A

VOL. XVI. COLONIAL LEGISLATUKE. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. TENANT LEAGUE.

(Continued f-om our last No.)

WEE

Mr. HOWLAN thought that the hon. member for Charlotte-

town (Mr. Brecken) had—by his assault upon the Hon the

Leader of the Opposition, and by the charge which be had

preferred against him—directly struck at every member on the Uppositioa side of the House. He has said that the members in opposition did not use the influence possessed by them to check the rebellion of the Tenant Leaguers ; but he maintained that that hon. as much to allay discontent, to pacify the ill-advised peo- ple, and bring them again under the contro! and guidances

of right resson, as had been done by members in of- | osition. There was nothing like resistance to the law in either | He has, indeed, said that | Sherif | persuaded that the difficulty |

ing’s County or Prince County. he was not able to have Writs served by er his officers; but I am which he experienced in that respect was more owing to the very obnoxious character of the individual—the

the

Deputy Sheiff—by whose means he attempted to have |

write served, than io any determination of the people, other-

wise, to resist the law on whomsoever the duty of currying |

it into effect might devolve. Writs were served in his own (Mr. Howlan's) District ; but, being served by a gen- sieman, by one who conducted himself with all due gentle-

maaly feeling and forbearance, in the discharge of his duty, |

aad act by a man, notorious for all the savage characteristics of a bulidog, he was received, even by those upon whom he had to serve writs, with all that civility and hospitality for whieh the people of that section of the Island are so justly famed. Why didnot the hon. member for Charlottetown (Mr. Brecken) mount the rostrum and harangue the people upon the eubject of the Tenant League, denouncing the illegality of the association, and the dishonesty of their principles, and caution- ing al! Her Mejesty's lieges in the Colony against having any _ gonnection with that body, or giving them countenance in any way? Had be done that, he might, with some show of decency, have accused and blamed others fur not having done so. The hon. member, after drawing » very ludicrous description of the of the Posse Comiictus on their broken and irregu-

e march to Fletcher's under the leadership of the Deputy , Sheriff, proceeded thus : Were 80,000 people to be stigmatized |

throughout the Colonics and Great Britain as disloyal, sedi-

tious, and rebellious, merely because a few misguided and |

misinformed men had foolieily combined to resist the law, with respect to the eervice of write and the levying of dir- | traints on behsif of proprietary landlords? The people of | yp need and the peopie’of Prince County beth repudiat- ed resistance principles of the Tenant League, and gave them neither countenance nor aid ; and were they to share in the condemnation and stigma due to such only as had coun- eelled, or actually made, resistance to the law? The Govern- ment had certainly, for too long a time, failed to recognize their duty with respect to the Tenant League ; and, even | when, at length, they were roused to action with the intention of repressing it, they were not as discriminating as a wise Go-

vernment would have been, ia singling out those who were truly worthy of censure or condemnation on account of their connection with that body; aod among the first who were made to feel the weight of their displeasure, for having at- tended meetings of the League, were old and respectable ma- gistrates, who bad done 60 for the purpose of dissuading mem- bers of it and others from pursuing the illegal and absurd course which had been chalked out for them, as ene by which they would be able to accomplish a fair anc equitable com- ise with their landlords. One of those, (Mr. Gordon) | been a magistrate for twenty years. He attended a | tenant League meeting, but only for the purpose of denounc- | ing the principle of the resistance pledge ; and he did so. That he had attended such & meeting, towever, became known to the Government, and, by their command, their Secretary im- mediately wrote to him, asking him whether he had attend- eda certain Tenant League meeting. Le immediately replied, in @ truthful and courtevus manner, saying that he had at- tended the meeting in question, but the only part he took in it was that of denouncing the organization of the Tenant League and its principles. By return of mail, he received his dismis- ssl from the magistracy! Such was one specimen of the | wonderful discriminating power exercised by our Government | in their endeavours to suppress the League. 1t was most un- | just to the people of this Colony, to say that they could not be kept under the control of the law and constitutional au- | | |

