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I. I, n the subject of Prince Edward Island, although he 'f-Fjght via! the hon. and learned gentleman had been a lit-

nlioni to have been,bi'onght . I brought down docu'mgti .3 [isomer prodtiettu‘ness nlll “- ‘3 between land

Fa ~1~ 4:

,- fiétmotion of the law relating to landlord I rI'Dgttrd to the comparison which the hon. ‘ ' ‘ had made between the state ofCanada and of the r ni

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one colonist- secrets. 4 .

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rstrictly for the increasing distress of the country, shall in- E ttce her Majesty’s Government to anticipate me, by them-1 Galves proposing practical measures, which they can lrnute ‘ with so tnu¢h more chalice of succeSs. At present Isliall content myself with having laid these views before you, antl ‘ moving for a copy ofthe not passed by the provuice ol Lana- -' do in the 5th year of her Majesty, intitulcd “An Act for the . d I of Public Lands.” (Clieersfi, .

r. G. .\’V. Hort: said he regretted that his noble friend tho

a Secretary for the Colonies was not present oti this occasion ; but be believed that the hon. gentleman who liatl just. sat down was atvare that the noble lord‘s absence was occasion- ed by no disrespect for himself, or of the subject which he Ind .01ny brought before the House. Of course, in the ab- ofhis noble friend, be (Mr. Hope) could not meet wuh décided expressions of Opinion, the plan‘ which the hon. gentleman had proposed in the course of his

V ore were one or two points, however, in the hon. gentleman’s speech upon which he felt it necessary to make (few brief observations. 110 could assure the hon. gentle-: an», at the outset, that it was not from any want of w from want of powers, that more had not been tlone by her Majesty's Government iii the cause of emlgration (so we un- dorstood the hon. gentleman, for he spoke iii it very hurried manner, and iii a low tone, throughout his speech): In con- nsquence of one observation, however, which hadlallen from_ the hon. and learned gentleman, he wished to guard liunscll inst daunting to the proposition that the right honourable bonnet a head ofthe Government was pledged to con-_ 'dcr sny’ia’eastirc of this kind. With respect to the_ sale of

_ ndoiii Canada, he would not defend the system which was f‘pttrsued in this matter, but he thought that the motives Illl- ted to the lion. and learned gentleman to those engaged

I these transactions had in some degree been coloured by his; randy powers of caricature. Ile must certainly pyotcst atath the sweeping condemnation ofthe land commisswn which the honourable atid learnt-d gentleman bad indulged

oh.

proprietors of that island, lit-

- s-osisletk In jlistico to the . I the information which be had

;- bound to'say, that, front ul . _ ,‘fo'tt‘dte subject, he thought that so far from their having any 'j' ,vishto prevent improvement, the greatest pains ha'd liccn ."- «booby them in furtherance ofsuch improvements; indeed, B be bill been nWare that a subject ol'such importance was before the Ilousc, he could have ave proved that the I ofthe progress ofgeueral im- d been very remarkable iudccd. ‘ lorstnntlings existing be believed, from ad btit a very int-

and tenant.

atitl learned

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ts which would b

_ ' vsmnnt in the islnntbfim

nfloubtedly there were some misunt \ lord and tenant, which arose, ‘3’. Mt that the inhabitants oftliat place h

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which he had cited from Mr. could not at the moment go ularlv as to the price oflaml, IlI cite the authority oer.

“Statehoud the opinion

, ,ingbaaaon the subject, be

into details on the subject, partic but he could only say that he wmi Murray, a gentleman who lmtl rcceutly'travolletl in that part ofthe world, which was decit edly iii favour ofCanadn. Witlt mlibot to the ro-eniigraliou which the honourable and Flutter gentleman described as taking place froiti Canada in) the United States, he believed that he could satisfactorily ' explain the state of the case upon that point. The fact was, Slut in consequence of|tbe chcapncss of ppssnge by Canada, that route was taken by great numbers ofwu‘spns; and thus may people crossed the frontiers ofCanadaJQt for the pur- of remaining there, but on their way to other parts.

