HASZARD'S GAZETTE, MARCH 9.

living soul to care ifl die," he added, drawing his breath hard. and speaking with a great eflbrt.

“ I slial be kicked out anti buried liken dog, and nobody ’ll think of it a day attor-onl_t/my wtfe! Poor soullshe’ll mourn atid grieve; and if \ou'd only contrive, Mr. Wilson, to send this little pin to her. She gave it to me for a (Inm- mas rment, rchild! Give it to her, and tell her loved r to the last. Will you 7 Will you ?" he added earnestly.

" You, certainly ; poor fellow ! " said the old gentleman, taking the pin. with watery eyes and a melancholy quiver in his voice.

“ Tell her one thing," it's my last wish. if she can get to Canada. to go there. No matter how kind her mistress is-—no matter how much she loves her home ; bog her not to go back—for sla- very _always ends in misery. Tell her to bring up our boy a free man, and then he wont’ suffer as I have. Tell her this, Mr. Wilson, will you? "

“ Yes, George, I’ll tell her; but I trust you won't die. Take heart, you're a brave fellow. Trust in the Lord, George. l wish in tny heart you were safe through, though—lhat’s what I do.”

to trust in?" said George, in such a tone of bitter despair as arrested the old gentleman's words. “Oh. I've seeti things all my life, that have made me feel, that there can't be a God. You Christians don’t know how these things look to us. There is a God for you, but is there any for us?"

“Oh, now, don’t—don’t, my boyl"said the old man. almost sobbing as he spoke ; “ don't feel

here is—there is; clouds and darkness are round about Him, but righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne. There's a God, George-—bclieve it; trust in Him, and l ’m sure He’ help you. Everything will be set right- ifnot in this life, in another." he real piety and benevolence of the simple old man invested him with a temporary dignity and authority as he spoke. George stopped his distracted walk up and down the room, stood thou htfully a moment, and then said quietly-

"Thank you for saying that. my good friend;

I'll think of Ilurr.”

COLONIAL I.sIlG-IBLATURE.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

Hon.'Mr. Cots‘: Btu. to enable to Govintxirxxr to purchase the TOWNSHIP LANDS. Tuunsnav, March 3.

Hon. Mr Cor.s:s rose to move the first reading of his Bill intitnled “ An Act to enable the Government to purchase the Township Lands." In doing so, the hon. gentleman gave a very full and clear statement of the manner in which it was pro to carry out the grand object of the Bill—the converting of lease- holdernor tenants into freeholdera. It was six years, he said, since he first introduced a Bill for the accom-

lishment of the great object which he had so much at heart, the elevating of the tenant-farmers of this Co- lony to the independent position of yeomen or free- With respect to that Bill. the House had

ordered it to be printed, and agreed that the further consideration of it should be allowed to stand over. At that time, the Debt of the Colony, as compared with its Revenue, seemed to interpose a very serious obstacle to the carrying out of the provisions of the Bill; and, until now, with the Colonial Debt reduced to a very insignificant amount, and the Revenue in- creased to an amount so great as could scarcely have been hoped for a few years ago, he had not, he con- fessed, so clearly seen his way for the accomplish- ment of the desired measure, as he could have wished to do. Another riysure, ostensibly for the same ob- ject, had, it was true, been afterwards introduced; but it was of so sweeping and compulsory a character,- so compulsory. in fact, both as it respected pro rietors

and teuunts,—-that he really coultl not rs e him- self that they who brought it forward had entertained any intention or expectation that it won the

Legislature, They who introduced it being in the majority in the Assembly, it passed that House: but it was rejected by the Legislative Council. With

his own measures, however, he could con- scientiously declare, that his intentions had been and were most sincere; and nothing could afford him more pleasure, in his ublic capacity, than to see than fully carried out; for their only object was the pro- motion of the general welfare. The hon. gentleman first ex lsinod, that he expected the House would lhy u foun tion whsrson to proceed in carrying out the details of the measure, by granting the sum of £80,- 000 or £40,000to be placed at the dis 1 of the Governor for the purchase of Township Lands. All

parties, he believed, were agreed that, could such a .

