9‘9"”,

A .e..—-n, ‘f/W.

‘ that ofiwery other Colony.

nor did he think it any sure policy to confide in the benevolence of the proprietors, for a. redress ot'the grievances complained of, unless that, as they find it difficult to collect rent; and that agi- tated between hope and fear—fear that some radical \ reformers might come into office at home, and sweep away their titles. which were no better than that of Earl Stirling to Nova-Scntia, they may relax some of that unyielding rigor with which they have been in the habit of grinding the tenaniry. He would say, aldopt which resolutions you please, but support them with evi- dence. Contradictory evidence was sent home by the Governor, evidently With the intention of" neutralizing the effect of the Reso. Iutions sent by the last House. (Here he read the correspondence referred to.) Are we, the Members of this House, he said, to be looked on as mcnial servants, who are to have our characters drawn up and signed by our masters, the Governors who are sent out to oversee its, and then sent home! What good are resolu- tions of the House of Assembly, if the statement ofa Governor is taken in preference to them; he who was not five months in the Colony, and was not then perhaps 30 miles beyond Charlotte- town. Yet’ he, is believed before us: he also presumes from some rare instance of a, high price beingfiven for a spot of land near Charlottetown, to lay down astanda d value for all the land in the Colony ; just as if one would say, such isthe general price of land in England and Scotland, because he had seen some choice spots near London and Glasgow, that sold for an extract. dinary price : such and no better is the inference which the Goy- ernor drew from the sale of a solitary lot near Charlottetown, in orderto extend it to the whole Island. He could not see because the land in the vicinity of the town, was in a state of progressive improvement, that therefore the state ofthe tenantry in the coun- try was improving in a direct ratio: this was contrary to the facts, yet fiom such data as these, the Governor inferred the general prosperity of the Island for this reason. We want evi- dence to contradict this especially, as by it we will be able to contradict the Governor's last despatch. He did not consider it irrelevant therefore, to our purpOse, to call in evidence to hear us out in our resolutions. It was not, as some hon. members asserted, for the purpose of a revival of Escheat; Mr. Cooper and Mr. Macintosh bring forward an escheat measure, and because he knew the justice of the case, he Would vote for it, though he would have very little hope ot'its passing the ordeal of the Colo. nial Office under Lord Stanley. He had no objection to cul‘tall the resolution that he presented, provided the chief feature of the state of the case were not lost sight of. He was not wedded l0 this or that form of words, provide the true state of the country was represented. It has been asserted that produce is not as low here as in other places. How can that be? If it were the case, would produce be exported to foreign markets? Yet, after all, it is the rent that causes the distress, for the tenant has not the option of making thé’best bargain he could with his produce. He was prepared with evidence, to prove the very low prices that were obtained for produce that had been sold under seizure for rent. He also wished to show the scarcity of money, by the evi- dence of those, who from their experience in trade, can best test it. He would require evidence to contradict the representations of our extreme prosperity that had got abroad. He had known three who advertised their farms forsnle, nflerthey had been dis- trained on, and they could not procure purchasers. Some how, members talked of a fourth estate: why, here isa fil’tliestatc, which the hon. member has exhibited—the Agricultural Report. We do not know by it, how many asses may be gone borne! Lord Selkirk may be out here next Spring, and his report may be also embodied in those returns. He insisted the unaided resolu- tions of the House were not sufficient to make such an impres. sion. as when they were backed by the evidence.

Mr. Yen wished the House would be guided by the recommen. datiou ofthe Hon. Speaker. He would be very sorry indeed, to see the House opposed to one another; for his part, he wished the House to try, With a good will. for the benefit of the tenautry, that did all they could to pay the rent; but he had known some, whose rent was to be paid in produce, but they did not even do that same ; agitation was the sole cause of this, and he tvouid now advise the agitators to give it up, as they could get nothing by it themselves, why agilate ! agitate I! agitate!!!

Mr. MActNrosu. The hon. member for Charlottetown, Mr.

Palmer, had talked about 220,000 acres of land being taken up, ‘

and settled within the last seven years; but be (Mr. Macintosh) would like to ask the hon. member, if he thought that a settle- ment, where the poor wretches stopped for a short time, like birds of passage! How was it taken up, and by whom? We know that at our approach. the birds will take to flight, amt so he expected those who_have taken up the land, would fly on the ap. proach of an agent! Every member knows the country is not in a, prosperous state. Land indeed may be enhanced in value. round this town ; individuals from England, who were fools enough to throw away £1000, which they can never expect to get back again, may be said to enhance it. But tliough'be was an inha- bitant of the Island, he never knew one individual to make £1000 out ot'the produce of the land, So that all these statements go for nothing. Where is the man that gained a thousand pounds by farming. Let us call evidence and send home the truth : it ought to be‘shewn that rent cannot be paid in cash or in pro- duce either. Why does not the hon. member do so much for the country, where he has three-fourths of the House and the Govern- ment to back him; but though the "Pope" reigns, it. does no! follow that every one must think like him.

