eget «

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fact, be toadupt this language, and act aceordiuiciy. “The contidence of ihe ta- jomy Lit themselves, how ever, Was hapyr ty, not so easily shaken, ‘They had won the battle, and they were determined Co Haprove It to tre fullest extent, by the couplete establishment of Responsible Governmentand the carrying out, howliin letter and in epirit of the principles, -ser forth, ws the basis of such a system, in t.ord John Russell’s Despatch of the 16th October, 1839. The hon. member then referred to « Copy of that Despatch and read sowe ex'ricts upon which he seve- rally commented, for the purpose of shew- ing that the Sysiem of Responsible Go- vernment about to be introduced into this Colony was precisely such as that to which Lord John Russell gave his ap- proval and sanction in that Despatch. Now, concluded the honorable and learn- ed meinber, the foundation of the Govern- nent about to be established in this Island, ia the confidence of the Peepie. Hereto- fore, public offices or appointments were held, not only during good behaviour, but for life, whatever might be the hehaviour af those who held them, none being con- gtituted the judyes of oficial conduct, but ihe eTicials themselves, and they who hada direct interest in sustaining the actusl incumbents in their several ap- p ivtments, Heretofore the general inter- esta of the people had been in a great measure lost sightof, om made only a secondary consideration by the Govern- ment and their officials, the perpetuation of their own power and the support of their family or individual tnterests being the primary objects of their activity and conver. ‘This Colony has, however, in the opinion of the parent state, attained its majority; and our tterests are no longer like those of a monor, to be mtrnst: ed ty thas List eare of avancious and wufairi ful tris ees, but our affairs and ovr own estate are to to our own man cement; ard the direct. ors ther of will henceforth be appornted by the p ople,

own

! ne epntrasted

Hon. Son. Generar, in rep'y, $aid tha! the system of Kesponsible Govern nent, the adventof which the hon. menber who had jnsi sat down, had bared with so much sativfaction, was so sinvularly Cor rupt, that it wonid eariy along with it tts own antidete, Ler tt once go int) oper- ation, and the people womd soon see their best mmteree's being eraduel y sacr ficed to cormuolton pandering tu and up held ty, corruption ‘fhe idea that his Excellency had, in his Messave, referred to Lord Joun Russell's Despatch, to snew that the system of Government, the tatco- duction of which was sought by the ma- joruy ofthe House, was what had been recommended, tor their adoption to the people of the British Norte American Provinces, was such ws he (the hon. Sol. General) thungsat could scarcely have en- tered into any teed bur th too rhe hea member (Mr. Coles), who had just ex- preaged it, “The exiracss contained in the Messave of his Excellency were merely viven ta shew the House how very far the majority had erred in putting such a construction upon the Despatch from which they were tuken, as they had en- desvoured to give to it, by imseting throughent the whole of the negoctations for a change ta the Government, that the course they had aclepte and were pur- pulny, Was sanctioned by the authority o! that Despatch, The Despatch was writ- ten with a view to make Public Pune- honaries responsible, pot to tae People, hut toa the Crown; Lord Svdenham, whe

_ it wag that penned i, needed a powerful and faitiiul support to carry his grand neo project. The patronage of the Go- vernment required te be brought im the ktrongest mannerto hia aid, aud its ser. venta to be warned, taat their tenure of office was in future to depend upon their nAanimous suopoert: and the Despatch so far, was successful, it had been said, shat a sufficient guarantee for the purity of the bleuse, noder the new systen, was atforded by the jegal necessity Which ex yeted for the vacating of jits seat by every member who might accevt of an office of enolunent ander the Government, and who cons avently cou'd not, as an office- holder, bea memberof the Assemoly un- besa it were the pleasure «fa constituency that he should be

ply, tat i; was quite posatble for ay ind: | corruption.

;

i

To thia he world re- i

;

TAS EXABINER.

vidual to get inte the House ata cece cai election, ond then to receive an office of proit ue the reward of sub erviency fot

corrupt purposes of a Mit} Hy, whe iialt happen tu be a very Weak anes he would of course five to go beck to bus! constituents less popular Chan when thes returned him: but ratherthan con the re of losing so Valuable an instrument, an

competitor 1

whose successfi| light per haps, upset the Majority they would noxt

hthan conupt, when the Government and fall the principal Officials were to be taken 1 the Assembly? Could not every see that when the connection of the wneat and Government Officials

' Assembly should be of so close

7 mate a nature, it could always be fe oor the private or imdiwidual iter esouttce aey my inthe House to sup. Guseroment. And, as to the

inert the i : . | ‘ | purity of ihe Louse being preserved Sy

endeavour to Corrupt their constitnents by ivembers having, in their aeceptance of

a few #@ppointments to petty offices, of perhaps by means still more diseredit- able, seemg the success of Ins election wae of such vital importance to the etabi- lity of their power,

