to have attempted a further advance into the country-that he ought to have assailed the fort, and endeavored to gain possession of the army by which it was defended. The answer to these cavils is simply this: There is no mode or possibility of advancing by land further than Plattsburg, along Lake Champlain ; nor would it be wise to do so (even tho' practicable) without having the command of the Lake, since the communications would be liable to be cut off. From Plattsburg every road to Sackett's Harbour, or elsewhere, is impassable for an Army that has not complete possession, not only of the soil, but of its resources. If, therefore, Sir George had remained at Plattsburg, what would he have gained? He might, indeed, have taken the Fort; but no one advantage could have resulted from it. It was said that the guns of the fort might have assisted our fleet by playing on the enemy's; but not a gun of the fort could have touched either fleet. By storming it, many valuable lives (as is acknowledged on all hands) would have been lost, and cui bono? The greater part of the enemy's army could in the worst event have escaped; and there we should have been, possessing, indeed, the fort of Plattsburg, but losing by the possession. The desertions, that, as it was, were numerous, would then naturally have been far greater; the circumstances of the country rendered an advance impossible. The circumstances of the season would, in a day or two, have rendered it equally impossible to retreat with our heavy cannon; which, even as it was, we had the greatest difficulty in bringing away. The militia of the country were rising en masse, and tho' inefficient in battle, they are most efficient in a harrassing warfare, in interrupting communications. It may then be asked, why did Sir George Prevost defer his advance into the enemy's country until so late a period of the year? I answer, that the troops and supplies sent him by His Majesty's Government did not reach him in time to permit an earlier movement, and that in particular the horses belonging to the artillery (and indispensable to their movement) did not arrive until almost the last moment, altho' they were hurried away from Quebec before they were fit to be put to immediate service Besides which, the forward movement depended, not only on its progress, but in its commencement, on the state of the fleet; and it is a fact that the new ship taken from us was only launched about the time that our troops began to advance. But from this plea it may be concluded, that the fleet was hurried into action before it was ready. This can not have been the case-the Naval Commanders are now, on both Lakes, independent of the Military-they are sole judges of what is necessary and expedient on their element, and if they are overruled it is their own fault, and the blame must still lie with them.

CHAPTER XXIX.

1815. The year 1815 is memorable as closing the series of hostilities that had distressed all the nations of the world for so many years, and which sprung out of the French revolution. The United States had made a treaty of peace with England, executed at Ghent 24 December, 1815. It was received and published at Washington 18 February, 1815, and a copy of it appeared in a Halifax paper of 3 March. Although the war in Europe had ceased, that between England and the U. States still went on during the last months of 1814 The war originated with the party in the United States called democrats, of whom Jefferson and Madison were the chiefs. The federals proposed to follow the policy of Washington and Adams, and were adverse to it. Their ascendancy in New England, and the commercial character of that part of the union, made the war unpopular there. In October, 1814, the legislature of Massachusetts resolved that a convention of delegates should be held on public grievances. 15 December, delegates from Massachusetts, Rhode island, Connecticnt, &c., met at Hartford, and after three weeks' deliberation, reported certain amendments to the constitution of the United States, which they proposed for adoption, and stated many infringements of the reserved rights of the separate States, that had taken place on the part of the president and congress in the conduct of the

war.

Early in December, a British fleet and army proceeded towards the mouth of the Mississippi. Sir Edward Pakenham

landed with about 15,000 troops. On 8 January, 1815, they attacked the Americans, about 12,000 in number, who were intrenched near New Orleans. They were repulsed with terrible loss. General Pakenham was killed-major-generals Keane and Gibbs wounded,—the latter mortally. The American official account states the English loss at 700 killed, 1400 wounded, and 500 prisoners, -total, 2600. The English report was, at first, that the loss on this occasion to our forces was 1500 in all, killed, wounded and missing, and this was general Jackson's own estimate. The English official account returns 291 killed, 1267 wounded, 484 missing,-total, 2042. The American loss is stated by general Jackson as only seven killed and six wounded in this affair on the 8th.