thority, without the presence of 200 or 300 soldiers to enforce their obedience. The people of this Colony were a law- abiding people ; and they were as ioyal twelve months agy as they are now. They were a» moral and as honorable and up- right in every relation of life as eny other body of men on the face of the earth ; but until the grievances of the leasehold tenure should be redressed. there would be tenant leagues or associations ; and if, hereafter, they confined themeelves, as he doubted not they would, to legal and constitutional means, and, above all, used their utmost exertions to secure or effect the election to the Legislature of men worthy of their confi- dence, known to be their frivnde, and unshakled by agencies or by any other immediate connexion with the proprietors, brighter aod more cheering prospects, he trusted, would soon break upon their view than those by which they had so long been disheartened and provoked The bon. member— after dwelling for some tims, with considerable severity of condemnation upon what he aseerted to be the most unconsti- tutional appropriation of £10,000 or £35,000 of the public money, by the Government, for the erection of the new Bar- rracks, without the sanction of theLegislature—cuncluded by esying that, had the civil power been properly exercised by the ment, the excesses of the Tenant League might have been effectually repreased, the eo of the law fully upheld, and the pesce of the country eo wel! preserved, that no necessity whatever would bave arisen for calling in the

aid of Her Majeaty's troops.

Hoe. Mr. WARBURTON. As to the necessity of send- ing for troops, alleged by he Government, he denied that auy such necessity had existed. He had seen, at @ fair in Ireland, riots or disturbances of a much more serious nature than those which bad lately occurred in this Island, and which were so emphatically alluded to in His Excellency's Speech, put down by a few policemen. Hebimself had been invited to attend » Tenant League meeting. beld at Grand Riwer, end he did so. He was told that unless he complied with the request bis election might not be so safe as he could wish. He ssid in reply, that he bad no desire to represent any but men who were. at all times, the friends of law aud order. He said he could not, be the consequences to himself, what they might, countensnce such an association as the Tenant League. The hon gentleman then adverted to the fact of bis having been, st the time the Land Commission qas sitting at St. Eleano:'s, asked by bis former constituents to represent them ia that Court, and to his having comp'ied with their request. He hed, he said, so far recognized the authority of tha: gigantic humbug, as to appear in the Royal Commissioners’ Court, and faithfully and earnestly, accord- ing to the best of his humble ability, to represent the position of those, whose delegate be was apon that occasion, a6 also that of the tenantry in geveral throughout the Isiand, and to arge wpoe the Court the recommerdation of such measures, io their Heport as, he felt persuaded, were alone calculated to relieve the teaantry from the spirit-killing grievances sad disheartening disabiliies under which they laboured. He spoke for four hours upon that cecasion, but he was not theo going to repeat what hesaid. That was uonecessary, as the result of the hembag was only too well known, Whin that scheme failed, the Government, a proprietary Govern- ment, took to another method of humbuggiog and deceiving the people, and, in their preteaded eagerness to secure, for the tenaotry, the benefit of the arbitration clause of the Award, with most ridiea'ous bravadoes, set at nought the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crowo, and defied the oe eutbority ; but be was pot going to dwell upon that just thea.

Hoa. Leader of the Government (Mr. POPE.) @ do! Don. Mr. WARBURTON. If the Hon. the Leader of the were very t that be should do s0, perbaps he might, althoug!: his doing so might occupy # long ise, and cerisioly would aot arouse che most agreeable re- miviscences either ia the mind cf that hon. member or of those of his colleagues in the Government. Much ss the i Government bad been taunted, rated and abused the Loso Bill, the evidence of the Royal Land Com- aiission ia ite favor was vufficient to establish the wisdom and expedience of the menéure; and had not ite passage Par! ament been deteated by underband

| | | | }

ne

into minds of the

LY

member had not done |

| judgment and uuwavering decision.

