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Mond, May 26, “851

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To the beuitiendibe of the Second District of King’s County.

My Frrewps ano Fettow Corosists—

‘he next argument used against the introduction into this Island of the new is that which I placed third on the list at the commence- ment of my last Letter. This argument asserts that members of the Assembly they take office under Government; and that there- fore they should be declared ineligible to hold seats in the Assembly. It is im- ‘possible. to conceive any thing more egregiously absurd than this. [t is -im- “possible to assert any thing more striking- ly lilustrative of the imbecility of those who use the argument. If true, the old party must have been incorrigibly .cor- rupt—for several of the present minority held situations under the Government while members of the Legislature. Mr, sPalmer was Solicitor General—Mr. Long. worth Commissioner of Smal! Debts Court —Mr. Haviland, Provost Marshal—Mr. ‘Thornton, Clerk ef the Crown, Commis- sioner of Small Debts Court and High ‘Sheriff; and it would be easy to extend the list so as to include the names of gentlemen who held seats in former Par-

system of Government,

yecome corrupt so soon as

liarments, voting with those of the present intnority, and holding offices under Go- vernment? Ifthey were honest, as they claim to be, in the discharge of their offi- cial duties, how can it be predicated that otheramembers of the Assembly would be can be proved that the onfy pure and upright men in the

dishonest, unless it

;

community are ta be found in the ranks wf the Obstructives? But if office-hold- ers are, of necessity, currgpt and disho- nest, as the arymment wonld shew them have been

to be, then there could not

one honest man connected with the late

Government, whether in or out of the Legislature. Out of the Legisiature, and

subject to mo controul, they had every In the Le- yisiatare, they must azve been dishonest,

facility for practising fraud.

Lecause they were inthe Legisiature ;

this is the unhappy position in which this rnost absurd argument would place the rmbeciles who employ it. It is really a incnstrous Outrage Upon cominon eense to RUDDOSA that the mere circumstance of ex- eludiag an oficial from the Legislature would keep him honest, if he were dis- posed to be otherwise.—Now, the great merit of Responsible Government is, that it will prevent the possibility of cor rrup-

sion, Memberz of Assembly, on taking office, are compelled to return to their censtituenta ; if po: re-elected, im most

“Aree ~ rat spear 25st mea x

_ a AN = rte tials

LIBERTY W WEN “PRE E-BORN } M EN—HAVI ING TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC—MAY SPEAK FREE.

CHARLOTTETOWN, MAY 26, 1891.

einstein cises they lose their offices as well as their seats inthe Assembly. If re-elect- ed, they are under the controul of the majorit® im Parliament, who, it cannot be presumed, would band themselves toge- ther to ¢@gnive at fraud and corruption on the part of one, two, or three individu- als ;—they are further under the controul of the Lieutenant Governor, whose osi- tive duey it is to keep a vigilant watch on the faithful discharge of every branch of the public service ;—they are, further, accountable to their constituents : if they demean. themselves properly in office, they ‘may reasonably hope to be continued, a0 long as their party possess a majority in the Blouse of Asseinbly ; if otherwise, they will bé rejected by their constituents at a general election, and must retire fromm office, whether their party have a majority or not.

‘The only other topic to which I shall now beg to direct your attention is that ii reference to what is generally styled the Land Question. Our Party are. ac- cused of having procured the intercession of the absentee Proprietors with Her Ma- jesty’s Ministere, to obtain for this colony Responsible Government; and the con- dition, it is asserted, upon which this mighty intercession was vouchsafed, is,

should avoid any jaterference betweon the Proprietors and their Tenants on this Island ; or, in brief, that we should shelve rug Land Question. the accusation, if accusation it can be called, rests exclusively upon the autho- rity of a London Newspaper paragraph priblished many months ago. whatever is given for the second part.— Now, if it were true that the absentee Proprietors did exert their influence at the Colonial Office with the view of hav- ing extended to us the privilege of self- government, the circumstance would have been eminently creditable to them : and would have contrasted most beautifully wilt the former proceedings of that body, whose tendency was to keep the people ofthis Island m the most degrading ser- vitude to an Oligarchic Faction. Besides, itmust be remembered that our’ party hove been always heretofore regarded by our opponents, as the sworn foes of the Popnetary party, whilst those opponents were their most steadfast frtenda—that ve have beem censured for having: in- curred the enmity of the Proprietors,— Ai end that we have been admonished, tine | cher time, to make peace with them, and thicit theirimendly mterference on our velialf. Now if it be true that we have purted the hatchet, and smoked the pipe

if peace together, why are we held up and marked out for deri- What ce our op- ‘They abuse us for mak- ng wag with the Proprietors: and they

ly into a towering passion at the faintest

a

o reprobation, non and contumely ?

