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seeceentcmsttennmanninn anti = aan gerry aa — ee

Vou. VII.

CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1858.

Nerv

No. 36.

Colonial Legislature groundless, It was not exactly so, however, with respect to an 2 ° another objection which had been made tothe Bill as it at nnn | present stood. That objection was to the great extent of the municipalities, which were made co-equal with the electoral districts. It had been suggested, out of doors, perhaps very Monpay, February 22, 1858, | justly, that it would be better a municipality should be confined CORPORATION MUNICIPALITIES BILL te two townships, than that it should comprise the whole of an electoral district. That, however, was only a matter of detail, Hon. the Treasurer rose for the purpose of presenting a/ and, on further legislative discussion, might have been altered. perition of inhabitants of Kildare and places adiacent, praying ‘The Petition was then read by the Clerk. that the Legislature will not pass the Bill for the establishment); Hon. F. LONGWORTH —The Municipalities and Board of Municipal Authorities. of Works Bills had been introduced to the consideration of the Hon. the TREASURER, with reference to the petition) Legislature in the Speech with whjch His Excellency opened which he held in his hand, said, he was free to admit that) the Session of 1857, and therefure it was clear that they were throughout the country there had sorung up a feeling inimical | sanctioned by the Government. ‘That the Government should to the passage of the Board of Works and Municipalities Bills ;| now cease to urge the passage of those Bi'ls, for the adoption bat he aagined the popular hostility to those Bills, which had | of which, by the Legislature, as measures eminentiy calculated been manifested in different sections of the Island, in his own) to benefit the country, they had once been so earnest, evinced district, a8 well &s in others, arose not so much from any radi-/ but little stability of purpose on their part. [t was certainly by eal defects or injurious tendencies of any of the provisions of| no mears creditable to them so easily to abandon and shelve the Bulls, as to a misconception of their ree! nature and design | measures which they had once lauded so highly ; and to shelter ——a misconception, on the part of many of the people, which | themselves from the charge of vacillation, which might, much had very dishonestly been taken advantage of, by the ever) to their annoyance, be justly preferred against them, by attri- watchful and active political enemies of the Government, to} buting their abandonment of them to the misunderstanding of excite, im the minds of those innocently misconceiving the! the Bills common throughout the country; and, as the Hon. nature, scope, and objects of the Bills, as perfect a dread of those | Colonial Secretary had said, to the people’s hev‘ng therefore measures—particularly of the Municipalities Bill—as if they| vetoed them. [tien. Col. Secretary. 1 did not say that the were fraught with the greetest evils which could be inflicted | people vetoed the Bills.) He had certainly said that, as the upona country. By the Municipalities Bill, which was, through | Bills were misunderstood by the people, it was not intended that out, in perfect accordance with the grand principle on which | they should now be brought forward again ; but that he believed, the present constitutioa of the Colony was based, it was in-| their enactment would ultimately be called for by the people. tended to give, to every man, in his own district or locality, an The Municipaliues Bill might be, and probabiy was, very well opportunity to carry ovt the principles of self-government, in| in principle ; but that was not sufficient to satisfy the people, everything relating to:he management of local affairs. In fact! for they clearly saw that the working of it would increase, the sun and substance of that Bill was to give the people, in| instead of lessening, the weight of the public burthens, ‘They their several districts, the entire contre! and management of | saw that, whilst all the general taxes would remain as before, their own local affairs. Laying no tox upon them, or imposing they would have, in their several municipalities, to lay addi- upon them any disabilities whatsoever, it left them to choose | tional taxes upon themselves for the workiug of or the carrying men from emong themselves, to carry into execution whatever | out of the provisions of the Bill, should it become law, They designs, of merely loca! application, a majority of them might) knew very well that men could not be found to serve the public, agree upon, as likely to prove beneficial and conducive to their lin any official capacity, for nothing; and that if municipal common weal. It gave them power to make by-laws to do| officers were to be appointed, they would have to be paid by a vay, if they thought fit so to do, with Statute Labour, and to im- | the people—that was by those who appointed them. ‘The people pose a tax, not exceeding Ss., one very 100 acres, by means of) had done wisely in opposing the intentions of the Government which they might codsoel proprietors of wilderness lands to | with respect to the Municipalities and Board of Works Bills ; but bear a share of their local burthens. All this, however, had) the Government, he thought, had gives them the go-by in a been so strangely .nisinderstood by some, and so mischievously | manner very discreditable to themselves. The hon. member for misrepresented by others, that many of the people iad been in- | the first district of King’s County (Mr. Cooper) had said that duced to believe, that, if the Bill became law, no money would, | he had told persons, with whom he had spéken concerning the iu future, be appropriated to local purposes by the Legislature,) Municipa'ities Bill, that it was probable the Goversur would

