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eae a COLONIAL LEGISLATURE, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Satcepay, March 19th, 1864.

a t glad! Honee in Committee on the Address in| Prepared to give you a speech of an hour's | Colony for upwards of seventy years. The| thought them a great boon, and age we

reply to His Excellenoy’s Speeech--Lion. Mr. Goff in the chair.

First and second paragraphs agreed to— third reid.

Hon Mr. Lorp: His Graos tho Duke of Neweastle regrets that he could not adviee | lier Majesty to sesent to the address of the Legislature praying that the Award of the Commissioners on the land question might be confirmed. | thought it was quite useless to waste the time of the Legislature in passing

A A ee a ee

Operation, very few would be found at the | were perfectly justifiable in sending th

present day who would say it was not a benefit. I am not destrous of going into a discussion on that point; bat if it is the wish of your honors to do so, I aim quite

length upon it. I am pot surprised at his honor from Prince County (Hon. Mr. Lord) saying it would be a calamity if it had gone aty Operation ; and he ie quite welvome to entertain those views, and to gain all the popularity he can by them.

conduct in not forwarding the Bill to confirm the Award, that bas been again and again answered in the Legislature. It was sent

that address, when it must iave been evident to every member of the House that it would not be favourably received by Hie Grace. |

Am not disappointed at the fate the address 42° 10 One of the newspapers. ; hae met with, and I think it would be a ne-) &re@t outcry raised ayuinst the Award by 9| am of opinion that before this session 18 over

giect of public duty, on the part of members

of the Opposition. were we not to stand up here and show that our views have been car- ried out—that we have not been mistaken His Excellency speaks of the address as hev- ing been adopted by bot! branches of the Legislature, which would aluust convey the idea that it had originated with the poople themselves, and not with their represeata- tives.

Hon. the Parsipaent: Any address passed by a majority of ether House is considered ao address of that Branch of the Legislature, thowgh, of course, there may be @ minority, and the members of that minority have a right to record their objections. Certainly this Coune:!, and the Sou of Assembly, too would be more gratified ty the address re- ceiving the sanction of the Imperial Govern- ment than otherwise; but if the minority wish to offer an ameodment, it is open for them to do so.

hiva. Mr. Devawstt: We were of opinion,

by referring to a table published swe time

certain party in this Island ; | ways been of epmiva that the opposition of | that party, combined with the intluence of

| the proprietors, was the reason that the ‘the last part of the remark of His Honor the | #

Then when the Award | p eee aside. and when they fancied they | tenantry are, in a great measure, sacrificed | | had discovered a very great mare's nest, In|, : this Bill not having been sent home, es they |; their great cry was, that that was the reason the Award was |

| Award wae set aaide.

jenid, im proper time, | logt ; | opposite quarter.

| themselves to reconcile. !

i

| would rather err on the safe side.

| that Bill at that time was the resul of mis-| have received no encouragement, understanding, in some degree, the interpre-

tation of a despatel: trom the Colonial Office

| Any discussion on the delegation, at the

present time, would, I thnk, be premature. Hon. Mr. Henperson : [ am not anxious

i

As to the} am oot saying this of one party charge against the Government of improper | the other.

home with the other Bulls, and sert in us| Delegates have gone home and returned, and) we may heve an opper good time as Billy bave been since | bave| | hope good will yet result from that step. jeomething more at some been in the Legislature, which may be seen