a measure be fairly carried out, it would be most be- neficial to the general interests of the Colony. first place, it would tend to diminish the proprietary infiuence, which, unfortunately, had almost always been exutsd with th periul Government against every measure for the general improvement of the Colony which had proceeded from its Legislature; sue measures sncrally having had a tendency to afoot the landed interest, as such measures of neces- sity would, but not injurionsly, as the proprietors bad very erroneously imagined. In the next place, it would generally inspire the tsnantry with new hopes and fresh courage to resonate tlisu labours and ex- tend their o tious to the var utmost of their power, in order tofizs. themselves rum what was almost universally regarded in those Colonies as an odious nd rncst ivo burtbeu--the payment of rent;

and to the east fortunate of that class of the commu- nity—thcm who had felt themselves literally , he might say, compelled to take farms on short leases of 20 or 40 years, it would alord s most desirable refuge. If the Government should succeed in purchasing, st first, from 80J)00 to 90,000 acres of land, at be. stg., or 1s. lid; currency r sore it would be is their power to sell the lands ugiiin so purchased at about £20 per 100 acres-a rats of sale so reasonable that a tenant would hesitate to sacrifice his last cow, ' his circumstances made it necessary for him so to do, for the scquirsinont of a freehold at such a rate. If the conversion of lsaseholders into free- holdcrs could thus, by d oss. be accomplished, the change would be attend , throughout its progress, by the most desirable results, and would srtuinl afibrd sincere pleasure to every one who wis ed we I to the Colony. It would bring about an almost perfect union of interests, and completely exterminate the bad feeling which has too ' otwsen ren- ants, on the one hsnd.snd ‘stars or their agents, on the other. to the great strtment of the Colony at large. The Bill provides. if it go into law, that the Government, according to the estsntof the funds with ' the l.egislaturo,shall

. B one cluuso it was provided be appointed, whose duty it would be, with proper adstuneo, to have the qap;

vcrnmsut for uls, dnl ascertained certified, _snd than cl ' , totbs nature and gadlities VIII-

s of the sell. and other natural sdvastsgsu tsgos, is a Ieport to be laid bsf for their information and guidance. his duty. not only to take Docds u fromtlieveadwuof the lands, butalsoto 'vossch instruments to the several purchasers ther from the Government. Hispsywculdbssorsgu ,slto but a fair proportion to thud amount oftfilnyl wl|I.Iuh he cheuld actuall rfortn: ugh‘ be a sa ry.oI' .’ 'A. small charge would be made for

uses to a purchaser. and the the Treasury, to be used es-tliscesdh sltbslhud; lbr ltwusltrtcsdsd t,ss

far :s.:mtblo. the sohstao should, in some measure, be A self-at ' “C any proprietor

sale to the Government, he wosldbsrcgulrcdto I tsthsta_sp| ofthe estate or sstascs srsd. dytiuguislilsg tbs sottldd [III (E slit!“