- his explained tho apparent «Imminent the number ofpersons who went from the UH . ales to Cutiatffi,‘lfid that of those who went from Canada to the United States. . (Hear, hear.) Temporary circumstances also accounted to

t . . c ‘K . ivory considerable extent for these differences. For Instance,

.=-'nomc years back, there was a grc a number of public works going on in the United States, and the consequence was, that a great number of persons went there front Canada for tltepurpose ofseekiug employment. Now, however, the case was revet'setl;‘tlie preponderance of public works Was in favour of Canada, and this led, for the moment, to a great influx ofhands from the United States. (Henn) Iii-short, he believed that the preponderance ofcmi-

tion between the United States and Canada was now in

vour of the latter. At the same time, however, it must not be tit all supposed that at the present moment Canada of- forsd that ready and advantageous field for labour which seemed generally to be supposed. He held in his batid two returns, one of which arrived by the previous mail, and the other by the mail which arrchd last night. kThe first of thcoe, tinted the 17th June, contained a report from the commissioners of emigration, who stated that “they regret- ted to learn, by accounts from the west, that the dc'inand for labour at present was very slack-that several people, una- ble to find employment, had gone to their homes, and that many more would do so, but that they had not the means.” The report which he had received to-day, and which was dated Quebec, lst Jtily, stated that “employment was very scarce; that wages‘were very low—only 2s. a-day—whilst many hands were to be got as low as 20d. or 22d. The price of farming stock was so low that they could not pay higher wages. It was, therefore, considered fortunate that there had , been a decrease ofemigration during the last year.” "rho report added, that “carpenters, tailors, slioeniakers, and handicraftsnieu ofall denominations, found equal difficulty in obtaining employment.” He thought it important that these statements should get abroad, as iiuicli misapprehen- sion had existed upon the subject. (Hear, hear.) The falling ofl'in emigration oflnte years was very remarkable. Iti 1842 the number of emigrants was 35,000, whilst in 1813 it was 13,500. The lion. and learned gentleman had referred to the complaint against the wild land-tax, and proposed to do away Wllh it by imposing another tax iti its stead. With , respect to the tax itself, however, be (Mr. llope) would ob- serve, that the proceeds of it were employed on public works pf'utility, nod tltnt the amount of it was not exorbitant, it lic- ing limited to 14d. an acre in Upper Canada; and though, in some cases, it had been pressed rather severely, he did not think such an amount ofbardsliip had resulted from it as the hon. and learned gentleman scouted to describe. After poms further explanations all this point, which were not heard - III the gallery, the hon. gentleman said that this country had no desire to interfere iii any way with the looal finances of the colonies. Tltc hon. member then referred to the hon. and learned gentleman’s plan for the purchase ofpublic lands in Canada, to which we understood liitti to offer some 0b- jectton. IIis hon. and learned friend referred to the ques- tion ofetiiigrittiou to Canada, but refused to touch upon the most Important point—the means ofprontotilig it. The lion. nntl learned gentleman had said that Sir C. Bagot had only given effect to Lord Durham’s recommendations. But it should be remembered that Lord Durham‘s recommendation was to denationalize the French Canadians. Ile should only state, in conclusion, that her Majesty’s Government Were hv no means indisposed to entertain any practicable proposiil for promoting emigration by means of the sale ofthe lands ' ofCanttda. Amongst the blite books which his hot). and learned friend referred to, he had omitted one which was presented on the 29th May, in which there was a despatcb ofStr C. Metcalf, stating that the land and emigration com- m'isstoners had recommended that a portion of the proceeds of the lands should be devoted to the introduction of emi- grants. It was true that the same book stated, as a matter of fact, that the Legislature didiiot entertain the proposition; btit the _ notice of the subject showed that there was every - disposition on the part of the Government to give efi'cct to ractical recommendations to attain the object the ban. and earned gentleman had in view.