Thera was a

and | have al-/| sume

thas blowing their wind from the very | W bat consistency there 1s |in such a course, I leave to those g: otlemen those party feelings, 1 believe we would be Vhen that bill was able to carry some measure for the relief of | before the Legislature, I stated that I thought | che ten we were premature ; but, of she met I | tion to Englaud, | believe we are in a worse

assing |

———————

nn | were wu large Te and the right to}

nes ——

Dele-| obtained for the tenartry

> 7 ik f > f rent gation to England, or in using any other) mission of arrears 0 ‘ a then | ments they considered practicable to settle| purchase at a reasonable rate. mney euie| | this question, which bas been agitated, und obtained the offer of such ee i 4 which has retarded the prosperity of this| sought for by the delegates, we

|fact.is, that if the people were united, there would they have been ponent

would be sume hopes of settling it; but the| Commission raised the expe aaoatl | deat Veen against the * outs ” and the! eople ina most extraordinary These expec- “outs? against the ** ins ;"’ and as long as! confess, it raised mime also. cape, bane ‘that is the case, it will never be settled. 1 tations bave now, in @ great mow aaa wore than| disappointed, and it now remains °° te determine whether, because we ee . party that would settle the question; but) the whole loaf, we wilt retuse issed pulicy to /we do not appear to be as near to it DoW a8) half. Ll think it will be our w ’

. d oserbly |we were seventy years ago. However, the) lay hold of all that we a of chenintig

of the and ’

i would be happy tu go with any

—_—

sions. Some whose cloths were set on fire ran shrieking through the streets, enveloped in flame, and altogether the scene was one of horror not easily imagined. There were many instances of the noblest heroism, men rushing fearlessly into the burning building to remove kegs of powder and prevent still mote explosions. The proprietoss of the shop are deemed highly censurable for careless- ness, the effects of which have long been ma- nifested in minor aceidents, and which has culminated in this tragic catastrophe.

Fink anp Lose or Lire at Tracaprs, N.S.— The Antigonish Casket gives particulars of a melancholy occurrence which took place at Little Tracadie on the morning of Friday last. About 2 o'clock the house of Mr, Sa-

subsequent time ;

but if we obstinately refuse to accept what

Seeing ieaibe eoeepencneh] good reason to belitve we can ob-

Colonial Minister in such a way as could we have

tehes; and || tain, it BOF aa ae eee ne oy chee acanion ie over| thing at all. 1 think that eending the dele-

t just what the Gorern- acticable mode will be offered to| gates to England was jus iia ques ment should have done. It hag saved, at

settle tuis question. y bey on : DineG Fe ite ree with | least, from cone to two years negotiation. - Hon. Mr Dtyowetr: I quite agre | reat deal has, of late, been published in the the land question ; but if anything better bas

the | Opposition papers on ask your honors ;

] been suggested than what the Government onene array tree lure striving to get. The editor of the Ez- aminer has of late published eleven articles ‘on ** Lhe Land Question,’ to ete of hich he argues that we bave the ** right to eer rrr themseslves, they carried out we as of escheat,’’ and that the the sume measure. If we would throw away | power was conferred u~on us.** by Her Ma- jesty’s cession of the crown and territorial Tevenues in the Island td our local Govecn- ment; but, immediately after, be stultifies | himself by suying, that ‘at would now be in-

resident I believe the interests of party feeling. jit. Wheo the Liberal party introduced the Land Purchase Bill, the * outs’? offered the | Strongest Opposition ty it; but when they

antry. But as to sending the delega-

. Tia | position now than before they went. They | - neistent with the honor of the Imperial and have | Government to authorize or recommend the

only had what I may calla little brash with | satablichment of s court of escheat in the ‘| the proprietors, who have sent a Bil here | Isiand.’’ And io another part of the same

snd say: * You must pass it as we send it, | jor - nothing.”’ Now, i think ples, ete} disr®putable and unjast for the Lwperial Go- | too far to dictate to the people of this Colony | vernment now to direct of authorize the in-

that as the Duke of Neweastle bad yiveo bie) Mr. Chairman, to take anything by the fore-|in that manner, espec.ally after the ac- | stitution of a court of escheat in this culony.

opinion that the Award was illegal,

and | lock that would stir up agitation ; but taking | knowledgmen: of Mer Majesty's Government |

