cet teste ts sere

CORRESPODENCE, |

— re eee ee,

lo tus Eprror or tas EXAMINER.

Deak Sias—A few days ago [ forwarded | the following to the /era/d for publication. | The thing who has the management of that | eheet finding it rather pointed rod outspoken | did not deem it expedient to com ply with my} request, but ordered one of bis Uv, dey See | rifart s to return the communication to me) with a short aute, nol pust pad of course. | Mr. Reilly thought he was giving me a} murdervus broadside when he advised me to | send it to the Little Joder. Although the} subjectot my communication to hiun--Edward Rieily—is one peculiarly adapted to the co- jamns of the Lattle Joker, yet | do not feel | disposed to gratify he morbid craving of | worldly honor by allowing him to figure in| itscolumns. {shall give my communication pubiieity in another paper, where its con-| tents shall net be considered as jokes, but as |

facis which should cause any man, even the | he weuld fill the vacuum inthe Executive Council | geration would seeure a splendid market and to hide his face | of this Island.

publisher of a Vindicator, trom publee view. I retaain, Sit, yours trul

IL. FLEFCHER |

Orwell Mills, Jan. 6th, i865. For Ts Ueracp.

Mr. Retity :— some time ago I received a number of the Herald, forwarded * with the compliments of the Editor, W. W. Sullivan.”’ Sinee then L have learned that you are its Editor and not he. As t have received six or seven copies regularly since that time, without the ** compliments of the Eaitor,”’ A may fairly presume that 1 am one of your subscribers. I would cheerfully continue a subscriber to your paper for several reasons, among others, the arguments you have urged against the Union of the Colonies are, in the main, in accordance with my own views upon that subject. But [ have a strong reasen fur dwcuntinuing your paper, and it is this;

Reason— You have deviated from your ex- preseed purpose of continaing the cuotroversy without descending to thatabsndoned practice vf personal abuse. You were to vanquish your enemies, if { andeestood you aright, by sound argument and effective lugic. But you

| bela of the state, it would be exceedingly grati- tying if the Honorable Gentleman's modesty would | sold atlower rates to the econsumer and at

}

To THe Evrrok ov THe Examiner. | disposition of the products of nature pro- claims the interchange of commodities as the design of the Creator. Scienee and art faci. litate such exchanges, and why should man, himself confessedly interested in them, make the transactions more complicated and difficult than they otherwise would be? Passing from the abstract question to its conercte realities, let us enquire in what way Free [rade would be likely to operate within the domain of Confederation? Despite the heavy opposing tariff of the five Provinces, the jvalue of the manufactured articles now im- |ported from England and the United States Beer, as a most reliable and persoually disinter- amounts ennually toa very large sum of mo- ested statesman ; nay, a patriet whose country’s | 2°Y- Very many of them could be manu- good is the sule fuleruin of his action; and as all | actared im any of the Provinces. They are velieve that he is the man to hold and direct the | Mow Sold at @ profit. Under Free Trade, in the case of local manulactures, they could be

IMPORTANL ULTIMATUM.

Sir ;—The Honorable George Beer has been pleased te announce im the Islander of the Wth instant, the conditions upon which Ae, on behalt of Prinee Edwagd Island, would. enter the pro- posed confederation of the British North American Colonies. This ultimatum of the Honorable Gentleman is matter of much general satistac- tion, as fixing the action P. E. Island wil! take in the all absorbing Union question. And in this ultime.tuin, the publie voice declares that the criss has produced in Mr. Beer the man equal ‘O statesmanly acquirements to the occasion.

