were to be made by joint labor, and banal or mill roads "according to ancient usage." In that early day, hogs, less favored than they since have been, were not allowed to run in any highway. In the ordinance of 1777 the value of our white cedar was recognized by enacting that all bridge sleepers should be made of it; and grand voyers and sousvoyers were appointed for each district, the latter to be the captains and senior officers of militia. In these particulars the old French system was followed. In 1788, Lord Dorchester made a bold attempt to abolish cahots by an or dinance "to alter the method of drawing sleighs," &c.; but this led to rioting, and the habitants, by stopping the supplies from country to town, forced the repeal of the obnoxious ordinance the following year. No further attempt was made to interfere with the cahots, and the habitants were left in undisturbed possession of an institution, guaranteed to them by the articles of capitulation, until 1840, when Lord Sydenham took advantage of the suspension of the constitution of Lower Canada, caused by the rebellion of 1837, to pass two sleigh ordinances; but immediately after the union, the right of self-government was asserted, and one was repealed; but the other was confined to the district of Montreal, where the turnpike trust commissioners have hitherto successfully resisted the traineau.

In 1832, the despotic powers of the grand voyer were transferred to road commissioners; and in 1841 the roads came under the control of the municipalities, by whom the labor has been more equalized, and who have the power of apportioning it upon all roads. In the absence of any by-law of the municipality or unrepealed procès verbal, "front" roads are still to be made and maintained by the occupant; but a special superintendent, appointed by the Council, may, by proper procès verbal, relieve any owner or occupant from any excessive portion of work required under that provision. All the main roads, made by the

government and transferred to the municipalities, are to be maintained by the latter. Front roads must (since 1855) be at least thirty-six feet French (nearly thirty-eight and a half feet English), and routes twenty-six feet French (about twenty-seven feet nine inches English,) between the fences. This is an increase of fifty per cent. over the width established before the conquest.

The old French laws governing the roads were practicable in the level seigneuries, with their peculiar subdivisions caused by the laws of descent, as well as from their quondam semi-military organization. The holdings are narrow strips of one or two hundred yards, or less, fronting on the St. Lawrence, and extending back a mile or more. The front road is near the river, and on it are the houses, giving the river bank the appearance of a continuous street. These laws were, however, wholly inapplicable to the townships with their hills, and lakes, and heavy timber, where the "front" road would run a mile or more along one property, and where the cost of making the road would be far greater than the value of the land; where, also, there were crown reserves and long distances without an occupant. The seigneuries having their roads formed, for perhaps a century, and conducting their light traffic on the snow in winter and on the river in summer, were not urgent for road grants; and the townships thus had no opportunity for "log-rolling," and were too weak politically to extort relief. It was therefore not until 1815-17 that any effort was made to apply a portion of their abundant revenue to the roads and bridges of the lower province. The sum of £63,600 (or $254,400) was voted in these two years, which was expended chiefly in the seigneuries. In 1829, however, the legislature seems to have commenced in earnest, about £120,000 (or $480,000) having been voted in that and the two succeeding years; and then the townships, after forty years of suffering, obtained some assistance.

ROADS, UPPER CANADA.

In the first parliament of Upper Canada, held at Newark in 1793, an act was passed by which the roads were placed under overseers to be appointed by the rate-paying inhabitant householders at their annual town meetings. Every person was required to bring tools and work three to twelve days; and owners of carts and teams at least six days. At first rich and poor were treated alike (for all were alike poor,) and the number of days' work exacted from each, which was in the discretion of the overseer and depended on his energy and the wants of the road, was fixed at ten; but when large blocks of land, granted to favorites or held by speculators, stood in the way of improvement, dissatisfaction was created at the unequal road law which exacted no more from the great land-owner than from the tenant or laborer, and it was altered; the number of days' labor being determined according to the assessment roll.

The power of altering or opening new roads was vested in the quarter sessions by whom a surveyor was appointed to report upon any application for such alteration or new road if signed by twelve freeholders.