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

and that the cost to themselves of carrying into effect the pro-| agree to some alterations therein. [{No! not the Governor. ]

visions of the Bill, would amount to 20s. or 30s. the 100 acres.

Well, it mattered not. He, however, was well pleased that the ;

By rejecting the measure, the people have refused the power of | further prosecution of the Bilis was abandoned. ‘l’o say the

securing to themselves many loca! ad vantages, which it was at

always in the power of the Legislature to confer upon them. In new settlements, the allowing of pigs to ran at large was a

least, they were by no means called for in the present state of the Colony. Hon. COLONIAL SECRETARY.—The hon. member for

great benefit to the inhabitants ; but, from the inhabitants of old | Charlottetown had fallen into the very same mistake which had settiements, in which the lands were mostly under cultivation,| caused many out of doors to oppose the BJ]; which wae, that

seni where the running at large of pigs would, generally |

speaking, be very injurious, petitions were sent up to the Le-} gis acure, praying for a prohibition of such Jiberty, as from St. ; Eisanors tor instance. With respect to his own locality, he | might méntion also, a3 a case jp point, that he had a bull—a| finer anima! of the kind was not in the country—which he had allowed to go at large for the benefit of the peuple of the; set:lement ; but, so little was the benefit offered from being ap- preciated, that hia neighbours kept inferior animals, on each side of him, to the manifest detriment of the settiement. Now he would observe, that the running at large of bulls, as well as of swine, might be petitioned against; and, while such pro- hibitions might be advautageous to some, they might be the re- verse to others; but if the people were exercising seli-govern- ment, in Corporate Municipalities, they could, without difficuity, | arraage all such matters among themselves, as should be most for the general good. With respect to tho. ':!l—-which was, ut present, he believed, misunderstood by muy of the people, who, therefore, were opposed to its becominy iaw—he, :adi- vidually, thought that it would be best to wait uniil a better uuderstanding of the measure should prevail throughout the country—a time which would certainly arrive—when it might | be again in'roduced, and carried through the Legislature with | a certainty of its being acceptable to the people. Mr. COOPER.—He hed conversed with many concerning | the probable effects of the Municipalities Bill ; and he had found, | geuerally, that great apprehension was entertained of the exvenses which the working out of its several provisions would enail upon each municipality. ‘hey perfectly well understood that, by the Bill, they would be enabled to choose their own Officers, to carry into effect whatever local designs or measures they might agree upon, as likely to conduce to their common ‘.geod; but they did not quite so well understand how such officers were to be paid, for discharging the duties imyosed upon them, perhaps at a great expense of tie and trouble on their part. They clearly saw that, in the appointment of such officers, would be involved the necessity of paying them for their official services ; and the doing of that, in conjunction with other oudays which would be consequent upon the full working of the | measure, would, they were afraid, impose upon them an expen- diture of money which the municipalities would be unwilling, | if not unable, to bear; and, therefore, they apprehended that, even should the Bill become Jaw, it would, by some municipah- ‘ties, be allowed to remain as a dead letter upon the Statute Book. The necessity for going before a magistrate, imposed upon those who should be appointe.' officers of the municipalities, as if thereby to have the authority conferred upon them by the people confirmed, was also objectec to; as was likewise the necessity of jaying their by-laws before the Government, for ‘their allowance. In reply to some of their objections, he had said, that should the measure be again brought before the Legislature, and proper representations, by, or on behalf of, ‘the people, be made concerning any. details which were reasonably ubjected to by them, he thought it very likely that the Gcvernm :nt would agree’ to make such modifications and titerations in the Bill, as might render the measure generally acceptable tothem. ‘he Corporation Municipalities and the Board of Works Bills were measures which, however, he should not feel himself at liberty to support, uatil he should be satisfied iMat they were required by the people.