and iiaineu of the settlers, the terms of their losses, and indicating the location of each. It would then be the duty of the Commissioner to oxatniiio the lands so tendered for sale. and to classify the differeiit por- tions of tlietii nccordin to their qualities and capabi- liiies.—souis parts of i turn would perhaps be valued at £25. Ionic at £20. and its other! at £10. or even loss, per 100 acres. w re the lands were settled, in reselling them to ssulers. the price was in no case to exceed that sum, the annual interest of which would he eqal to the annual rent nid by the settler under hi lesso. Thin rqululicn d special reference to such individuals us hold lsnb uudcrlesse at 8d.. «L, or 8d. an core, as not a few did, h diffe- ront sections of the Island. Unlcss under such a rage- lntiun, the oppcrtunit of becoming frooholdors would otfer them no im iute benefit. Whore clear and valuable, but nntsnsatsd farms. occurred, and in all cases of mill-sites sad valuube water privileges, it was pro that these should be put spat public sale, after due notice thereof in the newspapers should have been given by the Government. And as it was not intended that, in buying out one set of large pro- prietors, another set should be a low to rise up in their stood, the Bill provided that no individual should be allowed to purchase more than 800 acres from the Government; and, in buying from the proprietors, nothing less isn I000 acres was to be agreed for. The Bill also provided, with rss t to the vendors of the lands, that they should be ul owed when they pre- ferred it. to give Deeds of the lands sold by them to the Government in excha for Debentures. Pur- chasers froin the Government were to be allowed to good their purchase money by six instalments, the first to be made three or six months after comple- tion of agreements to purchase. When, however. the cups ts la s urchased by the Government, shoultprofer holding them as tenants, the would be allow to do for s time as yet unde tied by the Bill; but, at the expiration of that period, they would be required to become purchasers. The inducements which the scheme held out would. he hoped. befoand strong enou h to induce all to purchase. The Com- missioner o the Public Lands would be required to pay into the Treasury the moneys received by him on account of sales made by hint, once every month. and as the fund, at tirst diminished by purchases, should, by means ofsnch payments, be in some measure ro- uowed. it might be employed in paying oli'Debonturos. The five or six Towns ips constitnt' what was call- ed Worrell’s l:‘.stato,could now be pure used at a much lower rate, than the could have been when the first nd Purchase Bil was introduced six years ago; and, he believed. that, although. the proprietors at that time did not see that it would be for their interest to sell their lands at a reasonable valuation, many o them would gladly avail themselves of the opportunity which the Bill in question, if it became ‘law, wouls atfcrd them of doing so. I‘he Free Education Act, besides the ospeciulgonsral benefits which it would confer upon the rising generation, had already, there was reason to believe, cflcctod such a change in the views of the roprietors, as would be very fuvoursbld to the luudab c aspirations of the tunnntry. u to greatly to facilitate the working of the Bill, should it ecomc Law; for the proprietors, considering them- selves much aggrieved by the tax imposed upon their wilderness lands by that Act. were beginning to feel a disposition to part with tiieir estates on reasonable terms. to escape from the imposition which the felt to be so grievous, and of which they had so udly complained; but. in his opinion, without any just cause. If the Bill became law. the Government woutd be enabled to treat with such of them as were willing to part with their lands at a fair valuation. The Colony m' ht be said to bo~out of Debt; but, even if, in the e ecting of the ccntem latsd purchases of the proprietors‘ lands, a public do t, equal to that from which the Colony had just been relieved, should again be incurrod,it would giv-- no cause of complaint. Nay. ever. if, in carrying out luv scheme, the Govern- ment should have to give something more for the lands, than they could again sell them at. with due regard to the general circumstances and ability of the people, and an actual loss should be the immediate consequence, it would occasion neither murmurs nor discont;.nt; _pnd. the financial affairs were. I , in so runs a could uusli y hustuiu iiiuhlee held in his stract ‘of every clause of the Bill; and if wou easy for him to go through them all; but, as the Bill had been a long time upon the table for the examina- tion of hon. members, and as he might, therefore, fairly presume that all amongst them who felt that in- terest in the measure which its great object demanded, had made themselves thoroughly acquainted with its rovisions, it would not, he thought, be necessary for im to take up the time ofthe House by much further explanation. With respect to the details of the mea- sure, as contained in the draft of the Bill, it was due to the Government to say that they been the subject of much anxious consideration to them; but they were, by no means, so w ed to them, as to be unwilling to adopt whatever alterations in the details it might ar to the majority of the House would most o ectuully ensure the wise, honest, ofi'octual, and economical working of the measure. The amount of the fund which he should wish to have created at one timo,was from £00,000 to £40,000; and by the judi- cious expendituro of that amount, the Government, he thought, might be enabled to purchase from ten to twelve Townships. Operations beyond that were not actually contemplated by the provisions of the Bill; but it would be can to provide that, when the Government had rocoiv pa merit for the lands sold b them, to the amount of £l0.000, than the should rocesd to invest that amount in new pur- chases mm the proprietors if they would consent to sell at a fair price. The hon. gentleman sguin us‘ that the Government were not, neither was he himself strictly wedded to any one detail of the mea- sure. All would be left open to fair discussion, and amendment, ifit should be thought necessary. T Bill provides that ‘Is. Id. currenc shall be the maxi- mum ainouat per acre to be pa‘ by the Government for an lands which the shell rchasc under the Bill; and, in the Bill wh h be ormcrly introduced for the same purpose, the maximum price was fixed, by the House, at be. stg., which was the same. would not, he thought, be advisable to enable the Go- vsrnmont to give a higher price per acre than ‘Is. dd. currenc , in no case. t price, however, it to understood. was not what, in all cases, the sovsrnmont were to give, or what the pro- prietors would be justiiod, by the Bill, in oxpoctI_, aw receive. The Bill should provide that the Government should not, in any case, give a higher ice than that, or whatever other sum the House a uld agree make the maximum; but it would be the duty ofthe Govsruincnt. when purchasing, to make the v and most sdvsn cons bargain the could stcct, ro- membc ' that it was for the benefit of tbs people only thstt s measure had been devised and power iven them to carry out its provisions. ft iaight be t at the present Government, even if greater latitude were ivsn tbsni, than be won exorcise so ' connect in dischar ing the duties of the itnpwtaut trust which. by the Bil , would be reposcd in them. Itill B would bowlse,howd socvsroftholrcsnddncethe House might consider I e prsssut Government, to put it out ofthsir power to o for astray in matter. But, besides, in dutsrtnltdpg that particular of the Bill, it onghttobeboruoinnii thattbe t meat rnigbt notlast for over. and t t u long. have to retire once, and their prietary sdnosistrstisu, fer the w tltorncts it in‘ ht be determined tbsmolvss in all e -sol. ' piss allowd by the should he gives for all lash which in chase under it. In 'soni_e cssss olaluesr sod irsprovsd Townships. is which hediqcudto sell, at a fair val true I the sisstwsn prise ' would be we low; but, with

