eno so , On the 42nd clawae being read, Hon. Mr. Ding Mayistra her ay Ww otiected to tt ett acer ene te i } ety legislation, will, at the same time, enjoy the aud be profitable to, the country at m contidence of, - q 2 By oe 2 ee through private property ferthes Hon. Mr. BINGW bt, — i yong itt purpose of dratutug at od, after some desultory introdaced, i. Was sue owt Me 4 ue - ‘th wel ale “* ‘ wae amegded by tus he word “iw@® the peraple vrentet pry vile rest at, } anh fiowse resuuted, anid prurress re porte one-third of the p prtiario Dic pa ss Sate he Bill to ineerporate the Minister and Trosees privilege of voting, l » re Ne r hey Bg i he Presbyterian ¢ _ Elaee Biv Lot Bo, ) wriments enn bé made to ay \ : He KN . € pro ‘ over this Board: but when a muy ; was then committed and agreed te without anendment Che tious then wen » coreg rent te 1 , ; es a 7 " porate the Victor Lanige of Free Masons.) commupaty, witisth saw tat the peo} le in the A on. Mr RAMSAY—-Frou Py at Lhave seen and) country regard theit owths, and they wi | not swear mt yy og vane du vw imaiv ito a Quetifiertion nuless their property is worth A ee? in ‘ iv fi we ‘ aa LY a ‘ ‘ ‘ } mates Cheeee eee: ha pot tr pitine an Act more than £100 1 do not suppose that it is the m wo pure ged perfect tial bey ah ftention of your Honors to dy an injustice to the | or tis batere +} i } ae ast re tg a sha ae i, ae Hou. the PRESIDENT.1 am glad to hear tl people ; and [am happy te hear that his Honor Mr > % ome exalted op ni} Palme ieves that this Coaneil, us at present | fatten hus such an ‘ ’ “ hix Herer Mr. Ra iv bus su y agg ' e | coustit enjoes the evalidence of the people. . ; vii We @ ! ‘ i . / : of Freee Mason ; ee Be Now, we are on the eve of x general election, and this acti ” the man S wigh —— , ey ‘ se avreat dead of exeitement to lmve an t we have sone us eat : ' i age ‘ a ¥ se ft v or with unbelie ve bie ou th Hoyses im one ver Which will be vith men ol tlue W ; . ae . an ot ot | the - ‘a Bill paswes: nor do 1 think our Re a t » at t ‘ , a 4 z may use that tern ‘ ~~ ‘ a huppy ¢ ey ec isita fit «s e tu bear the expense i be thes nature i me amuary iL. a ee si : ok a ce oan ~@ } nor to the my ~ is ; eee ni er hianve e money laid out im improve ee let him rick vi thre or git on i i‘ ' e } rthy S mile Ww sand break-waters. I[ de not pg beeen a eee nm rted Bil! ree e why we should interfere with wha 4s already theuse Peau tue “ wane wall. sucel © ae o objection to the power te Wihucul auy ane tusehy p Hye ay weet Weostspay, Mh Apr Hon. Mr. JAMSAY—When the Bill was before 4 | n ter he Ke Ril! to incorporacé the Minister and Ti evs of | Us last year, ¢ Lelieve L was he vower of the Re ; ” ae a Chireh Fltiot River, Lot 65, ane solution to have the Member « plaice of residenee or ey a oles Vi i Lad of Bre # property « wiitiention in the District for which he Ao hal u tt i sed » was elect it ough 1 am sill of the same Masons were reud the third tine and passed | t -” "7 f the Fxeeut Yon. y your Hono -s think at it would be Hon. Mr. Palmer, a Member of the xe% ve i iat sonte bs Counell, by commuted of His Exeelleney the Lieu mrrewerny wr the py eg : ! oe beds tenant Geverper, lsid on the tuble eopies of two! not conteud rit, forl ema e | i Jespatehes from His Grace the uke of x weastle ; one Pélating to the expenses of the Land Couns sion, the other to the Appewdix to the Land Com juissioher’s Report. Hon. Mr. PALYWER--I regret, Mr that we have not obtained a copy of the Appendix, Counc to the Report of the Land Commissione rs, wii supposed to coptuin a great di al useful tereatiug information; but t! pleasiag one. His hxce/lency ’ to the Celovial Odice for it, and the reply was tha only one copy had been received at that Otce it hud wot been printed. His Excelleney ti: nude an application to the Conuntssigne wig egugdent will be more surcessf id is t ' ‘ ot and in ie reaeon is a Ve ry rade all ap) auton i at ita S sitice liperial Ggvernment in co the Gonuniesioners fu addition to that whic were formerly promised now, when cack, ef the. Comnuss LW in pla ce of £ WO) that they are ove rpaid weet spen e they onems receives When the basiftess connected with the Commission, we canes say that they have received tuo mach. With | ceruction of the constitution of this Houre. respeeb ty the requesi of His Gruce to remitthe £201) pon, promised to our Commissioner, | have to say that nimount has already beeu rewmitted, Mr. Howe when he was eu the Island Jast sumiwer The Hume Goverdineut wil! return to this Island) yo more of them. } «pfre »on the Bill] will certainly i President, nnel rs, which 1! of St le fore I sit) wl down LT cannot but acknowledge the hberality et the! Pycellen itr Hing aM BAMOUNE LO | hog 1 do not think that even tive to a Jt was paid 104 serncted yp he tapeter qtr! re "100 is unvehise it lange portion of the se es } : Veet mh ot required ef the electors, it aist I weuld rather extend th an comutraet their privileges Hen. the PRESIDENT—My opinion upen this he sae as that which bexpressed last year, and Pmay add that it has always been fanwed with regard to the constitution of this |. Theretore I do not look upon this Bill v more favor than | looked upon the Bill of with at last ye Lust year we admitted the principle ef i ll. reserving to ourselves the right to offer such amendmentsas we thought proper We ollered thease amendments, but they we not earried We sulnitted protests rvatlone been calied fe ainst this Bill, and T be of His Grace the Secretary ria by Those } i no doubt but His Lientenant Governor forwarded ttention to then a live that the obse te have rrotests ich we } red; f have ats to His Grace, calling his a t weing to stand here as an obstrac e for the geod of the country. 1 J papority of the Llouse of sit the pring iple of this bill; La HY hhewusty! cmbly have acceded tot pues. ¥ that they left their own business, andd par Tam not pr pared to say that a large majority week after week iu this Island, and afterWardss of the inhabitants of the Colony have asked for the ju Nova Seotia and New Brunswick, attending to) easure 1 would ask vour Honors to point to one expression of public opinion demanding a recon it is " +e} ' there is a little po! tewn which says that this Conneil shall be recon it was organized for special purposes, and when those parposes ave accomplished we will hear It was through this clique that the anvaut paid to Me. Waitwan, aad will alse pay | this Bill came before your Honors, and surely your ull the other expenses of the Coumissign, will ibe) pf nors are not | exception, I suppose, of the Coansel ou behalé of But for my hon the Tenatttry Puis shows that they are not theughi joss of. as; taey have exten, very praiseworthy. prepared to yield to stich ‘a cliqne te friend to say that this measure has been asked for by the ccantry is most ¢ Xtraordinary . led a liberality which is) | jaye not seen ove single petition asking for it Then his Honor Mr. Simpson appears before your How, Mr. PALMER, on rising to move the order) Honors nud tells ns that this House shall be inde of the day for the yecoud reading of the * Bill to chanye the constitution of the Leyislutive Council, bv rendering the same élective,” said — This Bill, Mr. Péesideitt, as you are aware, is a copy of the Bill passed hast year, exeept that it adopts the modi ficatiqns saggested by His Grace the Dake of New castle. Your Honors are well aware of what is con tained fh fis Grace’s despatch — that he aecedes to} wi thre principle of an elective Levislative Council; aad the Bibl having pissed this House last your with such lagge majority, L hardly expect to find any | ' yeeat dis uce of apinion how as to the elective they give ; priueiple being appheable to this Chamber. hurdly mecessary has Bet any change. before | came to the conclusion that the elective | peop principle would be applicable to the careumstances | of this Colony; but my experience in both nnepchas war i of the Eégishitare bias Couvineed me that tis. | Lelie ve thete are apy persons who entertain a dif ferent opiniog ; but if phey were expericaced in practical legislation, I think they would be iuduced to vive Way to the principle of this Dill. upeu it tha: the Colory way do well enoug ways be liable to a collision as parties change inthe other branch of the Legislature. As this Council js constituted at preseut, J think Lmay sufely say | to make it now! that it étfjogs the contidence of the country, aud we are C:sposed ve deweun ourselves so as to prevent a) be collision with the other brauch; but this is a desi rable suste of umutors whiel cunnot al wavs be cul- culated upon; for as loog as uuiversal sutirage isin | If vou do so you will find that it be | to the best interests of this Colony. j to the details of the Bill, 1 will say nothing at pre- | Now, ] think it | sent—we will have an opportunity when the House | bat [ wish to say a word with re- operation we canuot tell what changes tay broaght aboat. There taay then be an urgent de nutnd for w ehange in this Coeneil. is better, whale we have tke Colonial Minixter with | ix in committee ; F i L think this Bill is | ference to thé Despatch. \ is I was one of those who| serves credit for the amplification which he has} ' j has his own ideas on the | us, to take him. at bis oller. framed oy safe principles, voted fast year for uuiversal suffrage, or more pro verly we to elect mewbers for the House of Assem- bly. That epanien was notoriginally my own; bat I yave wag de thoge with whom Lam associated. I see very clearly the torce of His Grace's sugges: tious ta nurse a qnalitieation in the electors, and also that ic wouldnot ve advisable to require a property lt is| to bear on Members of the other | mé t may that my own mind! often have to give votes contrary to their conscien- h for a) ors will say that it was ne - *4 . "vr e+! 