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eS ———_ —- cence NES

Mr. Wanevrtoy. I suppose you expect them to vate for you then.

Mr. Yeo. I never asked one of them for a vote, but | | will bet five pounds that every man im Grand River will vote fot me, and vote manfully. Now, if there is any} man here who has any thing to say against me, let him! speak out, and let him speak the truth. Since I left the, House of Assembly, the agricultural interests of this part of the Island have been neglected.

Mr. Cores remarked, that he and his party. voted last Session for a grant of money to be distributed between the three Counties, and to be applied towards the breed of Horses and Sheep,

4 Voice. We don’t mind the breed of horses, but the breed of good men. 7

Mr. Yeo. If I am returned, I will still do my best for the country, for it is my interest ag much as it is yours that the Island should prosper.

The Hox, Mr. Cores was naw loudly called for, and requested by the Hon. Mr. Warburton to take a place upon the Hustings beside him. He accordingly did so, and in proceeding to address the Electors, he was en- thusiastically cheered. He said :—“Gentlemen—-l thank you for the privilege you have so generously ex- tended to me in permitting me to address you on this occasion. This is the first time I have visited this part of the Island, and I am happy to be able to say that I do not tepret having made the visit, I did not expect to find the District sa thickly settled—covered with so many fine farms, and presenting so many sighs of im- provement and prosperity. I am, therefore, most agree- ably disappointed. I have always considered that it is) the duty of members of the Government to make them-

selyes acquainted as intimately as possible with every section of the Island—to ascertain the extent of its resources, capabilities and requirements, because their, position not unfrequently demands a larger amount of) information and experience than is requisite to the man, who represents in the Assembly one particular District. | I was told, on leaving Charlottetown, that if I had no, other object in view, in coming to this Election, than, that of furthering or aiding the return of my friend onl my right, I might as well remain at home, for Mr. Yeo’s, influence was all paramount, and it was needless for! any man to oppose him ; but although, indeed, I did not vanture to hope that Mr. Warburton would be success- ful, I was anxious that you, Gentlemen, should rightly understand the principles on which he claimed your suffrages; and if I could render him any assistance in unfolding and explaining those principles, I believed that my time and trouble would not be uselessly ex- pended. In using the privilege which you are this day called upon to exercise, you should endeavour te forget the men, and remember only the principles they avow, | for, until this shall be the governing motive at all Elec- tions, it will be folly for this country to expect that its interests will be fairly, jagtly, and honestly represented | in the Legislature.” (Mr. Coles then rapidly glanced at the agitation for Escheat, and observed). “ Mr. Yeo: was and is opposed to the principle involved in that | question, I am likewise opposed ta it. A general) escheat I believed to have been impracticable; but J) certainly think there was a time when a partial escheat! inight have been effected, if properly sought. When I went into the House of Assembly I united myself to the| party opposed to that general measure. I waited two} years to see what they would do to allay the discontent and dissatisfaction partly consequent on that agitation, and partly the result of misgovernment. I found they uid nothing, and I separated myself from tlem, With

the view cfimproving the condition of the Tenantry,|

and of getting for them better terms from the Proprie- ‘ors than those hitherto given, I proposed to levy a tax spon the Landlord’s rent-ro!l. But how was such a pro- position received? I was assailed by Mr. Yeo in the Assembly, and there being a majority opposed to it, my proposition could not be carried out, This should con- vince you of the necessity of returning men who will advocate those principles and measures which are con- genial to your own thoughts and feelings, and the adoption of which can alone bring about an improvement ‘n your éondition. Mr. Yeo was indeed very hard set <o find some ¢ause of complaint against our party, when 22 sought to urge upon your consideration the smallness othe eonttibutions which we had madeto the Fund

ely proctred in Charlottetown for the relief of the

THE EXAMINER.

you of the amounts subscribed towards that fund by Mr. where was our “liberality” in this matter? But where was his? {f Mr. Yeo subscribed fifteen pounds, and Mr. Peters sixty, the greater part of that money did not come out of their own pockets: it belonged to the Pro- prietors for whom they are agents—and that was not given until the Government interfered, and besought them to step forward and keep their tenantry from starvation... Our.party contributed . according their means ; and if the land agents subscribed liberally, they took care not to be the losers themselves. It is the duty of the proprietors to alleviate the. distress of their tenantry, for that distress is not unfrequently caused, in a great measure, by the exactions made upon the hardy tillers of the soil. here is one reason advanced by Mr. Yeo for his opposition to Mr. Warburton, which I cannot refrain from adverting to. He expected that Mr. Warburton, when he took a seat in the House of Assembly, would act as a servant or substitute for him. But. Mr. Warburton’s conduct proved him to have a mind of his own, and to be far above the degradation of servitude to Mr. Yeo, or any other man. Is it not an insult to you, Gentlemen, that any man should claim the privilege or power of sending to the House of Assembly whomsoever he pleases? Had Mr. Warburton acced as Mr. Yeo wished him to do, he would not have been your representative, but Mr. Yeo’s. If Mr. Yeo was disap- pointed in the estimate he formed of Mr. Warburton’s character, I was also disappointed in mine. When I heard of hia election I was afraid that he would bea

— i in <a etenteetitneeaiiees i

by your rallying round him, to rise superior to the same

‘Peters, himself, and others of his own party. “He asks influences, which are this day secretly at work, to pre-

vent his return to the Assembly.” Mr. Coles then con- cluded, by thanking the Electors for their patient attention to his speech, and on taking his seat, he wags several times cheered.

