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“THIS IS ‘PRUE LIBERTY, WHEN FREEBORN MEN—HAVING TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC, MAY SPEAK FREE,” —Evnipipes.

Vou. I.] HOUSS OF ASSSUBLY.

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PARLIAMENTARY SUMMARY.

Tururspay, March 23.

Seed Grain Returns.—After noatiog the journals the standing order was moved, and the House deliberated with closed doors. On our admission, we found Mr.

Rae on his legs, moving, as we understood, that all the Returns from the Commissioners appointed last year for the distribution ofthe appropriation for seed grain, be deposited in the office of the Provincial Secre- tary.

Road Commissioners.—Mr. N. Conroy presented a Petition from inhabitants of Road Districts No. 1 and 2, praying that said Districts may be subdivided into three. The Petition having been read, and laid on the table, the hon. member gave notice that he would nove further in the matter on some early day.

Members’ Seats.—On motion that this Bill be read a third time, Mr. Thornton moved an additional clause, to the effect that when any member shall make appli- cation to the proper authorities for leave to take the be- nefit of the Insolvent Debtors Act, such application shall be considered a forfeiture of his seat.

Mr. Rae, in seconding the motion, observed, he wish- ed an amendment of Mr. D. McLean’s, made on a former day, had been carried. It proposed to leave it in the power of the Member himself, when he found him- self in embarrassed circumstances, to resign of his own accord.

Mr. Palmer, at some length, urged the necessity of going still further. Power, he said, ought to be placed an the Assembly to investigate,and to call upon meinbers, at any time, to produce their quaiifications. ‘The hon. member concluded by moving an amendment to the amendment to that effect.

Mr. D. McLean opposed the investing of the House with any such inquisitorial powers. A merchant may have a seat, said the hon. member, in this House; a ru- mor may exist which the House might act upon; it may turn-out false, and the seat be not jeopardized; but, ten to one, the very fact of the inquiry would be his ruin, because his credit thereby might be blasted and prove irrecoverable.

Messrs. Thornton, H. Macdonald, Rae, and J. Long- worth expressed themselves to the same effect, as did also, subsequently, Mr. Mooney and Dr. Conroy. On -the question being put, the motion was supported only ‘by the mover and seconder, the hon. members for Char-

lottetown and Georgetown. Another resolution of the hon. member for Charlottetown was also negatived. Then the original motion was put, carried, and ordered to be engrossed. Bi!l read a third time and passed.

Scarcity of Grain &c.—Mr. D. McDonald presented a petition from inhabitants of Lots 43 and 44 and others, complaining of scarcity of produce, &c. Ordered to be laid on the table.

Census Bill.—The House in Committee resumed the consideration of this Bill, which after having received several amendments, passed the Committee, and was ordered to be engrossed.

Message from the Legislative Council.—A Message was received fromthe Council informing the House that they had passed a Bill to punish drunkenness by fine and imprisonment, to which they desired the concur- rence of the House.—Said Bill was therefore read a first time and its second reading ordered for tomorrow.

Treasury.—Dr. Conroy moved that a special Com- mittee be appointed to enquire into the affairs of the Treasury. Hon. Mr. Coles seconded the motion, and thereupon Measrs. J. H. Conroy, Thornton, Rae, D. Mc-

Lean, and the Hon. Mr. Coles were named a Committee for that purpose.

Collector of Customs’ Report.—On motion of Dr. Con-

, the House went into Committee on the Report of the Special Committee on the Collector of Customs’ Report, relative to the amount of goods imported dur- ing the late Governor's absence when ona mission to Canada, upon some parts of which certain duties had not been paid. A spirited debate ensued. Several | amendments were proposed by the Hon. Mr. Coles, who

contended that the Report was incorrect, that the real amount of loss was about 200/. instead of near 300/., as’ stated in the Report, and 600/. as stated by others out of doors,—which were severally lost by majorities of 11 to! 8 and 10to9, Finally the Report was agreed to, and the House having resumed, adjourned forthwith.

Fatwar, March 24.

