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W ronesvay, February 17, 1852.

Hon Col. Treasurer submitted the Accounts of the Treasury for the past year.

Hon. COL. TREASURER said, ia order to save time. he would move that afi Road Petnions be banded in and Jaid on the table instead of being presented by members ag heretofore

Adopted.

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Tuurspar, February 18, 1858.

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House in Committee on the draft Address in answer to His Excellency’s Speech —Mr. Me Dounld wm the chair,

The Chairman, having read the first paragraph, was about to pur the question thereon, when

Mr. H. HAVLLAND rose and observed, that he knew no! exactly what had been the practice on previous occasions of a lke nature ; bat, he thought, it would be beter to read the whole of the Address in the first place, that, by having it so read to them, the Committee might see the connexion of the severa) paragraphs, and at once comprehend the tone and bearing of the whole. ‘The paragraphs migi then be read separately, and each be separately submitted to the question.

The Chairman, in compliance with the suggestion of Mr Haviland, then read the whole Address ; and, having done so, submitted the first paragraph to the vote; and the same, as fullowe, was agreed to nem con.

“ We, Her Majesty's loyal subjects, the House of Assembly of Prince Edward, thank your Excellency for the Speech with which you were pleased to open the present Session, and for having called the Legislature at the most suitable season to take into our consideration the affairs of the Colony ; and your Excellency may rely upon our best endeavours being directed to promote the public welfare.” ’

The Chairman then read the second paragraph, which is as fo'lows :—

“ We have reason to be thankful to Divine Providence for having blessed the labours of the husbandman with the abundant fruits of the earth ; and for the seasonable weather with which he has been enabled to gather in the harvest ; and it is gratify- ing to learn that the Revenue for the past year exceeds in amount that of the previous year.”

And, on his putting the question thereoa—

Mr. H. HAVILAND rose and said, he could not exactly concur in all that was expressed inthat paragraph. It might be that he was mote scrupulous or conscientious than usual ; but it certainly did appear to him thot the tenor of the paragraph was not juét; and although he had not consulted with any of the hon. members with whom he usually voted, he could not, in

justice to himself, forbear to state his objections to it. The Address itself, taken ajtogether, was a cotwpiete novelty of the kind—-a wonderful connexion of words duly arranged without

ineaning—of all meaningless speeches he had ever heard it}

was the most unmeaning. As was once said by a celebrated member of the bar of this Island, with reference to a similar emanation, it was vor et preterea nihil, or, a3 he liberally ex- plained it, nothing but wind. It was possible, contended the hon. andJearned member, that the absence of all notice, in the Speech, of mesures contemplated by the Government, might proceed froma desire, on the part of the framers of 11, not pre- maturely to excite alarm on that score; but, nevertielese, it was certainly remarkable that the Speech was ¢o litle ip ac- cordance with what the party in power had so strongly insisted, before the introduction of Responsible Government, should characterize such productions, and which they had so often de- clared would characterize them when once that form of Govern- ment should be established ia the Colony. kt contained no in- timation of any contemplated measure—it pointed out nothing to be done, and aforded no clue whatever as to what was to be the ministerial policy of the day; and yet the reading of the Speech to the House had no sooner been concluded than a B.l! relating to a question of a most important nature was introduced by the Hon. Colonial Secretary—a measure concerning which, notwithstanding its great importance, not one word was said in the Speech. With respect to that measure and the mode in which it had been introduced, it would almost seem that the Hon: Colonial Secretary had calculated that by tsking the House by surprise he should secure a victory. As tothe opmion expressed, in the paragraph under consideration, concerning the late harvest, bis own did not fully comeide with it. He could not agree that the harvest was one of extraordinary abundance. It was still a question whether, after the exports of produce which had been already made, there would be enough for the eupply of ovr own wants. The number of heavily sue laden sleigns which had, day afier day, been seen in Charlottetown affurded no proof of the abundance of the jate harvest ; they might rather be a proof. of the indebtedness sad necessities of the farmers. Some farmers, besides, may have had abundant crops, whilst more may have had very poor ones. For these reasons he could not support the sentiment of the paragraph as expressed concerning the abundance of the harvest ; for it asserted more than had been, or could yet be, provedjo be true, With respect to the Revenue it imght be said, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating of #1.” ‘The Revenue of the past year might be £45,000, but if the expen- duture were £50,000, the facts would not be such as they could congratulate the country upon. The Hon. Colonial Secretary and the Hon. Treasuer might have derived some benefir from it; but the country had positively derived none. If the reports coicerning the amount of the Revenue, as compared with the ex- expenditure, were true, there was anything but reason for con- yratulating the country upon that score, and what was said, in} ibe Speech, about the Revenue’s exceeding in amount that of the previous yeat was only a lawyer’s quibble. If the Govern- ment could have congratulated the country, a8 Sir Alexander Binnerwan had lately done the people of Newfoundiand, upon a eurplus of Revenue in the chest, they would have hed some- thing to boast of. But as it was, large as the Revenue had been, the country had derived no benefi: from it. The Speech was meagre in another respect; it made no mention of the Municipal Corporations and the Board of Works Bill, to waich their attention, in the Speech at the opening of the last Session, had been called with so much pomp and circumstance ; and for not having passed which, they were somewhat sharply repri manded, in the Speech with which the Session was closed. When the manner in which those Pills had been at first brought under their notice, and the importance wh'ch was attached to them, were considered, it certainly was 4 matter of surprise that the present Speech did-not contain their epitaphs. Weill might these Bills be supposed to call from their graves, *O save us ‘The framers, the fathers of these Bills,