af

a? =

CHA

; small freeboiders, had certainly been one of the means, through inspiring a dread of taxation, by which the political opponents of the Liberal party had succeeded in depriving them of the Government, and in establishing themselves in their stead. But the peace and quiet, the social and friendly relations which subsisted throughout the length and breadth of the Island, unbroken and undisturbed by any narrow-minded mistrust or unchristian jealousy, under the Liberal Rule, would, be thought, contrast most favorably with the feuds, jealousies, and animosities—now, however, most happily dying out—which had sprung up amongst us under the training and indoctrination of Conservative ugents ; and, as to the late civil disturbances which had taken place in the Colony, and the widely-spread agrarian discontent, and disaffection to our present Government, which stil} affect- ed the great mass of the tenantry, they were wholly attri-

butable to the false promises and deceptive and ineflicient |

legislation on the Land Question by the party at present in power. He would support the amendment submitted by the Hon. the Leador of the Opposition, because he believed that, had the Govercment done their duty by a timely and ener- getic excreise of the civil! power in their hands, there would have been no ue essity for tro ps.

Hon. the Leader of the Govenment (Mr. POPE). When the hon. member from Lot 11 (Hon. Mr. Warburton) rose to speak, I expected to hear from him a revival of the thunder of his famous four hours’ speech, with which he electrified and astonished the Royal -Laud Commissioners, when they held their Court at St. Eleanor's; but, as he has thought proper to spare us the infliction of its repetition, I, for myself, will only observe with reference to it, that [ am thankful to him for bis forbearance. Theo proposed amend- ment, now under our cons‘deration, is so mild and plausible, and so characteri-tic of the hon. and learned member for

| “East Point (Hon. Mr. Hensley) that I am sot surprised at

his earnest support of it. Nay, more ! am inclined to be- lieve that it bas been penned by bimself, although submitted to the Committee by avother bon. member, But I mast say that | have been sorry to hear a gentleman, whom I so much respect as I do that hon. member, and who has had the bonor to fill the high and responsible position of Attorney Genera! of this Colony, exhibit so much inconsistency as he has done with respect to the sentiment of that‘paragraph of the draft Address, and the amendment proposed thereto which are now the subjects of the present debate. With one breath, he approves of the ac:ion taken by the Govern- ment, in sending for the troops for the suppression of the Tenant League resiatance, and, with the very next, he says be will vote for the proposed amendment, yet,should it be rejected by this Commitice, he will support the original paragraph. In snch a declaration, there is surely aa inconsistency, by no means in sceordance with eitber the legislative or the forensic reputation of that hon. member for clearness of It is not, L think, ne- cessary for me to notice what bas been said in the loud speech

| of the hon. member from Cascumpeque (Mr. Howlau) except

in ove or two cases. THe said that no resistance had been made to the officers of the law, vor had any disturbances ariseo in any parts of the Island except in one instance. But what had been asserted by the Hoo. the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Coles)? He, on the contrary, had maio- tained that the League had had its origin in King’s County, in the Murray Harbour District which however was not the fact. and had also further represented the tenantry of that s-ction of the Island, as having risen into open rebellion, avd detailed circumstances in connection therewith, which equally with the said alleged rebellion, bad never had any existence, save in his own fertile imag nation. The first time that actual prominence was given to the organization of the League was on St. Patrick's Day, 1865, wheu a large body of them paraded the s:reets of Charloitetown. With reference to that demonstration, | spoke thus, in my place iv this House, four days after it oceurred :

‘*The Government is willing to render assistance to the tenantry, therefore I am sorry to hear of the combination which has been formed by sume misguided people against pey- ing rent; and | regret also that hon. members upposite shou!d afford them encouragement by saying, though they do not openly countenance them, that on account of the manner in which the tenants have been treated, there is a great deal otf excuse for their thus binding themselves together. The laws, however, must be obeyed, and if there is not force enough in this Island to cause them to be respected, we will have to re- sort to *the bloody despatch,’ and procure assistance from abroad. ‘The last shilling in the Treasury will be expended to maintain their supremacy.’’

