emt

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‘Wessels 2:

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vol. ALL.

J ° Colonial Ravhiament. ~ HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

Debate an the Address in answer to His Excellency's Speech continued.

Hon. Mr. McAULAY—Mr. Chairman, we bave beeo listening for the last three days to barangues which some hon. members way coastder entitled ts the designation of apecches. They have had bat ‘itle reference to the para- grap befere the Committe, which, unlike the remarks made upea it, 1s shert and appropriately worded. “Lit is grati: fymg to hear that the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the Land Question have comp'eted their laborious tak, aod forwarded their report to ilis Grace the Duke of New- castle.” | know that ut is gratifying to all those who desire the welfare of the Island, thoagt it may not afford pleavare to sume others—~ I refer te those who opposed the Commission from the tirsi—it is but natural to suppose that they will oppose the Award, and will suy that it will confer no boon ou the people. They would fain have it in theit power to exclain. with Haatlet, ** Qa. my prophetic soul.” [ do not jorend to follow ia the wake of those who have occupied the purlic time merely in the gratifivation of the'r propensity to talk. Tae Worrell and Selkick estates, Lot 54, E-cheat, Quit Reuts, Fishery Reserves, and in fact every public matter which bas engage! the attention of Goverument or of tbe Legislature tor the last 10 yeors has beca dragged juto this discussion; and, lest there should be a dearth of irrelevaut matter, the Award has beer discus-ed without our kvowing what if is. But, Sir, whatever the issue of the Commission may be, the tenants owe a debt of gratitude to the Goverameut for having appoiated as their advocates two able geutiemen of the legal profession to act as their advo- cates. What wore could be expected of the Government ? The very suggestion of the Commission was an admissiou that there was something to be seitied, and the settlement was left to three distinguished geotlemea, two of whom are kuown os being possers.d of a b gh degree of legal acumen, and the reputation of the third ts too weil knows to seed any paneyyric from me. Thove gentlemen, it iv admitred by all parties, were luliy capable of grapplmg with all the fea- tures of the subject, which had agitated the people of the island for bait a ceatury. The great Liberals had been tinkering at it for, L know not, how many years, and it had Lafiied ail their efforts, aod now they say that no good can result from the labours of the Commissive. When they seek to invalidate the titles of the proprietors [ ask who purchase. the fawous Worre!l Mstate? Lf the title to that property was defective, why give the public mouey forit? Lf it were good, thea the ties to the other proprietary lands are also geod. The hoo, Leader of the Opposition boasted that his Goveranment, by the purchase and management of that property, made more frecbolders than any other party or plan bad dine. Now, Sir, | want to know bow many men were sv made freehollers. Tue purchase of the Worre.! es- tate eutatied a debt of £20,000 on the Colony. The pro- pecty was paid for by deveutures to that amount. For the payment of these every man, freecho!der or teuant, is liadle im proportiova to his means, aad, therefore, this vaunted echewe has the effect of putting freeholders in the same cate- gory as leased ldere.as far as the freedom of their properties is concerned, This is the freedom, this is the boon the Libe als csnersed upoa the people, while in comtrast tot, the Governweot can point with pride and satisfaction to the parchase of the Se.kirk estate and Lo: o4, which properties wil) ovt entail a charge oa the revevae to the amount of a ewzle farthing A great topie ia ths debat» has been the employmeat of a Mr. Wightman, or as sowe hon. mewber. style bum, “the Spy.” Le tus been held up as a perfect @eogdeur. [ was vot so surprised, as bon. aem'ers profess that they were, wuen I beard that the Cowm'ssioners had employed an agent to collect evidence under circumstances wich would evable them to form a judgement on the actual merits of the ease. Last session 1 made some a'lu-<ion to the probability of some persou being employed to ascertain the actual condition of the people, aud said that be might be within reach of my voice. Au hou. member ou my right said ty me jast suwwer, MecAalay you aiust have been in the secret. [ was wot, but it was merely a surmise of my own. Lan accustowed to trace effee's to their causes and causes to their effets, aud [ thoasht it likely some person would be so cmmployed by the Comwmissiovers. The hon. Leader of the Opypusition said that & was reported that be bad been the cause of Mr. Wightman being seut here. [¢ is not improbable that such may be the fact, for I find the Hon. Col Swabey, b mseif a promenent Liveral, avd by far the most taleuted aud respectable of the whole crew, telling the Commissionets that it was Becessary to receive the state- ments of witnesses with caution, Acting on this sugyestion, the Comaiissiouers, who are beyond the iufluence o! Island Toryisw or Saatcberism, sent a shrewd practical farmer from Nova Scotia to persunally sve the coudition of the people the siyle of their houses, theie manver of living, and frou: what sources the freehuiders were enabled to purchase their facms, Because this gentieman did bis duty according to his instructions ~because wheo he was asked what business be bad here, he chuse to talk of ruilrouds or fi-beries, he has ween denounced asu Spy. Lt may be that his visit will be found wore beneticial :o the Isiand than that of any mau who ever put foot in it. Nuthing but the purest and most exalted motives could hive induce! the Couwmissione:s to bave sent Ga bere. 1 wos amused last evenng to hear the hon. member, Mr, Hensley, finding faule with the Award. Sc, if there isone member of tais House who. wore than an- other, should approach this question wich modesty, it is that hon. mewber, for, in reflecting upon the Award, he reflects upeos his own characier as ove of the advocates for the ten- autry before the Commi-sive, as his observation implied that he nad doue that justice to them whieh 1 was his bound o duty to de. & would ao have addressed dry legal argaments 1o the Comuissivuers. 1 woud bave presented the equitable features of the esse tu show that the leaseho.d tewure was a ecnsawing canker and a curse tu tie Island. [ would have supposed tue cane of a loyal, saber and indusirious poor man gong iute the greea woud: to provide by bis labour a Lome for bumself aud his tawiily. Sooa the furest y-eids to the axe. After burning the taiien trees @ iittle crop is sciatched iate tke virgia soil among the s‘amps, arvaed whieh, in an- other year, small patenes of verdure way be seen. By and