Mr. C. BULLER: Tho assurance given on the part of the Government was all he expected, namely, that they would tttrn then attention to the practicabilitv of co-operating with the Legislature of Canada, with the 'view of making the lands available for the purpose of emigration. He knew very well that nothing could be done unless the Colonial Legislature were a prnicipal party in effecting that purpose. He owed an apology to the House for having brought this subject on in the absenco of the noble lord the Secretary 0 the Colonies, who he knew was unable to attend from un-

at deal of speculation, and

ill, but i

before he sat down,

otild not but say, . ' friend which he

avoidable causes. 110 c that there was one remark of his butt. ' . i thought might have been better omitted. llrs Il0ll. ‘il'lellll said that Lord Durham proposed to denattoualizn theII‘ rench Canadians. lle proposed no such thing. liegiroposed to silence the empty and absurd pretensions ol exclusiye na- tionitlilv advanced by some injudicious friends ofthe 1‘ much Ctiuadihns ; but he said that the real way todo it Woe to have such a union ofthe provinces as would provenj the French li-oni ruling by the force ofa mere majority, an at the same time reconcile them to our Govornuient by securing to them the advantages ofn representative altd responsible Govern- ment. He was convinced that what had recently occurred in Canada would have been most satisfactory go Lord Dur- bam had he lived. He was perfectly willing to say, however, that great honour was due to Sir Charles Bagot for carrying into effect the tnaiii recommendation ofthe Report of Lord Durham, and establishing a report-tentative Government Wllll an Executive iii harmony with the iuajority.

lllr. Ilors trusted the lion. anti learned gentleman would furnish his recommendations in writing, as by so doing it would facilitate their consideration.

Mr. liixoasv expressed his surprise that so important a question should not have attracted a larger House. There Were millions of capital in this country that could not find

employment, and abroad we had millions ofucrei requiring cultivation. He asked why, if corn was tint allowed to be

the people should not be enabled i? [10 thought no time usive system ofcolonisn- not for the repudiation plus capital 0| tpin coun-

i.

brought into this country, to go where they might get cori should be lost in adopting an exti- tion. He was sure that if it Were system adoptetl in America, the stir trv would have gone there before this-

.1118 motion was understood to be withdrawn.

REFORM or cotoxiitf’uovnaNitEN'r.

(From the “ Diary ofa Grumbler.”)

his well known that the colonial minister with the under secretary is removed, not only at every change. of adminis- tration, htit for the convenience of Iniuistci'i i‘i'l‘raugeuionts oftentimes during its cvistt-ucc. 'l'lius, within a few years, we have seen Sir G. Murray, Lord Goderich, Lord Stanley, LNGW, Mr. Sprin Rice, Lord Aberdeen, Lord N or. "Ruby, Lord John Russo l, and Lord Stanley, at the head of colonial affairs; and, considering the extent ofnuy‘goloniql possessions—north, south, east, and West—with the fines or business which must present itself for consideration, can I be wondered at that, tuidernchnnge ofsccrelarics anti tinder secretaries, the settlement of long-agitated questions should

be procrastinated? that grievances should go uurcdresscd, and those decisions which had been arrived at by one Ini- nistcr should be revised, amended, or forgotten by his suc- cessor? Looking, thcrcforc, at the constitution of this ofiioe, its sectional divisions, its one permanent undcr secre- tary (the valuable depositary of all the. difficulties ofcolonial government, from Newfoundland and the Citnadas to Austra- lia itud New Zealaud), and, above all, to the complete ab- sence of practical and local knowledge which prevails on colonial matters throughout the office, can it be it matt r of wonder that this departmentshould be stumped nit the on! inefficient, dilatory, prejudiced, and illiberal of the whole machine of the British Goveruiiicut? '