Now, contiaued the hon. gentleman, | thought it my duty, at that time, thus to express my opinion in the strongest terms; aud after the forcible taking out of the Deputy Sheriff's hands property which had been duly taken in ex- ecution by him for arrears of rent, which occurred at Curtis- dale, and after the assembling of three or four hundred of

the Leaguers in Charlottetown, evidently for the purpose of |

rescuing the prisouer Dickieson out of the custody of the law —though by the wise precautions taken by the Govern- ment to prevent such rescue the intention was not accom- plished — I became convinced that the time had arrived for acting under the authority of “the bloody despatch” —the despatch under which the Hon. the Leader of the Op- position not only took office, but accepted Responsible Go- vernment. [Hon. the Leader of the Opposition. No! I did not take office under that despatch.] I say, I then be- came convinced that the time for acting under the authority of that despatch had fully arrived, and [| believed it to be the bounden duty of the Guvernment to send for military assistance forthwith, The propriety of this opinion, was, as has been said by the Hon. Solicitor General, fully concurred in by every member of the Executive Couneil; but had it been othe: wise, had every member of that Board entertained a contrary opinion, it would bave been felt, by His Excel- lency, the Adwiuistrator of the Government, to be a duty which be owed to his Queen and to the people over whom, as Her Majesty’s representative, be was placed as ruler, to send for the Troops. for the maintenance of law and erder, although upon his own sole responsibility ; and | firmly be- lieve that, bad he been uofurtunately placed in so trying a position, he would have been found fully equal to the emer- gence, aud would not have shrunk from the performance of bis duty however paiuful. The Government were then un- animous in thinking it to be their duty to send for the Troops; they think so still; and are prepared to abide by the consequences. If we are to go down, we will do so, cone vinced of, and asserting the necessity and propriety of the course which we adopted. Under the protection of the Go- yeroment, every mun in the country is secure in the posses- sion of his rights and constitutivaal privileges. The supre- macy of the law has been asserted and maintaived, und every man feels secure in the possession of what he justly calls his own. It is now no longer necessary for School- masters or other holders of petty Treasury Warrants to sub- mit to serious dieccunts before they can get them cashed. Such Warrants are now, and ha ve long, under the present Govern went, beeu fully paid at sight ; aud ihe country was vever before so prosperous us it is at present, notwithstand- ing the late agrarian disturbances, which, to a stranger might, perhaps, at first sight, have see.ned to indi-ute a contrary state of things; and, no doubt, they have caused, to a con- siderable extent, a want of coufidence on the part of moneyed individuals amongst us. There is certaialy, just now, more moavy in the country than there ever was before ; but the want of confidence, caused by the Tenant League movements, is the cause why much of it lies idle and is withheld trem beneficial investments. There are, I believe, at present £40,000 or £50,000 lying idle in the Banke. At the mis- statements and misrepresentation of facts made by the Hon, the Leader of the Opposition, | am net surprised; for they are in perfect accordance with his practice whenever he makes an onslaught upon the Goverament ; but 1 am sur- prised at the countensuce and aid given to bim in his erro- neous assumptions by the hoe. and learned mewber from East Poiat. The Hon. the Leader of the Opposition, in the face of undeniable and established facts, pertinaciously maio- tains that the Tenagt League movement took its rise in the Marray Harbour District, when, at the same time, be must well know that its first oasbreak was iv his owa District, st

Gleoaladale. «Me COLES.. Not RB detergent,

P

“Quce affidavits which©-will fully “establioh the fact, I! we

| To this, my note, Mr. Dodd immediately sent me this

|

| ment had allowed Sheriff Morris to employ 20 or 30 special con-

JOURNAL OF POL

“This is true Liberty, when Erceborn Men, having to advise the Public, may speak tree.”-— Euripides.

RLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDW

| | |

| the oppression of the tenantry.

|

enema

n

ARD ISLAND,

had sent alarge body of special constables to make distraints for rent, that hon, member would immediately bave ex- claimed against the proceeding as an evidence of our pro- prietary leanings. He would, in fact, have denounced us as a proprietary Government,and as one actuated by so strong a re- gard for proprietary interests as to be ready to have recourse to the most arbitrary measures for their promotion, and for When the Sheriff applied to the Government for assistance to enable him to carry the law into effect against recusant tenants, we pointed out to him the constitutional course—the employment of the civil force of the country which rested with himself. That course le, at fi.st tried supported by five or six constables, but that number was found to be inefficient. The next disturbance was at New Gla-gow and at Curtisdale

Hon. Mr. COLES. Your own District was not exempt.

