+

TRE TRE

?

‘ine people Ww I i agree to if. ie

o one would not ich to see the tax ga ‘ap cree * his mw wis

M Haviland said he had thoaght

Lc weve 'f come over the spirit

m t nembders for Strath-

aly N ; Judging by their

o in the House last year, our eda

itional system was then almost perfect in

heir estimation. Ne it is all wrong.

e With Mr. MeNeiil. he (Mr. Uaviland) was of opinion tbat the w etched state of the city schools was to be attributed to the

inathy of the citizens themselves—not to the system. The Roard of Education had power to close di ty, i}l-ventilate i schools ; and,if the schools are a disgrace to the city, thet LANG i1es betwee rt the Board at KE lus eation and the people. To permit the | people to tax themselves would, he thought, |

be useless. In 1865 or 1866, a law passed providing that the people should make up a third of the teacher;’ salary by local ass sessment. It wen letter on the statute book; because public opinion wasagainst it. The great mistake was, he (Mr. Haviland) thought, that local taxation for educations purposes had not been commenced when the system was in troduced.

Mr. Stewart said that, in his opimion, our schoo!s should be graded wherever possi- ble. This is the only Province in which the schools of cities and towns are not graded, Why should we not endeavor now to im»

prove our sehool system ? he sectarian ' n was he admitted, a difficulty, but | pproached, as t should | . ) & moderato id fair spirit, he Mi ot rari VW COT) nee l that { could j he got « é Mi <elly said 4] joard of Education | id no power over the schools in this city except to them Chis had been done n several cases If the city schools were

in a bad state, the Board of Education was not to blame. The people of Fort Agus tus, Monaghan, and other large settlements, were aggrieved in that the books used in

the public schools were not such as they |

could approve of,

Mr. Callbeck thought it would not prudent or right to place the public edu- eation ef the Province under one head. With regard to the city schools, he quite igreed with Mr, McNeill and Mr. Haviland that their disgraceful state was owing ens tirely te the inditfer and apathy of the

ence e »ple.

Other members expressed ion, and the motion passed, INTRODUCTION OF MR. POPE.

When the Speaker took the chair at the commencement of the evening's session, flons. Messrs. Owen and Lefurgy intro» duced Mr. J. C. Pope, member elect for Summerside, who took the customary oaths.

their opin-

eould t! and if so, what does the Govs ernment want the money for? The plain inference is that it wants it to purehase estates at prices which are unfair and im-

ey

(moderate The Covernment say they have

to the wall—wwas a dead |

be |

no reasonable hope of purchasing at fair prices, and vet they effeet to believe that if they obtain the $80 000 they would benefit the tenantry. Why he asked had they i not entered into negociations. Had they j done so, they might have come ¢. wa with jsomething to go upon. Not having done | so they h ! to them in possession of this

money. In the Lieutenant Governor's speech we are promised that 4 measure similar to that of last year will be intro lduced. If the Government are In earnest ibout that measure, they will not to pass the bill indicated in the | tabled by the hon. Solicitor General, his (Mr. Davies’) part he would protest jagainst it. Mr. Sullivan said it is, perhaps, just as | well that the Leader of the Opposition has entered his protest against the passage of the Hill He is evidently very much troubl. ed about the compulsory measure, to be in- troduced by the Government. ‘The com. pulsory measure passed last year, failed to receive the assent of the Governor General, One of the objections urged to His Excel- leney, by the proprietors, was, that the Gov- ernment had no power to purchase estates, | even if offered to them at more than 7s, 64, |

rut ;

‘ouse

seek

per acre. rhe passage of the bill indicat- ed in the resolution, would do away with 'the objection. Again some of the proprie ‘tors may, in the meantime, change their minds—may be willing to sell their lands at fair and moderate prices, or it is possible | that an estate may in the course of events be thrown into the market. In what po-

sition would the Government be placed, | | supposing their honors of the Legislative |

Council refused to sanction a bill based on the resolution before the House? They could not give more than 7s. 6d. peracre , they could not give 10s.,they could not

j |

give 7a, 7d., or any other fair and moderate |

price, and the consequence would be, that | some speculator—some land jobber ; who would not fail to make capital out of the | tenantry. If the bill were passed, and the Government authorized to purchase, and the proprietors refused to sell their estates

at fair prices, then the Compulsory Act, |

which was to be introduced, might be brought into force with some show of reason, Now the hands of the Government are tied,

' they are unable even to treat with proprie.