bye a cow is procured, which contributes to ibe sustenanee | @dvocates

o! the settler aud hw young faaily. Jo the course of an- other year a young colt way be obtained, to the delizht of the poor man's children, wao adopt it as the pet and idul of their jorest Sume, for so they have begun to regurd the rude jog but whch shelters them fiom the weather, aed fondly gail that little colt their own.

lioa. Mr. WHELAN—Nothing about a little calf? (Laaghtez.)

ties. Mr. McAULAY —Yes, and there may be a little ass,too, (Laughter.) _ By aud bye the landlord comes, de- mauding us reat. Toe sectler is unable to pay it. He takes

owa, regard him as a thief and @ rober. of antaguaism is crested in their breasts, towards pot only the individual who, they believe, bas robbed them, but also to the very sysiem wnica enabled bim to act as he had.

~— )@ state of things evils arise which the Award of ye omitted either from policy or cowardice. . the Coumissiogers will extiuguish. As the Commissiouers whichever born of the dilemma he prefers. The hou. wember year than ever was before on the Island. Since I coutradic- ‘ " . adoption of the Award will cause a new era in the stated that the Commissioners sent Mr. Wightman here be-| ted this assertion, I bave taken the trouble to ascertain how gard to his evidence before the Commissioners

ways, the history of tue fsand. { do pot expect that the Award will be semi out this wiacer. lt contains a money ciause. The lose of £100,000 cannot be sguctioned by the British Go- vernm@eut Without tae inierveaiiou of the Imperial Parlia-

* Meut,so that it is probable tbat the question will not be

Gnaily disposed of tll pear the end of next session. ever shail eoJeayuur to ippede the coasider an enemy to the best interests of the Island. Any msn Of commun sense aud Sagacity need not wonder that the

Proprietors are dissati-find at the Award, because they will vn

Tas &

i

“This is true Liberty, when Freeborn Men, hav

be experieuced over the whole Island, the teunautry would be the gainers by at least £150,000. Wharever benefi's the

}tenantry may gain from the Award they will have no reason

;

i

to thank the bou. Leader of the Opposition for it. I am afraid that he thinks that the Commission will dig deep the grave of his popularity. Lt he is not inclined to support the Award, what does he propose to do towards settiing the mat- ter? He hopes to find, in contention and strife, the road to a retura to power, knowing that peace and contentment would svon show him that his occupation was gone.

