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Vol. 111.]

DEBATE ON THE SETTLEMENT BILL. WE have only within these few days been furnished with a report ofthe debate which took place in the House of Assembly on the Mill April, on the motion that the Bill to authorize the Crown to purchase the lands and to regulate the settlement at the inhabit- ants of this Island, and to repeal certain parts of the Land Assessment Act, do now pass.

The great importance of the subject to all interested in the peace and prosperity of this Island, will, we trust,justify us in the eyes of our readers, for publishing the debate—probably the most interesting and best sustained which took place during the Session—even at this late period.

Mr. PALMER rose. and said, that as he did not at any former stage of the Bill, take any part in the discussion on its merits, he did not now rise with the intention of detaining the House at any len th with the observations he might make; but as the ill had come to the last stage, aﬁ'ording an opportunity of speaking to it, he wbuld wish it to be understood that he would not for a moment object to the measure it contemplated, of'pur- chasing the lands ofthe proprietors, nor that which would enable the Crown ‘to let or grant them to tenants, or others, upon terms however favourable to them. It was a scheme, he fully admitted, if it were executed, that would prove advantageous to the inhabitants, if for a small sum ofmoney they could change their situations as tenants, to that of freeholders, and he for one would heartily rejoice ifsuch a measure could be accomplished by the presgnt bill, or by any fair method. In giving his reasons for votinga ainst the bill, he would, as far as was possible, abstain from going at length into matters which frequent discussions had already left threadbare. His main inducement was the want ofany reason to be- lieve, that the object in view was attainable—with him- selfit was utterly hopeless. The scheme roposed in the bill was certainly widely different from t e measures oﬁ'ei-ed on behalfof the tenantry, which he had formerly witnessed, and in the same proportion was it less objec- tionable in his view 3 it fairly acknowledged in general, but sufﬁcient terms, that the proprietors are the owners ofthe soil—hitherto this proposition had been constantly and pertinaciousl denied by the chiefsupporters ofthe measure—so far t tan, be (Mr. P.) would say they were now reasonable and just. But he was glad to say more than this was admitted ; they acknowle god the validity a: the land assessment acts, acts which it was hitherto insisted were unconstitutional ; and iﬂes ect of which, some members who never undervalued tlicir opinibns,