On taking his seat he was warmly applauds |

ed. PACKET SERVICE.

Hiouse in Committee of the Whole, (Mr. J.E. MeDonald in the chair.) On motion to appropriate $897, for the ‘purpose of sub- tidizing packets -—

Mr. Pope said he thou ght the amount too small. He ccasidered that the Dominion

Government should also give larger grants | ong ~ “4 'derness land is not actually worth more

towards packet service between this and other Provinces.

Mr. Welsh thought wea had yet no cause to complain of the Dominion Government 7 grants they had given us this year considered, very generous. Neither

ine £ were, he

> . }

the Local nor the Dominion Government e grants to packets plying between places where railway accommodation is vfforded. They could not, he thought, be blamed, for it is very desirable that the ilway be well patronized. . Mr. McLean maintained that packet tween Charlottetown and Souris ncouraged by the Government. ne ANG i or to take freight ves in Charlottetown to the rail- Why tion; and then the transport by 1d would be much dearer than by water fhe maintenance of p icket service between Charlottetown and Souris is, he sai very

mnort

int to his constituents a¢..79

Mr. McEachen said that packet service

Letween Charlottetown and Souris is as- red without a subsidy. In addition to the nacket subsidized two or threa yéseels

were running last year, and they all had as

much freight as they could carry. The

Governinent were, he thought, very libera! ideed

Mr. McLean said the vessels not subsi- dized mada their trips just a: their owners pleased. it was desirable to havea regular packet. Ue would not be opposed t4 hay- ing two vessels subsidized.

After some further discussion, the Com mittee rose and reperted progress.

THE STOCK FARM,

lion. Mr. Owen submitted the report of

the Stock Farm Commissioners, which was |

read. The Commissioners state that large applications of mussel mud and other manure have contributed to the increase of all products of the farm. They have sent the manager to England to purchase

“st-class, thorourhsbred Liorse. }¢ thorough-hred Mure, (in foal) e English Cart Horse English Cart Mare turing the past year there were im- ported— ] y ear old shortshorn Heifer, cin calf) £440.00 | vear-old short-horn Heifer, 300.00 | 1 Bull Calf, 175.00 | i Leicester Rar, ‘ 1 Cotswold Ram, ‘ 2 “ Ewes, / 325.09 ” Leicester Ewes, ‘ 1 Yorkshire Sow 39.09 | ] Yorkshire Boar, 30.00 |

At present the farm consists of 4 draft Mares —two of which

are in foal--1 Elood Mare; 138 Cows and |

Heifers, (short horns) 5 Cows and Heifers, (Ayrshire) 2 Bulls, (short horns) 1 Bull, Ayrshire) 25 Leicester Ewes, (in lamb) 8 yearling Ewes, 2 Cotewold Ewes, 2 Leices~ ter ams, | Cotswold Ram, 4 Breeding sows, 5 Boar Pigs. During the past year the following stock has been sold off the farm and distributed generally throughout the country: 2 year old Fillys, 3 Mare Foals, 1 cart Colt, 2 Bull Calves, 2 Heifer Calves, 2 Rams, 9 Lambs, 11 Ewes, 1 fat Cow, lot of young Pigs. The Commission-~ ers recommend the importaton of a first- class trotting stallion and the opening of a Herdbook. ADDRESS TO THY GOVERNON GENRRAL.