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think that proprictusu would consider it to be greatly for their own interests to part with their lttnds. at rates even much below whstho thoqbt ought to be the utueimuui pricopor sure fixed by the Bill. Whe

case an to consider (as they certainly we if the Bill uis law.) the actual act returns to their own ccforsf their estates. and took lab account the large amounts derived from them. but in- tercepted b lawyers and agents, for their own espe- cial use a bun . hos‘ arrears of rent which were regularly increasing in amount, from yosrto year. without any prospect of their over being iquids- ted. they would. be imagined, clearly perceive that they would not only secure a much more certain, but avert a larger income in the shape of interest on the amount for which they might sell their lunds,evoa although they obtained an snore than 8o.'un acre for the . The hen tleusnn than concluded by again

I W made

in Alta

observing how VOI’:TlIGlI the people of these Colonies were opposed to the payment of rent; adding that nos-resident iotors, in many instances, be be- lieved, owiq to the unwillingness and inability of their tenants to pay their rents, as well as to the draw-backs to which he had just all , received lit- do or nothing from their estates in this Colony.

furs sitting down, the hon. gentleman also said, he had been told thst,soon after his first Bill for the purchase of the Proprietors’ had been before the Legisla- ture, the gentleman in London who has the chief pow- orto direct concerni the management of the Earl of 3elkirk’s estates in this Island. told a member of the Island Legislature that the actual returns from them were so small, that he would be very glad to treat for their sale, atu fair valuation, in the way contemplat- ed by that Bill. He (hon. Mr. Colos) could not, how- ever, vouch for the accuracy of his information.

On motion ofthe Hon. Mr. Coi.l:s,thu House then went into Committee on the Bi||—the Hon. J. Jan- niirn in the Chair; and, after having sat soiuo time therein. the House resumed, and the Chairtnsn ro- portcd progress.

No opposition whatever was made to the Bill either before it was comniittsd or alter.

Tvnsnax, March 1. Puncuass of it St-rs vvbereon to erect a Lioirr Hours or: PANIUII ISLAND.—RlGlI1'tI of the Pnoru in the Fisnxav Rssitavss.

House in Committee on the Report of the Com- missioners concerning the Light House on Pan- mure lsland. Mr. Yso in the Chair. Note-—l’srutuns lst.ario is the property ofArt- cutsaw Msccotiaan. Esquire ;—tbat is, the right to the soil, according to the interpretation of the legal authorities at Home, is vested in him; but. the island is. at the same time, a F ishsry Reserve, for the benefit of the People of this Colony, and of British sub" sin gens . he Amount de- manded by r. Msctlonuld for the Light-House Sito—l acre of ground—snd the right ot' way, or a road thereto, of 34 or 35 feet in breadth and test in lent.-th—about I; sure of ground, is,(as re- ported to the House by Josnrii Wioii-riuit, Esq. one of the Commissioners appointed by the Government to select or detsinine the Sitc,) £12 for the site, Gt £5 for clearing it: and for the lload .€l7—in all£33; or for the ground. indepen- dently of clearing the Site, £90 Island Currency. A debate, in which the people at large will feel deeply interested, arose out of the consideration of the Report submitted by the hon. member Mr. Wiouritsit, a Commissioner as above stated.

At the commencement of the discussion, the only uestion dealt with visa what the propietor of the slund was fairly entitled to receive for the ground

required by the Government, provided it was deter- mined by the House that the Government should be empowered to purchase it. this question,-

Mr. Davies said that, ifthe war to sell the round were actually vested in r. donald-—

which be (Mr. Davies however denied, for the whole island was a ' the price asked wu a very extrsvagnt one; but, when it was considered that it was s, by r. Mutton- aid, for what he had in reality no power to sell. it would, he thought, he scarcely possible sufiici- to admire the extreme modesty of the de-

entlyi an Hon. Mr. Psutla observed that the sum asked was not, by any means, unreasonable; particular- ly as the ground to be lilillalllllfidoxll part qt the most valuable rtion of r. u onul ’s arm. He would rscoiiiotnond. however, to the hon. mem- ber for Belfast (Mr. Davies) to move that the pur- chase money should be paid out of the arrears of

nit-rent, as soon as they were recovered: as he would surely have less objection to the awarding of a proper remuneration, to Mr. Msedonuld, for the injury done to his farm, by the relinquishruent, to the Government, of the site and road in questi- on, when he (Mr. Davies) should be so fortunate as to uxmplismho recovery of those very large and mu cove srrcars.

Mu. Davina thought the sympathy ofthe honor- able and learn r for Charlottetown, with Mr. Maodonsld, is thiacaae, was very nstural.He was also, he believed, in possession of sotne fishing reserves, any portion of which he would no doubt be very lad to sell for £12 or £17 per sure.