Hon. Mr. THORNTON—Mr. Chairman, the bon. mem- ber from Georgetown has favoured the Committee with balf an hoar’s talk about the Award, as if it were before us, and L herdiy know what subject he has not touched upon. Not satiofied with giving us his opinion oa the past and the pre- sent, he lifts the veil of futurity and assumes the character of a prophet, for he says that he is sure that no debt will arise from the Selkirk estate and Lot 54, while the Worrell! estate is to entai] a ruinous burden upon the country. He became quite poetical in depicting the hardships to be met and overcome by settlers in the forest. But, L would ask him.what aid towards their relief did he give when the Com- | missioners held their Court ia Georgetowo? When he was- asked if he would go before the Cowmission and give his opiaion on the sub ect of their enquiries, he said be would. Lt is trae, Sir, he was present in the Court. but it is equally true that while there he remained quiet. Why, if he is sv convinced of the stragyles of the pour people of this Island, did he not give evideuce before the Commissioners? Why is all bis sympathy to be expressed in this Hou-e, where be knows that it can b.ve no practical influence? With refe- rence to this Mr. Wightman (L suppose it will not do to call | hia @ Spy, as-we have been told that it is ungentleman!y to- apply that term to him) we are pot in a position to judge of the result of tis employment, because the Award is not yet betore us. But | bave no hesitacion iu saying that the man- | ner in which be caume,and the character in which he travelled about the tsland, are anything but creditabie. If the Com- mis-ioners were not satisfied with the statements made open! y | before them, and, ia consequence, sent this Mr. Wightwae with instructions to act as be is reported to have done, and shall have bused their Award upow his statements, tbe ten-. antry need not expect much benefic from the Commissron. | At Siurzeon, | was informed that a strange geutleman had been staying at Mr. Kearuey's, aod was daily driving about the couuiry. I asked what was his object. That was not! known. He talked of buying land; asked if there was a)

good place to estabiish a Fishery in,—supposed the people |

would ask a@ pretty good price for their junds, aud made | other remarks ip a similar strain. He took notes of the re- plies be received. He acted in the sume manner on the Sheriff's road, Sir, L say that such conduct is a disreputable | mode of throwing discredit on the evideuce of hundreds of | respectable individuals given openly before the Commission. | As to the arbitration clause in the Award, as explained by Mr. Howe, 1 think it would have been bet er for the people if the Comm: ssioners had fixed w definite value on the lands) ssy 10s. or 12s. or even 15s. per acre than have adopied a scheme so cum>rous and difficult of operation.

liow. Mr. LONGWORTH —L have no wish, Mr. Chair- | man, tO protract this debate, the length of which is uot attri- buable to the Govermment side of the House, although the | Leader of the Opposition and some of bis supporters charge | the duration of the discussion to the speeches ul the majority. The whole course of the O, position sows that they are actu- |

ated solely by a desire to thwart the Governmeut and hold it

up to ridicule, if they possibly can, and not by any regard for the interests of the tenantry. The hoo. Leader of the Opposition at first stated that be did not intend to go lio the merits of the Award, but in his anxiety to damage the Goverament, he graduai!y opered up the whole subject, and | he bas singled out particularly the arbitration clause aud as dis ug. nuously argued as though the 20 years’ purchase had beem the rate definitely fixed by the Award. Ile bas been tuld and wel knows that rate is the mex'mum price ; if it were positively fixed no one would supportit. if the Award shall apyear io be beucticial to the people it will be conuficmed, if otherwis’, or if it is to be trittered away p ece- m al, then it will be opposed.

lion. Mr. COLES ~Tauz Government are opposed to the Loan.

