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A Weekly Hournal of

“This is true Liberty, when Freeborn Men, having to advise the Publie, may speak free.’’---Euripides.

Colonial Parliament. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

Debate an the Address in answer to His Excellency’s Speech continued.

Hon. Mr. COLES--The hon. member is mistuken. The Commissioners say that they cannot interfere with bouds and warran's.

flo. Col. GRAY—As regards the price of land, the de- cision of the Commssioners is all that should be desired. I have nothing fo guide me in my remarés except the synopsis of the Award furnished by Mr. Howe ; bat, according to it, the tecantry will derive great advantages from what is known asthe arbitration clause. [ will give you an exawple of what will be gained by the Award. At Litsle York, where there is exceileat land—in short it is almost the garden of the Island —the proprietors, Messrs. Montgomery, will not gell at all; but by the Award they will be compelled to do @ at 20s. an sere. Is this not a great boon, when one of the tenants ia that locality informed me that if he could only obtain the privilege of purchasing bis farm he would be willing to pay forty shillings an acre for it! Again, in an- other part of the Is!and,where the Messrs. Mon'gomery hold

jand, Lot 59, by the arbitration clause they may not obtain | more than 5s. or 63. an acre, though the rent is about the |

game as at Little York. This is certainly a great privilege. This arbitration clause is a!l on one side; it is all against the proprietors, and all in favour of the tenants. L trust, now, that Lbave shown great good will result from the Award, and that the people of this Islaud will have reason

to b'ess the hour in which the Commission was granied by |

Her Majesty. I will now refer to my hon. colleague's notes of the remarks made by the hon. Leader of the Upposition,

and take them up sercatim. The firet is, that there has)

been greater harrass:ng aod distraining since the Commission was granted than was ever before on the [slaud. 1 am sorry to be necessitated to contradict hon. members, but | must deny that statement in foto. Twuere bas not been more trouble to the tenant on account of rent; on the contrary vast numbers have paid nothing. Several proprietors have complained that they have not obtained suffivient rent to pay their taxes—tbat they have not even received the ove year’s rent which waa recommended. Another of the statements made by the hon. Leader of the Opposition was that the Uommissioners offsred the Government a copy of the Award. I, as a mewber of the Government, must also coniradict this statewent. [ wever heard of such an olfer, and L su;pose | would cot be kept in ignorance of it.

flon. Me. COLES—1 did not sry it was offered to the Goveroment, but that it was probably offered to the Gover- nor, a3 it wou'd of evurse be sent to him.

Hon Col GRAY—L have ever found His Excellency the friend of the tenantry. It was chiefly through bis efforts that the Esl of Seikirk was induced o sell tis estates to the Government; and | am certain if His Excellency had

reftived any no ice on the subject he would have communi- |

ca'ed it to me, knowing my auxiety fur the welfare of the feaaniry.

Hon, Mr. COLE3—Did he communicate with you on the mi-sion of the Spy ?

Hon. Col. GRAY —I have a great many notes to answer. and ( dare say the hen member's query will come up in order. The next point is that the Government have been too pesuric uy, avd fave refused to puy rome £50 for clerks Tie Government bad no power to graut or refuse ia the watier, Toe Con missioners had a) power; they might weve employed 100 clerks, and these clerks must buve been paid. The hoo. member says that the penuriousness of the Government was the reason that the Duke bad refused tu cunfirm the Award. I never heard ¢i/l 2ow that the Duke had refused to cowlirm the Award.

lon, Mr. COLES—L did aot say that he refused to con- firm the Award, but to send it out to the Colony. I only threw out the hint in regard to the clerks to see if che report Was correct.

<

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Charlottetown, Prince Edward Estand, Monday

nO LEWIS:

** Hon. Col. GRAY—Mr. Chairman, I now riso for the; the clause which provides thatthe Indians shall hold Lennox Island, purpose of bringing under the notice of the hon. Committe ! and have the use of the hay lands and all. This discussion I con- the subject which. of all others, I consider to be the most im-| sider is premature, as the Award is not before the House.

| portant, and which urgently demands the co-operation of | Mr. BEER—Mr. Chairman, my only reason for supporting the ‘hon. members on both sides of the House to bring it to a speedy | Serene in their general policy, is that I believe they are honest- land finai settlement. “Sir, we have now before us two de-| '¥ endeavouring to bring about remedial measures that will eventu-

; . », aha: f ; : ally prove of immense advantage to the Colony. Had I reason to spatches from a Minister of State whose high private charac- },.j;.\. that they are not sincere in their professions, I would not

ter, brilliant talents and profound knowledge of all that con- support them, us L have nothing to gain or lose by their retaining or cerns the institutions of these Colonies, affurd me the surest | guarantee that never in te history of this Island was there a | brighter prospect opened to us for a fair and equitable settle- }ment of the land question,”

| This shows I did not take the credit to myself, but attri- | buted all to the despatches.

