Chronicle & Gazette (Kingston, ON), July 26, 1834

p.2 St. Lawrence Canal - contracts awarded. [Brockville Recorder, July 25th]

It affords us pleasure to state that the captains of some of the Lake Boats have kindly taken many indigent Emigrants from this port to their destination at the request of the Emigrant Agent here, Mr. Manahan. To Captains Harper and Whitney, of the Steam Boats St. George and Great Britain, especially, we are desired to say he is very thankful for their steady and generous compliance with his request on many occasions.

Just as we were going to press, we heard with indignant feelings a relation of arbitrary conduct on the part of some of the forwarding companies of the St. Lawrence, which, as public journalists, and more especially as Kingstonians, we feel it a duty to reprobate and expose. The steam-boat St. George, during her stay yesterday at Prescott, was not allowed to take any freight from the warehouses of the forwarding companies, and their doors were closed against her. Although she was the first boat to leave port, the goods were put on board the William IV, that does not leave Prescott till this evening, 24 hours later than the St. George. At Brockville, also, a batteau load of emigrants that had just arrived, were detained a day for the William.

This violation of the ordinary custom is said to proceed from revengeful motives - because the St. George carries freight from Kingston to Toronto for 2d. less per cwt. than from Prescott to Toronto; the other steam boats (with what justice we know not) charging as much from Prescott as they do from Kingston, to Toronto - a difference in distance of 70 miles. The goods which the St. George has carried from this port at 10d., have come from Montreal by way of the Rideau Canal, and hence the bitter opposition to the St. George of the forwarders by the St. Lawrence, whose interests suffer from the preference daily given to the Canal; but we may tell these gentlemen that the people of Kingston and their steam boats are not to be put down in this summary way; and we very much doubt whether the merchants of the Upper Country will consent to have their goods detained twenty four hours in order to humor the vindictive feelings of a forwarding company. These feelings have operated so much, as to produce the threat that they would write to their correspondents at the Head of the Lake not to give the St. George any freight on her downward trip. We repeat our conviction that the merchants above Kingston will not countenance such arbitrary, selfish proceedings; they will rather order their goods to be sent by the Rideau, through which route they can get them as soon, and safer and cheaper than by the River.

If measures like this affecting the St. George are persisted in, we are assured that that boat, in connection with the Commodore Barrie, will run from Kingston to Toronto five times a week, making a regular line, via the Rideau Canal, from Montreal to Toronto.

- letter to Editor about Emigrants using Rideau Canal.

p.3 The Stockholders of the Steam Boat Commodore Barrie are requested to meet at the Commercial Hotel, on Friday the 1st August, at 12 o'clock noon, to make such arrangements respecting said Boat as may be deemed necessary.

By order of the Committee,

Thomas Kirkpatrick, Secretary and Treasurer.

Kingston, July 23rd, 1834.