..’. _to_ fiponnlble Government I mean Departtnentait

- designs, one at prd

HAS'[.Ai‘tD’S GAZETTE. APRIL 26.

LEIILLTIVI OOUICII CKAIBEB, Tcssnav, April 18. ADDRESS TO HIS EXCELLENCY ON THE . .. “AH 03' TH! GHDNY.

y The Ien._ Mr. L ::.-':.“.° '“‘*°°‘ °‘ "*‘::'.i_.."'.'°..:=.*'.::'..'2:'.'.'.;°:;.,‘.

necessary‘ to ollscfllfisns, and think it will save both my-

.‘ Idlflldpyolll’ Honors much trouble if I at once. .,,i

D Indesbod, that whenever I speak of

Governmsnt,and whenever I name do rtmentait I mean responsible Government, for, , indeed I know of no other constitutional Government. Every system whoever seeks it which does not _ _ ance eeadelueion, a triukéry and a fraud,--e thing intended only i . ereu ni'lu'I res and no one answerable. Any t ing _ ort of rtuicnhl Government is I say_ a delusion. his was the decided opinion of the late Sir Donald Campbell who, your Honors know, was no friend to the in- troduction of Responsible Government on this Islanddwitls whom I have had many confer- ences on this subject, and more particularly as relateste tlm project of Mr. John Longworth, with which your Honors are acquainted: Sir Donald Cam bell derided and ridiculed the notion that ere could be any limit to Respon- sible Governnient,by admitting onl some to the hen ofdepartments to the Legis ature, and it was his conviction that such a scheme would never bennetioned by the Colonial Secretar , nor Responsible Government at all unless adopt- ed in its’ inte ‘ity. It is therefore essential that we shoul have a decided definition of the sort of Government to which we are entitled. and not only is it necessary to us, butlsee that the inestimable boon of Respontible Govern- ment is conceded to our neighbours in New- foundlandand the despatch conveying this con- cession is n my hands-—(here his Ilonor read that doculnent from a Newfoundland News- paper.) ow, 'r, what are these understand by a system such as ours! Are the to make the pain ul discovery that that whic i they have stru led obtain is a phantom-a political “ Wi of the wisp”! But Sir, since it is ex cted that the poo le of Newfoundland should now what it is, t at they are supposed to have obtained, as things are we mustgo further back and see what the Responsible Government is to which we have a just claim. To come at this, I refer your onors to the Speech of Sir Alexander Basuerman when he assumed this Government. With this I submit to your consideration likewise the Civil List Bill 14th Vic. Cap‘. 3, by which it will be at once reco' ised t at the Responsible Govern- ment whic was aoiously conceded to us was to be similar to t at in Canada, Newbrunswick and Nova Scotia, certain conditions to indem- nify parties who lost ollice at that time were exacted, an n faithfully carried out, whilst it is soughtto evacis the conditions whihli were in fltvor of this sland. Ithink,Sir,l have -succeeded in show ng that the system of Government we obtainec was to be that in ex- ercise in the neighbouring Colonies. I think that no one will venture to deny that that system is the departmental one—in fact the constitution of Great Britain. Now, Sir, it is a most extraordinary thing that there should be found an one amongst us so blinded, in the pursuit o a party triumph ,as to wish toabrid the owing liberties of the people of this lslan , but still more, that this invasion should proceed from the People‘s represen- tatives. Did we seek for the change we ob- tained without ceuse. Your Honors will re- member the evils that Responsible Government was in remedy, and the dissatisfac- tion they produced. re t, Sir, it is an extraordinary sight to behold the People's representatives (if such they be) invading the pcopl'esliberties. So early, Sir, as in the time of the Plentagsnets, the love of liberty caused the people of England to struggle to throw off the bonds of feudal Vsesalage, and the struggled on through the reigns of the Tudors and thcstcwarts, acquiring inch by inch, concessions until in the days of the House of Brunswick the system under which we live was finally achieved, and -it more particularly received its present form in the bands of Sir Ro rt Walpole. Thus on see, Great Britain enjoys her Constitution in this respect I-‘think by a prescription perhaps as efficient as a Statutory enactment; but we, Sir, hold it by even a hi her title for it is inscribed in our book of hue, lint Sir,lct me further call attention to the expediency. of the presence of the departmental, oflicsrs ‘IIaVlnfl' seats In the legislature, and in doing this, I will only by way of sample, speak of the Treasurer, ‘who "contra to all reason has been excluded. Sir, to illustrate the necessity of his presence here, or in the other branch, I will just say, that I believe there »is at this moment a large amount of cash in the Treasury; following up the plan of reducing public expenditure it appesrs in me unless some good iessoncen be given to ‘ the contrary, that this sum shouid be immediately employed in the redemption of Treasury Warrants. Whom Sir." am I to interrogate on this subject? Am I to go through the tedious operation, unsatisfactory perhaps in th -,reault of voting an Address to the .I.isutcnent ovcrnor, on this and svsry,ssch gnhjeci belonging to the Trsssury, or any other doperlmentf But, Sir, or all th rigs connected with this subjsctghot 'ng is so extraordinary as the time or occasion for msfing this‘ urijustillebls puny onslaught. Had the the Colony sulfersd under depertm_snts_I Govprnment some pretence might have been ‘set up for seskinga change, but ir, when the contrary is noiorloub,‘ when the revenue is nearly doubled and ‘ the public debt reduced to almost nothing. to what but vty intrigue can ‘idhls mov:hnieut.hl:e referred! ti , Sir, it sh u rssem at lflpronporlly, of this Island, sllncs it has enjoyed, Respon- sible Government, is the very sr urnent w ich bu procured its extension to ewfoundltttd, it is thus, tliet the extract from His Excel- V’. , at III opening of the Session, hes found in way into the pub to idle ilf-Gssnt Britain. 1 new Uldtl" '1'! ll‘ o Journal of Europo. full l , lb! , 9 as ‘ on ,' lath ssieie ofthlngs to cell orCun '_tl ‘@1130?’ PWHIII (IND “nested Prihe items sland ! are youltifisetl ,. “nu i._ misu_y,*thstbecsIIc our Debt is I was .Cfl.579jisndis4Imw .€ . and because ya, agnggofp IMO,-:-,wss 81 ,6l5, sedds I3! ,,.. £35,345, and is now_.gul.wsta.itliss=Jyoiv, must seek amen ! .,I was told the other iiiaislliiiis ' n| Nirctllébwli, besitribp , 3 in. pfiaty of Austrs isn I6 dd It is, that the abuadsnsdlof the precious metals hss contri- hud in freight the Argosio sf-Oeestllttlttiiil to “, .|.¢¢..; set wh:.ris|.l;a.v‘s egeiiled nslsm opr rnal rcspstlt .I Izljil 0 ‘$0 P ' with