mately bleuded wrth the prosperity of the farmers or tenantry; the

| distiller thrives by the continued poverty of the country. As a gene- ral rule the poorer the settlement the more the distiller gets out of it, as the poor man is obliged to thrash out his barley early in the season, and sell it to him at a low price; wheress the wealthy settler who can afford to wait until he has made the most of all his erop, is then enabled to purchase to a considerable amount from the mer- chant. I make these observations to show that I am really inte- rested in obtaining for the tenantry as much benetit out of this Land Commission as possible. The hon. member for the third district of Queen’s County stated that there has been more distraining and dis- tress occasioned by the Land Commission than ever took place in the Island before. Sir, even if this were trae, the Government are not to be blamed for it, as they are endeavouring to give every mah the opportunity of converting lus leasehold iyto freehold on the most moderate teruis. But [ believe there has been very little distrainivg on the estates of the Messrs. Cunard, of the Messrs. Montgomery, er of Mr. Sullivan. What writs have been issued have been mostly on

‘« Sir, here we find the Secretary of State himself coming | | forward and meeting us, as it were, balf way, and yet, in the face of so much courtesy and condescension, we have those lamong as who resuscitate from the tomb in which I, and | ‘firmly believe, almost all ‘he people of this lsland had sup- | posed it to have been buried and ‘orever set at rest, not only trom lapse of time but also by tie repeated decisions of the | tome Government, a question, the agitation of which, at the | present juncture, in the very teeth of these despatches, is not | ‘only very uncourteous to the Secretary of State individually, | j but 1s also a manifest insult to the majesty of the Britis: Go- |

‘vernment, and which, if countenanced by this House,although | tie estates of proprietors who refused to give their assent to the | politics feel sure that such will not be the case, may produce results | Commission; and I may say principally on the Tracadie estate, the; Mr. HOWAT—Did the hon. member himself appear before We have heard a long! the Commission 2?

| but little conducive to tie prosperity of this Island, annexa~! settlers on which are really to be pitied. tion to Nova Scotia or New Brunswick, and the entire cepri- | story about the Spy, and a torrent of abuse has been heaped upon vation of our rights and privileges as a separate Government. | him. I have nothing to say in his fayor, and regret that the Com- Bat, Sir, | would ask, are we to leave ourselves open to the | missioners should have thought it necessary to send a person here to imputation that there are those among us who do not desire | a settlement of the land question, but who would prefer keey-

, ing it open, regardless of the injury they may inflict upon a_

surprised at their having done so, owing te the conflicting statements that were made before them. But, Sir, a is possible that the ten- antry may obtain better terms than they otherwise would on account too eredul ous people, {such as those, for example, who be- of the visit of Mr. Wightman. To aiden more to the point, L believe j lieved that a railway was about to be built near the Ten }trom the bottom of my heart that the Award, if correctly made Mile House] and who, by the agitation from time to time known to us by Mr. Howe. should it become the law of the land, of one or more of its phases, would make it subservient will in the hands of a good honest Government prove a blessing to to their own uims and selfish purposes. And, Sir, 1] cannot! the country, notwithstanding it bas been so thoroughly denounced by help expressing my astonishment at the specious reasoning of the organ of the Opposition. ‘To those tenants who took the advi¢e the hon. member lately at the head of the Executive, to ac poe Commissioners, and I am proud to believe that the great ma- count for his present agitation of what he must well know is jority did, the Award throws off all arrears of rent except those of but a delusion, a mockery and a snare. However, we have | two years. It remits allarrears up to May 1858; the Commissioners

