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‘Colonial Legislature.

PELL LLL A Ah LL NA MN Le Lh MM HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. Fripay, Fes. 19, 1858. QUALIFICATION OF J. C. POPE, Esgr.

Mr. Muirmeap rose and stated, That, having, on the first day of the session, ia compliance with a petition which had been sent to hitm moved a resolution, to the effect that James C. Pope, Esq., should, incompliance with a requirement of the Election Law, lay a Schedule of his Qualification upon the Clerk's table; and his resolution having been carried and compli- ed with, he had afterwards made the necessary investigation In the Register’s Office, and found that a certain Deed of Settle- ment, which, if in feree, might have invalidated Mr. Pope’s Qualification, bad been revoked by him; and as he (Mr. M.)

had no further instructions from the Petitioner's concern'ng ihe matter, he presumed that the Clerk ought to be instructed

to return, to Mr. Pope, his Tule Deeds and other papers |

which, in compliance with a requirement of the Law, he had laid upon the table,

Ordered accordingly. ,

Hon. Cou. Secrerany thought it would be necessary for the Clerk of the House to keep a copy of Mr. Pope s revoca- fiva,

CONDENSED DEBATE,

House in Committee on the Report of the Special Commit-

tee on Expiring Laws: Mr. McDonald in the Chair.