Mr, Pope gave notice that he would move n address to His Excellency, the Gov- ernor General, representing that the people of Urince Edward Island have been grossly wronged by the Government of the Do- rainion neglecting to open the railroad for public trafiic in violation of the public faith of the Diominion, and praying that His Ex» cellency, as Representative of the Sovereign, may be pleased to use his influence, in order that the compact entered into be- tween the Dominion and this-island, upon which the Island entered the Dominion, my without delay be fullilled, and the yud opened to public traffic.

raul

THE LA’ D QUEATION. lien. Mr. Sullivan submitted the follow- we reso. UtTLON i— by the terms on which this meé confederated with Canada, eed that a sum not exceeding tight hundred thousand cl rilare, should be

,% * « advaneed by the Dominion Government to

tors

Mr. \eNeill was greatly interested in the measure. lle did not think there was much weight in the Solicitor General’s ars gument that the fact of the Government being unable to purchase estates at a higher figure than 7s. 6d. an acre, inflnenced His Excellency to veto the Compulsory Bill. He thought His Excellency bad far strong- er reasons than that. At any rate, very much stronger reasons were urged by the proprietors. In his (Mr. MeNeill’s) opi- nion, we should not break in upon the $800,000 until we have something to go ups on. And we have nothing to go upon yet. In many parts of the Island, the wil-

than 7s. 6d. peracre. The price paid by the Government would form a precedent

' upon which the Arbitrators,under the Com.

pulsory Bill, would base their estimates. And thus, the estates upon which there is

| poor land, would be purchased at more

than their true value. He would oppose the resolution, for he would not like to go back to his constituents and have to say to them: that he consented to put the S800,- 000 in the hands of the Government.

Hon. Mr.

tested against the Government having any-

thing todo with the land at all; as to pro- |

test against the passage of this measure.

It was the handmaid, so to speak, of the!

Compulsory Bill Mr. Campbell! favored the views of the wer of the Opposition and would oppose * resolution. Mir. McLean would not concent to giving this Government or any other Government unlimited power over the $800,000. Mr. McEachern said that it is very

Ls

th

to purchase, even if estates were offered at reasonable rates.

which would invest them with that power rac&KET FERVCE, Tusspar, April 6tb. House in (ommittee of supply. Mr. J. E. McDonald in the chair. Debate ree

sumed. Un the motion to appropriate, for Packet Service, Mr. Beer said that, in his opinion, it was

| advisab’e to secure steam packet service

breeding stock of the |

the Government of this [’rovince, for the |

purchase 0: lands in this Island held by}

larger proprietors ; And Whervas, it is Government of this

desirable that the Province sbould be

ibled to appropriate the said sum of |

eight hundred thousaud dollars, or as much thereof as may be required towards the pureh wwe of such proprictory lands, with @ view to the converzion of the leasehold tenures into frechoid estates .

Resolved, therefore, that it is expedient to introduce a bill to epnpower the Gor- erament of this Province t» purchase pro- prietory lands within this Island, at such prices as they may deem reasonable and ty expend in such purchases the said sum of eight handred thousand doilars, or as much thereof as may be required for that purpore.

fr. L. HW. Davies said that he entertained the same Opinion respecting the bill pro- posed in the resolution as he did last year. ile thought it utterly inconsistent with the compulsory measure that was introduced last sessian, and which it was proposed to introduce this session. The preamble to the bill alluded to, sets forth that thers is no

reasonable hope of purchasing from the |

proprietors their estates at fair prices. Since that bill was passed, the relations existing between the proprietors and the Government have not changed: We stand in the same position now that we did then. We can a0 more purchase from the pro- prietors at moderate prices now than we

| neglected.

Wace

on the East River to Mount Stewart through-

out the season. Ey the resolution before

| the Hlouse this would not be obtained. He

| trusted that the Government would recon- sider the matter.

lr. B. Davies said that no public ser- |

vice is more conducive to the develop. ment of the resources of the country than this steam peaket service. Whereaver steam packet communication had been ex tended the country had improved. The Government he thought should be very careful in withdrawing the advantages of steam picket communication from any part | ot the country.

Mr. Pope said be was very sorry that the vote does not secure to Mount Stewart the services of the steamer. Ie did not think the fact of there being railway at that place should .influence the Government. The railway tariff is so high that it would shut out traflic. He had a lot of lumber at the westward piled up along the railway, and if the tariff were not lowered, he would raft it |down to Charlottetetown. Under the steamer’s tariff the people could go to and come from Mount Stewart for 66 cents; |under that of the railway, it would cost | $1.32. It was only natural that the former

;

should be preferred. But then the pros | prietors of the boat might not send her as far as Mount Stewart. She should, he | thought be secured by the Government to | go to the Bridge. _ Mr. McLean was of the opinion that | packet service should be encouraged. He ‘hoped the Government would reconsider ‘the matter, and subsidize the packet to ply between Charlottetown and Souris.