On 15 January, the U. S. ship President, commodore Decatur, was captured by the British squadron off Sandy hook, after a severe engagement between the President and H. M. S. Endymion. In the treaty of Ghent, all territory captured was to be restored. By article 4, the disputed title of Grand Manan, and of the islands in Passamaquoddy bay, under the treaty of 1783, were to be settled by one commissioner on each side, who were to meet at St. Andrew's, N. B. If required, the decision of some friendly sovereign or state was to be resorted to as a final court of appeal. Article 5 provided for the settling and marking the boundaries from the source of the river St. Croix, at the N. W. angle of Nova Scotia, to the river Iroquois or Cataraguy. Commissioners (or, on their disagreeing, some friendly power as referee) were to adjust this line. Articles 6, 7 and 8 provided for fixing the line of boundaries passing through the great lakes of Canada and on to the lake of the woods, so as to settle the title to the islands, &c. This was also to be done by commissioners. Article 9 provided for the termination of all Indian hostility on both sides. Article 10 contained an engagement from both powers to endeavor for the suppression of the slave trade. No mention is made of the fisheries in North America in this document.

Thursday, 9 February, the assembly met, (tenth general assembly, fifth session.) His excellency mentioned the establishment of peace in Europe, and the negociation at Ghent

for terminating the war with America,—' the many blessings' 'this favored province has enjoyed during the long and ardu'ous contest in which our mother country had been engaged 'for the freedom of Europe,' and 'the miseries inflicted on ' 'Upper Canada by the system of desolation pursued there' 'by the enemy.' He tells the assembly that no events had occurred since they last met, to render necessary the calling out the militia, 'excepting a few small detachments for the ' ' defence of some of the most exposed parts of the coast in' 'their own immediate neighborhood,'--that our commerce had flourished and the provincial revenue increased beyond his most sanguine expectations. He recommended to their attention the main roads and bridges, and the present state of the police of Halifax.

Mr. Samuel Hood George, who had come out to Nova Scotia in 1808 with Sir George Prevost, and was made secretary of the province that year, had left Nova Scotia in January, 1812, and died in England in June, 1813, at the early age of 24. The member for the county of Sydney, Mr. Ballaine, was drowned 10 April, 1812, and it seems that Mr. George was, while absent in Europe, elected in his place, as we find Samuel Hood George named as one of the members for Sydney county in the Halifax almanac for 1813; and now, on the first day of the session of 1815, the journal of the house informs us that 'John Cunningham, esquire, returned duly elected as a mem'ber for the county of Sydney, (in the room of Samuel Hood' 'George, esquire, deceased), took his seat,' and the oaths.15 Feb'y. Petitions against Mr. Cunningham's return, one from freeholders, and another from Simon Fraser, a candidate, were received. They complained of the sheriff's not removing the poll on request, from Guysborough to Country harbor.) Several affidavits were annexed. On 14 March, the sheriff of Sydney county, Christian Muller, attended the house, and was examined at the bar, and on consideration of the evidence, the house unanimously resolved to dismiss the petitions. 20 Feb'y. By the public accounts entered on the journal of the house, it appears that at the end of the year 1814 there remained in circulation

The revenue and available funds to the credit of the province amounted to £101,116 6s. 11d., which left a balance of indebtedness against the province of £6,978 18s, 2d.; but as there had been very little spent out of the vote of £73,870, voted previously for extra pay of militia and defence purposes, the true aspect of the finance of the country would result in a balance of about £60,000, probably available in favor of the public. In other words, there was now a disposable fund without incurring debt, and leaving means untouched to pay off the loan, the redeemable paper money, and all demands on the treasury; and this fund or surplus was equal to about the total of any three years' revenue at a very recent period. No doubt the events of war, presence of fleets and armies, and resort and sale of prize ships and goods, had much to do with this result; but the healthy advance of the colony was also greatly a cause of our success in revenue matters.

Many of the black slaves in Maryland and Virginia had availed themselves of the presence of the British navy in Chesapeake bay, and had taken refuge on board the English men-of-war. They were kindly treated by the navy, and most of them taken to Halifax and Bermuda. On the 1 Sept❜r., 1814, H. M. brig Jaseur, captain Watt, arrived here, with a transport, in 10 days from Chesapeake bay. Several hundred of these negroes came in the two vessels. 24 Feb'y., the lieut. governor sent a mes