from our friends! would, on contemplating their fate, one might have thought,

have had some reason to assign for it in the Speech, or have deemed it right to express therein some regret for the darkness | of the coantry which would not enable them to see and ap- preciate the benefits which would arise to them from the adoption of these famous measures. If the tion, Colonial Secretary suggested the Speech, we may fancy he had been reading endesvouring to Carty into practice the opinion of a cele- brated French politician, that words were given to us 6 means whereby to conceal our thoughts and intentions ; and as a suc- cessful piece of composition im that line, the Speech was worthy of being placed in a gilt frame and hung above the Magna Charts.

Mr. YEO. The.Governor had certainly been misled, by his advisers, concerning the amount and quality of the late harvest. flad Lis Excellency been through the country, and been able to draw bis conclusions concerning it from his own persone! observations, as he, Mr. Yeo, had been, he would not, by any means, have characterized the harvest a5 one remarkable for its abundance. The truth, on the contrary, was, that almost every man who had had personal opportunities of judging of the real facts, knew that, as respected both oats and wheat generally, the crops had failed, and that the potatoes were positively rotten. He did not accuse His Excellency of any wilful ‘wisrepresentation ; bat to him (Mr. Yeo) it was clear he had been led astray by his ministry ; for it was a fact that for every jot in Which the crops were good, there were five in which they were bad. ;

thos COLONIAL SECRETARY.—His Excellency most certainly had not been aware of the poverty-stricken state of the hon. member's (Mr. Yeo’s) immediate section of the country, or perhaps he might somewhat have modified his language coueernivg the abundance of the harvest. As to the potatoe crop wpon the whole, it was a well aseertained fact that it was # most abundant one—more adundant than that of eny previous

ear. Jt was indeed tree that with respect to some which had Lacaiand to market it had proved a failure ; but that could uot be

helped. the had not heard that there was eny scarcity of oats,

unless in eome places in which they had faried in the spring. Some farmers had been 60 unfortunate as to have procured bad seed, and, on that account alone, they had had to sow a second time. Aw for the wheat it was certain that wherever it had not been sowed until Jone. the return had been an abundant one ; and as for the barley, the produce was double what it had ever

The wheat, throughout the ity, never better im be counse) ed and agnieultarists, chasen to

Ln

i veen known to be betore, was abundant in quantity and good in qual fact, where the farmers bad been wise enough to be

‘guided by the advice and practice of scientific and had not sown until June ; bot where farmers had } plod on in the old way, the wheat had been destroyed by the

| weevil as usoal ; still, however, even they bad had larger crops

‘than they bad had for many years before. [clon Mr.