Mr. Campbell considered the packet service a very important one. He would like to see a grant in aid of a steamer to ply on West River. The country on either side was wealthy and thickly settled and he believed a steam packet would be well patronized by the public. A steamer would greatly assist West River farmers who had to bring their produce to Charlot- tetown over a very hilly road.

br. Jenkins said that the steamers ply- ing On our Rivers sived a great deal of ex- pense on the public Road-, They were of advantage to the public in general. He jagreed with Mr. Pope, that the railway | tarifl is entirely too high, and he disapprov« je of the policy of taking subsidies from

packets for the purpose of encouraging the Railway.

Mr. Howat, (Speaker,) asked the Gov- ernment if they intended this season, to send the steamer to Crapaud only. once a weer.

Hon. Bir. Owen replied--only once; but the Government intended tosecure a re turn trip.

Mr. Howat said that the farmers of Be- | deque are very anxious to have a steamer to ply between Coles’ Wharf and Summer- side.

Mr. Calbeck would favor the encourage- ment of Steam packets generally ; but he

‘

desired to call the attention of the Gov- ernment, specially, to the need of a steamer to ply on West River. The

Hillsborough had long been opened to steam communication, while West River had been He trusted the House would now take the claims of West River into consideration,

Mr. lope would have much pleasure in awsisting*the hon. member (Mr. Calbeck) to secure steam communication on West River. {fe thought there should have been # steamer on the river long ago.

Nr. L. H. Davies hoped the leader of the Government would consider the pros priety of giving a grant to encourage steam communication on West river. On each side of it there is a rich and valuable country to be taken advantage of,

Mr. Welsh would vote for a grant to a

steamer on West River. It was a fine river, navigable to vessels eight or nine miles up.

THE LAND QUESTION.

In the afternoon, House went into Com. mittee of the Whole to consider Mr. Sul- livan’s resolution respecting the placing of $800,000 at the disposal of the Govern- ment to purchase Mr. Kelly in the chair.

Sold a at nck i tea a

SULT TT TE LF ENT

we no grounds for asking this |

resolution For |

it would, probably, fall into the hands of |

Vis | dent the Government have now no power |

Ile would support a bill |

ene L. H. Davies repeated his assertion ment.

the bill to compe! proprietors to sell their estates are inconsistent with each other. He maintained that seven shillings and sixpence an acre was as much as some at the lands were worth, In 185], that amount was considered by the Government of the day,-2 fair price. It is true that the value of landed property has inereased ; but the interest of the Proprietors in their estates

—the unleased part excepted—is the same to-day as it was twenty years avo. ‘Their interest in wilderness lands

had increased, not through any exertion on their own part, but simply because the in- dustry and enterprise of the people have niade these lands valuable. But their i. terest in the leased land had not increased. When the Compulsory Bill is put in foree l the arbitrators, he feared, would not be in- | fluenced by this fuet, but would think them. selves justified in awarding just as much as paid by the Govern-

} had been previous!y | ment.

by the Government for 15s or 123. 6d Arbitrators would very naturally think that they could not give less; the propretors would never afterwards, no matter how poor the lands are, ask less. Every estate the Government buys, it fixes the price at which estates will in the future be sold. A door will thus be opened for corruption, of which unscrupolous men would not be slow to make use if the large sum of $50°',000 were placed in the hands of the Government ‘forthe time being. ‘The Legislature should | jealously control the expenditure, for there

et

» Vale

is no knowing what men might get into and therefore, he (Mr. Davies)

power thought it inexpedient thata measure, plac- ing the whole of the $800,000) under the cortrol of the Government, should pass. He submitted the following amendment:

Whercas. the sum of £800,000 has been placed at the disposal of the Government of this Islend by the Dominion of Canada, | for the purchase of proprietory estates, and | this House is anxious and desirous that such -money shall be expended for the benefit of the Tenantry.