All eyes are fixed upon the Honorable George

permit huw to inform the public upon what terms | greater profit to the manufacturer. As Fe-

la re ive price, i PCL EsGss2. |e remunerative price, in a country lightly - tere [PoR THE EXAMINER. ] SUMMERSIDE TOWN TALK. ,

lin favor of Free Trade. The providential

—_

he moderation of 1t8 —after referring, « pounds, shillings and pence ew us diseoutses Upon the question mn e spirit with which it

ne in a recent article, to | questions a

the mere the subject, th the large and statesman lik

o be regarded :-—

P ke bus cavil about a few cents per head in a question where #@ Many important Inter- eats are involved, aot where the results are ‘calculated to affect w vitally the future of these Nerth American Colonies? The matter should be regarded from a higher stand point than that of a few additional cepts per head of indirect taxes. The signs of the times portend an early change in the position of these Provinces. What that change shall be is within the power of the people themselves to determine. Admitting, as all will, that we cannot muchlonger remain in our present isolated conditia on the Confines of a warlike neighbor, will different tariffs, different ‘laws, and diffrent currency, there are but two alternativs open for us, one or the other

jtaxed, as compared with others, whether! of which we ust chuose at no distant day—

European or American, and in which food is we must eithr drift into **the maw of the | Comparatively cheap, manufactures weuld be| great democney,’” or we must become a |@ sure result of Federation, ‘They would at- | consvlidated government, acknowledging al-

The talk is now for and against the Union | tract local capital ; they would attract Eng-| legianee to the Sovereign of the British

lof the Colonies. The talk is about the} lish capital; they would attract American }meetings which took place in Brown's Hall, | capital, for material interests carry the day j}to discuss the merits of the Union. The | John Bull may experience a shivering sensa- |talk is that the silly **Lown Talk’’ in Ross's | tion as he thinks of the frost and snows of

| Weekly is only fit for the columns of the | British America; the American may prefer)

|

| Little Joker. The talk is that when the) the new life of a great Republic to the histo- | Weekly relers to meetings at Summerside, | Tic associations which constitute a venerable ihe ought to have something better than Town | constitutional monarchy ; but let it be made | talk for his authority. | clear to the Euglishman that he may have The talk is that the people here have in-| ample seeurity and ample profits in the new telligence and independence enough to talk } smpire, and to the American that he can good common sense, without any assistance | enjoy, under the British flag, nearly all the jfrom the Weekly, the Little Jeker, or the | advantages which the American Union af- ) Seeretary. |forded prior to the war, with only a very The talk is that the Seeretary knew no! small portion of its burdens, and the Eng- more of the meeting here than Ross does) lishiman will forget all about the cold of New about the man in the moon, srunswick and the American give up the stars That the gentleman alluded to as the | aad stripes, and both will be found entering ** Prince of Merchants” did not eountenance| into a trading partnership under the aus- the moeting; that he is an anti-Unionist, pices of the new Confederation. and that every pryprietor on the Island is} It is wlmitted that the political and com- against it, {mereial union of the Lower Provinces, by

—er whoever may be the Editor—have utter- iy lost sight of this wise resvlatioa. The example taught you by the fate of the late Vindicator should have been ampty sufficient to sutisiy you that no journal can be accept- wble te the reader, and consequently long. lived, ualess it disclaims meadacity and vili- fication, and adheres to truth and justice. 1 evusider that | would be doing wrong in sup- porting the Herald or any other paper that would drag such men as Whelan, Ilaviland and Gray—men whose names you well may

eavy—over your editorial arena, and there |

abuse them to the utmost of your feeble might, | believe that the proposed federation of British America would prove injurious to P. E. Island, that is, according tu the con-

Tbe talk is that that being the case, how increasing the market for manufactured could Palmer be in fayour of it, seeing that | goods, would give an immense stumalus to

; tenantry. There is some further talk about Palmer’s| Canada will, indeed, sell to us, but we shali | inconsistency. also sell to Canada. The ramifications of ‘The true talk is that the people in general trade are truly wonderful, especially as re- jare in want of information upon the **Union | garde the lighter wares. ( ee ; and the latest talk is that those | ago standing for a few moments in a whole-

—

n want of knowledge will receive very little | Sale boot and shoe store in New York, we!

jim Ross's Week/y or the Little Joker, and | saw cases of goods dispetohed to some of the ‘chat the Little Joker ought to be called the | most distant cities of the |** Great Humbuy.”’

| swered by a young gentleman from St. John,)

| Che & xyaminer. {we learned that the cost of transit by ex-

|press would only add a very few cents per ~| pair to the cost of a pair of boots, leaving a

Vi

jand, on enguiry (an enquiry which was ap-|

ditions contained in the Report uf th 3 Quebee Charlottetown, January 16, 1865. Conference. Yet, 1 do not, and cannot be- | lieve that either of these yentlemen would |”