7. time with & nonnative Council; but we will al-| tageous to the country. , te have no qualificition but whatis | subj pendent both of the Crown and of the People tor a Do net your Honors fee! as indepen lives? Where is he Crown or the For my part, limited time. dent now as you ever did in your the slightest ‘pressure of either t People as we are now constituted I have never felt the slizhtest. this House being dependent now, or to say that it li be independent of the people w hen it will have to be elected every four When the Members of this Honse are elected, they will have to account to the people for every Vote and some of us know the pressure made They e ’ yeurs, is shere nonsense. louse. It was a longtime | ces; therefore, to talk of being independent of the le, when you ure elected by the people, is shere nonsense. Then his'Honor Dr. Jolson comes for- land says that this measure is best adapted to the circumstances of the. country. agree with his Honor; and I think if he had more experience, he would be of a different opinion. And if this Biil go into operation, 1 am coutident, that J jook | before three or foar years elapse, each of your hon- | t calenlated to be advan- What! Do we not ylory in our constitution being assimilated to the glorions constitation of Britain! Whatare you endeavoring You are endeavoring to nssimi- late it te the constitution of a neighboring Repub lic; and what is that Republic now? Itis shivered ulmost to atoms; and why sheuld we assimilate onr constitution to it even in the slightest degree ? | will be injurious With regard I think His Grace de- given the subject. He ect; and the language of the Despatch is wor- thy of a Statesman. I would ask if the Honse of Assembly has curried out the sugyestions of that Despateli, oue of which is—*1 would enforce a tolerebly high qualification with regard to the elect- ors. 13s. 4d. sterling will be considered a tolersh!; Ligh jinen fe eome I ly: eut off from the |melnbers for this Howse, | could | tical elique in Charlotte. | To talk then about | And do yon suppose that the sum of £66) qualifieajop with reference to the elected. Now, it | qualification? If you think His G.ave will be sa- is true thatthe warch of progress has induced a great | tistied with it, I think you will fiud that you ure change Ta “e miuds of the British people us to do-| mistaken, If I thought that the country really de ing away with property qualifications. Thirty sired this measure, I would break down everv bar- ‘ 6 tid wan would have thought that they | rier iu order that they might obtain it; but I do not would have geceded to such a fandamental change | think they desire it. Nor do I think it is necessary iu the aueu. And if we look at it fairly | in order to facilitate the business of the country. 1 and i ite We wust see that if the electors are | think the public business has always been carried well q lifted” pew, they will be likely to exercise | on in this House—I say in this House, with as much their privilege’ tu sacha way as to return men of | despatch as necessary. IT have always been of sound and safe primeiples, whether the elected have | opinion that the Members of this Honse should not any property qualilication or uot. Property alone, | be paid: but while [ adwit the principle of the Bill as general rule, does not constitute sound judy- | 1 am confident that the details will not be satistac- ment, thoagh men who possess real estate are not factory, should it ever become Jaw in its present that meVing transitory «et of persons who would be | shape. ? are ; objectionahie as electors for meimbers for the wpper Hon. Mr. HUTCHINSON—I am really surprised Chamber, whieh in tle words of the Duke of New- | to sce the chanye that has come over the minds of castle, should represent the staid and settled senti-| hou. Meubers since last year. Last year they were meuts of the people rather than their transitory im-| for haying the peepee y, of candidates to an enor- pulses. Tam quite prepared to adopt his Grace's | mous height i done all I could te have their a Views in this respect... Phe Bill fixes th. qnalitica- | perty qualitication as low as possible. Again they tion of the electors at £100. I do not know whe-| were determined to bave the Members confined to ther there were epy division in the other House | their own counties. New, all are gone from that. with respect to this amount; nor ata I quite certain | If we are to be governed by the Duke of Newcastle what opinions the members of this House may have | in this way, I think he might just as well have ou that point. Is is not « vital principle, however, | written the law for us; but I think there are people as long as there isa tolerably high qualification the | here who know just as well as the Duke what suits ‘end is gained. There is another point on which | the circumstances of the country. Are we to sub- this Bill differs from the one which was passed last | uit to the dictation of the Secretary of State for the year. By the Bill of lust year the member was re-| time being, whi is in office for a few years, a few quired te bave his place o! residence or his property | mouths, or, it may be, only a few weeks, and pass qualifiegyion iu the distzic. Jor which he was eleci-| any law which he thinks desirable!) In wy opinion ed; and there was aconsiderable ditference of opin-| this Board has already consented to the elective jon on this point. Ide not thinkthe member should/ franchise. When the Liberal party were in power be confined to* the county er district. I consider | they ugreed te have what I may eall universal suf I ve, and they Jost power by it. When this Bill s brotight forward, the present party adopted the sulfrave. The Bill came up here And now, to turn round all at » obedience to the dictates of the Dnke of - fication is more than [ can consent to. I gpinion that the candidates should have a pretty high qualification, but not too high. His e says no, we must have the qualification in ? Now, | think we have a right to und Lhope the that it is a privilege to allow the electors to choose | tra No stranger can | Wa a man in the county or out of it. be elected without their consetit and sanction. They have the be prod pin not, and that is sufficient. On the other hand, if there ve a majority who clearly see | Neweastie, and say that we must have # high pre that theré is 4 certain vezth wan who lives beyond | petty quali the bounds of the district, whose principles ‘they | am still of thighly approve of, and whose ability and integrity | can rely upon, it would surely be a privilege | Grae allowed to select him. I think it would be a} the electors. luny to be very impolitic law that would prohibit his election. ye know that Englishmen are frequently returned rom constituencies in Ireland, and there are some instauces Of men from Ireland being returned from ecoustityencies in England and in Seotland. Why is it so? Simply because they think those men can serve them better, It is therefore a privilege to the ower toxay whether Mr. So-and So shall | aud we adopted it. } | | | sume universal once, judge for ourselves in this matter ; Members of thix Board will not be swayed by the | dictates of His Grace. : Hon. Mr. DINGWELL—I would like to hear the opinions of the country members. For my part I do not think the people in the country desire an elective