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A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF POLITICS, LITERATURE AND NEWS,

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EDWARD WHELAN]

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is true Liberty, when Free-born Men, having to advise the Public, man speak free.—euRPMes.

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PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1857.

(EDIT

EE RS AT RE TT TS

EES eee Colonial Legislature.

i ee eee eee LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

: Monvay, April 13.

The Bill for the extension of the powers of the Surrogate Court was read a seeond time,

His Honor the PRESIDENT had, on the previous day, omitted to state that the Bill did not deprive the Court of Coancery of any jurisdiction it at present possessed ; it merely gave a concurrent jurisdiction to the Surrogate Court in the matters to which it had reference. He would state the fees proposed by the Bill, were reenectively—for the Judge,

on the order for swearing the appraisers, 5s.; for the Com-)

missioner, on administering the oath, 3s.

On the clause authorising the Surrogate to order the Boards of Guardians to be put in suit, His Honor the Pre- sident remarked, that the only object was to save expense, as by the present mode of application to the Court of Chan- cery, £25 or £30 were spent; whereas the change to be effected by the Bill would reduce the amount to about £5. He would further advise the addition of a clause, similar to that in the Chancery Court, making a registered deed prima facie evidence of the correctness of the previous proceedings.

Bill agreed to with amendments.

The Bill, in amendment of the Land Purchase Bill, was read a second time and egreed to.

How. Mr. Palmer, from the House of Assembly, requested a conference on the License Bill.

Hons. Col. Swabey aud Mr. Craswell were appointed a Committee to manage the Conference. Hoa. Col, Swabey reported that they had delivered the suggestions of the Com- mittee.

Hon. Col, Swabey reported the address, requesting His |

Exceileney to forward the address to Her Majesty, on the subject of the Cape Race Lighthouse.

The address was agreed to.

The Revenue Bili was recommitted, and agreed to with one or two usiaportant verbal suggestions.

Hoa. Attorney General and Mr. Forgan were appointed a Commitiee to conduct the conference on the suggestions.

Hon. Col. Swabey moved the second reading of the Loan Bill.

tion. Mr. BAGNALL considered the motion premature. There had not been time for the investigation uf the accounts of the Worrell Estate. He moved that the consideration of the Bill be deferred till to-morrow.

His Honor the PRESIDENT said. that unless their

honors were unanimous in bringing on the Bill to-day, it

must be deferred till to-morrow, as that was the time for |

which it was made the order of the day,

Hon. Mr. DINGWELL had no desire to treat any of

their houors unfairly; but from the state of the public business, he thought the postponement of the discussion

might lay the Council open to the charge of delaying the |

progress of legislation.

Hon. Mr. BAGNALL, rather than be the sole obstacle to the despatch of busine#s, would waive his objection.

Hon. COL. SWABEY.—Disciaiming any wish to delay your

honora by any unnecessary observations. I must ask your in-|

dulgence if,on the present occasion, | shall occupy your attention for a sbort time, as the Bill now before us has so direct a connection with the office I hold, that it will be ex- pected that I should avail myself of this opporiunity to make those explanations which my official position enables me to offer. i will not be necessary for me to review the various

features the land question has assumed during a number of |

years. We all know how the minds of the tenantry were abused, and false hopes excited by the idea, that the lands would be escheated, on account of the nor-compliance on the part of the proprietors with all the provisions contarned in the original grants. A Bill, similar to the Land Purchase Bill, was introduced into the Legislature some years since ; it con templated the purchase of the landlords’ interest, but it differed from the Land Purc ase il!, inasmuch as it rendered the sale of the land compulsory on the part of the proprietors. Such a principle could not be sustained for a moment, and were a Bill embodying such an idea introduced into this House, I fur one would oppose it to the last. The mater remained in abeyance for some time, till the system of vwovernment was changed, and the present party succeeded to power. They

