| Title: | Browne, John to Studdart, Michael, 1848 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6429 |
| Collection | New Brunswick Letters |
| File | newbrunswick/64 |
| Year | 1848 |
| Sender | Browne, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unemployed |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Bathurst, N.Brunswick, Canada |
| Destination | Rehy Park, Co.Clare, Ireland |
| Recipient | Studdart, Michael |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1316 |
| Genre | correspondence, weather, unemployment, timber market, local economy, politics, social unrest in Ireland |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Bathurst New Brunswick N.A 21st February 1848 Dear Michael I received your letter of the 17 th May 1847 on the 20th June, and replied 26th September following, I also sent a few newspapers, having received no reply since, I concluded my commands to you were mislaid or miscarried, or in all probility (Sir James’d) on the route, it being your general custom to reply soon after the receipt of mine, the mail from England arrived here on last Saturday, and as there were no commands for me, I turned too with a good will, to forward you my offering of information as far as my limited knowledge permit, — our present winter so far was very mild, none of the dreadful Storms, or of the piercing day that used to be in former Winters were at all known, but otherwise it was and will be severely felt, by I am sorry to say a good many owing to the failure of the House of Honrble Joseph Cunard & Co, who on the Twenty Ninth day of last December, Suspended business throwing from five to six hundred person out of Employment, at such an unseasonable time of the year, good many of them with large families, without any means to Support them, or money to defray their travelling expences to seek employment, I have not seen such hard times these Twenty seven years past, nothing at all doing — the failures in England &c caused the timber trade to be in a depressed State, so much so that the Ship owners would not take the Cargo in lieu of the freight on arrival, it is supposed there will be no timber Manufactured either here (Newbrunswick) or in the Canadas, until the English Market gets into a healthy State, and afford these embarked in the trade sufficient remuneration to carry it on, the prospects at present in those timber Colonies are very discouraging, and indeed for trade in general, the Sea port towns suffered sorely from Emigration, the Support of the pauper part of them, costs the provinces a great deal of money, the fever spread among the inhabitants and carried off a good many, and Still some localities are not clear from it, the potatoe crop principally failed in this place and the wheat did not in general come to maturity, flour is very scarce, fish scarce, meat scarce, and Molasses cannot be procured, Indian Meal is the principal food that is used by the working classes, such of the petty dealers that have any articles of food to sell ask two prices for them. You might Judge from the above Statement that our times at Bathurst are Just tight enough scarcely any [money in] circulation all classes at a Stand still — our — Our Legislature was convened on the 19th Ulto there has not been much done to benefit the province as yet, a good deal of time is taken up by the Discussions on the Governors Speech, forming Standing committees, and perusing the Colonial Secretarys dispatches, the do not make rapid Strides, as their pay is raising, the receive fifteen Shillings per day and Hold on mostly forty working day, but as this year seems a failure, the might if possible make it a long parliament, the principal matter to be Settled by them is a line of Rail Road from Halifax to Quebec, as far as it relates to this province, the revenue Department and the post office department are surrendered by the British Government, to the Colonial Governments of the respective provinces, these measures will cause hard Knocks, and long Speeches, our assembly are not properly Classed into two Great political parties, the once attempted it but there was no Game shown at either Side, when pilled there were a good many wheeling Cocks, the were neither well heeled, nor well handed, the Stakes were drawn But Nova scotia and the Canadas plaid the devil with the Tories, the former had a majority of seven, and the latter I think Twenty five, and worse than all the Rebel Joseph Papeneau of Glorious memory 1837 returned for two counties, and the Grand Master of the Orangemen Smith Kicked out by a large majority --------------- now the Liberal party will pilot the Ship for four years, and perhaps longer, this State of affairs will cause our assembly to [bester] themselves and form a line of battle, Responsible Government is the order of the day, Very difficult to define this term, the definition required is to have the heads of departments and part of the executive Council responsible to the assembley, for their acts, - Very bad Accounts from some of the Westindes (Islands) and also from Newfoundland some of the inhabitants are in a State of Starvation, Very little about the Mexican War - Congress it seems want the whole and no less will do, than all Mexico and its dependences, although it is said Still the Mexican musters Still 12000 men the States lost an emense deal of men and money, and the are not still declared the [Congresors], Brother Jonathan is making overtures to these Colonies of ours regarding free trade, on equal footing and I think it we be agreed upon, it is Conjectured by a good many that Twenty years hence the British Colonies will be altogether independent of England, they are only a burthen on her at present, Poor Ireland the land of my birth the land of Friendship of Mirth and of hospitality, ground down at present to the lowest ebb of Misery and destitution, it is mournfull to her sons in what Country or cline it pleases Providence to drive them to, to hear and to read of the dismal state of her population may the God of mercy relieve her inhabitants of every denomination from their present calamities, and imbibe them with Christian charity and brotherly love towards each other, and assist them to extricate her from her present state of misery and destitution, and place her in a state of peace and tranquility, May he also convert these wicked men from the State they in to a State of Grace and christian charity, and banish from their hearts all animosities towards each other. --------- I have seen two limerick papers lately and it is shocking to read of the murders cold blooded murders common reason tell a man that no country or place can not prosper so long as such diabolic deeds are committed there the talk of harsh laws no law is Harsh enough for such deeds, the Law in itself is pure if duly and impartially administered, every administrator of the Law should be free of spite or malice, and his motto should be equal rights to all, no pack Juries no person of ill fame admitted as [damage] courts an Juries ought to be as pure as the precepts [damage] for there, it is Scandalous to read the proceeding of [damage]ions, in some districts in Ireland if the are truly represented the are copied in the English papers we have them here mostly by every mail from England, along with the rest we had the proceeding of KilKee petty sessions, Some time ago where Messrs O’Connell & Collins were hard at Law quotations Write me if time permit and the last letter of mine arrived there were Some Small favors Solicited please attend to them Mr Read is attending his parliamentary duties his family are well and So are all county Clare people in my neighborhood let me know who these were that was committed from Kiloush on [a/c] of Col Vandeleur and the result of the ennis Commission I Conclude with best respects to those I always mentioned and also to friends acquaintances & well wishers – And Remain Dear Michael yours in Sincerity John Brown Mr Michael Studdert Rehy Park, Carrigaholt Co Clare, Ireland |
