in Upper Canada, I was induced to allow my opinions on the subject to be made public; and if you have any curiosity on the matter, you will see them in the printed letter, which was re-copied into an American paper, from whence I have cut it out for you. I have added a notice respecting the completion of the Southern part of this undertaking, which I conceive it to be of the greatest consequence should be completed as soon as possible. The Oswego Canal, which connects Lake Ontario with Hudson, via Syracuse and the eastern branch of the Erie canal, will be completed this year. It is executed, as I understand, with more care than the other, which, by the way, meets with frequent accidents. These breaks in the banks, however, are repaired with great celerity; the advantage is taken of such opportunities to put the whole work near the spot where the accident occurs on a complete state of order. Very large sums are annually expended in this way; and that which at first was done not in the best style, will eventually be made as it ought, perhaps, to have been at first. The great anxiety which was felt to open it, at all hazards, induced the proprietors to complete it in haste. The Welland Canal, however, is so well executed, that I imagine there will be no interruptions such as these, which are of frequent occurrence here; and the sooner its greater powers of transportation are brought into steady play the better. I shall probably remain in the United States till this time twelvemonth, and if you think I can make any inquiries likely to be of use to you, I beg you to command my best services. A letter to the care of Messrs. Rathbone and Brothers, Liverpool, will be sure to find me. I remain, my dear Sir, Most sincerely, your obedient servant, BASIL HALL. N.B. - This letter was not addressed to Mr. Wilmot Horton as Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, but as a private individual. |