adopted part of the old Bill, but omitted the objectionable com: |

pulsory clause ; and, in the Land Purchase Bill carried by them, left the sale of lands, as it ougit to be, perfectly a voluntary act. ‘That Bill, however, limits the operation of the Government to £30,000, at one time an amount, your honors Will agree with me in considering, totally inadequate to meet the requirements of the case, which demand ample means to do away with the existing causes of complaint and irritation, more particularly when we see that proprietors are willing to dispose of their landsto the Government. A joint address of both branches of the Legislature was passed last session,

saying that Her Majesty’s Government would gnaramee a he of an amount sufficient to buy all the clauns of the large proprietors—£100,000 sterling were considered sufficient for the purpose. ‘Fhe correspondence which has taken place on

the subject, and which has been laid before your honors, will |

sow that the Imperial Government generously acceded to our request ; and the Secretary of State for the Colonies sent out the draft of a bill to give effect to the wishes of the Govern- ment. That Bill is now before your honors for discussion. 1 do not need to argue that, by going into the English money mirket, with our credit endorsed by the Imperial Government, We shall pay less interest than we would have to pay on money borrowed here, supposing that the required smount could be © \ained here, which is-not the case. Here we should have to pay, at the very least, five per cent.; while, on the London Stock Exchange, the money could be obtained for less than four. The Bill, however, assumed four per cent. as the pro- bable rate, and therefore restricted the interest to that amount. i will now, your honors, allzde briefly to the Worrell Kstate, about which I may state that a good deal of misapprehension existe. My own opinion is, that if the whole amount paid fur the Worrell Estate were lost, that fact ought not to militate egaint the passege of this Bill. But, your honors, | have no fear of any joss being ultimately sustained by the Government on account of the Worrel! Estate ; but, if it were otherwise, | do not think it likely that any other property in the Island wee 8° ewbarrassed —so surrounded with obstructions to its speedy isposal to the tenantry. No less than 50,000 acres were not mapped ; yet | am expected to know all about them—to define every location—to open roads, &c. As an instance of the un- Just Censure to which | have been exposed, l may mention that It is no unusual thing to find on some of the plans a party’s name iscribed as the holder of fifty acres; he will deny the Correctness of the plan; asserting that the position of his land is not truly delineated on the plan—that it goes further back or extends ina different direction. Insuch a case as that, how

can the officer at the head of the department decide the proper |

location uatii the land has been sur: eyed? If it be true, as i been said, that the Worrell Estate will be a losing concern, 2 ask if Lot Jf is to be placed in the same category? In the case of Lot Il the state of the property was entirely

different from that in which the Worrell Estate was handed’

over ta the Government. It ie easy to ascertain any particulars

CHARLOTTETOWN,

besides the tenantry had not been preached to by escheators, jand advised not to come inand atiorn to the Government. The tenantry geuerally find i their interest to agree to the terms of the Government, notwithstanding they way have been deluded by the vain hope of escheat. The other day Mr. Cox, of | Morrell, brought into my office a most confirmed escheator, | Who apphed to purchase his tand from the Government. © a4 change had come o’athe spirit of his dreamy’? for Mr. Cox said to me that he was convinced the man must buy his land,

repeat, your honors, that even ata loss, it is desirable that the leasehold tenures should be done away with; and should loss | oceur fromthe Worrell Estate, the most that ean be snid would

which the reporter did not catch, explained—that the Bill | authorised the borrowing of £100,000 sterling —not, how- eyer, at one time, but in such sums as may from time to time | be required, For this purpose an agent would be required | in London, whose duty it would be to negotiate the deben- tures and transmit the proceeds, The maximum rate of interest to be paid on the debentures was four per cent. The! Lieutenant Governor for the time being would grant warrants |

;connected with that property, because the whole property bad The Hon. ATTORNEY GENERAL, after seconding} Hon. Mr. BAGNALIL said that proprietors did not chai ge heen managed in a systematic and business-like manner; Elon. Colonel Swabey’s motion, and giving some calculations | for opening roads for settlements,

Hon. Mr. DINGWELL thought that his honor, Mr. Bagnall, would not have reflected on the Surveyor General, if he had considered the little time be had had to do what was required in addition to what had been done,

Hon. Mr. BAGNALIL.—Then if bis honor is right, the Governinent should employ another Surveyor in addition.