Mr. Mooney then rose and said, that if the hon, Sol. General had been paid to persuade the public that the Government, for which he had been a prop for fifteen years, had been corrupt, he could not have done it better than he had this evening. He did sot wish members of the Assem- bly to hold offices of emolument because they would corrupt them. © yes, make them al!, the whale touse, corrupt! How pure then his own colleague must have been! Did the hon, Sol. General ever think of that before? He (Mr. Mooney) supposed he had, but it had not suited his purpose to say anything about it, until he saw his overthrow inevitable. ‘Then, however, he stepped forward to warn the House to beware ofa system which he limself had so leng tolerated. It was sour plums with him: the fox and the grapes. it would no longer be in his power to reap ihe fruts of patronage ; and, therefore, lie wished to destroy it. With what grace his col.eague could sup- port the views of the hon. and learned Seleior Was a mystery to him (Mr, Mooney.) fo doing so, he abandoned the Jove of ls neivhnour at any rate, and forest toobse ve the Christian precept, * P> ante others as you wish others to de unto you.” te (Mr. Mooney) remeimber- edthe tine when Mr. Longworth was enjoying the p ckings of Hivh Sheriff, of* a Commissiin r of Small Debts and a Justice of the Peace: and still he was a member ofthe Assembly at the game time. What hed Me Nicholas Conrey to keep him pore when he was a member of the Hiouse whilst at the same time, he was i Sab-Collector of Custeins, a Justice of the Peace @ eonmissioner of Sins!) Debts snd Gish Sherutl? What present pickings bas the hon. member of the Government, Mr. Phernton, atihough he wall vote that aivn.bers of Assembiy mnst not take office uader the new Aduiuntstration: and what ne had jn Cavs gone bv? He is now liigh Shenti, a Justice of the Peace, a commissioner of Small Debts, Depnty clerk of the Crown, and surveyor of Lum- ber, by law authorised. And as for the hon. member, Mv’, Pope, he (Mr. Moo- aev) could not teil how many offices he had been in the enjoyment of im the course of his political life; but then it was to be rewembered that he was a liaadsome man in days gone by, although now all lis beanty was gone tn the esti- mation of his former sdimirers. The hon. Sol. General now views him as one ofthe most deformed of the human race; and, really, if be bea tittle disfigured in tie face, it is not to be wondered at, con- sidering the quantity of gravel which has been thrown at him this sessien, by the hon and jJearned inember. Bat with re- spect to the hon. Sol. General himself, his end was inconsistent keeping with his past career; for *Ou, Sir,” continued the hon. member, “bow tiard be dies} No venjleman ever left the field of political conflict with more consistency than he is doting. Obstruct he would, obstruct he did, every measure which. had a tendency to raise the people from the degraded pogttion, In wh:eh he and they. with whom he acted had pliced them by their uns qua | legisiation: and. obstruct every thing for the good of the people he will to the last: and this he has been doing ever since | drst had the honour of gazing upon bis bonny face across the floor of this House.”

Mr. Loxnewortrnu maintained that those hon, members whoa were most loud m their laudations of the Responsible system as it existed in the metgudouring Provin- ces were —for it was inpossibie that it could be otherwige—therengiily — con- vineed in their own minds : fits inherent Ho could it be otherwise

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of.ces of emolument, to vacate their seats, and run to their constituents, the idea was ridiculous; they should be ex- cluded a together from seats in the House: for it would not, by any means, be found difficult to engage a few active and wily electionering agen’s in the country, in the service of men who had the govern- ment patronage at their command, and could, as a reward, bestow a few petty ap- puntmens upon the most serviceable of their friends on such occasions. Returns so effected, wou'd certainly neither add to the purity of the House, nor afford any guarantee for the preservation of that measure of purity, previously existing ia it. in defence of their system, the un- jority declared they merely songht t» carry into effect here, the practice sane- tioned by the working of the constratian in England. That, however, which they were jabouring into practice was, in fact. totally irreconcilable to the principles which regulate the construction of the House of Commons. ‘Phey desired to give seats in the Assembly to the Trea- surer and eollector of Jmpost; and ver from the House of Comuous are excluded all who are concerned in, or counected with, the collection or distribution of ‘he revenne ; and not only were such public officers excluded from the House of Corm- mons, bit all. he believed, engaged in the collec ion of the revenue, were denied therizht of voting at elections ef mem

bers of parliameut, Asto the Des ach of Lod John Russell to whieh the tien

meuiber for Queen’s County had so con

fid otly referred, as affording anthorcy for the evurse which be end fis piriy were pursulog, it was 10 be regarded as nothing buca dead letter, It was very

well Known,that it was written inCanida aud sent home that itmight come out asa Despatch from the Hone Governmens ; the object was to frighten aud coerce the Oificials in Canada into a compliance with the views of the Governor General. touching a union of the Lower and Upper Prov neces. It was serviceable in eff-ct- ing that object, the only one for which i

wis designed, and was then allowed rc become a dead tetrer. The honorable member then referred to the report ofa Speech of the Speaker of the House of Assembly of New Branswiek ona Bal. having for its object, the exclusion from seats tn the Assembly of Officers of Gu

