Lhe Examiner.

AND SEMI-WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER

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“OPHIS IS TRUE LIBERTY WHEN FREE-BORN MEN—HAVING TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC~MAY SPEAK FREE.

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"—-Mitror's Evripipxe.

HARLOTTETOWN, MARCH 23, 1850.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

SEBATH ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE ADDRESS. AFTERNOON SITTING

(Dedete concideed.) Faipay, March Sth.

Mr. Loap observed, that it was unnecessary for him a! (et time to enter at length into the reasons which indaced him to give his support to the motion under soasideration ; es they were to be found in the exposi- wom of his general political principies which he had wade both before and at his election. He stood up wih a Srm determination to lend all the support he was capadtle of giving, to the endeavours which were then ve ing made for the introduction of Responsible Govern- moot, because he thought that the introduction of that system would be beneficis! to the whole body of the

had his mind fully made up as to the vote he would give. He (the honorable and learnec member) thought he knew too much about members, whether oid or new, to entertain a hope that any arguments of his would be found sufficiently powerful and convincing to make con- _ ¥orta of them to his opinions. If the question touching the adoption of Responsible Government were to be discussed at all, he thought the party favourable to its establishment had not chosen either the proper time or proper mode for its introduction. In his opinion, the proper ane parliamentary manner of proceeding with reference to the question, at that time, would have been, in the firat place, to take up, in a formal manner, the Despatch of the ncble Secretary, and then to enter upon the consideration of a Civil List, with a view to ascer- tain how far it would—both with due regard to the re- sources of the Colony, nd the services to be performed by the public officers—be right and just to go, with re- spect to the amount of salaries; aud also to ascertain how they might be able to obviate or overcome what

aceoie of Prince Edward Island.

Mr. Moonry thought no system of Government could | v9 sauch worse than the one in operation in Prince Ed- | wacd Island ; and that, therefore, any change therein ~ould scarcely fail to be for the better. He was, how- ewer, fully convinced of the general and very extensive benefits which would be derived to the people from the adoption of Responsible Government in the Colony ; end he was, therefore prepared, independently of all persona! considerations, to go any constitutional lengths, however extreme, to secure 80 great a boon to the mople.

Mr. Warnsorros pronounced the contemplated mea- an¢a to be so just, that no conscientious sensible man ceald speak against it. At the opening of the Elections ne had fully explained the politica! principles by which, as a public man, he meant to regulate his conduct. He vas fully prepared to support the adoption of extreme msasures, for the attainment of the great object which tee Liberal Party had then in view.

Mr. Davies was of opinion that the arguments which bad just been adduced by Mr. Coles and Mr. Pope were

so eonclusive, in favour of the necessity which existed Sr the introduction of Responsible Government, that he thought it quite impossible for any sersible man con- sisntiously to resist them. He knew that he had very wack disappointed and displeased many of his friends ¥y his having identified himself with the Liberal Party ; dat, convinced as he was, of the justice of their cause, de would not, on account of the disapprobation of his tends, seek occasion to desert them; but would, as he wee fully prepared to do on the present question, sup- port then with whatever ability he possessed, so long sa he should be of opinion that their measures were for ibe general good. , tae

Mr. M'Nxrie eaid the question was one of vital im- portance to the best interests of the Colony ; and his constituents being of opinion that Responsible Govern- @ent would essentially promote those interests, they wed sent him to the Assembly to throw in his might for the furtherance of its attainment, and he would by no means withhold it.

Mr. Faasex observed, that the people, through the metrumentality of their Representatives, had, year after year, been hegping and praying for a reform in the eode of their Government; and had, year after year, been put off with insincere professions and clumsy ex- oases, the Land Question having been generally drag- ped in, as the best to fall back upon. Such e system # Government as that which now prevails in the Colo- ty should have no support from him, but, on the con- wary, hie most hostile opposition. The patience of the people was fairly exhausted, and nothing lese than the wast determined action on the part of their Representa- ‘wes could give them satisfaction; and he, as one of Yoeun, would not hesitate to go to any extreme length for ‘he attainment of the popular object.