Hion. the Leader of the Government (Mr. POPE.) Next

| came the requisition of the Sheriff to the Government for

But ° pro-

|

:

arms. The Government felt it to be their duty to comply with the requisition; but yet they did so most reluctantly ; for they were well aware that in the event of any one of the

| disturbers of the peace being shot, the unfortunate special

constable who hud shot him—however great the provocation an J necessity which bad caused him to fire, and however jus- t fiable the act in the eye of the luaw—would be regarded as a murderer, and, perhaps, be compelled to leave the country, or have his house set fire to io the dead of night and burned t> the ground, to the rendering homeless both himself aod fami- ly, even if they escaped from the fice with their lives. It is the duty of a representative of the people, when he goos

incendiaries, or the organization, if any such exists, by whom or by means of which the disturbances have been fomented or have arisen. I am prepared to go into my own District and to answer for the action of the Governmeut with a view to the suppression of the Tenant League. I am prepared to justify all thet we have done with a view to that ead; and should it, in the end, be necessary that we s:ould go out of plice and office because we have done everything that lay in our power to maintain the authority of the law, to effect the restoration of peace in the disturbed districts, and to ae. complish the preservation of fife and property, 1 shall be well contented that it is so. It has been asked, why did we not eal! a session of the Legislature before we determined upon building the barracks and made the necessary outlay for their erection, or why did we not rent accomm» dations for the Troops? Tbe reply which has been made to that question by tke Hon. the Solicitor Genvral is a sufficient answer to that question. (Tne hon. gentleman here gave an explanation of the difficult pesition in which the Govern- ment were placed with respect to procuring accommodation for the Troops, and of the fruitless, though anxious eudva- vours made by them to rent buildings for that purpose, simi- lar to that which had been previously made by the Hon. the Solicitor General ; and then proceeded as follows: When the Lion. the Leader of the Opposition stated that the Sheriff, Mr. Dodd, had told him that, provided the Government had given him the assistance of twenty or thirty special constables, to aid him in the discharge of his official duties, there would

(CS, LITERATURE

D, MONDAY. MAY 2, 1866.

duct was not such as it should have been in discouraging that organization I can assure this House that if the

| members of the city (where the principal distu:bance appeared _ worst, in threatening the authoritics) had exerted themselves —

as successfully in keeping peace and quierness in their Dis-

have been avoided. Atan aggregate meeting of the inhabi- tants of three Townships 35, 36, aud 37, held at the house of James McDonald, Esq, at Fort Augustus, where the formidable Resolution to resist distraint and rent paying

€ NO, 2%

other pradent speculations, on what—were there less of fer- ment and discontent among the people—would be accounted good and sufficient security. Indeed, I believe that, bad Goveroment at present occasion to effect a loan for the

7 F

| chase of any proprietary estate, they aright be able te efe trict as the Hon. Mr, Coles and myself had done in ours, that | =. additional expense for sending for the troops would also |

in all shapes was brought forward by a gentleman who was —

always the supporter of the present Government, Hon, Mr. Coles and myse!f at once diclared that if the resolution was attempted to be carried we would instantly leawe the place.

It was thereupon attempted to be put by its preposers, but —

was refused to be beard. law and order in our District. Of course wher the troops arrived, and afier their campaiga at Begnal!’s and elsewhere, it was thought requisite to make a military display of them among us in order to terrify the Tvacadumian and the

' Monaghan Leaguers.

