It is now supposed, upon competent authority, that the British possessions north of New York contain not fewer than two millions and a quarter of inhabitants, a fixed and floating capital of seventy-five million pounds, a public revenue of a million and a quarter, with a tonnage of not less than two millions and a quarter, manned, including the lake craft, steam-boats, and fishing-vessels, by one hundred and fifty thousand sailors; and this Western Britain consumes annually seven millions of pounds sterling of British goods.

The Inspector-General of Revenue for Canada alone gives us the following data:--

1845.

Revenue of Canada 524,637 Expenditure 500,839.

Now let us see what the Standing Army and Militia of the United States are in 1845:

Standing Army--7,590 officers and men, including all ranks.

Militia--627 Generals, 2,670 Staff-officers, 13,813 Field-officers, 44,938 Company-officers, and 1,385,645 men.

Naval Force--11 ships of the line, 14 first-cla.s.s frigates, 17 sloops-of-war, 8 brigs, 9 schooners, 6 steamers: with 67 captains, 94 commanders, 324 lieutenants, 133 pa.s.sed midshipmen, 416 midshipmen, and 31 masters.

The crews being formed of European sailors chiefly, no estimate is given of sufficient authenticity to depend upon as to the native citizens employed afloat in the services of the State.

The Militia appears a fearful Xerxian force, but it is really of no consequence whatever except as a protective one for the purposes of invasion, being quite met by the militia of the British provinces, as no larger army than 20,000 men can be effectually moved or subsisted on such an extensive frontier as Canada, and that only by an immense sacrifice of money.

Having thus given a glimpse at the state of affairs, I must leave my readers for the present, after a little talk about the city of Kingston.

Kingston, instead of suffering, as predicted, by the removal of the seat of government, having been thrown on her own resources, is rising fast.

Her naval and commercial harbours are being strongly fortified. The public buildings are important and handsome.

The Town Hall is probably the finest edifice of the kind on the continent of America, and cost 30,000, containing two splendid rooms of vast size, Post-office, Custom-house, Commercial Newsroom, shops, and a complete Market Place, with Mayor's Court and Policeoffice, and a lofty cupola, commanding a view of immense extent.

There are three English churches, built of stone, a Scots church of the same material, several dissenting places of worship, and a magnificent cathedral, almost equal in size to that at Montreal, for Roman Catholics, with a smaller church attached, a seminary for educating the priests, a nunnery, and an Hotel Dieu, conducted by Sisters of Charity; also an immense building for a public hospital, extensive barracks for troops, and several private houses of inferior importance, with four banks.

There are ten daily first-cla.s.s steamers running to and from Kingston, and about thirty smaller steamers and propellers, with a fleet of two hundred schooners and sailing barges. The navigation is open from the 1st of April until late in November.

To show the trade of this rising city, now containing near twelve thousand inhabitants, I append a table of its Exports and Imports, for 1845.

IMPORTS AND DUTIES, AT KINGSTON, FOR 1845.

-----------------------+----------+---------------+--------------+-------------- Articles Imported.

Number

Value at the

Amount of

Remarks.

or

place of

all Duties,

quant.i.ty.

importation,

Currency.

Currency.

-----------------------+----------+---------------+--------------+--------------

s. d.

s. d.

Animals--Cows and

Heifers No.

12

54 10 0

14 12 0

Horses, Mares, } "

Geldings, } "

13

231 5 0

23 14 6

Colts, Fillies &} "

Foals }

21

222 10 0

. . .

Of travellers.

Lambs "

70

16 0 0

3 5 2

Oxen, Bulls, Steers

262

1,514 0 0

406 19 6

Pigs (sucking) "

1

0 5 0

0 0 7

Swine and Hogs "

1,212

3,474 10 2

368 13 0

Sheep "

337

90 8 9

41 0 0

Anchovies and Sardines,

in oil

.

3 0 6

0 7 10

Ashes barrels

67

279 7 9

13 9 8

Bark

.

99 16 0

4 17 8

Berries, Nuts,

Vegetables, for dying

.

156 16 5

12 13 9

Biscuit and Crackers

.

111 11 10

10 4 5

Books

.

1,329 6 1

150 12 9

Private Do.

.

20 0 0

. . .

library Candles--Sperm lb.

3,770

310 6 10

84 13 3

from Europe.

Wax "

3,457

163 11 10

28 19 3

Bonded for Other kinds "

13,800

856 11 3

. . .

lower ports.

Carriages, Vehicles No.