And so long as its present constitution exists, and the ex- tent of its dominion remains undiininisltcd, it must be so. What then is the remedy fora system wliiclthas produced at divers times an utter glicnatioii ofthe Canadas, serious diflio ctlllll‘s in Nova St'otiu, Ne fouudland, Jamaica, Natal, Mou- ritius, Australia, and New lealaud, with a mass oftliscontent in every Islatid of thc West Indies where the public. voice can be heard through their representatives or the pttblic press? Place the office under a board of peruiaucnt'com- missioners, with a secretary ofstato at its head, and let no one be promoted to the rank of commissioner or higher" clerk in the office who has not qualified himself for the duty by a five years‘ residence at least in the colonies; aud‘for this purpose, after three yenrs’ initiation, every young

extra secretary, to enable him to obtain some practical knowledge of our colonial system. Surely a department formed ofgeiuleuicu conversant with colonial society, would be more likely to unravel the titeshcs of'coloniul questions than those who have been educated aniougtlie ctcrnal round offormal official correspondence. How often are the aggriev- ed coloninl communities c ‘ g‘od with disloyalty for attempt- ing to set forth their comp hints: and individuals who are forced into an opposition line of conduct, stigmatized as fat-lions, interested parties, utterly unworthy of attention, from the absence of some individual to explain who aiitl what the situation ofthc complaining persons may be?

Iftliis view of the, colonial department he thought exag- gerated, let the style ainl tone ofsticcessivc secretaries of state to the governors oft-olonics be examined. AsI a mild instance, let us take llic language of a despatch of Lord Godcrich (and no one will doubt his Iordship’s urbanity aiul kindness of heart) to Sir Lewis Grant, dated Mth January, l832, in answer to a communication made to the colonial department by the agent of Trinidad, enclosing various papers respecting the revenue and expenditure (a legitimate object ofsolicitudc on the part of tax-payers) oftliat Island. The despatch runs thus, and may be fotiutl in that mine of oflirial palavcr, the “ Blue Book,” presented to Parliament on the 21st of February, 18322—-

“ 1 enclose herewith a copy of a communication which has been made to me by Mr. M., containing various pa- pers in regard to the revenue and expenditure of the co- lony under your government, which have proceeded, it is said, from certain persons who are designated as the com- inittce at Trinidad, and which are eiguud by a Mr. J , as vice-chairman. I have no knowledge of any such body, of the manner iti which it has been constituted, or ofthe func- tions which it assumes to perform. Considering these papers, however, as proceeding from some persons who in- terest themselves in the Welfare ofthe colony undcr vour go- vernment, aiitl recommended to attention by a gentleman of respectability iti this country (N. 8., an influential member of Parliament, and one ofthe first merchants of the metro. polis), [have to request that you will call upon Mr. J— for copies of them, and that you will bring duly under my no- tice such remarks and explanations as they may appear to yott to require. You will at the some time call the attention of Mr. J to the circular instructions which have been issued from this department respecting the tuode iti which communications are to be made by the colonists to the local authorities. and, if ultimately necessary, to his Majes‘ ty’s Government; and you will point out to hitii the useless- ness ofauy other mode of communication, and ti delay which is occasioned by adopting it.”

Now, any person reading this despatch would conclude that the writer of it. was not in the best of liumours when he penned it, nut] that a Mr.J had presumed to put himself forward as the organ ofsome nondescript bodv ol' colonists, who took an interest in the affairs OI'TI‘lnl-tllld from a pttre love of disturbing the quictude ofthe very sen- sitive gentlemen of Downingstrect. It happens, however, iii this very “ Blue Book,” containing in all 43 pages, there is a letter from the Trinidad agent to the Secretary of State, dated December 30, 183l, enclosing “ The humble memorial of the undersigned planters and merchants of the Island of Irmnlad, being the members ofa committee appointed at a general meeting of all the inhabitants ofthe colonv, iii the month of November last,” which memorial sets foi'ih a long list of grievances under which the inhabitants of Trinidad were tlieu labouring, from the defects iii their legislative and judicial system, and signed, as the agent states, “ by persons who raise and export four-fifths ofthe whole produce of the island, and comprise all the considerable mercantile houses Ill Trinitlad.’_’ Oit the 31st of December, 1831, a further communication is sent to the Colonial Department by the agent, enclosing documents relating to revenue and expendi- ture, froniltlie same committee to which the letter just quoted and dated refers. And on the 30th of January, that is, 16 .days after the above letter to Sir L. Grant was written, by ithe tiext packet,a long atitl elaborate dissection of the me- ,mortal follows, for the edification of the petitioners, a 'copy ‘ot which is directed to be communicated to that body: so I

