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HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. Monnay, April 29.

HOUSE IN COMMITTEE. OF SUPPLY.

Memerrs’ Pay.—(Desate asniveep.)—Mr. Cores _-Should the motion which he rose to propose be carried, as he expected it would, its adoption would, in all like- lihood, afford the smal! wits out of doors another oppor- tunity to endeavour to make the House ridiculous in the eyes of the people. At the close of the previous Ses- gien, a few of those uneasy witlings had endeavoured to make themselves merry at the expense of the country members, because they were obliged, as they chose falsely to represent the case, to go home without being paid for their attendance during the Session, and strove to conceal, beneath the mask of affected mirth, the chagrin which they felt at the failure of their confident prophecy, that the members would at all events take especial care to make provision for their own pay before their separation. The consistent firmness and indepen- dence of the majority of the House at that time sorely annoyed the false prophets; and, he hoped, the resolu- tion of the House, in the present Session, although in a contrary direction, would prove a source of equal, if not greater, annoyance and dissatisfaction to them, The majority of the present Assembly possessed the full confidence and approbation of the people, who hed no desire that their faithful representatives should not ve compensated for their time and labor expended upon the public business, to the neglect of their own private affairs during a Session of the Legislature, and, were they now to act so foolishly, after having been called together again by His Excellency, at a very unusual and inconvenient period, as to separate without voting themseives a moderate but suitable compensation for their attendance during the two Sessions, they would indeed deserve to be laughed at. Their doing so would afford no satisfaction to their constituents, but would greatly delight all the enemies of the Responsible mevernent, whose interests might not be injuriously affected thereby. The people, he felt assured, were most willing to pay their representatives for their time apent in Legislative Sessions to the promotion of the public welfare, and they had no desire whatever to be represented by individuals who would serve in Colonial Parliament without pay: in such persons they very wisely refused to place any confidence. He would confeas that, at one time, his views with respect to this question were the very reverse of what they were now.

He had formerly thought that individuals who were willing to serve in the Assembly without pay, would surely prove to be amongst the most disinterested of public servants. A little further acquaintance, beyond what he then possessed, with public businesss and pub- lic character, had served to show him that, in his first conclusion with respect to them, he vad been governed by avery false estimate. He now knew that men who professed their readiness to serve the people in Parlia- ment, without compensation for their time and trouble, were the very last to be trusted. Such men, he had found, were actuated and lured by the hope, founded in the pliancy and subserviency of their yvenal natures, that, by servilely waiting for the proper time, they might secure something which would amply compensate them for the” want of sessional pay. ‘The contest be- tween His Excellency and the House was not yet ter- minated, and it might, perhaps, suit His Excellency te seek further to harrass the House, by again calling them gether, at the expiration of a week from the close of the present Session, should they separate without pro- viding for their pay, in the hope that he might plague them iato a compliance with bis own views and fora time effectually postpone that reform in the Government Which was so mnch desired by the people. To render tuch a vexatious proceeding on the part of His Excel- lency less likely than it would be, if it could be prac- tved without causing any serious demand upon the public purse, and, as concerned the members, solely at her individual expense and logs, it was necessary that ‘he louse «hould agree to vote to themselves a sum Stficient w afford them a moderate remuneration for rattendance during the two Legislative Sessions :

lt His Excellency, then seeing that every Session, however short, would materially increase the gublic “penditure, would, he (Mr. Coles) thought, hesitate and pause before he would venture to increase tlic displea- Site and dissatisfaction of the people with his Govern- Ment by a needless annoyance of their representatives ‘ad a wilful waste of their money. The truth, besides, *as that many of the members, seme of whom had to ) Twel fifty, sixty, or even seventy miles to attend a Ses- eM owl not afd ta ao without their pay: and as

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FREE-BORN MEN—HAVENG 'TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC—MAY SPEAK FREE.”—Mitton’s Euriripes.

none but these who sought to obstruct the views and wishes of the people desired to see it withheld from them, it would be extremely foolish in the House to neglect, through feelings of false delicacy, to make an appropriation for their pay, not indeed the usual amount, but with a proportionate relation thereto. ‘The honor- able member then read and moved the following Reso- lution: “ Resolved, That a sum of fifty pounds be paid to the Speaker, and the sum of twenty five pounds to each of the members of the House of Assembly, for their attendance during the past and present Sessions, together with the usual travelling expenses in coming to and returning from both Sessions; with the exception of those members who have not attended this Session, who will be entitled to receive only the sum of fifteen pounds for their attendance during the last‘Session to- gether with the usual travelling expenses in coming to and returning from the same, on the same being Certi- fied by the Speaker.”