E 8

‘<

2.5

5., the ween IHVC 090.9 W.‘ M impetus to fr.um_whtsh

3 - —. ‘C

P‘ of tlisir institutions. Government, has given tndflims. ed the greatest

Dwanav.—Before, Sir, I gnter . .,.

have discovered that the ountry on whom they

660 sndlm catlved ti

method than to tracs_ and examine a fact, by’ the rules of philosophical or logical deduction. hen therefore. I am told, that our prosperity to be traced to Australian Gold, I reply that it is to be traced to good Government, for softly. 3'7‘. 000 truism less good assnother: but’ In fact, it has ri from both those circumstances. and e share that the late Government had in_ it, is essllv traced. In spite of the glmma ‘EIGCIOIIQIII with which they were met, they h "e hsldilwod to see the interest on Treasury Warrants, and save the dilereiice to the peopls—they aid the Small Warrants in Cash, and money y their means, has found its way into the pockets of the general pzsulation. to ho! 500! a vigilance u in the llsctloii of tlic revenue never before practised, a d every public account has received an exact’ even a parsimonious scriit.iny—lui-ic illss laehr as. This is the secret of the offending of e lab Government. I heard, Sir, a man who carries on a large business in Charlottetown say tho other day. spcakin of the facilities in importing and land- ing , that things in this respect are not no they once were. No sir, therein no doubt tltll the late Government lost support at the last Election, because they scorn to buy votes by perinittia the public to be defrauded. But. air, we have it told that this system under which we have flourished is one of_corruptieu— Now, Sir, I am at a loss to know in whot series this epithet is applied—if it is to be insinuated that the conduct of the members of the late government was corrupt. it really, §tr, is not worthy of refutation. With all heir enemies around them too well inclined,who has