| Montgomery. Not at New London} Perhaps nots for they | were there too wise to learn from the practice and experience ssod to them 16

lof others ; the lessons of science were addre ,

‘vain, for they would not listen to them. The wheat, after June, vrew luxuriantly, and filled well, and the harvest was doubtless abundant ; and it was the bounden duty of the representatives of the people thankfully to acknowledge it. Of the last years produce, it was a fact that there had al the Island more than would be sufficient to keep the whole population until another harvest. Some, however, were not satisfied ; their rents had not been paid up, oF their ledger accounts had not been discharged. The effects of the universal depression of trade throughout the commercial world have been felt here as elsewhere ; but here, by some, due allowance had not been made for the charge, and the result was uvreasonable dissatisfaction on their part. In the United States and in the neighbouring provinces, the prices for agricultural produce, owing to the present depression of trade, were not balf of what they were the year before. As to the absence, I the Speech, of any notifications of measures to be introduced, vy the Govern- ment, in the present session, he thought the honorable and learned member for Georgetown ought, instead of complaining, to feel thankful for the prospect that he was not likely to be troubled with any. He (the Hon. Colonia! Secretary) could not see that the Government of this Colony wére bound to follow the example of the President of the United States with respect to prospective government measures. {t would be more natural to look to the practice, in that respect, of the Government of Great Britain, and it was well known that the Speech from the Throne, instead of particularizing every measure to be brought forward by the Government in the course of the Session, seldom contained more than one or two such notices. As to the Bill relating to the Fishery Reserves, he could assure the hon. and learned member for Georgetown, that he had no intention to frighten, or to take by surpri-e, ether him or his friends, by its introduction. He (the Hon, Colonial Secretary) had merely brought it forward before the Address in answer to the Speech had been prepared, that there might be something before the House. He had nowever yet to learn why the Colonial Secretary should not be privileged, as well as every other member of the House, to bring forward a measure of himself, notwithstanding his position in the Government. The measure was one which had been under his consideration for two or three years, {it was certainly a measure of great importance ; and he had resolved to bring it forward on hissown respousibily, although he supposed it would have the support of the other members of the Government. Nothing certainly was said about it in the Speech ; yet he hoped the hon. and learned member and his friends would not object to it on that account; and meanwhile, he thought, they ought to be thankful that they were not likely to be annoyed this Session through the Government, by other measures which would be unpala‘abie to them.

Hon. Mr. MOONEY.—It was the first time, be believed, that so much had been said inthe Assembly about the ove word ‘abundant ’’; and, for his part, he could not but wonder at the perverted view of facts relative to the harvest, taken by those who were disposed to cavil about and object to the expression. He had lately been talking, concerning the late harvest, with an old farmer who told him he had thrashed out 196 bushels of wheat. He (Hon. Mr. M ) did not say from what number of bushels of seed wheat that return had been made. but the quantity was, at ali events, considerable and qnite satisfactorty to the farmer. His (the farmer’s) early wheat had been all destroyed, but the return from the late sown was such as to leave him no grounds of complaint. The honorable and learned member for Georgetown had said that the Speech gave them nothing todo. Well, he (Hon. Mr. M) thought he (Mr. Haviland) had no reason to complain of that, as it would leave him more time to amuse both himself and the House ; and he (Hon. Mr. M), for one, was much obliged to the learned gentieman for his having roused up the House, and for the amusement which he had just afforded them by his declamation against nothing.

Hon. Mr. PALMER.— He was not @iggosed fo quarrel with the Speech, although it certainly contained one or two para- graphs with which he could not go their whole length. He recollected that, when he belonged to the Government, u sometimes fell co les jut to drait tie Speech. [nie the first which he drafied, he iatroduced one or two measures, but it was most unmercifully attacked by the opposition purty as containing no recommendation of any government measures, avd their ery was that such, so meagre, and so barren, ** (he Speeches ” would always be unt! they should obtain the grand panacea, Respon- sible Government, when all measures would be sent down to the legisiature, ready cut anddry. The next time, like the old man in the fable, not his ass, [A laugh} whe was desirous to please every body, he altered hus plan, and introduced three or four government measures; but that was attacked tore unmercifully than the first, end he was more effecinally put down than before. It so happened that it fell to his jot a third time to draft ‘the Speech,’’ and he then resolved, (determined te slease if possible,) to introduce fitle or nothing about any contemplated government measures ; and wonderful tu tell, his last atiempt, in conformity with such resolution, succeeded the best of all. [A laugh.] Ile thought others, now in the same prominent porition in whch he was then placed, had arrived at a similar conclusion ; and hud, therefore, abstained from puting anything into the Speech from which any inference could be drawn as to any weasures contemplated by them. The course which, in that respect, had been pursued by them, suited him well enough ; and he believed it would also please the country ; for the measures of the government had been so peculiarly unfortunate and unacceptable tothe people, that a sort of dread pervaded the country lest there should be any more forthcoming, and, judging by the working of some which they had carried and the nature of some which bad failed, most people « ere of opinion that the fewer they brought forward the beter it would be for the Colony. When the people should read the present Speech they would, he inagined, be ready to thank God that no more evils were impending over them in the shape of government measures. Asrespected the paragraph under consideration, he thought it went too far, He was not an egriculturist, but he had not been able to shut hia eyes and ears against what he had had opportunities to see and hear concerning the late harvest ;