Hon. Mr. ALDOUS agreed with Hon. Mr. Bagnall, that if the Surveyor General could not do thé work as rapidly as

'for the amounts required from time to time, as lands might | the requirement of the public service demanded, a competent

be offered to the Government. The Bill also provided for | staff should be provided, if for no other reason than the the establishment of a sinking fund at five per cent., to be | Saving of the Land Tax by the resale of the lands to private

be that we had made a bad bargain on the first occasion, and ; ; ; that we should make betrer ones in future. If Lam deserving | applied to the redemption of the debentures, and to be invested

of censure on account of the Worrell Estate, | am in common | in securities at home, subject to the approval of the Imperial | justice entiiled to credit im the matter of Lot Hl. TV repadiete; Government. Purchasers of land from the Government the censure, and [ clann not the credit. [will now read the | would have ten years within which to avail themselves of the P ‘ ryt . 2 y ‘" ‘ > . e , . ad e abstract of the accounts connected with the Worrell Estate provisions of the Bill, thus giving them ample time, All alluded to by bis tionor Mr. Bagnall. ° : . ; d Hon. Mr. BAGNALI.—Tho abstract does not agree in al) | monies received for lands purchased under the Bill, an Seek teks li , re-sold to individuals, were to be carried to the credit of the

respects with the detailed accounts, : debentures, and any deficiency would be charged on the

Hon. COL. SWAKEY,.—The House of Assembly after ve : ai | eatefel exainination, found that they corresponded, and the | general revenue. The provisious of the Bill were similar to

those which had received the Imperial sanction in the cases of the Islands of Trinidad and Jamaica. His Honer the PRESIDENT, from calculations he had

made, was of opinion, that in ten years time the Government

} abstract on your hovors’ table shows that there have been sold (26,155 acres—there remain ansold 44 985 acres—imiking a total 'of 71.130 acres, exclusive of Lot 66. The amonnt patd over to the ‘Treasurer, besides expenses, s £3622 143 44. The bonds }and incerest may be esinnated at £14,000. ‘Tis lt consider a

individuals. The question was then iaken and the motion was carried, Hon. Mr. Forgan voting against it.

Hon. Col. Treasurer brought up a message from the House of Assembly, to the effect, that the House had agreed to the conlerence requested on the suggestions to the Revenue Bill. Hons. Attorney Geveral and Mr. Dingweli were appointed to manage the conference on the part of the Council.

Afier which the Bill was recommitted, and the suggestions having been withdrawn, was agreed to.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

);moderate Computation, as they miyht fairly be corsidered to amount to £1500 or £1600. The balance due on instalments jmay, at first sight, be considered large, but it must be borne in yom thatthe greater proportion of thea were only due in | December last, out of £18 000. the price to be paid for the estate, | there remain but £5470 5s. 9d tobe realized from us less than | 44,985 acres of land sill the property of the Government, A j} much greater quantity of land would have been sold ere this had jthe estate been properly mapped out, throughout the whole \ management of the estate since has become the property of |the Government, | have carefully guarded agatast forming too vhigh estimates of its value. Last yeer the Surveyor General ind myseif im our representation to the Legisiaiure allowed 12,000 acres as the amount to be deducted for swaimps, bur I | have good reason to belheve that there are pot more than 6000 facres to come under that denomination, jaltogether worthless, for | may mention that at Cable Hepd ‘there isa regular tine of swatnps, which was not included in the lease given to the tenants op that tract. This swamp would not be intrinsically worth a shilling an acre, yet parties are glad ‘to come in and buy such portions of it as run past their respective holdings. Estimating that there remainin the hends of the Government 44,000 acres, this quantity, at the price ot five shillings an acre, would feteh £13,000, bur his boner Mr

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portion of which was wilderness,

The ion, Mr. DINGWELL did not wish to interrupt his Honor, Col. Swabey, bur couid not help expressing his | Satisfaction that the swamp laud was being disposed of. He had been under the impression that it would remaia on hand a | long tune. .