able to fix on them a stigma? hav_e they not established a system of an t in public accounts such as was never before prac _ to carry it out have they not continued as auditors two gentlemen, of politics and party predilec- tions opposite to eir own. Let me not in- justice to these gentlemeu—they are highly competent to their task, acute and descri_mina- ting but yet just, but surely their bein of op site politics to those whose accounts ey an ited can be no proof of corruption. But, Sir, rhaps the corruption to understood may that the desire of ollice of distinction or emolumcnt may corrupt the members_of the House of Assembly or of this Board, if so, operates both ways and in both rties; but, Sir, this corruption is one of the st results of Res nsible Govei-nmcnt—it auimates men of into ligence to seek to emulate each other and to serve their countr —to acquire that know- ledge which will shortly fit them for that ser- vice—will into life an improvin race of representatives,aud at the same time nd to the representatives im roved materials out of which tocboose. Sir, t is is the seine corruption which lit in the bosom of the cat Chatham the fire of never d ing philan ophy, which hung on the lips of itt and Fox, S sridan and Erskine, Gratton and Curran, the we 0 forensic eloqiieuoe—it was this corru tion that in these later times endowed Sir Rober Peel and Lord John Russell with that steady perseve- rance and acute discernment which was exer- cised in their country’s service

-- to

. Sir, this corruption has given birth to a rivalry of which we are all to res the benefit. But respecting this depsrtsienhi system involving the necessity of ollicial men havin sea in the Legisla re, that Prince of Parliamentary reformers Iior John Russell thinks it, (as I culled from a report of his speech, when making known his lau of reform. now suspended for a short time durin the hurry of warlike preparations) an essential. that he actually felt as it were pulse of the house of Commons on the proposi- tion that persons taking ofice should not hence- forward vacate their seats, becatise mid he, by being oblifid to look for persons within the walls of rliament whose return when sent again to their Constituents is secure, a minister on rming a new administration is often obliged to reject the but men and put up with their inferiors. I now come _to a part_ of my subject which I approach with great reluc- tance; it is the con not of the 15 members of the other House who signed a petitiai to the Iiieut. Governor praying him to call together the Legislature at unusual early date, in order that they might institute legal enactments to exclude departmental otlicers from seats in the Legislature. How have the redeemed tb_eir pledge? Here they are sti at the starting post, and no one has yet ventured to enter on this course of fully and violation. Where then are their professions? Ilave th the ht, as well they might, that such a measure d to as this House, be then submitted to the ieut. Governor and b him to the Colonial Minister, all and sin ar of whom they knew and might well apprehend, would be against such an unconstitutional reject, and they may

for a time imposed, has at length a preciated their designs; -but Sir, I ‘ have liegn told that there are those who vlbuld imitate in this matter the practice of the United Suites, now I am yet learn the constitution of En‘ Ian , which lI_ the pride and pattern of the wor d, has any thing to pin-by imitation of any other country, not that cyen great Britain, would Imwlns h’ adopt u_n- provement .wlsu-e they could be found : but Sir, the system contended for is not suit: vcment neither is,it popular in the States t euisslves, on the contrary, it is loudly com lained of ‘as inex , ient and inconvenient, an it has arl_sen mainly from the dificulty in"a fideral union of keeping an equllpcise between the several States, an ess b a the ublic scrvantsbeing excluded from ongrese, as any such d_iflcul- t oppress us 2 but above all,thny complain__tliet t eir public servantsare the se nu of the Pre- sident and not of the people. this the wey_to enlarge our liberties. r, udder all tliese_ctr- cunistauces, and above _all‘, _bcmuss ere is a new lxeecliiss bill. which is 'not yet put -in ration,,snd because it csnlol be Ilid HIM