Resolved, therefore, that this House does hereby formally express its willingness to grant to the Government what monies may be required, to purchase out the interest of the remaining Proprietors, on having satis- factory assurances laid before them, that the interest of such Proprietors can be purchased at just and reasonable rates

Nir. Welsh said he had much pleasure in seconding the amendment. He took pres cisely the same view as the Leader of the Opposition. If estates were purchased by the Covernment at IS8s or 20s. per acre, the proprietors could say to the arbitrators, “you cannot give less you ought to give more.’ If the land has increased in value, it is not owing to the efforts of the land. lords. If they refuse to come to reasonable terms, and the Compuisory Bill failed, he

them introduced.

Mr. MeNeil thought it would be very impolitic, indeed, to break in upon the money, not knowing that any proprietory estates were in the market. Until the Government had reasonable offers from the proprietors he would aever consent to place the $800,000 in their hands.

Mr. MeEachen believed in the measure

roposed by the Government, and he bes Level in supplementing it by cempulsion. He had contidence in the leader of the Government, and his colleagues, and felt sure they would do their best to setile the Question in a manner satisfactory to the the people, if they had the means. \t present their hands were tied. —

ton. Mr. Arsenault said that if, as some members of the Opposition insinuated, the

they fit to carry on the business of the country. ' to entrust the Government with the work- ing of the Compulsory Land Bill, if they think its members unworthy of confidence. Ile (tion. Mr, Arsenault) did not see why | this billshould not pass. It would bean in- ducement to the Dominion Government to sanction the Compulsory Land Bill,

Mr. Calbeck did not think it would be | prudent to take the 2800,000 out of the |} hands of Dominion Government and

oO. the | place it in the hands of the Local Govern- ment. tion where it is, and besi les the Province receives the interest of it. Hon. Mr. Haviland said

it is mecess

| sary that ihe Government be provided with |

money to purchase tands at fair prices.

| Fancy an agent going into a stock market |

to buy stock; and after negotiating a pur- chase, saying to the selier, I have not the money. The Government in case of the

act did not pass, be in precisely the same | ridiculous predicament as the agent in the j case instanced. Ifthe proprietors’ estates +

are to be sold, the Government must be in | The proprietors will not

a@ position to buy. sell co a Government unable to pay.

Mr. L. H. Davies did not of the argument no analogy in the case instanced.

Since

| shillings ana sixpence per acre, was passed, many estates have been purchased at a higher price . and yet the act has never been repealed—it has always rem«ined on the statute book.

Mr. Pope said that in 1869 and at other times, money was specially voted by the | Legislature, to the Government to purs | chase lands at whatever prices the Govern- ment thought proper; and it was under the acts authorizing thoze votes, that the lands alluded to by the Leader of the Op. position, were purchased. He thought that if there was a real desire on the part of the Legislature, to have the Land Ques- tion settled, it would not object to placing the Government in a position to settle it by trusting them with the money. Ifthe

are not fit to hold the reins of power.

enough to take the money out of their hands next year. He (\ir.

expired. Ifit were now in force, the Sul- livan, Montgomery, McDonald, and other estates might be purchased at reasonable

they not been misguided by political agi- tators, they might have become long ago. Mr. Pope went pretty fully into the ques- tion. At the conclusion of his speech tha House adjourned.

Wepbyespay, April 7. THE LAND QUESTION —- CONTINUED.

House in Committe on Mr. Sullivan’s Resolution—Mr. Kelly in the chair.

