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“THIS 18 TRUE LIBERTY WHEN FREE-BORN MEN—HAVING TO ADVISE THE PU

New Serics.

OF ASSEMBLY.

Tnurspay, 27th March. AFTERNOON SITTING.

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MOUSE IN COMMITTEE ON ADDRESS IN ANSWER TO HIS RXCELLENCY’S SPLECH.

Dr. Janorve in the Chair. (Concluded )

Mr. Yeo said, he should like to ask the honourable member from Bedeque (Mr. Pope), wether he did not expect taat, in the event of a change in the Go- recament, he would be able to procure a place for himself?

Mr. Cotes replied, that he was happy to think, that before long, there would be an opportunity, under the working of the Responsihle System, to engage men of talent, like the honourable member from Bedeque (Mr. Pope), in the service of the public. Under the operation of that eys- tein, it would be the evident duty of the Government to prefer to offices, men who were found both able and willing to pull with the people. Should the hon member from Bedeque have been intiuenced byany desire for office, and should lie eventually obtain it under the Responsible Syatem, it was his (Mr. Coles) opinion, that, in his services, the people would have an ample

return for any salary which he might

draw from the public parse. The honor- able Sol. General had said, that the entire speech ef His Excellency had his hearty concurreoce. If so, then the honourable and Jearned member must have changed his views with respect to Responsible Goversment, for His Excellency had said

au hie speesh, thet the People of this_Co-

jony are as much entitled as those of the peighbouring Provinces to have their go- vernment framed in accordance with their ewn wishes; and he had admitted that Responsible Government 1s what the people desire. and had therefose an- wounced his having authority to introduce it, The honourable and learned member had pnt words into his (Mr. Coles’s) saonth which he hed not uttered. He ad made him say, that His Excellency did not expect the Ilonse to proceed to rhe transaction of business until after he should bave reconstructed his Council. Now he (Mr. Coles) had said no such thing. What he did say waa, that he did not think it likely that Ilis Excellency could expect the house to proceed to business, until he should suriound himself with a Counci! in vhor the Louse could piace confivence. No dowbdt the honour- able and learned member would very sauch like to inake it appear as if he (Mr. “vles) were guilty of a breach of confi- dence i1 divuleing what Llis Excellency might have told him in private. As to the honourable and learned member’s opinion, that the majority ofthe ITouse were dis. appointed by Sir Donald Cainpbel’s as- senting to the Revenue Bill. and that they had calculated upon his rejecting it. he (Mr. Coles) thouglit the rejection of it would heve been a grievous disappornt- m @ut to the minority and the whole body ef the obstructives, tor had it been reject- ed, their hired ed.tor would not have been able to serve up so many hashed dishes, in the shape of editorials, composed of wretched road, broken bridges, starving paupers, and memoer’s pay, aa the appro- priation ond restriction clause appended te thet Bili had enabled him to provide for their service and aid. What had been srid by the honourable member from Be- deque (Mr. Pope) waz, he thought, quite sufficient toshow that he waa right in what be bad stated concerning defalcation ia the Treasury: end so little cowld the truth of whathad deen stated with refer- ence te ii be questioned, thst he did net

