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KAMMCY,

AND SEMI-WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.

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UBLIC—MAY SPEAK FREE.”—Miuror’s Evripipns.

New Series.

CHARLOTTETOWN, SEPTEMBER 11, 1850.

—-— —-— —-

SORRESPONDENCE.

THE POST OFFICE AFFAIRS. ONE OR THE OTHER. Ma. Entror—

My distant locality prevented me from addressing you before this on the great echeme of Mai! stoppage. I trust you will, however. let me be heard in “ The Examiner.”

Assuming as fact that the prime head ef the British Post Offiee department has legitimate power vested in him to inter- fere with, and controu! the action of, the roland mai!s of this colony, it is neverthe- lesa certain that his Lordship could know very little about our local squabbies, ex- cept by some direct communication from thus pisce; and it is therefore clear, that

somé oficial despatch was transmitted to} bis Lordship, embodying a pecuniary ne- | cessity, demanding the immediate stop- page of those mails ; and hence his Lord- ship’s order for their discontinuance. The foregoing fact being established, a question presents itself, asking—who was the official parent of that vicious despatch? Wasit Mr. Owen who did the evil thing, to serve party purposes and ends? ‘To this interrogatory I answer— no. Mr. Owen was not the originator nor contriver of the noxious paper, and this opinion or conclusion is deduced from the fact of Mr. Owen having, for three months subsequent to the stoppage of the supplies by the Assembly, conti- nued the regular transmission of those Mails, ard satisfied and paid all their concomitant expenses out of the revenue shey produced. Now while this shews that the receipts were equal to the expen- diture, it algo conveys to us Mr. Owen's disposition and wish relative to their transmission. Why, then, the querist asks, did Mr. Owen cease to make up those mails at his office, and why were the carriers sentawayempty? I answer, for thia cogent reason: Sir Donald Camp- bel! waa displeased at the service being performed. He, Sir Donold, was at vari- ance with the Assembly, and he enter- tained the princely desire to thwart and mar the public interest, whenever and wherever he believed, by so doing, it might redotnd to the prejudice and dis- advantage of the Representatives of the people ; and believing he had found a “bitof raw” in the transmission of the inland mails, caused by the suspension of supplies, like any “ blue bottle,” he poun- ced upon it with eager haste; and bullied Mr..Owen, report says, for having per- formed that service. It is even said that that dignified impersonation of Majesty awore lustily on the delicate ocoasion ; but, supposing that sugust personage, flaunting in royal trimmings, incapable cf auch classie flights, pass the cursing by for what it is worth. Now having abewn why the mails were atopped, namely, because of bis Excellency’s dis-

Pleagure, I baye to determine on who

was the originator of the Despatch. As the matter argued stands, we find the Postmaster was not only favourable to continuing the Mails, but, did actually forward them until the highest power in the colony evinced his coarse displeasure against the procedure, and finally was the cause of clesing up that branch of our postal service. Now, if Sir Donald had made no complaints, [ believe the mails would have been still regularly earried; and Sir Donald being the great Inimieal, was the evil germ, therefore, of the vi- cious Despatch, if not the writer or dic- tator of the foul instrument of a petty revenge. Thus, my countrymen, you will readi'y perceive the love our Gover- nor hae for us, in sacrificing our interests if he could, to svpply a morbid appetite of a vindictive epirit ; but, fellow country- men, the time :s not afar off when this clog upon our country’s good shall be called away, or taught to administer his Government by the legitimate action of British constitutional principles, which will be entirely for our common good.

COURIER.

West Cape, August, 1850.

Che Examiner.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1850,

——

SOMETHING FOR THE “ISLAND- ER” TO EXPLAIN.

Tue editorof the Islander is evidently annoyed and alarmed at the declaration for Responsible Government made by the official organ in the number of yesterday week, “From the respectability and semi-official character of the Royal Ga, zette,” says the Islander, “ we are sure that a precise definition cf what it means by the particularly vague expression, ‘Responsible Government,’ would be very acceptable to the public, and. trust that the Gazette will see the propriety of ez- plaining accordingly.”

Notwithstanding all the mystification with which Mr. Maclean has treated the question of Responsible Government, since hi3 reconversion to toryism, we deny that there is any thing vague in the terms. Ifhe bereally desirous of au ex- planation of the principles which these terms comprehend, he will readily obtain it by turning to the pages of De Lolme or to those of any other standard writer on the Britisn Constitution. The Gazette may or may notexplain what ## means, but the public understand sufficiently well that there is really and truly but one kind of Responsible Government,—and that is, the administering the public af- fairs by and with the majority in Par!ia- ment. The majority in Parliament now being adverse to the views of the ruling Clique, Mr. Maclean cannot consent to recognise their eonetitutional power and authority, and labours to impose upon the community a cheat--a patchwork of re- publican forme—which he designate?