Council. Hon. Mr. ANDERSON—I think the people in electors. aud I would allow them to exercise i. 1| am not partieyJarly wedded to the details of the | the country do desire it. [ supported the measure BM. Oi parties wish to modify the details witout) Jast year, and I intend to do so again. endangering the Jill, J slyall uot oppose them; but} Hon. Mr. WALKER—My opinion is that if the I hope that, for the suke of the eyuntry, the Bill| mnajority of the people in the country desired an will be passed throngh both branches,with as little | efective Council, they would have petitioned for it. change ws possible, because J am assured, from what) There ure some very great objections to this meas 1 hear and know, that this Bill is as nearly adapted | ure; one of which is that it will be attended with io the circumstances and state of the cougtry as itis) @ great deal of expense; and I do not possible for us to frame a Bill. It will put an end! Rewenue js in a fit state to warrant the expenditure. ly very serious questions which have risen, an | But if the country will be benefitted by it, they may rise in With regurd to the constitution of! will have to pay for it. However, | admitted the this pani a If the constitution of this Council is) principle of the Bill last year, and I have no par- changed im the mapner coutemplated by this Bill, | ticular objection to do the same this year. we may take it for granted that we will mever hear; Hon. Mr. PALMER-—I rise, Mr. President, to such questions again as have arisen heretofore. 1) make a few obeervations in reply to what bas fallen need ouly add that { have no doubt but if this Bill) from two or three hon. members. And first to his become law, ia }13 present shape, it will give sutis-| Jlonor Mr. Dingwell, whose principal objection is, faction tothe people of this Colony ; and I trust; that this Bill linits the privileges of the people, be- that it will give proof of its utility. This Council) cause it does not ex.end to universal suffrage. The will thew earn the gratitude of the country at large +] privileges of the pec vile, it is true, will not be so for whey geptlemen are se j think our | of sueb pere and didvterestod patrivtism they will reestve the pruise and esteem of their fellow coun- try menu, ton. Mr. SIMPSON, on rising to second the mo- tion for the séeund ng of the Bill, said—It ix eu actiug from motives; extensive as Was con. ¢mplated by the Bill of last vear; but surely his Monor willadmit that it will be @ vast increase to their privileges when compared with what they now enjoy. I believe in the old saying that it is better to 1 ike justice by instalments than not get it at all. Mow ure the Members of unnecesssry for we, Mr. President, after the remarks | this Board appointed at present? When a vacancy made, aud explanuion given by his Honor, the | oecurs,it js made known to His Excellency, who, jender of the Government, to enter into any parti- eulars. The principle of the, Bill, as you are aware, has beeu weeeded to by His Grace the Duke of Neweaslée. Hix Grace has also condescended to uke certain soggestions respecting the details of the ipill, gud by wujeb, if they are adopted, it will! be slixhiuy wetted, jam disposed to adopt those sigyestivus. I think the principle laid down by His Grace is a very sound one. Sle wishes to have the qualification jn the elvetors, not in the elected. There is gue ¢lanse, however, ju this Bill, which was not ig the Hill of last year, which has uot been s.iguested by His Grace the Secretary of Stute, and Lo whieh Jaw not iaclined to accede. That is to tue eect that Mewbers of this House, accepting of- fiee shal) forfeit their seats. J do not think there is guy precedent in the British Constitution for, or an analogy tothe House of Lords, in this chuse. tt 18 the vpition of Wis Grace that this Hyase should hyld an independent position in any emergency that might arise. Lt is adiuitied that there is a necessity fur an Upper Chamber ; and, if we look at that Branch of the British Parliament which we are supposed Lo reseimble, We see that it is indepeudent of any con- stitueney. “The principle of haviug wu Levislgtiye Coaneil elveted for life, has been discussed, the ob ject beiuy W have that Braneh independent both of tue Crown and of the peo le. Now, if this Bill wo ito opersiion with that clause ju its present shape, = gortlotnas who should be elected to a seat in tis House, aad should be afterwards led to acces Hu dilice, would be rendered doubly respousible vo ut the next meeting of the k¥eeutive Council, in- forms that body that Mr. So-acd-So has vacated his seat, and asks if amy member has any person to suggest. Well, I way please io nominate Mr. A. B.; another member will nomin: te Mr. C.D. His Excellency considers the watter, «nd tinds that they are both suityble persons; le hus uo objection to either. He then puts the question —which sball be the man? and when a division is t’ ken, fonr mem- bers appear for A. B., and five for 0. 1). His Ex- eellency must then decide in favor of C.D. The appointment is they made by His E:eelleney, and five members of hie Government. Surely there is a wide comparison between the privileges of the people in this cause apd that which it is contemplat- ed to give them by the provisions of this Bill, when every man in the Colony whose property is worth £100 currency, will have a voice in appoimting hia. There is a very murked distinction. ‘This is the way it restriets the liberties of the people. Jt has been urged us an objection by his Honor the Presi dent, that this measure has not been asked for by the country; but I think his Monor’s memory does not serve him, or mine dees not serve me; for it strikes me that petitions have been received from the country asking for the change. But it is imma- terial whether petitions haye been received or not, for the feelings of the country are known and ex- wessed through their representatives. It is well ‘nown that they have been urged to pass this mea sure. and when we find a large majority in the uw : t le Wo | Hey-e of Assembly contending for it, we may take pede sa ty Kf epurse would destroy the in. | it for granted that it is desived by the people. If it oy De JOHNAO of the Legislature. only emanated frou a clique ig Charlottetown, we : NSON— After nature retleetion on | woud make very little progress with the measare the Lill pumed last year, iny judginent is confirpaec with relerence to tue elo ee! le, as aed Lo the Upper Chomber, being eatin the r, 4 oa Ju ity present mate. I have yot only made ap uv mind with regard to the prineiple of the Bill, but J copsider that the alteratious which layy been suguestet by His Grace the Duke of Newcastle,are good ; gud we should be thankfal to His Gree tor 48 well as for weeeding making bose stions the Bill, so that we tay have ap bo tie principle a Lyyer Chgmber which, wile it is a chess upow threugh this House ; and bthink vou will find that the # spporters of the Bill in the Honse of Assembly are Hol Composed of u Charloteiown cliqne Hop. the PRESIDENT—I did not say that the — clique represenved the inhabitants of Char- OLLela Wi. tioy, Mr. PALMER—I fee} assured that if the matter rested with the people and with the influence ot Charloitetowa, this mensure would not be asked for, Aud if this Council were to coutinge as it is at present coustityied, it would be induc eaced Lo iw’ extent by Charlottetown’ than it is at for it is u very onerous burden for gentle here and attend to the public business | ln fact, they are conferring | grenter present 4 at their own expense ’ a fayour upon the Government of the \ they It J were called upon to nominate soon fll it up wath Ipergons trom Charlottetown. But we know the lregult ; there would soon be an oulery rused from both parties in the qvuntry. So then this measure lig asked by the eguntry, not by ¢ harloftetown, fhe Political Allinuce is composed of mcmbers in Charlottetown whe endeavour 1 yet nequainted iwith the feelings pf the country, and thatis the lxeeret of their success. [anust say that his Honor, Mr. Hutedinson, has commented “yery severely on the members of this House tor following too ¢ losely the dictates of the Colonial Minister. Now, 1 must suy that Lam not anxious to follow subserviently the dictates of the Seeretary of State merely because they enuiate trom that source ; but [ never despise good counsel, espe cially when it is olfered by friends, and -L believe the Dake is a true frend Phat Despateh is not written lia dictatorial tone, but breaths a warm feeling which shows that he hus the interest of the