Hon. COLONIAL SECRETARY.—The trouble of going before a magistrate, to be sworn into office, was certainly not & very great one ; but it was one which was wisely imposed upon all appoimed to the discharge of important or responsible public duties, even upon magistrates themselves, as well us upon others vho had, by provisions of law, to be sworn in by thern, and ought not to be dispensed with. Tiie necessity, imposed upon municipalities, by the Bill, of laying their by-laws, before the Government, for their approval and sanction, was also a very necessary one ; for it was not to be supposed that, in every municipality, there would be resident a competent Jawyer, to whom the corporation could refer their by-laws, for the purpose of ascertaining whether ot not they were In accordance with the general tenor and bearing of the laws of the Colony ; and unless they were so, it was clear they ought not to be adopted. But, when their by laws should be sent in to the Government, for their approvai or sanction, the Government could refer them to the law-officers of the Colony ; and, by their Opinions, they might be governed as tothe propriety of con firming or disallowing them. Nor was the necessity of Supervision of tire by-laws of Corporate Municipaiiies, on

introduction of any new principle into the Bill intended to con-

stitute them. The by-laws of the Corporation of Charlottetown, | had, in like manner, to be submitted to the Government, for! would impose upon t

their confirmetion or disallowarce. Such objections as these

with which he bad just dealt, might well be accounted futile or’

it would increase the public-burthens of the people, in the shape of taxation. ‘There could not possibly be a greater mistake with respect to the Bill than that; for, as it stood, it did not impose one penny in the shape of taxation upon the people. ‘lhe hor. mmember had said the Bills were Government measures ; and whilst, at the same time, stating that the people were apposed to them, he found very serious fault with the Government for not persisting in an attempt to carry them, in opposition to the people, His reason for finding fault with, and railing at the Government, on the present occasion, was certainly a very strange oue. He (Hon. Colonial Secretary) could not see that a government could justly be blamed for desiring to frame their legislative measures in accordance with the wishes of the people; and most persons, he thought, would be inclined tu say that tiat government which deferred to the wishes of the people, reasonably and calmly urged, must be a good governinent. The hon. member for Charlottetown had steadfastiy opposed the Bills in their progress through the House, and therefore he ought to be well satisfied that the government did not now press

“them.

Mr. Laird presented three petitions against the Municipalities and the Board of Works Bills: the first from [nhabitants of the North Section of the First Electoral D strict of Queen’s County ; the second from [Inhabitants of Township 23; and the tbird from Klectors of the Second Electoral District of Queen’s County.