28

220 0 0

18 13 5

Of travellers.

Do.

20

256 5 0

. . .

Clocks and Watches

.

1,046 7 1

167 7 2

Coals tons.

373 0 76

514 12 11

23 17 1

Cocoa cwt.

1 20

1 16 0

0 2 11

Coffee--Green cwt.{

288 8 1

625 17 10

247 2 4

Remov'd under {

27 1 9

66 0 0

. . .

bond to Roasted "

13 1 1

30 10 10

19 1 11

Hamilton.

Ground "

8 0 20

15 19 9

21 1 8

Coin and Bullion

.

22,500 0 0

. . .

Cordage "

193 0 13

535 6 8

61 16 1

Corks gross

1086

80 11 8

9 6 0

Cotton Manufactures

.

1,728 16 1

200 1 0

Cotton Wool

.

236 0 0

11 16 0

Drugs

.

327 13 6

17 0 10

Extracts, Essences and

Perfumery

.

92 1 3

12 0 0

Fanning and Bark Mills

10

33 16 6

4 18 11

Fins and Skins, the

produce of creatures

living in the sea

.

33 13 9

7 11 0

Fish--Fresh, not

described

.

260 11 3

6 11 7

Oysters, Lobsters and

Turtles

.

1,100 14 9

7 11 0

Salted or dried cwt.

154 0 19

127 4 0

20 1 4

Pickled barls.

30

54 11 4

7 16 11

Flour, Wheat, {

8,396-1/2

9,296 18 3

1,276 16 9

Supplied barrels {

204

224 8 0

6 4 1

H. M.

of 196 lb. {

44,151

54,919 7 6

. . .

Commissariat.

Fruit, Almonds "

15,115

137 17 6

31 8 7

Apples bushels

13,966-1/2

1,300 3 7

424 16 7

Do. Dried "

163

36 14 7

11 7 4

Currants cwt.

47 3 2 4

105 10 9

18 2 1

Figs "

20 2 20

53 7 2

8 8 1

Nuts lb.{

9,421

140 17 1

29 10 4

{

610

6 2 0

. . .

Bonded for Pears bushels

421-3/4

59 12 8

25 12 6

removal to Prunes lb.

543

20 12 6

3 11 6

Hamilton.

Raisins in boxes "

34,411

788 9 8

205 19 6

Do., otherwise than

in boxes lb.

7,990

127 6 6

25 7 10

Unenumerated "

.

999 12 7

95 18 9

Fur Skins, or Peltries,

undressed

.

22 16 6

1 2 5

Gla.s.s Manufactures

.

860 3 11

168 0 1

Grain, &c.--Barley qrs.

373-3/4

369 4 9

68 4 2

Maize, or Ind. Corn,

quarters, 480 lb.

2,617-1/2

2,717 13 9

477 15 9

Oats quarters

87-1/2

43 13 9

10 12 11-1/2

Rye "

69-3/4

51 19 7

12 13 6-1/2

Beans "

2

4 8 0

0 7 3

Meal of the above grs.

and of Wheat not

bolted, per 196 lb.

10-1/2

4 10 0

. 15 6

Wheat quarters

2,597-1/4

4,647 17 4

474 0 0

Bran & Shorts cwt.

4 0 0

3 7 3

0 1 3

Gums and Resins

.

181 1 5

9 3 3

Hardware

.

3,883 2 10

466 11 4

Hay tons

34-1/2

56 1 3

12 11 10

Hemp, Flax, & Tow {

4,879 1 18

2,188 12 7

21 17 9

cwt.{

1,540 2 0

838 10 0

. . .

Bonded for Hides, Raw No.

755

338 3 9

3 7 8

lower ports.

Hops lb.

936

26 0 6

15 5 6

India Rubber Boots &

Shoes pairs

1,197

218 1 7

45 6 6

Leather--Goat Skins,

tanned, or in any

way dressed doz.

4

6 12 0

1 9 7

Lamb and Sheep

Skins doz.

172

117 9 10

30 19 8

Calf Skins, do. lb.

857-1/4

90 18 5

29 13 10

Kid Skins, do. "

1,024

92 18 9

10 6 11

Harness Leather "

12,641-1/2

347 1 0

141 18 3

Upper Leather "

4,109-3/4

271 7 11

51 9 3

Sole Leather "

74,931

2,561 5 3

672 4 6

Leather not described

334 16 5

28 17 6

Leather Manufactures

Boots, Shoes, Calashes

Women's Boots,

Shoes, & Calashes

of Leather doz. prs.

