_A WEEKLY

EDWARD WHELAN]

_ < S

Chis is true Liberty, when Free-born Men, having to advise the Public, man speak free.——EURIPIDES LR a ER ees See ve aan oi

Che Eram

Liver,

JOURNAL OF POLITICS, LITERATURE AND NEWS.

‘Vor. IX.

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CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWAR

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D ISLAND, MONDAY, JULY 11, 1859.

[EDITOR ayy PUBLISHER

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Provincial Parliament. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

Oth May, 1859. - THE LAND QUESTION. ( Continued.)

Hon. Mr. COLES was not present at the commencement of the debate, but had looked over the resolutions, which he considered virtually amounted (0. They contained merely recommendations, wi Begestion of any law to give those recommendations | effect. One pro- prietor might accept the terms, and another might refuse. As the resolutions were intended to supersede the rights of the people to the Fshery Reserves and Quit Rents, and to

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| Loan Bill had received its quietus, but if it had passed, and from England ; for although it might be said he was to be dis- the money had been obtained under it, that objection would imterested and unconnected with the Island, the proprietors | have been urged with as much or probably more force. He oe oe a v sprees elbow, and although that officer | appealed to the House, if it would be wise to offer opposition | 87" mean [0 do what was right and impartial, it would be | to the plan suggested by the Colonial Minister Be plan aha ae we - Samuel Cunard, Lord Selkirk, or any ‘was simple and practical,—it did not hold out the Utopian | other o em, to whisper into his ears 8 recommendation of | eden of free | Pp ’ , ; plan some party whose appointment they might desire. Let the _idea of free lands for nothing. By it, the Imperial Govern-| local Government, if they were determined to carry out this

ment were to appoint a disinterested party as Commissioner, |seheme, have a yoice in. the appointment, and.let them be There was no reason to doubt that they would be cautious in held accountable. their selection, and would appoint the most competent person Hon. Mr. YEO thought the matter might be settled by two

‘they could find. That gentleman would come to the Island— | ° three parties from the neighbouring Colonies.

| investigate the relative claims and equitable rights of landlord | io cag a = pe eA “~ eomerne

— tenant—imake himself thoroughly master of the subject, ‘the right to grant the lands, and when Responsible Government }and recommend what mutual arrangements he might think | was conceded, we were told’ that the titles-of the proprietors | suitable. The terms of settlement would doubtless vary | could not be disturbed. ‘I'he better course would be to throw according to the various circumstances of the several Estates, | Ourselves on the good feelings of the proprietors, who would | It would not be likely that the proprietors would hesitate to | Probably remit the arrears of rent, and offer favorable terms to

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8 manner which would have done credit to the greatest political | harlequin that ever existed. Unstable as water, he was one thing to-day and another to-morrow.

Hon. Mr. COLES warmly denied the statement.

Hon. Mr. HAVILAND—The hon. member was ready enough to contradict him, but he could not put him downs. He had not been able to do so when at the head of the Govern- ment, nor could le dosonow. As to his assertion that there had been no prohibition of Escheat in 1851,.at the time Re- sponsible Government was conceded, he had been: anticipated in his refutation of that statement by his hon. friend Mr. Pope producing the memorable “ bloody despatch.’

Hon. Mr. COLES had not taken office uncer that despatch.

Hon. Mr. HAVILAND--The British Goverament granted Responsible Government by. that despatch, and any Goverr- ment formed must have been constituted in accordance with the stipulations itembodied. With reference to the resolutions, he would first refer to the objection advanced by the hor. member, Mr. Sinclair, that they were couched in terms too

ae 2m sy ; : ;, | the tenantry for the purchase of the freeholds. As tothe Quit|humble. He did i t the terms proposed. It had been objected to th nantry ie purc ee e Quit | humble e did not think that gentleman had put the case cancel future inquiry into the fulfilment of the conditions of | 8°°°P yep : J ) S| Rents, the Home Government in 1833stated that they had given | fairl The iuti ae a ’ . re t the original grants, he should oppose them, at least until a! scheme that the acceptance of the terms recommended was ian aiaie ateies die Wiebe: 7 y solutions were to the purport, that an humble

Bill should be introduced making it compulsory on pro-|

prietors ta accept the terms offered tothem. The Quit Rents were invested in the Colony by the Civil List Bill, and it would be unjust to those who had paid to remit their arrears to others who had not. Let the proprietors pay what they owe to the Government, and let the Courts decide the amount.