' e present«is.a representation 071,910 P00 lo. it becomes tbedu your ogor-to inter re without hesitation in this . \ cruise, and to save our liberties slid our ooilstitution from violation. ' It is with this-vtew dliat‘I movetha this House resolve luslf into a Commltfieoftbe etc,’ to frame an address to.iliil_It‘ixcellency, pnying his inter,-position in, these. en en- gii-gnmshnccs .an -I trust eve yoi_ir ouors will not nliriu front is ur in

eietiieio andsnbmittsd ’ e ‘J

Q

1 I’

Th g“ u . ‘it-9 sipzaaviitvsr Whig :' 1‘ . We, th , Metnliersof Her _sjsIty’I Iisgjflltlvs Council cl Prince ‘ ward slsn_:,.srt dsIlI9II_I of calling your Excel 'eiic‘ ‘e attshti to‘ ‘ sp lniii'ients’tc oflses. it tlts Island, lands, as It Ippltlljl ntesombecs on-it ilrlhlbh I505

Her Ms‘ sle at that time gracious y

flm??“n.':l!li Ill’) n '

«(Govern

iii

l hlhlwlll w c N

our estimation will be made evident on reference

your .xcelleecy’s speech on your lirst meellntl the Colonial Legislature, as well as to the Act of the lsiti Victoria, Cap. 3. is both iii which documents the nature of the ltsrpnesible Gomo- maul granted was explained and described to dmilartotliat tben in force in the Provinces inf Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick--e construction which has received its r-onfirnistior. from its being so practised under your Exeellcncy’s auspices up to the time of the recent change of Government.

The conditions imposed on this Colony as their part of the compact, have been faithfully perform- ed. whilst the proceedings of your Excellency’- present advisers give us just cause. to apprehend the departure from‘ that contract which in our opinion was entered into on the part of the Crown.

We are prepared to admit that under the system conceded to us. striajority of the Houses of Assembly is constitutionally entitled to tlis pos- sesgion of the Government, and readily acknow- ledge that were it not that Her Majesty's rnysl allowance to an Act creating an entire new Franchise, not yet scted on, connected with other circumstances, points out that the existing House of Assembly is note true representation of the people—it would be the duty of iliis House to give your Excsllcncy‘s Government a constitutional support were it sought on terms honorable to the Members of this Council.

That notwithstanding the stliciency of this Branch of the Legislature is sensibly affected by having no adequate share in the Government of the Colony, we entirely repudiate the supposition that the Government constructed on those prin- ciples which we conceive to be constitutional and responsible, any dilliculties would be offered by any msjority of this House, which might dilI'sr from that Government on leu important political opinions.

e further beg to refer to your ExceIlency's speech at the opening of the present Session, when you were pleased to state that you bait re- ceived a requisition from several members ofthe Assembly, to convene the Legislature on an early day, they stating that " they considered that no time should be lost in order to exclude by legal enactment departmental oliicers from occupying seats in the Legislature," your Excel- lency was pleased in reply to say that you declined to call the Legislature together at an unusual period, because in so doing you might be deemed to admit that evils had arisen demanding an imme- diate change, whilst you here testimony to the prosperity of the Colony under the existing form of Government.

.s sgrree with your Excellency that there exists no cause for alteration, nor do we recog- nise any desire for it on the part ofthe peo ls.

in the meantime the ofiices of 'eeper of Plans and Treasurer, filled heretofore by mem- ' ouncil, are given to gentlemen

having no seats in the Legislature.

Tbstin respect to the Treasury in particular, the absence of that officer from one or other branch of the Legisliiture is not only a great inconvenience, when information is required, but withdraws that department from the surveillance of the public, which experience has shown to be so y to the maintenance of public con- fldence.