—_w™~

as. hs Sh Allene eis

—

country. I believe them to be consistent io ' its aly Swall and narrow minds | COLONIAL CONFEDERATION. t minds that would think little of selling our i —e ye rights aed liberties for a mess of pottage— | NEARLY all the Provincial papers, ofall shade z are the oaly vues oon of harbouring such | of politics, clerical and secular, continue to devot ¥ ‘ an evil sespicion. No honest persoa would large portions of their space to the discussiun of | way carriage.

by wacquivical testimony. It is really am-|

previously opposed to it, in Nuva Seotia and New

j large margin fer profit. Foreign capitalists |in selecting a locality would naturally pre- fer & maritime port to an inland city ; they

katowing!y sacrifice the interests of their, P{J BLIC OPINION ON ‘would choose Halifax and St. Joho in pre-

lference to ** semi-annual’? maritime | cities of Montreal, Quebec, or Toronto. The _|inerease of manufactures implies the in- *|ecrease of wealth and population, and also © | increased need for shipping, as well as rail- L¢€ duties shall be imposed on

the

dream of the thought unless it was supported | 11,4 ruderation question.—Journalists that were | Ships’ materials, as New Brunswick with a them to do so we leaye time to determine.”

; swnall tariff against ber own excels Canada

é : 2 '

a FA tee

SES

Se, ss eit

usiag to hear you accusing others of being |

‘so very venumous mendaewus and un- Brunswick, are now rauked amongst its ablest

scrupulous.’ It forcibly reminds one of the ~ Devil reproving sinners,” Notwithstanding the assertion of Vormice- like—Palmer-o{ — Toronto-Dejeuner ~ consist-

eney, to the contrary, bas been the unflineh- }°

ing supporter of Tenant's rights. He has

had @ large share in introducing and secaring | conducted with ability, which every one must al-| interests will pot suffer. tu ua many of the noblest reforime and cher- | low, aod commanding a certain degree of iuflu- population in the commercial centres will |

ished privileges which we possess. He has been battling with our Island Dormice for boons which we now enjoy, while you were scampering over the streets alike regardless

of our ** rights and liberties,’’ and the suc- at the head of the movement in Néw Brunswick | The

eess of the measares for which he contended, To him you owe, in a great measure, the

swettering knowledge of pulitical science |

whieh you possess. Our best measures were wdvocated in his press, and defended by him ia Parliaraent. Lis brilliant pen, his effective oratory bas been cheerfully brought to bear against existing abuses that cried loudly for redress. Yet, torsooth, this isthe man whom you, the publisher of a paper universally de- nominated * the foul-muuthed sheet,’’ have dared to denounce as a traitor to his country !

Thie is the man which your ** envenomed °’ | [sland included) — was also amongst those jour- |

peo has cautioned the country to beware of!! It appears, Sir, from the general tenor of your writings that you are not conscious of having vilified Mr. Whelan. You appear tu imagine that you are at liberty tocail others whatever your vocabulary of cuarseness may suggest. Yet net ome sharp word must be | given in retura. You cun tell an bonvst man | that he is guilty of ** equivucation, eliuffling, | misrepreseatetion, and inconsistency,’’ and | all this, too, without a shadow of proof. Yet! eathing must be said in reply. /f pure | Paes prompted you to tuke the anti-| Joion side cf the question, you at least! would be expected to use argumentative lan- guage and truth, and not ridicule and dog-| matiem. What have you gained by telling the world that Mr. Whbelau assured |i1s read | ers that be was just about beginning to study | the subject of Confederation? What nave you gained by intorming your readers that Cul. Gray signed the Report on Sunday? You heave gained such a notoriety, that, no} matter how true may be the general part of |

your editorials, peuple will nut know whether to face the quesiivn of sel{-defence, w hether |

to believe them or nut.

lin ship-building, with that odds in fayor of

or jadvocates. The whole of the religious press o

Mr. W helan— | Halifus is in favour of the measure, and the secu-) without the duty.