Mr. MACAULAY said, the lion. member for King's County (Mr. Macintosh) says the late House was accused before the Colonial Office of being both ignorant and poor. As to learning and igno- rance they were certainly opposed to each other, and is if his (Mr. Muctnfosli's) desire that the present House slioultl tinder- take to prove that the last House was learned ! As to the charge of poverty,'lie thought it was sufficiently borne out by the Coloiiy’s sending home it delegate to represent them in the steer-nae. ofu lumber ship ; and anything which we might say to the coi’itrarv, would not alter people's opinion on the suliioct. It was true tlie country was free to choose whom they might to represent them, but it did not follow thntthose chosen were rich and learned from that circumstance, or that any measures of ours could mnke thorn so iftbey were not so before. His constituents sent him to listen to any measures of redress that might be proposed, and he would do so: be considered the interest of landlord and tenant to be reciprocal. If the tenantsees that by his industry he c‘nn gain ii competency, he goes to Whl‘k cheerfully, and by liislim- provementx he is enabled to pay his landlord; hut ifon the con- trary, he he: that till his efforts are uuuviiiling, and that nothing but poverty and misery stare him in the face, he desponds and l'uses all energy, and hereby the landlord is it loser; so it follows that the better terms the tenant gets, the better it is flll' the landlord fbr their interest is mutual and inseparable. Vtht are the means, to be adopted to promote so desirable no object? It is not by writing strings ofresolutiuns, such as those before us, without him or object: it was all fully. Ofwliat use was it to hold up an lir-bublile, to deceive the people? Let us rather follow the ad- vico of the Speaker. and send home a correct statement oftlie camp to the British Government. He was satisfied that the pro- prietorsi would, for their own sakes, give such terms to their ten- antry as would enable the latter to live and pay their rents, He well know that grievances did exist, and for tlidse we should pro- vidon remedy; biitlie did not see the reason for sendinn for those witnesses; iftlicre was any good to be gained by H: ex- amination oftlie persons pioposed he would not oppose it; he thought it was only for the purpose ofverifving certain resolutions that passed the late House, and to contradict the statement oftlie Governor; or perhaps to Obtain evidence on which to ground a new Esclieitt Bill; for the hon. mover said he would vote for Eschear, though he knew it would not be sanctioned at the Co- lonialoflicc; and be (Mr. Macaula ') thought the present reso- lutions were something similar in their hearing to the Escheat Bill.

Mr. RAE said this was the third time he was obliued to rise in order to explain his motive for wishing to summon efliose witnes‘ lee. It was not for the purpose of disproving what the present or . former Governor may have said: be (Mr. Rae) did not care what either of them said ur would say; but he wished to examine witnesses on whose evidence to found resolutions on the. state 0" Ilie Colony, that might otherwise be misrepresented hereafter u former resolutions were. He had not said he would vote for a Court of Enclieat, although he knew it would not be sanctioned by Giivornment. His expressions were, that he would vote in.- n relolution that Esclieat was a right of this Colony its well as He contended that Government had authority to take the land from the proprietors for non-fulfilment ofthe conditions oftlie grants, and by a purity of reason, the can compel the proprietors to give moderate terms to their tenants.

Mr. D. MACDONALD thought the resolutions before the House could not be too well supported by evidence: he could not see with what force Hi Excellency could urge on the Home Govern- mentor on the absentee prtiprietors, the inability oftlie tenantry to pay a money rent in the face ofhis despatcli to Lord Stanley In May Inst. Perhaps the hon. the Speaker, from the footing on which he stund with the Governor, may be able to inform us how His Excellency can get over it.

Mr. SPEAKER could assure the House that there was no dan-

ar of the Governor’s refusing to recommend the resolutions which the House may iidopt regarding the state ofthe Colony. By his example, and even by his pecuniary contributions be has endeavoured to promote the interest ot‘the ngriculturit. It was creditable to His Excellency that he had urged on the proprietor- retake afavournble view oftlie case oftbe teiiantry pand ye; we

