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/pomfortsbly settled, and that the Inland would be allowed ‘ma “ w,m_,_.. in W, ma

full share of representation, in proportion to the extent 0 territory and populaticn—-all which is respectfully submit- .“ I! I

Well. Mr. airman. the hon. member having ‘got tho opinion of 1'. Home, the House passed a resolution in I8_41. to the House of Commons. praying the grievances arising from the land question might rodressed. That House took no action on the petition. and the hon. member wasao with the Home Government, the proprietors and all ban . that in his report. which I have just read, he was will- ing to annex the Island to Nova Scotia. (Laughton) And,‘ Mr. Chairman, I do not know what better answer to the assertion of the hon. member that we have only the opinion of individuals who might be holding the seals of the Colonial Oﬂce at the time, to show in opposition to his views, and that the British Government have not decided against the measure which is the subjectof this evening's discussion, than the dcspatch which I will read to you from the journals of 1842. I think that expresses the decision, not of the then Colonial Minister, but of the British Government, and I re- uest hon. members to observe that it expressly mentions the etermination of Her Majesty's Government. That despatch

is as follows :—

“ Downing Street, 25th June, 1841.

" Sir.—I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 5th May last.

“I have to acquaint you, in answer, that Her Majesty's Government, having reviewed the whole progress of the dis- cussion regarding the tenure of land, have arrived at the following conclusions:—

" First.——That the original terms of settlement were mi- practicable ; and that any escheat at the present day. on the ground of the failure to fulﬁl such conditions, would be un'ust.

“ Seccndly.—'l‘bat Her Majesty's Government consider it right to state, that the Crown has not at its disposal any funds out of which the lands could be purchased by the Crown, to be afterwards sold or granted to the tenants.

"Thirdly.—That the terms proposed by Mr. G. R. Young, or terms equivalent to those, seem to have been acceded to by the great majority of proprietors.

“Fourth1y.—Tbat under these circumstances, the best course which Her Majesty can recommend is, that the As- sembly and Council should turn their attention to the im- provement of the resources. and the encouragement of the growing wealth of Prince Edward Island, and leave to the gradual operation of time the settlement of a question which otfers no sound footing for direct legislation.

“Lastly:-I have to state that Her Majesty is not dis- posed to blame any party for the mode in which this discus- sion has been prosecuted; but Her Majesty's anxiety for the welfare of the Province makes her desirous to see the termi- nation of a fruitless and irritating contest.

" I have the honor to be, Sir. &c. &c., "J. RUSSELL.” Now, Sir, I would ask what language can be more ex licit? It states that the question had been reviewed; now, w 0 re. viewed it? Why, Her Majesty's Government. And it further states that Her Majesty's Government, after " having reviewed the whole progress of the discussion regarding the tenure of land, have arrived at the following conclusions:" and then proceeds to declare the conclusions; and we ﬁnd there the positive and express declaration that it would be unjust to escheat the lands, on the grounds that the original conditions were not complied with, and alleging that those conditions were impracticable. And, Mr. Chairman, the

endeavour of the hon. member to make it appear to the country that the Legislature had never given up the principle of Escheat, is as susceptible of refutation as his amertion that the British Government have never declared their opposition to it. Why, Sir, at the risk of being considered as occupy- ing too much of the time of the Committee, by a refercnceto what is well known to many hon. members, I will direct their attention to the journals of I848. In that year, when the House was in committee on a Bill introduced by the hen. the present Sppaker, and generally known as the " Squatter’s Bill," the fol wing amendment was moved, and by whom? by the hon. member himself! Here is the preamble of his ::ienci:.ident,aaeiitci-ail onthc journall,andthereoor-d um mo :— '