In the name of consistency, 1 would ask, if

is very probable that we will get no-

‘article, the editor states that it would be}

therefore could not be eanetioned by the the statements of your honors, Leannot help| that there was @ grievance to settle. L do Imperial Government, i: was useless for ue to) thinking that Lord Brougham utterred #/ nyt think it is treating the Legislature of this pass the address. | wreat truth when he said ** the ins are al- | Colony with proper respect ; bat L hope Hon. Avrorney Geyarat: Id» not know! ways wrong, and the ouls are always right.""| both parties will unite, and endeavor to ac- in what other language we can reply to that| In politics there are only ins and outs. /eomplish something tor the relief of the aragraph in the Speech of His Excellency. | Paoose in office are desirous of maintaining itenantry, for [ think we migh: do so if we ‘he address was passed with the concurrence | their positiva, and those in the opoosition, | were unanimons. : of a large majority of bech branches ot the eager to get in, miss tue mark, and strike! Hon. Mr. Beer : His Honor who has just Legislature, anc those who voted for it were down the man of straw in the opposite di- | sat down tells us that he considers the terms certainly desirous that the object prayed tor rection. should be grented ; but if those who voted firm the Award,there is one thing | recollect, | ster more favournble to the tewauiry than the against it dud not wish to have the prayer of —and I think the Colonial Minister's opi- | terms suught tu be obt uned by the delegates ; the address granted, they would be quite | nion is worthy of respect. His Grace eays,|and, therefore. finds greac taule wrti the consistent in saying that they are not eurry | in a despatel to His Excellency, that * he | delegation, and with the government fur ap- that the prayer of the address has been | could not but feel pleased at the readiness | pointing it. On the whole, L approve o! the rejected. The majority, however, were de-/ with which the Legislature complied with | suggestons of His Grace the Duke of New- sirsus that the prayer of the address shoald what they supposed to be his wishes "’ be granted, and I do not, therefore, see im opinion, | think, should make our side of it| they could be made obligatory on the pro what other Janguage we can address His, good, though the Bill may have been passed prietors; but in reality they amount to

Exceliency. It is as polite and courteous as under a misapprehension. And this opinion nothing, as the Duke evidently never in-|

the circumstances of the cause admit ; and it| is worth sometuing on the scale, as going to is as quiet & way as we can express our show the honesty of the intentions of the Go- disappointment 'vernment. And if both sides of the Louse | Grace's own language In one part of the

Hon. Mr. McDonatpo: Theaddress adopted had been of one mind, und raised their united | despatch he says, ** J dismiss the idea of im- jast session, if [ remember right. was passed | voices for the confirmation of the award, Ido | posing on the proprietors by law any general woanimously. There was no division upon think, being a partol the British Empire, we rate of commutation’’ Again His Grae> it; thoagh it was urged by members on this would be entitled te more respect, and the | says, alluding to this general rate of eom- wide of the Llouse that it would be of no ser-| result might bave been different. Even Sir vice. The objections, however. urged by His Samuel Cunard felt this when he said he was Honor from the firat district of Prince | bound to pay a certain respect to the stand- | ¢icular cases. by private agreement between County (Hon. Mr. Lord). to the word | ing of the delegates. I also think that the | /andalords and tenants... Again: ** As these *+adopted,”’ may have some foundation, for | Legislature were justified in desiring some- | sales well not be compu/sory, a is nol neces- it might lead some persens to suppose that thing more than the epse dirit of the Colonial | as to the the address originated with the inhabitants) Minister, with regard to the iliegality of the ** Ico must of the Island generally. 1 have uo other ob-| Award. I bave po doubt but the proprie- jection to the paragragh | tors felt that the arbitration clause would be

Hon. Mr. Ramsay: When the address was a practicai clause, and would be adapted to passed by the Legislature, we had merely the the circumstances of the people. Un this

tended that those suggestions should become binding im jaw. [| gather this from His

therefore be increas:d or diminished, in par-

sary to enfer upon aay question nature and duration of the (eases.”’

upon the proprietor to relinquish bis present claims, tie Colony is ealling upon Lim to sacrifice admitted lega! rights. Bg what in-