52-1/2

116 1 3

29 12 9

Girls' Boots, Shoes,

and Calashes, under

7 in. in length.

of Leather doz. prs.

38

38 12 3

8 14 6

Girls' Boots & Shoes

of Silk, Satin, Jean

or other stuff, Kid,

Morocco doz. prs.

14

20 14 7

3 12 2

Men's Boots of Leather

pairs

2,047

494 15 7

109 14 6

Men's Shoes, do. "

161

29 7 1

11 18 2

Boys' Boots under 8

inches long pairs

38

7 0 0

3 6 3

Boys' Shoes, do. "

28

5 8 7

1 13 1

Leather Manufactures

not described

330 19 2

38 4 6

Linen Manufactures

82 6 0

9 9 11

Liquids--Cider and

Perry gallons

5,679

61 15 5

32 1 7

Vinegar "

2,670

87 2 2

44 4 0

Maccaroni and

Vermicelli lb.

493

13 18 2

3 1 1

Machinery

1,478 14 7

225 11 0

Mahogany and Hardwood,

unmanufactured

for Furniture

144 19 5

1 9 2

Manures of all kinds

29 12 6

0 1 0

Medicines

642 1 6

55 6 4

Mola.s.ses & Treacle cwt

193 2 8

141 10 6

47 1 7

Oak.u.m "

0 22

1 4 9

0 1 9

Oils--Olive, in casks

gallons

700

142 9 0

19 17 11

Do. in jars and

bottles gallons

56-1/2

24 2 1

4 8 1

Lard "

690

130 9 4

19 4 2

Linseed, raw or

boiled "

2,367

329 2 5

37 3 4

Oils, Vegetable,

Volatile, Chemical,

and essential gallons

131

58 18 3

6 9 9

Palm "

150

23 6 6

1 2 11

The produce of Fish

and creatures living

in the sea gals.

8,196-1/2

1,941 12 7

309 16 2

Unenumerated "

2,957-1/4

460 7 2

52 16 6

Paper Manufactures,

other than Books &

Playing Cards

.

892 12 2

101 19 2

Pickles and Sauces

.

12 8 10

1 12 4

Playing Cards packs

.

8 7 7

1 7 0

Potatoes bushels

172-1/2

12 5 3

2 12 6

Poultry and Game, live

.

9 1 0

0 18 1

Ditto, dead

.

63 2 4

8 9 9

Provisions--b.u.t.ter cwt.

3 3 9

13 1 3

2 16 11

Cheese

248 2 22

400 9 3

113 9 3

Eggs dozen

236

5 18 0

0 16 6

Lard cwt.

40 1 18

80 18 0

3 19 5

Meats--Bacon and

Hams cwt.

47 2 17

78 18 13

23 2 8-1/2

Ditto, other Meats,

salted, &c. cwt.

14,035 2 3

25,137 11 6

4,274 9 7

Ditto "

4,237 2 20

5,656 0 0

. . .

Ditto, Fresh "

261 3 15

264 14 9

63 14 0

Bonded-for Rice "

282 2 0

350 17 4

17 9 2

lower ports Salt barls of 280 lb.

975

255 14 2

148 5 8

Sausages & Puddings

.

0 3 4

0 0 6

Seeds cwt.

.

123 15 3

10 10 1

Silk Manufactures

.

136 9 10

26 13 4

Soap cwt.

36 2 25

131 5 9

14 15 7

Spices--Ca.s.sia lb.

305-1/2

17 9 0

3 15 9

Cinnamon "

160

9 18 6

2 0 3

Cloves "

46

3 11 10

0 11 9

Nutmegs "

2

0 13 9

0 1 4

Pepper of all kinds "

1,254

34 1 4

4 10 9

Spirits and cordials,

except Rum--

Not exceeding proof,

gallons

32

4 10 0

4 7 7

Over proof "

16

2 5 0

2 3 9

Sweetened or mixed

7

10 17 6

1 5 6

Sugar--Refined cwt.

55 2 6-1/2

164 3 9

95 18 3

Unrefined & b.a.s.t.a.r.d

2,520 0 16

3,698 0 8

2,199 4 6

Syrups

137

45 4 6

7 9 2

Do.

Stearine lb.

3,681

184 1 0

. . .

Tallow cwt.

3,086 1 6-1/2 5,385 17 6

53 1 3

Tea lb.

196,268

18,110 9 8

1,999 16 8

Tobacco

--Unmanufactured "

1,923

222 18 9

. . .