believe that we were not possessed of anything like abundance. Two or three days ago he had conversed with a farmer from an old settlement respecting the produce of the late harvest, and he had told him that, in that settlement there were not above two or three who would this year have grain and fodder encugh to carry them through the winter and the early spring. Many, he had been assured, would have to go about baying grain wherever they could get it. He certa:nly wae afraid that the lapse of a short time would too clearly prove that there was nothing like abundance of the fruits of the eerrh in the country,

dant ingathering of the harvest fron our fields. Ee could no', therefore, concur in the declaration that we had had an abundant harvest, although, at the same time, he trusted he was not ungrateful to the giver of al! good for what he had been pieased to bestow upon us. Unless the declaration were modified, he could not concur in the opinion of its propriety. Another paragraph also, he thought, equally required wodification 5 but of that he would speak when it came to be separately considered.

Mr. COOPER, who was rather indistinctly heard by the Reporter, said—that he thought the expression “ an abundant harvest ’’ could not reasonably or justly be objected to, especially when a fair comparison should be made between ihe produce of last year’s harvest and that of some immediately preceding it, when, on account of the insufficiency of the grain harvest and

potatoe crop, the people throughout the whole Island bad been of Assembly for the emancipation of the too-long-burthened

obliged to buy, tor bread, the Hour and cornmeal which were imported to supply our own deficiency in that respect. The last year’s harvest was certainly, when so considered, ‘“ abun- dant ;” and the expression in the Speech, “an abundant harvest,”’ was therefore perfectly justifiable ; and, as such, ought to be responded to in the Address of the House.

Hon. Mr. WIGHTMAN .—He had no desire to indulge, as some hon. embers had done, or sought to do, in a flight so excursive as would embrace at once, not only the whole of the Speech, but almost.every thing, erthes innmediate or remote, past, present or to come, which a lively imagination could, b any possibility, connect with it. He would, therefore, confine his observations to the scope of the paragraph immediately under consideration ; and besides he would speak only of such

Island |

ready been sent out of

and all that he had learned in that way strongly inclined him to |

although sone months ago all anticipated an almost superabun- |

facts, having relation thereto, as had come under his own par- ticular notice. The exports of agricultural produce from the ‘Island Jast year, inthe fall, were so large that their great extent, alone considered. was proof sufficient that the harvest was an abundant one. From Georgetown and Charlotietown in par tiewlar, as well as from several out-ports of the Island, the exports of agricultural produce made last year, far exceeded those of two or three vears before. One cause, no doubt, of such extensive’ex ports of agricultural produce—a cause which he sought not to conceal—was the necessity under which the merchants lay, in those times of commercial difficultres and embarrassments, to call, with much greater urgency than ususl, upon the farmers who, perhaps in many cases, were deeply in- debted to them, to make such payments to them, in produce or in cash, as would enable them to make their own remittances to their foreign mercantile correspondents ; and he would take the opporiunity to say, with respect to the very extensive credit system which had so long been practised in the Island, that it had been injurious, and would always, he believed, be in the long run injurious both to merche nts and their customers, a8 was now unfortunately both seen and felt by so many of both classes. The system of long credit induced, on the part of the merchant, imprudent avd unwarrantble confidence in his customers ; and, on the part of his customers, it often led to improvidence and extravagance. The continuance of such a system could not be otherwise than injurious to individuals and adverse to general prosperity. ‘The rearcity which might follow the extensive exports of agricaltural prodace which had lately been made, and which appeared to ve anticipated by some hon. members, with but too much reason, would, should tt unfortunately occur, be attributable solely to the extensive credit system, and by no means to any deficiency in the late harvest, which, in his opinion, all were bound most thankfully to acknowledge had, on the contrary, been an abundant one. R. B. Irvine, Reporter. (To be continued )

= ——

Correspondence.

a

To tux Eprror or THE Examiner.