This | castle, or rather | would approve of them 1! |

mutation, ** lt is not cumpulsory, and may |

steadily be borne in mind tuat, in eailing |

| we have the * right’? and ** power to estab- lish a court of escheat,’’ why talk about the Imperial Government direeting of authorising

| | such a course ? | 4 wonderful discovery, and comes out with @

new platform, and tells bis readers that ‘* the |

| most advisable course for the people to pur- } “ - | sue for the effecting their complete emanci-

| nation from the proprietary yoke,’’ and ‘the | Now, in regard to the Bill to con- | offered in the despateh of the Colonial Minis patic er a7

only perfeetly just mode of affording redress ‘to the colony, and of freeing the people from

' guishment of proprietary claims by a grant | tioned among the proprietary claimants, in ‘the same manner as for the emancipation of | the slavesin the British West India Islands.’’ Further on, he recommends that our griev- ances should be fully laid before the House of Commons,.and says: ** Happily, by this | means, that full measure of justice to which they are entitled may be obtained, but cer- tainly by no other.’’ So the British Go- verument, who have most positively refused, to guarantee us @ loan of £150,000, are to be petitioned to make us a present of about | £200,000, in order to purchase a redemption

of the slaves of Prinee Edward Island, and rid them from proprietary bondage ; and this in direct opposition to the Duke ot Neweas- tle’s most positive assarance, in his despatch of the Llth July fast, wherein be says, ** 1 also dismiss the notion of any Imperial gua- ranty or advance of money.”’ I] conceive an appeal inay be made to the moon with just as | much chance of suceess. [un fact, the Oppo-

sition, with the Editor before alluded to, as | 1t8 most prominent member, have in reality,

That editor, at least, makes |

| proprietary bondage, would be, the extin-|

of the Imperial Parliament, to be appor-)

muel Kinney was discovered to be on fire, and Mr. K. was awakened by the crackling ot the fluines and the presence of dense smoke in bie bed-room. ile told bis wite to take their youugest child and proceed with it to ‘the nearest neighbour's ; and having, a8 be supposed, secured the safety of the other in- ‘mutes, he returned, endeavouring to suve portions of his property. To his horror he shortly heard # ery in one of the tiont rooms, and rushing in, found his youngest child, which he rewoved, but failed to see anything of his wile. ‘Uhe next morning her charred bones were found in the ruins. It is sup- posed that after lenving tie house she returned in order to save some of the proper- ty, but was suffocated in the attempt. By this calamity vix young and helpless childrea are left destitute of a mother’s eare.— Hal- fax Acadian Recorder.

AMERICAN AFFAILKS.

| The Washington correspondent of the N. Y. World writes the following to that paper :

The most striking and unexpected piece of southern news I have to-day to record is the inteliigence that the rebels are now con- ‘templating the project of an invasion of the North, and of re-enacting on a larger scale the onward movement which resulted in the double repulse of Antietata and Gettysburg. and crippled their resources in men and transportation for two successive campaigns. This project is, of course, still in its incipient state, and will not reach its maturity until it has been thoroughly canvassed and adopted by the managers of the rebellion. it is making rapid strides and engrossing every day more and more the att-ntion ot the people, is a fact which even the most superficial observer will not dare to question. The motives which provoked the resurrection of a scheme which every southerner thought ‘to have been forever buried under the thirty

thousand soldiers who feli at Gettysburg are ‘numerous. Among the masses they originate ‘in the hatred of the Yankees and in the dis- reputable wish to retaliate upon the North ithe kind of warfare waged against the South

‘bv the Union armies. Among the southero

| officers they 8; ring from a sentiment of sel i-

lesteem and wounded vanity, which make !

| their military superiority, not only at home | but oo Northern battle-fields ; while awong | the chiefs of the nation the desire of invading

|

political reasons of the bighest order.

| Should the President of the Confederacy | vield tu the entreaties of his friends, and an ‘invasion of tie North be resoived upon, | che plan to be fullowed in the execution of that project would not, as heretofore, be | limited to the invasion of a single point of our frontier, but would embrace a whole

| to

crt iienmnamanenmnetates

will become their duty, es it is the oo of this people, to unite with their throughout the Island in cuusing to be laid at the foot of the throne a petition praying ler Mujesty to withhold her assent to a Bill which is go thoroughly calculated in its every feature to become destructive of the best in- terests of a portion of Her Majesty's loyal subjects, the tenantry of Prince Edward Island.