Mr. B. Davies said that the bill proposed would foster a class of men whom it was very desirable to discountenance, viz, middie men, who would come between the proprietor and the Government, exert the powerful influence they possess upon members of the Administration, get them to give high prices, and pocket a goodly share of the profits. He contended that fifteen years purchase is too high a price to pay for the land. No tenant would pay that unless forced to it. In his opinion, the Administration of the day had not, by acx cepting Responsible Government, acceded to the requirements of the ‘‘ Bloody Des- patch.”’ and secured to the proprietors the rights they claimed, and he wouid like to see those rights tested in a Court of Es. cheat. It was wrong for a Government—

to their est measure.

holding that the proprietors had good titles |

TP Wer hen

Supposing an estate were purchased i

should like to see some mode of taxing |

Government were not fit to be trust « with | | the expenditure of $800,000, neither were | Brecken said the Leader of the |

Opposition might just as well have pro- | Why, he asked, are they willng |

It is beyond the reach of corrup- |

purchase of lands, would, if the proposed |

see the force | Hie thought there was |

the act restricting the Government to seven

Pope) was | sorry the Fifieem Years Purchase Act had |

provement of ferries—

} { } |

|

ites—-to pass a compulsory | tillsborough Ferry was not completed ac- |

}

Mr. Richards thought the power of the |

VP METsh : >

Vy. Campbell did not think the Govern. | ment shonid come down with two measures, ile believed that by passing this Bill the Legislature would be putting an argument for the disallowance of the Compulsory Act in the Governor General s mouth.

The Resolution wae agreed to in Com- mittee. After the Speaker took the chair, the House divided on vy, L. HU. Davies’ amendment as follows

For—L. H. Davies, Rowe, Callbeck, Mes | Neill, Campbell, B. Davies, Welsh, Stewart, McLean, Conroy, Veer.-1].

Avainst—(Owen, Haviland. Vrecken, Sule livan, Yeo, Richards, ad. McDonald, Le- turgy, Arsenault, J. A, MeDonald, Holland, Pope, 7. oe MeDonald Melsaac, Kelly, McEachen—16

Hon. Mfr. Sullivan ®iymitted a bill to enable the Governmen’ to purchase lands of proprietors.

LUNATIC ASYLUM,

House in Committee of the Whole on the despatches relating to the Lunatie Asylum —‘Vir, Rowe in the chair.

Mr. Pope suggested that it would be

well to move the Poor ffouse to Falcons wood Farm lJfouse; and after the new

Asylum is finished to sell the old Asylum. he latter would, he thought, realize a large amount of money. The site was eligible for a hotel; and the building might be altered and titted up for one at no great expense. The amount realized might go towards paying for the new Asylum,

Mr. Sullivan submitted a resolution to the effect that it is expedient to have five trustees for the new Asylum, to whom shall be paid 8200 annually, each trustee to draw a sum proportionate to the number of times he visited the ‘sylum; as Secres

| from

ssranermoahe a aaeen ey am _ ion

sels of his own. The boat was a mistake the first. She would cost more than twosuch ascbe ‘ Kifin.’

Mr. Beer said the contract had been let to |

| Mr. McKinnon,one of the best shipbuilders on |

the Island, Heshould have ha# the boat ished in 1873. That she was not sotinis. 4, and that all the delay and extra expense was | incurred owing to the supineness and neglect of the present Government, They could have come down upon the securiti and why had they not done so? Whea the boat

| finished there is nota dock to put her into, |

He (Mr. | . * {

Beer) had called the attention of the Govern-

Why havethey not docks ready,

ment to that requirement !ast spring; and yet they had never let the contract until last October—too late to have the docks reac y in lime,

Hon. Mr. Brecken } the Governme ct could not take possession of the boaton ais } count of the bungling way in which the con- tract had been Jet by the late Government. He shou'd like to see two boa'’s upon ferry as well ns any man: anJif the gallant Colonel from Southport, had been a littie more moderate in the beginning, the country might hav’ had the advantage of two boats.

Mr. Welch thought the contract had been let properly. The Government did wrong in not having come down upon the securities, and

sat

the

would not be able to run one day next sea.

have had a new boat next Season.

tary of the trustees to receive $100 a year ; anda Medical Superintendent to be paid s1000, Dr. Jenkins said that in three commissioners would more efficiently than five. noticed that the more numerous a Com- mittee Board was, the more useless it was, It wa@absurd to divide $200 among five trustees — better to give them nothing at all.

his do the work

opinion

The salary of 2100) a year toa resis

‘ dent Medical Superintendent, who would | | thing about the matter, would give the Lead-

be practically banished, was equally ridi- culous, No competent man could be obs tained for the amount.

