Governor Parr in his letter to England of November 20th, 1783, says, "upwards of 25,000 Loyalists have already arrived in the Province, most of whom, with the exception of those who went to Shelburne, came to Halifax before they became distributed throughout the Province." Again in his letter of 15th January, 1784, he says, "In consequence of the final evacuation of New York,[47] a considerable number of refugee families have come to Halifax, who must be provided for at the public expense. They are in a most wretched condition, destitute of almost everything--chiefly women and children, all still on board the vessels, and I have not been able to find as yet any place for them, and the cold is setting in very severe."[48] [Footnote 47: New York was finally evacuated by the British Troops on the 25th November, 1783.] [Footnote 48: NOTE.--Tradition says that the town was then so crowded by refugees and soldiers, that the cabooses from the transports were removed from the vessels, and ranged along Granville Street in rear of Government House, for the accommodation of the people.] On the 20th October, 1784, an advertizement appeared in a Halifax paper, for sale, "All that land near the entrance of the harbour and opposite to Cornwallis' Island, called Mauger's Beach, containing by particular grant 5 acres according to the plan attached to the grant." This beach had been formerly occupied for curing fish, and had buildings erected thereon for that purpose.[49] [Footnote 49: The tower now on Mauger's Beach was not built until about the commencement of the present century.] The Penal Statutes had been repealed in 1783. The Roman Catholics in the town, chiefly emigrants from Ireland, having become numerous, purchased a piece of ground in Barrington Street, where they built a Chapel, which was dedicated to St. Peter. The frame was erected on 19th July, 1784, and many of the inhabitants, both Protestants and Roman Catholics, attended the ceremony. This building stood in from the street, directly opposite the head of Salter Street. It was painted red, with a steeple at the western end. It was removed in or shortly after Bishop Burke's time, on the completion of the new stone church, now St. Mary's. The Rev. Mr. Jones was the first officiating priest. The Rev. Edmund Burke, who came from Canada, officiated at St. Peter's for many years before he was appointed Bishop. A number of emigrants arrived in Halifax this year from England. Three hundred passengers came in the Sally transport, in a great measure destitute of clothing and provisions. Fresh provisions became very dear, and the merchants of Halifax had flour up to £3 10s. per cwt. The Governor and Council, in consequence, ordered the admission of provisions from the United States to afford relief to the inhabitants.