} | same side.

r

is n@arly similar. The only paper ia that city

lence, which offers strong opposition to Confede

ration, is the Freeman.

imore than he does Confederation itself. | Globe, of St. John, was at first strongly opposed to it; but it is rapidly toning down; the Telegraph, of the same city, was alsu a strong opponent; but its able editors are daily giving abundant reason ito believe that they will very seon become the }most entivsiastic advocates of Confederation. | The Colonial Preshyterian—a journal which influ-

ences the opinions of a very Jarge portion of the

inhabitants of all the Colories, (Prince Edward

|uals which, at the outset, teok an unfavourable lview of Confederation. The Colonial Preshyte- rian, Whose editor wields an able and skilful pen, lis now oue of the ablest advocates of the measure. Iu an article recently published by the Presbyte- rian, eutitled * Federation in its Financial, Com- mercial and Political Aspects,” the editor alludes to the fact that the Delegates hitherte have been merely acting on the defensive, and dealiug with sectional questions, leaving undiscussed the broad and comprebeusive aspects which the whole sub-

ject presents. The Colonial Presbyterian reme-| the efforts, blight the hopes, or quench the | Government of the Colony. ‘dies this defect in the discussions by the fullowing | 8pitations of futare freemen,

well written observations :—

** We are, by supposition, giving up what way be calied a certainty, nawely, our ever increasing customs’ aad vther duties, for a com parative uncertainty, namely, the benefits

of Federation, reserving, however, ao allow- |

ance sufficient fur present purposes. Yet, it should not be forgotten that if it be necessary

at the instance of England, or moved by the

The Hon. Col. Gray aad Mr. UB wiland danger of cullision with the United States,

have also come in for a fair share of your fuyourite weapon — abuse. Both these | yentiemen the country believes to be consés- | teat advocates of Union. Ask the most! bigotted liberal on the Island who he believes | to be the must cons stent, the most Lenuur- | able, the must sealuus friends uf the people on the conservative side of the House, and he will at once tell you Gray and Haviland. Yet, with you, these men are inconsistent, aod altogether unworthy of public cuniidence. Strange that Mr. Pope escapes 80 well the) ire of your bitter pen. Whether Whelan, Gray, ilaviland or Pope are right in think- ing the Union a benefit to the Island or not, ons thing at least must be said in their fa- vor, and that is, they acted honestly and straightlorward throughout. They told the Cacadians what they thought of their coun- try, !aws, customs, resources and advantages, aad of the contemplated Union; and what they told the Canadiaus they would do, they are now doing honestly. This evaduct eon- trasts beautifully with that of anotber indi- vidual who pretended that he loved Canada, that he admired Ler people, her greatness, her megnitude, ber intellectual ascendancy, aod vb | how he would urge upon the gs euple of bis own loved Isle the vecessity and wisduw | of throwing in ber lot with such a wag niti- eentevuntry. But lo! the tune is changed. | 1 yot what I wanted, | got myself filled with | wiae, with the good things of this lle; i} have been Lospitubly entertained, aad had a | lorious time of it. Canada, go to the dogs ; | Fass new home, and can live without you! Will oot Canada

Suange cvasistency !! ery aloud— * Hie lowe was last, his friewdstip all a cheat, Jlis siuiles hypocrisy, Lis words deceit.” Mr. Puimer may talk about review ing his | political acts aod measares, which have cun- | ferred so much benefit upon the a ee ad weighing them against Mr. Whelan s fie may save himeeclf the trouble. We know wel enough who it was that opposed the | greatest boon ever conferred upon the ten- | uotry—Pree Education; who it wos that) oppused every measure the least uplavorable | #y the landlord; who would have denied us| the right of self-government; who assisted | an thwarting the pasasge of the ‘Tenants’ | Compeveation Bill; and who was ewer ready — to ery aloud that the ‘time dad not arrived” whee @ reform was bout to take plaice, .. Mow, Su. fur the present d «nclade. Whee d shall have received the Mexad for a quarter, you will farward your bill, aud dis- | eyounue sending it any lounger, But,| would Tather tat i were stupped at once, for | eaonot bear to eneourage a papersthat would Siacken and vilify the character of the fejond of the people. 1 will clowe by invite isg your attention to the good old at Latio | truwun——"Cancs tevude vehementeus litrane.”’ Yours as ever, J.H FLETCIER. | @rwell Mills, Dee. 20h, L864.