Supply.—House in Committee on Supply during the | would compel them to contribute to that end

and priations for its

CHARLOTTETOWN, P. E. ISLAND, MONDAY, APRIL 3, 1848.

whole of the morning sitting: Mr. Fraser in the Chair. A very spirited debate took place, on the moving of a re- solution to increase the vote of last year for professional services, rendered by Dr. Hobkirk, to individuals injured during the riot which occurred at the Belfast Election.

The sum of 25/. was, last year, appropriated for this) service; but this being only about one fourth of his de- mand, Dr. Hobkirk would not accept it; and, in order to procure what he conceived to be adequate remune- ration, he subsequently brought an action against the Government for the amount to which he conceived him- self entitled. This action was tried at the las sitting of the Supreme Court, and resulted in a verdict in favour of Dr. Hobkirk for 60/. The debate was terminated by the agreement of the Committee to a vote of 35/., which together with that of last year, made up the sum of 601. the verdict of the jury,—the vote of 35/., however, to be considered as subject to the confirmation of the verdict by the Supreme Court.

The Currency.—In the afternoon sitting, the House again went into Committee on the Currency Bill: Mr. Whelan in the Chair. Several clauses having been disposed of, Mr. D. McLean moved an additional one to the effect, That, although, in many cases, the rents re- served are in British Sterling, and such rents are, in some instances, in reality so exacted by arbitrary agents; and such exactions are confirmed by the judgments and decisions of our Law Courts; the legal mode of bringing any such British Sterling rents into Island Currency, shall, hereafter, be by adding one- ninth totheir amount in British Sterling ; and the ten- der or payment of the amount.so obtained in Island Currency, shall be held to be a legal tender or payment of all such rents. The Hon. G. Coles seconded the motion. The hon. the Speaker, Mr. Rae, and other hon. members admitted the propriety and justice of the prin- ciple of the resolution; but were of opinion that the ob- ject it was designed to effect, would be best attained by a separate Bill. The debate was then prosecuted with increasing warmth until, at length, the eneral excite- ment rose to such a pitch as seemed to destroy al} pro- bability of the Committee’s being able, atthat time, further practically to proceed with the consideration of

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‘I'he hon. Speaker said, however unpleasant might be the task, and whatever odium might attach to it, he con- tended it was absolutely necessary to put a stop to the legislative system of relieving distress. He truly sym- pathized with the really destitute, but the matter ought to be thoroughly sifted. The people eught not to be led to believe that they can fasten themselves on the Go- vernment at all times. The system afforded no encour- agement tothe industrious and the really deserving. He knew that much of the existing distress arose from Jaziness, and an unwillingness to work, unless at rates too high to be paid. Asthe hon. member (Mr. Rae} had just remarked, a solemn obligation rested with the proprietors, and if they would not come forward volun- tarily to discharge it, it would be necessary to compel them to do so; for they were the parties who, in the end, reaped the advantage of the general relief afford- ed by the Government.

Mr. Macintosh knew full well how much distress ex- isted, and he was of opinion that something ought to be done to relieve it. ‘If one family were poor, their neigh- bours, who might be better off, relieved them,—and they also became poor. He had made enquiries on this sub- ject, and he was pleased to-say that the information which he had received Jed him to believe that the distress “did-not prevail toso alarming an-extent as had been represented. fe was,: therefore, of opinion, that an increase of £100 to the appropriation for each county would suffice.

Mr. . Conroy was acquainted with the district al- luded to in the letter just read. He also: had received a letter from Mr. Mcintyre,-a gentleman who had great- er intercourse with the people than-the Rev. Mr. Coo- per, and he (Rev. Mr. Mcintyre) says, that although in some settlements ‘the people are Wt scantily enough provided, yet he thinks they will get through the winter in a tolerable way.

.Mr. Mooney said, it was too true that many who sowed jast year, did not reap. Jt was also true that many could not sow from the want of seed. He had spoken, on Saturday, to a man who had a good farm, and who had been in the country a long time, and who dad no complaints to make against his landlord, but who, never- theless, last year-had not had sufficient seed; and the

the business before them. On motion, therefore, the hon. Speaker resumed the Chair, the Chairman report- ed progress, and asked for and obtained leave to sit again; and then, at 8 o’clock, the House adjourned till tomorrow.