An Act to provide a summary remedy for Females in certain cases of seduction. ion. Mr. Panwer.—The propriety of continuing this Act in its present form, admitted of some question ; but there was no guestion, ia bis mind, respecting the propricty of providing some remedy for the wrong which too ofien was sustained by females, of whose weakness or confidence, men were found so uaprincipled and licentious as basely to take advantage. There was no Bastardy Law, or any other laws ia this Coloay, such as were in operation in Great Britain and other countries, calculated to afford relief to the injured, and to repress sexual immorality by the infliction of penalties upon evident and no- torious offenders against chastity. But where such laws did exist, they were very far from being satisfactory or efficient ; and, very often to—as had most certainly been the case here, under the operation of ihe expiring Jaw then under considera- tion—they operated rather as an inceutive than a discourage- ment, to the crime which they were in'ended to repress : and the remedy provided by the law was seldom sought by such gemales as had been really and truly the viciims of seduction ; dor such naturally shrunk, in their modesty and shane, from dhe further exposure and publicity which would be consequent upon their putting the law in operation against their cal/ous- hearted and licentious seducers; whilst, on the other hand, females, who were positively rather the seducers than the se- duce!, and others notorious for their profligacy, and vice of almost every kind, found in the law a bounty or premium pro- vided for their immorality; and came forward, blushingly and boldly, to claim compensation for the injuries alleged to bave been sustained by chem, when in fact, they were much snore deserving of punishment for their open and shameless profligacy, than of ary compensation for wrong inflicted upon them. So much respecting the unwholesome operation of the Act, was he, ia candour, bound to say, although the measure head originated with himself. The question concerning the propriety of its reenaetment or continuance, was certainly wery perplexing and difficult. | Whilst a!) admitted the pro- priety of providing some remedy for the injuries sustained by females who had been, in reality, heartlessiy deceived, if re- aedy there could be in such cases ; and whilst all who were influenced by feelings of humanity, saw and admitted the re- eessity ef providing and enforcing, where it was possible, from the fathers, some support tor illegitimate children, how shame- less and abandoned svever their mothers might be ; they were completely at a loss how to devise any measure which, whilst, in its operation, it should afford some relief to the injured, and inflict some penalty on the injurer, should not, at the same time, by an encouragement to women of an abandoned charac- ter to practise their meretricious arts upon such thoughtless, uawary, and it might be reckless, individuals of the other sex, as were in such a position or in such circumstances of life, as might warrant their expectation of being able to extract money from them, either through their dread of the exposure which wouid ensue upon an action sustained in the open Court, or alse by positive operation of the law so enforced. The expir- ing law had also been found to operate, in another way, high- ly injurious to the morals of the youth of the Colony, through the disgusting disclusures which were frequently made, in open Court, when cases of seduction were being tried therein. li had been fuund that, on such occasions, the Court was erowded by youths, and others, of depraved appetites or vi- cyous inclinations, whose ears eagerly drank in the offensive and loathsome details which were frequently made, and then went forth, with their corrupt appetites newly whetted, and heir evil inclinations more cunlirmed, to spread more widely the contamination which adhered to themselves, by the fre- quent relation of the disgusting disclosures which they had heard in Court. For the lessening of this evil, it was suppos- ed some restrictive measure might be devised. To that end, it was proposed, he had heard, to constitute, in each of the Counties, a Bench of Magistrates before whom such cases should be breught, and whese duty it would be to hear and decide thereon, with as much secrecy as should be compatible with a fair hearing of both parties. In justice to the Judges of the Supreme Court, be felt bound to say, that they were pot by any means favorable to the reenactment of the law as it then stood ; and none could deprecate mure than they, the filthy and polluting disclosures which such cases too generally produced in Court. The Judges, however, knew nothing of eny such cases but those which were broaght under their cog- niganee in Court: they heard nothing of the numerous cases which were Igid before the individual barristers of the Court, some of which were setiled thraugh the operation of compunc- Ajous or cogscientious feelings on the part of the offending mey, Who agreed to make such compensation tq the complain- ants as they were willing to receive; and by other male of- fenders making such offers, as, in all likelitiood, they would not make were the present law not in force. ‘The necessity of some such was practically acknowledged in every well go- verned country ; and, should it be determined that the present Jaw bearing upon seduction should not be reenacted on ac- evgat of the yery serious objections which existed to its con- tinuance, in every well regulated mind in the commanity, it would yet, he apprehended, be positively necessary to enact some other measure in lieu of it, for the just consideration of the cruel wrongs so often sustained by too credalous and con- fiding women; and the voice of humanity imperatively de- wanded that some prevision should be made for the support of illegitimate children ; perhaps most especially fur the support ut those helpless beings who would, otherwise, be altogether abandoned, not to the care, but to the neglect of the most deeply impoverished and the most unnatural mothers. Bat nene more than he, would be more anxious, in the framing of any new law upon the subject of seduction, intended to supersede the present ove, that it should held out no induce- ments to females of loose inclinations, or of open profligacy, for the practice of their deceptive and seductive arts ; but yet he would say, that, should such Couris, as he had alluded to, composed of Beaches of Magistrates, be established, it would be necessary, whilst guarding against injuries and demoraliz- ing publicity, to make such legal provisions for the regu- Jation of the proceedings therein, as would afford an equal measure of justice tv each party, by allowing each tg ve heard, both iq persou and by witnesses. He himself had no aliera- tion ta propose in the present law; but he would be very willing te concede full power to hear, investigate, and decide, in cases of seductign, to Magistrates who mizht be judicionsly selected to compose such tribuneis as he had alluded to, and so yegulated as he had presumed to intimate they ought to be ; seserving, at the same time, the right of appeal to the Supreme Voust, ty either party whe might feel aggrieved by the magis- terial decision. He might further observe, that he also ap- prehended if such Courts were established, it would be neces- sary to recognize, to a certain extent, in the Act intended to coustitute them, jhe principles of the Bastardy Law of fing-

laud ; by which, jn eagh particular ease, a Bond was required |

10 be given, by the father of the illegitimate ehlid, that it

thould not, in its infancy, become a burihen on the community; | aad, by which Bond, he was bound to make a suitable weekly | possible, It eo not then however necessary, he thought experience; and he thought that by the institution of such ‘tv go into details.

fon. Corontat Teeasurer.—He was.of opinion that it | amendments, the Act might yet be made to effect mach good.

allowance to the mothgr for the suppert of the child. Of this he was certain, that it would be impalitic, unjust, and inhu-

eould be enforced from the fa- ther, and not allowing the helpless little veings to be ag the care of heartless and reckless mothers. iit was “ ms wish, more than it could be that of any oiher member 0 : ” House, to inflict, upon the futher, greater punishment om should be justified by the wrong which he had done; Sat leommon sense and common justice alike demanded that a man | should, at the least, be more responsible for the oe jof a child which had been brought into the world through e ‘gratification of his irregular desires. He knew that, to avo such disgusting and contaminating disclosures as he had spo- i ken of, the Judges desired the creation, by the Legislature, of | magisterial tribunals, betore which might be brought for de- cision, all such cases of either real or alleged seduction, as had, since the passing of the Act under review, been tried in the Supreme Court, The institution of such tribunals, under proper regulations, would, no doubt, to some extent, lessen

less and unoffending offspring.

