and the Governor, with an assistant, formed a
Court of Chancery. Murders were of more frequent occurrence than other
crimes, and were rarely punished. There were Quakers, Baptists,
Tunkers, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics without places of worship.
The ministers of the Episcopal Church in connection with the Church of
England, were the only clergymen paid by government.

Governor Simcoe's schemes for the improvement of the country and the
development of its resources, are worthy of notice, as being "extremely
wise and well arranged." The central point of the settlements he
designed to be between the Detroit River and the plantations previously
established in Lower Canada, within a square formed by Lake Ontario,
Lake Erie, Detroit River, and Lake Huron. He conceived that Upper
Canada was not only capable of satisfying all the wants of its
inhabitants, but also of becoming a granary for England. He did not
doubt but that the activity of Upper Canada, in agricultural pursuits,
would operate as a powerful example in regard to Lower Canada, and
arouse it from its then supineness and indolence. He conceived that the
vast quantities of sturgeons in Lake Ontario would afford a successful
competition with Russia in the manufacture of isinglass or fish-glue.
The corn trade was, in his opinion, preferable to the fur trade, which
threw the whole trade of a large tract of territory into the hands of a
few. He detested military government without the walls of the forts. To
the Lieutenants of each county he deputed the right of nominating the
magistracy and officers of militia. A justice of the peace could
assign, in the King's name, two hundred acres of land to every settler,
with whose principles and conduct he was acquainted. The Surveyor of
the District was to point out to the settler the land allotted to him
by the magistrate. He did not care to enlarge his territory at the
expense of the Indians. It appeared to him that a communication between
Lakes Huron and Ontario might be opened, by means of the St. Joseph's
river, which would relieve the fur traders of the Far West from the
navigation of the Detroit River, of Lake Erie, of the Niagara River,
and of a great part of Lake Ontario, and would disappoint the United
States in their hope of receiving, in future, any articles across the
Lakes, situated above Lake Huron. He was further of opinion, that a
direct communication, the idea now entertained by the Honble. John
Young, of