Six,—The denial by the officers of the Guinare of any par- ticipation in the responsibility of the article which denounces the Lieutenant Governor, and which appeared in the Protector of the 10th instant, is by no means satisfactory, unless it were followed up by a withdrawal of all subscription from that very objectionable paper; and it looks more like a deprecation of the consequences that might accrue, or rather which ought to accrue, to officers in Her Majesty’s service, employed in abet- ting an endeayour to disunite a loyal people, by exciting reli- gious differences, which, but for the agency of that Combina- tion, of which they are zealous members, would not exist. If indeed that self-styled Protestant Combination really felt any danger to Protestantism, there might be some excuse for its attack on the Lieutenant Goyernor, for such it is, in spite of the managers and their friends having discovered that they were getting out of their depth by submitting to the control of dissenters from the Scotch National Church. But full well prey knew that even their attempts to array Christian against

hristian have been met with nearly silent contempt, not only by the Roman Catholics, but by the mass of intelligent Pro- testants, whose reliance is not on clamour and the depraved editorials of the Protector, but on the laws of their God and their coantry. It is impossible to overlook the fact that the ephemeral activity of the Protector is occasioned by the pros- pect of a soon-coming Election, in anticipation of which, we see members of the Church of England advertised to preside at Wesleyan missionary meetings, and, generally speaking, personal interests superseding religious Sittgetions: But we are inclined to doubt the truth of the declaration of some of the parties, that they have given no other pecuniary assistance to the Protector than that which they state, whilst assistance in other ways is not denied. Captain Orlebar wrote in a fo his share of contribution up to the date, The letters of ‘* Vi- gilis,’’ though we do not youch for the truth of the thing, are attributed to the pen of another naval officer. There is, we hope, a possibility that the members of the Church of Eng- land, and indeed of other long constituted Protestant bodies, may at length see through the trammels they haye drawn aruvund themselves, by giving up to their enemies the manage- ment of the Protector. It may be rather a hopeful symptom that the officers of the Gu/nare see the danger of their position, though it means nothing but their own foresight. No doubt un almost certain consequence of the silence of these gentle- men would have been a representation from some quarter not particularly calculated to ensure the permanency of their na- val or spiritual reign. We wish these gentlemen no harm, but on the contrary a return to reason, and a more charitable feeling towards their fellow-Christians—Roman Catholics as well as Protestants. In the mean time, to show tue value of the disclaimer they have made, let us see what it amounts to: denial of general participation in this mischievous publication, They say all the pecuniary aid they give is so and so, and that they disapprove of a certain article. Safety is evidently studied in this statement. But we entirely deny the truth of Commander Orlebar’s statement, and shal] continue to do so, until the said Commander answers these queries :—

Ist. When Mr. Burris engaged to print the Prodecter did he (Capt, Orlebar), in whole or in part, guarantee him from loss?

2d. Did not Mr. Burris threaten proceedings for non-pay- ment against the Committee or other analagous body, which proceedings were postponed during Capt. Orlebar’s absence ?

3d. On Commander Orlebar’s return were not steps taken to satify Mr. Burris, arising out of his gdarantee ?

When these queries are answered in the negative, and not before, shall we give Commander Orlebar credit for having ad- hered to the truth, as an officer and gentleman, in his disclaimer of having assisted the Protector in any other pecuniary way than as a subscriber taking a certain number of copies.

Your obedient servant, A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Charlottetown, February 20, 1858.