Reviewing these circumstances, we be to draw your Exccllcncy’s attention to the fact that the Government have a majority in the House of Asssmbly,consisting of those who proposcdto your Excellency their intention to pass a legal enact- ment for the purpose of excluding departmental ,_ __ rp. from the Legislature, notwithstanding which no steps have it taken to carry out their expressed views on this matter; and two of that majority aaually hold ctllce ‘and remain in the Le ‘stature, yet they have made use of their oflicis position as members of your Excel- lency’s Govcramen to introduce changes not warranted nor sought by the people.

And thus it is roposed to your Excellency to introduce ing ' ients of Government from the United Stetesisto the constitution of this Her Majesty’s Colony, to which Her Majesty’. sub. jccte are averse, and which are in imitation of ssystcm probably having its origin, not in any analogous circumstances, but in the fact, that in a federal union the pretensions of the representa- tives of different States are very diflicult ofsd- justmsnt, and which is moreover accompanied by

rest and acknowledged practical evils, and is nown to be disapproved of in the American tee themselves, on the just ground, that their departmental ollicers are not the servants of the pcgple but of the President.

e, thcrcfors, pray that your Excellency will be pleased toevsrt, in such manner as may to _vo_i:r wisdom sppesr best suited, iheseimpcnding cvi s

The hoe. Mr. Gaair.--Your Honors, it is with no ordinary feeling of surprise I find myself called upon to express my extreme astonishment that his Honor should think it necessary to take up the'tliris of this House in introducing such an cnted and extraordinary motion ; and were it not that the tuner reason is very obvious, lsbould suspect his Honor is labouring under some delusion or strange hallucination as to which of the two House's is Honor oldss seat in. Who ever heard, and where will your Honors

rid I precedent for it under responsible Govern- Inset that a Body nominated by the Crown diirieg lceIure,sheuld errouste to itsell a power solely belonging to the Executive and the representatives of the "sly- tive Council responsibe the ‘cone . l alt would bca novel feature in Re-

i ls Govsrmuent if It were so. it

t this Bonor,ii so little versed in the princi-

les of true -legieiation as to r uire me to tell ' in that the res uonslbillty of vernment was conceded not to he nominees of the Crown but tetithxgopls t ssves. Upon two points hangs t of his Honor’s speech, the first the-olce o rsassrer, and the second the frac- chise bill.-Now I weuld ask what is there

ills .cr upoulltitetionsl in appointing a

Tkfiswrwhoisnotintbeliegislaturel W ere

s the act,‘ rule, or authority, which says this 163315

3'

= 5 ‘U

5

oflcsr must a member o the I tore! ‘I hsve looked in vain for it In ‘the Statute Bock ----nor is in the Olvll‘-Iit‘st_flill--ln,0ansda

there issn neuhrnh, the ‘ there is not in the Legislature, and in quotin Cepsda" ah’ the {enter and older province, 1 o nobcausc Iloo .iipcn _, '

Mr. Illncks, , to be , _ respo slh ,asd ’Io’such as he, webwe the insati- inable . of. hlsf vernment

a II: 0 ln diesceof. let in ova 8stitis,to M from lhbcingn fiu C5011? be a mem-

, I used on yd-efer.-your ' ‘I dcspatcli Sir obn bis 90

oopim-on {Gem-e-c. as ,ls:«

Cenimerslsllm 34 . ‘ as to task a state- ...m~~.: 3-"-m-—.+- ..

We that that rorsi .. flvrsrith

tion and test the new writ—-and mark your Honors to whoui this question was put, not by petition to the Governor (altho‘ Ido not repudi- ate such a method but to the Head of the Exc- cutive,who instant y took upon hiniselfto reply “ no. the old house must wear out its time not- wltltstsndin the new law." Ideplcre tlistlnl Ilouor shoul pay such a poor compliment to the proper acumen and good notice of this House, as to call upon the members of it to retard the business of the country and waste their time in combatin phantoms. I move that his Honor the President do now take the Chair. (To be coiitivuieol.)