~ held to be ille al, because while affecting the whole Is- aand, they, or in the instance ofthe present Act at least, were passed while ‘nearly all the representatives ofone County had incapacitated themselves from voting on them. But however ﬁrmly such opinions have been heretofore adhered to, they are at last wisely abandoned, and these members have now actually ratiﬁed and con- ﬁrmed them; in this they have shewn sounder policy and judgment in the course they have adopted, than ever they did before, ani‘l be (Mr. P.) Spoke sincerely when he said so. But notlii o i'm seemed more i hl i - ,Tmn'nmma . ml: an ormous outla of ca ital as would rcha'se “Mummers of this [slaiid ; could it he Egpected me would do so after what was ex ressed liy the Cole- nia Minister, Lord John Russell, in his despatch, re- corded on our Journals this Session? No! the call for such an expenditure of their money must be urged by some great question of importance. something affecting less or more their Domiiiions. It was liardl his inten- tion, he said, to go into the details ofthe bill,but he must observe, there was not even a sufﬁcient security offered to the government to induce them to entertain the pro- osal. When the purchase is made by them, the land, it would follow, would belong to the Crown ; but we are to say no, the land shall he ours, although purchased with your money ', we shall deprive you of any control over it, ﬁx the prices at which it is to be sold, and main- tain the whole disposal of it. The whole machinery of. the bill hangs upon the ﬁrst clause, which in itself is framed in language too indeﬁnite and general almost to operate ; it morer says the Imperial Government shall be authorized and empowered to purchase the lands, 6w. 'I‘his great power aml authority, he (Mr. Palmer) should humbly conceive they had already ; and who, he would further observe, is the Imperial Government as a con- tracting pay? and indeed who are the Proprietors as another? hey are no incorporated bodv, no association recognized by law; more than no class of ersons, of the same profession as one anot er, or fol owing the “me PUIGUNS. but absolutely independent of the property and busrness nfeach other; no more, he would instance than the Ilttp ownersofnny country, or the inhabitants pf any town. Some of the Proprietors reside here, some In England, some elsewhere; suppose some of them, having poor Land, would be anxious to get rid of it, what provision is there to compel others owning more valuable property to complete the scheme, or what to check or meet their refusal? Suppose they all agree, where are the provisions for Government Agents, or Commissioner to treat with those not residing in Eng- land? The Bill didrnot touch upon the diﬁ‘erenttitlcs or quality ofestate by which many held their land ', for in- stance, life estates, entailed lands, &t:. Then were pur- chasers to be settled as freeliolders on these Estates, what was to become ofthe rights ofremainder men, infants at > resent unborn? Some other parts also of the details of 'the bill, be thought inequitable, but merely aofrom hear- 'ing it read, as be had not, he said, examined it With that care he should have done did he think it would ever be- :come law. Tenants, it appeared, however deeply in ar- rsarofrent, and however little they had ever paid, were entitled to the very some advantages as the honest and Eindiistrious ones who had constantly paid u their rents, ifeven to ' the amount of £100 or £200. ' term often _ years was also intended to be allowed for payment ofthe purchase money ', and all ersons who were in posses- ;aion any space of time be ore the Bill passed, with or wvithout a previous title, even squatters, were entitled to abs same terms of purchase, and durin these ten years, might use the land as they liked, make such proﬁt 1) waste in Timber and wood or depredationsss they coul , and then walk oﬂ‘ clear of their pa ment‘to some other ‘Township, to renew the same specu ation. He (Mr. P.) "was not certain that the defects went to this extent, they fhad merely struck him as he haddipst new board the hi I Head ; it had in fact been alters so much since its ﬁrst :reading,‘that he must allow he did not feel safe in‘urgia .any objection that might have formerly struck him. I‘ however, he was right in his construction ofthern, they .sniuunted to s remium to the man who acts dishon- 'eilly- He .‘IOII hot, however, intrude upon the time .of the Home by tornado on who hath“? 1“ ":0 ff"- tiona in its details, while a was opposed to 3w 3 .199”- The Olly would ne'ver‘in his opinion succeed in ,ob- mining “'0 Clint. of-«mone as desired. from the Home Government: whence be t ought the. Bill inould work much against the interests of the Island. Its object -was IO "in “lid lllu'm')’: it would increase in‘ih’e'minds‘ of the Tenacity those Visionary “pecan”. which have already proved so injurious to thorn, and withdraw than): from moroaolid dtvnluahleteiﬂectipns, an? themsdves from mail snip oy‘inonts. He would be g ad, ' tiara,

. 3w,

. PRINCE EDWARD ISSEAND ADVERTISER.

L J

“—

CHARLOTTETOWN, SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1840.

to join the majority of the House in any address to Her Majesty, pointing out any real grievance that existed Wlll t e .enantry, and any probable means by which her mediation by her Ministers with the proprietors con-

would not hesitate to name the Townships on whtgh such Tenantry were settled, and pray thatit he urged upon the Proprietors to adopt the course prescribed ;,he said he did think a measure of this kind sent home by the House unanimously, and recommended by the Go- vernment here, would be attended , ‘th'etl‘ect. He had,