Sth. That the tenants on Lot 19 being de- sirous of making a fair proposition to the proprietors, do express their willingness to pay ‘I'welve shillings and Sixpence per acre

eording to quantity and jocation ; all arrears | : " of rent being cancelled up to the year 1860, with the privilege of a term of six years to fulfill their contract. ~*

Those resolutions, while severally under

especially the eighth, or last, which is an amendment to, or, perhaps, wore properly kpenking, an extract from a& somewhat lengthy resolution introduced by some of the supporters of the Government, which, among other things, contained some sentiments re- lative to the Bill of Sir Samuel Cunard, sumewhat similar in import to the sixth re-

sary ; and some other matter deemed objec- tionable by the meeting—when it was found necessary to curtail it to its present form to meet their views

The general feeling exhibited throughout the meeting was dissatis!action with the pre- sent state of the Land Question, strong op- position to the Bill of Sir Samuel Cunard, und an ardent desire on the part of the whole

some way that would afford some reasonable prospect of eventualiy releasing them from the rent-paying system. Upwards of 200 electors were supposed to be present.

It having been ordered, on motion, that a report of the proceedings of the meeting be sent to the Isfander and Examiner for publi- cation, and a vote of thanks passed to the

rethren all their previous attempts in that direction. In

for their land, with # gradual decrease ac-—

consideration elicited considerable discussivn, |

solution previously passed, hence unneces- |

people te see the question finally settled in |

proinises to settle the question, and the failure. of

the absence, sure,

however, of any Government mea. so far, it may be safely inferred from the Speeches of members and supporters of the Ad. ministration in the Assembly, that the tenaatry have nothing at all to expect from any pian of leettlement that may be proposed by the Govern. |

| ment.

i |

| A charge of inconsistency bas been brought against us in the Legislature and in the Islander, on the assumed ground that in August last we opposed the propositions contained in the Duke's despatch of the lith July, 1863, and that now |in 1864 we are favourable to them. The charge is very erroneous. We readily admit that in Ag. _ gust last we objected to the terms of the Duke's ’ despatch, because, as we contended then, and cen. ,tend yet, they did not come up te the promises made to the tenantry by the Government from the time they assumed the direction of affairs in 1859 | down to the Seasion of 1863. They were certainly ‘by no means comparable to the on which the several large estates pure , ; | visions of the Land Purchase ' into small freeholds. Wet \that that Bill should be fh | settlement. We cannot see |just aud honest reasoning parts of the Island shewld be | joyment of privileges agred ‘other parts. We arettd a | has been practically ef Ue | Cases in whieh pure?! ov | and that proprietors could nol ‘with their estates on the ters This is true te some extent i sticklers, to the furthest degree, for tie pulsory principle in a matter of this kis say that there shall be no compulsion in the proprietors to a sense of the obligations

But that |

‘them long for the opportunity of proving! 144 there answered and explained to the

‘the North, although by no means certain, 'S | Coles, believing it to be a bad cause that re- ‘attributed to strategical consideration, if pot |

chaitman, the meeting dispersed.

. H. 8. MacNurt, See’y pro. tem. 'To rne Hon. E. Wuetan, Epiror or Tug ExaMInrn.

Sir,—My letter to the Tevante of P. E. ‘Island (containing a8 it did, some strictures ‘on Mr. Coles’ letter to the Tenantry,) was particularly intended to give correct infor mation to my Own constituents, some ot whom—after reading Mr. Coles’ letter—were complaining of the supposed non-pablication ot the Duke of Newcastle’s Despatch of July last. I felt anxious taat they sbould know ‘the whole truth io the matser.