many such cases, when heard in the Supreme Court : and, in that wav it might lessen the provocatives to immorality aris- ing therefrom: bat he was certain that, instead of diminish- ing, it would rather increase the number of those cases ; be- cause individuals of prurient desires would be relieved, by the comparative secrecy of such tribunals, from muca of the wholesome dread imposed upon them by a trial, open to the public, in the Supreme Court. Almost every day, at least every month, many such cases were laid before the individual members of the Bar; but, numerous as they were, under the existing law, they would, he apprehended, be still more nu- merous, were private Courts to be established for the hearing of them: there the parties would not be afraid to fight it out, how disgraceful and disgusting soever ‘he details by which the trial might be attended ; and, after all, many cases might there terminate in an appeal to the Supreme Coart,

Hon. Cou. Secretary.—TVhe Act, well intended, as it had, no doubt, been, on the part of the hon, and learned gentleman with whom it had originated, had certainly, he thought, rather given encouragement to loose women tu throw themselves in the way of young men, than operated as a check to icamoral intercourse between thesexes. ‘There were, unhappily, inthe community, many such female characters as would, merely with a view to the extracting of £20 or £30 fiom the pocket of a thoughtless young man, or from those of his friends, pur- sue and beset him with every vicious enticement which they could practice ; and when they had succeeded in effectually inveigling and entrapping him, almost any lawyer, no doubt, to whom they might apply would professionally do his best to enable them tu extract the coveted plunder from their vic- tims. He perfectly agreed with the hon. and learned member for Charlottetown, in all that he had said concerning the im- moral consequences resulting from the trial of seduction cases, in the Sapreme Court, in Charlottetown ; for, on all such oc- easions, the Court was, in a manner, filled with the disorderly boys and all the worst characters of the town ; their induce- ment to be there, proceeding from nothing but the delight with which they were ready to listen to such disclosures of inde- cencies, as would be truly disgusting to every mind, even only moderately influenced by feelings of morality and decency, and which could not but be painful to every individual of un- demoralized character who was compelled to listen to them. The best way, he thought, to remedy the chief evil arising from the operation of the Act, would be to provide that affili- ation should be made before a duly constituted Bench of Magis. trates, giving the Bench authority to bind the father to make a due alluwanre for the support of his child, but giving noth- ing atall tothe mother. — If the father by imputation should deny his paternity of the child, alleging that the mother had sworn falsely against him, and should desire an appeal to the Supreme Court, it should be granted in the usual way. The great evil in the Act was that. the pecuniary penalty inflicted upon the father went to the mother of the child. Nothing whatever to gu to her, unless it were a moderate allowance during the period of her coufiaement, for two or three weeks perhaps: the pecuniary penalty now imposed upon the father, would then no longer operate as a bounty to loose characters for the practice of sensual immorality. fon. the Speaker.—Hle was certainly not at all inclined to support the existing Act; but, should any measure be brought forward, so conceived as to give reasonable ex- pectation that its operation (should it become law) would not be productive of those gross and glaring evils, which had proceeded from the operation of the expiring Act, and wuld at the same time, afford such redress, with respect to cases to which it was intended to apply, as sound policy, justice, and humanity seemed to demand, it should have his concurrence and support. ‘To such Courts as those spoken of by the hon, and learned member for Charlottetown, if composed of truly inteliizent and competent persons, but not appointed indiscriminately from the roll of magistrates, who, as he had sometimes said, were as thick as blackberries throughout the country, might very properly, he thought, be entrasted—under the government and guidance of an Act, ali the provisions of which shall be well digested and