Saturpay, March 25.

Elections Law.-The House in Committee were engaged, during the whole of the morning, on the Bill to amend the Election Laws; and, in the afternoon they satin supply. In both cases, the Committee re- ported progress, and asked leave to sit again. Nothing occurred to cause a debate.

Monpay, March 27.

Statute Labour.—On motion of Mr. F. Longworth, the Bill to amend the Statute Labour Act with respect to Charlottetown and Royalty, was read a second t:me, submitted to a Committee of the whole House, reported agreed to, and ordered to be engrossed.

Destitute State of the Country.—The hon. Mr. Coles, by command of the Lieut. Governor, laid before the House, a letter addressed to His Excellency by the Rev. W. H. Cooper, A. B., of Port Hill, apprizing his Excellency of the completely destitute state of the set- tlers in that neighbourhood. The letter having been read, the hon. gentleman moved for a Committee of the whole House to consider the same to-morrow.

Mr. Thornton thought that, as a notice of a motion for the increase of the appropriation for roads and bridges stood on the Order Book, it would be advisable to go into Supply at once, and take up both questions.

This suggestion receiving general support, the House went into committee accordingly.

Mr. H. McDonald said he had been induced, by the general and increasing complaints of distress, to give notice of his intention to move for a further grant of £1500 to the Road Service, in order to afford that re- oe to the people which he was sure was greatly need- ed.

Mr. Rae said, of late years the revenue had been re- sorted to severa! times for the relief of the people, in one way o: the other; and yet the proprietors, who ex- ercised much influence in the Island, and drew largely from it, contributed nothing for the relief of general distress, but reaped the advantage of the public appro- alleviation. An appeal ought to be made to them on behalf of the destitute; and should it appear that they would not afford any voluntary relief, the House ought then to devise some measure that

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consequence was that the family had to go to bed sup- perless. He (Mr. M.) believed that before the summer many more would be similarly situated.

Mr. Le Lacheur had all along insisted that the amount of distress was greater and more alarming than the » House were willing to believe; yet, till within the last few days he did not himself imagine the calamity to be so great as it really was. The poor people, he continued, who now look to the Legislature for relief in their dis- tress, were those who subdued the forest-—-what was formerly of little value they have made very valuable-— but, unfortunately, their labour has been of little advan- tage to themselves. ‘hey have worn out their energies to benefit and enrich others, and they are now deati- tute. The proprietors are those who have gained by the industry of the people, and they ought to be told that it is their duty to assist in alleviating: the destitu- tion.

Mr. D. McLean did not think that an addition of 1001. toeach of the County appropriations for Roads and Bridges would afford tre desired or intended re lief, But he hoped something would, before long, be attempted and accomplished for the improvement of the general condition of the Tenantry

Mr. Douse knew the man who had been alluded to by Mr. Mooney, and he afforded him relief on Saturcay last. Want of proper management, forethought, and industrious habits, occasioned the poverty of many. Such persons got into debt at the small stores in the country, even before the crop was put into the ground; and then if it failed it was easy to determine the result. As the agent of Lord Selkirk, he could only speak for him. As his agent he had relieved his tenants in for- mer times of scarcity, and he should do so again.

The hon. Speaker was of opinion that the best way of proceeding, with reference to the distress existing among the people, would be to appoint a special com- mittee to enquire into its extent and origin ; and then, as had been observed by the hon. member for Queen's County (Mr. D. Maclean), its real cause might be dis- covered. If the proprietors would not come to the as- sistance of their tenants, they (the tenants) would not be able to continue upon their lands; and it would be best to tell them (the proprietors) at once that relief could not be afforded, year after year, from the public purse.

The Hon. Mr. Coles said, there could be very little doubt that great scarcity existed, in consequence of the failure in the potato crop, and the short produce .of grain. He did not believe that want of industry on the part of the people, was any material cause of the exist-

ing distress. here might be, it was true, some more