l

l

man should lie posted to a government abroad, as sub 0;,

_ Fox, one Badger, and one Ilare.

_,:;-,::;T-;-..

ofJ. uuary, and “waiving every question of secondary im- port ncc”—-tliat is, “ the transmission of petitions to the

bannel than that of tho hicli is not only inconvenient, but indicates some which is due to every ofiicer to whom his Majesty bits been pleased to delegate the local exercise of many ofliis prerogatives;w and considering only the na- ture of the application, and the station occupied iii the co- lony by the persons front _ivhoui it proceeds, be condescends to go through the complaints preferred by the petitioners.

To any one who knows Trinidad, the expression in the letter of the 14th January, “it Mr. J——-,” is amusing; for not only is be u very eminent tnaii iii the profession of the law, and a large landed proprietor, but, even looking-back ten years, Ito was decidedly one of the most prominent. characters of the community of Triuidatl. What has been now stated is only a liiint instance ofthe Colonial Depart- ment’s style of dealing with the colonies: ten, twenty years pass all, and the same complaints, the same grievaiices,_re- main to be redresseil. The reason is clear—it is impossible to feel an interest iii those things whereof we are ignorant; and until the senior officials acquire it local knowledge of the wants and exigencies of the communities which they controul and govern, no reform can take place. To con- clude this portion of the subject, on which volumes might be written, with a bin! for the especial benefit ofthe Secre- tarv of State: Send forth an under-secretary to visit the cofouics in detail, to mix freely with society, and report on all subjects connected with their political condition, and much which now appears intricate will disappear.

\Vsam‘u or Encarta—From Hyde Park corner to As- cot lIcath, in twenty odd miles. \Vell, there was one. whole eaduriu’ stream of carriages all the way, sometimea'baviu” one or two eddies, and where the toll gates stood, haviu still water for ever so far. Well. it flowed and flowed out for hours aml hours without stoppin’, like the river; and when you got tip to the race-ground, there was the matter oftwo or three tiers ofc-trriages, with the bosses off, packed as close as pins in a paper. It costs near hand to tWt-lve hundred dollars ayear to keep up‘n carriage here. Now for goodness sake jist multiply that cvcrlastin’ string ofcm'riages by three hundred pounds each, and see what's spent in that way every year, and then multiply that by ten hundred thou- sand more, that's in other places in England you don’t see, rind then tell me if rich people here ain’t as thick as buckle- lierries. Well, when you’ve dotie, go to France, to Belgium, rind to Prussia, three sizeable places for Europe, and rolte and scrape chry private carriage they’ve got, and they ain’t no touch to what Ascot can show. Well, when you've done your cipherin', come right back to London, as hard as you can clip from the race course, aiitl you won’t miss any of ’em; the town is as lull as ever, to your eyes. A knowiu' old coon, bred and born in London, might, htit you couldn’t. Arter tiat’s over, go and pitch the whole bilin’ o’ etn into the

haines, bosses, carriages, people, and all ; and next day, if it warn’t for the black weepcrs uutl long faces of them that’s lost money by it, and the black crape and happy faces of them that's got money, or titles.- or what not by it, yoti would’nt know notliin’ about it. Carriages would‘nt rise ten cents in the pound in the market. A stranger, like you, if' you waru’t told,wouldn’t know notliin’ was the matter above common. 'I‘hcre niii’t nothiit’ to England shows its wealth like thin—The flitaché, or Sflm‘Sll'Ck in Engkmd.