want to call in evidence, in order to contradict his representation oftbe state ofthe country, and thereby io-Iessenitlte influence be sliould,ns the representative of Her Majesty, possess With the Government at home. For this reason be (Mr. Speaker) thouglu we.were pursuing n'blind policy, if we wished tonbtain the co- operation oins Excellency’s recommendation, which would mit- terially strengthen our resolutions, Now, Instead of this, we are busying ourselves in search of evidence to prove that no one can live in the country—that the soil, is so miserable [lint it is incapa- ble of improvement; but iftlie same system of agriculture were adopted here, and a similar outlny Uf‘cflpl'lfll were expended as ls- dune in England, Ireland or Scotland, it would be rendered as fertile as any of them. In fact, there is scarcely any country be iii acquainted witli‘tvliicli could boast of so much good land,.com- parntively; there is but a small portion nfllI‘lS Colony that is not susceptible ofcultivation. ’ What we yvant is a different class of persons to those now engaged in farming pursuits; there was a better opportunity for industrious persons to succeed here than in any place he was acquainted With. He knew three brothers, who had left the Colony with sevcrolliiindrcil pounds, :indnfter being some years absent, in the United States, one come back— then another—and be bad no doubt so would the third, iflie had the means. \Vns this a proof of the miserable suite ol‘the Colo- ny? Misrepresentatious get abroad: it was even stated that the passengers" by the Lady Wood were starving; in fact, thnt they were eating one another. Look at this, and compnic it With a letter from one of them, which has appeared in the London Colonial Gazette; there was no high colowing in the description oftlie country given by the writer, when he stated that there were but few taxes to pay; no beggars nor ponr rates; that a irian might enjoy liimselfaslie pleased, and all Ilild enough to out and to drink. Now, suppose the Governor said thatlntid IS advancing in value; who will stand up and deny tliis?~ He (lur- Spenker) knew where land had greatly increased in vnlun wttli— in n few years past. He could not but admire the consistency 0f the lion. member (Mr. Rae), who now so strenuously advocates our taking the evidence of certain public officers, viz.: the Attorney General, Colonial Secretary, Treasurer, and others, as necessaryi to support and strengthen the representations of this House, while it must be recollectoil that the hon. iiieiriber, by his resolutions of IS“, had informed the British Government, that thoseitlcritit-ai persons wcr'c members (if at family coiiipiict,_ and boil stigmatized them as having no regard for the interest of the Colony, btit whose cliicfstudy was to provide for themselves; and being so represented, \vliutcuii we expect front their 0V!- ilcn'ce? If we adopted the resolutions brought forward by the lion. mover, [in (Mr. Speaker) was of opinion thnt we run the risk ofexrinsing ourselves tn the some imputation of ignorance its the lust House. Rather let us, by our unanimity, bring forward a measure in which illl parties may cry-operate, and then we may hope to do something that will peririitneritly benefit the country. Indeed. he might make hold to assure the House. that they would have His Excellencyh recitriimemlntion to any rational scheme for the amelioration oftlie lirii'ilsliips of'tlio tenanti‘y, so justly complained of, iftliey were brought forward in a proper iiiiiiiiier. He did not think it would be a breach ofimufiilcnce to state, that His Excellency has already urged on the proprietors to take their rents in produce, and be (Mr. Speaker) Considered it was in eon- scqucnce nf‘tliis that Lord Selkirk is receiving his rents in pro- iltice. If His Excellency seconds our representations, it will have great Weight at home. \Vliy then should we endeavour to lessen the force of his representations (even if it were in our power) by our endeavours to call in question his veracity.

Mr. Cooputt said it had been distinctly stated, that the persons to be summoned could disprove some misrepresentations that were made by tho Lieutenant Governor, in a despzitclt sent home by him, commenting on the Resolutions nftlie late House—rind not for the purpose of ripping up old grievances. This was not his wish. He wished to do something for the good of the coun- try,anil for that reason would support the motion of the lion. mover (Mr. Rue). ‘

Mr. Dalzicl said, that when almost all the members oftbe House were agreed on the present state of the colony, he did not see the utility iil'cxniuiniiig such it host. of witnesses. For the purpose ofbeni'ing out the Resolutions, he would like to sen some iif‘tlie most influential of‘the persmis named. A good deal had been said on the subject of'eriiigrntiuri, and one. lion. member (Mr. Dniise) suit] the country was benefited by tho art-int influx of eiril— grants; but he (Mr. Dzilziel) \vns quite Ufa different opinion. If, indeed, they were ngriciilttirists tlini mime out, with some cupi- tnl, it might be a benefit to the lsluiiil; but those tliut'caiiie here were generally Iiinclinitics and artisans—persons wholly lln« acquainted with rural labour; and Wllill benefit would an increase of such emigrants be? He Would go with the mutio’n,so far its to summon a few of the witnesses on the list.