At the expiration of the Land Tax Bill thousands of pounds |

would be demandable for arrears of Quit Rents, and if the House chose to remit them, let them do so by Bill. As to the surprise expressed by the hon. member, Mr. Davies, that the late Goveanment had not settled the Land Question, he could assure him that they had done all they could’ to effect that object. tion of the British Government, and it was the minority, not the majority, of the late House which had kept up the

agitation for a Court of Enquiry, by coaxing Mr. Cooper on|

in his endeavours to obtain it. By the resolutions the ten- ant would have to pay just what the proprietors might chose to demand. If a price were fixed, which, by law, the land- lord should be compelled to accept, he would not object to support it, but would oppose a scheme which left the matter wholly optional with him. One proprietor, Mr. Bruce Stewart, had adopted the scale of the Land Purchase Bill, and found it advantageous. He trasted that the House would not consent to give away the Fishery Reserves. They were to be held by the Government in trust for the people, and no argument for their cession could be fairly drawn from

the amount of rent tobe derived from them, for their great | value was to be estimated by the encouragement they would |

afford to the prosecution of the Fisheries ; and the people were only beginning to find out their importance. The term “ deceptive schemes” in the preamble was improperly in- serted. The House of Assembly, in former years, had been unanimous in its opinion of the necessity and justice of an Escheat, and the only difference of opinion arose froin the fact that the hon. member, Mr. Cooper, wished to go behind the indulgence of 1816. The Land Purchase Bilt did not merit the character Of a deceptive measure; it had been characterised as just and wise. The late Government de- served credit for having obtained the transfer of the Quit Rents to the Colony, as by that traW@er, at the expiration of the Land Tax Bill, the Government of the day would be in & position te claim large sums from proprietors. The sug- gested remission of arrears of rent, in the resolutions, could, of course, only refer to those tenants who were in debt to their landlord. Why should not the industrious man, who had paid up in fall, be allowed equivalent advantages? Te was surely entitled to the same consideration. However, as it was the pledged duty of the majority to clear the pro- prietors, he supposed they would do so. He, for one, how- ever, would oppose the resolutions.

Hon. Mr. PALMER viewed the resolutions as in every way worthy of the grave consideration of the House. The questions they involved had frequently been subjects of dis- cussion and legislation in the House, and of agitation through- out the country. So many and so various projects for their settlement had been started from time to time, and so

thorough!y discussed, that it would be a waste of time to|

enter into the merits and demerits of the several schemes at |

not made compulsory on them. They had had sufficient ex-

They had passed the Loan Bill at the sugges-|

| perience of the results of compulsory legislation on the rights (of individuals. Proprietors would not be so blind to their | own interests as to reject the suggestions of the Commissioner,

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| approval would be tantamount to the application of compul- |sion; for the proprietors would then understand that their | properties would be left liable to our local legislation. The -hon. member, Mr, Sinclair, had taken exception to the tone ‘of the resolutions, as being too supplicatory—that in fact | they should have contained demands of right. Had that gentleman been a member of the House as long as he (Hon. | Mr. P.) his experience would have brought to his re- collection many instances wherein the assumption of such an attitude had led to the loss of objects which would have been obtained had they been sought in a different mode, by the

| House confining itself within reasonable bounds, and basing its action on reasonable and moderate principles; and he re- peated that hon. members would not be doing their duty to their constituents if they did not give their cordial assent to the propositions now before them. As to the hon. member, Mr. Cooper, he well knew that in 1837 an Act passed, con- firming the titles to lands after 40 years possession, whether the owners were in the Island or not. As to the question of | Escheat, it had been dragged into every discussion,—in the debate on the address--the Fishery Reserves—the Loan Bill; in fact, it was paraded on every possible occasion, until he was sure the House and country must be heartily sick of it. The hon. member, the leader of the late Govern- ment, had quoted, some evenings since, at considerable length, from his (Hon. Mr. P’s): speech on the subject, in the year 1855 ;—hast he given the whole speech he would have induced an impression very different from that which he sought to create on the occasion referred to. In the session of 1855, when that hon. member had at his baek a majority strong ‘enough and willing to carry any measure he might introduce, there was not a man on the floor of the House who made a more decided stand against Escheat. He (Hon. Mr. P.) had been, and was opposed te Escheat, but he believed that om the eve of elections \hat hon. member and his party had held out to the people the prospect of obtaining free lands through the medium of a Court ot Escheat. When that gentleman came into power, he determined to test the sincerity of his profes- sions, and he succeeded most thoroughly, for,the hon. member, at great length, showed that Escheat was impracticable. He characterised the agitation as ‘‘ hopeless,’’ ‘* mischievous,’’ ‘a will of the wisp,’’ Ke.