Hon Mr. LONGWORTII—The Award must be taken in full. The hon. member would like to reject the arbitration and tuke t.eluan. A resolution to that effect was proposed ata public meeting, which wus lust, and that sabmitted in opposition to it tu the effect that the whole Award should be wdupted, was curried. If the present Government shall be in power when the Award becomes Jaw,| admit that, if we could buy up iands at such pricesas would enable ds to resell! them to the people at low rates, without loss te the Treasury, we should du su. Notwithstanding what has been said against it, the Award, judging of it from the synopss given by Mr. Howe, will compare favorably with any plan hitherto devised fur the settlement of the land question. 1 admit that the hon. uder of the Opposition did all in his power for the tenantry, but he himself aduits that he failed. His policy was devious, he adopted different views at diffvrent times. Le complains of haying been foiled by the proprietors in the Loan Bill and other measures he introduced. In 1855 he was most strenuous in denouncing Escheat ; it was then a * delusion,”’ a ** chi-! mera,’ the duy for it had gone by. it was utterly anattain- able. Now he tas changed tis tactres. But, Mr. Chairman, if the Loan Bill ba: pawed,i doubt .f the Government of that day could have purchased Jauds va terms which would lave enabled them to resell at reasonable rates. Tbe pruprieturs, knowing that the purchase of their lands was part of the settled pulicy of the Government, would unite and demand a price which would preelud - the Governinent from reselling to the tenants except ut a serious Juss uf income. It may do to bay, a8 the present Government has done, lands when they are offered at low prices,but if once the purchase ol lands was partuf the policy of the Government, the experience of the Worreli Estate would be repeated.

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island,

| reasun to object.

The loan may work very |

advantageously with the arbitration elause of the Award, but |

it would not du to adopt the former us tre main source of re-

laef. The one may be a useful bandmaid to the other It

‘hon. me-aber from Princetown, Mr. Sinclair,

the Award shall appear to be beneficial to the country 1 hope it will receive support from both sides of tae Houee: but I think the opposition fear [est the Government should effet a ciange in the present relations of landlurd and tenant. | was winused yesterday ata statement which fell from the He cvvlly at- tacked the Government for nut having appeared as the advo- cates of the tenuntry alone. He censured us, ae a Government, for not having gone before the Commission as partizan

hon. member credit for some knowledge of constitutivnal pria-

‘This 1s certainly novel doctrine. I had given that |

‘ciples, bat when he made the statement lL refer to, he must,

have forgotten that it is the duty of the Government to bold the scaies of justice equally between both parties. Any Go-

| veroment, descending into the arena, as saggested by the hon. |

'

member, would deservedly forfeis the confidence of the people. Rat, Sir, the Government appointed two able legal genile- men to advocate the interests of the tenantry, and bring their

'claims as prominently as possible before the ‘ommissioners. |

Will the hon. wember say that these gentlemen did not do | their duty that they did nut put the tenan.s’ case in as fayor- |

able a light as possible beiore the Court? I was surprised to

;

‘ PAKCS bear such @ eharge made by tuat hon. member, when I re-) away the colt. The young oues,when taey behold him driving | cujleeted that he had recived a letter inviting him to go be-| of tao auimal, around whieh their young affections had en- | fore the Commission. Did he do his duty, Sir, and give the twined themselves, aud which they had considered as their Commissioners bis opiniun? He did not. It his constituents

'

A bitter feeling |

duty, for not naving improperty taken upon themselves duties |

| fond of representing themselves, it is passing hrs party

‘them. The hon. Leader of the Uppusition attacked me on

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are tenants, as | believe the majority of them are, why was be not present to establich their case? Is it honest or fuir that he should charge the Gorernwent with dereliction of

which it was incumbent on him to bave periormed, and which

ing to advise the

Monday, March 24, 1862,

UAE 1b i

A Weekly Hournal of Politics, Literature, and Mews.

