ee

aimee: cae

ee,

THE EXAMINER.

eens 71

i i pean

eR SSN ee ee eh eS SS A LOST LETTER FOUND AGAIN.

7

Misver Eppirvurn—

Goin cross the Market Skware on Munday iast, 1 saw a yong man runing verry faste and a grete bundel of papir droped out of his Poket, I caled out to him butt he wold not stopp, so I tuck upp the Papir wich I tryed to rede, butt from the blotts & the croses | cold not maike it outt, & I send it to You to divertyse it for the oner, or tel the Publick wot it menes.

Yors to comand,

Jonny Raw. Sept the 20.

os

London, September 3, 1847. Dear W m—

As you will be anxious to learn something of our real prospects and movements in London, I take advan- tage of two or three hours’ leisure to communicate to you some information, such as you will be unable to ga-

holders. McGregor replied: “I know it, and I know it must be a curse to any country to place all the public offices in the hands of one family—for their great aim and object must be, the one to sustain the other—to check the growing energies of the country, and to re- press the honourable ambition of the less-favoured class- es: and those public officers, I am informed,” continued he, “are the principal complainants of the Governor—a circumstance which at once proves their unfitness for the discharge of the public service.” “No, Sir,” I an- swered firmly, “the people—the 50,000 freemen whom [ have the honour to represent are te accusers of S—r H—y.” “I beg leave to say, Sir,” continued he, “ that in this matter, at least, so far as I can understand, you do not represent the people of Prince Edward Island, for [ am well informed that 9,000 of them, principally Electors, have sent to the Colonial Office a Petition, |praying for S—r H—y’s continuance in the Govern- /ment; and to show that the office-holders are the lead- \ers of the present movement against your Governor, I

ther from the letters addressed by Mr. P—r and inveelf| need only refer to yourselfand your coadjutor, Mr. P—r,

to our political friends in Charlottetown. Ido this, you will remember, with‘the utmost confidence and secrecy, for it would be injudicious to acquaint our friends as to the exact position in which we stand. Being only a few days in London, it cannot be expected that muc has been done, but those few days have enabled me to form a judgment as to what is likely to be done. : [ am afraid—indeed I am sure—the step we have ta- ken will turn out to be an ill-judged and inexpedient one, for every person of any note with whom we have communicated, regards the object of our Mission with the most undisguised suspicion. Ear! Grey is not in England, as you will learn from the public journals, He forms one of Her Majesty’s suite in her tour through Scotland, and wiil not return for about three weeks from this. Yesterday, however, P—r and myself had an interview with Mr. Stephens—one of the clerks in

the Colonial Office. Previous to our seeing him, he!

had learned something of our visit, from what source he did not at first inform us; but we afterwards found that a Despatch had been received at the Colonial Office from the G rabout our proceedings, by means of which, evidently, the most ruinous impression has been made upon the minds of all parties connected with the Colonial Office. Stephens, at the very commencement of our conversation, took the liberty to question the prudence of our Mission; but not until we had told him, in answer to a question which he put—a question, in- deed, which he should not have asked, for he appeared to be in possession of the answer-—that we were not delegated by any recognized authority on the Island. We represented to him the wealth, and respectability, and talent, and influence of our friends, P—ke, P—e, McG—l], McK—e, T—e, Y—s, C—y, L—h, &c. &c. He, however, protested he knew nothing at all about them—had never before heard their names spoken. When he asked, if S—r H—y had suspended any of the public officers who had signed the Petition, and an- swered in the negative, he replied: “ Well, I think Earl Grey will feel himself bound to order their suspen- sion.” To argue with him was a useless thing—he was armed on all sides with arguments against us. “He

wondered,” he said, “that any sensible men, and espe-'|

cially those who are in the service of Government,

would put their names to the numerous charges con-|

tained in the Petition, for some of them,” he continued, “are charges of the most serious and improbable des- cription.” When we told him, they were in many cases precisely the same charges as were preferred by the House of Assembly in 1846, he answered: “ Yes, but they had all been fully and fairly met by the G