to misguide the people for electioneering purposes, and that it ought to be pat down, and used other language equally denunciatory. What opinions can be entertained of his sincerity when the same hon. member now says that Escheat must be had. What reliance can be placed in such advocacy? The present was the first occasion in which the British Govern- ment had held ont the olive oranch, in co:rnection with the subject. They ask us to join in some reasonable and just proposal ; and surely hon. members ought to bury party feel- ings on this question, and support the resolutions, the adoption of which he believed would result in substantial benefit to the people. Should the event be otherwise, we would still be in ‘no worse position than before. It was in every way, there- |fore, desirable that the resolutions should be supported as | generally as possible ; and to attain that objéct, if the language

| sanctioned as they would be by the Colonial Minister, whose |

He said that the final answer had) been given by the British Government—that it was an attempt |

Hon. Mr. COLES—The despatch containing that statement referred to New Brunswick.

Mr. DAVI&S—Well, in this Island the arrears were given up when the Land Tax Bill was passed.

Hon. Mr. COLES—No.

Hon. Mr. POPE had not expected honest or fair conduct from either of the hon. members, Mr. Coles or Mr. Cooper. The former stated that he had always opposed Escheat, yet his address to-the electors last summer contained a reference to ** circumstances’’ which had operated to incline him to support Escheat. The only circumstances to effect this change had emanated from the Colonial Office, when it was discovered that the financia! statement sent to England differed so widely from the truth, that it represented the Colony ae out of debt. He could see nothing in the resolutions which should elicit opposi- tion ;. they virtually request the proprietors to make some con- cessions to the tenantry ; if the request should not be complied with, no harm would have been done. Fault had been found with the preamble for its allusions to measures of the late Gc- vernment, Which were characterised as delusive and deceptive. On that account he supposed the res»lutions would not receive the general support of the mincrity; but he considered they afforded the only means of obtaining anything. The hon. member, Mr. Coles, had objected to the resolutions, that there was nothing compulsory, nothing in the shapa of a law, in connection with them. ile well knew that compalsory legis- lation would be inoperative, that it never would be sanctioned ; and he would ask, on what conditions had that hon. member taken office in 1851? [The hon. member here read some ex- iracts from the celebrated despatch, styled the ** bloody,’? in which Lord Grey, Colonial Minister at that time, recommended the local authorities to abandon the question of Escheat.]

Hon. Mr. COLES cenied that he iad accepted office on those conditions.

Hon. Mr. POPE—There was the despatch to speak for itse’'f. Yetthe hon. member, when out of office, asks for coinpulsory legislation with reference to the rights of the pro- prietors, while in power he strenuously opposed Escheat, to which he was now willing to accord his support. ‘T‘here was no more ridicule and abuse applied to the hon. member, Mr. Cooper, for his persistent advocacy of Escieat. One hon member, Mr. Sinclair, had eaid that we had nothing to do with the proprietors—that we onght not to ask favors fur the tenantry In answer to that, he could tej! him that the Home Government had repeatedly declared that the House shou'd not interfere with their rights. Hostile legislation had effected nothing for the benefit of the people. ‘The agitation of Escheat had been a curse to the country as long as he could recollect. It might suit the hon. member, Mr. Cooper,—it enabled him to go through the country and get-money from the peop’e, of which he could appropriate a portion to the cost of a steerage passage to England—t«ke up his abode in the fashionable locality of Wapping or Mile End, and return, havir g out of £300 expended about £10, and saved the remaining £290. What that hon. member’s opinion of the merits of this agitation, might be readily inferred from the fact that, while he had been advising the poor tenants to refuse to pay their rents, he had not allowed his own to fall into arrear. Why did he recommend to others a course of action which he would not adopt in his own case? In conclusion, he gave his bearty support to the resolutions, which he fervently hoped would result in some praciical benefit to the country, as he knew they were introduced with hope.

