THE BRITISH AMERICAN

213

md’by means of false statements at the bum Otiice, artfully to defeat and entirely frustrate the, ﬁnal passing or enactment mof, by preventing their obtaining the oyal Allowance: and that the proprietors thus led from the most sordid motive, namely, st they would by those Laws be compelled to ntributeasmall sum towards the improve- ent ofthe country, by way of a tax on their ilderness Lands.

5. Resolved That from the liberal policy of is Majesty’s present Ministers, the Inhabi- itants of this Colony entertain a well ground- dexpectation of the speedy redress of the any long endured and serioua grievances, hich they have hitherto so inedectually com- lained of. \

6. Resolved That from the hitherto all pre- ailing inﬂuence of absent Proprietors and eir friends at the Colonial Ofﬁce, and the xtreme difﬁculty which the Colonists have niformly experienced in making their real ud true situation correctly known, and by llowing the statements ofiuterested and ill- formed individuals to prevail, this Colony as been in many important particulars indi- ctly but virtually deprived of those advan- ges which ought to result from its possessing local Legislature, chosen by the Inhabi- ants, and intimately acquainted with their ants and wishes.

7. Resolved, that Courts of Escheat have ng been established, and in active operation, theneighbonring Provinces; and it is the pinion of this Committee, that their benefi- ial results are best shewn by the general ttlement and improvement ofthose Colonies, nd the certainty and mildness of the tenure ywhich the agriculturists therein hold their ands.

8. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this mmittee, that the Rents in this Colony for nd, the clearing and bringing into cultiva- stion of which is more than equal to the as simple value thereof, range from One hilling to Five Shillings per acre, and the ngth of Lease from Forty years upwards; ad that the Rents of the whole Island, if set- led, even at One Shilling per acre only, ould amount to Sixty Thousand Pounds per nnum, a sum which, under any circumstan- 81, even the most prosperous, must: prove uinous. ifabstractcd from it to support absent roprietors.

9. Resolved, as the opinion of this Committee. at in all probability this Island would, by this 'me. have been fully settled—the Titles of very man secure—its exports much beyond hoseof the same extent of territory in any f the Northern .Colonies, and the consump- l0ll ofBritish goods proportionably increased, the Act of 1803, authorizing an Escheat, Id gone into operation, as His Majesty at ﬁrst sciously intended that it should.

lo. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this 'ommittee, with reference to Viscount Gode- 011‘: Despatch of August 1st, 1832, to his

Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, that the intention therein expressed, in the event of any Lands being Escheated in Prince Ed- ward Island, that there would be no remission to the occupying tenants of the conditions on which such pertions of the said Lands as were actually occupied are held of the proprietors, would, if carried into effect; place a large proportion of the Inhabitants of this Island on a footing much worse than that of the settlers in the neighbouring Provinces. That the said Tenantry, in general, are a loyal and deser- ving class of men, and would in the event of the Lands they occupy being escheated, have a strong claim upon the indulgence of Go- vernment, from the consideration that it is solely owing to their persevering and indus- trions habits that the lands in question have arrived at their present value.

ll. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that there are still large tracts of land liable to forfeiture in this Island; from which circumstance,longer to delay the es- tablishment of a Court of Escheat, similarly constituted with those in the neighbouring Provinces; can be regarded in noother light thana denialof justice to the Colony, and inevitably tend to retard its settlement, cnl- tivation, and general prosperity; and that were the Lands liable to escheat sold in small tracts to actual settlers, the consequences to the Inhabitants would be lasting and bone. ﬁcial.

12. Resolved, That the establishment of a Court of Escheat in this Colony, so far from unsettling the minds ofthe inhabitants, would have a direct contrary tendency, as all classes would acquiesce in the justice and expe- dienCy of such a measure, toxally exempt from any erroneous notion of deriving personal ad- vantages therefrom, otherwise than would no- crne to each indivndual Settler from the gene- ral settlement and improvement of the Colony.

13. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, That with one or perhaps two ex- ceptions, none of the proprietors brought Emi- grants to the Colony for the purpose of set- ling their lands, who after being located therew on left the same to settle on other lands, unless where such proprietors refuse to give titles to the Emigrants so brought to the Island, to ena- ble them to improve the same under a certain tenure, agreeably to the assurances made them before embarking for this country; or in cases where the Emigrants could only procure Leases ofgreen wood Lands for the short term of forty years,a tenure which no sane person would for a single moment think of accept- ing, except under such painful and destitute circumstances as Emigrants are frequently placed in on their arrival in a strange coun- try.

14. Resolved, That the House be recommend- ed to present an humble address to His Majes- ty, setting forth the injuries that have arisen in consequence of the non-fulﬁlment of the conditions on which the lands in this Colony

were granted by the Crown, and praying that no further indulgence be extended to those individuals possessing or claiming to possesi the lands in question; but in order that the settlement and improvement of the country may be no longer retarded, that the requisite and legal steps may be forthwith adopted for effectually revesting in His Majesty all Lands liable to forfeiture and escheat within the same.

Ordered, That the question of concur- rence be now separately put upon the said . Resolutions.

And the ﬁrst of the said Resolutions be- ing again read :

Mr. H. Mardonald moved, in amend- ment, that after the word “ Resolved," all be expunged, and that the following be in; serted.

“That the Resolutions now reported “from the Committee of the whole House “be not agreed to, as being oppressive and “distressing to small proprietors and tenants “of lands in this Colony, and as tendin “to burthen the resources of the Islan “ with the payment of the Civil List, hi- “therto borne by the parent state; and “that as the Tenants are in general unable “to pay their rents, to impose a tax that “will fall heavily upon them, would be to “add to their burthensr ; and that Resolu— “tions tending to entail u on this Colony “the payment of its Civil .ist, are unjust “and impolitic.”

And the motion being seconded, the House divided on the question of amen - ment:

Yeas. Mr. H. Macdonald and Mr. Nelson-

Nays.

Mr. Green, Mr. J a S. Macdonald, Mr Hyndman, Mr Brenan, Mr. Pope, Mr. Dalrymple, Mr. Brecken, Mr. Owen, Mr. Cody, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Willock, Mr. A. Macdonald, Mr. Binns.

Resolved, That a Committee of ﬁve Members be appointed to prepare an Ad— dress to His Majesty, founded upon the said ResolutiOns.

Ordered, that Mr. Owen, Mr. Brecken, Mr. Pope, Mr. Dalrymple, and Mr. Binns do compose the said Committee.

FOR THE BRITISH AMERICAN.

Mr. Printer, ' -

I have often thought that the use of the types and press is the greatest blessing that human ingenuity ever bestowed upon soci- ety. And if we take a restrospective view of bygone years, we shall ﬁnd that the “ mighty leoerqf the press,” (as Sheridan emphatically designated it.) has done more towards the independence and civilization 1 of mankind than all other causes put toge- ther. .

Now Mr. Printer, let me ask you in the name of common sense, what good has that

“mighty engine” ever done for Prince Ed;