New Brunswick's chief wealth is her great forests; and her two chief industries, lumbering and ship-building, soon sprang up: but agricul ture languished. Population followed the waterways, the natural timber roads from the interior. Down to the time of the Crimean War, the timber trade was fostered by British legislation. The province grew, but not stead ily; periods of prosperity were followed by periods of depression. Many emigrants brought out by the timber-ships simply passed through to the United States. The Reciprocity Treaty of 1852 was a boon to the Maritime Provinces: its abrogation injured trade.
During the War of 1812, the provinces were harried by privateers; but they were not in vaded, like Upper Canada, because New Eng land was opposed to the war. In the provincial sea-ports privateering also throve. Dalhousie College was founded with customs money taken at Castine by an expedition from Halifax. After 1815, settlers from the United States be gan to occupy disputed territory between New Brunswick and Maine. The boundary between the two, left vague by the treaty of 1783 almost led to war. The northwest line was to run due north from the source of the Saint Croix River to the height of land between the Saint Law rence and the Atlantic. Instead of one chain of high lands, there are two chains : between them lay the disputed territory, comprising some 12,000 square miles. Under the Jay treaty of 1794, a commission was appointed to determine the line. The Americans wished to extend the due-north line to the Metis River in Quebec: the British wished to make Mars Hill the limit, and they could not agree. Another attempt at settlement was made by the Treaty of Ghent. The King of the Netherlands was appointed arbitrator, but his award was not accepted. In 1839, the difficulty became acute. Some lumber thieves cut timber on the debatable land; the governor of Maine sent a sheriff and posse to drive them out, and New Brunswick lumbermen resisted the officers of the law. The squabble roused intense feeling on both sides. The gov ernor of Maine called for 10,000 troops to guard the State's rights. The governor of New Bruns wick, Sir John Harvey, sent two line regiments with artillery and volunteers to the scene of action. Nova Scotia voted all her militia and f100,000 to aid the sister colony; the Canadas also proffered help. Gen. Winfield Scott took command of the American forces. He and Sir John Harvey had fought against each other in the War of 1812. Tkey agreed to a joint occu
pation of the disputed territory; and the war cloud blew by. In 1842, Mr. Baring for Eng land, and Webster for the United States, negotiated a treaty that at last delimited the frontier. On the disputed territory, Maine got 7,000 and New Brunswick 5,000 square miles. Mr. Baring was made Lord Ashburton for his success, and the treaty is known by his title.
One peculiarity of the colonial status was the appointment of colonial officials by the home government. New Brunswick's case is typical. The governor, the attorney-general, the pro vincial secretary, the judiciary, the customs and Crown land officials were all appointed from England and paid out of the revenues arising from the customs and Crown lands. In 1825, the Legislature was given control of the cus toms, when it soon discovered that nearly all the revenue went out in salaries. Not until 1848 did the province both receive the revenues and fix the salaries of this department. In 1837, the province took over the revenue arising from the Crown lands on condition of paying the governor, the judiciary and the other govern ment officials. The last department to come under provincial control was the post office.
As in other colonies, the irresponsible coun cil became an abuse, and many were the con tests between it and the assembly. In 1832, a second council was established with executive, but not legislative functions. This was done by the home government in its desire for uniform ity in the colonial governments; but the parlia mentary principle of majority rule with an executive council or cabinet to carry out the will of the majority were slow in being understood. It was six years later before the executive in cluded a member of the elected assembly. Slowly the province worked out the problem of self-government. In 1839, when Sir John Harvey read to his legislature, Lord John Russell's despatch on tenure of office, and un like the governor or Nova Scotia was in accord with its proposals, the assembly, after full de bate, actually refused the boon of responsible government. In 1848, however, the modern system was in essential particulars recognized by formal resolution. Charles Fisher, and L. A. Wilmot, afterward judge and lieutenant governor, were the leading reformers, and two of the royal governors, Sir Howard Douglas and Sir John Harvey, were in complete sym pathy with the popular movement.