LORD STANLEYrose, pursuant to notice, to put a question to the noble Earl the Secretary for the Colonies in reference to recent proceedings in the Legislature of New Brunswick respecting the proposed railway from Halifax to Quebec. A project had, it seemed, been formed in Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, for the construction of a line of railway, which would greatly develop the resources of those colonies; but the authorities at the Colonial Office in this country had refused to accede to the terms demanded by the promoters of that project, and had offered terms of a somewhat different character. To those latter terms the Legislatures of Canada and Nova Scotia had shown a disposition to accede; but they had been rejected by the Legislature of New Bruns- 1040 wick. Now, it further appeared, that a project, which might be considered to some extent as one of a competing character, had been formed in the United States for the construction of a gigantic line, 2,000 miles in length, from Lake Superior to the Pacific. He believed there could be no doubt that a Bill for the construction of such a line would at an early period be adopted by the United States Legislature. The result would be to give a vast development to the resources of the United States, and at the same time to turn the tide of emigration completely from our own Colonies, unless the proposed line in those Colonies should be constructed. He wished to ask the noble Earl the Secretary for the Colonies whether he had any objection to lay before the House any information he might have received with regard to the resolutions adopted by the Legislature of Now Brunswick upon this subject; and whether, if the proposal of Her Majesty's Government had been rejected by the Legislature of that Colony, Her Majesty's Government were prepared to take any further steps for the purpose of meeting their views and promoting the undertaking?
§ EARL GREYsaid, he had no objection to give the information asked for by the noble Lord to the best of his power; but the information he had as yet received was very imperfect. It was true that the Legislature of New Brunswick had decided against the proposition regarding the establishment of railway communication for the North American Colonies which the Government had sent out for its consideration; but he did not think their decision against the proposition was deliberate, because it was arrived at hurriedly at the close of the Session, and after a very imperfect examination and understanding of the real nature of the proposal submitted to them. In the present state of affairs, therefore, and without further communication on the subject, he was not yet in a situation to say that anything could positively be decided upon by the Government. With respect to the applications of private companies, proposing to construct the railway, the course he had always pursued was to decline to entertain the project of any company which did not come to him with some authority from the Provincial Governments. That he thought the only safe principle to proceed upon, and he saw no reason to depart from it for the future. He could only state that as yet no really 1041 substantial and responsible company had come forward to undertake the formation of the lines referred to. One company only had appeared in the matter; but the Provincial Governments, both of Canada and Nova Scotia, had declined to entertain their proposals, believing that they could not be able to raise the necessary funds. Her Majesty's Government took the deepest interest in the question of railway communication for the North American Colonies, and they could not regard what had taken place in New Brunswick as any proof that their proposition had been finally rejected. Of course, however, if the three provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick could agree to some other plan, which the Government could recommend Parliament to adopt, he could only say it should receive the fullest consideration; but in the present condition of the question he could not say anything further.
§ LORD MONTEAGLEsaid, he had heard with much pleasure the statement of his noble Friend, that they might yet hope to see that matter satisfactorily settled. He (Lord Monteagle) could not but express the regret he felt when he found his noble Friend had given up the occuaption of the land when it had been offered to him. The whole question of the legislation for these North American railways, involving as it did the connection between them and the mother country, as well as the improvement of 13,000,000 of acres of land, was one of great importance; and he hoped his noble Friend would suspend any final proceedings on the matter until the opinion of the three Colonies should have been obtained. He wished to know whether any steps had been taken with respect to the Railway Bills of last year?
§ EARL GREYsaid, he had considered that it would have been much better to have the land under the management of a local government than of the British. With respect to the acts referred to, they had been only received two or three days, and no steps had yet been taken about them.
LORD STANLEYwished to know, with reference to the company to which the noble Lord bad referred, whether there would be any objection to lay on the table the communications which had passed between them and the Government?