Do.

357

13 2 2

2 7 2

Manufactured "

202,508-1/2 4,291 13 0

1,205 8 11

Segars "

1,627

550 12 10

235 12 11

Snuff "

1,981

87 19 7

46 6 8

Trees, Shrubs, Plants,

and Roots

.

222 0 11

8 17 6

Settlers' Goods lots

3

26 5 0

. . .

Vegetables, except

potatoes, fresh

.

334 6 6

36 13 4

Wines doz. gallons

1,162-1/4

419 4 9

112 16 11

Wood, except Saw Logs

& Mahogany. Pine,

White cubic feet

11,750

147 12 7

17 17 3

Oak "

1,497

25 0 0

5 0 5

Staves, Puncheon, or

W. I. Standard

std. M. "

57

609 13 5

86 7 0

White Oak "

435

1,442 3 2

263 0 1

Handspikes doz.

5

1 17 6

0 1 6

Oars pairs

17

3 14 3

0 5 5

Planks, Boards, sawed

Lumber feet

48,475

89 4 0

17 13 0

Woollen Manufactures

.

1,097 12 10

124 7 7

Wood. Firewood, cords

397-1/2

66 12 3

3 6 0

All other articles not

included under any of

the foregoing heads

.

6,502 12 3

555 7 1

+---------------+--------------+-------------- Totals, Currency

211,705 0 11

19,917 17 0

[Amount of duty on Imports bonded for lower ports - 8036 0 8]

Below, we give a return of the amount and value of goods imported at this Port through the United States, for the benefit of drawback. The importations under this law have not been large, but the return shows that a material saving has been effected under this operation. For the return we are indebted to the politeness of the late collector, Mr.

Kirkpatrick.

AGGREGATE OF IMPORTS INTO KINGSTON FOR BENEFIT OF DRAWBACK.

--------------+------------------------+-------------+-------------+------------ Articles.

Quant.i.ty in Weight, &c.

Value.

Duties.

Drawback.

--------------+------------------------+-------------+-------------+------------

s. d.

s. d.

Dollars.

Cigars

1,281 lbs.

404 8 4

184 3 3

502 43 Almonds

5,964 "

101 19 4

41 1 3

159 75 Currants

5,259 "

105 10 9

18 12 1

120 81 Raisins

39,216 "

844 11 4

217 18 1

1,059 86 Mola.s.ses

147 cwt. 3 qr. 4 lb.

109 3 0

35 19 18

72 66 Olive Oil

700 gallons

142 9 0

19 17 10

136 50 Linseed Oil

2,100 "

282 19 6

32 12 2

511 88 Raw Sugar

2,168 cwt. 2 qr. 8 lb.

3,169 6 3

1,889 13 10

5,899 74 Refined Sugar

6,020 lbs.

157 5 6

92 9 9

205 44 Wine

400 gallons

240 7 0

54 17 11

245 81

+------------

8,914 91

+-------------+-------------+------------

5,558 0 0

2,587 5 10

2,228 14 6

We have also been favoured with a return of the shipping, which, during the season of 1845, has entered this port. The reports to the Custom House embrace 388,788. This return includes the steamers employed on the Bay and Lake, when carrying merchandize; but, as the law requiring vessels to report only came into force several weeks after the opening of the navigation, and as it has not in all instances been obeyed, the return is not quite as full as it might have been under other circ.u.mstances. As much as 15,000 or 20,000 tons have in this way entered without reporting. The amount of tonnage for 1845, stated above, is likewise exclusive of all that engaged n trade on the ca.n.a.l and river, and which is very nearly equal in amount.

The Provincial Revenue returns for 1845 are said to exceed those of 1844 by 55,000.

Kingston is, in fact, the key of the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence and the Rideau Ca.n.a.l being their outlets for commerce; but, unless railroads are established between the Atlantic at Halifax and these Lakes, the prosperity of this and many other inland towns will be materially affected, as by the enlargement of the Rideau branches at Grenville, &c. and the La Chine Ca.n.a.l to the required ship navigation size, Kingston must no longer hope for the unshipment of bulky goods and the forwarding trade on which she so mainly depends; a glance at the forwarding business done by the Erie Ca.n.a.l to New York on the American side, and that by the Welland, St. Lawrence, and Rideau on the Canadian, being quite sufficient to prove that all the energies of the Canadians are required to compete with their rivals. And for this purpose I cite an extract from a circular put forth by the Free Trade a.s.sociation of Montreal, which contains a good deal of sound reasoning on this subject, amidst, of course, much party feeling on the Free Trade principle.