we ean hardly call anything certain se lung as this question of sell-defence is nut settled. We notice this matter, at present, only in its fiscal and commercial bearings ; we miyhé

be better off, as regards defence, under Fede- | ration, and we could not be worse than at!

present. What, then, would be our financial aod commercial prospects ander Federation ? would there be any likelihood that we evuld deal with our debt more easily, and thus have

movey for local improvements, or that the!

volume of our Commercial transactions would

be so increased as that we cuuld afford vur |

new establisument? To the first question we way reply, that should the Conlederate Go- vernment be established on a firw basis, and be able tu impart a feeling of security to Eu- rupeaa capitalists, 16 might deal with its fi- nance in a Way which seperate Provinces evuld hadly expeet tu de. surprising to see Mr. Galt convert the six per ceat debentures into five per vents, thus getting rid of a sixth of the entire interest, and eventually extinguishing a proportivaate principal sum. Nos only sv, but the Govern-

ment, Whose rightful prerogative it would |

be to deal with the currency, and whose ere- dit ought to be as good in its own dumain as in foveign countries, might, in a few yeurs, greatly reduce the debt in a perfectly legiti- mate manner It might make its debentures the security basis, under a uniforw system of banking (saving all existing interests), and thus give a curreney of uniform yulue tu every curner of the Confederation ; and since the State would have as goud a right to the use of its own eredit as any Company deriv- ing its right to issue notes by a charter from the State, it wight supply 4 certain propor- tion of the currency absulutely required for commercial purposes, and so far as it might do sv, it would either virtually extinguish so much debt, or provide fuods fur the de- velopement gi the Cuatederacy. Lt is con- fidence that :s mainly needed to float a cur- reney, and make its redemption not desirable by the holder, und we could neither ask nor obtain better eecurity than that which pledges Uae revenues of the State fur the pay- ment of doe interest on its debt. It is only the wast and utterly disproportionate issue of Uuited States currency, consequent va the almost uuprecedented waste of war, that tus caused its deprecittion. As it is, in the hands of men of we yrity and ability, at the bela of affairs, that curreney of uvilorm va- lue may yet prove # yust oational boon When the state is gone all is gone ; aud while it remains all is secure ; ite debts are spe- eially secure, if the State aa obtain capital dzeely for the development of ite material re- sources, without imposing iatulerable bur- dens ag the peoyle. To the eeeond quesuun we answer, generally, that the wisdow of the polieywf Free Trade as aguinet protec- tlun (opposing taritis being virtually of a protec me character), is nut now an o qguest.ea.

VE Cheese Cree erpanty ~

| ‘ar press, with one or twu exceptious, is on the | build ships under more favorable cireum- In St. Joha, N. Brunswick, the case |

Lut we are inclined to think the Editor of the Freeman dislikes the men

lt would not be |

ise ll

the latter, she will surpass her, when they ‘}are placed on equality, whether with or No other nation can}

If manu- | faetures increase, and ships can be built to| jmake a profit, the farmer can see that his| The increase of

| Stances than the Confederation.

give him more customers, and at better prices, for his butter, beef, perk, grain, po- tatoes and everything he bas to sell: he will | undoubtedly pay more taxes in course o! | time, but if bis real estate becomes more and more valuable; if he can, as tens of |

thoesands of farmers will, hear the sound ot | the snurtings of the railway horse, as he

courses between Halifax and Bangor, or be-

tween St. John and Quebec, at no vast dis- | tance in miles from his dwelling, may it|

not be worth his while to pay for bis intro- duction to the privileges ot civilized lile, in- cluding taxaciva itsell ?

lo a political point of view every one will admit that, other things being equal, union, | unless physical and geographical considera- | tions hinder, would be desirable. Now it eannot be denied, and no candid reasoner will deny, that in Federation we should have to! eontend with serivus physical difficulties, | but it mig&t give the ability tu help to ++ an-|