Sane ene eae eeeaencameaee eae ena a eaten ap ae ae

Public, may speak frec.”---Euripides,

mene a

tent to let it speak for itself. When all the other planks of his political platform had slipped from beneath bis feet, then the subject of the Quit Rents was brought up by the hon. member before the Commission. Years ago, when Mr. B. | Davies, then a member of this House, brought in his report , on this subject, it was generally believed that-the hon. mem- | ber laughed it out of the fiouse. After his opposition to Mr. | Davies's views on this question, the matter had been allowed | to die out, till its ashes were raked up and the bon. member, | not being particular as to the value of consistency, went fully | into the subject before the Commission. He should have guarded the right of the Colony to the quit reuts during the | eight years he was in power.

ton. Mr. COLES—I did so, as a reference to the Civil List Bill will show,and [ deny that [ ridiculed Mr. Davies's views. I differed with him as to the bearing of the land tax on the | question, and recommended ap address to the flome Govern-} ment to ascertain what had been paid on account of those rents. All quit rents were surrendered on our paying the, Civil List Bill.

Hon. Mr. LONGWORTH—Yes, and so were all mines and minerals, but what is the use of words in the Act if we have not the articles they designate? In reviewing the proceed- ings of the Commissioners, the hon. Leader of the Opposition was very anfortunate in charging them with neglect of the | interests of the tenantry. ‘The Award gives the occupier the right to the reserves, but by the Bill intreduced some years since by the hon. member it was provided that they should be vested in the Crown.

Hou. Mr. COLE:—In the Government which is responsible to the people. Hon. Mr. LONGWORTH —Then they would be vested in the hands of a few individuals who would have the power to coerce poor men into the acceptance of whatever terms they might choose to impose, and the tenant would have no right to them. It is certainly a boon to the occupier that the Com- | mission has confirmed his possession. As to the employment of this Mr. Wightman, as has been stated by my hon. col- leagues, the Governinent are in nowise responsible for his ap- , pomtment or the manner in which be discharged the duties | confiaed to him. It was the Act of the Commissioners alone, and all that the Lieut. Goveruur could do was to comply with their request to facilitate his investigations and not divulge hiserrand. It was necessary that His Excellency should con- fer with the Leader of the Government, who was by every consideration bound not to make the mater known. The meubers of the Government, with the exception of the Hon Mr. Palmer, knew nothing about bim, and I never heard of him until he had clos:d bis mission and left the Island. MUad the Lieut. Governor refused to accede to the request of the Commissioners, they would have been justified in abandoning he whole question referred to them, aad the Secretary for the Colonies would tave, in all probability, approved of their course. The hon. member, Col. Gray. is entitled to every eredit for having carried the | ‘ommission into practical we rk-| ing, although the idea of it emanated from another source. W hile the Government is conscious of having done its duty.it fears no attacks of its opponents. And [ hops the day is not far distant when we may receive the benefits of tie Award I may be disappointed im some particalars of it, bat until we have the document before us our opinions are premature. | may mention, as a proof of this, the reservation by a propri- etor of 1500 acres. Now,I take it, this reservation must he in one block, and that it is not contemplated to let the proprietor select dif-rent lots at his pleasure. If, however, it should be se, I wiil not approve of that portion of it, but

}

| it cannot bo decided until the Award arrives. The hon. mem-_

ber, Mr. Thornton, objected to the delay in the transmission | of the Award. Ile suppurted the Commission and has no | When he considers the important interests invelved, and the various questions to be considered hie should not be surprised if even three years should elapse ere the Award had undergone the searching ecrutiny which it will receive from the Imperial Governmaat. We kaow that Go- vernment requires time and consideration to mature a measure of this nature,and that Bill: eomparatavely unimportant bave been longer under consideration ag“the Cotonial Office than the Award. It has probably been printed in England, with | a view to cxamination by proprietors resident there, and also fur subwission to the proper officers whuse »pi.ions it may be requisite to obtain.

Progress reported. i

Tuvnrspay Arrernoon, Feb. 27.

Committee on the Address resawed.