"We now proceed, in the development of our plan, to show the incalculable advantages that will result to Canadian commerce and the carrying trade, by removing all duties and restrictions from American produce.

"First, we shall show the amount of produce collected annually on the sh.o.r.es of our great island waters, and brought to this city for distribution to the various markets of consumption; next, the vast quant.i.ty that pa.s.ses through the Erie Ca.n.a.l, seeking a market at New York and other American ports; and, lastly, we shall show that it is in the power of Canada to divert a large share of this latter trade through her own waters, if her people and legislature will promptly give effect to the liberal and enlarged policy which it is the object of this a.s.sociation to advocate and urge.

"NO. 1.--SHOWING THE QUANt.i.tY OF PRODUCE BROUGHT BY THE ST. LAWRENCE TO THE CITY OF MONTREAL, IN THE YEAR 1845:--

"Pork, 6,109 barrels; beef, 723 barrels; lard, 460 kegs; flour, 590,305 barrels; wheat, 450,209 bushels; other grain, 40,781 bushels; ashes, 33,000 barrels; b.u.t.ter, 8,112 kegs.

"NO. 2.--SHOWING THE QUANt.i.tY OF PRODUCE CARRIED THROUGH THE ERIE Ca.n.a.l IN THE YEAR 1844:--

"Pork, 63,646 barrels; beef, 7,699 barrels; lard, 3,064,800 lbs.; flour, 2,517,250 barrels; wheat, 1,620,033 bushels; corn, 35,803 bushels; flax-seed, 8,303,960 lbs.; ashes, 80,646 barrels.

"From the foregoing statements it will be seen that the quant.i.ty carried through the latter channel is enormous as compared with the former. It becomes then a question of vital importance whether a portion of this trade can be attracted through the St. Lawrence. We believe that it can, because the cheapest conveyance to the seaboard and to the manufacturing districts of New England must win the prize; and who will deny that the securing of this prize is not worth both our best and united exertions?

"The cheapening of the means of transit is the great object to be obtained; and our best practical authorities are firmly of opinion that the St. Lawrence will be made the cheapest route, as soon as our chain of inland improvements is rendered complete. They affirm that the cost of transporting a barrel of flour from Detroit to Montreal will not exceed 1s. 6d. to 1s. 9d. The difficulty will then be to secure a port of constant access to the sea, and that difficulty will be overcome by the early completion of the projected Portland railway: a road that will place us within a day's journey of that city, the harbour of which may be made the safest and cheapest on the continent of America. By that route we shall avoid the occasional dangers and inconveniencies of the St. Lawrence, from Montreal outwards, practically secure a long season for trade in the fall of the year, and safely reckon on freights to Liverpool as low as those from New York. But what is equally important to the transit trade to England is this: that by rendering our charges cheaper than those through the Erie Ca.n.a.l to Boston, we shall secure the transit trade to that great city, and all other eastern markets, as well as the supplying of our sister colonies, commonly known as the Lower Ports.

This picture may appear too flattering to those who have not investigated the subject; but to such we say, examination will convince them that, with the St. Lawrence as a highway, and Portland as an outlet to the sea, we shall be enabled, successfully, to struggle for the mighty trade of the West, and bid defiance to compet.i.tion on the more artificial route of the Erie Ca.n.a.l. But there is no time for slumbering; inactivity, at this crisis, would be fatal to our hopes; even the very produce of Western Canada may be carried, in spite of us, through American channels, unless we immediately carry out the completion of our own.

"We may here also remind the Canadian farmer, at whatever place he may be situated, that every saving effected in the means of bringing his produce to market adds in the same degree to the value of his wheat and every other marketable product of the soil he cultivates.--And here it may not be out of place to add that, repudiating all sectional proceedings, we seek no advantage for cla.s.ses, no peculiar advantage for Montreal over other parts of the province; we advocate, on the contrary, the general interests of producers and consumers--the general welfare of the community."

People of enlarged views in Canada do not, however, fancy, with the anti-free-traders, that Sir Robert Peel's measures will prove so very destructive to colonial interests; on the contrary, they clearly see that new energies will be called into operation, and that Canada will be opened by railroads, and no longer monopolized by extensive landholders of waste and unprofitable forests.

Having now arrived at the termination of this volume, I have only to add that, if a war is forced upon Great Britain by the United States, the British dominion here will be sustained without flinching; and that the old English aspiration of the militia will be