Che Examiner,

AND SEMI-WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.

New Series.

CHARLOTTETOWN, AUGUST 7, 1850.

ee ee

Che Examiner.

WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 7.

senna en alata ncaacanaaetay _——

Concession of Responsible Government.

Beyorg the public mind is imposed upon by the lying organs of the defeated ene- mies of public liberty in this Island, we publish the following report of a debate in the British House of Commons, which occurred on the motion being made for the usual grant to Prince Edward [sland. We take it from the London Evening Mail of the 15th ult. What Fitzloy or Duncan will have to say to the determi- nation of Her Majesty's Ministers in re- ference to the introduction of Responsible Government into this Island, we cannot

premise. Really, the pang of diseppoint-

ment must be great in their breasts, when they remember how much time and paper

they have spent to frustrate the intentions.

of Her Majesty’s Ministers, but all to no: ] of responsible Government almost un ani- | mously, there being three votes against

purpose !

There'can be no mistaking the langu- age of tha Under Secretary in the report of his speech which follows. He says there is “ not the slightest intention on the part of Her Majesty’s Government to withhold tHe responsibie government promiseD to the people of Prince Edward Island.” The only “ promise” made was that which was conveyed in the public Despatch of the 27th December last, and repeated in a private Despatch of a later date,—the former one Me. Adderley has forcibly brought to the recollection of the Government.

We give the debate without further note or comment, trusting the public will no longer listen to the vain delusions sought to be imposed upon them.

etienteamnande

HOUSE OF COMMONS. Jury 12.

It was then moved that the sum of £2,- 000 should be granted in aid of the chargeg of Prince Edward’s Island.

Mr. ADDERLEY said he had present- ed a petition of grievances signed by the Speaker and the whole House of Assem- oly of Prince Edward’s Island. They

alleged that the supplies in that colomy:

were stopped, andthe Legislature was abruptly prorogued with a reprimand by the Gevernor, Ualess some measures were taken by the Grovernment, this colo- nv would be thrown into a similar posi- “on to that in which the Cape of Good Hope had fouad itself placed, and would be compelled to rely upon its own resour- cés. The petitioners of the island were perfectly ready to take upon themselves ‘he expenses of their owa civil govern- ment; it was, therefore, a matter of inter- est to the people of this country that the criewances alleged in the petition should be inquired into, and, if they were found aohe well grounded, that they should be redrésved, [In one word, the colonists allied for a responsible Government.-— ‘Tuey asked to be placed upon the same footing a3 the colonies in North Atmerica. Nstutes were originally granted by the Crown to parties who were sot resident oroprietors. ‘The Legislature of the colo- ny voted that all estates held by absentee

proprietors under grants from the Crown should be forfeited where the conditions attached to such grants had not been ful- filled; but the noble lord at the head of the Government, when Secretary of the Colonies in 1841, said that such a proceed- ing would be unjust. He (Mr. Adderley) was of opinion that the mode in which those grants were originally made was extremely injudicious, and had been most unfavourably to the prosperity of the colony. But the Legtslature of the colo- ny had gone beyond that. A vote of want of confidence had been passed ; and, no notice having been taken of it, the supplies had been stopped, and every- thing brought toa dead lock. On tae 27th of Deeember, 1849, Ear] Grey sent a despatch to the Governor of the colony saying that he could no Jonger advise the Government to resist the appeal made by the inhabitants of the island, as it was their wish to have a responsible Govern- ment. The Legislature declared that it was the wish of the inhabitants to have a | responsible Government. That put the Governor ina fix, and he resorted toa general election. The sole question agi- tated at that election was “a responsible Government or not?’ On that appeal to the colony a House of Assembly was re- turned which passed a resolution in favor

it. The House of Assembly had actually introduced a bill to defray the civil ex- penses of the colony, on the condition that Lord Grey would fulfil his pledge to give them the responsible government they songht. Ashe fourd he could not formally move tie postponement of the vote, he should tove its rejection.

Mr. M‘GREGOR was satisfied that no colony could be well administered where the Governor and Chief Justice were not paid directly by the home Government independently of local votes of supply. It was his opinion that the House of Assem- bly of Prince Edward’s Island had acted unjustly in withholding the supplies, and that the House of Commons would imitate the injustice if they acceded to the am- endment of the hon. gentleman.

Mr. HAWES assured the committee that there was not the slightest intention on the part of Her Majesty’s Ministers to withhold the responsible Government which had been promised to the people of Prince Edward’s Island. There hed been a delay in fulfilling the promise, owing to the lengthened correspondence respecting the placing the loca] government upon a firm and proper footing, and the settle- ment of certain individual Claims$ but he had reason to hope, from fthe fast des- patch of the Governor, that these matters would be speedily and satisfactorily ar- ranged.

Mr. AGLIONBY was most happy to hear that responsible government was to be extenéed to Prince Edward’s Island, but he should be better pleased if there was some distinct intimation of the ex- act period.

Mr. HUME also expressed his satis- faction at the intimation of the Under Se- cretary, and the more so, that he found, from the correspondence that the only difficulty unsettled between the “rovernor and the House of Assembly was a ques- tion of some £200, fora pension (as we understood) to the Attorney General .