now the Secretary of State himself inviting us to come for- were here in 1360, and as they advised the payment of the then ac- ward, and I trust a considerable majority of this hon. House | cruing year’s rent, those tenants “ he did 80, and again paid their : : : . | one year’s rent in the fall of 1861, will not be indebted tor two years will agree with me, and not subjectgpurselves, by complicity : , | n euch agitation, to a deprivation of that kind consideration | gion they may have been £60 or £70 in arrears, | fur the affairs and elaims of the tenantry of the Island,which) Hon. Mr. WHELAN—According to Mr. Howe's statement ar- in these despatches we see the Right Hon. Secretary 80 | rears are remitted only to 1353, therefore it is clear that those plainly, although it may be, inferentially promising. Sir, [| who have paid nothing since, will have to make good four years’ ‘have therefore to propoand, for the consideration of hon. | arrears. met bers, certain Resolutions which I have drawn up without | ‘partiality, favor or affection, but which, I am convinced, will | be found most conducive to the final settiement of this long i vexed question— the fruitfal source of much of tse bickerings ‘and heart-burnings which bave for so many years distracted the people of this Island, and which will also give real reliel to their present burdens, and designate the only way in which, | by a persistent course of honest industry, every tenant in the [xland may in « few years become a freeholder,and that with-_ /out subjecting the people to the enormous taxation which the ' by pane wild und reckless proposition of the hon. member in his Loan ee ae _Seeeranra oe = ie tek wo pee gina ; : +, 97 estate was bong much better terms, 2 ving also bette Bill would inevitably entail upon them and their posterity. | managed, the Geramiat wins justified iw throwing off all arrears Sr. surely | have read ea muzh @o show that it cannot be | of rent and selling the land at a moderate price, and notwithstanding said in this ease that resolutions are one thing and hon, | all this the estate will be self-sustaining. — Aw | member's speeches another. I have never given the tenantry | ae reser paaheh ordi msanecteuicen om Lene reason to believe that they would receive anything but what) yo firs may be worth 20s. per acre, such as have mill sites, | was prayed for ia tke resolutions. I was desirous that some) marshes, or are near masse!-beds and an abundance of sea-manare ; jarrang-ment should be made whereby the industrious tenant, | but the great majority of farms are not aball worth that sum. In jwho had fallea :nto arreats to such an extent as to have lost tall heart. should be relieved ; and those wishing to convert i their leasebojds inro freeo ds, mizht be enabled to do so at a fair rate. imy resolutions, and when [ proposed them | had come to the jconelusion that no more should be asked for, because no more! forth, such statements, or they were bypoeritesa few years ago when ‘could be granted. But the proprietors, when the resolutions | they introduced the famous Tenants’ Compensation Bill, which pro- | were submitied to them,wished to have-the severa! questions | vided ~ an exactly “ga arbitration in case the teuant desired to : ’ ” give up his farm to the praprictor. eopbeg nds -_ agate the people of the weeny discussed, |" hex. Mr. COLES—It in ditierent; if the tenant thought he did jwhich was agreed to, ond consequeatly the Commirsoners | pot pecvive fair play under*the arbitration, be could appeal to the | entered into an investigation of the-e matters; therefore it/ Supreme Gourt. ~ E 'is that we have loyalist cliims.quit rents, eschcat and fishery j reserves all noticed in their report. That tbe loya‘is's should

recommendation of the Commissioners. It may be stated in reply that all arrears were given up on the Worrell estate. Sir, I admit that such was the case, but it was done at the expense of the settlers

chased upwards of seven years, it has nut yet returned sixpence to the pound of its first cost.

Hon. Me. COLES—By th»: account of the Commissioner of Public Lands last year, there was o eredit of £24,000 shown as paid trom the estate since it was purchased.

Mr. BEER—Yes, but that suin has all been eaten up by expenses

tember, “ who tries if stauds a fair chauee of being ruined.”

| now it is everything that is bad. I have no doubt at allof the work- ing of the arbitration clause; it must operate well. Possibly this

merehant prospers with the increased wealth of the country, but the |

obtain information in such a questionable manner, though I am not | Court with all necessary information.

rent until May, 1862, though before the appointment of the Commis- |

Mr. BEER—I am speaking of those whe have complied with the purchas -,

in all other parts of the Island, for though that estate has been pur- | advantage to the tenant, because as the Commissioners say,

‘these cases the tenaut has the privilege of getting his farm at aj for by the Government. I do

| valuation, should the p: privtor reiuse to sell it at the price the ten- | sangaine expectations in re,ard to the Award, even though it |such virulent abuse by hon. members on the opposite side of the

ant offers. Oh, but says the Editor of thi ‘ Examiner,’ the tenant! should be confirmed as it is; bat I question whether it will! House. Having, in consequence of that statement, applied to the

may as well go to law with the proprietor &s attempt to purchase by|@ome out as it was sent Lome.

‘Tose were the two fea ding points « mbraced ‘nu, arbitration; “the first man,” says he in hiss paper of the Yth of Sep- | which I referred to, banded to me I will now read that part | him, that so far from having given him any letter, he was in utter ay Bi. : Sit, | of it which relates to the meeting of the Commissioners :—| ignorance of his business and, in fact, never saw him.

the leaders of the Opposition are, either Qypocrites now in putting |

*

ATN ERs

Politics, Literature, and Slews,

ee - — -

’, March 17, 1862.

| Mr. SINCLAIR—I would have preferred to see the Award betore jus while discussing this subject. The hon. Leader of the Govern- | ment remarked this morning that the Award was all that he ex- ‘pected, aud more. I dare say he has uot been disappointed. The | Commissioners as appointed were to investigate all the questions in | dispute, whether escheat, quit rents, or fishery reserves; and at the j time they received their commission there was a despatch sent | out stating that they were to come here, and that the Government | was to be prepared to give them all information that they required,

giving up office. I am free to confess that my interests are inti-/| but no provision was made to this effect by the members of the Exe- | ing from them; and, if T dislike it, of

entive.