CHARLOTTETOWN, M

believe there was one friend of the late Treasurer in the [louse, who would stand up and say, thata defalcation would not have been found in the Treasury at the time ofthe frst investigation, had not the moneys abstracted been replaced by sume advanced for the occasion by the Treasurer's friends, some of them mein- bers of the Council. He (Mr. Coies) never doubted the correctness of the Treasury, since the aprointment of the public Auditors ; and, consequently could experience no disappointment when every thing was found correct in that Depart- ment on the last audit day; but the ne- ceasity fur quarterly audits would not have been made manifest to all, at the time it was, had it not been that there was then two or three members in the ixecutive Council who were not bound to the Treasurer by such intimate ties, as connected him with some of the rest. The fact, however, that the moneys in the ‘Treasury Chest were all found correct at the last audit, did not, by any means, ex- onerate the Government from the charge of corruption with reference to that De- partment; for, with as much propriety might they have taken a convicted rob- ber from jail, and have offered to place him in charge of the Treasury, provided he could find the securities required by Jaw, 13 have mede the same offer to the late Treasurer, ata time, when by his own act he had vacated his appointmeut, and when they, the very men who made the offer to him, had positive knowledge of his defalcations in the office. The credit of acountry could only be main- tained by the integrity of its public offi- cers;but the supporters of the present Government had unblushingly declared, that thé publie had nothing to do with the private character of a public functionary ; and that although in his private transac- tions he might be the veriest swindler, that consideration ought not to weigh against him as a public officer, so long as all was found correetin the Department under his management, and he could find the necessary securities. Jt was indeed grievous to him tohave to make such al- lusions to individuala, as had been forced from him in the course of the debate; and he wonld, therefore, take leave to say to the honorable Solicitor General, that ifhe wished ‘well to those among his friends whose conduct, he was aware, would not bear the nicest investigation, it would be advisable for him to forbear in future any attempts at their vindication, for his ad- vocacy of their cause always led to more and more painful disclosures.

Mr. Lonowoarrn said, the assertion of the hon. member for Queen’s County, (Mr. Coles} that, under the Responsible system they would not hesitate to buy over or bribe, men of abilities by appoint- ments to offices, to. support the Govern- mest, was quite sufficient to prove that the system which he and the rest of the Snatchers hoped to see established must be acorrupt one. ‘The honorable mem- ber himself (Mr. Coles) had formerly held the same opinions as himself with respect to it. Views of personal aggrandisement t had. however, cansed him toaet, although

perhaps not think, very differently; and ihe was now the Jeaderin the cry for the testavlishwent of x system which he had 'formeriy condemiec. The party who ‘sought it were actuated by no other views and motives, than those of self-interest.

the unworthiness of their motives, they might obtain it. If they did, they would however, have to swallow a very large pill: ferthe conditions annexed to the con- cession of Responsible Government would notbe dispensed with, But when once they had itthey would no doubt make the

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not of it; and where offices sufficient |

It waa possible, however, that, in spite of

AY 5, 1851.

did not exist for those who must have them, new ones would be created for their benefit. They would then all work to- gether, and audit and pass one another’s accounts, without the exe cise of any thing like unnecessary or inconvenient exactness. For a time the system might work well for the individual interests of those who had the direction of it; but when it came it would bring with it much general political evil to the coun- try. When planted it would be found to be a political Upas Tree, and its banefu! influence would diffuse itself over the whole Island. He was himself friendly to the establishment of Responsible Go- ernment; but not such a sysierm as that which the Snatcher party desired to have introduced. ‘The system to which he was favourable, was one which, by the exclu- sion of office-holders from seats in the Assembly, would secure the purity and integrity of that body, Ile would support the original draft Address, and oppose the amendment.

Mr. Dousr was opposed to the amend- ment. It looked like an attempt to force the Lieutenant Governor at dnce into a compliance with the wishes of the Majo- rity. Would they not have loudly ex- claimed against him, had he adopted such acourse towards them? From all that he eould learn, His Excellency was favourably disposed towards theAssembly. Weg it not then very unwise to assume a right to dictate to him? Were he (Mr. Douse) ever so much in favour of the es- tablishment of Responsible Government, he would, influenced by these consider- ations, vote against the amendment. He himself was not adverse io Responsible Government, but he was decidedly op- posed to the Departmental System, by the establishment of which, they were actuated ‘by nothing but the desire of office, hoped to aggrandize themselves, and he had the satisfaction to know that his views on this question were fully participated by his constituents.