1 |nibilate time and spave’’ and make five} | Federated provinces **happy.’’ Defence} }must gain by centralization; if must gain| by Britieh co-operation with colonial spirit}

| and manliness, and, if need be, sacrifice. —- | We have a country which we should pre-

| i }serve from anarchy within, or aggression | j . : ' , without: we have a noble free-hold domuin, |

> | }in which no hereditary burdens need crush

' This inheri- | ce is worth the price of insurance, even if that should be high. The millennium | bas clearly not yet arrived, so we must in- sure, be the cost what it may. We do not | know thatany power will ever attack us; | we are not absulutely certain that we could,

even with British aid, repei all attacks with-

| out fearful loss and damage to our cities and

country, butit surely will ot be found easy

| to smite down, and keep down, millions of

| patriotic men, resolved to repel invasion, in

) & country walled with gunboats and ships of

war, with an old, rich and powerful nation

at their back, fighting in self-defence, for | ‘bational existence. On our own account we | should at least make the attempt, on ac-) count of old England we should do so.—| Chose who tell us that she is ready to part| with her colonial prestige may represent a} certain portion of English sentiment, but} there is no reason to think they represent | | the views of the British Goveroment. Eng-| lish statesmen are too wise not to reeogulse | |the fact that British America, shielded in) its youth, might as its millious increase to | tens and twenties, and upwards, be able tu) jrally to the defence of the old flag, should} the despots of Europe ever combine tu tram-| |ple it in the dust. Here the navies, the | armies of England might find men and ma-

terial resources, but if no spirit of sel{-sacri-| fice can now be evolved, we would be of lit-! | tle value to England, and do little credit tu) ourselves,

; i

We have not touched upon the political aspects of Federal Legislation. We can! only, at present, note that it would be mani- | festly untair to assume that the design of | the majority would be to crush the interests, of the minority. Party government and | natural combinations would be a check upon | such a pulicy, if attempted. We should | jrather iofer that the central goveremeat | would find its account in tustering all the) /members of the Federation as wuch as possi-| | ble, so that they might yield a Sourishing revenue. 4t might also be expeeted that. ‘as susall countries make small men’’ the wider political sphere weuld increase the in- ducements to accept a higher style of educa- tion, and produce a more elewated class of politicians, lawyers of Cuniederate reputa- tiou, lecturers who will undertake engage- | ments all the way from Quebee to St. Joho, and preachers whose name and fame will be as well knewn in Halifax and St. Joho as in Montreal and Toronto. Tue lvcal legis- lature (under proper safegaards) may bring to light men of great and unknown capacity; their aspirations will be towards the Federal Parliament (with its big salaries and wide field) and this will supply a motive power to their intellectual encrgies. These ure sume of the more favorable aspects of Feder- ation: we frankly adduce them and cun- front them with the ease va the other side, which we have also wade as strung as we evuld, though hardly as sirung, that 1s, we have hardly made Federation as weak as some of its advuates have done, and it is for the people t+ say whether they will accept wt reject Federation, We are inclined to think thas its advantages surpass its pruba- ble drawbacks, and that its acceptance will best secure and promote the commercial |

rosperity, and social and imteilectual well- ing uf the Contederated Proviuees.

The St Juhu Courier—the oldest journal in New

| federation in the Islund, sulkily blame Mr.

| one whe says one thing in Toronto and the

l realm, whos virtues we 8o much revere, and ito a goverment beneath whose agis the

‘rights and iberties of the subject, whether |

‘| peer or pewant, are jealously guarded. So circumstamed, there is little doubt as to ‘which of me two alternatives the people of these Prownces, whose loyalty is proverbial, }and whose respect for British laws and Bri- itish customs is unsurpassed, will make ehoice, ard there can be little question as to which of the two conditions would be most to our advantage. A few cents per head in ‘addition to the amount we now have to pay will be but a drop in the bucket compared }with the weight of responsibility and debt we would have to ber if annexed to the Re- | public, Having thea signified our preference ‘for Union amoung cirselves rather than of annexation to the States, the next point to consider is the kinl of Union we should | adopt. This is an important point, but it is | one which the carefu student of past history land the thoughtful observer of present real- ities wil] find little dficulty in deciding. A

ithe time ** Aad not arrived”? tu relieve the } trade, but the greater union will include | Federal Union such +s is in operation in the jand extend the advantages of the less.—|