Hon. Mr. HAVILAND—-I would like the hon. member to give the date of the despatch, for I never heard of it. | Mr. SINCLAIR—That was the tenor of the despatch, though I | have it not here to refer to.

Hon. Mr. LONGWORTH—The hon. member should be more | and implied that my conduct in this House was influenced

careful in regard to facts. There was no despateh received to say | that we should be prepared with evidence. | Hon. Mr. COLES—These were the words.

Hon. Mr LONGWORTU—TPhte statement was in reference to making arra: gements, | _ Mr SINCLAIR—Notwithstanding this despatch, it was the | members of the opposition, who laid nearly all the informa- | vion before the Commissioners which they received. | Mr. HOWAT—Did you say none of the supporters of the | present Government appeared before the Commission ?

Mr. SINCLAIR~A few of them did, but the most of the /persons who came before it, were from the other side in

Mr. SINCLAIR—I did not: but it was not my duty, whereas it was the duty of the Government to furnish the And because they did not attend to this duty, | suppose the Commissioners had to

with referenée to the Award, embodied in the clause of the address before the Committee, and I am far from charging the Goveroment with any desire of delay ing it—I am williag to believe that they have done all in their power to ite its I am always to accord praise when I think it merited; and I must give the hon member from Tryou, Mr. Howat, the credit of ha done the best he- could for the tenantry, when he appeared before the Commissioners. And, sir, while I freely concede to others the right of dissenting from, and actively opposing, my views, I claim an equal privilege of differ- ’ ing the confirmation of | the Award when it shall have been submitted to us, without incurr- Ing the imputation of disinterested motives, I mustsay, Mr. Chairman, that I was surprised at the unparliamentary and uncourteous refer- ences made to myself, yesterday, by the hop. memberfor Hon. Mr. McAulay. He alluded to me as an ex-A General, the loss (of £350 a year. I have no wish to follow the bad example set b that hon. member, and shall therefore merely give my opinion on conduct, as being toa high degree unbecoming in a member of thie House. With reterence to the employment of Mr. Wightman, who has figured so prominently in this debate, I must say, that I think it a strange thing that he should have been employed by the Commis- sioners in the manner he is represented to have been. Those gentle- men held open Court here for more than a month, and if they deemed that the evidence adduced before them was unreliable, they could have re-opened their investigations. Supposing that Mr. Wightman has been misled, as his employment would seem to prove that the Commissioners bad been, and the Award should be framed in accord- ance with his statements, it would be unsatistactory te the Govern- ment and the Country, especially as being based upon secret infor- mation. When hon. members of the Government state that t were unaware of the pressnce of Mr. Wightman in the Island or of his mission, I cannot doubt their assertion, although previously to their disavowal of all knowledge of that individual, I was certainly under a different impression. Hon. Col. GRAY—Mr. Chairman, having addressed the Committee at some length this morning, it was not my intention to have spoken

adopt the course of sending a spy here. who procured his information in a disgraceful manner. by exe ting im persons | minds the expectations of great improvements in the country. The report of the Spy has been connected with the Award, | }and sent to the Colonial (fice, and | would not be surprise to hear if it should operate there to the detriment of the people of this Colony. The Commissioners’ report is — what the people were led to expect. It confirms the pro- prietors in more than they asked; it says that trey are to| have full value for their lands, the quit rents are to be given | up, and they are allowed to retain possession of the aneey reserves. The Award certainly shows that whatever may be the value of the land, the proprietors interest in it is-on'y | 20 years—purchase. so that by obtaining this amount he) receives all that it 1s worth to him, and he makes no sacrifice though the real value of the land should be £2 or £3 an acre, | ‘as it might be in the cases referred to by the hon. member | \for Belfast. But ifthe land is worth less than 20 years —| they may obtain it for less by the arbitration | clause ; and this is the only benefit which I see will be! derived from the Award. As to the arrears of rent being | given up until 1858, I do not consider it will be much |

i

| what is left is about as mach as the proprietors would ever be able to collect. So that all the benefit dwindles down to | ‘what will be gained by the arbi:ration clause. Bat I question | lif ever this will be ubtained. When the evidence of Mr. | Wightman is examined by the authorities at Howe, it will} probably lead them tu eoneiude that the people of this Colony are not to be trusted as arbitrators, since they made such, | statements before the Commissivneis. In regard to the Loan | ;elause, { cannot see that great benefit will result from it, as!