Hon. the LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT. Pid

| you not sabseribe to the tenaut union !

| execution of the laws.

fon. Mr. KELLY. I did pay moneys to assist some of

| my neighbours wno were put to beavy law expenses ; but in

nO Way Or wanuer to assist or encourage resistance to the due I never refused to subseribe when

| application was made to me ‘or the relief of those in distress

or 7 a Gi ' and never will. 1 was nearly forgetting that | was informed among them in times of civil disturbances, to denounce the | gure 8

agaivst to the Government, for subscribing to, joining with, and supporting the said Union or League, by one McQuaid,

' from Mount Stewart Brdge ; but whose allegations by whieh

| niable, and admitted oa al! sides. | decided was, touching the necessity of calling for the aid of

he expected to get into favor cr notice of the Governe ment were sworn to be false by a neighboring magistrate of the County.

lon. Mr. MCEACTIEN said he felt it incumbent on tim to give hs views on the subject under consideration. The fact that resistance to the lawfully coustituted authorities, took place in different parte of Queen's County, was unde- The qnestion now to be

the troops for the purpose of suppressing those disturhunces and preserving peace aud order iv the community. Or, in other words, were tnose disturbances of such a serions oa- ture as to warraat the sending for the troops? That vera-

| ¢lous chronic!e or organ of the Tenant League party, Ross's gue p

have been po necessity to send for the Troops, L said I did | not credit the statement, and [ am now emabled to prove | that it was incorrect. Immediately after L had go expiessed | myself, I wrote a note to Mr Dodd, wishing to know whe- ther he had ever made such a statement to that hoo. member. | { hold a copy of that note in my hand, which [ will read. The hoa. gentleman then read his note as follows.

House oF AssemBcy, April 11th, 1864.

My Dear Sir;—Mr. Coles having stated in the House, that you told him that if the Government bad allowed you 20 or 30, special coustables, there would have been ta need of Troops. Doubtiog the correctness of Mr. Coles’s statement, perhaps you will have no objection to inform me whether you ever made such a statement to him. Yours truly,

(Signed) J. C. Pope. reply. The bon. gentleman then read Mr. Dodd’s note in reply to bis own, as follows : Suenire’s Orrice, April 11th, 1864. How. James Pore; Dear Sir;—In answer to your note of to-day I beg leave to inform

you that I never made any such statement to Mr. Coles. In conver- sation with that gentleman one day, I said [ thought if the Govern-

stables to assist him, the Tenant League might have been quashed, but now they had given me the power, the country was in such a state of rebellion, I could not get men to consent to go at any price. I remain yours truly, (Sigued) Tuomas W. Doon.

Hon. Mr. COLES. I say the statement mede by Mr. Dodd is incorrect. What he said to me was exactly as [ have stated it; and,if necessary, [ can prove it by a witness, for his own brother was present when he made the declara- tion to me that, had the Government given him the aid of twenty or thirty special constables at firsi, there would have been no need of Troops. He alluded to himself, and not to Sheriff Morris. 7

Hon. the Leader of the Government (Mr. POPE.) Mr. Dodd is a man of undoubted honor and veracity ; wad, | be- lieve, his version of the matter will be generally received os the correct one. A declaration made by the hon. and learn- ed member from Kast Point (Hon. Mr. Hensley) has cer- tainly very much surprised me, ascoming from such @ source. He has said that the Government should have taken the power out of the hands of the Supreme Court and of the Sheriff, and have sent special constables in sufficient force to carry the law into effevt. God forbid that | should ever live in a country in which a Government could be found to «ot in so tyraonical a manner. The course pursued by the Government, I am satisfied, has been the correct one; and, if there be one uct of my public life, upon which 1 can look back with entire satisfaction, it is that of my baving, asa member of the Governwent, been instrumental in having the Troops brought to the Island, since, by their presence, the re-establishment of peace, law, aud order bas been 80 happily accomplished.

Hoo. Mr. KELLY. The Hon. Leader of the Government has asserted that Fort Augustus was among the first places + where resistance wes offered to the Sheriff and such resist- ance Was consequeutiy one of the causes of bringing the troops. Now, Sir, I contest that if the alleged disturbances in Charlottetown aud at New Glesgow were of a like nature to that at Fort Augustus there was no cause for bringing them at all, as I am fully cognisant of all that happened ou that occasion. The said Sheriff (Curtis) having been sent there by Mr. Bouske (Mr. Joho McDonald's Agent) to serve a number of writs or processes, succeeded without the least annoyance or displeasure, in serving one oo Mr. Brady and

| fight against brother.