Mr. SINCLAIR—The hon. member, Mr. Longworth, I suppose, considers that he has de-nulished my arguments, and seatiered them to the winds. When [ was adverting to the duty of the Government to furnish informatiun to the Com- missieners, I had not proceeded far before | waa twitted by the hon member for Tryon, and asked if [ appeared befure the Cummission myself. 1 was present at the Conmuission- ers’ Court durin: two days, but | mids no statement before | them; and [ consider that if the hon. member for Tryon had dene the sume, he would have rendered us great service to the country as he did, beeause when he was asked the value vf land in his district, he deciined to answer.

Mr. HOW ATI did give a value, and if I had the pamph let L would prove it.

Mr. SINCLAIR--The hon. member was asked the question, | but declined to answer it ; he was asked again, and stil! de- ciined to answer; but afterwards, [ believe, he came forward and volunteered a statement. Now. such conduct on ttie part ofa member of this hon. House, must have produced an in- jurioas impression on the minds of the Commissioners. I was not acquainted with any particular grievance in the district which I have the honor to represent, and as the people there | knew that others amongst them were more competent than | was to bring their case before the Commissioners, they conse- quently appointed delegates for that purpose. Having, how- | ever, received a cireular from the Commissioners to attend | their Court, [ did so; and so full was the evidence which 1 heard presented to them that | knew nothing more which I could state for their information: They received almost too | much evidence, for it was nut so much this they required as that the subject should be presented clearly to taem by those | having the control of publicaffairs. But what did [ see in that | Court?) What bat the hon leader of the Government in this

lsheuld be. ‘made a fair statement before the Court.

© ©

A ee

New Series.---No. 11.

sioners. We need not go to Cunard’s estate, for, perlaps, as he was one of the principal parties in getting up the Com- wission, he may not bave caused distraint warrants to be is- sued. Are we, who are the frends of the tenantry, going to be catechised in this way by members of the Government, who get agent This, and agent That to whisper in their ears from the benches behind them? Sir, there has been too much whispering of that kind in this House. It has been stated that we are aiding the proprietors to thwart the Commission,

_Mr. JOUN YEO—1 was also present, and may say that [ on not hear any of the Commissioners check the hon. Col. | uray.

Mr. SINCLAIR—TI hav facts | quite distinetly in my oink Sn heer eee a

Mr. MONTGOMERY—I think I heard Mr. Warburton say thats certain question was impertinent.

Mr. DAVIES—Mr. Chairman, it has been said that we are irregu- lar in discussing this question when the Award is not before us; but

but when do we see any of them or their agents coming to| I consider we are quite in order, as the subject is referred to in the

whisper to hon. members en this side of the House? It can- not be denied that all thia oppression and tyranny on the part of theproprietors, of which we hear, has been caused by the Commissivn. What, then, can be the motive for all these. questions? If the hon. leader of the Government does not, know what is going on in the country, he ought to know; he should come out among the people, and not keep bimeelf caged | up in his market-house of a cottage, so that no person can_ see him. {Some altercation took place here, the Hon. Mr. Haviland rising to order, and insisting that the hon. member ought to be taught to use proper language, and not allowed to make disparaging comparisons in regard to the private property of members of this louse. } Hon. Mr. COLES—1I can tell the hon. leader of the Govern- | ment that agent This or agent That, of course, will not admit that there is oppression in the country; bat we have the peo- | ple to speak for themselves, as we had here yesterday, in the! case of a tenant who told the tale of his distress with tears in | hiseyes, The proprietor had sent the baili to seize some of his property, and it was brought in and sold on the Square. I believe the hon. member for Charlottétown himselt too pity on the poor tenant, and enabled him to buy in his horse With this and other cases known to hon. members, I am as- tunished that the hon. leader of the Government should ask | such a question. | Mr. SiNCLAIR—I was surprised to hear the hon. member, Col Gray, affirm that my statement in regurd to the questions whieh he put to Hon. Mr. Warburton was wholly -without | foundation. Will the hon. member say that when be was! putting a question to Mr. Warburton that gentleman did not stute that be would not answer it, as he considered it was impertinent? Hon. Col GRAY—I1L wish the hon. member would confine himself to facts. There are four other hon. members present

in this House who attended the Commissioners’ Court at St.