" Mr. Cooper niovedjthat the Bill be reooralnitted. for the

rpose t‘ amending the same by striking out all alter a, pa 0 ' Hill, and substituting the tele- ‘ipwin in lieu t

h I Ma

liereof:— ‘« ' t'sMiniaterIbave‘IhtedintheirDeaps tiutthe eondiiidns contained in the original on werewi: practicable, and that it would be not’!!! to opriye the pro. printers of such grants of the land ‘for the non-performauc. of such conditions; but as the proprietors have imposed con. an-Jon; persons who have improved the land, which no so oppressive as to deprive such persons of the beneﬁt of their im vementa; it is. therefore, not only necessary, but just a equitable, that while the p rictors of such grants are allowed to retain the fee simp so the land so granted in its wilderueu state, that persons who hav_e cleared such land, and bro" tit into a state ﬁt for cultiyation at their own cost and abour, and have erected buildings thereon. should be secured in their improvements by a settlement upon the land.-” That amendment embodies the principle of the Tenant’; Compensation, of which the hon. member hoschosen now to say he disapprovcs, and I contend, Mr. Chairman, that no man of common honesty and intelligence can view the extract I have just read in any other light than as a declaration by the hon. member himself, and of his party, that the nestion of Facheat was considered at that time ﬁnally settl . Al. though I think I have already adduced documents sutiieient to shew the recorded declarations, not of Colonial Secretaries individually, but of the British Government not to grant eseheat, I shall refer to the despatch of the ‘present Earl of Derby, then Lord Stanley. and Secretary 0 the Colonies, dated the 14th July. 1842 :— “ In obedience to Her Majesty's commands, I have to ac- quaint you, for the information of the House of Assembly, that Her Majesty’s Executive Government must decline to interfere any further in the ucstion in debate between the grantees of lands in Prince ward Island and their ten- antry; experience having suﬁeiently shown, that no beneﬁcial result is to be anticipated from any such interference." Thenwe find the announcement of the determination, not of Lord Stanley, but of Her Majesty’s Government. Now, Mr. Chairman, after so many decided expressions of the opinion of the Home Government, I put it to this House and to the hon. member himself, if it is notuseless to agitate this ques- tion further. He knows well what reception our previous applications have received, and let him considerfcr a moment who it is that now holds the seals of the Colonial Oﬁicei Why, Sir, Lord John Russell, the man whose opinions I have read to you. Is it likely that the Government, of which lie is a leading member, will consent at this day to grant a Court of Escheat? That hon. member knows it is not; and I regret that the minds of the people are agitated on this question. Had it not been for parties exciting them, and holding out false hopes. every thing would have no on quietly, and the Land Purchase Bill, the Education ct, and the proposed Bill for taxing the rent rolls of proprietors, would have had the effect of inducing a reasonable and equit- able settlement cf the tenantry. I do not believe any mem- ber of the present majority is pledged to support the motion, and I am sorry my hon. colleague intends to vote for it. I know that his constituents never asked him to do so. As to the titions having much inﬂuence on the minds of hon_ mom rs, I know how they have been got up. A few indi- viduals in Charlottetown prepare them and send them through the country, telling the people that they are to have free lands. The movers in the matter know that the prayers of the petitions cannot be granted, and that Escheat is out of the question; but they got up this excitement merely to up- set the present Government. The pic oi the petitions without consideration. and in proof of the faci ity with which signatures can be obtained, I may mention to the Committee, as a fact, that the hon. member for Belfast (Mr. Dcuse), has now from his constituents two lists of namm, to put to any petitions he may please, and for or against any measure he chooses to support or o ose. But, Mr. Chairman. at the risk of being oonside tedious, I will read from the an hlet published by the hon. member, an extract from Grey's deapatch to Sir Alexander Bannerman, in 1851 —the deepatch commonly called the " Bloody Despatch :"— “_W'ithcut ' g into detail, it is suﬁcierit r me here to remind you t raputed application ha been made, at diﬁerent times, to or Maj'esty'_s Government. to consent to deprive the proprietors under ﬁlarcrlginal grants of their

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