accede to dictated terms of this nature, but the mode would, he thought, obtain the inﬂuence of tho Home Government, which would not fail to be exercised with gond effect; and he thought the man’who would have conﬁned himself to this course‘would have done more good for the 'I‘enuntrv than anything he expected would ever be obtained by the prdse‘nt Bill, with all its so- lemnity and plausibility. For these reasons then he must vote against this Bill; and not at all that he objected to such a measure being carried. Heaven knows, he said, he was not carried away by such friendly feelin or care for the Proprietors, as to regret seeing them vo untarily art with their lands, even at adisadvantage; but he ookcd at the injury such repeated measures was Work- ing in the Colony, the effects on its agricultural resour- ces, the vitals of its prosperity ; under these considera- tions then he voted against the Bill—he wished his rea- sons to go to the public, as he was upon every question anxious they should, and had therefore to detain the House at this stago of the Bill for such pur ose, not by any means expecting to make a convert to iis opinions. Mr. THOMSON said; in the principle of the Bill be concurred, but he dill'ered widely from its details: how- ever, lie would not object to it (a laugh). 'He would not go home and hear his constituents object to him, that he had divided the House on a question of such weighty importance to the interests of Prince Edward Island. Still he could not but concur with much which had fallen from Mr. Palmer, particularly on the s 't of equity

being reimbursed the sum it might advance. were worth £5 an acre, it should be paid for accordingly. The persons who got the land would have the equiva- lent. This bill has been modelled and remodelled, con- sidered and reconsidered ;it has been Iugged backwards and forwards between this [louse and a certain Oﬂice; and, lo and behold '. we have it here as imperfect as over. Hecould tell them many things that would hap- gen, because he could argue from cause to eﬁ'ect. In the

ill there‘ was an evident want of common sense. The people had already been long kept in misery, and the

ill went to lo alizc their miser for ten years longer. When at sehoo , he had heard 0 ﬁne sense and com- mon sense; but he had always been taught to conside'r common sense as the more valuable ofthe two. The que 'on was, were the people to be settled or not? He won d have honourable members to consider, and outta

be ore a Justice of the Peace about his lands, unless he should comply with this famous Land Settlement Bill, he might be summoned and ejected at once. This was surely bad enough. Again, in one part of the bill the Commissioners were appointed to receive, and, in ano- ther, the Treasurer was appointed to pay. What sort ofblundering was this? How could the Treasurer pay, unless he were to be made a receiver? But this was not all. Blunders thickened upon blunders. The bill, in one place, said the money was to be paid to the Trea- surer; and, in another, it directed that payment should be made to the Commissioners. He had spoken to this before, but was not-deigned a hearing. He thought it would have been perfected and puriﬁed by the opera- tion of the legal furnace through which it had been passed. Another objection he had to the bill was, that he saw nothing in itto prevent the land‘s being sold at more than it might be purchased for. He could not see with whatjustice they could vote £200,010, and the land beside, without making any provision for repayment; however, he Would vote for it (a laugh). It would go to the other end of the building, where. he hoped, it would be more effectually purged from its absurdities than it had been by its passage through the legal furnace to which he had before alluded (a laugh, and hear! hear !) Though the bill was one with which, as it stood, he could not concur, Lord John Russell had said he could not object to the principle or the scheme ofthe bill ; and neither did be (Mr. T.); and should it (the bill before them) fail, be (M. T.) would do his humble best to promote the success ofa Scheme ofa similar nature in another session. But he had always thought the mea- sure would not satisfy: it conceded too much. It was well known that proprietors had taken advantage ofthe improvements of the tenantry, to prevent esclieut. But for escheat he cared nothing. He had long been tired of tlio escheat cockndoodle cry. Dissatisﬁed as be was with the bill in its present shape, he Would vote for sending it to the other end of the building: there, be hoped, it would be improved. It had been engrossed so soon that he had not had time to prepare those amend- ments of which he saw it was susceptible. If the mea- sure should altogether fail this session, he hoped its present nursing fathers would allow persons more capa- ble of bringing it to maturity to undertake the care ofit in the next. (Laughter and cheers.)