all such cases as those which had of late come within the scope of the expiring Act. Of such Courts it might very well and easily be made a rule to exclude the public, and to admit none into them but the parties immediately con- cerned and their witnesses. It wasaduty, incumbent upon the Legislature, to devise a measure whereby to do away with the immoral and disgusting disclosures, made, in open Court, under the operation of the Act relating to seduction. It was a fact, of which his position in the Supreme Court, when sitting in Georgetown, enabled him to speak distinct- ly and positively, that when a seduction case was to be tried, their were two or three hundred persons in Court, whereas, had the cases been only of the ordinary kind,there would not have been more than about twenty or thirty persons congregated to hear them. The same morbid and discreditable curiosity was exhibited, in other countries ,not only by the male but, to a very great extent, by the female sex also. Jere, however, he felt happy in being able to say, that females, with respect to such exposures of immora- lity, evinced much more modesty and self-respect; for it was positively difficult to get them into Court, on such oceasions, even when their presence was necessary: but were the pre- gent legal practice, in the Supreme Court, to be continued with respect to cases of seduction, that sense of modesty and

when such trials were going on, might, perhaps, as the population of the Cvlony increased, be in a great measure lost; for it was well known that individuals who would hesitate or decline to si.ew themselves amongst a few, where their appearance might injure their reputation, were frequently not so guarded and circumspect when they thought they could shelter themselves from observation in

the Assembly, he introduced a measure relating to such cases as those to which the Act under their consideration referred; one of its provisions directed the pecaniary penalty,

imposed upon the father, to be placed in the hands of two

or three majistrates, to be paid or appropriated by them,

aperation. Should such Courts as those which had jast been spoke of, be established, the enquiries made therein should be conducted in as secret a manner as could be made compatible with the ends of justice; and should any cases be carried from them by appeal to the Supreme Court, the necessary enquiries, even there, should be prosecuted in the ‘greatest seclusion possible. The acts of immorality which the Act under consideration had been intended to peevent or lessen, had, unfortunately, greatly increased in the coun- try since it came into operation; increased, perhaps, both by a kind of certainty with respect to an award of damages, whigh reconciled some females to the prospect of the loss of | character, and induced others of abandoned lives to seek out individuals of whom they might make a prey; and also by the incitements given by cases of seduction tried in the Supreme Court, to the immodest and licentiously disposed | who flock to hear their details, and afterwards, delight to | repeat them, to the further demoralizing of themselves and | of all whom they find willing listeners tu their relation of them. Should the hon. and learned member for Charlotte- | town think proper to prepare an amendment to the expiring | Act, in conformity with the views entertained by himseld | and the Jadges, and lay it before the House, he (the Hon. | the Speaker) believed it would be readily taken up by them, | with a view to render it as just and efficient a measure as

xn, fo allow the present Act to expire, without passing some would be best tu allow the Act to expire altogether. He

Uther measures by which provision fur the sappoit of the belp- ‘had not been present when the discyssion upon it Commen- in such cases as those to which the Act was intended to apply, ; i Z ;" é . ; . : : < ’ , st , . ? ’ 7

the publicity which was given to the disgusting details of

duly guarded—the hearing investigation, and decision of

decorum which now withheld them from appearing in Court

a crowd. When the late Mr. Lewellin was a member of

according to certain directions therein contained; but the whole was so complicated, that it could not be carried into

‘ced, and therefore could not te respecting itof some of the hon. members who

views : . I ‘might already have given expression to them in the Com- ' mittee. ‘The trials ofsedaction cases in the Supreme Court,

| had a direct tendency to increase their aumber by the bad ‘impressions which they made upon the minds of the youth | who eagerly thronged to the Court to hear them; and the ‘minds of mere boys were contaminated by theirdetails. In | consequence of the existence of the Act, women whose characters were so bad that they could establish not even the most unimportant fact, by their own evidence, had ‘sought to derive pecuniary advantages from it. He certain- |ly did not wish to prevent the action of the Legislature with respect to such peculiar cases as those which the Act | was originally intended in some measure to remedy; and he | freely admitted that the motives, which had induced the hon. and learned member for Charlottetown to introduce the measure, were highly praiseworthy. Still, however, the fact that, since the Act had come into operation, the deeds which it was intended to prevent had increased a hundred fold, was one which he thought, must be admitted by all to be very discouraging to such legislation.