——-@- Doe -?-——

Dear ExamMiner,—

Surely our community has been sufficiently disgraced, during the last few months, by the existence in its midst of such a wicked publication as the Protector, which each seventh day hellows forth its loathsome, thongh well nigh effete, rouge- tinged Puritanism. I hold that the corps editorial of your cotemporary bave long since placed themselves far beyond the pale of the lowest class of Christians or gentlemen ; but if re- port speaks true, there is a small loop-nole for some of the wretched crew to escape by, and deprive themselves of any right to the title, in its most simple sense, of ** men.”

{t it said for one reverend editor and one or more of his Iny brethren, that they personally object to the “seditious” lengths to which their editorials have rashly reached, and would, knew they how, disclain any connection with their authorship, cast- |ing the entire weight and stigma of their collective sins on the |shoulders of a miserable scape-goat, in shape of a Free Kirk | preacher. (Let these worthies then deny this report, and clear ‘themselves from the charge of arrant cowardice, which isa

‘sinall charge among others added to their characters, stick to their colors, and, in God’s good time, sink with their rotten ship.

| ‘Trusting this latter and happy consummation may soon arrive, 'f am, dear Evaminer, Yours, &c.,

Ch Town, Feb. 15, 1858, ALPHA.

*/-_eo<c-7o

To rue Eprror or Tuk EXAMINER, | Sir,—By inserting the following in your very useful

| weekly paper (the Examiner) you may gratify many of your

subscribers, who, like ourselves, may be glad to hear of any

‘movement in the right direetion, however trifling it mop be, 0

‘in the legal endeavours of the present majority of our House

tenantry of this Island, from the heavy proprietory tax on ‘their hard labour, so long endured. Though we are grieved to find so much of the old baneful influence yet exercised by grasping middlemen, agents, &c., to obstruct and retard the egeaeee purposes of our Legislature, we are glad to find that the labours of the Liberal party are not all in vain. ‘Some of our fellow-subjects are reaping, with grateful hearts, | the benefit of their praiseworthy designs. We hope they will continue to persevere in their philanthropic endeavours to relieve the sete, poor from tyranny and bondage.

We believe to this end. The Representatives of this Dis-

instant, which they did, and very satisfactorily explained to them their course of action in the Legislature, which wag unanimously approved of by a vote of thanks from the meeting. JAMES RICHARDS, Chairwan.

| Murray Harbour, Feb. 11, 1858.

ee

(FOR THE EY AMINER.) To tne Korror oy rae Istannen.

Six ;—I observe in your issue of the 12th instant, a Notice of a meeting held at Margate, on the 2lst ultimo, nearly alj the statements concerning which, I have no hesitation to say, arg totally false. ;

in the first place you say—** A few sure cards were quietly invited to attend at the schoolhouse, in order i9 decide ono candidate for the ensuing election!’ Now, this is totaily up. founded, so far as | know. But | do kaow that it wae stated that the object of the meeting was to asceriain the the people relative to the present governmen!, as « general election was approaching. You next say—~“in due time appeared Lord, Clark and Hadson, of Tryon. They did not know of any public meeting, not they, forsooth, and they presence Was quite promiscuous, atter a pleasant drive,’’ sir, as one of the parties mentioned by you in the above extract, I would say, that | knew nothing of the nature of the meets until within a few yards of the schoolhouse, when | was informed that & pudlic meeting was to be beld there, and out of curios [ attended. So much for your statements as to my knowledge of the nature of the meeting.

I might here pause and tender my thanks to you, sir, and alg’ to those disinterested individuals who are at the painsof keep; you so well posted up a8 to my political motives and actions, ~ and beg to assure them and rou, that the largest salary they might receive when the tories get into power would nut induce me to perform a like action towards them. A Spy is somctioes used in war, but he is always expected ‘o tell the trait —per- haps you reverse his qualifications aud employ him tu tel! uothing but lies.

But to resume. The next thing in that preci icle i statement that for falsehood eal he all ee - wed out, however, that the object was to put W. WW. Lerd in nomp nation. But a majority of the meeting appeared su hostile agg grim that the three Tryonite snaichers quiedy absconded, without venturing to propose a resolution,

Now, the facts are these ;—It wasnot my imtention, {ond | think | can say the same for Messrs. J. Lord and H Ason) ts put W. W. Lord in nomination, nor in fact to propose any reso lution whatever. I merely attended as a disinterested Spectator but being invited to address the meeting, I complied, whereupon several individuals rose, and made such gross attacks upon the present Government, that I was coustrained to reply ; and so far from being intimidated by the “ grim ’’ tories(as you deli to sty'e them),jnot one of them attempted to rebut a single atate- ment made by me there.