Mr. Monrcourrr would support the Amendment to

the Address. He had always been favourable to a

shange in the mode of administering the Government,

ted had supported the moderate measure to that end

“vocated by the majority of the last House: that, how-

tvar, having been refused by the Home Government, he

"a3 now prepared to support the measure defore the

Hon. E. Parwzr then spoke to the following effect: Ke would offer a few words before the question should %¢ put—and they would be few ; for he well knew that Mt&ing he eou!d say in opposition to the course which

majority of the House had indiened as that which ey intended to pursue, would induce one of them to forego hia pre-canceived onsnion. Notonecf them had tahoe bis aout in th. Howse that dey, orcthost having

they conceived to be the difficulties lying in their way. {t ought to have been first clearly stated how far they proposed to carry their measures of reform, and what

the Civil List: but this had not been done. ‘Ihe hon. member who had taken the Jead had set,his course and taken his departure, and must therefore expect to arrive where such course alone could and would carry him. That course, however, appeared io him (the honorable and learned gentleman) to be 2 very imprqperone. By the motion submitted by that honorable member, the House were called upon to request His Excellency to adopt a course of action from which the instructions of Her Majesty’s Colonial Minister entirely precluded him. To proceed in so irregular and unprecedented a manner, was to give the Government a decided advantage. In answer to the compliance urged upon him by the Ad- dress, might they not expect tis Excellency to reply, “ Here you require me to give an unconditional consent to the introduction of Responsible Government. How is it possible for me to comply, when I have the com- mands of my master to the contrary ?” Surely it would

ceeding respectfully to remonstrate, and, after haying explained how far they were prepared to meet the re- quirements made by Marl Grey in his last Despatch, then to say, “So far—with a due regard to the extent of our financial resources, and a fair estimation of the claims to be satisfied out of those resources—we are prepared willingly to go; and the nature and the extent of the concessions we expect in return, we have also clearly set forth in our remonstrance.” But such a course, the majority, in their wisdom, thought it would be unworthy in them to pursue; and all attempts to convince them of the impolicy of that upon which they were entering would, he was convinced, prove altogether useleas. A report, he believed, was current, amongst the advocates of Responsible Government, that His Excel- lency was in the possessien of a private Despatch, au- thorizing him to concede the measure, should it appear to be desired by the great body of the people. With respect to this rumour, he could only say that he knew nothing of the existence of any such document, and firmly believed that there was none such in existence. So far as his knowledge went concerning them, every Despatch relative to the question had been laid before the House. Any busy-body might take it into his head to fabricate and circulate sucha tale, and, with the credulous and suspicious, it would find a ready recep- tion. ‘Ibe advocates for Responsible Government were, perhaps, endeavouring to copy the proceedings of the House of Assembly in Nova Scotia, in their Session of 1848; there, however, it was well known that the Go vernor, by a Despatch in his possession, was inveated with a discretionary power to deal with the question. But here, on the contrary, it appeared by the Despatch just laid before the House, that Her Majesty’s Minister was persisting in his refusal to allow Responsible Go- vernment, or to make any concessions towards the esta- blishment of the Responsible system. How absurd, then, was it in the House, knowing this, to attempt to coerce the Governor, in the situation in which he was placed, into a compliance with their wishes teuching the question. Proceeding as they proposed, and seemed determined to do, what answer could they expect from the Colonial Secretary? Would he not be ready to say, “ You have thrown aside my Despatch, in which I laid down the terms, on your compliance with which I would have been prepared to advise Her Majesty to re- sign to the Colony, in perpetuity, the whole of the Crown Colonia} Revennes; but a full compliance with thoes terme I will ineist upon, and, catil it ehe}) bave

would be the permanent provision for the payment of |

be much better to adopt a more courteous mode of pro- }

VOX. 1.-WO. 15.