Mr. Stewart supported the views of Dr. Jenkins. $1,000 was not enough for the Medical Superintendent. Dr. Waddel re- ceived » 2.000, and Dr, DeWolf * 3,000 per year.

Wepwespay, April 7,

Mr. Beer submitted a Bill to prevent obstructions on the ice contiguous to the wharves of Charlottetown

tion. Mr. Owen faid on the table the accounts in connection with Southport ferry Steamer ; and the repairs to Montas gue Bridge; also reports relating to wharves and bridges; and report of Com. missioners on the opening of new line roads in King’s County.

INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITIONS,

House in Committee of supply—Mr. J. E. MeDonald in the Chair. On the motion to vote $1650 for Industrial Exhibitions—

Mr. L. H. Davies said he hoped that the Government would have fallen in with the suggestion to spend the whoe amount in one County this year; and in each of the other Counties the two follows ing years. The railway accommodation the people would have after this, would rend- er the transport of stock, etc., comparatively easy. If the three exhibitions were com~ bined, larger prizescould be given, and a better exhibition of the industries of the province secured. Under the present system the Exhibitions are neither credits able nor satisfactory

Mr. Meclaaac said that

the people of

King’s Connty would like to Lave their share |

of the grant and their own exhibition, as at present.

Mr. Beer would like to see more given |

| in nid of exhibitions. He would also like to see the Government come down with a handsome sum towards the proposed Ex« hibition of the Industries of the Maritime Provinces.

Hon. Mr. Haviland was in favor of the | rotatory system. If Exhibitions were held | held in each of the three Counties eve | succeeding year, more enthusiastic and more generous rivalry would be promoted | ainong the people.

Mr. Conroy had not changed his views since last year. $e was in tavor of having one general Rxhibition.

sr. Welsh wduld support the sugges- tion. He thought the ilouse should study | economy without meanness.

Mr. McEachern said that the people of /a large part of King’s County were only lately able to compete in the Exhibitions, and, he feared they were not prepar , ed to come up to the standard of the other Counties. He would like to have a separate grant for King’s County.

| ion. Mr. Arsenault liked Sir. Beer's suggestion in reference to the pro posed General Exhibition of the pros

ducts and industries of the Maritime Pro- , vinees, Dr. Jenkins thought the management of each County Exhibition, should be under the control ofa County Agricultural So-~ ciety: He did not think the Government should do everything in this matter. It | should encourage the agricultural classes to help themselves. If we have large Exhibi. tions,as has been suggested. it will be neces- | sary to build sheds for the shelter of stock. Queen's County was, he thought, the | best place for the general exhibition, as it ;is most central lie opposed having ‘ rag

fairs.’ Instead of being a credit to the Is

land, our exhibitions had, for the past few

years, been a disgrace. To make thema

Government are not fit to expend it, they | success, he thought they should be held

} ere | not oftner than every five years. Sufficient {

The Government would not have the op. | notice [two years at least] should be given portunity of spending much money in one | of them ; and handsome prizes should be year; and if the Legislature found that | awarded.

they did not do right, it would be easy |

Mr. McLean did not agree with ¥r. c- |Eachen. ‘ie thought King’s County could /compete favorably with any other County |in the Province, iie was in favor of the | rotatory system.

ers took an interest in the exhibitions.

prices ; and the tenants on those estates Competition should be encouraged, might become proprietors ; as, indeed, had |

| ins had said except his assertion concerns _ing the ‘rag fairs.’ te thought the ladies department the chief attractions of the exhibitions. ‘ihe stock in Prince County is, in his opinion, quite equal to that of /Queen’s. The oats of Prince County are , also heavier. King's County is ahead of | either Prince or Queen’s County in the mat- , ter of wool.

ROAD GRANTS,

| On the motion to appropriate certain amounts forthe opening of roads and im.

Mr. L. H. Davies called the attention of Government to the necessity ot having a small piece of road in continuation of the County Line road opened up. He hoped

| lie had always |

Mr. Campbell thought that too few farm. |

Mr. Callbee: agreed with all Dr. Jenk- |

Mr. L. H. Davies spoke at length on the | legal aspect of the case. He contended that

manner; and that the present Government were to blame for supiness and neglect.