Colony at heart. He may be wrong, and T may be wrong in advocating this Bill; but take what 1 believe to be the eXpression of opinion of a large portion ot the inhabitants. : 1 think Lam perfeetly justitied in voting for this Bill and seizing the suggestions thrown out by that Statesman, even though he happensto be the Duke lof Neweustle. Again, the Bill is objected to on account of the expense which will attend its opera tion, and perhaps this is one of the strongest objections to it. It will add very materially to our expenses, Which already exceed our ineome ; not that any of our Public Oticers are over paid; bat I I believe we have too large a number of Kepresenta tives. Por that reason the expenses of the Legisla ture are largely swelled. But though it does add expense, if the principle is a sound one, und is really necessary, then the expense should not be lyruuibled at. It will have to be paid by the people who demand the measnre. They cannot turn round jund suy here is un item Which should not be in- curred. J] think, however, t amendment, or additional clause, when the House is lin committee, it is with regard to the mode of holding serautinies. L have seen that the present system wogks With great disadvantage to all parties who are honestly inclined, I have seen a serutiny held by a Sheriff when party feeling was not attempted to be disguised, and where perjury was altuoxt commended. Men were induced to swear tulsely, and the Shereff had no power to control the Court. If there be an election fora member for this House, and it is considered that bad votes have turned it against him, he should have a fair trial l whether they are good or bad. If the power were jiavested in one of the Judges of the = Court jin place of the Sheritf, 1 think it wou d be an im- | provenic ne. Hon. Mr. HUTCHINSON— Adopt the same mode with the House of Assembly too. 5 Hon. Mr. PALMER—Yes, with the House of Assembly too. And I would say that the Juilges’ decision should be final. It depends upon deeds and titles--it is purely a question of law —the do so , value of the property must be determined by living | witnesses. The Judges are not over worked. | ‘would give the Judge the same power tomaintain order as he holds in the Supreme Court. we might expect to sce justice prevailing ; for the Judges are sworn to act impartially, and they would act without political bias in holding a seru- tiny equally as ia trying a political libel in the Su- preme Court, Hon. Mr. GARDINER—I have heard a great deal both for and against the Bill, and Iam pre- pared to support the principle, but I do not pro- inise to support all the details. [ beheve this Bill } is carrying out the wishes of the people; but at} the same time I scarcely agree with one of your ‘}lonors Who have spoken as to the qualitication of the electors. I think tke qualification should be higher; aud when the House go into Comimittee, I will move that it be £150. 1 do not think that | will be tee high, if you want to secure intelligent electors, for tue poor are generally the iguorant. _A wan who comes here, and gets hold of a small | piece of land, and who is ou the Island tor twelve Now, I cannot inonths, has just as much to say as one Who has | 1839, p 108.) been here all his life. 1 therefore contend that ‘the qualification should be higher than it is. Ido uot exactly know what His Grace means by a that he will cousider £100 currency tolerably high. House adjourned. t i SPRING. A flash of green is on the boughs, A warm breath pauteth in the air, Aud in the earth a heart-pulse there Throbs underneath her breast of snows. Life is astir among the woods, And by the moor, aid by the stream, ‘The year, as from a torpid dream, Wakes in the suushine vv the buds. ' Wakes up iu musie as the song Of wood bird wild aud loosen’d rill More frequent from the windy hill, Comes grecuing forest aisles along. | | Wakes up in beanty as the sheen Of woodland pool the gleams receives Through bright tlowers o'er bruided leaves, Of broken suniights, golden green. | She sees the outlaw’d winter stay } Awhile, together after hin | Suew robes, frost-crystulled Giadem, j And then iu soft siowers pass away. | She could not love rongh winter well, Yet cunnet choose but mourn hina vow ; Se wears awhile on her young brow His gifi—u gleaming icicle. | | } + Then turns her, loving, to the sun, Upheaves her bosoms swell to his, And, in the joy of his first kiss, Forgets for aye that sterner oue. } j | Old winter’s pledge from her he reaves— That icy-cold, thengh glittering spar— And zoues her with a green cymar, And girdles round her brow with leaves. | The primrose and wor xl-violet He tangles in her shining hair, And teaches elfin breezes fair To sing her some sweet cunzonet. All promising long summer hours, When she in bis embrace shall lie, Under the broad dowe of bright sky, Ou mossy couches sturr'd with flowers, Till she smiles back again to him The Leanty beaniing irom his face, Aud, robed ia light, giows with tue grace Of Eden-palaced cherubim. O earth, thy glowing loveliness Around our very hearts has thrown Au undimmed joyance all its own, And sunned us o'er with happiness. CORRESPONDENCE, MORAL DEGRADATION IN SWEDEN. No. ll. To tHE Eptron or turk EXamIner. Dean Str—As certain parties are leaving no ef- i= | | | fort untried to excite the prejudices of the Protestants | of this Island againat their Catholic fellow-colonists, | by representing the people of Catholie countries as | naturally more ignorant and more iramoral than ‘those of Protestant ones, I may be permitted to prove to our Protestant friends that sueh is not the ‘case. “In my last letter I showed too clearly the state of deplorable ignorance in which millions of the inhabitants of Great Britain live; in the present jcommunication I purpose to show, from the most | respectable Protestant source, the deplorable state of morals in Sweden, the most Protestant country in the world; buat before dojng so I shall make a few observations on Lower Canada, which Mr. Laird and other writers of the same class cease not to stigmatize as being ignorant and superstitious. | You are aware, Sir, that Lower Canada is chiefly Catholic,and Upper Canada chiefly Protestant. Now, I doubt whether there is a more yoral people ini Christendom than the French Canadjans of Lower Canada; they are at least very, very dar superior in this respect to the Protestants of Upper Canada. That this is the case, I shall very clearly show by the most satisfactory of proofs, viz., figures. From the “ Annual Report of the Board of In spectors for Asylums, Prisons, &c. for 1861,’’ pub- lished by order of the Government of Canada, we jearn, that on the 3lst Dee., 1860, there were in the Kingston Penitentiary —‘ the common receptacle of the moral guilt of both sections of the Province’ — 529 Protestant convicts, and 254 Catholic convicts. During 1860, 255 convicts were discharged ; of this number 161 were Protestants and 94 Catholics. Of the 784 conviets in the Penitentiary, Upper Canada furnished 586 and Lower Canada 198, If the upper section of Canada is not duly represented in the Provincial Parliament, it certainly is in the Kings- ton Penitentiary. The following is a table of the number of ‘‘ Convicts received in the Provipcial Penitentiary," from 1856 to 1860, published at page 7: Year. Upper Canada. Lower Canada. 1X56 194 so 1857 ly 49 1858 238 67 pS59 226 30 1s60 lor 6a Total 1004 Qs9 From these official siatistics we learn that Protes- tant Upper Canada, the population gf which very little exceeds that of Lower Canada, retarns yearly to the Provincial Penitentiary more than two bun- dred representatives, whereas the latter returns not quite fifty-eight. I think it is quite evident from this that the people of Lower Canada are not more |explain the ethical puradox of enlightened Upper day when! mutes for the Penitentiary as hat I shall offer one | Then | tolerably high qualification, bat I do not suppose | ers with the above statistics and labored under the delusion that Protestant countries ure superior to others in every respect, and will pro- Canada, farnishing nearly four times as many in-| bably have the effect of shaming Mr. Laird and bis j “benighted”’ Lower | assistants into silence regarding the “ ignorance and | superstition of Romish countries, andthe results of Laird favor his read | Canada! fod those who speak so sneeringly of the igno- | Catholic education, It would be well for evange rance of the French Canadians aware that there are | Heal witnesses te cast the beam out of their own in Lower Canada a great number of edycational es- | eyes before they volunteer their services to pluck tablishments among which ave no fewer than at} the mote ont of those of their neighbours. 