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HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

Frioay, March 8. HOUSE IN COMMITTEE UPON THE ADDRESS IN REPLY TO HIS EXCELLENCY’S SPEECH.

The draft of the Address which had been prepared by he Committee appointed for that purpose, was unanri- nously adopted. {t is merely an echo of the Speech ; ind it has, therefore, been thought unnecessary to insert it.in this Report.

AMENDMENT TO THE AppREss.—The House having

»een resumed, and the Address reported agreed to, as ‘he honorable Speaker was about to put the question ‘hereon, Mr. Cogs rose to propose an additien to the \ddress. The honorable member commenced by ob- verving that the time was arrived when it was become necessary for the Legislature to speak in more positive recms to the Executive than they had hitherto done. It was long since the popular Branch of the Legislature vad ceased to have any confidence in the Executive, al- though they had continued to do business with it. The vtnorable member then read the amendment which he proposed to submit, and which appeared in Saturday’s ~ Examiner.”

‘he honorable member then proceeded to observe, that

im proposing the amendment, he was actuated by a desire to give a Constitution to the Government of the Island. That the Colony, he continued, had had a Go- vernment without a Constitution had Jong been felt; anid it was long since the Representatives of the people set themselves seriously to work to remedy the defect. Their success, indeed, he admitted, had fallen very far short of what they sought to accomplish : they had, how- ever, achieved something. The separation of the Execu- tive and Legislative Councils, formerly united in one body, he considered to be the first partial triumph. The honorable member then proceeded tae show how House after House had been baffled in their attempts to effect a reformation in the Government by means, at one time, of a vote of want of confidence in the Executive, and, at another, by an Address tothe Sovereign, setting forth the grievances of the people, and praying for redress. Their Addresses, he remarked, were indeed replied to, but the answers were always indefinite; and could not, therefore, possibly result in any effect beneficial to the people, in fact they never effected any thing, but merely left the state and management of the affairs of the Co- fony as they were. The honorable member then pro- ceeded to take a comprehensive and general review of what had been vainly, in a great measure, although strenuously and consistently attempted by the Repre- sentative body, for the introduction into the Colony ofa truly British Constitutional form of Government, in op- position to the parties in power here, who had, up to the present moment, been always too successful in procuring the aid and countenance of the Imperial Government, in support of the exercise and maintenance of their uncon- atitutional authority and privileges. The honorable member commenced his review by reading the fourth, nfth, and sixth of a series of Resolutions agreed te by ihe House of Assembly in 1840, and afterwards carried into effect by an Address to Her Majesty on the state of the Colony, and expressive of want of confidence in the Executive and Legislative Councils, agreed to by the Mouse of Assembly in 1840, and duly transmitted home. The first paragraph read by the honorable member (the fourth in the Address) is as follows :—* Resalved, ‘Uhat the people of thts Island can have no confidence in the Executive Government of this Colony, so long as the Agents of Proprietors are appointed to fill the princi- pal offices therein, such ag the Colonial Secretary, Trea- surer, Surveyor General, and Attornéy General, (all of whom possess, besides, a large family influence in the iwxecutive Council) and also such as the Solicitor Gene- ral—because it is well kno-vn that Land Agents derive ‘he greatest personal benetit from the large proprietory grants, and, in consequence thereof, fis naturally the interest of the Executive Council, by its unfortunate construction, to misrepresent to the Home Government, and even to the absentee “Proprietors, the true state of nie Colony, and thereby prevent an equitable settlement of the inhabitants thereon, upon just and proper prin- ciples,” ‘Che honorable member then read the principal part of the Despatch which, in answer to the Address, was sont out to the Lieutenant Governor, Sir C. A. Fitz Roy, vy Lord John Russell. The portion read by the honor- vole member is as follows :—* I have also rece:ved the Resolutions of the Assembly, complaining of the con- struction of the Legialative and Executive Councils, to- sether with the counter Resolutions of the Legislative ‘eineil to that complaint. — Having Jaid before the ‘dicen the Addgesa of the Hlouec of Assem!y, Her