Mr. Yeo again came forward, and accused the Libe- ral Party of abandoning their Position—going one Session with Mr. Rae in a vote of no confidence es the late Governor, and in the Session following shewine themselves to be the warmest friends and advocates of that Governor. Mr. Yeo remarked that Mr. Rae and his friends had a personal interest in acting thus—that the public situations under Government were to be taken from the present holders, and distributed amongst themselves. |

Mr. Coues replied, He shewed the change that hag taken place in Sir Henry Huntley’s views from the time the vote of no confidence was passed up to the period of his departure from the Island—the Governor was no longer the instrument of a Clique, and the Liberal Party were fully justified in coalescing with him. There could have been no doubt on the minds of the Liberal Party as to the change in Sir Henry’s views ; that change was quite evident from the opposition so unremittingly shown to the Governor by the Clique. As to the charge, that Mr. Rae and his friends were anxious to oust the present Government Officers, and take upon themselves their situations, it was a ridiculous piece of invention. Nothing of the kind was ever contemplated ; but (con- tinued Mr. Coles) what Mr. Rae and others of our party

supporter of the old rotten system of exclusiveness, sought for, and still seek, is that every man in this

monopoly and irresponsibility—I expected, indeed, that he would vote with the Compact Party in every mea- sure; and had he done so, we should not find Mr. Yeo opposing him to-day, But I am happy to be able to bear testimony to the fact, that Mr. Warburton’s conduct in the Assembly has been most honourable, straight- forward, and independent. He not only yoted with us upon all important questions, but he repeatedly express- ed his determination to support, at any risk, every or any measure proposed in the Legislature with the view of advancing the interests of the country; and I have heard him say, that he would rather resign his office as Land Agent titan hold it for one hour, if it were an ob- stacle to the furtherance of his political principles, or if, it debarred him from advocating your interests, and the rights and interests of the country at large. Mr. Yeo

country, not legally, morally, or physically disqualified, shali be eligible to hold office under the Government. Now, according to the existing system of government, offices are confined to and monopolized by a few, who hold their situations as vested rigits, and who.are not responsible to the majority of the people, represented in Parliament, for the faithful performance of their duties. The Liberal Party contend that the country ought to be governed on the responsible system. This system would break down monopoly and exclusiveness—the party having the majority in the Legislature would be the party in power, and one side would then have as good a chance as the other—such a system would stimulate the zeal, ability and ambition of your young men; but under the present order of things it is useless for any young man, however gifted and enterprising, to aspire

has told you, Gentlemen, that our party are a set of toany eminence in his native country, unless he is con-

robbers, because we think proper to take the paltry re- muneration of thirty pounds a-year for our services in

the Legislature. Have not Mr. Yeo and his party done |

nected by family ties with the all-grasping Compact, whose sons, and nephews, and cousins, remain to be provided for—and who are ready to grasp at any little

the same? Where is there an instance of any one of office which lappens to fall vacant.

them giving up his Legislative pay for the benefit of the country ?

Mr. Yeo. I have this year helped the country to the amount of about 1,000.

Mr. Cotes. But have you given it away? Have you made a free gift of that much money to the country? No. You expect to profit by all you have laid out. If Mr. Yeo is such an enemy to the practice of paying members of Parliament, why has he not come forward, at this season of destitution, and said, “ Gentlemen, I was eight years in the House of Assembly. Tf received during that time for my services the sum of 240/. 1 think it is not right for me to keep it, and [ am there- fore willing to have it divided amongst you.” But this charge of dishonesty and robbery which Mr. Yeo pre- fers against our party is only a part of the tactics or mane@uvres which the Compact and their agents always pursue for the accomplishment of their objects. About the time of my election in 1847, when those parties wete canvassing for Mr. James McCallum, the public had a very striking example of their honesty and truth. Every lie which their malice could suggest, was set on foot to bias the minds of the Electors acainst me— religious and national prejudices were attempted to be aroused against me—the Presbyterians, Methodists, and Churchmen were told that I had become a Catholic ; the Catholics, on the other hand, were told that I was an enemy to their religion, and the [rish people had it whispered in their ears that I burned the portrait of the late Mr. O’Connell, and that I was a foe to their coun- try ‘and their race. But [I triumphed aver all these calumnies, and I shewed the Compact that they could not ride rough-shod over me or my constituents; and I

A loud call having now been made for Mr. WHELAS, he was led by the Hon, Mr. Warburton from the Clerk’s room, where he had been taking notes, and being presented to the Electors, he proceeded to address them, reviewing the business of the past Session of the Legislature, and the business of the one preceding, ans- wering Mr. Yeo’s enquiry, “ What had he or his party ever done to forfeit the confidence of the country ?” But the speech not having been reported, our readers are very fortunately spared the infliction.

At the close of Mr. Whelan’s speech, polling com- menced, and continued for nearly an hour, when it was interrupted by

Mr. Martin Dorte—(an Elector)—coming upon the Hustings, and asking the Electors to witness the at- tempt which Mr. Yeo had made to intimidate him. He had, at that moment, he ssid, received a letter through the hands of one of Mr. Yeo’s friends, calling for the payment of an account, or in the event of a delay, threat- ening him with a prosecution. He had had dealings to 2 very large extent with Mr. Yeo, but if that circumstance should bind him to vote fora man ia whom he had no confidence, the freedom of election was destroyed. [le would disregard the threat contained in the letter, which he would read, and exercise his privilege independently. He asked Mr. Yeo to furnish him with an account, and he would promptly meet his demand. The Jetter was then read, of which the followimg is a copy :—

‘Port Hiur, 30th June, 1848. ‘Mr. Martix Dorte—

‘] find you have been doing all you can against me in regard of the Election. I think before you begun t use me in such a way you ought to have paid me the

seetitate formers on the Tslend, and be vauntingly tells

hope, Geatlenren, that Mr. Warburton may be enabled,

amount due me from you, as it is nots smalleum, §