1 have the honor to be, &c., A. McDONALD. St. Dunstan's College, April Lith, 1862. To THE Eprrok OF THE EXAMINER, Sm—In a commupication ever my signature in hundred atlending the Seminary of Quebec. At! the «Examiner’ of the 17th ult. I gave currency this College, as well as ut others, the students go! to a “report” in circulation, that the Rev. George through a complete course of humanities and philo | Sutherland, when lecturing op the Whim Jtoad, | had uttered expressions not now to be named. : slid ; Feeney | Mr. Sutherland, in the ‘Islander’ of the 21st alt., in Quebee the Laval University, an institution of las denied the “ report” in “ strong language.’” the very first class, everything in connection with Lnow beg to corroborate that denial,and also to which is on the mostmaguificentseale. Its library, | say, upon the testimony of several parties volun- cabinet of physics and cabinet of mineralogy, are, jtarily given, that it wasa Rev. Mr. Sutherland . who visited the Island fast fall, and who is a per- ' % {son who has “distinguished” himself on former mention the numerous excellent schools kept by the | occasions in the Island. | YT shall leave the Rey. G. Sutherland to reconcile | his “strong language” with a “couscience void of | offence” as best he can. Respectfully, MANOATL ROWE. ge, April 4, Isuz. Ile would learn at — least that some of the editors of P. E. Island would | UNLICENSED BOOK PEDLARS A GREAT cut but a very sorry figure in Canada, and that if NUISANCE. Mr. WHELAN—DEAR Str—t believe that you tirades with which they disgrace the press of this| and the other journalists of Charlottetown have hey would be made to understand eyen by | warned the public aguinst being further imposed " |) 0n by Yankee pedlars selling worthless trash of books for four times their value. But, Sir, has it }occurred to you and your confreres that others besides Yankess can go about imposing on the | public by selling worthless books at an enormous impunity to outrage the most sacred feelings of their | price? It is certain that impostors of this kind, ee | Whether they are Yankees, Islanders or Nova .. | Seotians, are an intolerable nuisance to any com- In conelading | 7 least thirteen Catholic Colleges, viz;— St Anns, | Quebee, Nicolet, St. Hyacinth, Terrebonne, St. Therese, St. Sulpice. Montreal, St. Mary’s, Sher brooke, Point Levi, Three Rivers, Chambly, As- | suniption. ‘The number of stadents attending these colleges is great; for example, there gre about four sophy which occupies aboutten years. ‘There is also perhaps, unequalled on this continent. I need pot | Ladies of the Congregation of Notre Dame, of the | Providence, by the Ursulines, the Christian Bro thers, &c. think if Mr. Laird made atour through Lower Canada he would entertain, regarding it, opinions quite different from those which he at pre- Montague Brid sent shares with many others, if - | “illiterate agitators” indalped there in the violent | colony, t | neiner dispensed from the observanc e of the com- | | 1 their co-religionists that there public writers are mandment which says “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour,” nor permitted with icighbours who may choose to worship ( manner different from themselves. | } | may apply to themselves as} for three shillings! much of the above as will suit them. Mr. Laing, the | I shall now pass to Sweden. Seotch Presbyterian traveller, from one of whose | | works I before quoted, says :— “Tt is a singular and embarrassing fact that the | Swedish nation, isolated from the mass of the Euro- pean people, and almost entirely agricaltaral or pas- toral, having in about 3,000,000 of individuals only 14,925 employed in manufactories, and these not con- gregated in one or two places, but scattered among 2037 factories; having no great standing anny or | havy; no extended commerce; no afllux of stran- lyers; no considerable city bat one; and having | schools and universities in a Suir proportion, and a powerful aud complete church establishment undis- | turbed in its labors by sect or schism; is, notwith- attention to the followiug extract from the Quebec | by a seat in the Legislature, I may be pardoned as tolerant in their tone, and as considerate in their of Assembly. It is new pretty well known that as the Catholie majority of Lower Canada have} Board of Education, has been for some time have traded upon religious et and meanu-| TJand. If the beok was well written and con- lof it that it might be worth sixpence or ninepence, i when Mr. 8. goes inte a school, he praises up his | teacher, to get clear of the importunities of the | copies to sell for him. ‘The latter remonstrates y. | that Mr. Arbuekle has given a helping hand in i j munity, and I think the matter demands immedi- * Morning Chronicle’ (Protestant) :— | should J sugyest the propriety of your bringing the regard for the rights of their Catholic neighbours,| the Rev. George Sutherland, a member of the shewn themselves to be m their relations to the| hawking about the town and country a book tucture capital tron: sectioual jealousies, would have | tained useful matter, I should think from the size Vur Island * demagozues whehave traded on re-| hut the Rev. gentleman imposes it ou the public | book, and descants on the necessity ot being well Rev. pedlar, buys a copy of the work. Mr. 8. that the book is too dear, and that he has no | proposing to take an order on the teacher’s salary | this wretched peddling business; for I have been \told the young men there that at the Board of these remarks on Canada, I woulddirect Mr Laird’s| ate legislative interference. As you are honored “Were the Protestant majority of Upper Canada | matter forward for the consideration of the House Protestant population, the western demagogues who} which he calls a geography and history of this starved eut long ayo.” | ligious antipathies,”’ I use the word impose, for acquainted with the history of the Island. The i then asks the teacher to take three orfour ormore j}money. Mr. 8. soon solves the latter difficulty by tor the amount of the books! I have been told | informed that he went to the Normal School and Education they would be examined on the con- | standing, ina more demoralized state than any nation | ;* . 375 | ; in Europe—more demoralised even than any equal | tents of Mr. . h mane ieee as bave ~ cage | portion of the dense manufacturing population of | ing they shou uy a copy of the sai of took. The way being thus prepared, the Rev. | Great Britain.’ (Tour in Sweden—Laing, London, / | gentleman came to the school with an armful of Che Examiner. — Charlottetown, April 2st, 1862. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. Tue Speech with which His Excellency the Lieut. Governor closed the late Session has one good quality—it is very short. Feeling that he had nothing to say in praise of the proceedings of the Legislature, he has said that nothing in the fewest possible words. But notwithstanding its general brevity, there are two short passages in the Speech that cannot fail to attract some at- tention. The first has reference to the Land Commission; the second alludes to the Legisla- tive Couneil Bill. 1. His Excellency says :— “A copy of the Report of the Land Commision has been forwarded to me by Her Majesty's Se- cretary of State for the Colonies, and has been laid before you.” The Legislature did not certainly require the information that His Excellency had received the noted document, which had been laying on the tables of both Houses for nearly two moaths. But the reader will observe that His Excellency was cautious in saying that it was only “a copy” of the thing he had reeeived—not the original— not the real Simon Pure. Now, if “a copy” of one particular thing is as good as the original ot that thing—the copy of any thing else ought to be equally good; as, for example, the copy of a Promissory Note, a Bank Bill, a Bond, Mortgage, Deed or Lease. His Excellency knows right well, or ought to know, from the tenor of the Duke of Neweastle’s Despatch of the 7th Febru- ary, in which His Grace uses the phrase “ a copy” in reference to the printed paper which was for- warded to Mr. Dundas, that that printed paper was never intended to be made the basis of legis- Jation in this Island; and the Duke will most likely use such language towards His Excellency as will enable him to to understand that fact, as syon as he will have an opportunity of examining the two worthless