tion. Mr. WIGHTMAN.—He could not agree with the hon. member forQWaoarlottetown (Hon. F. Longworth) that, because the measures had been recommended in his Excellency’s Speech, it was the duty of the majority of the House to pass them when they found that their constituents were opposed to their becoming law. ‘The Municipalities Bill was, so far e3 it went, the very essence of self-governnent: it put the manage- ment of their own local affairs timmediately into the hands of the people ; and, in fact, there could be no rea) self-government where such: measures were not in Operation. His hon. colleague (the Hon. the Speaker) and himself had called a public meeung at Murray Elarbour, for the purpose of explaining to the people ot that quarter the principles of the Municipalities Bill, and of shewing them how advantageously it might be made to work for (he promotion of their local interests; but they found the minds of the majority of those who composed the meeting so pre-occupied by misconceptions and prejudices concerning the measure, that his hon. colleague and himself found itto be quite in vain to persevere in their endeavors to undeceive them, and impart to them just views concerning it. So sedulously and successfully had some individua!s, who posiiively knew nothing of the real principles and intended mode of operation of the Bull, should it become law, laboured to prejudice the people against it, that they found the prevailing notion among those who attended the meeting, was, that the Bill, if 1 became law, would increase taxation. So grossly had they been deceived concern- ing it, that they positively believed the carrying of the measure into effect would necessitate a tax upon tenants and simall freehoiders, whilst large proprietors would be allowed to go scot-free. Seeing that these ideas, and others equally erroneous and absurd, concerning the measure, had taken fast hold of their minds, we concluded that it was useless to persis! 1n our attemp's to undeceive them; and we, therefore, desisted and left them to express their opinions relative to the Bill, in accord- ance with their misconceptions of it. We in vain endeavored to convince the meeting of the great advantages which would result to the people from the operation of the Bill, through their having it wholly in their own power to regulate and direct their own local works; and in vain did we assure them that they would not be deprived of the assistance affurded for works of public utility by legislative grants ; for they were, seemingly, determined not to be convinced how, much they had been deceived concerning the nature and policy of the measure.

Mr. McINTOSH.—He had conversed with many who entertained very erroneous opinions conceraing the real nature and principles of the Municipalities Bill. What such persons most apprehended, was the possibility—imany of them believed the certainty of the necessity, which the operation of the Bill, should it become law, would lay the people under of submitting to the imposition of further taxation. ile had honestly endea- youred to shew those persons that the Bill imposed no taxes whatever, but, at the same time, it left 1 at their own option to tax themselves, or not, for local improvements or works which they might desire to effect. One thing, however, was quite ceriain that, without the voluntary imposition of taxation, to a greater or less extent, the provisions of the Bil! could not be carried out. Without suitable remuneration, men would not perform the duties which their appointment to municipal offices hem; and, to provide such remuneration,

ositive taxation wou : an! under every view of the measure, it certainly appeared that

Id be necessary. Under a!l circumstances |

| the people would, at the present time at least, rather do without

it. The Government, he believed, understood this; and they had very wisely concluded that, therefore, they wou!d not be justified in egain endeavoring, to carry either the Municipal or the Board of Works Bill, whilst the people were so decidedly

. not only the bettering of the people’s condition, but the con-

‘ciliation of their good will; and he thought that both these | | objects would be more easily attainable, were greater unanimity | to prevail among their representatives in the Legislature. So | long as the House of Assembly continued, as at present, |

_ divided into two parties, ever ready to oppose and assail each another, the progress of good ‘egislation would be greatly ,tetarded. for his own part, he sincerely wished that party asperities should cease, and that all could cordially unite in the devising and perfecting of such measures as might appear most | likely, notonly to benefit, but to satisfy the people. ‘The two political parties, into which the Assembly is divided, have warred up®n each other too long: it is now time for them to amalgamate ; and, by something like unity of sentiment and purpose, to endeavour to coufer substantial acd lasting benefits upon the country.

Hon. Mr. MOONEY.—If the majority of the people were really as much opposed to the Municipalities Bill as set forth in the petitions sent upto the House against it, a great change had come over their minds. He himself had never been wedded to the measure, although convinced that, as conferring upon the people the immediate management and contro! of their own local affairs, it would be at once beneficial and aceeptable to them. ‘They, among the people, however, who were most decidedly opposed to it, were such as had “been led astray, by busy and interested partzans, not only as to the real principles and scope of the measure, but also with respect to the intentions of the Government. Hon. members of the opposition seemed disposed to quarrel with His Excellency because he had not again recommended the prosecution of the two Bills which had |seemed sv ebnoxious to them. ‘That disposition of theirs, he cuuid not exactly understand ; for, he thought, they ought rather

to them ; as they might have very well inferred from it that they would not again, at least in the present session, have to exert themselves in opposition to them. He thought the Municipalities | Bill might have operated for the benefit of the people, in their several localities ; but, as they seemed to have no desire for it; and as he had never been wedded to the measure ; he was well contented that, for the present, it should be abandoned. He was nat oue of those who would seek to force, upon the people, any measure, concerning which they were of opinion, that the advantages which it was calculated to confer upon them, would be overbalanced by attendant disadvantayes,