Now, Sir, by the Award | another part of the Award confirms the titles, consequently |

| the proprietors will not be disposed to sell on such reasonabie | jterms as before. Mr. Howe appears to be blamed by a great | 'many of the people of the Island; but [cannot “admit the | | justice of this, since he has given them more t! an was asked | not entertain any very

Having had the despateh |

| The time of meeting in Prince Edward Island will be best ! jdetermined by the lable to communicate with you on any points which they wish | | to ascertain as bearing on the question of the most convenient period for the purpose,

*+ Tt witl be desirable that previous arrangements should he

; |

jmade as far practicable, for having at hand all witncsses and Mr. BEE R—Arbitration was everything that was good then; but jail documentary evidence which the Commission ts likely to

jrequere, so that the time needed for their actual sitting in the iIsland may be reduced within the most muderate compass

‘ ommissioners themselves who wilk-he+etimzed upthe

| versation with Mr. Wightman.

again to-day; but I feel obliged to contradict some statements made by the hon. leader of the Opposition. Before I do so, however, I shall remark upon some of the observations which have fallen from the hon. member who last addressed you. That hon. member has enunciated statements which, I presume, he would rather should go before his constituents than before the combined intelligence of the community. He repelled the reference to them, made by the hon. inember for = eity, Mr. Beer; but if he ex that their intelli- gence will induce or enable them to swallow the political clap-tra he has uttered, they must be more ignorant then "they were styled this morning. He argued, Sir, as though 20 years purchase was absolutely fixed as the price of the lands.

Hon. Mr. HENSLEY—I rise to explain. I did not argue in the manner attributed to me by the hon. member. I stated that the right of buying the fee simple at 20 years purchase was no boon to the tenantry, and I expressly referred to the arbitration clause, which I said might be of some benefit.

Tfon. Col. GRAY—I was particular in taking down the words of the hon. member. He said that 20 years’ purchase would be no boon. He made no allusion to 5 or 10 years purebase. It may be no boon to a man to make him pay 20s. per acre, who is paying Is. per acre rent, but will he say that it is no beon te let the tenant who pays that Is. rent secure the freehold of his land for 10s. or, it may

*, 5s. per acre? The Commissioners’ say that in no case need the teuant pay more than 20 years purchase. Even although he might have previously offered 30 years purchase, he will be in a position to demand it at the former rate. We know, sir, that there are lands in particular localities, such as at Little York, and ov the East River, which are worth 20 years purchase, but the Commissioners bave had to deal, not with a few isolated cases, but have had to devise a general measure of relief for the tenantry at large—have had to recommend a scheme affecting the interests of thousands who may receive the boon of purchasing for 5 or 10 shillings an acre, lands jor which they are and lave been paying a rent of Is. an acre. And I believe that in forty-nine out of every fifty cases, that boon will be conferred, and that the people will duly appreciate it. I am aware that many people hold to the opinion that in politics, as in war, everything is fair, but there is something very suspicious in the constant harping upon this 20 years purchase, as being an established price. But, sir, I will come to the statement made this morning, by the hon. teader of the opposition, to the effect that the Colonial Secretary had given a Circular letter to this Mr. Wightman, who bas been the subject of

Colonial Secretary for information on the subject, I was informed by

Ffon. Mr. COLES—Weil, Mr. Chairman, [am glad that I have ed uy overnment at Jast. I presume, sir,that my informant had in his hands the letter in question. He was present in an office in this building where Mr. Pope, the Colenial Secretary, was in con- . When the Seeretory found that rather too public a place, Mr. Wightman was put into the Grand Jury Room. And, sir, it was admitted, last night, that Mr. Wight- mau had been paid by the Goverument. It that admission is trae, there must have beev an order in Council to authorize such pay- meut, and consequently the Government must have known in about him and his business, And I maintain that any Government

New Series.---No. 10, 9 FENNEL TRL POS IT

| have their lands restored to them at this time of day appeared

House may have to pass a short Act to fis the amount of expenses

’ ’ y ak? eC é .

a Hoe. Col. ae — am only — from orem f I ;to me, in my mo-t dreamy moments, a very utopian | ny » , slerks, for|;, . : i “ty Se bate vane the Bo aoe, " oe ~ Yan ot e oo idea. Ihave the best reason to complain of the loyalists

. . . ? vo . . . . . . . the Comuussioners vever applied to us for anything of th ‘heing deprived of their rights, knowing as [ do the wrongs

‘i . ; Fy a the! ? |. ‘ : kind. flis next statement is that the Governor and the | wy father had to endure, uotwithstanding ke lost all on ae-

also te provide against the contingency of the arbitrators not being able te agree upon the cheice of a third man. If 1 were called upoa to act as an arbitrator, I would take as a criterion the prices paid

. ‘ ; | or li nthe Worrell : Selkirk estates; and if the tenants ge Leader of the Government knew that the Spy was bere, and | for land on the Worreil and Selkirk estates; and it the lenauts get

in conducting an arbitration, which should be made very smail, and j

their lands ou some such terms aus these, I think they will have no}

that this person occupied the Secretary's Ofte.