Dills that were passed during the late Session in reference te the so-called Award, 2. Alluding to the Elective Council Bill, His Excellency says :— “I trust that the Act, to which I have just giv- en my assent, may be the means of establishing a popular and effective Upper Chamber.” Now, the Government have been three years engaged in patching up a good working majority for themselves in the “U pper Chamber,” and yet they inform the country, through the lips of the Lieut. Governor, that it is neither “ effective ’> nor “popular.” Surely, “ The M‘Nad,” or “The other M*Nab” could not have very carefully re- vised this portion of the Speech. It conveys a poor compliment to Mr. Palmer, who sacrificed his position in the Lower House to make things comfortable for the Administration in the Upper Chamber, and to secare popularity and efficiency there. Besides, how mortifying it must have beea Mr. Laing then proceeds to prove hisassertion by ns Peete. net ay ee pe _ ory eae ate inant “i ; ~,, Suip were literally shamed and frightened into | ; 43 Hip? — 2 carats ore. sans page | buying them. If there is anything in the world ie demoralising etlec administration 0 ; . aye . : | law, and of religious and political discord and ex: | It - nut long = I saw a list of the licensed | | citement to outrage, the Irish nation stands very far | pediars, and I don't remember to have seen tue| | above the Swedish inthe moral scale. Lu the nearly | bane of the Rev, Mr. Sutherland among the rest. eight millions of the Irish there are 5644 fewercom-| L may be wistaken. I would net wish to do the | mitals for criminal oifences, and 8039 fewer conyie-| Rev. gentleman the injustice to say positively that | | tions, Within one year, than in the scarcely three ' } millions of the Swedish nation. These are singular | results, and very unexpected, when we consider the i | cuckoo-cry repeated duu nothing else can be heard | lof the crime, vice, aud socind disurganization of lre- } ltand, which by coniwon Consent is placed at the j very bottom of the hist of em iuzed nations; while | Sweden is ax generally held up to be acountry emi- nently moral The proportion also of illegitiuate | te legitimate births in this country lends to the same jconelnsion, It is asd t9.3-10 (yin Stockholm. In | no other Christian conmiygnity is there a staie of fe- | male morals approaching to this.” j he has adopted the occupation of a pedlar with- out the license required by law. If the Rev. gen- tleman has no lieense like other pedlars, will you be Kind enough to inform us country people why he is privileged to hawk books about without a | license 7 Ls it because he is a clergyman, or be-| cause le is a inember of the Board of Education, or because he was of inestimable value te the | Tories at the last election? If the privilege to | hawk books about the country without a license | is the only boon which Mr. Sutherland bas m-, evived from the Government for fighting their | battles, he has beeu treated by them in a imost | ungrateful manner. It is, indeed, very discredi- table to the Government thus totreat a gentleman | of Mr. Sutherland’s inestimable and rare abititios | When Mr. Laing made this fearful revelation,the | | Swedish legation in Loudon attempted to refate it; | | but our Presbyterian traveller in a rejoinder proved to the Simpsons, the Haszards, the Gardiners and the McLarens, to be told to their very beards, that, notwithstanding the impression of their new and superior blood, the Council was still non- effective and unpopular! Of course, all those gentlemen will wrap themselves up in their offend- ed dignity, and never make their appearance in public life again. We are morally certain that under the elective system the people will not solicit their services, Although opposed to the principle of the Elective Council Bill, we were not displeased to see the gentlemen whose names we have mentioned committing political suicide so patiently as they did. That very measure— the Elective Council Bill—is destined, we believe, to be a most painful thorn in the side of the Tory ent. But on this point we shall enlarge on a future occasion. — ~—the Prenelyare Cathe. lies ; it would not be safe, in the eyes of the Bi- gots, to permit the French to amalgamate With our own people—to settle here, buy land, marry, rear up families, and augment the power of the Catholic Church. If, however, we had “German Protestants” to deal with, in the mat- ter of ships, fisheries, and general commerce, the Protestant Leader of the Opposition would have had the wind taken out of Ats sails by some honor- able member on the Government side of the House, te own door, ne Lilenphaiiiagabnitliilet Wues the School Visiter’s Report for 196f was laid before the House of Assembly, only ong: day before the prorogation, astatement was madg by the Hon. Mr. Coles, which produced a very strong feeling of surprise and indignation amongst members unconnected with the Geverament. He: stated that he had been informed, on undeniably: authority, that the Government had paid to the Rey. George Sutheriand—on the recommendation of the Board ef Education. of which the Rey, George is a member—the sum of seventy pounds out of the public money, receiving in exchange a certain number of copies of the trashy little book which Mr. Sutherland lately published, under the title of “a Manual of the Geegraphy and Natural and Civil History of Prince Edward Islacd.” These books, we are informed, were sent to the Depository, to be sold, from time te time, with the authorized school beoks, and the Board had schools, as a class book in Geography and History. But even sapposing the thing te be a desirable class book—which we cam easily show it is not— the imtention of the Govermment—if they had any matter—has been entirely frustrated by Mr. 8u- therland himself, for be bas forestalled the Go vermment sale of bis worthless “ Manual” by pre vately forcing it into nearly ali the public seh in the Island. We have reeeived several accoauts —all agreeing one with another—of the manner. in which Mr. Sutherland has hawked this book through the Colony. He goes himself te a public schoo), with an armful of the trash—he is known to be a member of the Board of Education—he tells the simple minded master that the thing is recommended by “the Board,” — that all the scholars who are so far advanced as to be able to read Geography and History are expected to have a copy—and that persons whe are candidates for the office of Teacher are required to under- stand its contents theroughly, otherwise they wih | by unanswerable statistics all his assertions. He ! showed that in 1838, “the divorces were 147, the suicides 172. Of the 2,714 children born in Stock- | holin, 1,577. were legitimate, 1,157 illegitimate ; } making only a balance of 440 chaste mothers out of 2814; and the proportion of illegitimate to legitimate | shiltewe, not us one 10 two and three tenths, but} }us ONE TONE AND A HALE’ !! Mr. Laing says :— i Figures do not bring home to our imaginations tlhe | moral condition of a population so depraved as that }of Stockholm. In such a seciety the offspring of lsecret adultery, ond the births werely saved trom | illegitimacy by the tardy marriage of the parenis, } must be nuinerous in proportion to the general pro i tligaey. If it were pussible to deduct these from the | oue side of the account aud add them to the other, | j to which morally they belong, what a singular pie ture of depravity on a great scale this city presents. | Suppose a traveller standing in the strects of Edin- | j burgh, and able to say from undeniable public re- | | turns, ‘one out of every tirce persons passing me is, | onan average, the ollspring of illicit intercourse ; | } and one out of every forty-uine has been convicted | within these twelve gnonths of some criminal | | offence’! The remarkably low moral feeling in tis | | community appears froin the following fact. In all | lurge cities in the present age, houses of ill fame— | brothels where they doexist—are silently tolerated by the local authorities....But to openly establish such where they did not exist before, under antho- | rity of government, and as one of its public institu | tions, for the health or morals of the people ; to hire lun hotel for such a purpose in a principal street; leollect unfortunate females to live in it, and give out a code of regulations for their conduct tow ards | che public, appears a trait rather from the history of | the twelfth thau of the uineteenth century (am | not aware that an abomination like this existed in | the twelfth century). It