Mr. MACINTOIH felt promised happy toﬁnd all around him so mild, so much less inclined to battle and storm, than they had formerly been on similar occasions. ‘ The greatest blunder their opposers saw was, that tlie'Land Tax Bill was not allowed to have its ﬂing. The reason that that land tax bill was considered inequitable, was, thatin the reamble it was stated it was preferred to Escheat. hough they should fail now, be trusted they would'still persevere. They would nev'erget any thipg unless the asked for it. Oppression, though continu ' for a whi e, would and: justice would ﬁnall prevail. It was objected that they wished to make the and their own before they purchased it. He answered that such of. them as were able, Wauld prefer paying for their farms in one year; and if some among them could not, it was only justice- to allow them time. ' It was not like payin rent l'or'forty ears, and then being turned uite out o ossession. hey would be very idle to eed, who, sfier having had their farms free for ten years, could not then pay the purchase. For his part, what- ever might be his ideas, he could ,not. put language together, and, therefore, he would leave the subject to those who were better able to talk. w ‘ '

Mr. Gonna rose andbccupied tbs-attention of the House by a speech of considerable length, and the novel- t ofhisargument certainly excited as gooddesl of mirth.

e regret that we cannot ratify our readers by~ even an outline of his speech; thalamus: haviiig‘ declared his inability to follow hing, , He, “d the: Bill, if-wo

may say so shewmgjis extravagpnce; inasmuch,” it proposed . V g I N ” which, iﬁ lreality, Was worth‘nothi'ng. He made sic: ‘ Jﬂll ofatmo'se 'ﬂtezvlllnlldql‘doﬂ'ﬂlbin .and condemning one Townsh' {titer number. .He said. 99

attempt to'fo ow the honourable' ‘member

it is true, never went the length t' V , that it was any 1‘ thing less than entirely optional with ﬁe Proprietors to

. ; and he would never concur in anything ' which would defeat the Crown in its expectations of' If land’

he ressin an e minis re wrt extreme mm #8” wrrfr‘ny‘ﬁﬂ‘MﬁbillTi‘fa‘ﬁﬁit} were sanitimned p {

:iiflpwing ' a' ' vsluahleeonsideraiion furl at

residuum for George-

£17

as.

._.i

[No. 14.6.

5. They reminded him ofa story which he iad heard "aisluckless apprentice wlm'lmd an ever watchful, hurry a y driving mistress. She was in the habit of, now d then, encouraging her servant with some such

. .

ring speech as this: “ Work hard, mv lad, and so you'll soon be out of your time." So it was with e proprietors and the land-agents. or tenants: “ \Vurk hard, pay your rents, give us all II can, give us all you‘ve got, and then you‘ll soon see

told what a triﬂe we are offering the proprietors for their but we are offering them more than they get first; their agents. single tenant had ever paid a single farthing of rent, and he believed tliet’e was not one among them worth £5. lftliey even found one with a cow, the chances would boagainst in havin pair of mocassiiis. bode cribed as havin been lialfwuslied awa ; indeed, be said, he believed there never had been lial Lots Four and Five he described as being three-fourths arren. Speaking ofkot Ten, he said he would not give his oWn improvemetls for the_vvliole Lot. He spoke of one

out pr rietor living upon his land, who was able to

89-9."!!! log 30 A than a goat. Of the tenants on L0! ElevenJie sai i they paid the quit rents, they ought to‘,be forgiven all other rents: ﬁﬁcen 1housand acres _Were barren. 0n the northern lialfof Lot Twelve there would never be a tenant? he admitted there might be a ﬁlttpyard. On‘Lot Thirteen e (Mr. Gorman) said he litigati- ﬂn Lot Fougteenf b said the were all land- liﬁdeip. There were on that Lot 150 reeliulders, and, . 'porﬁvas tlﬁ soil, that hé thought they w:re not

page is ,. ‘ _ 'r. N owoa'rn than ht the ho rable gentl / o bud linken last, haﬁfuri'shedmguments a :2!