My letter was entirely o! a political nature, having no reference to anything of a personal or private character. Mr. Coles, in his reply. has thought proper again to rehash the old story that he brought against me on the bustings before an immense assemblage | from all parts of Queen's County on a Nomi- nation Day, more than ten years since. Suffice it to say that the accusation was then

they owe to the people of this ill-used then we affirm that they are to have their way in all matters relating to the leasebeld tenure, The Government party object to the Duke's pre posals, because, as they say, they were not ip tended to be compulsory, — they are, therefore, we are told, worthless. Will the Government ‘party venture to assert that they intend to pursue an opposite course? Is there any reason to sup pose that there is the slightest intention on their part to resort to compulsory legislation? We believe there is not. But assuming that they have a right to use compulsion—and their objection te the Duke’s preposals is equivalent toan assertion of their claim to the right—we ask, why not put this principle of compulsion in praetice with the view of giving a more general operation to the provisions of the Land Purchase Bill?) Why not aay to the proprietors—“ We have purchased the Earl of Selkirk’s estate for 3s. 4d. an acre. We consider that as the standard value of large e+ tates. We will give you the same price. If you do not accept our offer, we shall have recourse to other legislation, and you must expect no sup- port from us in your contentions with the tenan- try.” It is quite clear that if the Government were antmated by the determination to bring the proprietors to task — if they had the will they would, in course of time, find the way to use such pressure on the proprietary body as would COMPEL them to sel] or terms no lest favourable

satisfaction of hundreds, if not thousands of wy tellow colonists. I shall not fullow the example set by Mr.

| quires bolstering up by matter so foreign to | the question in hand. : | Your publishing these few lines in your ‘paper of to-day, will much oblige Yours respectfully,

GEORGE BEER. Charlottetown, April 11, 1864.

opinion of the Colonial Minister that the | ground lam exceedingly sorry iat the award Award was illegal; but now we have the | has not been confirmed, and that the prayer @pinion of ths Law Officers of the Crown. | of the address has nut been granted.

Hon. Mr. Beex: | can assure your honors | that I, as one member of this House, do} sincerely and deeply regret that the Award

Clause 4.—Ilon. Mr. McDonarp objected | to this paragraph, on account of it being a ; jreply to several paragraphs of Uis Excel has not been confirmed ; for I am fully P°F- | joney's speech, and thought the Coumittee oneded thes if 16 Rad gine into opie. ©) had departed from the usual course in that would have been a very essential benetit to | [lis honor said the paragraph

: z | particular. the mhabicants of thieColoay. And, as just! gina

contained some statewents with which he |

duc«ment can he be rec nealed to that sacrifice?

All this clearly proves that the suggestions of His Grace were not intended tu be binding ta law. ‘Then, L wountd asc, what possible | | good could resalt trom any attewpt to legis- | | late upon those suggestions, when the lsnd- lord was to be at liberty to ** increase of diminish’? the rate of commutation at pleasure? Had the proprieturs been willing to aceept His Grace's suggestions, then |

system of operations by which four states His | would be either threatened ur invaded. | What still adds 1 the plausibility of this

nothing to offer in substitation,

Hon. Mr. Dinowets : [ rise to order. henor does not know that we bave nvuthing to | offer

Hon. Mr. Beer: the only mode is to petition the British Go | vernment, or rather the House of Commons, to | relieve the tenants from proprietary bondage, ! yg as and in another place be tells his readers that | CRO POTERSER QEpETEe. the question can be settled +* in no other!

sideration of the military authorities of

Th-ir leading organ says |

South relieved from the pressare of Thus part of the South

plan, which L believe to be now under con- |

| Richmond, is the strong desire wanifested in | ail classes of Southern society to see the |

is now the agricultural and manufacturing |

Che & xamin cy. en given to the ecttlers ou the Selkirk

the proposals made by the Duke of Newcastle, our positio€, can be very easily and briefly ex plained. We de not, iv fact, now, any more than |' PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE OF | last suinmer, approve of the terme offered by His ASSEMBLY.