Hon. Me. COLE3—L did not say thar exce ly.

Hon. Col. GRAY —Wiil the hon. Leader of the Opposi- tion then tel! us what rooms he did occupy ?

How Me. COLES —He first occupied 2 room which was formerly the Secretary's private offive; but this was found a little too public for bim, sod he was removed to an offive wp stsirs. ‘ile had @ person by the came of Job Bevan ‘ariting for him, who told me that Mr. Wightman had acces to the public ducuments, and had a letter trum the Colonial Secretary.

Hon. Col. GRAY —Well. I presume that the Leader of the O»position had charge of the building for the time being when Mr. Wightman was bere. In the next place, the hon. wember says that the Spy had been discussing the project of a railway that was to pass somewhere about the Ten Mile House, with the people of that locality. L do not know what this House has to do with a ruilway there, any more than if it was # railway to the moor, But I dare say if that per- son had spoken of an intention to build a railway to the mocu the people of Tracadie would have believed him ‘Then, again, the hon. Leader of the Oppo-itiun siys the people of Bedeque had a dispute about where the railway was tobe. I can scarcely credit this, for | do not think the people of Bedeque are so easily gulled. Lis vext statement 1s in regard to dissatisfaction with the Award. Well, | bave bewrd a report that the proprietors are quite displeased be- cause the price of land has been fixed so low. Tenants, by the Award, will be able to purchase land worth £3 an acre for 20s.

Hon. Mr. COLE3—What made it worth £3? Was it mot their own labour ?

Hoa. Col. GRAY—The bon. member aks what made it ao valuable? AtLittle York it was not solely the labour of the teaunts, but chiefly the fine turnpike road which runs through the settlewent, and its proximity to the eapital. Tue quality of the soil is, [ believe, just as good on some ot the other Montgoaiery estates, yet cot having these advan- tages the land ig not nearly so valuable. The bow. wember's Hext sta'ewent is that the New London Tories burnt Mr. Howe in effigy,and there was one Frenchman preseat. Well. it is kooww that the French are a polite péopie, and I sup-

this one was present to see fair play. (Laughter.) Bat, Sir, if the New London Tories performed such a deed it wax because grossly false reports were circulated as to the nature of the Award. It was stated im one o! the public priuts that the tevants would be required to pay 20 years’

purchase,

Hou. Mr. WHELAN—I will show the hon. member that Statement under thé bow. Commissiuner’s own haudwriting, and be may read it if be pleases.

fioo. Col. GRAY—Wili the bon. member band me the

t? £ must say [ think | bave some reason to

complain that this matter as been concealed from we. What

oes ibis document purport to be? Is it Mr. Lowe's expo- #108 of the Award ?

Hon Me. Wii ELAN —Yes.

M , Col. GRAY —This, then, I have seea before, and

f- Howe does uot say that che tenants will have to pay 20 Years purchase for their land ; far from it. By the arbi- ae clause the price may be very much less. And bad = people of New Loudon beard the truth of the matter, |

eve they Would have beeu satisfied. The hou. Leader of the Uppostiion denounces the Goverument beeause the Award 18 not What they led the people to expect, and alluded to me as taking credit to myseit tor originating the Commission. | will reter to the Parliamentary Reporter; what L said is there. [ did not Origimate the matter; it originated in the despatches ot the Colonial Minister, as is adaitted in the orem to .4@ resolutions which [ asked this house to ac “a pai [The hon. wember here read the preamble aud two

of the resolutions, See Journals of 1309} | also wade & similar admission in my speech on the oveasion of Moving these resolutions. [ read from the Parliamentary

1 p- _-

/count of his attachment to the British throne; but I long ago gave up thinking that agitativn on this subject would be jof any avail, I have never failed to hold up that escheat, | quit rents, and fishery reserves were a delusion aud a svare |—were such as au hon. member of this House when he had ,a Majocity at bis back, deuominated as * impracticable and |

| absurd.” |

just ground for complaint. The hon. Leader of the Opposition stated | yesterday that if the tevants get their lands at 15 years’ purchase | it will be about an equivalent and they ought not to pay more. |

Hon. Mr. COLES—I uttered no such words; what I said was, | that if they could getit for that the Award mightbe some advantage, | but if they had to give more, they would be better to continue pay- | ing rent. And I said also that the proprietors would hage been too well pleased to get 15 years’ purchase. }