Mr. BAILLIE was afraid the Under Secretary for the Colonies was too sar- guine in his expectations that an arrange- ment would be effected in the colony ; for, according to the last accounts he (Mr. Baillie) had seen, the colonists entertain- ed no hope that their grievances would be redressed uniess their case was taken up in that House.

Mr. V. SMITH thought the first ques-

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PEAK FREE,.’”—Mzi.row’s: Evripipss.

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Vol. 1: No. 54

tion that should be settled with regard to these colonies was that of escheats, be- cause ifthey gave responsible government without any condition to a colony in which large tracts of land were possessed by proprietors in England; the earliest act of the colonists would be to deprive those persons of their property. This vote was simply for a pension to the late Go- vernor, and the salary of the present Go- vernor, andthe only effect of rejecting the vote would be that the colony must pay the money instead of this countty.— Now, he thought if the colonies defrayed the cost of their own local administration, this country should pay the salaries of the governors, and he hoped therefore that the hon. gentleman would not press his motion to a division.

Mr. ADDERLEY said the Jetters he had received from Prince Edward’s Island within the Jast few days did not hold out any hope of the settlement of the question; but, as itseemed to be the general opinion of the committee that it would not be ad- visable to negative this vote, he wouid not press his motion.

The vote wes then agreed to.

CONSTITUTION COBBLERS.

We have been informed, by respecta- ble authority, that some time since the prorogation of the Legislature, the Lieut. Governor and Executive Counci} of this Island drew up a form of a constitution which, in thcir wisdom, would be best adapted to the wants and circumstances of the Colony ; and having procured to the document the signatures of such per- sons as are unfavourable to Responsible Government, transmitted it to Downing Street, in the expectation, no doubt, that the Secretary of State would alter the form and address, and return it to the Island as an origitial Despatch. We have not been made fully acquainted with all the features of this new constitution, but it is thought that it has many points of resemblance to the famous address adopted by the Jast House of Assembly on the motion of Mr. Joun Longworth, which propounded what was facetiously styled “a moderate systein of Responsi- ble Government,” and which the Colonial Minister declared his inability to com- prehend. One cannot fail to admire the excessive modesty which characterises such a proceeding as this! We can fancy the surprise with which Lord Grey received the application for such a con- stitution. “ Surely,” his Lordship might exclaim, “the people of Prinze Edward Island are nota pack of such spiritless fools as to submit to the dictation, in this matter, of an Execttive Council, without influence or popularity, political- ly speaking, and under the ban of the House of Assembly.” Not many years ago it was an unpardonable crime to give aid and comfort to an agitation against the Proprietors. Here is an agitation— the more dangerous because it is secret —to dispose of the liberties of a whole people-—an agitation which has no other object in view than to keep a few long- favoured families about Charlottetown in the constant enjoyment of power, and in the receipt of the people’smoney. Weill

jimd —,

may it be said that things are done in this Island which would be tolerated no where else,

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

In Te Examiner of the 27th ult. we shewed that the editor of the /slander had falsely asserted that we had “ fiercely op- posed his proposition of making the Le- gislutive Council an elective body.” Mr. Maclean, aware thathe is convicted of the falsehood, attempts to wrigg\e him- self out of it by the most paltry shuffle. In his last issne he observes: “ The Examiner of the 27th ult. denves ever having defended the constitution of the Legislative Council.” (The italics are ours.) Now it is obvious to every one who has read our paper that we made no such denial. We simply denied having expressed an opinion, one way or the other, on the elective principle, in refer- ence to the Council. Though satisfied with ihe existing constitution of the Legis- lative Council, which more closely approx- imates to British forms than any other which could be devised; and believing that, under an efitcient system of admin- istration, it might be found conducive to al] the just and reasonable ends of legis- lation,— yet wevare nob-prepared to-Bay that the adoption of the elective principle would prevé injurious to the public interests. Indeed, many well informed liberals in this and the other colonies are, and have long been favourable to this principle. Certainly, the party in this Island whose views we advocate, have nothing to fear from its adoption ; for it would be in conformity with their general principle of recognizing the people as the source of al] power; and it would be difficultto adopt a more effectu- a] method for swamping the influence of & would-be aristocracy, and utterly frus- trating the designs and intrigues of Family compacts, than by giving the people the election of the upper house of legislature, as such election toould Le regulaied by the lower Branch; and thus to secure a good working Council it would only be necessary for the people, in the first instance, to return a good House of Assembly. If.we at all dishike the present movement for elective Coun- cils, it is only because the adoption of such a principle would be a departure from Brnish forms—because we hate tinkering with a constitution which is our birthright, and which works weil elsewhere—and because (a reason, per- haps, more cogent than any other) we find the greatest clamourers for the elective principle are those who all along resisted reform in the Government—who sirug- gled for years to subdue the democratic spirit, and, now when they are about to be stripped of place and power, as their confreres have been in the other Provinces only make use of this measure as a dodge to gain’a liitle temporary popularity. It

is a fixed principle of our political creed

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