Hon, COL. SWABEY resumed.—On Lot 42 there were iseveral old escheators who at first declared they would not avail themselves of the laud purchase bill, but they now come inand poy ten shillings an acre, while seme of them whose farms front on roads, give 123 Gd. | may mention a fact to which amy attention has been directed by tus Honor Mr Dingwell, with reference to the swamps. A part of Lot 40 is intersected by the Marie River, the banks of which are swamps but parties living on both sides of the streams are desirous of parchasing the approaches to the river, in factthey are srxiousto get them for |several reasons. The purchase of a portion of swamp, Causes 4 jreduciion on the average rate per acre of the whole lot bough: by one individual, besides the people require access to the river ot watering their cattle, aud many otber purposes. in short they find they cannot do without the swamp. Nace the close of the fiscal year £328 have been received. This amount is | not all composed of matalments, some parities having paid the }full amount of their purchase money; without giving a detailed

| i |

| statement of the exact amount sold since the accounts were made |

lout, it is probable that £1200 worth has been disposed of } between that time and the present, In contrast to the state in | which the Government found the Worell Nstate. Ihave already called your honors’ notice to Lot 1}, 'he resale of whieh has nor | been hampered with the mass of citficulties which surrounded ithe former. And | may mention that the other day Hos | Excellency the Lieutenant Governor came into my office, with ja printed prospectus of Government lands for sale in Canada ; this paper contained the particulars of sale, the situation of the lands, the number of acres, and in short all that was requisite | to form the judgment of the applicant for a lot, and to enable the officer of the Crown Land department to give every veedful | mformation, Under such a state of »ffairs 1 becomes a matter of |comparative ease to manage such an office but whoever may be placed in my stiuation is expected by the public to know all! about the various leases, rents, situation of particular lots, in fact to possess a knowledge of the detaiis of the whole of the | Worrell Kstate, without the means of ascertaining them. | Returning again for a moment to Lot 11, | will state that the returos laid upon your Henors’ table exiibit but a small | proportion of what has been dove tn the affairs of that property

|Upto Pebruary last the amount paid into the Treasury was) 8! : Hid. represening £1075 3+. 10). the gross amonnt | Now, he (Hon. Mr. B.) couid not suppose that a Surveycr | gen: at least on an average above what they formerly were, have beeu

j

£463 Is

for lands sold up to that trie, but since then £

| received on account of purchases to the awount of £1007 3s. 94. | present time he had made no plan of the property, more of | Jord, and to care but little fur him.

the price of 2156 acres subs: quently sold. Now the orginal price of the lot was £2550; there remains of that amount to be provided £485, and how is this sum to be raised? Why your honors, we lave on hand 9202 ecres, which at five shillings an acre will realize £2600. ‘The peopie. sensible of the boon conferred on thein by the Government, are anxious to buy, but of course they will not unul roads wre opened out through the property. With reference to the bonds which were handed over to the Government on i's purchasing the Worrell bstate, 1 will observe that their nominal amount is £7000, representing liabilities to the extent of £3500 and your honors will agree

namely £1400, is a very moderate one. In any future purchases the Government will not experience similur difficulty. They will have had the experience of the past to guide them, and the affairs of the property inthe Island will nor be found in so Com plicated ané contused a siate, tt will be high time to complain when the public are called upon to make up a defictency. Up to the present pot a shi!ling has been asked for such a purpose, ‘nor do I think ever will be.