d not jn favour ofthe Bill. They had heard great by " I tpw cafled uppn legalize injutice. He ' old as that the Bill had not-been uite so objection- le. til, honorﬁ-ahle and leurne gentleman, the mber for Belfast, cage into the House. He had opqsed a clause which cancelled all claims ﬁr back- r‘euts."l-He(Mr. L.) would ask, was this no infringement of righ‘b? if all rents Were to be abolished, what would be t‘e worth ofa Township? \Vus the Govern- ment bouill to urehase‘the landseven ifiliu Bill should piss,’ ' him what wouh‘l become of the revenue to be raisedb -it? In these questions were com rised die.ehiéfi_ﬁij ions which he had to make to the lll‘lt

thathihte: The honourable entleinnn concluded by calling 2pc M}. Young to exp ain. ' Mr; 00‘ said, that called upon, as he was, by

the hon. member for Charlottetown, he would cheerfully attain t td'explain that which the hon. member had inysti ed,bz" giving such aoonstrnction to t e enact- ments of t a BI l before the House as he (Mr. L.) had done. 4 Ho ( r.J‘..) had given them such aconﬁdcut " ‘ ' upon—1M l“soleeﬁiict.eofccertain enactments, that he would alinost make the House be- have be was perfectly conversant with legal principles, and that he had most studiously conned over the Com- mentaries ofBlackstone and the Works ofChitty. He (Mr. L.) afﬁrms that the operation ofthe ﬁrst clause would be an infringement of private rights,which be (Mr Y.) most positively denied. Because, when the Proprietor disposes ofhis lands to the Crown at acertain rate per acre, he does not rush into the bargain blind- folded. No? He knows exactly the rents due, the probability of collectihg them, and takes all thatinto account when he completes the sale. Was this then, an infringement of private rights, an unconstitutional enactment? No, Mr. Speaker, it was not, and be (Mr. Y.) would maintain such a measure its ci'fectly consti- tutional, even altlio’ it came, as it did. rom the Consti- tutional Member for Belfast. I-Ie (Mr. L) had said, that the Bill was less objectionable in its original state, than it was since be (Mr. Y ) had come into the House. But when be (Mr. Y.) had examined the Bill minutely, he discovered, that the mere Sale ofthe Lands by the

entry from the oppressive burdens they are now sus- taining, or from the horrors of distraint for rent, unless some such provision as that made in the Bill were in- serted. Why Sir, said be, without this provision, the poor tenant would ’ust he as liable to have the very cow, which nourishes his wife and furnishing cliildren,'seized and taken from him for the arrears of rent which he had

this measure fur,his relief (lieur.) He (Mr. Y.) Would say to those gentlemen, who cry out so lustily andin derision, lleur ! That if they were our tenants in the woods, they would feel rather diﬁi’arently upon this important subject. and would not take the matter quite so coolly as the lion. and learned member for Charlotte- town aiid his lion. colleague appeared to do. He would beg them to remember that the unfortunate tenant has nut-«so many opportunities to enrich himself and make money as. the lion. and learned member for Charlotte- town hris by his lawyer’s fees, or his lion. colleague by selling his merchandise. the ill-used and stru gling tenant, they would not sit quite so quietly under their grievances, nor would they object to such a measure as that now before the l'lnusc, founded as it is, upon legal and constitutional principles. Ifthey really wished, as they say they do, to settle the tenantry and iii an end to agitation, why do they not bring for- war some measure that would have such a desired ten- dency? No, no, that would not suit theui. They can do nothing themselves, and therefore they mustearp and cavil at the measures ofothers. Itis said that the people have no right to complain—that they have entered into lenses with their eyes open—and that therefore they should pay their rents without ,a murmur. But be (Mr. Y.).said. that many of the Tenantr did not know what the were about when they execute and acce led leases, an be thought he could prove it to the ouse. He would suppose a case, and ,consider how emi_ rants be- came tenants. A ship load arrives from Scot and—the Emigrlnts repair to an Agent or a Proprietor, and ask on what terms they can obtain lands. They are told they can get 100 acres at 3d. 6d. 9d. and Is. sterling per acre, ﬁir four successive years; and then at 1s. sterling per acre until the expiration of the lease. 'What! stiys an cmi rant, 100 acres of land at so lowa rate! 6 cannot elieve it. He thinks his fortune is made at once and, in ignorance, little knowing the hardship he has to endure in clearing the forest, and, ignorant ofthe real