is searcely credible, yet this was done within these three years here ; und | the establishment was only abandoned because the | wretched inmates fell victims to the barbarity of the | regulations. It would be diffieult vo find perhaps | in any town in Europe, at the prssent day, such | another instance of low moral Socline in the govern- | ing and governed.”” (p. 116.) Mr. Laing further on says:—‘* The clergy are | fairly endowed, well lodged, andin general on good | terms with their flocks, they are also well educated | men, and form a body of great power in the state, the chamber of clergy being one of the constituent parts of the diet. Yet with all these exterior sigus of a religious state of the public mind, and with all the means of a powerful church establishment, un- } opposed by sect or schism, to make it religions, it is evident from the official returns of crime, that in no | Christian community bas religion less influence on the state of public morals, ‘The justinference is. ... that the Reformation, as fur us regards the moral | condition of the Swedish people, has done hann rather than good....Rude and ignorant as the Lrish Catholic population are, their priesthood keeps them free from such a list of heavy crimes as Litheran Sweden presents from ber rural population alone.” (p. 126). ‘* For propriety of dress and demeanour the town (Stockholin) night be peopled by vestals, vet one third of the infants are bastards. I confess {do not like this either in a people or in an indivi- dual....'The man is much nearer to virtne who ap- years worse than he is, than the man who appears tter.”’ Mr. Laird tells his readers that with Catholics “Tynorance is the mother of devotion.” Will he inform us what is the mother of devotion for the Swedes? Is it base hypocrisy, or the practice of the doctrine — ‘‘ Si nolit domina, veniat ancilla”’ ? He will probably say that it is a very large admix- ture of both. Our Presbyterian author gives the Swedes an exceedin;ly low character in every res- pect. “The people,” says he, “are in fact, as su- perstitious and priest-ridden asin the darkest ages”! “The Lutheran Church, in fact, is in the present age, as far behind the religious wants of mankind as the Catholic Church was in the days of Luther. I am aware that such an opinion must shock many pious and good men, who believe that religion gain- ed by the Reformation everything that could be de sired; but Jet them Jook at this country, in which the pure Luthern chureh, filled with men unques- tionably more highly educated, as a body, than the Scotch; or perhaps any other body of clergy in En- rope, flourishes withoat dissent, and with great civil and politica) power as a part of the state; and look at the moral condition of the Swedish people.” (p. 249), “It is a discouraging and humiliating retlec- tion that the general diffasion of education and reli- gious knowledge, which so many good and enlight- ened men are so anxiously wivhing and striving among us, has been attamed, perhaps, to the very utmost practicable extent in this country, in which all can read, almost all write, and no individual is without religious instruction, and a competent know- ledge of Christianity—and yet with such unsatis- factory results on the moral and civil condition of the people.”’ (p. 279). Mr. Laing, towards the end of his ‘Tour in Swe- den,” writes: —‘ Notwithstanding this powerful, effective, and complete church establishment, and notwithstanding this very wide diffusion of educa- tion and religious instruction by parenta) and cleri- eal tuition, and by an extensive and efficient national estublishment of public schools suitable to all classes, the Swedish nation stands amongs. the lowest in the scale of morality ;—no other tnree millions of moral beings in Europe appear to commit, within a given time, so large an amount of Gime and moral iransgressions.’’ (p. 426.) The above extracts from the work of a Scotch Presbyterian gentleman Jrequire ng, comment ; they, of themselves. speak volumes. My Laing’s account of the abominably low state of morals in Latheran i immoral than those of Upper Canady. will Mr. Swedey will, without doybt, startle shore whohave | say in this Provinee, its president. as a politician at election times, L feel indiguant at the thought that u Rev. geatleman, whe has displayed such persevering energy and indomitable zeul tor the governiug party, sheuld not only not receive a handsome pension for his mvyalaable services, but should be so totally neglected as to | be compelled, in order to keep soul and body to- gether, to adopt the life of a pedlar—a mode ot life Which some imagine is net the best calculated to | increase that respect which is due to the clerical | character. I think there is not a member in the Legisiature who would make the least objection | to giving the Rev. gentleman a handsome grant for charity’s sake rather than see him peddling | about the country. 1 deeply sympathise with him jor the unteecling manner in which he has been treated by those who should be his warmest tricids. Yours respectfully, A COUNTRY TEACHER, CANADA. At the opening of the Canadian Parliament last week, the Legislative Council for the first time exercised its right of electing its speaker, or as we The Council did honour to itself’ by choosing as its presiding | officer, the Hon, Sir Allan MacNab, Baronet, who | was proposed by Sir E. P. ache, seconded by Mr. Maleolu: Cameron. The Lower House selected as its speaker, Jo- seph Edward Turcotte, Esq., member tor Three Rivers. The opposition availed themselves of the election of a speaker to make it a party question, and thus test the relative strength of parties in the Assembly. The vote for the Governmeat Candidate was 66, and for the opposition 53, thus showing a majority for the Government of 13, in addition to three or four of its supporters who had net arrived at Quebec. It is stated also, that the members for Upper Canada are divided exactly equal between the Govermmeut and the opposition,the Government majority being Lower Canadian members, Sir John Beverley Robinson, Bart, Chiet Justice of Upper Canada, has retired trom the Court ot Queen’s Bench, and Mr. Justice McLean has been promoted to the Chief Justiceship. Mr. Justice Hagarty has been promoted from the Common Pleas to the vacant Judgeship on the Queen’s Beneh and the late Seliciter General, Mr. Merrisen, is Justice Hagarty’s successor in the Common Pleas. The Hon. Mr. Vankoughnet, Commissioner of Crowu Lands, has accepted the Chacellorship of the Court of Chancery of Upper Canada, vacant by the retirement of Chancellor Blake. It is believed that Mr. Merwood, at present Re- ceiver General of Canada, will succeed Mr. Van- koughnet in the Crown Land Department. CANADIAN SHIPPING IN FRANCE, The Baron Buillean, Consu) General of France in Canada, has addressed a letter to the Terouto Globe, in which he states that the Globe was in error in stating that Canadian built vessls were to be admitted to registry in France, on terms less favourable than to those built in the United King- dom. The Baron says that the terms are iden- tical with those which are required of vessels con- structed in the United Kingdom, or in Belgium, the only countries which at present possess, with Canada, the advantage of being able to sell tneir ships in the French Empire. The Consul General avails himself of the oppor- tunity to state, that the decree of the 5th of Feb. only completes a series of custom modifications which have been accomplished in France during the last three years, alltending to relieve from duties the products of Canada, which are now ad- mitted into all the ports of the Empire, either free, or at nominal rates, It appears that these valuable concessions ex- tend only to Canada, and not to the other North American Colonies, and that these privileges are granted because Canada by its tariff has wisely provided for the admission of the light wines otf France, and some other of its products, at low rates of duty. The Baron Boilleau visited this province last summer, with a view, as is said, of inducing the Government of New Brunswick to enter into a similar arrangement with France, as bad been ef- fected in Canada, but had no success. It will be a proper subject for enquiry in the House, and we trust the Executive will be called apon to state, if any, and what, negociations or correspondence took place with the Baron on this very important subject. So far from following the discreet course of Can- ada, which has already set the principal shipyards of Quebec in active motion, our Provincial Secre- tary proposes duties on French wines which will amount to an almost total prohibition. “ Let our Shipbuilders look to it!”