Government :” at the same moment he intimated his opi- nion that the new matter, touching the Belfast Riots, would occasion us, personally,some trouble. When re- quested to inform us in what manner, he hinted that we might be required to prove the allegations, and until we should do so, be compelled to provide securities toa very heavy amount each. This intimation? you may readily guess, astonished and embarrassed us, and has ever since filled my mind with the most painful fore- bodings. The interview was by nomeans such as I was

prepared to receive, and has given me a very unfavora-|

ble impression of Stephens’s character. We ourselves are, however, to blame; we sought the interview, and

jll-favour and impertinence are all we got for our trou-|

ble. After leaving Stephens we called upon John McGre-

ry} and . completely to the satisfaction of Her Majesty’s

jand for further proof, to a file of papers which I have re- ceived from the Island.” On saying this, he brought forward three Nos. of the ‘ Examiner, which, I suppose, |were sent to him by that scoundrel W—n, or by that ‘infernal devil C—s. He then directed my attention to |an article signed ‘ Reflector,’ ina paper dated 14th Aug. ‘in which every thing we have long struggled to conceal is set forth in the most barefaced manner. J stated to McGregor that “the paper was unworthy of confidence,

\that it was edited and printed by an ignorant Irishman, who has been trying to stir up rebellion among the loy- al inhabitants of the Island—who was sent into the | House of Assembly by a pack of Radicals—a fellow who was schooled in all the yicious principles with which Joe Howe has agitated Nova Scotia, and he does /not possess the confidence of the loyal and respectable | part of the community.” “ You have a widely different ‘notion of what gives a man a claim to be considered a loyal subject from what I have,” he replied. “This pa- |per which you state to be unworthy of confidence incul- \cates constitutional doctrines—and whilst it lays bare ithe abuses of Government, and the delingencies of pub- | lic servants, concurring at the saine time in the views or policy of the Officer entrusted with the Administra-

tion—it gives the very best support to the Government which a public journal can give. In this, then, there is no disloyalty ; and‘as to the ignorance you impute to the Editor, it is not in any respect discoverable in his paper; and his respectability is fully gugranteed by the fact of his being, as you say, a representative of the people. . I will thank you to inform me,” he then said, “whether the interests ang@pinionsofthe Official Party are upheld in a journal of Cpposite teudencies by an in- dividual named C-—-—, whose infamy has been the cause of his banishment from nearly all the British Pro

vinces in America?” “1 know no such person, Sir,” I ‘boldly answered. His look of astonishment convinced me that he did not believe me—indeed, my better judg- ment might teach me thatany man who knew any thing of our mode of inanaging the public affairs could never rely upon my most strenuous denial of C——; yet how

iceuld I do otherwise than deny him; to preserve our

: . Sa ee ' |reputation from sinking is as much as we can do, with-

out dragging such a dead weight as C—— after us. McGregor made no other reply to my denial than— |“ Then, Sir, I can hold no further communication with you ;” accompanied by the most contemptuous sneer. Taking the hint, I left him, and was shortly after fol- lowed by P-~r and D—n, who had very little heart to |Say any thing of consequence during the whole of the ‘interview,

The game, Tam afraid; isup. No persons seems disposed to encourage us with a hope of success. D—n thinks more of driving a good bargain with some of his ‘mercantile friends than he does of driving away the Governor; and poor P—r, if he is not suffcoated by the smoke, he will be fretted to Ceath about the loss of the |Councillorship, which he now considers inevitable, and ‘indeed I consider it so myself, and did from the first. | There can be no doubt but S—r H-—y will remain for this year, at least, in the Government; and if we get home sefely, the best course for us all to pursue will be \a very quiet one, until there shall be some better pros- pect of a change.

| It was hinted to us, before we left the Island, that S—-r |H—y intended to visit Canada. I hope this will not be ithe case, because his influence with the Governor Ge- |neral could not fail to be the cause of much embarrass- ‘ment and trouble to us, not only as a party but as indi-

gor, accompanied by Mr. D—n. We were cordially|viduals. The time has arrived when every one of us and politely received ; but we soon found that McGre-| must study to maintain his own interests, and if I am gor had been prepossessed, by some unaccountable permitted to hold my offices, trifling as they are, I shall means, in favour of S—r H—y. Alwost his first remark | have far greater satisfaction than I at present enjoy. On to us was: “I can place no reliance in the justice of this head, my mind has not been free from the most an- any political movement in your Island in which the Fa-| noying fears, is

mily Compact are concerned, for I know a great deal of, You will, of course, have to use every precaution in them from experience, and something from report.” I making any allusions to our present proceedings here. stated that I knew not what was meant by the ‘ Family Hopes must be held out to all our friends, and to our Compact’—that the words were very common, it was enemies you mnst assume the most triumphant. tone. true, in the mouths of the Escheators and Agitators, but |Our friends, particularly, must be encouraged in every that there was no real political party on the [sland known possible way, because it will be impossibe to get from by that name. He stared at me with the most manifest this place without another £150. _ The Committe should astonishment, evidently disbelieving the bold assertion|lose no time in urging the subscribers who have not paid by which I thought to entrap him, and I was for a mo-|to come forward with their amounts. D—n will not ment afraid that he would bow the three of us out of the/advance a shilling; the panic in the money market, by ‘room. Mr. Dn then remarked that those who are) which his ship business will be somewhat affected, has

should be therefore urged to give us the necessary power to draw.