Mr. Crank supported the amendment, and mainwained that there was nothing in it derogatory to His Excellency. It was couched in mild and courteous lan- cuage. Ifthe members of the Assembly were afraid to state to His Excellency, in plain aod unambiguous, yet still cour- teous and respectful Janguage the fact, that the Executive Council did not pos- sess the confidence of the people, and that they could not transact business with his Government, until it should be so as to be no Jonger opposed to publie sen- timent, they were indeed unfit to represent the people. ‘They who constituted the majority of the House knew that they did represent the people. They equally knew that the minority, the friends and defenders of a corrupt government, did) not represent the people, It could not, for one moment be exvected then, that the majority, if true to the trust reposed in them by the people. would give their countenance to an Address such as the original draft, which if net direct'y con- yeying an expression of confidence in the Government, yet Jeft it plainly to be im- plied, that they by whom such ao Address could be adopted, muat be fully satisfied with the character of His Excellency’s advisers. The majority were taunted with being office-seekers; but, to those who could prefer no other accusation against them than that, he would reply that ifthey sought offices, it was only through the people, who had unquestion- ably the best right to bestow them. He was confident that nine-tenths of the seople were in favour of the Responsible movement; but as more than sufficient had already been gaid in speaking to the question, he would not farther insist vpou the propriety of the course pureued by

BLIC—-MAY SPEAK FREE.”—Muvror’s

Che Examiner.

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EURIPIDES.

Vol. 2: No. 4.

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the majority. He would merely add, that he would support the amendment.

Mr. WHELAN supported the amand- ment. He denied that it contained any thing like dictation. The minority said that His Excellency, Sir Alexander had, im his Speechavowed the same sentiments with respect to the mode of settling the great question at issue, as those which were entertained by the late Lieutenant Governor, Sir Donald CampbeM; and in the Address proposed by them, there was an expression of the highest respect for those sentiments. That certainly would answer very well for those who had upheld the policy of Sir Douald and his covern- ment; but it was language which could not, with any degre: of consistency, be adopted by those who had condemned and opposed that policy in the most positive and direct manner. Unless they meant to condemn and stultify themselves, the majority were bound to carry an amend- ment to that Address. The Amendment which had been submitted was one which although it plainly indicated the feelings of the majority with respect to the govern- ment, was in all respects strictly temper- ate and respectful. But had the majority thought, with the minority, that His Ex- eellency intended to pass in his Speech the same censure upon the proceedings of the majority as that pronounced by Sir Donald ‘Campbell, they would have held itto be a palpable insult; and might in that case, have been fully justified in proposing an an.endment less expressive of respectful consideration. The minority said the advocates of Responsible Go- vernment had obtained no victory. In saying so they falsified his Excellency’s Speech. Sir Donald, even at the most favourable stage of the negociations with hin for the introduction of the Responsi- ble System, had merely proposed to con- sult his Royal Mistress touching the pro- priety of such a step. But Sir Alexander had told them, in express terme, that he was authorized to introduce that system. An announcement such as that, compared with the declaration of Sir Donald that he was not at liberty to comply with the wishes of the people, was either victory or it was nothing. Should the House adopt the original draft Address, in doing so they would be receding from the objects which through the two former Sessions

they had vigorously striven to attain.

Should they adopt the amendment, they would merely maintain the position which they occupied with respect to Sir Donald. They had told Sir Donald that they could transact no business with his government, until it should be reconstructed in euch a manner as to claim their confidence ; and through the proposed amendment, they merely purposed respectfully to make the gaine declaration to Sir Alexander. It was as much an inherent right of the As- sembly of this Colony, to seek to effect’a change in its Government, as it was ef the Britieh House of Commons to require a change in the Imperial Administration ; and that too at any time, and quite inde- pendently of any contemplated organise change in the nature of the government. The honorable member then adverted to what recently took place in Nova Scotia, in consequence of the responsible move- ment there ; and shewed that a reconstrue- tion of the Executive Council, by Sir Joun Harvey, had preceded the neces- sary details. preparatory to the establish- ment of the Responsible System; observ- ing that he certainly conceived that Sir Alexander Bannerman was as much at liberty, in the exercise ofa discretionary rower, to pursue that coarse here, as Sir John Harvey had been in Nova Scotia. Two honorable members had said that Reeponsidle Government would produge corruption. He said quite the contrary