Hon. Mr. CRASW ELL would ask what is due for the Worrell Estate to the vendors ?

Hon. COLONEL SWABEY.—That que-tion cannot be answered until existing differences between them and the Government are arranged. IL repeat, however, my opinion ithat no loss will be sustained; but I fully concur im the | opinion of the Hon. the Speaker of the Hou-e of Assemb y, jas expressed in his report to the Government betore the | purchase, that even the loss of £2,000 or £3,000 would be amply compensated by the allaying of the permious agitation | which had so jong distracted the country. The question for ) your honors’ decision ow this Bil! is, whether it is desirable | to settle the minds cf the people by any feasible means. For imyself, I have no hesitation in saying, that the pre-ent Go- vernment can rest their reputation ov the Land i’urchase Bill and the preseut one as securely, as Lord Jobu Husseil’s ‘reputation is based on the Reform Bill.

Aud even that is not

Dingwell has given us ten siullings au acre for land, a great |

wou'd have asurplus from the Worrel! Estate, after deducting the expenses and land tax. He did not therefore consider that the property was as bad « bargain as had been repre- sented. He considered that his Honor Col, Swabey had been very unjustly assailed. Any one having the interest of the

Colony at heart should support the Bill, as being the only > . b eee, va) ee em SY 6 *\ Hon. Mr. PALMER.—It is a most remarkable cireum- easible means of quieting the minds of the people, and ' : Per wa : . rs . +, 4... \ stance that there is not a member of this side of the house elevating their character and social po-ition, If this Bill| :, er . . +s oF eet nv . | can rise, but he is assailed directly with having some sinister } would have that effect, if it would substitute harmony for). 7 : Wechave .waedot disaard : : ise : . | or improper motives. We have heard from one or two iscord, then it became the duty of the Legislature to give). : , ey Wet os 5 _="~| principal members of the house, particularly from the Hoo. it its approval, The tillers of the soil wou'd then take an!) , anil . ; eis » | Col. Secretary, that he was of opinion we did not want the interest, of a permanent and abiding nature, tu the prosperity | ae Mow; : : ia” Ue clakies. Lh cacmisies iceman investigated. ‘Tbey jumped into our minds and gave idee coe ys ar aaeerer - wis Fh : shure a a lour motives at large. There 1s no use to rise on this side of vy uge ay - 1 . : : “@SSiV ‘ ‘. i . eee ae O even More ayary Ma an oppressive lane’ | the house; we ought. not to be listened to; we are all in- lord. Another consideration which should weigh in favor of | |. oy a ; ', triguers, and the people who sent us here are foo!s or rogues, the passage of the Bill, was to be found in the generous mane] my’ eo dt \ b ner in which the Imperial Government bad lent the sanction | Those gre .the afgaments that-ate used Dy WeRseels oe ENS of 1 hich re ty re Mt “ th ; dit af th Co * other side of the house; but [ trust there are some portion Shi : i : e cre ry. » . ° ° deine’ c ‘ J h. a . aes oi cas n "4 “s nt . ony | of the publie left to believe that we are here for some pur- . : 2, 2 Se: . , } , » 28 ' . . bel ae a oe yoy ary) alan : Pa a h aad | pose —that we have some duty to discharge to others in the Ww hes y: rseives . z i J ° 4 $ v whi att i a PF ve _s ’ e det toe e tl 9) bat we are taking, and that it is not improbable that some 0S , } 2 i { “ne ner . . : B nl we . Pre a oe mht 7 vo . “| members on the other side of the house may be as likely to j ae » os > i iar « . ras ‘ ‘ - » nat oe vee. os a e a ” ee aa |be actuated by improper motives as those on this side. If , ? . ° ance ’ e tis . .