And i would further add, that two-thicds of the persons a that meeting, who raised objections tu the Government, belonged to another district, and if the meeting were for the purpose you © msinuate, they had no business there,—at east they could have — Ho voice 1D any homination were it even intended to put any one In nomination. 2

I would advise you, sir, to be more particular of truth in future, — and sift weil] the “ promiscuous ”’ correspondence you receive. {t will save you and your correspondents a world of trouble.

JOHN CLARK.

Augustine Cove, Lot 28, February 15, 1858.

Che Examiner.

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.1I., FEBRUARY 22, 1858,

THE FIRST DEBATE OF THE SESSION, AND ITS AUSPICIOUS RESULT. So much having been said by the organs of the Opposition as to the unpopularity of the Government, and so loudly did Tories of all classes chuckle, both in Town and Country, with respect to the prospect and results of an election, at least six months before the present Session was convened— many of of them triumphantly asserting that the Government was too weak ever again to meet the existing ilouse of Assembly, and that to save themselves or prolong their existence, they would prematurely dissolve the House, — it was not unreasonable to expect, when the Legislature did mect, a great display of prowess and increase of streng@ in the ranks of Her Majes ty’s Opposition. But alas! the opponents of the Government who cherished this delusive hope, were doomed to a sad dis- appointment on Thursday evening last, when the Opposition arrayed themselves against the Administration on the Address in answer to His Excellency’s Speech, and after ali their drill- ing and gasconading, it was found that the army of combatants in offensive operations counted as high as— Seven ! A report of the debate will be given in due course of time, but we shall now briefly state, for the information of those who did not hear it, the original grounds of it. A passage in His Excellency’s Speech made referenee to the Bill, passed by the present House, authorising a Loan of money for the purchase of proprietory estates in this Island, and he stated that circumstances had prevented [er Majesty’s Go- vernment, last session, from applying to Parliament for its sanction to the Imperial guarantee of the desired Loan, As the measure is one which met with the approval of a majority of the People’s Representatives, in a previous session, and as there is good reason to believe that public opinion is strongly in its favour— it was very right and proper for the House to express its ‘‘ regret ’’ that that measure had not yet received the sanction of the Imperial Government ; and the Committee who prepared the answer to the Speech proposed that the House should adopt the following paragraph in reference to the Loan :—

‘‘ We regret that any circumstances should have arisen to yrevent Her Majesty's Government from proposing to Par iament to guarantee the Loan for the purchase of lands in this Island; but we trust that that measure will not be de-. layed beyond the present Session of the impertal Legislature. - ‘sAny Despatch bearing upon this subject which may be submitted to us, shall receive our attentive consideration,” To this part of the Address, the Hon. Mr. Haviland, who has occupied the post of leader since he entered the Assembly, proposed the following amendment :—

‘We will give due consideration to any Despatch whieh your Excellency may see fit to submit to us, explanatory of the cause whic eventos Iler Majesty’s Government proposing to the Imperial Parliament, in the last Session, & guarantee the Loan intended to be raised for the purchase of lands in this Island.”’

Here was an answer which was intended to betray perfect indifference with regard to the fate of the Bill; and knowing the opinions of the country on the subject, the majority wer? not disposed to adopt it. Besides, its adoption would be® triumph of no mean character to the Opposition, and an Um mistakeable disapproval of an important point in the policy of the Government. After « lengthy discussion the question w4# put to the vote, when the numbers, for and against the Go- vernment, were as follow :—

For Mr. Haviland’s amendment—Hon. Mr. Haviland, on- Mr. Palmer, Hon. Mr. Longworth, Hon. Mr. Montgomery, Messrs. H. Haviland, Yeo, and Pope—7.

Against the amendment, and in favour of the. Government Address—Hon. Col. Secretary, Hon. Col. Treasurer, Hon. Mr.

‘trict notified their constituents to meet them here on the 2th

Wightman, Hon. Mr. Mooney, Hon. Mr. Whelan, Messt®

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