Mr. ILA]: said it was not his intention to rnko-up what ‘vvas passed; he had not the most distant idea of pursuing such a course; btit as it was the aim nftlie parties who sent home repre- sentation! to make the state offlic lslnnd to be mostpnosperous-‘p and for this very reason was the Report iil‘tlie Agricpltiirul Soul"- ety sniit home by the Governor—it was therefore for that identi— cal reiisun that be (Mr. Rae) wished to summon 'wituesses in order to rebut those statements, by Resolutions founded on evi- dence its to the real state ofthn Colony. \Vliut a pretty se'. of follows we must be iftlie representations of Sir George Seymour are to have greater weight :it home than those oftlie Represen- tntivcs of'tlie people !' He could not help alluding to what Mr. Speaker said oftlie soil of the Isl..nil. Of Wllill use vvne it to say there was better land in Prince Edward Island tliiin,in Scut- lnrid? Was it from the slopes of Ben Lomond that the Duke of Bucclengli gets his rental? Was it from the heights of Ben

inhabitants of Edinburgh get their wheat? But there is never- theless good lurid iii Scotland. If we took the evulence from farmers who were not theoretical butpi'ucticnl lines, we would find that we cannot plouin over four or five inches deep, Which is a great disadvantage in a dry season, as we generally expo.‘ Hence. The Speaker had further obseivod, tliat “ he did not know any pint-e. that coiitui'iied sosmall it portion ol‘irroclnirrialile land." He (Mr. Ruiz) could bring forward evidence to rebut this. as well nit the other matters spoken of. .VVi—i know for certain of only one letter that lins gone borne; but many may have gone since that was forwarded.

My. I), MACLEAN observed, that as be had been 'taunted for his predilection fan republican principles, be thought he might im- press on the minds oftlie minority oftlie Hilllsfl,‘wlltl are strug- gling for the rights oftlie people, tho fully “fever giving win to despair, however dark and unpromisirig the political inspect may be. About seventy years ago, a man, dressed in a suit of pliiil’i brown homespun, made his appearance til the Colonial Ollice as agent for the province anennsvlvauiu ; he was assailed with the

epithets of“ murderer," “ thief" and “ liar," and in other respects very ill treated by Lord Loughborongh, a weak and vain arism. crnt, whose name has been rescued from oblivion and condemned to eternal infamy, because lie find the nnuticrnble folly so reck- lessly to insult the great philosopher and staternan, Benjamin Franklin. ‘Surne eight.yearsnftcrwards the" some man was re- ceived tit the Court of France in his suit of plain brown liome- spun, its ambassador from the independent United State of Ame~ rica. To come nearer" our'ovvn times; five short years ago‘ Mr. [.flHNIIKIIUG‘, it man of talent and importance in Lower Cnhadu

had so far committed liirriself with the insurgents, that a fume; from him to the yebel leader was discovered at the storming 0f the town oFSt. Buster-he, promising £20,000 to arm the pontifc in that qparter against the Brifisli Government. He (Mr. Maclenn) liarl read the letter. Lafnntaine, as a matter ofcourse, nbsconded; but mark. the chiinge—tliistvmy man now rules the destinies of that province as Her Majesty's Attorney Genernl! He Would not detain the House by adding examples to the same effect, but wopld merely state that be for one was by no means inclined to ‘* give up the ship,” for he looked upon an early change of the leasehold tenure as a circumstance that might be considered in- evitable. He had yet heard no good and sufiicient argument against evidence being adduced, nor can he pnssiblv conceive nny objection being urged agaiiis: it, ifit be not to cloak corruption 1! little longer. ‘

Mr. CULES would consider it an insult to the representatives 0f the people to say they had not sufficient knowledge of the-wants oftbeir constituents to enable them to nddresstlie Home Govern- ment, without calling in evidence to support it. And as to the names at the head oftlic list, whether they are. ofthe fairiin bom- pnct or not, they are salaried officers, and cannot be supposed to have the intorestuf the agriculturists or the prosperity (ifllie Island so much nt‘benrt as the members of this House who are deeply interested in its welfare, and who are as corripetisntjudges nftbe wants oftlie people as any person whose name he saw on the list. As the resolutions which have been penned by one hon. member (Mr. Palmer) are in substance the same as thrice entered in the order book by Mr. Rae, and both are acknowledged to be correct, he did not think that any further evidence was neces- sary. As to the inferiority of the soil, which had been spoken of, he could state, that be had received a letter from a friend in Ohio some time ago, who had called on him some years since on his way from England. He (Mr. Coles) wished him to'scttle in this Island, but it being in the Spring, some time in M thegrounil being then covered wfth snow,it ilisl‘ie on his arrival from England, to see the like. it! that time ofthe year: and he could not be prevailed on to stop, altllnugh he was shewn one ofthe best (arms on the Hillsborough River, than for title, (Mr. Miller's)——ho proceeded to Ohio, where he purchased a llll’l’f‘ tract of land, five times the size of Miller‘s fiirm, for the Sufi“!!! price; but now be (Mr. Coles) thought he Would like to ex-

ay, and artened him just