States, where the powers of the Central and i the State Governments clash,and where there ‘is no Executive responsibility, would not | work harm niously ; nor woulda Legislative

| tent of territory and among people whose in- terests are so diversified as thuse of

| British Provinces. What we require is

Western States, as) Union that will give to a Central Govern- they used to be sent to the Southern States,| ment the control in matters of general inter- | tably ; that the tariffs should be equalized througb- est, and leave to the Local Legislatures the | out, as far as it was possible to do so.

| power of regulating matters of a purely local |character; the former body to take cogniz-

lance of all new matters for which special | This appears |

provision has not been made. ito be the kind of Union which is developed lin the Ounfederation schome, and it is the |one most likely to meet the approval of the 'whole people. ‘There may be sume defects

in the details, there may be some inequalities | which will require rectifying: but shali we | neglect the scheme on that account? As yet | the opponents of the scheme have not pointed | out one better or more equitable; whether a ,further sifting of the question will enable

} } +<<>P>

MR. PALMER AND CONFE- DERATLION AGAIN.

We alluded in our last to the fact of the Protestant, of this eity, copying an article from the Halifax Citizen,ip which an attempt

‘is made to excuse Mr. Palmer for his deceit-

ful speech at the Toronto Dejeuner; and we

| thought, and still think, that our coptem-

porary bere was not actuated by a spirit of fair play in declining to copy from the Morn- ing Chronicle the article in reply to the

| by one of the Nova Scotia Delegates.

public care. The questionjfor as to consider,

is this; We believe it does, and our readers will be able

faithfully state the facts of the case?

to decide that question for themszlves pre- sently.

'a feeble and paltry way to dispose of a dash-

ing article in his paper, which seemed to call fur a reply, by saying; ** O, this is of * po account,’ it contaius nothing but ‘ the

| ravings’ of Mr. David Laird.’’

But let us give the Citizen's article, upon

| which Mr. Laird bas set so much value as a

defence of Mr. Palmer. It is as follows :—

‘+ Confederation is killed in Prines Edward Island, but its inflaenee has broken up the Hon. Col. Gray and Hon. J. C. Pope have resigned their

seats in the Cabinet, ostensibly on account of | Majesty's Government.

the personal conduct of Hon. E. Palmer, the Attorney General, but really because that gentleman, with a majority of the Govern- went. has strongly opposed Confederation. Mr. Palmer and Uon. George Coles, the able |

leader of the Liberal Opposition, were in a they have suffered from Mr. Palmer's lips. bably tovk up their residenee here. /minority among their brother delegates from

the Island, in opposing Confederation, and | accordingly they accepted their position as | 4% minority, by signing the report of the Conference, not as approving but authenti- cating it. My. Palmer alsy accepted his po- sitiun when called upon at the Toronto banquet to speak for the Island delegates. by uttering the usual compliments and desires for better acquaintance among the Colonies, and that general approval of Union in the abstract, which is very different from appro- val of this peculiar scheme. Mr. Palmer felt that he could speak in this way safe from all chance of misconception by his bro- ther delegates who were fully aware of his uncowpromising hostility to the measure. When, therefore, Mr. Pope, his co-delegate and the editor of the Jslander, tried to make the people believe that their delegates had unanimously accepted the seheme, both Mr, Palmer and Mr. Coles denied the statement. Col. Gray, being an extreme advocate of Confederation, having, it is said, a notion of the person who would likely be governor of the Island under the new arrangement, rush- ed hotly into print, and got the worst of it, Mr. Palmer, in the minority at Quebec, had the majority at his back in Charlottetown, and both the Colonel and Mr. Seeretary Pope seeing, as the organ of the later con- fesses, that not one in ten is in favor ef Con-

Palmer for not aiding them to thrust it on the people, and have tried to force him out of the government. Unable to no so, Vol. Gray and a brother of the Secretary have resigned themselves. Jheir plea is that they cannot sit with hovour in the eompany of

reverse in Charlottetown ; and Col. Gray ie’ ridiculously apologetic to the Mayor and citizens of Loroate tor the outrage,be asserts, they have suffered from Mr. Palmer's lips. Bui the At*orney Genera! is master of the situation ; most of his colleagues are with! him, the leading men of the Opposition are with him, and, what is more to tke point, the country is with kim. Reeonstruetion, or may be condition is necessary to the Is- land; but Messrs. Gray and Pope will svon tind out that that their Confederation policy and their resignations were fatal mistakes. If they stay out of public life as long as the Island will stay out of Confederation, their final bow is made."