been made, it will be quite impossible for me to make the concessions, on the part of Her Majesiy, which hare been promised to you in return for that coimplienee.” The hon. member who had submitted the motion, and

all those who had spoken in support of it, had expressed

themselves in very strong and threatening language.

declaring that, should not the concession which the: sought be immediately made to them, they would po: on their hats, turn their backs upon their duty, and re- turn to their homes without either passing a Revenue Bill or granting the annual supplies. Surely in making such a declaration, they could not have wel] considered who would be the sufferers from the execution of ther threat. The consequences would be that the public roads, bricges, and wharfs, would remain unrepaired, to the great inconvenience of the country; the pauper poor would be left unrelieved ; goods would be imported, duty free, to the amount of many thousends of pounds ; and the ‘T'reasury Chest would soon be completely ex. hausted, Jfhon. members thought that, by withholding the Supplies, they would 80 far embarraws the Executive, as to make it impoesible for them to carry on the Government, he could assure them that many ind- viduals whose judgment and opinions were generally to be depended upon, were of a quite contrary opinion. The stopping of the Supplies was, by no means, an un- constitutional proceeding; and it had not unfrequently been had resource to by the Horse of Commons. Bet it ought to be dorne in mind, that the stopping of the Supplies in a country like Great Britain—the resources of which were so immense—could, in its direct and immediate effects upon the greet interests of the people, have no such disastrous consequences ag would be caused by a similar measure in a country so poor a@ Prince Edward Island. The hon. and jearned member then concluded by saying that, brief as his observations had been, he had gone further than he intended to de on his rising to address the Committee. He knew it was in vain to attempt to turn the majority from the course which they were bent upon pursuing; and, without troubling them with any further observations, he would leave them to take their own way.

Hon. FE. Tuoxnron said, he rose to oppose the Rese- lution before the Committee; but, as his views fully coincided with those which had just been expressed by hig hon. and learned friend the member for Charlotte. town, he would not needlessly consume the time of the Committee by a repitition of them. There was one thing, however, which he would beg leave to say, which was, that, at a proper time, he would be found prepared to go as far, perhaps, for the introduction of Responsib|s Government, ag any hon. member of the majority.

Mr. Havirann declared that he would be ready te support preliminary measures for the introduction of Responsible Government, whenever the question touch- ing the adoption of that system should be brought before the House on its ewn merits and its own proper footing.

After a few further brief observations from Mr. Pepe and Mr Le Lacheur, in support of the course which it appeared the majority of the Houee were determined to pursue, the Chairman put the question on Mr. Coles’s amendmeut, when the Committee divided: Ayes.—Mesers. Coles, Le Lacheur, Warburton, Whelan, Pope, Mooney, Daviee,.Beaton, Flynn, Lord, M‘Neill, Fraser, Laird, Clark, Macdonald, Jardine, Montgomery, Mr. Speaker—18.

Nays—Hon. EB. Paimer, Hon. E. Thornton, Mr. Havilanc—3.

REPORTER’S SUMMARY. Trvaspay, March 21, 1550.

Cavin List Brux.—On motion of Mr. Coles, the Civil Liet Bill was read a second time, and then com. mitted.

House in Commirrer on the Civin List Brrz.— Br the first enaeting Clause, the provision made for the Chief Justice is £700 Currency, per annum during his incumbency, or so long as he shall hold office.

By the second the provision made for any person sue ceeding the Chief Justice in hie office, and to bis see- cessors the sum of £600 Currency per annum.

By the third, for the Master of the Rolls in Chancery and Assistant Judge of the Supreme Court, the sum of £500 Currency anaually so long as be shall hold the said office.

By the fourth, unto the successor of the presont Master of the Rolls and Assistant Judge, and to hae guccessors in office the sum of £400 Curreney annually.

By the fourth, for the present or say fusure Attorney