_ Charlottetown, April 11, 1864.

Grace; but when we are called upon to institute

As regards our present apparent approval of |

ohserved by His Honor who spoke last, we | ould agree, and others wich which be could | believe there would have been nu objection | had only toe opinion of the Colonial |... agree, and that, i cff-ring any amend- | to uur enacting them into a compulsory law |

jway.’’ I shali oppose the amendment, be-

Minister—we had vo lega! opinion that the | ment, :t would be likely to involve confusion. ithat would Lave been binding oa the pro- |

Award was ilega! when we passed the ad- | dress. Knowing. too, that it was signed by |

eminent lawyers—we had reason to think

that the Award was legal. avd we were |

perfectly justifiable in endeavoring to grt it)

eonfirmed. We have very great reason to) regret that it has not teen confirmed ; for the | tenants, under its operation, would svon have been able to obtain the fee simple of their, furms, oo terms similar to the terms on whieh the tenants on the Selkirk and Worrell estates have become freehuidere.

lion. Mr. Lorp: [ should like to know) Low the tenants would be benefited by the Awdrd. Why make those statewents without | showing @ reason for thew? Aud if tke par- | ty at present in power were se very anxious to get the award confirmed. why was the Bil! to evnfirm it kept back for five months? The Commissioners came |ere expecting that the Bill was the law of the land ; for a notice | was published in the Royal Gazette, stating | tout it bad been very graciously received by | Her Majesty ; but they were deceived. We} knew that when the opinion of the Duke ot | Newcastle was given, it would not be chang. | ed,—that, like the laws of the Medee and | Persians, it was unalterable Delegates | have been sent to the Colonial Office, to en- deavour to compel the Duke to assent to the | address, and what has been the result? Another four or five hundred pounds of the | people's money— people who are more heavi- | ly taxed than any io these eolunies—have

been wasted.

How. Mr. Barr: His honor who has just ent duwn is anxious to know how the tenants would be benefited by the award. | seals. | that the price of the land would be fixed un- | der the arbitration clause, except a person | choose to give the marimum prive, and few ] believe, would do that. And as the settlers on the Selkirk and Worrell estates obtained thoir iands at from 63. to 12s. Od. an acre, the arbitrators would, doubtless, take those prices as a guide. 1. therefore, think that every man of common sense must come to thg conelusion that the award *would be a very great benefit. With regard to the charge of keeping back the Bil to confirm the award, I consider it a mere myth or bug- bear ; and :t has been s0 often and so satis- factorily answered, that it is unnecessary to refer w itagain. It was sent home with the other Bills.

Hun. Mr. Divewers. : His honor who has just spoken is paying ® very poor compli- went to the Colonial Minister i! he considers it was necessary to send delegates home to see it he was doing hie duty. Ithink it was quite useless to send delegates to England

Hon. the Paresipent: That was not the object of the Government in appointing the dsuahien, They were gutisfied with the opinion of the Colonial minister ; but when the address was passed, we bud not the opi- nion of the Law Officers of the Crown. However, the Keport of the Commissioners is pow gone to the wall, and it is of little use tv discuss what benefit might have res-it- ed from it. | am certainly of vpiniva that she award would bave been # very great be- efit. It would have settled this lung agi- tuted question which has retarded the pros- perity of this colony for upwards of seventy years. And | am also of opinion that it was the deadly Opposition tat wae maniiested to it m thie Isiand that prevented it from gvlv, into operation. (Atwrnes Geveral and Mr. Henderson; *- Hear! bear!’ ) The very agitation of the question, frum year to year, ie & lose to the Colony ; and us long as this

, Violent opposition to every plan that is pro. peed tur ite settlement is kept up. it will never bewsettied. If the party in power when I first entored the Legisincure bad been more moderate in their Gewmauds, they might have ercheated several Townalps,and the question wight bave been settled long ago.