another on a Mr. Brogan, and when he was about that busi- ness, be read over the names and number of persons whom he was going to honor with a v.sit, and to whom friendly waroing was forthwith sent, as he Curtis had advi-ed James Simpson and others that the dvor of fricnds might be shat wheu he was found coming. [le then proeseded to the Monaghan Settlement (over which the Hon. Leader of the Government is now the vew agent) and after calling and re- galing himselfat Mr, Callaghan’s Tavern, deelared he had a process for the landlord, but whether he was then sober or otherwise, he did not serve tke process on Mr. Callaghan who was working on the road, a few yards distant from Curtis, who never spoke to him, but wauted to force it on another boy who was there, alleging that he was Callaghan. He states in his lameutation to his principal, that Callaghan's w.fe told him her husband was in Charlottetown, but the wife was not there on the occasion sud told bim no such thing. He then tells a yarn about what a few boys who were comiag from schoo! said 10 him, aud 2bout three wen he saw in a field, two of them having exch a stick in his hands, and one of them a gua, and who stood and looked at him; and about another man and two little boys who looked * ferocious’’ at him. Now, Sir, thisis the substance of the Deputy Sheriff Cursis’s tale with regard to bis raid to Monaghao from whieh had he goue on from Mr. Brogan’s ead kept the secret to himself concerning these {or whom he had writs, and ab- stained from demking end making a fool of himsvif at Taverns, he wight, “atter baving completed his busivess, have returned witbSae any one looking “ ious" at him. The and legrpad member for the the City (Mr. Breoken), in bis annd,) attack on the Leader of the Oppesition,

my tion” asserts that he narrowly watehed the ‘Hawg Bir: Coles fast aessign, whoa the subject of the, Teoact Lesgue was under discussion, but that bis (M. "Cals') son.

Weekly, announced to the public that they were 14,000 strong. If any credit be given to such a statement as that made by the organ of the party, who, he wou'd ask, could deny that the aid of the troops was called for? What force of Special Constables would like to face such a body of men as that? All must know that the appesrance of ten red- coats would do more to quell a mob, than one bundred civilians, however well armed. And, independently of that view of the watter, it must Le admitted by all that it would bave been very cruel indeed to send volunteers to face, under such exeiting circumstances, their owa friends, ueighbours, and perhaps biothers. What a heart-rending picture such a state of things would present to the gaze of the world. Men

_ otherwise living on the most friendly terms, driven to take

up arms against each other, and brother thereby driven to Far better, if the strong aim of the law is placed at difiance to support it, and defend the Insti- tutions of the country by calling ia the aid of those whose proper and legitimate calling it is, to use fire arms when re- quired or called wpon to do so—than to impose that painful task upon men who were called upon in every day life to mingle with the wery men opposing the Isw. Ile was happy to inform that bon. House that there was not a single Leaguer in the Distriet which he had the honor to represeut. He was prepared to give his best support to any scheme that might be devised for the relief of the tenantry, and that would in any way tend to alleviate their grieyanees, but he would never countenance er support such a dangerous and foolish organization as the Tevant League had proved itself to be. He would therefore vote for the paragraph in the address.

Hon. Mr. DAVIES, The Tenant League did not, at the first, profess that they would resist their landlords in their endeavours to enforce the payment of rents by distraints or other processes of the law. But, as their numbers increased, they grew bolder and bolder, until at length, fancying that they were actually strong enough to set the law ani the au- “thorities of the land at defiance, they were so foelish ae to draw up their famous pledge ; and had we sent special con- stables, armed, and sufficiently numerous to effect the serv- ing of writs, the levying of distraiats, and the taking of ten- ants’ goods and chattels in exccution, the great prebability was, that the conflict which would have been the inevitable consequence of such a mode of proceeding, would have been of a most serious and disastrous character, involving murder itself. We then saw the necessity of energetic action. We sent for the Troops, convinced that our doing so would euable us, with the least risk of the loss of life, or dread of the .ac- currence of any serious disaster, arising from actual resist- ance to the law, to reduce to obedience and submissian the misguided men who bed banded themselves together fur an illegal and rebellious purpose ; and the result has fully justi- fied the wisdom of the course we adopted ; fur peace, good order, security and the supremacy of the law bave been fully re-established in every part of the Island in which, for a time, they were 8» unhappily brozen and disturbed. It has beew asked why did we not call a Session of the Legislature,