Mr. Coles then proceeded further to observe that it might be said they were leaving the public business of the Session unfinished ; but they were cornpelled to do so, and so it would remain, until means should be found to bring the Governor to reason, and to induce him to pay a proper respect to the wishes of the people, as ex- pressed through their representatives, in accordance with the instructions transmitted to him by the Imperial Government. The obstruction to the prosecution of the public business had not proceeded from the House, but from His Excellency, whose temper was such that, were Responsible Government even fully conceded to the Colony, he would rather impede the progress of its es- tablishment,, than assist to facilitate its effective intro- duction. * ® ? * His Excellency was, no doubt, much annoyed at the refusal of the House to deliberate, with a view to immediate determinate legis- lation, upon the important subjects affecting the general interests of these Colonies, to which he had directed their attention; because it, no doubt, made him feel that, in not being able to command that attention to his recommendations from the Legislature, which was given by the Legislatures of the neghbouring Provinces to the suggestions of their respective Governors, he woald appear lessened in the eyes of those his brother Go- vernors, But, should he appear so lessened, the cause was solely attributable to himself. The Governors of the neighbouring Provinces were at the head of Respon- sible Governments, enjoying the confidence of the people; and consequently every measure recommended by them to their several Legislatures was readily and cheerfully taken into deliberative consideration: and in such a position might Sir Donald Campbell have now been placed had he sochosen; for it was very clear that, if he had it in his power to change three of his Council, he had it in his power to change the whole in accord- ance with the wishes of the great majority of the repre- sentatives of the people. All that was requested of his was to reconstruct his Counci!. Nota single office was required to be vacated. But reasonable aud just as was the request made to him, he would not agree to it; and, therefore, he (Mr. Coles) could not see how he could reasonably expect that the House should submit to his commands, and proceed to the dispatch of further busi- ness, merely to put means and power into the hands of a Government in which they had no confidence. What His Excellency had requested concerning certain pub- lie officers, he, no doubt, hoped would be a stumbling- block in the way of the Responsible movement ; butin that he had found himself mistaken, for the propriety of the arrangement proposed, he had felt himself bound fully to admit; and since he had (although contrary to their expectation) given his assent to the Civil List Bill, which certainly was some concession, it was their duty to meet him half way. This they had done by the ap- propriations which they had made for the encourage- nent of Education, for the repairs of Roads and Bridges, and for the payment of the interestof the Public Debt: and having done so much, they could, with perfect jus- tice and propriety, provide a remuneration for their own time and trouble; the labourer was worthy of his hire. * ’ * * "The honorable member concluded by saying that it was due to some of the country mem- bers to say that/he was aware that, if some of them had been guided by private feelings, with respect to an ap- propriation for their pay under present circumstances, they would have been ready to oppose his motion.

Hon Mr. Panmer said he did not rise to oppose the principle of the motion which had just been made, bet to make one or two observations upoe what had just fallen from the hon. member for Queen’s County (Mr. Coles). That hon. member had just said, that if they

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CHARLOTTETOWN, MAY 22, 1850.

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opposition would endeavour to make them appear ridi- culous for doing so. He begged leave to tell that hon. member, that he (Mr. Coles, and his party in the Housé took the trouble of making them appear ridiculoue entirely off the hands of the minority: their conduct if assuming, with all their visible weakness, a position of defiance which they knew themselves to be unabie to maintain—therr words and their acts so irreconcilably at variance—their threatening one thing and immedi- ately doing another—were quite enough of themselves to render them the objects of ridicule, without any ex- aggeration of their feebleness and folly by those who were opposed tothem. * * * * Mr. Palmer mov- ed in amendment £40 to the Speaker, and £20 to each of the members,

Mr. Mooney said he would oppose both the amend- ment and the original motion. He by no means meant to suy that the members were not entitled to their pay, or even that their constituents. would think them unce- serving of it: but as he had said in the morning, he would say again, they ought either to grant all the

about to vote a sum for the payment of the interest of the Public Debt, ard another to pay themselves for their attendance during the two Sessions of the Houee ; whilst, for the People they had merely given them leave, in their great necessity, to pay their Notes of Hand by labour on the Highways. ‘The hon. member concluded by saying that he intended to vote against every Reso- lution for a Supply, except for Education: the sum to be appropriated for that purpose was collected, and the People ought to have the benefit of it.

Mr. Fraser said he was not actuated by any such feelings of false pride concerning the question, és seemed to influence the hon. member for Queen’s County (Mr. Mooney). He believed the members were entitled to their pay; and he was also satisfied that the People, their constituents, thought the same. In other Provinces, the pay of the members was at all times the same—no difference in amount being made between a long and a short Session. Here the pay had been fixed at £60 for the Speaker, and £30 for each of the other meinbers, for one Session; but, as the last Session was short, and as the present was very likely to be still shorter, it was proposed to allow only £50 to the Speaker and £25 to each of the other members for the two Sessions; and no one, he would maintain, could shew that snch allowances were unreasonable.

Hon Mr. Palmer’s amendment having been lost, the hon. Speaker put the question upon the original motion, which was carried—Mr. Mooney alone opposing it.

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CORRESPONDENCES

FOR THE EXAMINER.

TO THE ROYAL GAZETTE “LOVER OF ORDER.”

Dear Vacis,—When will you preach again in the Gazette ? Pray do not permit much time to pass ere you adininister to this community another exposition of your excellent notions of “ Religious Politics,” embodying as they do the most approved fashion of bending both body and mind to the tinselle@ creature. Great Sir, it is 4 matter of much surprise, that your mental dimensions are eompressed within the narrow boundaries of a cir- cumscribed sphere. ‘T'ruly you are ah extensive Philo- sopher in a little cage,a great Leviathan in a Frog Pond, a Reverend expounder of Holy Writ, and a Doctot of Politics, a repository of a Numedian pile of varied knowledge, heaped unsparingly upon your vigorous’ brain. Surely, surely, you uwust be the victim of head- ache caused by the solemn pressure of giant thought.

Vacie, your genius is like a big . candle lighted at both ends,and suspended by the middle, illuming all around, and cannot be lost sight of; nay, its brilliancy commands extensive admiration, though embedded i grease.

The extensive and varied talent which has failen to your lot as a possession, has admirably adapted you to think, act and speak, in plurality of Offices. At present you arevery close upona D. D., and if I could get M. P. P. tacked ontothe D. D. with M.E. C., the coun- mry would be safe, and the Government pure as the icicle which hangs on Diana’s Temple. To accoinpiisit this desideratum, please allow yourself to be putin nomination for the Constituency of Belfast; a gentiemaa of your weight would be sure to douce Douse. With your permission, { will speak to Ben and. Sousampton, and your game is certain, all required of you will be to write your own card, and Mr. Printer J.P. will manage the

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