Eleanor’s, and [ appeal to them to decide between us.

Mr. SINULAIR—The only part of my statement which the hon. leader of the Governaent can question, was where I said that if I mistake not, the Commissioners also checked him. ut [ qualified this expression. It is ail very well for the hon, gentleman to say that my statements were wholly anfounded, beeause [ suppose he imagines his assertions will go farther than mine; but, Sir, 1 believe my word will be} considered in the coun‘ry jast as good as his.

Mr. HOW AI~I feel cailed upon to make an explanation, | as the hon. wember for Princetown has stated that I declined ; to give an answer before the Commissioners when questioned 1u regard to the value of land. I said it wae worth 10s. an acre when the rent wasatls. This statement was respecting the Lot on which [ reside, but as [ consider the land on it is something better than on the other Townships which I have the honor to represent ; when asked the general question as to the value of land, [ felt at a loss to answer. ‘Tht night, however, L went out to Lot 19, and the next day 1 made sach | a statement as land the people whom I consulted thought fair. Having ascertained the opinion of my constituents at some public meetings held in the district, | afterwards came down to Charlottetown and handed into the Commission a statement in writing of what [ considered the price of land | The bon. member, Mr. Hensley, admits that I |

I cannot understand | why the hon. member for Princetown should be offended be- caus L asked the question: Did he appear before the Com- mission himself? [ did so oat of no ill-will ; for I mast say that L entertain for him a very hizh respect. He admits that he made no statement before the Court, yet he complaias of the evidence subinitced to it. If anything is said which af- fects himself, how soun heis on his feet ; then why did he not show equa} readiness to take up the canse of the tenantry,

;

; when be saw it was necessary that the Commissioners should

D2 furnished with correct information. A person scarcely | knows what to make of his statements, for one time he says |

ithe Commissioners were sapplied with tco much evidence. at:

another he says they had tuo little. I, regard to the Spy, if itis proper to designate him by that name, [ must candidly | say that 1 do not approve of bis being sent here by the Com- | missioners, becaose I consider they bad other means of ob- | taning ample information. The Guvernment employed able | cuunsel, one of whom was the Hon. Mr. Hensley, a gentleman | well acquainted with the records of the Colony, and qualified | to farnish evidence of that kind, therefore | can see no neces- sity for the course which the Commissioners adopted I sup- pose they had full power to send such an agent hers, still I) cannot approve of the step; but [ will not accuse the Guvern- i

In reference to the Act which the Opposition desired to pass last Session, I say that bad it been carried through the Lo- gislature, it would haye urged the proprietors oa to distrain | for arrears immediately, fur it is knuwa that every Act must receive the Royal assent, and that none can be returned to the Island in less than seven months after they are passed here, so that during that time the proprietors and agents would, no doubt, have pounced duwn upon the tenants in a wholesale manner. Had the Government allowed such an Act to pass, and those consequences followed, the hon leader of the Opposition would then have turned :ound and said you have ruined the country, and I knew all the time it would be the case. When asked what provisions his Act} would contain, ne would not explain, but said the Act would speak for itself. I should like to know what a short Act)

would speak for. He was asked by his hon. friend, the wem- |

}

_as it seems he did not return the MS. to the Reporter.