Mr. SINCLAIR—The Colonial Minister had recommended a reference to an impartial committee. if the resolutionggvent to the appointment of such tribunal, whose duty it would be ‘o report to the Colonial Minister the result of their investiga-

f the preamble grated harshly on the ears of some hon. | tions, he would support them; but the very first resolution members, he would have no objection to modify it, to mect| placed the House in a humiliating position. The House might

address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that she would be pleased to appoint a Commissioner. ‘I‘hat was the proper and customary. mode of addressing the Sovereign; and the House recommended the basis on which the report of the Commissioner would be founded. He was amused at the in- consistent nature of the objections which had been made tothe resolutions. The hon. member, Mr. Coles, would not entrust the rights of the people to any Commissioner. Mr. Sinclair did not see the force of that objection—his confidence was abundant in any person who might be appointed ; but he would. not go,cap in hand, and endeavour to get a remission of arrears for ihe tenantry. Would he be more likely to induce the pwprietors to make such remission, and to sell their lands at low prices, payable in small sums, if he quixotically essayed the achievement, swordin hand? If the suggestions contained in-the resolutions should be fairly carried into operation, the present Government and Iiouse of Assembly would be found to have done more for the country than the opposi ion ever di¢. Hon. Mr. COLES—It had been sought by the present Go- vernment to make it appear that their predeceascrs had done nothing for the benefit of the people, when the fact was, all the remedial measures which had been passed had emanated from, and been carried by them :n the teeth of their political oppo- nents. The Land Purchase Bil] had had the effect of inducing the proprietors to lower the price of their lands---the One Ninth Bill had prevented them from receiving their rents in sterling instead of currency, and the purchase of the Worrell Estete had made, and would make more freeholders than would be the consequence of the resolutions. He denied that the late Gc- vernment had seen the despsich of Earl Grey to Sir Alexandcr Bannerman when they took office, although the party whom they superceded had. When its production was moved for in the House, he knew nothing of its contents. [lad the concession of Responsible Government been made in the terms of that despatch, it would have been referred to in the Civil List Bill. fle had never sought to interfere with the riguts of property— he had but asserted the vindication of the rights of the people of the Island. Ie had never ridiculed Mr. Benjamin Davics for his action on the subject of the arrears of Quit Rents. He had suggested the propriety of an address to the: British Gc- vernment, to know the amount which had been paid; and tLe reply was, that they had no accounts of such psymenis. The arrears of the Rents had not been givenup. Had it becn otherwise why was the late George R. Young employed to effect a settlement of the question? The Colonial Minister nad stated that it would be unfair to discharge from their liabilities those who had paid nothing, and thus place them on the sa:ne footing with others who had made payments, It wig humiliating for the Legislature to ask, as suppliants, for a re- mission of arrears of Rents,—let the tenants themselves make the request, and the Legislature could then recommend their application. Aso the observations of the hon. member, Mr. Pope, as that gentleman always indulged in low scurrilous abuse, without adducing any arguments, he would not notice him. Hf nothing could be obtained from the proprietors, the matter had better be dropped at once. ‘The only way was by trying fora Court of Escheat, He had no objection to the principle of the other resolutions, but was opposed to the begging character of the first. At the expiration of the Land Tax Bill, the question of the arrears of Quit Rents would come legiii- mately before them for settlement.

Hon. Mr. POPE would not lay claim to such debating qualities as the hon. member, not having sat in the House for 20 vears, uttering untruths, and obstinately adhering to them. As tothe reference to the Worrell] Estate, he admitted that many who had previously been tenants were now frecholdere, but they had been made so by taxation of the people from one end of the Island to the other. The whole amount of the price of that Estate would be sunk, and the consequence would be

tinge sane geet vem

; : = I ; er: : : ~w indiei< this late day. In fact, the subject had tela ee! their wishes, so long as the spirit was retained. (as weil petition the proprietors hamewow im the first instance. qunaned — of Wa aoee ot toe Denees on a ; J i the Committee if it would not be wise | . : ; a ts an The Colonial Minister stated that there were matters requiring | duals. n that accous 4 ‘hase setuae aaa eared gree f the nositi | , Hon. Mr. COLES considered the eee eee | settlement. That being admitted, he had no objection to refer entitled to the designation of a ‘‘ deceptive” measure, for it had and proper for them to adopt the spirit of the proposition | there being no guarantee that any practical result would follow | - #8 ag ,

i i , ) ial Mini . ee : he , . those ters to arbitration, and to jet the award be submitted | been coafidently asserted that it would be self-sustaining. Now, sates o> ene ee ete Senger pn = ee ee as las ment. He approved of the plan suggested | the best of the land was gone, and the expenses exceeded the

