Q. “If at 40 shillings you would probably allow 10 shillings a quarter, by your present statement, as a fair deduction for the expense of bringing it into this market?”—A. “I should think so.”
Q. “Do you think the price of 30 shillings would pay the agricultural producer in Canada for the production of wheat; would afford a return for the investment of capital in the production of wheat in Canada?”—A. “I should be loth to speak to a point on which I have not sufficient knowledge.”
Q. “Is it not indispensable to form an opinion upon that point to justify the opinion you have already given?”—A. “I think not. I have that feeling, that the consequence of their not having the timber trade would be, that they would produce other articles, and that their condition would not be deteriorated. I am led to that conclusion by seeing the present condition of the State of New York, which once depended on the timber trade; I look also to Vermont; and when every man tells me that he laments and has lamented that he ever meddled with the timber trade, I think that I am justified in my opinion, for no one will pretend to state that the land of Vermont, or even of New York, equals that of Canada. While speaking of the soil of Canada, I would observe that Jacobs has estimated the average return for wheat on the Continent at four to one, of Great Britain seven to one, and Gourlay has estimated the return of Upper Canada at twenty to one. Many state that Upper Canada is unrivalled in comparison with any other piece of land of equal extent.”
Q. “Are you aware of the extent of exportation of agricultural produce from Canada?”—A. “I am; I can state it from memory. The largest quantity of wheat exported in any year was in 1831, and I think amounted to 1,300,000 bushels.”
Q. “Can you make the same statement with reference to corn and provisions as to other articles?”—A. “Canada exports a great deal of corn.”
Q. “Which Canada?”—A. “Both Upper and Lower Canada.”
Q. “Does Lower Canada grow corn enough for her own consumption?”—A. “I should think Lower Canada did, and more.”
Q. “Does Upper Canada?”—A. “Upper Canada a great deal more.”
Q. “Have you the amount of the exports?”—A. “I have the exports of 1833; the two Canadas exported 650,000 bushels of wheat.”
Q. “How much flour?”—A. “About 91,000 barrels.”