Mr. Yeo was of opinion that with respect to some females, the prospect of compensation held out to them, by the Act, had made them much less guarded than they would, other- wise have been; and that, as regards others, it had made them much bolder and more calculating than they were be- fore. The fact was that whilst it afforded but little or no compensation to truly unfortunate females who were insidi- ously wronged and betrayed; it operated with respect both to the less worthy and the most abandoned of the sex, asa premium offered for the encouragement of looseness and immorality. That the fathers of illegitimate children should, if possible,be compelled to make allowances for their main- tenance, for a certain number of years, was nothing but just and proper; but that the mothers of such children, should, at the same time, be entitled to receive certain sums of money, as a sort of premium for their immorality, was eer- tainly, in the great majority of cases, very wrong. The hon. member then briefly adverted to the nature and work- ing of the Bastardy Law,in England,by which,he stated that a labouring man was compelled if an illegitimate child was legally fathered upon him to allow 1s or 23 a week, out of his earnings for its support; but he was not compelled to allow or pay anything to the mother, except a small sum, commonly called the lying-in money, which might support her for two or three weeks. And besides, said the bon. member, by the authority of that law,the parish officers had it in their power, to cause a woman to be imprisoned when she had a second illegitimate child, if she could give no gurantee that neither she, by a continuance in her immoral practices,, nor her child would become burthensome to the parish; and if the father ofa daly affiliated child, for whose support it had been ordered, by the authorities, that he should make a certain weekly allowance, failed to make payment of it, he also was liable ta imprisonment for the default.

Mr. MclInrosn did not think that the law should be al- lowed to expire; for although with respect to some females it did or might operate as a bounty to immorality; yet, as respected others of more correct principles, who, neverthe- less, had unfortunately been seduced, it was beneficial, by affurding them a compensation, to which both justice and humanity declared them to be fairly entitled. If it was ad- mitted that the law operated as an incitement to evil in some; it ought, at the same time, to be ailowed that it inspired others with an awe which withheld them from the indulgence of irregular desire. He heartily approved of all that had been eyggested by hon. members with respect to the establishment of private Courts, wherein all enquiries necessary to be made in all cases of seduction which might ye referred to them, might be prosecuted with as much secrecy as possible, and every care be taken to guard against publicity of details. Such enquiries could certainly be quite as well and as fully prosecuted,in such private Courts, composed of magistrates judiciously appointed thereto, as in the Supreme Court; and the avoidance of public scandal, through indelicate disclosures, would, thereby, be almost fully ensured; a thing which it would be impossible to at- tain in the Supreme Court. He could not think that the law ought to be allowed wholly todie; but he did think, that it might easily be greatly amended, by carrying into effect the suggestions whieh had been so wisely made con- cerning the establishment of private Courts.

Hon. the Srraxer then rose and submitted the following Resolution:

Resolved, That the Act, 15th Vie., eap. 23, intituled ‘*An Act to provide a summary remedy for females in cer- tain cases of Seduction,’’ be continued and amended.

Mr. Cuarkx. He would certainly much rather that the Act should be allowed to expire, than be continued oa the Statute Book in its present form. In its operation, not- withstanding the praiseworthiness of its object, it had cer- tainly increased the evil which it wasintended to lessen. The Judges, as had been stated by the hon. and learned member for Charlottetown, and as he himself had heard one of them say, were so little favorable to the law as it now stood, that they would gladly see it superseded by the estab- lishment of such private Courts as had already, with suffi- cient fulness for the present occasion, been adverted to by different hon. members. For himself, he would almost rather do anything than consent to the reenactment of the Jaw as it then stood; for, in its operation, it had been found to afford direct encouragement to vice.

Mr. Latrp—lle perfectly agreed with all that had been said, by hon. members, in favor of the institution of private Courts, composed of magistrates judiciously selected, for the hearing and determining of seduction cases. If a measure for the establishment of such Courts, were introduc- ed, and sustained by the majority of the House, it might be passed for a short period to try how it would work; and, if it did not work well, perhaps, at the expiration of that period, a better measure might be devised and enacted in lieu of it.