Mr. Owen said, if the boat had been built as at first commenced, it would have been impossible to put the machinery into her,

bought machinery to suit Lhe boat, Mr. Pope said every one, who knew any-

certainly done the best that could be done

under thé circumstances. He (Mr. Pope)

would do enything to sncure good and cheap |

er of the Government great credit. He had

acommodation on the Hillsborough Ferry.

After some further discussion the commit- tee reported progress, and the House resum, ed,

THE CATHOLICS’ PETITION,

Mr. Conroy presented a petition signed by (all but) 9,000 Catholics. The petition reads as follows:

Prince Edward Isiand, in Provincial Parliament convened. The Petition of the Catholics of Prince Ed- ward Island, respectfully sheweth :—

That the Petitioners claim, by natural and divine right, the direction of the Education of their children in accordance with the leach- ing of their Church

That the Spiritual Head of their Church | has declared ‘That Catholics cannot ap- } prove of asystem of educating youth uncon, nected with the Cathol.c Faith and the Power of the Church, and which regards the know- ledge of merely natural things, and only, or at least primarly, the ends of earthiy social | life."’

That this right of directing the education

of their children ¢s denied to your Petilioners by the -ystem of Education now existing on this Island.

That your petitioners are of the opinion that the Catholics of Charioitetown are uns justly taxed, in a special manner, to support the public schools of the cily, lo which they do not send their children, in consequence ol

their having schools of their own, better ad- japted,in their opinion, for the purpos: cl education, to which they send them,

Wherefore, in view of the foregoing, petitioners humbiy pray your Ho

' | | House, soto amend the present School Act as | |

your noravie ‘

i} te enable them by law, will? ad!

} i } i

the ture of the taxes for educational purposes, to which they contribute, but a f

lair share of which, while the jaw remains a3 i

will ever pray.

He said, Catholics ciaimed, that cation should be founded on religion. Catholics of Chariottetown labor under an in- justice. tribute towards secular education, while | they are compelied by conscience to send, where ever practicable, their children to res ligious schools, in which, notwithstanding the fact, that Secular education ts imparted, no public money is expended, The School

edus

Visitor’s Report represents the public schools |

ment, as being in an abeminabie state. The Bishop's schools, on which no public inoney is expended, are acknowledged patterns of order and efficiency. Now, why should the one be subsidized and the other ignored? Is religion such a dangerous thing ? Catholics | cannot conscientiously send their children to | Secular Schools, and yet they are taxed. He | knew of a poer widow who was taxed as low | as eight cents. The Catholics number 40.- | 000; the Protestants 90,000. Is it expedient | that they Le forever in antagonism? tnat | the minority should always feel discontented ? |

j

At present, there are attending the Catholic |

girls—in ail 631. The average cost ef the educat.ea of each scholar, is $5.50 per annum, so that the Catholics relieve the government of the yearly expenditure of $3,307; while they, at the same lime, contribute their quota to the education fund. And yet they are re- fused assistance from the public Treasury, simply because a little more is taught in their schools than the law directs—because the children are taught, in addition to the ordis nary branches of common school education, ; their duty towards God and their neighbor. | He (Mr. Conroy) would never support any Government which would not remedy such flagrant wrongs as forty thousand of his co- religionists labor under, in the matter of education. The mecessity of a change in the | present system, is apparant to every one | who reads the School Visitor’s Report; and | how comes it, that the Government will not | or dare not change it for the better. What} is the reason ? Do they think that it is more | expedient that abuses should exist, and in- | crease, ull the schools become as notorious ,as the Lunatic Asylum, than to apply a remedy, for fear the demands of Catholies will have to be met? Do they believe that a man is a better neighbor, anda better sub. ject, because he is a Christian? Do they be- lieve in the scriptural adage, *‘ Train up a child in the way he should go?” Ifthey do, how can they permit ‘agrant abuses, in the school system, to remain untouched, rather than appear to countenance Catholics, who wish to have their children trained up as Chrisuans? He hoped the House would give the subject serious consideration ; and