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Majesty has commanded me to instruct you to acquaint the House, that she learns with regret that the question of the Lands in Prince Edward Island continues to dis- turb the peace of the Colony.” (Here the honorable member begged the Committee to obsetve how artfully the vote of no‘ confidence was set aside to introduce the distracting subject of the Land question; and again resumed his reading.) “Although this question origi- nates in motives of private interest, shared equally by Landlords and Tenants, it assumes, in effect, the cha- racter of a public question, and as such must be treated, It is Her Majesty’s earrest desire to remove every just cause of complaint in all parts of her dominions. Her Majesty has been accordingly pledsed to desire me to enter into communication with the resident Proprietors in this Country, with a view to learn whether, by any further proposition on their part, means may be found to determine a question which has for so long a period agi- tated the Colony. After a careful examination of the several Resolutions which accompanied your Despatch, it is my duty to declare that I do not see that adequate reasons exist for the immediate reconstruction of the Councils.” The honorable member continued to read to the end of the Despatch, which this concludes: “The allegation of undue weight in the Council, in favor of the landed Proprietors, thus appears to me not te be sustained. On that ground, therefore, I would not de- sire that any alteration should be made in either of the Councils” The honorable member then observed that this Despatch, and many similar ones, by which it was clearly shewn that the counter Resolutions of the go- verning and obstructive party were always sufficient to render nugatory the Resolutions and representations of the popular branch of the Legislature in favor of consti- tational reform, ¢cither in the Legislative or Executive departments, or for the redress of any of the grievances of the people ; and ought surely to be sufficient to con- vince the oes and the people that they could have nothing to expect from any further trial of that civil, tame, and submissive policy which dictated, as the only proper course to be pursued, the reiteration of appeals to the Crown, through the office of the Colonial Secretary, in the shape of respectful Addresses and humble Pett- tions. Such Addresses and Petitions the House and Country well knew, by woful experience, shad never

been allowed to have their due weight in the estimation of the Colonial Secretary, whose judgment respecting | them had always been biassed by the ceunter representa- | tions of parties, both here and in the ‘old country, the | maintenance of whose private interests depended upon the maintenance of the abuses, vainly, althouch loudly complained of by the people and their Representatives. Now, however, was happily arrived the time when the | House of Assembly, supported by the people, were, al- most toa man, prepared and determined to take new and more commanding ground, and with firm resolution and an imposing front, to demand for this Colony, as its undeniable: night—based not only upon their claim to the birth-right of British subjects, but also resting upon the amount of its population, and the intelligence of the people—the advantages of such a Constitution as that which had been granted to Canatia. ‘The House, he re- joiced to know, were fully convinced of the inutility of seeking redress of grievances for the people, or reform of government, by means of Addresses; and were‘de- termined that—should their plain and direct, but-respect- ful remonstrances and most reasonable demand for that measure of subsntatial justice, lately awarded to the neighbouring Provinces by the Honte Government, be disregarded and demied-~they would withhold the sup- plies and cease to do any business with the Executive ; fully convinced that the issue of such a proceeding, on their part, would be the full recognition and establish- ment of the Constitutional rights and privileges of the peo- ple of Prince Edward Island. The honorable member then referred to the two Resolutions adopted by the House of Assembly in the Session of 1846, and to an Address to Her Majesty, founded thereon, and trans- mitted Home by the Lieutenant Governor. By the first of these Resolutions, the House declared that “ The ad- visers of the Representative of the Sovereign, consti- tuting a Provincial Administrativn under him, ought to be men Possessed of the confidence of the Representa- tives‘of the people ;” and the second was, “ That in or- der to preserve, between the different branches of the Provincial Parliament, that harmony which is essential to the peace, welfare, and goc _ sovernment of the Co- lony, the advisers ef the Representative of the Sovereign constituting a Provincial Administration under him, ought to-be men possessed of the confidence of the Re- presentatives of the people.” Now, continued the honor-

able member, these Resolutions were most respecttully | ; submitted to and enferced wpen the consideration of Her _