. ) an ac * Sone RT el oe . * et , es ofl we were to examine into the matter, each hon. member might Vernme ‘ovide aguln 38 to itsell, UCCO ; : le . : ee a 9 et ayguis ~~ " a - ane " iq Ue found to have had his own motive for advocating this avin “Yn “0 se sredit, t , ce a ‘hi - 28 17 Canras a Fe omm : pes (0 the Worle’! measure 3 contriving te seeure an electoral district for them. : ) ‘ "ae ¢ > 2 e@ 4 ‘ . . ° . . . Pe eee MES. IAA CUM OPER: SORE ‘selves, for instance, would be no motive at all, sit; while

Hon. COLONEL SWABRY had omitted to observe, that | they danced and held cffive, the people would have to psy some of their honors might labor under the impression that, ! the piper. I voted against this Pill, because I believe it to under the Bill, the working expenses would be greatly) be a piece of class legislation; L voted against it, because it increased; but he would remind them that the increuse of | is extending beuefit 10 the few at the expon-e of the many. operations would rateably diminish the official expenses. iI look upon it—and every member in this house knows

Hon. Mr. CRASWELL was happy to bear that the! himself—that the day will never arrive when all the tevantry

Tr » . i ons “ae . > . . Worre! Estate was likely to cost the general revenue nothing, | will participate in the benefits of this Bill. Do they intend and that all the hue-and-ery to the coutrary was without) to say that one proprictor will come in after wnother, and fuundation.

Hon. Mr. DINGWELL would give his hearty support! Wiil they tell me, that if the proprietors do not, that they to the B it, as he believed it to be the only practicable el will pass apother Bill, as hinted by hon Mr. Lord, thot they of remedying the deplorable state of things which had so long | will compel them to do it? will they tell me thet there is existed, with reference to the lands on the Island. He fully! one mewber who supposes that such a Bill would be passed concurred in what had fallen from his honor the President, by the Government at Home ? will they tell me that the a8 to the important benefits likely to accrue to the country | proprietors, now, just as their lands have hecome pri fitable from the Bill, and that it should receive the support of every!to them, will sell them at the pultry sum named? [ ) one desirous of advancing the prosperity of the Colony. He think not. Fifteen years ago or so when the business of {was not, however, very sanguine as to any surplus being | agriculture was and had been for many years previously

. . ’ > . Oise o : ‘derived from the Werrell Estate. He would be satisfied if} greatly depressed for want of a market, and often still more it paid for itself, and he believed, that if well managed, it) by the failure of the crops; when there was little or no money would do so. lin circulation; when the farmer was'obliged to sell his pork

lon. Mr. BAGNALL would not ay that hon. members| at two pence halfpenay and his flour at three halfpence per of the Government stated what they did not believe, but be| pound ; his potatoes at ninepence aud his outs at fiecnpence considered that they were deceiving themselves. He Cers | per bushel ; and the rest of kis produce proportionally low, tainly could not find anything to warrant the statements he | aud this fur only half cash; a time when his rent was truly

Weovespay, April 1, 1857. AFTERNOON SITTING.

THE LOAN BILL. ( Continued.)

} | '

|surrender up his estate for five or six shillings per acre? ©

had heard with reference to his honor, Col. Swabey’s asser- | tion, that the expenses would not be increased. He could! not agree with him in that opinion; his nonor had often)

a burthen to him, and his arrears yearly increasing ; whea his landlord received little or nothing from him; that was a time when the proprietors, each and ai! of them, perhaps,

complained that he was overworked, and if that were the| might have been induced to sell their estates, and might ‘case, it would be neecssary to provide additional assistance, gladly “have accepted five or #x shillings per acre for the at a necessary increase of expense; and as the operations | best of their lands; but that time, [ am bappy to say, extended, the costs of the department must be proportionately | has passed away, and the condition of the farmer has now augmented. Notwithstanding this, he had always been in} fortunately become in, a measure as prosperous us it was then favour of the Land Purchase Bill, and was truly happy to) disastrous; the great increase of money in circulation, the } a 1 7, « ee Z % . . > ’ find that the Imperial Government had given the guarantee) great demand that has arisen for our agricultural produce, we had requested. His honor, Col, Swabey, had always laid | the additional markets which free trade has opened to us, have > : > , ry \ . ' . . .. great stress ou the absence of a plan of the W orrel Kstate. raised the pi ice ot the farmer’s commodities one hundred per