Mr. YEO.—No public meetings had been held in his place for the purpose of giving expression to popular sentiment con- cerning the Municipal and the Board of Works Bill; but he had frequently conversed with the people resident there concerning them, and had almost invariably found that their opinions, with reference to them, coincided with his own, which were from the first adverse to them. They clearly understood that, if the Municipalities Bill were to become law, and they were to agree to carry its provisions into effect, it would, in the first place, be necessary for them to erect a suitable building wherein to meet for the purpose of deliberating upon, and deciding concerning, ihe. c local affairs ; for at present there is no public building in the district which could be made available for sdch a purpose. And, the expense of that erection provided for, they further perceived that, for the due working of the measure, it would further be necessary that they should annually tax themselves ig pay the several municipal officers for their public services ; and that, in fact, infwhich way svever they viewed it, it was beset with taxation. Such were the views of the people in his part of the eountry, concerning the Municipalities Bill; to which he had added his own opinion, that it appeared as if it were really the intention of the Government to keep the public revenve as much as possible within their own grasp, for their own individual benefit, and to leave the people to tinake such provi- sion for the effecting of local improvements as, by immediate self-taxation, they might choose to make. He tuoid them besides, however, that he did not think the Bili was to be brought for- ward again; and that, therefore, there was no occasion for any public expression of opinion against i, on their part; but that, if, on his coming to town, at the opening of the Legislature, he should find that it was to be re-introduced, he would daly ap- prise them of such intention of the Government: and they might then petition against it, if they thought it right to do so.

Hon. COL. TREASURER —He knew very well that the people had been greatly misinformed, both with regard to the real nature and principles of the Bill, and, at the same time, as respected the intentions of the Government. They had been told that if the Bill stiould become law, all the moneys which tad been usually applied to the construction and the repairing of roads and bridges, would, under the direction of the Govern- nent, be appropriated to other purposes ; and that they would, have to tax themselves for the construction end repairs of such public works, as had formerly been provided fur vy legislative grants. That men, knowing better, could be found so dishonest a3 to make such false misrepresentations to the pecple concern- ing a legislative measure, was certainly surprising ; but that so many should have allowed themselves to be deceived by their fabulous and ridiculous statements was sti!l more so. The Biil gave the people the power to tax themselves for loca! pur- poses, without at all depriving them of the legislative grants which had been usually made in aid of such purposes; bat it gave them besides, with respect to such grants, the power to apply the moneys a3 they should themselves think fit, not leaving it to be expended by Road Commissioners. That system had been found to be a very bad one ; and many and strong repre- sentations had been made against it. Cominissioners having large districts under their superintendence could not possibly be so well acquainted with every local want within their pre- cincts, as always to be able to apply the moneys at their dis- posa! aright; and neither could members of the Assembly be supposed to have such minute knowledge of the local improve- men’s required throughout the Districts, severally representea by them, as always to be able to apportion and direct aright the application of such amourts of road-service money as fel! to their several Districts ; but, were all moneys intended for local improvements, whether raised by voluntary, taxation, or being legislative grants, to be at the immediate disposal of the people, not only would they be applied where most wanted, but be much more economically expended,

+-—-!:

Tvespay, Feb. 23, 1858. CONDENSED DEBATE. CoLLecTion oF THE IMpost RevENvE.