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: Wo. X.-#9. 12,

Majesty ; but with what little success, sppeared by the Despatch addressed in answer thereto, ty the Colonial Secretary, the Right Honorable W. B. Gladstone, to the Lieutenant Governor, Sir H. V. Huntley.—That De- spatch, like every other received from the Coloniai Office in Downing Street, was indefinite, obscure, and ‘con- tradietory. The honorable mémber then read the se- cond paragraph of the Despatch which is as follows :-— “{ have received the Queen’s commande to direct you to convey to the House of Assembly the assurance, that it is Her Majesty’s desire, that the officer administering the Government of Prince Edward Island, and that all the sebordinate officers otha: Government, should me- rit and obtain (as it is her Majesty’s injunction thet they should cultivate) the-confidence of the Representatives of the people inhabiting the Island, by every re which can be pursued for that purpose, cofmstently with their duty tathe Crown, and the colonists at large.’ Now, said the hon. member, bearing in mind that thiss

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‘Was an answer to an Address to the Queen, praying

that Her Majesty would be graciously pleased to give directions to His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor,

‘to carry into effect the principles of Responsible Go-

was net therein an express sanction and au

the Lieutenant Governor to introduce the —— sponsible, Government:as a measure whic might be pursued consistently, with his duty te the Crown and the Colonists at large; and by furthering the establish- ment of which, he might justly hope to merig. and 6b- tain the confidence of the Representatives of the Peo- ple. But was Responsible Government cither granted or intended to be granted to the Colony by that- Bes- patch ? No, it was not; and-the next paragraph would clearly preve that nothing could be more foreign to the intentions of the Right Hon. Secretary for the Colonies, than that the benefit of the Responsible system should be extended’to the peopte of Prince Edward Island ; however he might fletter ‘them with assurances of Her Majesty’s désire-that the ‘government should be ad- ministered im accordance with the well-understood wishes of the people, as expressed through their Re- presentatives in Colonial Parliament assembled. The hon, member than rend the third paragraph of the Des- patch as follows :”~+Referring to those passages of the Address, in which certain claims are founded on prin- ciples said to be admitted, and usages which are said to be observed in the administration of the Government of Canada, Her Majesty further commands me te direct you to call the attention of the House of Assembly ‘to the fact of the wide distinctions subsisting between Canada and Prince Edward Island, both in what regards the fundamental rules ofthe constitution of the two countries, and in what regards the sources whence’the charges of taeir respective Governments are defrayed —a dissimilarity which Her Majesty considers as ‘con- clusive against the general inference or assnmption, that either Colony is entitled to claim the benefit of any particular usage, which it may be desirous to adopt and bortow from the other.”

This paragraph observed the hon. member, is dtrectly contradictory of the former, ‘and clearly proves ‘the in- sincerity with which the former was penned; but he would Jet that pass withott furteer comment: the insit- cerity and duplicity which had dictated the generality of the Depatches, addressed to the successive Governors of this Colony, and affecting the general interests of the people, was a fact clearly deducible from an attentive perusal of them; and it required “no great exértion ‘or prolixity on his .part to prove that the acknowledged privileges of the House of Assembly had been contin- ually assailed, by a party long dominant in the Colony,

vernment; whorean be found to maintain that there 'y to Re-

and that their measures for securing the rights, ternov- ©

ing the grievances, and furthering the improvement ‘of the Colony, had been thwarted by their influence at the Colonial Office in Downing Street. Up to the date of the Despatch which he had just read, the 28th May, 181G, the replies which had been transmitted to the Colony, in answer to the Addrésses of the Representa- tives of the people to the, Sovereign, praying for a redress of the people’s’ grievances, were all, indeed, sufficiently vague, indeterminate, tantalizing, and irrita- ting ; but not one except that addressed by Fiarl Grey tp His maoeneene on een of oe overnment, bearing date Ist January, cou bear the interpretaion which had indignantly and justly been put upon it by the late House of Assembly, and he believed, by nearly every man of the Colony who had read it—accurding to which it had been prononne- ‘ed a studied and direct insult to the whole body of the inhabitants of the Colony, to the People at larce and their Representatives, without distinction, By thas Despatch, the people of the Colony wére plainly told

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