Mr. BEER—Well, I was astonished to hear the hon. member |

consistent with the dae and complete accomplishment of the | paying from the pubhe funds a man sent bere to deceive the public, lenquiry.”* | by making false statements in coutradiction of those openly given by / Hon Col. GRAY~TI am waiting for the hon. member to the people, are as bad as the spy they have paid. The newspaper ‘read the despatch which he said was received. | which is the organ ef the government, stated that only the Lieut. s | Mr. SINCLAIR—This is it com and a — ot the See oye that Mr. Wig = ; ay he ‘ a sie was here, bu ave reason to know that he was waitirg int

Hon. Vol. GRAY—Tvis is quite a different one ; it is not! Laading for an official tegive him introduction to the public buildi such a despatch as he stated. As to the circular lette ferred to, the J Me Mr. SINCLAIR—It gues to prove that the Government was | {jj S . a eee grraee commayen: © ‘ eas t a Wightman as his clerk, informed me of the existence of that to arrange that ‘* witnesses and documentary evidence ’’ were document. When I was in New Brunswick, laet summer, oue of to be at band. } the Commissivners, Mr. Gray, in the course of conversation in- Hlon Col. GRAY~—TI may explain that T am not astonished tormed me that Mr. Wightman bad made aleugthy report. I asked

jat the remarks made by the hon. member, when [ consider | who he was and on what subject he had reported, and then I was told

{r. Gray answered that the Lieut. Go-

Ov my return to the Island, a gentleman from New Brunswick informed me that he knew that Mr. Wight-

that he was one of the few who voted agarnst t e resolatious the nature of his business. which I proposed for the appointment of a Commission. | vernor was aware of it