Hon. Corontat Secretary, by command of [is Excel- lency the Lieutenant Governor, presented to the House the following Message:

D. Daty, Lieutenant Governor.

The Lieut. Governor deems it his duty to bring the sys- tem that has hitherto been in operation in this Island for the collection of the Impost Revenue, under the special notice of the House of Assembly, with a view to its revision.

Bonds at a long date, not bearing Interest, are deposited, in the Colonial Treasury, in payment of duties; whilst the money warrants, issued by the Government for the public service, and bearing Interest, are not convertible into money, except at a discount.

The manifest injustice thus inflicted on the holders of the Government securities does not end here, as tue parties in whose hands the public revenne is permitted to remain, are enabled to avail themselves of the depreciated Government warrants, obtained at a discount, to meet their Bonds at the Treasury as they fal] due, and frequently at a further sacr.-

See cern aaa

fice of the interests of the public creditor, when warranta, ‘that have not been issued more than a few hours, are re- ceived as cash in the Treasury, and thas obtain precedence ‘in liquidation, over those that may have been issued ae

| | many months, and still remain unconvertible. opposed to them. Wise legislation should have for its object, |

The Lieut. Governor is far from desiring to restrict, in any degree, such encouragement as can properly be given, by the Legislature, to legitimate enterprise, im all its bran-

ches; but he trasts the House of Assembly will coneer with >

bim in regarding the importance of maintaining the public credit, and th® integrity of the Government transactions, to be paramount to every other consideration, as vitally affect- ms hongr and interest of the Island.

vvernment House, Feb. 23, 1858.

Mr. If. Havinann.--The sending of such a Message to the House was certainly a most extraordinary proceeding on the part of the Queen’s Representative; and was altogether unprecedented, either here, or elsewhere. If there wus any thing particularly under the control of the House, it was undoubtedly the Colonial Revenue; and any interference with their especial prerogative on that head, came with a very bad grace from His Excellency. It was for them, the Representatives of the people, to say how the Impost Rev- nue was to be collected, how secured, and how applied. Such a Message from the Lieut’ Governor was of a must in- sidious character, and if the breach of their privileges, to which it certainly amounted, were acquiesced in by its re- ception, it might prove a precedent fatal to their indepen- dence with respeet to the most important trust confided to them by the people. He was surprised that the Coloniai Seere- tary, either as a representative of the people, or as the lead- er of the Government, or as the leader of the majority, as he loved to be styled, should andertake to bring down such a Message to the House. He ought to be ashamed of the position in which he had thereby placed himself. Was he afraid to propose an alteration in the system of collecting

to have been satistied with His Excelleacy’s silence with respec |

the Impost Revenue, in either capacity! Was he afraid to assume the responsibility of the recommendation, on account of the hostility which it might arouse against him, on the part of those who would naturally be opposed to it? It certainly seemed so; and that he timidly sought to make a breast plate for his defence of His Excellency’s Message. What, did he suppose that the House-would tamely surren- der their privilege on so important a point, and traitrously submit to the authority and dictation thereon, of an indivi- dual from the old country, of a stranger in the Colony, thereby yiolding ap the most effective safeguard of the liber- ties of themselves and of the people? If the Government deemed it necessary or advisable that regulations for col- lecting and securing the Revenue, less indulgent to impor- ters, should be made, let them come forward of themselves, in an honest and feariess manner, and, not meanly seeking to shelter themselves, behind a Message of His Excellency, from the responsibility,or the hostility to themselves which it might occasion, declare at once that such a change was necessary and that they were determined to introduce « Bil’ to that effect.