’ “ ywnents want 7

adications of peace! There is not, however, a particie of truth ip the assertion, as to the owners of |

Late our Government and Legislature

The first part of

No proof

} dead and buried.

aaa 162 OL rare ak land interesting themeelves at the Colonial Office to procure four this Island Respon- sible Government. They are entitled to no credit for the concession, even though there were fifty London Newspapers to promulgate the contrary. ‘That proprie- tary influence was brought to bear upon the subject, is an undeniable fact; but that influence was exerted with a view to withhold, not to extend, the concession. I state this fact upon the best authority, and if need be, [shall be prepared to prove it.— When it was known in Engiand that his Excellency Sir Alexander Bannerman was appointed to administer’the Govern

troduction of the Responsible system : one old lady—who is the owner of certain lands in this colony, and not unknown to our little aristocratic coterie and fair gos: siping dames in Charlottetown—went sa fur, 1 believe,» to invade the piivate apartments of the First Minister ef the Crown, to besiege his Lordship with her peculiar notions of the impolicy of, and of the mischief which would result from, appointing to the Government of this co. lony a gentleman who was deemed to be an exception to nearly all our preceding

struct the legitimate action of representatives.

But is not the conduct of their Agents in the Heuse of Assembly the most con- vincing proof, that the Land Proprietors have been and are hostile to the new system of Government? Would Mr, Douse and Mr. Yeo oppose that system if their principals in Britain were well disposed towards it. The first of these gentlemen is indebted chiefly, if not al- together, for his legislative position, to the Rent Roll of the Selkirk Estate— is In constant communication with the owner of that Estate. Would he have dared to oppose that master in whose “shoes” he delights to tread, if it were his wish that the people of this Island should have Responsible Government ? As for Yeo, he knows Sir G. Seymour’s opinions better than f him, and and must admit that Sir G. Sey- mour was no fiend to Responsible Go- vernment.—Then there is Mr. Thornton, another Agent; and Mr. Palmer, a pro- prietorto some extent. Would these gentlemen likewise have opposed ‘the measure, :f, a3 is stated, the absentee (landlords had entered into a solemn league and cevenant'to coerce Her Ma- jesty’s Government to consent to. its adoption, and thereby secare the impor- tant advantage to themselves of having “the land question” for ever afterwards

ean tel] he knows

The gentiemen of the Legislature whose names [ have taken) the liberty to introduce have been at al] lines the unwavering advocates of Land. lord claims, and the exponents of Land-

a ED

“——Miuton’s Euripipes.

Vol. 2: No. 7.

pian nthe gene

think it would require more than an or- dinary stretch of credulity to believe, that all at ‘once those centlemen would desert their chiefs, and run connter two their opinions, erpecially on a questien Whose successful ibsue was to be fraught with such linmense advantage to thern- selves—if the assertion of their allies in

ment of this Island, some of the principal: proprietors of laud made a descent upon | the Colonia! Office, to urge their objec-; tions and remonstrances against the in-.

| the Press be founded in fact—as would | be the non-interference policy between | the proprietors and their tenants,

It may be said that we have two Land | Agents on our own side of the House — and that they advocated Responsible | Government under the direction of their employers. ‘There is not an atom of ground upon which snch an assnmption could be raised. ‘The gentlemen reterred to are the Hon. Mr. Warburtop and the flon, Mr. Pope. The proprietora whom these Agents represent never interested theniselves in the politica of the Island. They are comparatively sinal) holders, whose lands are well settled with a thriv- ing and centented tenantry. One resides in Jreland—the otherin the United States of America—both far re:noved from the Colonial Office—both supremely indiffer- ent to our petty politica! acuabbles—both confident inthe honesty and ability of ‘their Agents to manage their Estates — both indulgent and generous to their te-

Governora, — ang would not erly i nants, whose attachment they kave secur- ’s*}

ed, and which attachment is the lest guarantee for the security of their proper- ty,—the one having constant reason for perceiving, if his mind be at all open to political enquiry, the injustice of denyiny tothe people a proper and constitutional controul over the administration of their own affairs ;—the other nursed within the bosom of a “ fierce democracy,” bis sym- pathies and predilectiois intwined with it—accustomed to regard the popular, as the most essential, element for all govern? ments, and desirous of seeing meted out to every people the fullest measure o: hberty.

To notice all that has been said by our enemies in reference to * the Land ques- tion,” and to the Despatch from Her Ma- jesty’s Colonial Minister, dated 12th Peb., 1851, interdicting a recurrence to the agitation of Escheat-—is neither my pur- pose nor inclination. The Obgtructives are at this moment in search of political capital, and in pursuit of accusations agaist Government and the majority «f the Assembly ; but if their future efforts in this landable course be attended with no higher sucéess than what has marked their past ones, Government will have little reason to apprehend a hasty with- drawal of public confidence, and the majority ofthe Assembly will be troubled with few compunctious visi ings of con- science. When we are told that the Le- gwlature and Government are inatracted or commanded to abandon * the Land gestion,” we are natura)ly led to inquire W hat do these terms imply? If Escheat, then our party cannot be siid to have

lord opinions: and! myst say that Ii

abandoned a ‘nestion they never enter

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