With reference to C—d, it will not be safe to allow him to write much ina political way, for either the Is- lander or Gazette; he has damaged our cause too much already. His connection with us—or rather our con- nection with him—is the deepest and most indellible stain on all our acts. If he could be shelved, without endangefing us any further, an important object would be gained; but the fellow knows too many of our secrets to cast him off too suddenly. We shall, therefore, be under the necessity of keeping him on our hands for a while longer. The Islander, having devoted itself entirely to our service, would be of little use without C—d, for I—gs is too hopeless a blockhead ever to be able to do any thing at all in the writing way. It will» however, be necessary that C— should keep himself as quiet as possible—should neverpretend ta any connec- tion with us, and remain within doors as long as may be practicable, because when not seen by the public his name will at be so often used. And there is another matter upon which I before thought it necessary to ad- vise him—viz: his shameful propensity to strong drink. He must be required to practice greater economy in the use of liquors than he has heretofore adopted, for the quantity of rum for which we have been already obliged to pay on his account, has cost more than all he has ever written would be worth at a just and fair vaiuation. If W—n or the Ex—r could be strangled, by any means, public opinion on the Island would not be so strong against us as I fear it is at present. Something nuust be done to muzzle that infernal Press, else our popula- rity will be rnined and all our measures thwarted.

W hatever is now to be done, our funds iust be in- creased. This necessary matter should be borne in mind by all who wish well to our cause; and if they do not get the worth of their money, many of them are very well able to bear the loss,

Yours affectionately, dear W——m, J——H P-——E.

THE LISUTENANT GOVERNOR NOT YET RETURNED, “Oh, dear what can the matter be,

Johnny ’s so long at the Fair.” OLD Sone.

If it were indeed legitimate to stifle all the feelings of compassion which man should feel for his brother mortal, and to give the rein to the ludicrous and absurd, where charitable feelings should alone have place, am- ple and rich opportunities for risibility were afforded in witnessing the anxious groups of Compact men at the end of Pownal street on any day the Mail Packet was expected to arrive, during the last fortnight ; when, in many a suppressed sigh, the words of the forlorn Penelope might be heard—

‘Nil mthi rescritas attaineu ipse veni.”’

’ Write no despatch, but in thyself appear. The Lieutenant Governor was expected on those occa- sions, or if not positively expected, he might come, and no one could anticipate, with any precision, whom he might bring with him—what sentence of condemnation he might have in his pocket—what commission of en- quiry under the Governor General’s seal might be lock- ed up in his portefeuille. It would be indeed merciful if it would come at once—if we might know the worst, —whether the blow is to fall on His £xcellency’s self or on those who, in his person, have set at naught the Sovereign’s authority ;—merciful it would be on the poor looking-glasses which reflect every morning at shaving hour the elongated visages, once so smiling with official complaceney ;—merciful it would be to put us out of our misery—to spare many a worthy branch of the Compact tree from an anxious walk to the wharf, or a fatiguing support of a far-seeing telescope stretched

‘out towards Point Prim. Alas, the day!

“ For none his fatal purpose or his secret know, And anxious quiet o’er many a frame bas crept,

O’er many a pallid cheek which telis of crimes,

Spite of an inward struggling to conceal

The sad confessional of hidden sin.”

We beg to be understood as quoting only in reference to official crimes—the times will be bad when private worth will screen public delinquency.

“ Nor poppy nor mandiagora, Nor all the drowsy syrups of the East Will c’er medicine to that sweet sleep thou Owedst yesternight :”

as said Iago; no, nor will the patronising siniles of Pope —nor the blandishments of Collard, nor even the diatribes of the Islander, nor the bland pages of the cozening Gazette, however versed in weak endeayours to gull us with its mock nevtrality—e’er minister a balm that will renovate the youth of those who are growing grey under this state of anxiety—a state whicli, if much longer con- tinued, will have as serious an effect on the body natu-

“galled the ‘ Family Compact’ wereal] respectable office/ extinguished his ardour jn*our business. Mr. P--ke

ws.

of

ral as on the body politic. 4