lion, Corontat Secrerary.—A more frothy, windy and babbling declamation, than that which the hon. and learn- ed member had just delivered, he had never heard. He had always given him credit for good- sense, discernment, and «aoderation till now; bat were he to judge of him by the ob- tuse, bombastic, aud intemperate remarks whicu he hud just made, he would at once couclude that be had suldenty been Civested of everyt!.ing like sound judgement, discers- ment, and moderation. ‘Tuere was not a word on His Ex- cellency’s Message in which he (Hon. Colonial Secretury) did not fully concur, and of which he would not most wil- lingly, if it were necesssry, assume the full responsibility. The Lieutenant Governor bad not by his Message dictated to the House in any way whatever. He had merely brought under their notice the injurious manner in which the present system of collecting the Impost Dutics affected the public credit, and,in so doing,had expressed a hope tliat the House would concur with him in regarding the importance of maintaining the publie credit, and the in‘egrity of the Gov- ernment transactions, to be paramount to every other con- sideration. It was impossible fur a message to be conceiv- ed in a spirit less arbitrary, or conveyed in language, less assuming, and less dictatorial. His Excellency, confining himself to the most brief explication possible of the evils which arose from the present system of collecting and secur- ing the Impost Duties, presumed not,’ either to dictate in what manner they ought to be collected or secared, or even to suggest by the most distant hint,what alterations might be made in the law affecting those pariiculars. No ‘state- ment intimating the necessity of a change, could be more ex- plicit, less authoritative, or even more respectfuly. As to the Colonial Seeretary’s being in the majority, to which the hon. and learned member had thought proper to advert, in what he meant to be an ironical,if not a doubting, manner,

ough to convince him that he was so indeed, and in a large majority too. However,if he really entertained a doubt, as to whether the Colonial Secretary was in a majority or not, he would advise him, to put it to the test by moving that the Message be not received: the result would effectually dispel his doubts. To seem to dispute or question an evi- dent fact was merely ridiculous; but to speak of the Lieu- tenant Governur, Her Majesty’s representative, who was, in himself, a branch of the Legislature, as an individual from the old country, as a stranger in the Colony, was, to say the jeast of it, highly improper and indecorous; nay, altogether indefensible. With even Jess impropriety might members of the Assembly, recently elected to it, be called strangers, than the personage representing Her Majesty in the Colony, and filling her place in the Legislature.

Mr. Coorer.—In the newspapers, he had seen it stated, that individuals, who had moneys to pay into the Treasury, in the shape of impost duties,had bought up Treasury War- rants at various, but considerable rates of discount; and then paid the sarae into the Treasury, as cash, in liquidation of their duties. This, it was very clear, wasa practice which directly tended to diminish the money in the Treasury, or keep it at so low an ebb, as to render it difficult fur the Gov- ernment to keep faith with public crediters. This state of things,and the evils consequent upon it,were pretty clearly set forth in the Message of His Excellency; and, when they had become known to the Administrator of the Government, he could not see that he was to be held deserving of censure for bringing the subject directly under the consideration of the House of Assembly; with whom alone it rested to devise aremedy. The system which, in its operation, hid thus given one class of men an unfair adyahtage over anotier class, ought certainly to be revised by the Assembly, wita a view to amendment; and that necessity, bs took it, was all that was intimated by the Message of His Excellency.

Mr. H. Havirann.—He had never expected te hear the great apostle of Escheat,—him whe had clamoured so loudly and so long for the establishment of the rights of the people, and the redress of their wrongs, whether real or imaginary,—raise his voice in defence of a direct invasion of their rights; for such he (Mr. H_) held the Message of the Lieut. Governor to be, as it amounted to nothing less than a breach of the privileges of tho representatives of the people. 1, continued the hon. and learned member, speak as independently as any member of this House can speak; and I care not if, after the close cf this session, my yoice as a member of the Assembly, be never heard in this cham- ber again. For the ten years during which I have had the honor of a seat in the Assembly, I have never compromised my inde- pendence: I have never, on any account, trackled to any man, or to any body of men. I have sought no favors; | have craved no appointment, I eare not for office, and I hold my independence too dearly, to part with i: for a paltry salary ef £300 or £400 a year. I say that, if the Government contemplated the introduc-

he had had, evenin the present session, evidence en-,

IE HE enemas temmecnnabin

aye

Pie 8