The hon. member had said

few individuals of sound mind in that House, or outside, be-| Charlottetown (Hon. Mr. Palmer) first rose, he stated that | to the Imperial Govern

lieved that Escheat would ever be conceded. True, it was a

fertile theme for those who found it necessary to keep them-| It was always of |

selves prominently before the public cye. service to those who sought to gain or retain the favor of some constituencies, but no man of sense expects to see It conceded ; the time for that had passed. The bon. member, Mr. Cooper, perhaps, might still cling to the hope or ex- pectation that some Colonial Minister might, at some day in the remote future, consent to it ; and he should leave him in the enjoyinent of his anticipation, without going into an ex- amination of the grounds of his faith. The hon. member, Mr. Thornton, had expressed his coneurrence with the spirit and priociple of the Resolutions, but had objected to the phraseology of the preamble. As he had agreed to the sub- stance of the resolutions, he trusted that many would follow his example. The only objection to the su resolutions urged by the hon. member was, that they con- templated the appointment of but one commissioner. That objection was feally of but little weight, for the Colonial

Minister spoke of an impartial Committee, and if the resolu- | ree. The | tions were agreed to by the House, it would be easy for the for Charlottetown need not taunt him with his present ad-| As tot

Minister to carry out their views by associating one or two more gentlemen in the Commission. The despatch informed the Government that the whole question of the land tenure had been engaging his attention, and now if, by the manifest- ation of a conciliatory spirit, we show ourselves actuated by

|the proprietors could not be interfered with, but at the con- ‘clusion of his speech he stated that they could be coerced into the adoption of the recommendations of the Commissioner.

| His opinions had not been changed. He had opposed Escheat

‘on the old ground of the breach of the conditions of the |

crants, and while there was a prospect of other feasible means

of settlement: but the withdrawal of the Loan Bill—a measure |

recommended by the Colonial Minister—and the loss of the Fishery Reserves Bill, had brought up the question under very \different aspects. The usurpation of the Reserves was in ‘itself sufficient to involve the forfeiture of the grants. The | louse were not justified in delegating to any Commissioner, or set of Commissioners, the rights entrusted to them by the | people. They had now a Government favorable to the pro- prietors ; and the question could speedily be settled by a fair \trial. While the Commissioner would require years to brin

‘his investigations to a close, it could soon be arranged at a

| would decide the dispute, and any person feeling himself |aggrieved by their decision could carry his case for final | adjadication to England, where it would be finally dis- of by the tribunals of last resource. The hon. member _yocacy of Escheat. He had steadily opposed it, as he before stated, and had induced his political friends reluctantly to

| support his views, in many instances against their own con-

‘yictions. The constantly recurring changes in the person at \the head of the Colonial Office was another objection to the ‘adoption of the resolutions. The present Coloaial Minister

| fr the purchase of the freehold interests, but thought it pre- posterous for the House to place itself in the position of beggars. He was in favor of an impartial committee, but was opposed to ithe appointment of one individual, to negotiate with the pro- | prietors, and ask them what they would be pieased to give or ‘take. | Mr. COOPER had been attacked personally by the hon- |member, Mr. Pope. dulged in personal vituperation. authorities in support of them. Hon. Col. GRAY would remark that the hon. member, Mr Sinclair’s observation, that we had nothing to do with pro- prietors, was true in but a very limited sense, for however | jittle we might have to do with them, they had a great deal to do with us. The Jaw had invested them with rights, the strict | exercise of which would be fraught with disaster, if not ruin, ito many. We couid only expect relief by appealing to con-

He used arguments, and cited

bstance of the | great saving of expense, by making him presiding officer in a | siderations of equity. | Court of Escheat, where the sworn verdict of 12 honest men

Hon. Mr. POPE did not consider that the position assumed in the resolutions was in any degree humiliating. It was fully | justified by the circumstances of the country. The proprietors \could exact their rents, and the House, as representing those 'who owed them, should not be above asking for a remission. he idea of legislation hostile to the claims of the pro- | prietors, the Home Government would not sanction anything ‘of the kind, even if the House were unanimously in favor of it. | Hon. Mr. HAVILAND—The whole debate was but a re- | petition of what they had heard for years ; but the new feature | of most prominence was the fact that the opposition had become ‘inoculated with a fondness for Escheat. Before the general

° ' ; ° : h a desire to do what is reasonable, and to respect the rights | might be out of office to-morrow, and Mr. Labouchere might | election, when the political balance was turning, fear of the

f pr ty, we would be su rted by the Imperial Govern- ake wis endeavours wr die a final and satisfactory settlement. It became the duty of the House now to say whether they would do so, or whether, by holding out to the people expectations wisich could never be realized,they would lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Hon. members would consult the best interests of the tenantry by adopting the suggestions of the Colonial Minister. ser tei that various propositions had been tried and found ine news ; The public accounts for the last few years shew that the Land Purchase Bill has not justified the predictions of its friends, that it would be a self-sustaining measure ; besides, its operation was not extended to the whole body of the

tenantry ; nor was it probable that any more estates would | .4 circumstances. He was surprised and sorry that the people submitted an estimate of what he considered due.