Wecannot stop to point eut all the errors in the foregoing—they are quite numerous, and will be apparent to every intelligent reader. We must, however, eorret two very palpable errors. Ist—lt is said that Mr. Palmer and Mr. Coles signed the Report of the Confe- rence: Mr. Coles did not sign it—Mr. Pal- mer did. 2od--When Mr. Palmer expressed at Toronto his approval of Union, he did not fur one moment let his audience believe that it was an *‘abstraect’’ proposition he was re-

Citizen, simply because Mr. Laird supposes

Does the article in the Chronicle

We ask Mr. Laird would it not be!

shall give the Chronicle's reply to the Citizen,

can offer. After quoting the Citizen's ape- logy for Mr. Pulmer’g deceit, the Chronicle says :—

« Let us first understand Mr. Attorney Ge- neral Palmer's position. Ile was there as a Crown officer and a me nber of the Executive Council of P. EB Island, with its honor and its character in his keeping. For aught that appears to the world, to the British Govern- ment,and will appear to all posterity ,he may have been the most active uncompromising supporter of the entire pruject. The Colo- nial Minister has already adopted the plain common sense reading of the Report, and Mr. Cardwell, speaking of it, states that they (the delegates) ‘thave conducted their deliberations with patient sagacity, and have arrived at unanimous conclusions,’ &e. Now that is true or it is false. If true, the state- ment in the Citizen is indefensible. If un- true, then Mr. Attorney General Palmer has deceived the British Government and every person who heard his remarks at the Toronto dejeaner. ‘The editors of the Cifazen contend that be did not deceive his co-delegates—and that they **were fully aware of his uncom- | promising hostility to the measure.’’ This assertion on the part of the Cit:zen editors, we haye the highest authority for stating, is as gratuitous as it is unwarranted. They ‘ean have no authority for their assertion, unless it be that of those who already stand convicted of having deceived the British Go- vernment and all the world besides.

Mr. Palmer or Mr. Cules may have differ- ed ia opinion on various puints of the report, as others undoubtedly did; but what apo- logy or excuse can be offered for the Attorney General of a Province who enters no protest, files no remonstrance, during the entire six- teen days of the session, nor at its close, ac- cepts the hospitality of Corporation after Corporation as their guest, sits af the same table, hears his co-delegates commit them- selves in the most unequivocal manner to the scheme,makipy no sizo of dissent or disagree- ment, and eventually, in returning thanks

following language :—

“ They were asked to join in this union. Canadian friends came over to them, and they -lis- tened to them, and they were proud to hear them, They resolved very soon that there would be a union, | as far as Circumstances would permit, on the model

W hile, not long | Union operate satisfactorily over a wide eXx-| of the British nation. The Provinces were unani-

| mous on that. They next resolved that each co-

the | lony and each Province should ‘preserve its privi- a | leges and free institutions.

In that they were all | unanimous, They next agreed that the trade of the | whole colonies should be dealt with fairly and equi-

They next agreed that whatever necessity might require them |to fix the tariff at, as regards the outside world, | they would enjoy free trade among themselves. (Cheers ) The Islanders were a careful and think- jing people. Perbaps they were a little doubtful at hearing these propositions at first, because they Were at present as happy and contented a peopie as any under British rule. Yet he would venture to say, whateverfthe community might be, the delegates representing the Island would not hesitate to reccommend to ther Government that great union which he hoped soon to see accomplished. (Cheers.) Speaking then of Canada, the hon. gentlewan expressed satisfac- tion with what be had seen, especially with the schools, and with the skill of Canadian meebanies, as proved in the apparatus they constructed for those schools. He concluded by expressing a hope that the union of the Provinces wiuld soon be consume. mated, and resumed his seat amid loud cheers