lease, and thus puts a yoke upon his neck, from which balconnot easily gat.l'i'ee. The tenant then goes to the

ready to receive him, or at least some preparationun for his accommmlation, but‘ lo! ,bow egregiously ' disappointed. He then, but too_ late, discovers,

town tlirou it his up-and-down-liill hararig'ue. Ho’ did not un erstand him, and he did not think he t‘t'hdorstood himself. The Laird Agents were always ~ ﬁlling them how happy they would be ifihey aid their cerned, would obtain a remedy; and if necessary,he

They say to the iiiw p'onilbrtnble you will be.” (Laughton) \Ve are

()n Lot Ouc, he believed, not a,

Lot Threq

aﬁopt the injuqis'e qﬁpro rietors ; but- b.e th.ght'

Proprietors to the Crown, would not relieve the Ten-

unfortunately incurred, us he was before the devising of

\Vcrc theirs ille condition of

resources of. the Colony, he immediately enters intoa

locuslin qua, expecting to ﬁnd a 'snug‘farm and ‘cottzge a

much he has been'deceived. ‘ He has no means ofr Ho- ﬂag to a more auspicious colony, and havmg entered ' intors lease and being bound-to ’p'ay rent, he can do ' nothing butput his shoulder; to the wheel. He is told that so and so are his‘bosndaries, and he begins, in right good earnest to out down the trees, and make, what ll

called a clearing. At the end of the ﬁrst year, he has perhaps an acre cut down, but no crop in the ground to realise the rent, and what little means he brought with him has been, expended for the support of his lumily. Here, then, is the beginning ofhis burdens. Attlio end of ﬁve years he has, perhaps, byidin't ofexcessivsmdus- try,six or seven acres cut down, but no-cropsin the ground sufﬁcient to ielirtl're rent and support his amin too. The rent, lierefore, is in arrear, and the tenant is in complete bondage. Well then, itis supposed he struggles on, until the expiration of his lease, which

lives. Those proprietors who give their tenants lung leasos at. moderate Ferris are to be extolled, and should have no diliiculty in collecting their rents, but they should also give their tenants power to urt'llﬂﬁe at a. ﬂied rate and valuewitliin a certain speci ed time. it At the end ofhis lease, ho is told, “ now, 'onr least: has ccascd,and you must either quit the limit or give air exorbitant rent.” What does the tenant do? He fools a partiulity for the place he has improved from the native ,bforast into pleasent ﬁelds, by the sweat of his brow, and be naturally feels a warm attachment to the spot More he had spent his youth; and rather then leave it, he agreesto any exorbitant demands that may be made. This is no exaggerated picture, and is of frequent occur- rence. Besides, be frequently has not his full quantity ofland, being sometimes short of thirty or forty acres, but ﬁir such deﬁciency he is obliged to pay the rent, according to the terms of his lease. ‘ sucha state of things as this be ex acted to last? -V : (Mr. Y.) was only astonishedthat t e'peo 18 had orne it so long. But they'now had their eyes (ﬁrmed—the age pfenligli- tonment had arrived, and they would never reﬁnemen- ted until some measure like the present should .be athpted, and until they should be settled as British freemen ought to be. l‘lie oppression under which the army labour is enough to make them discontented, liout “ some few indivrdunls," as is asserted. inciting em to agitation for their own beneﬁt atﬁproﬁt. It is to {tip can the agitation arid disconte , =tliat'ncces‘ surily. ,Qiats in the Colony, that the present Bill as been introduced, and to give the tenant that interest in'the soil which he ought to possess, {The lion. mdtnbcr for Georgetown has, by his deh'ision' hfthis measure, put him (Mr. Y.) in mind ofhis (Mr. Thomsﬁi’s) extraordinary speech.‘ Ile ridicules the ‘whole measure, and says that he disagrees with the Whole details; that it is not what he, in his Wisdom, Wool-d have planned, and yet heﬁ'ys, he will vote for it! what'lie may mean by Jim Crow system, it is iﬁicult to say, and cannot be comprehended any more than ma other of his speeches and his measures. He (ML-’1‘.) learned member for Charlottetown (Mr. Palmer), say, that they would have a opted another scheme, such as an Address to the Throne. But what beneﬁt would that be to the tenant? Would it relieve him from hisrcnt,as this Bill would do, ifit should go into operation? would. an Address be equal to an enactment! 0%, it would not. In place, therefore, oftaking such a circ cient courso,"t;lge ("gunning that at oncclwliicl