| Hon. Mr. WHELAN—What is the definition of the term | ui he SPEAKER Wt Ct “te ‘ “ Impracticable 3” | utter such sentiments, and I think his constituents will not thank | St Ele, 6 pee a ba > 7 aii +o Peete a siaakin aout ae tae } man had been here, and he was aware of the nature of his business | fon. Col. GRAY —I do not profess to be a great scholar, ‘him for such an opinion. I do not hesitate to say that even on Lot > behean, ° ' ae rt oe 0 nd Ch 1 vs ‘ ~ar site | —that he occupied an cffice in the Colonial Building. Under these lt, 4 cheuld wt hi . be ahteel Th | 34 there are several farms of poor sandy soil, not worth that money, | M4! Herence of the tenants aroun arlottetown, tn regard to | circumstances, I maintain that the Government should be beld re- i oe ” ould say something that canvot be e amet, © | while on Lots 35, 36 and 37, the greater part of the land 1s not worth ithe object of their investigation. I explained to them that it | sponsible. If the Lieut. Governor had received a note from the Colonial Treasurer and o'her members also in the House of ;more than 5 years’ purchase. In fact the greater punber of the was owing to an impression which bad gone abroad that the | Commissioners on the subject of this man’s mission, and had kept it ‘that day, pronounced escheat as impracticable. The hon. settlers on the Tracadie estate are in the most deplorable circum-| people were not to be permitted to appear be ore them. They | to himself, his Government should hold him responsible. The leader | wewber for the third district of King’s County only bas been pereregen Pe now ent then oo - catenins upon, and an said it was the ;eople they desired to hear, and not the | of the Government stated at a public meeting that the Lieut. Gover- } : . . : . stock and crop sacrificed for a trifle. his has been the case with | Government. I am at a loss to perceive then, why hon | nor had sent a private letter to Eugland on the subject of the C sist . ne . ‘ : o . . ‘ I en, y salle : ) 20g suby om shies oe mon a of thie qoeation and hed | aere in the them for the last 25 years. We have heard a great deal about the members should bring a charge against the Government for a | mission and had received a private reply. I contend, Sir, that all ouse some 3U yeas ago.when he first agitated this measure, | delay of the Award, and the Government have been twitted for keep- | dereliction of duty in this matter | communications ou the subject should have been public and official. |f would have co-operated with him. Where I d ffer from ing it back. Now, all the delay that has occurred is not to be won| Committee rose, and progress wes reported | We have had too many of these private notes on public busivess. ° ° ° . : . awadl « The ( Saas ore Wy 2 . » rc .* . =° | or aie, Da oan . iy : him is, in endeavouring to sail the ship long after she has “er d at. The ( omunissioners who we ut home from the othe t =. 7 D. Lainp, Reporter. | We have heard of them in connection net ouly with this Land Com- Pin te the Ketter. Alnes.che je cank. ced [am leh cities | 0 Mtn reference to the Inter-colonial Railway, a er , | mission, but also with the purchase of Lot 54, and the ben. leader ne ee Cem 2 ; erreeee | “ Cts sitting waiting months had to come away without receiving au auswer. We | | of the Government in this house said that he handedia private nolo a & Sper, I would say ** goud bye to the ship. ( Laughter.) | have then bu? little reason to complain that the Award has not yet | “ .as ie to Mr. Thompson, one of the counsel before the Commission, advis- Ise subject of quit rents | consider something of the same) been received here. Mon. members on the other side of the House | Committee on Address resumed. ing him to urge the remission of rents up to 4 years. It would have jnature. S» that it was on these grounds that I concluded os om . the Award, beeause — sontintned the pots Hon. Mr. HENSLEY—~—Before I enter into the merits dr demerits | been better it he he come openly betore = Conunissioners apd | ” : late : ‘ i | titles, ue late Government were those who confirmed those titles | of the clause before the Committee, Mr. Chairman, | mustthank the | stated his wishes publicly. It may suit the leader of the Goverument jit would be us less to introduce these questions into the re when they denounced escheat as a ‘ will-o’-the-wisp,’ and when they | hon. member for the city, Mr. Beer, for the complimentary manner | to have the tenautry at large bound to pay four years’ back rent, solutions which | proposed. And by the Award we have bought the Worrell estate and Lot 11. I understand that seme of | jy whieh he referred to the constituency which L have the Lener to | when his own constituents have had all their arrears forgiven; but ‘obtained as much as we cou'd ex;ect. We asked for a large the proprietors are doing all iu their power to oppose the Award, represent. He saw fit to characterize them as ignorant. I would | does this prove him a friend te the rest of the tenantry! Ina - | remission of arrears of rent, and all have been given up ex- and it appears that the leaders of the Opposition are doing all they | show mnyself very ungrateful, Mr. Chairman, after the general and | tion of the district which I represent, for instance, Lot 34, the | ee t 3 years—17 out of the 2U that might be daionad W cau to assist them. They have been sending out resolutions to be | unsolicited support which I received trom those to w hom the hon. | may be worth 20s. an acre, while, in his district, 5s, would be the j p y ied a ~ . : . | passed at publie meetings to send home to the Colouial Office, to | member applied the term, if I allowed his remark to pass unnoticed. | value of a-great portion. But, Mr. Chairman, it was the labor of [seked fer the Parr, BS Spee purchase on fair show that the tenantry are dissatisfied with the Award, and thereby | It may be that the hon. member is so narrow minded as to deem all) the tenants which made the difference in the value of the land. That | terms, and the Commissioners have declared that no propri- | get it quashed. Those resolutions, however, did uot meet with much | ignorant, whose opiniens do not coincide with his own. If such be | being the case, I ask what benefit will it be to the tenants on Let letor shall demand more than 20s. an acre, even for the most | !#vour except by the people of King’s County, who are perhaps the | the ease, I ain afraid that he will fiud a good many will be included | 34 to buy their lands at 20 years’ purebase. The object in view should | walanhte mil site. thoadh it witiy Ho worth £900: “And. be | most ignorant in the Island. I believe that before long the tepantry | in the same category with my constituents. I wish to cast no reflee-| be, not the making of a few freeholders here aud there, but the en ee = Ag . , - | will look upon those who bave advised this course as the greatest tions upon any other constituency; each has a right to select such | general change of the land tenure. It would be better that the pro- sides, they give the poor man the opportunity of purchasing | enemies that they have had, as the Award, in wy opinion, will prove | representatives as it may please, and if the hou. member was as | prietors should sell their estates, as in the instanees of the Selki his land at a fair valuation, whatever may be its quality or | a great blessing to the country. | well acquainted with the electors of the district I represent, as I am, | and Worrell properties. We have been asked, what policy we may ,advantages. In view of all this L consider the Commissioners) Mr. OWEN—The hon. member for Charlottetown has referred to = aes ee panne a arene pause he we scart it Ge Award be not ES Roy it is not oe oute. » e ae the tenantry of King’s County, and characterized them as the most ; done. nd now, Sir, [ must say that wil our discussion onthe Award | Minority, to propose any measures overnmeut, bu have acted as honest and patriotic wen, iguorant in’ the Island. I would recommend to him the words of Pas been premature. We have been fighting with shadows—con- | say, that the country is beginning to find that the plans introduced Mr. DOYLE~I wish toe ask the hon. Leader of the Government | Rubert Burns: ‘tending with an ideal subject. All that we know of the niatter is | by the Liberals have made, aud are making, more treebolders than a question about his statement regarding mill sites. He says the | ee | from the exposition given by the Hon. Mr. Howe, during a short’ it is likely will be settled by this Award. Had it not been for tha roprietor can receive ouly 20s. an acre for them, though they may “O wad some power the giftie gie us, » worth £500. Bat, if these miil sites are let at a ngh rent, they | To see oursel’s as others see us,”