Hoo. Arrounsy Gexee at: | did not think Mr. Chairman, that ey of your hotioss would have risen to diseuss the mer:ts uf the Awerd of Report of tie Cowamsioners us these have beyn eo fully discussed in the | Jexulature un different vccasone. | faney |

Shee it the Award bad Gove satu |

however,

three paragraphs of the speech by one.

Hon. ArrorNey GENERAL said there was no

: *Y necessity for answering the severul para- | three gentlemen of the highest etanding in graphs of is Excetleney s speech which had send 80 the neighboring colonies —two of thew) pon alluded to seriatam, as they all contained | Colony? In my bumble opinion, it was|

|

one particular proposition; aod thought it would be quite as dificult tu answer them se- perately as by the mode which the Commit-

tee bad adopted, which was not an unusual

Hon. Mr. Lorp thonght it was both anusual and unnecessary to answer two or In

the speech, allusion was made to & Gespatch

; une.

\from the Coloniai Cflice containing certain

propositions for the settlement of the land question, and that despatch had rot been aeen by the public generally. The Colonia! Minister off red certain terms for the setile- ment of the land question in that despateh, which were more favourable to the tenantry in some respects than the terms offered by Sir Samuel Cunard.

Monpay. Mareh 21st, 1864.

(Committee on the Address in answer to His Excellency s Speech resumed )

Cravst 4.—Hon. Mr McDonato: There is one part of that clause with whieh [ du not agree—that is, the part which refers to sending the Delegates to England. 1 do not think the Government pursued the proper soures in appointing the Delegation without consulting the Legislature. I think tue Go- vernment assumed power that properly be- longed to the Legislature—that is, the appro- priativn of funds to meet the expenses of the Delegation. But | suppose that when the despatches are laid before us will be the proper time tu enter tnto 4 discussior on that subject. I move that the elause under con- sideration be amended, by striking out all after the word ** landlord’ to the word “ question,” and substituting the following:

“ We regret that we eannot conenr in tle course taken by your Excellency in sending a Delegation to the Colonial Office, without first consulting with the Lewislature, and submitting thereto the Des- patch of the Duke of Neweanile, with his proposi- tions for settling the differeuces between laudiord and tenant.”

Hun. Mr. Dixewett: I will support the amendment; for Ll think it was quite im- proper—that it was a very hizgh-hanuded step —tfor the Government to offer termn to the proprietors withofit eonsulting the Legis- lature. If the people had been consulted, | would say that the Government were justifi- able in sending the Delegates to England. | believe the people are neither willing to ac- cep: the proposals of the Colonial Minister oor the Bill of Sir Samuel Cunard, and that shows that they should have been consulted. It may be said that the majority of the House of Assembly were consulted, and that they represent the majority of the people: but I believe the minority of the House of Assem- bly represent the majority of the t-nante ; and surely they should have been consalted on a matter of such importance to them- selves.

Hon. the Pagstvext: It is not customary for the Government tu consult the minority of the Legislature on any action they may in- tend to tuke. They are responsible to the majority. And as to waiting to jay the despatch of the Colonial Minister belore the Legislature, 1 think it would be of very little ee. as it only containg styyestions by the Duke bimself. They are pot compulsory ; and what would be tre uke of laying the despatch before the people until the opinion vt His Grace was more definitely known, as well as that of the proprietors? The cespatel 18, iO MY Opimion, 4 Very extraurdinary one. If those suyyestions had been made com- pulsary, and bud come out agreed to by the lwperial Government, they would be a basis of operstion for the Government of this Is- lard. The despatel contains sume very strange argu vents; for instance, the man who hous been tndustrivus. and has striven hard to meet his engagements with his land- lord, would have to pay » much higher price for bis land thau the refractory or indulent character who would not try to pay ois rent. It would be of little use to Jey such a des. pateh beiore the Legislature; and as far as