Mr. Dincwett—That the operation of the Act, had been productive of evil rather than good, was, he believed, a fact evident to all; and that fact afforded another evidence con- : firmatory of the sound sense and truth of the oft repeated saying, that it was impossible to make men moral by the agency of laws. The law was, no doubt, humanely inten- ded, as its title imported, to afford relief to females in cer- tain cases of seduction; but according to the testimony of every hon, member who had spoken in Committee concern- ing it, it had, in that respect, most signally failed; for, as neurly all knew, it had rather induced females of loose morals, and, at thesame time of calculating minds, to throw themselves opportunely in the way of young men, from whom, in case of mishap, they might reasonably expect to draw a sum of money, under the name of ‘ compensation’ for their alleged seduction. He again observed, that no- thing but the right moral training of children on the part of parents, could afford salliee like a reasonable gurantee that they should, when they grew up, be proof against seduc- tions and temptations to vice; alihough it was mortifying and painfal to be obliged to admit, that, even in many in- stances, in which that had been most carefully attended to, the expectations of good results had been most lamentably disappvinted. The law then under the consideration of the Committee, was intended to apply to adults, to individuals capable of judging and choosing for themselves; and proof sufficient had been afforded, that it had, in no way, acted as a salutary restraint upon evil inclinations, or operated for the benetit of the really injured, who were justly entitled to compensation fur the wrong which had been done to them; but that it had positively, on the contrary, afforded en- couragement to vice. He would, therefore say, with res- pect to those for whose benefit the law had been framed and enacted, and also with respect to all whom it directly effect- ed,—they were of age, they were arrived at years of disere- tion, and were capable of judging and choosing for them- | selves; and, therefore, if they choose amiss, they ought to| abide the consequences, and could have no claim to com- pensation for injuries which they had rather courted, than avoided.

Hon. D. Monrcomery.—He approved of the Resolution, submitted by the bon. the Speaker. The law ought not to be allowed to expire, alihough it bad not produced the good ef- fects which, it had been expected, would result from its oper- ation. ts defecis, or wrong working had been manifest by

Courts as had been recommended, and by other jadicious

ll what might be the precise | might be a question ; but, certainly, that could be none res- pecting the propriety of compelling the father of ilegitimate

children to make some provision fer their support, especially as many mothers of such children were so poor as tu Le unable to provide for them themselves. Such unfortanate ‘children should net certainly be allowed to perish for want: that ought carefully and positively tv be guarded against. He would support the Resolution.

The Resolutioa of the Hon. the Speaker, as above given was then submitted, and agreed to nem, con.

CENTRAL ACADEMY, PUBLISHING OF PUBLICSERVICE NOTICES, & REVENUE ACTS.

Hon. the Treasurer, severally moved the following Resola- trons whieh were agreed to by the Commitiee, without any Opposition :—~

Resolved, That the Act, 15 Vict., cap. 29, intituled an Act to alter and amend an Act, passed in the sixth year of the reign of Iler present Majesty, intituled an Act to alter and amend the Act for the establishment of an Academy in Char- lottetown, be continued,

Resolved, That the Act, 15 Vict., cap. 31, intituled an Act tu regulate the publishing of Notices and Advertisements re- lating to the Public Service, be continued.

Resolved, That the Act, 20 Voct., cap. 1, intituled an Act for raising a Revenue, be continued aud amended,

HOUSE RESUMED.

The Resolutions agreed to in Committee of the whole House, as above given, were then reported, by Mr. M* Donald, Chairman of the Committee ; and the question of concurrence therein being put, by the Hon. the Speaker, it was without any Opposition, received and adopted by the House.

The following Committees were then appointed to prepare and bring in Bills, pursuant to the foregoing Resolutions : Ist, Seduction Cases Bill ;—~

Honbles. E. Palmer, D. Montgomery, and the Colonial Secretary, Messrs. McIntosh ané Yeo.

2nd, Central Academy :—Honbles. the Col. Secretary, J. Wightman, ard F. Longworth.

3rd, Public Service Notices :—The same as that for the Central Academy Aet.

4th, Revenue Act.—The Hen. Co}. Treasurer moved the appointment of a Commitiee; but the matter was allowed to stand over.

PiTITIONS PRESENTED THIS DAY.

By the Hon. E. Whelan—A Petition of James Walsh and others praying aid to repair a Road.

By the Hon. the Col. Treasurer—A_ Petition of divers In- habitants of Township No. 12, praying aid to complete a Road.