—Col. Empire. ee ane A Union man in Hardin Valley, Tennessee, writes to his son that the rebels recently hung three Unionists in Knoxville and two in Green- ville; that scores of others were sent South to work during the war, and a large number were in jail and iroved. THE PROPOSED TRADE WITILT FRANCE. i Tur ‘Islander’ animadverts, with its accustomed acrimony and misrepresentation, ou the proposal made by the Hon. Mr. Coles in the House of As- sembly to give the French the same privileges as are enjoyed by the Americans, with respect to a free fishery ou our coasts, and a reciprocal free trade in agricultural products, in exchange for the privilege of having our Island built ships ad- witted to French registry. organ states that Mr. Coles proposed to legislate | away rights which do not belong to him or the Colony—that if a right of fishery were given to the French it would involve a violation of the | treaty between Great Britain and the United States, and that “ very serious injury” to our own fisheries “ would be the result of granting to the French the liberty” proposed by Mr. Coles. The ‘Islander’ says:— “This right, which Mr. Coles proposed to offer to the French, is one over which we have no cen- trol whatever. The Reciprocity treaty with the United States was signed while Mr. Coles was in power with his Liberal majority; but neither Mr. Coles nor his friends were parties to it. It was a treaty between the United States of America and Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain; and the rights of fishery, granted to American subjects, were imperial rights, conferred by the exercise ot the Sovereign power which is vested in the Crown. They were rights over which the Legislative As- semblies of this Island Lad no control.” The editor of the ‘ Islander’ has borrowed this novel view of the question from one or two mem- bers of the House of Assembly, who propounded it when the matter was discussed there, to the surprise and amusement of nearly the whole House. The Reciprocity treaty with the United States contains no article or provision to the ef- feet that the Colonies shall be debarred from an interchange of commercial relations with other foreign countries—whether with regard to fishery rights or anything else — on principles similar to those which apply to the neighbouring Republic. A treaty containing a provision to the contrary would rot be entertained for one hour by either of the contracting parties. We might as well suppose that when the U. States entered into re- ciprocal free trade with the British American Provinces, the Washington Government denuded itself of the power to conclude free trade treaties with other countries ; and vice ve.sa with regard to the Provinces, If the Legislative Assembly of this Island have no control over our fisheries, will the ‘ Islander’ inform us what local interests are subject te our control? Is the Government do- main, commenly called the Crown Lands, subject to legislative control in this Island? What was meant by the Civil List Bill passed in 1851, when all the Imperial interests in the Island were freely yielded to the control of the local Legislature ? What was meant by our action in 1854, when the Legislature of this Island were desired by the Im- perial Government to pass a Bill to give effect to the Reciprocity treaty, so far as this Colony was concerned? It is quite true that “ Mr. Coles was'in power with his Liberal majority ” at that time; if they had “ no control whatever” in the disposal of our fisheries, why were they asked to legislate upon the subject? That legislation shews conclusively that “ Mr. Coles” and “ his friends were parties” to the treaty to the fullest extent. We apprehend no injury to the interests of our fishermen from the daily and hourly visits of French fishing smacks. We lost nothing by the Americans, but have had hundreds of thousands of dollars spent amongst us; and yet we never received a boon from the Americans so valuable as that which we are seeking from the French —a registry for our ships, in addition to a new and extensive market for our agricultural pro- ducts. We should be glad to see every harbour belonging to the Colony whitened with the canvas of French vessels ;—a new impulse would be given to every branch of trade ;—fishing establishments would spring up in every direction ; lands would increase in value, and the forest would rapidly regede befoye the axe of the stalwart sou of toil, } The Government have no chance of passing the Board. The school master may say, aad has said, in many instanees, that his pupils ar too poor to give three shillings ter each copy of the “ Manual,” or that they have not the money at present. Mr. Sutherland is ready with an answer: “Never mind; I will | sive you credit to the extent of one dozen copies, | which will amount to thirty six shillings—get the meney when yeu can out of your seholan—] will allow you six shillings for your trouble; and I will take a draft on your Treasury Warrant for thirty shillings.” The poor sebvolmaster has no chance of escape. There is a member of “the Board” forcing upon him & book which he says the whole “ Board” requires to be used in the publieschools— iis miserable allowance is taxed to the amount of thirty shillings, or perhaps twice thirty, if he has a very large school — and he must do his best to wring this sum in very small change fro the pockets of the poor parents, whose children are compelied to waste their time in stadying a book, which, if they can recollect anything ot it in after years, can only serve to give them a poor and contemptible opinion of their Islandhome. What Mr. Sutherland cannot do himself in the way of peddling his book he entrusts to the ageney of others ; and we have not been surprised to hear that the School Visitor has been doing an exten- sive business in this line. We have been told that Mr. Arbuckle spends far more time in imposing Mr. Sutherland’s book upon the poor schoolmas- ters than he does in examining the publie schools, for which he is so well paid; and thie accounts for the fact, that instead of examining ail the schools in the Island twice a year, as the law re- quires, he does not examine any thing Vike the whole of them even once a year ; and he withholds his report from the Legislature until nearly the very last day of the Session, when half the mem- bers have gone home — when there is no time to examine his proceedings, and comment on the pet formance of his duties. As regards the seventy pounds given to Sutherland, it is a shameful misappropriation # the public money. If any number of copies his book were worth that sum, he should notbare been allowed to forestall the sale of them in the way he has done; but we believe that the whole edition, if it were numerons enough to freight a ship, is not worth seventy pence, unless as waste paper for lighting fires, d&e., &e. ‘The thing #® blot on the honoured names of History and Geo- graphy, and a positive disgrace to the Island. If the Rev. gentleman was so badly in want of seventy pounds, we might be content to give bile even that large sum out of the Charity Fund, i the hope that he would spend a portion of it amongst his indigent fellow creatures; but togiv? it to him as a reward of literary merit, we look upon it as an insult to the taste, intelligence, and common sense of the community. Mr. Sutherland has been, we believe, in a small way, to the party in power, asa political agitator. We may assume that the seventy pounds were givet to him as a compensation for his serviees in that capacity; and whenever we see or bear hii shouting, lecturing, preaching. or scribisling a praise of the existing Goverument, we shall be Fe minded of the seventy pounds sep; aod we will understand that to be the price of his services 1 wards ANY Government. Ui Stila oo Sule We are indebted to D. Laird, Esqr., Editor of the ‘Protestant,’ for a copy of the * Abstract of the Proceedings before the Land Commi Court.” Although the Commission bas ended, #* we expected, without any practical and result to the country, the “ Abstract” may me very useful book for reference, a6 detailing - history, in a great measure, of the land tenures 6 this Island—showing the exactions and —_ tions ef the Proprietary bedy ; and coutainng opinions of the proprietors and the delegates from the tenantry as regards the value of laud ue Colony. The Report of the Royal Comme given as an Appendix to the book, and the whl? volume cepsisis of 36d pages.