In its infancy this province had neither revenue nor taxes, the civil list being at first wholly and afterwards partially sustained by the military chest of the Imperial government. In 1795, the revenue was £900 sterling, and the only tax 4d. per gallon on wine; and it was not till 1804 that there appeared any surplus for roads. In that year an appropriation of £1,000 (or $4,000) was made for this purpose, which proved premature and was repealed in 1806, when £1,600 (or $6,400) was granted; and this road grant, increased to £2,000 (or $8,000) and £3,000 (or $12,000,) was annually maintained till 1812, when it rose to £6,000 (or $24,000.) Interrupted two years by the war, it increased in 1815 to £20,000 (or $80,000,) and in 1816 to £21,000 (or $84,000,) after which little was done until

1830, when, between that date and 1833, £128,000 (or $512,000) were granted. Between 1836 and 1840 over £100,000 (or $400,000) more was granted, the whole of which was not expended until after the union.

The roads of Upper Canada, by the municipal act, are wholly under local control; and the assessment act provides that every male between sixteen and sixty years is liable to statute labor to the extent of two days as a minimum. If assessed at a total valuation of £50 (or $200,) two days are required, and more in proportion up to £1,000 (or $4,000,) which gives twelve days; and one day for every £200 (or $800) over that sum, subject to a pro ratâ reduction by the council. Where there is no by-law, 2s. 6d. (or 50 cents) per day is the rate of commutation. When there is no property delinquents may be imprisoned six days if they do not work their two days or pay their two dollars. The roads must not be less than thirty feet or more than ninety feet wide; and local rates may be levied for local roads, on a petition of two-thirds of the resident rate-payers representing one-half the assessed value. Councils can not close a road to the prejudice of any person, nor encroach on gardens, orchards, pleasure-grounds, or buildings; but they may order the removal of trees, not being ornamental or plantations, within twenty-five feet of the highway, and must compensate for all real damage.

PROGRESS OF TRAVEL.

In the province of Quebec, the European system of traveling by post was in force and regulated by law. The distance between Quebec and Montreal, commonly called sixty leagues was divided into twenty-four stages. The maitres de poste were obliged to keep four caleches and four carioles, and to be ready at a quarter of an hour's notice to forward the traveler, who was usually received with much ceremony, on alighting after each stage, by the lady of the

house. They had the exclusive right of passenger transport by land, the charge being fixed at twenty to twenty-five cents per league,-twelve to fifteen dollars for the journey between Quebec and Montreal, which occupied three days. The caleche is a gig upon grasshopper springs with a seat for two passengers; the driver occupies the site of the dashboard, with his feet on the shafts and in close proximity to the horse with which he maintains a confidential conversation throughout the journey, alternately complimenting and upbraiding him, and not failing to impress him with the many virtues of his master.

A public mail-stage was established between St. John's and Quebec before the expiration of the last century; but although facilities existed for land travel before the era of steamboats, the water route, where it was downstream or slack water, was generally preferred. Water carriage along the whole frontier from Quebec to Lake Huron, and abundance of snow (east of Kingston) while the navigation was closed, checked the early establishment of a good road throughout. Before the war of 1812, the land route from Montreal westward was broken, not only by the necessary ferries across the Ottawa at Isle Perrot, but by the long ferry in Lake St. Francis, where a horse-boat traversed the slack water, because of the wet land route along the front of Glengary. In 1796, with the exception of about fifty miles, a road had been opened from Montreal to Kingston, and the journey could be made by land from Montreal to Lake St. Francis, and from Cornwall to Prescott, along which latter route the United Empire loyalists, who came in in 1784, had established themselves. The intermediate portions, having slack water or nearly so opposite them, were not completed until the necessity for them was demonstrated by the war of 1812-15.

* The maitres de poste were first recognized by law in 1780, and some half a dozen ordinances and acts were passed in their favor or to control them between that date and 1819, when their privileges ceased.