Ordered, Vhat the said Petitions do lie on the Table.

to Satvuroay, Fes. 20, 1858.

Hon. F. Whelan presénted a Petition from divers Inhabi~ tants of [ead of Hillsborough River, praying aid to rebuild a Bridge and improve a Road, leading to the settlement of the Back Farms. The same was received and read. Ordered. that the said Petitions do lie on the Table.

——— Monpay, Fer. 22, 3855

Hon. the Col. Secretary presented the Road Correspondent’s Accounts, which were received, and ordered tv be kaid upon the Table.

Hon. the Col. Secretary, from the Committee appointed to prepare and bring in a Bill, pursuant to a Resolution of the House, to continue the Act regulating the publishing of No- tices and Advertisements, relating to the Pabiie Service, pre- sented a Bill, which was read the first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow.

Hon. the Col. Secretary, from the Committee appointed to prepare and bring in a Bill, to continue the Academy Act, presented a Bill, which was read the first time, and ordered to be read a secowd time to-morrow.

R. B. Irvine Reporter.

Che Examiner.

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.1I., MARCH 8, 1858.

FAMILY COMPACTS.

Tus Islander — evidently conscious that nothing tells more forcibly against a political party than to show that there is a Family Compact connected with it —has recently made the most desperate attempts to convince his readers that a Family Compact exists under the paternity and patronage of the Hon. Colonial Secretary, the leader of the present Government. The first link which the astute editor of the Js/ander bas discovered in the new Family Compact chain is, that a son-in-law of the Colonial Secrstary was fortunate encugh to become the suc- cessful competitor for the Charlottetown Ferry, (which is not the most lucrative contract in the world), before he was far more successful in winning the Colonial Secretary’s second daughter. Mr. Peake, some years ago, conducted a larger ferry — that between Charlottetown and Pictou —and no one ever contended that he had no right to do so, simply because he was a brother-in-law of the then Colonial Secretary ; and it would not be difficult to show that Mr. Tremain, late ferry- man on the Hillsborough, was intimately connected by family ties with the old Tory Government.

The next link in the chain forged by the editor of the Islan- der is that of the Road Correspondent, who, six or seven years after he was appointed to the office which he so creditably fills, happened to marry another daughter of the Hon. Colonial Secretary! We must infer from the /s/ander’s zemarks, that it was indispensable to a faithful discharge of his duties for Mr. Ball not to marry Mr. Coles’s daugiter; or as soon as he did, that he should have resigned his office. According to this view of the case, we must conclude that Mr. Maegowan, wha was one of Mr. Ball’s predecessors, was a very improper officer, not because he permitted the ‘truck system’’ to flourish undep his management, like a green bay tree, but because he could trace his connexion with nearly all the officers and members of the old Compact Government!

The only other link in the Is/ander’s shert chain is that of the Sergeant-at-Arms in the House of Assembly, brother-in- law to the Colonial Secretary, who received his present em- ployment, not from Mr. Coles or the Goyernment, but from a majority of the People’s Representatives, in recognition of the strong claims which he possessed as a faithful and zealous ad- vocate and ally of the Liberal party. Of course we will be reminded that the late Mr. Solomon Desbrisay, against whom the Liberals never uttered a reproach, was a yery improper person to have placed in the office of Sergeant-at-Arms, because all the other offices in the Legislature, and every office under the Government, were monopolized by his family connexions!

But as the Islander has a taste for discoursing on the evils likely to arise from the creation of Family Compacts, we shall refresh his memory by reference to the names of a more for- midable one than any that he is ever likely to discover in the

ranks of the Liberal Party ; and to show that our statement

is neither yague nor shadowy, we shall give as our authority one of the not least important public records of the Colony- In the Journal of the House of Assembly, 23d April, 1841, p- 151, we find that the Government of that day was composed of the following nice Jittle ‘* Family :’’— ** 1. Whereas the Executive Council of this Colony is com- d as follows :—

Jon, George Wright, Father-in-law to the Prothonotary, who is Brother to the

W hether compensation should generally be allowed to females,

I]on. Robert Hodgson, who is Cousin to the Hon. John Brecken, who is Brother-in-law to the

~~