verninent, excepting, those whose oTices wereota political nature; and read as fi Hows: “He would only say, that during the last general election, complainis of Governvent tfluenee in the House of Assembly were heard from oneend of the Province to the other. It was impossible for any bon. member who was not deter- mined to shut his eyes, to fail to see those solding Government appointments could use the influence which their offices gave them, for their own purposes, and thus wcgnive an advantage over other candi- dates at an election, which he (the Spea- ser) hought antar,and aitovether uncon

stitutmonal, ft would be a libel on the evod sense of that House, and’on the geod sense of the constituencies, to ro- fuse to pass a Bill of this kind, on the plea that it Was narrowing these privi- jeges: it was enlarging thein; for were they to fill wo that branch of the Legisia- ture with officials the people might de evslaved.” Vhe hon, member then said, ihese were precisely his own sentunents: and he hesitated poet to say, that unless puble officers direetly concerned im the receipt and disbursements of pnblie mo- ney, and all holding offices of eno'u nen nuder the contron) of the Goveram nt

should be excluded from the A-semibly. ihe consequence would be to the enslav- ing of the people. In the event of a ge- neal election, it would be found that the Government, in order to secure the sup-

port ofa majority in the Assembly, would exert their in uence ty i*- ut-ost exten

$

to effect the retorn of those men upon Whom their own esi-terce asa Gove n- nent was wholly dependent: and men se revirned. wonld not be the vepresenta- tives of the people, but the neminees of the Gove rument. Sull, however success. ful sucha Government might be, flor «4 Hine, inthe practice of Corruption, its cor- ruption would, in ibe end, prove its over: tirow, In their course there lvy a rock a-head, “hich would prove their destrue- tion; tur it would be impossible for them to sieer, So a8 (0 avoid it. The majority in the House, from amongst whow the new Government would principally be taken, had eajoled the people, by instilling into there minds a hope of relief to be af- forded them by an alteration in the tenure of lands, ‘This could never be effected : they who had promised it well knew it could not; and, when this fact should be- come evident to the people; and could ne longer be deluded by the promise of such rehef, there would be an end for ever of their confidence in those who had abused it to further their own private intereste, and the overthrow of the Government would be inevitable. With respect to what had been personal!y levelled against himself and others by the hon. member ‘or Queen’s County (Mr. Mooney) it was quite sufficient to reply. that their ap pointmen’s would not have been con- tinned to them, iad their conduct proved them to be unworthy of hem. If they hid not done their duty, tiey would have been turned out of office.

Mr. Mooney, (from bis ehvir} You would have been turned out long age, could the people have had their will.

Mr. Lonewortn. We have only the hon. membe.”s word for that; and J, for one, attach very little value to it,

Mr Popr. said. nothing tended to de. grade the House so auch, as the indal- gence of personal ties in debate, The hom member who had just sat down scarcely ever rore without ascribing un- wor hy motives to those whi se views of paolic Questions and public policy differed fron his own. Such a mode 0° Ineeting the arguments of those to whom he stood opprsed, Was not only most onfair, bur low and growl mes in an exireme degree, and indicated a paucity of ideas where- with to support his views, He had no right whatever to impute motives to any individual, the existence of which ot was impossible for him to prove. Where, however, he atrempted to base his argu- ments Upon facts, he was not much more succes-fulin estublisiing his own views, than wien he souuiu to discredit the-e of individuals to whom he was opposed by the unfounded ascristion of unworthy de-* sigus, He had aa d, tat in England, el! who were directiy concerned in the receipt of disbursements of public monies were excluded fron seats in the House of Commons; but that was not the fact. No one was more concerned in, er more immediately connected with the manage- ment of the Puble revenue, than the Chaneslor of the Ex lb quer; and yer, not only had he a seat mithe House of Commons, but he was abs: lutely neces- sary, for the due consideration of all matters connected with the | uw5lic revenve and pubhe expenditure that he should be a member of the Honse.

Bat to come nearer! one, was not Mr. Howe in Nova Scotiv,a member of Ags- sembly and the Government leader there in, at the same tine that he beld the office of Collector of Excise, It was, ihdeed, true that, in the very same spirit whier actuated some of those who were oppose faa change in the Gouernamwent here, and parieularly to those som they ea- pected to constitute the new Goverp ment, that gcentleran’s eharacter hed been assailed with the most rancorous hostility, aud the most upworthy motives had been ascribed to ali his public ac ions. He was represented ag the most »bandoned and poligate of men; and persecuted with such uncteasing an] deierm: el malignity, that, in the rue, he resigned his situation. He had, how- ever,h pply lived tooban a complete bat hon stand hy norable tolumph, ever those whe hod, as unjostly as uuspariugly maligned his choracter and apposed has endeavours to obtain for tle people of Nova Scotia a fu'l pastieipation x» the benefite of the British Constitutions. ‘md ow in the possession of a plac:

sa

—aeraccem mem