| had been receiving a salary for 24 years, and that up to the | and have contributed to render him independent of bis land- With such an increase which, his houor had stated, would have been sold, had it | in the products of the land, and which year after year proves been surveyed, tous is becoming permanent, the value of the land itself

Hon. COL. SWABEY.—More surveyors are required. | must necessarily have risen in the same proportion. Is it

with me in thinking that the estinated receipts trom that source, | prices of the lands.

Hon, Mr. BAGNALL.—I consider that the Government are re-selling the lands at too low a price. The charge for the most eligible is 12s 6d an acre; that quality has been all taken up, and none but land of an inferior value remains on hand. I hope that in disposing of future purchases, the Government wiil be more particular in adjusting the relative The Land Purchase Bill was not in- tended to impose a burden on any but those who became purchasers of land from the Government, and I think still, jthat if the Worrel Estate were judiciously worked, the ‘country would not incur a loss on account of it. It seems} probable that in the case of Lot 11a saving may be effected, | which will have the effect of proportionately relieving the’ Worre! Estate. I am not opposed to the Loan Bill, but am | (desirous that the lands should be valued properly.

j

Hen. COL. SWABEY was sory to trouble their honors | again, but the oservation which bad been made by bis honor, | Mr. Bagua!l, with reterenee to the Surveyor General, called for explanation. That officer’s salary was £250 a year, an’ amouni less than he would realize from private business. He) hud to travel at a considerable expense, with a horse and) carriage. He bore cheerful testimony to the Surveyor Gene- | ral’s zeal and efficiency, which had been of great benefit to the public service. He would say one word on the subject. of opeving up of roads through the Government lands. The cost of thew should, in fairness, be transferred from the debit | to the credit side of the aecount, as their benefits were not: coufind to the settlers on the particular properties through | which they ;assed, but were participated in by the public, geuerally. oads through properties differently circum-, | stanced were provided for from the geueral revenue.

likely then, sir, that those proprietors who now receive their rents regularly would listen to proposa!s of five or six shil- lings an acre for the purchase of their lands? Ask those proprietors, the Cunards, Montgomerys, Todds, Faunings, Stewarts, Sullivans, Macdonalds, Winsloes, Haythornes, &., if they are willing to sell their lands at five, six, ten, or even twenty shillings per acre, and my opinion is they would quickly say “no.” The probability is, if this Bill go into operation, that no more than half a dozen Lota will ever be purchared ; then what will this Colony bave to thank the house jor? Some five or six Towvships purchased for the benefit of a few of the tenantry—and tho-e too, it may be presumed, of the most uadeserving class—who might thereby hecome~free- holders. The amount of it is this, sir, for about one-eizhth of the whole Island—and what proportion does that bear to the population of the Colony, who will not participate io the bevefiis of this Bill ?—the numbers would stand at about nine to one, ‘Then, sir, are we justified in passing this piece of class legislation. in taxing the industrious and deserving many, for the uninda-trious and undeserving few? No, sir, Take a measure, [ care not whether it come fiom the Hon. Col. Secretary or from Mr. Cooper, by which the whole people of the Island wiil be benefitted, if they are to be texed for its support, and I wiil go with it; but 1 do not lke to put my hands into the pockets of seven-eizhths of the people in order to pay for a benefit to be conferred on the other eighth, Then, too, we are accused of manoeuvering and intrigue. But, sir, there is one item in those accounts that I will comment upon before [ sit down. Where are those arrears of rent that were due ¢1 have beard from very good authority that there were upwards of £6000 of arrears of revt

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