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Responsible Government. He spreads this temptingly before the eyes of the editor of the Gazette, in the hope that that pliant gentleman will give to it the benefit of his countenance and approva). If the case were reversed, and the tories had a majority in the Assembly, we should, in all likelihood, find the Islander the most vehement advocate for the Co- lonial system of Responsibility. The “dog in the manger” policy ia the policy of the tories all the world over—Char- lottetown not excepted: that which they cennot enjoy themselves they would fain withhold from others.

It isan the recolleetion of every one, that when discussion was first raised in reference to the question of Responsible Government, the objecgaon mainly urged against its adoption was, that it savoured too much of republicanism, Having been whipped out of that absurdity, the supporters of the Islander, now throw

ah : aside their prejudices against republican forms, and boldly declare for a system chiefly borrowed from the constitution of the neighbouring States, only because they know it is impracticable, and be- cause it may serve as a make-shift against Responsible Government. They may as well save themselves further trouble: the day of reckoning has come, and they are sure to get their change.

It is instructive to observe, that Mr. Maclean has never missed an opportunity since he became the hired advocate of the Oligarchy, of complimenting the men who compose it, and occasionally bestow- ing sly praises on that inestimable system of Government which they uphold, and by whtich they are upheld. In the article above noticed, we find the following words :—

“ Under the late Colonial system,which has not yet been superseded in this Island, every officer, from the Governor down- wards, can very readily be made respon- sible for his deeds--much more readily than under the new.”

So much for the system; new for the men. He says :--

“We certainly consider the present officers of Government vastly superior in abilities and integrity to those who seek their places.”

Contrast these passages with some parts of Mr. Maclean’s letters published in 1843 and 1844, and we find the most flagrant inconsistency of opinion. Writ- ing against the Islander, (the paper of which he is now the editor,) on the 30th of October, 1843, Mr. Maclean observes:

“The course pursued by the faction of which he” (the Islander) “ is an organ, has a direct tendency to alienate the af- fections of the people of this colony from connection with their fatherland, and consequently to accelerate the dismem- bermeut of the British empire.”

The “ course pursued by the faction” being precisely the same ir 1850 as it was in 1843, we are induced to ask, why has not the said faction been held “ responsi- ble” for the evil “deed” of “ alienating

the affections of the people from connec-

Rees

Vol. 1: No. 64

tion with the fatherland”? Whereis the “integrity” of “ the faction” who will persist in euch a “course”? Mr. Mat- lean wrote falsely either in 1843, or he writes falsely now. Let him adopt either horn of the dilemma, and he proves bim- self unworthy of trust.

In Mr. Maclean’s third letter on An- nexation, published om the 20th of Janae, 1844, he saya:

“I am profoundly sensible that the real state of this Ieland is systematically mis represented to the Colonia! Office by the Oligarchy.”

Where, again we ask, 18 the “integri- ty” of a party who will “systemnstically misrepresent the res] atate of the Jeland >” Where is the “ responsibility” to check and make euch “ misrepresentation” void ?

In Mr. Maciean’s eleventh letter on Annexation to Nova Scotie, published October 1, 1544, he says :—

‘T shall now prove that no equal num- ber of men could possibly govern worse than the present Executive ; and that this Oligarchy—this “ Council of ten”—these Decemviri—instead of meriting that res- pect which some of them so urgently and vulgarly claim, have earned and deserve nothing but the bitterest scorn and deep- est execration, of an insulted, betrayed,

oppressed, and ruined country, From a curse of this nature,” &c,

Noman knows better than Mr. Mac. lean that there has been no change in the policy and principles of the Executive— the “Council of ten”—the “ betrayers” and “ oppressors” of their country—from the time he penned the above re- markable passage down to the present moment. Mesers. Haviland, Lane, Good- man, Palmer, Hodgson, are ati!) there. Not one of these Gentlemen has recanted his principles or shewed tie slightest dis- position to recant. If Mr. Maclean couid “prove” that in 1844 no set ofmen could “govern worse,” how can he now claim for them “ integrity” end “respect”? If they deserved the “ bitterest scorn and deepest execration” in 1844, we should like to be informed of the miracu- lous changes in their political conduct, that have called forth the late penegyries of their former reviler. Mr. Maclean ig old enough to form an estimate of human character,—at any rate, he claims the merit of being wonderfully sagacious; yet he has confessed, poor credulous fel- low! that he has laboured under a delu- sion whilst he advocated Responsible Government. Is he forced to confess likewise, that he laboured under a delu- sion when he expressed the deadliest hatred of the “Council of ten” who op-

posed that measure, who “could not’

possibly govern worse,” and whom he now regards with the most fervent love? Dun can! Duncan! thy pen has been thy ruin; hedst thou never writ—at leas¢ in 43 and ’44—we should not have known thee for the fickle ass thou art! May the “Council of ten” forgive thee for all the Kard namee thou hast called them as sin- cerely ag we deplore the grievous fallibil- ity of thy judgment!

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