One class of the com-

be purchased by the Government.

munity objected to be taxed for the benefit of another. The | over their dearest rights to some (>~nissioner, to be appointed him a madman.

succeed him. In that case the latter gentleman would pro- bably act on the principles he had suggested when formerly ‘in office, and throw his predecessor’s plans overboard. He ‘would never consent to give up the disposal of the Quit Rents ‘and Fishery Reserves to any Commissioner. The House was | the body to which the people confided their management, and ‘they should not abdicate their functions. With reference to

the hon. member’s allusion to the quotations from bis speech

friends when they heard the hon. member deliverit. By that speech that hon. member had done more to promote Escheat ‘than any one in the House. The truth was, that the op- | position in the late House had supported Escheat in opposition to the then Government; but as their political position was ‘now changed, theyj had altered their views with their alter-

should send representatives who would not hesitate to hand

‘loss of power made an Escheator of the hon. leader of the late”

|Government, who now sees the question from a different point

‘of view from that from which for 16 years he gezed at it, during |

| which period he denounced it as impracticable, declared it ‘useless, and finally decided by the British Government since

/no longer leader of the Government; and as no new facts can

| be adduced to justify this change, he must fain drag ito light) It was well known jn 1855, he could only say that it surprised him and his some will-of-the-wisp, some hobby to parade before the public,

to induce them to repose in him once more & portion of that ‘confidence which they bad withdrawn. And so he had

; promised the country that he would, at some future day, pour into the Treasury some £200,000 of Quit Rents. membered the time when a member of the former House, Mr.

He re-

Benjamin Davies, introduced a resolution on the subject, and On that

occasion the hon. member laughed at him, and almost called That hon. member had jumped Jim Crow iv

He cever in his legisiative capacity in-)

receipts by some £7000 or £8000. ‘that he had not seen “ the bloody despatch” until it was laid |before the House. It bed probably been brought down by ‘that gentleman himself, and why, when he had become acquainted with its contents, did he not at once resign? He held on to power under it as long as he could, and it wag only when he found himself sirking that he grasped at Escheat, as a buoy which might possibly keep his head above water for four years more, but he had found out his mistake. (To be Continued.) W. M. Howe, Reporter. =—— —

Correspondence.

SOLD LL LOL

THE PRINCETOWM ELECTION. To ture Eprrorn or toe Examiner. ( Concluded.)

Hon. Mr. Palmer cays he hed read the petition, but could not tell what were the allegations set forth; nor did the peti- tioners say that they hal demandeda scrutiny. I pity Mr.

i |

‘that in cousequence of default of duty on the part of the Re- ‘turning Officer, they were barred from entering on a scrutiny. ' Bet I think the gentleman is gettinga little beside himself

| Government.

Palmer’s inability to comprehend that the petitioners alleged

since he became invested with the honour of Leader of the { presume that there sre so many applicants to him for office that he hardly knows whether his head or his

heels are uppermost, for if the Tories generally are as covetous

of office as a goodly number of them in this section of the Island, i pity Mr. Palmer or any person who has the disposal of patronage. He affirms that it was the duty of either cand:- date to demand that the qualifications of an adverse elector be recorded, and tosee that it was done. [wish Mr. Palmer

1860. But he thinks it prudent now to take another view, being | would inform us what section or clause of the act he bases his

assertion on, for I find, by referring to the election law, part of the 26th section which reads, “ and ali the particulars of such claim to vote according to the circumstances of the case shal! be taken down in the poll book, and shall be conclusive against such electors:” and in the 41st section, which defines the duties of Presiding Officers whicl: reads: “ and the Presiding Officer shell promptly put such questions to the electors as the candidate may require, and the Poll Clerk shall instantly put down in writing the purport of the answers given thereto, and read the same aloud.” Also, in the 18th section: “ ach

Clerk shall tske and subscribe the following oath, ‘I, A. B.,

an ewear thet t willtake this poll fairly aad impartially, by