and consult the whole body of the people’s representatives |

before we sent for the Troops, and afterwards took steps to provide for their acccmmodation ¢ I answer it would, in- deed, have been a most unwise and dangerous course, when the country was actually in a state of rebellion, to have delayed taking measu es for its suppression until we should have had time to consult with the Leg slature conceruing the best means of cffecting its extinetion. Had we done so, the consequences to the country would, in all likelihood, have been of s» serious and ruinous a character to the Colony as we should never bave been afforded an opportunity, by after legislation, to repair. I gave my consent for the arming of the special constables with the greatest reluctance; but I had less hesitation in agréeing to the proposal of sending for the Troops; for I was convinced that our doing so was the only means by which we could restore peace and good order in the disturbed districts, and that, too, with searccly a shadow of a probability of its being attended with loss of life, or even a@ bare show of resistance to lawful authority when so sustained, Until the Troops came, the Leaguers really believed that they had the power to set the law and the sutborities of the land at dcfiance; but the presence of the Troops soon dispelled their mistaken ecnfidence ; and I am very happy to think that we bave got out of the trouble occasioned by the League without bloodshed, which, how- ever, [ do not think would have been the case had we not called in the aid of the military. The League bad many sywpathiz rs, and in Charlottetown itself they met with en- couragemeut, not in words only, but by substantial subscrip- tions to their fands on the part of doctors, ministers and others of most respectable standing in society. 1 myself in- deed sympathize with the tenantry; that is with the poor, honest, aud industrious portion of them who really have it not in their power, even with their best exertions, to fulfil their engagements with their landlords, But I do not sym- pathize with the wealthy among them, who, if they were.as honestly and uprightly disposed a8 they ought to be, would find it quite easy to pay their rents, or cven to purchase the fee simple of their farms at the price per acre eet upon them by their laudlords. So Jong ae mere passive agitation was kept up, landlords evinced a disposition to reduce the price which they bad svt upon their lauds; but no sooner did the teuantry oand themselves together, io an illegal and seditious association, with the avowed determiration to withhold the paytent of reu'e, aud to resist distrain's, witk a view to the compelling of their landlords to pert with their lands at such prices as they themselves (‘be temantry) should set upon them, than the proprietorse—as if they had bad their hacds strengthened by the foolieh and illegal determivation of the League—asked 20s or 3s per acve for lands for which, a short time before, they would have taken considerably less.

Tere is pleuty of money in the country, but owing to want

of confidence on the part of the holders of 1t,

tbr een ee aera

ton arose for sending for the troops; but, ase

So much for the maintenance of —

it amongst ourselves, even to a wery cons) extent, without being ebliged to have recourse to Kanlend fer the purpose. I maintain that the present Goveroment has done —— deal of good for the country, thet, under their - rule, the general prosperity has greatly increased,

had it not been united b y the late Tenant ome ances, we would have the fullest reason

ourselves upon our material our js and our ioviting prospects, The hon member for Caseum- peque (Mr. Howlan) had been very severe upon the Go- vernment for their dismissal of Mr. Gordon from the

tracy; but, whea the connected with

| d

dismissal came to be jeid upon the table, as it would be, i ©

would be found that bis censure of the Government was alte gether uncalled for, and based epoa mere erromeous tions. Had Mr. Gordon been improperly dismissed the magistracy., be would have been reinstated by Imperia! Government, provided he had petitioned Her jesty tho Queen against his removal, been able to shew that it was without sufficient cause.

lon. Mr. LONGWORTH. Mr. Chairman, at thielate hour of the evening, it is not my intention to say much upon the subject of the present debate — the Tenant Leagde and’ the necessity, which, out of the proceedings of that

of the Government and a representative of the peopieyA feel f am bound to give, at least, some explanation of the motives by which | was actaated, and of the very delieste, ss well as responsible, position ia which I felt myself to be when the disturbances occasioned by the Tenant movement, had assumed so serious and threatening en