es and explanations given by him on the various en- uctmentsin Committee,and on the second reading ofthe Bill, be (Mr. Y.) did not deem it necessary to go through the Bill seriatim. I; contained nothing that was covert or concealed, but was merely what it professed to be, a Bill to settle the Inhabitants ofthis Colony in an equita- ble manner, and thus make them pcaceable and content- ed. As to agitation, it Was stated by an lan.'mFlt\l)0f, that be (Mr. Y.) wished to keep it up; but he denied that such was the,case. He had always said, from the commencement of his political career in this Colony, that he would do all in his power to suppress agitation, and lie repeated it then. This Island prospcrs under its oppres- sion,und be well know how much more rapidly it would progress, were‘its inhabitantscontented. But agitation now exists, will continue to exist, and he must udd,ought to exist, until some measure like the present be adopted, to ameliorate the condition ofthe unfortunate 'l‘enautry.

Mr. Loxcwott'rii read the amendment introduced by Mr. Young, and then observed, that before a bargain could take place between the Crown and the Proprietors, all rent was to be abolished. It was the same as iftley were to enter the honourable and learned gentleman's office, and after abstracting his books from his shelves, then offer to purchase his books. Longworth. what the 'proprictors would really risk. They Would ask twice as much as the worth of their lands. Ofthat we have had a proof to-duy. (Here we believe Mr. L. alluded to the value set on Lennox Island by Mr. Stewart, of London.) And we also know it would not be given.

Mr. Li: LACHEUR said, the honourable mem- ber for Charlottetown had, in fact, said nothing. The honourable member for Georgetown was as unintelligible as the croaking inhabitants of the bugs and fens of his thriving city. As for the honourable and learned member for Charlotte- town, he was able to bring forth the chicken before the egg was laid. He had told them that all had been brought forward before, and that all their claims had been ﬂoored. He had told them that the proprietors’ rights had been acknow-

ledged; and that they were now again vainly

the tenant. He (Mr. Le Laclieur) denied that the bill did any such thing. The Bill did not act at all between proprietor and tenant, but between proprietors and the Crown. The ho- nourable and learned gentleman needed not to be alarmed. There were those at home, mem- bers of the Government, who knew that the Crown had it in its power to establish a Court of Escheats—a remedy which had been too long delayed. They had had an instance before them that day of the unprincipled rapacity of propri- etors, in the generous and disinterested offer of the humane Mr. Stewart, the friend of the wronged and persecuted Indian, and not only of the Indian, but of every settler in Prince Ed- ward Island! He (Mr. Lc Lacheur) did not censure the Crown, but the base advisers of the Crown. They had often had Chitty, by way of ridicule, thrown in their teeth. However, he was not ashamed to refer to him. Chitty said the Crown could do no wrong. Why had the Crown‘uadvisers’l Why, bu; for this—that as the Crown ,was to be sacredly exempt from the im. puts of wrong, its advisers might beheld a‘ bleto justice. As a' Colony, justice had beengross‘ly, withheld from the people of this Island. Their insigniﬁcance was the cause.

may be twenty-one years, or a lease .of two or three ‘

cb cunduct, by such a jump ‘

andsalso the lion. and -

ous and in ', , _ 935s; eventually have con adopted. After the several speeché‘ik.

We know, said Mr. '

endeavouring to step between the proprietor and

sis.