Address, and we bave the evidence given before the Commission by both sides before us, 224 also the speeches of the Counsel” The speech of one ot the Counsel for the proprietors has uot ail appeared, i ; 1 am sorry for this, because I should like to have seen it all, as it is said to have been a very able one. We have the speecies of the Counsel on the other side, and certainly they do them credit. It ic no wonder that the hon. member for East Point advocated Escheat, for the learned Counsel, Mr. Thompson, says that had the Isiand been under the government of New Bruoswich, the lands woald all have been es- cheated long ago. Had I been in this House some 20 years ago, I certainly would have been an escheator ; but I cous-der that the time has new gone past, owing to properties having changed hands, which renders it difficult to deal with the question. ‘The present Opposition when in power endeavored to bring in remedial measures, the Land Parchase Bill; but that gave dissatisfaction on account of the high price paid for the Worrell estate, whieh, as it could not be sold at a rate to pay expenses, subjected the country te debt. Isaid the other evening in regard to the purchase of that estate, that it was open to suspicion that the report is correct which says that the bon. ieader of the late Government received £1000 from the vendors for taking it off their hands at such a price. {1 aim still of the same opi nion, as there appeared to be no danger of the estate then passing into other hands. ‘The reason may have been that there were parties at that time in aeed of office. The purchase of the Selkirk estate will fully clear itself, but the reeeipta from the Worrell estate have been nearly all eaten up by expenses. Wher the present party came into power, they were all desirous to provide some manele the difficulties of the tenantry, and the Land Conunission was the re

sult. The Commissioners have completed their Award, and though

it is not before us I suppose the synopsis of it given by Mr. Howe ia a fair exposition of its contents. ‘This Award, in my opinion, will prove a material benefit to the tenantry, at least, the opposite party have nothing better to propose. The rewission of the arrears of rent itselt will be a great advantage. The hon. leader of the Opposition says that some of the proprietors bave taken bonds for arrears, and that they can thus be collected at any time. I think this cannot be the case ; if so, it is in direct violation of the Award. The proprie tors may take such bunds, but if it can be shown that they were taken for arrears that would be remitted by the Award, they wili certainly be void. It is said that few oi the tenantry will be induced to purchase through the result of the Comunission; but I believe that tue arrears being cleared off, many of them will take heart anew, and endeaver ty convert their leasehold: into freeholds. 1am aware, within my own kuowledge, that not a tew have left the country on account of the burden of arrears. It has also been said that the tenautry will not be able to buy their farms, because 20 years’

chase is more than they can pay. But I have no doubt that the ar- bitrativa clause will be the means of lowering the price ot Jand in

| maby cases, and placing the power of purchase within their reach,

Auother statement put forth is, that the proprietors since their tithes have been coutiraied by the Award, will not be dispoved to sell at a low raty to the Goverument. I cannot see that this will be likely to affect the price of proprietors’ Jaads generally, because it is ad- mitted that escheat was iinpracticable. Under the operation of the arbitration clause I thiuk they will be as pleased to get clear of their lands asever. Statements have been made in reference to cases of oppression by the proprietors; it is true there_are euch cases, but { aun at a joss to conceive what this House can do in the matter. That there should be oppression is to be regretied; yet it is not in our power to remedy the evil. Then again in regard to Mr. Wightman, the so-called Spy. I fully believe the members of the Government when they say they bad no control over that person. If the Com- missioners considered that the evideuce which they obtained on the Island was partial, they, of course, were at liberty te send au agent here to procure further information; but I would much rather that they had come te taeir decision without this aid. 1 presume, how- ever, that the person seat lere, was uot iu the interest of the prictors, and would therefore give a fair and impartial statement re- specting the value of land. Tae hon. inember for Princetown ap- pears tu think that the Liberals were the only friends the tenantry had before the Commission. I have been looking over the reporta, yet I cannot see that this has been the ease. The hon. member should bear in wind that it is pot extreme statements that carry the greatest weight. It was probably oa account of statements of this kind that Mr. Wightman was seat to the Island.

Hon. Mr. KELLY—Mr. Chairmaa, the hon. member for Belfast asked to be tuld of cases of oppression which occurred since the laat sessioa of the Legislature. I can give him maay of them if it will of any serviee: but at present I will content myself with oue wti-h took place in the mouth of August last. The amount of the tenant's arreurs,to whom I aliude,up te the previous May, was only the trifle of 40s., which he went and offered the agent, but which -vas refused to be accepted without being accompanied by as much more. This tenant, Sir, came to me as bis representative, saying that he feared he would be distrained on as be bad ineurred the ag+ut’s ire by ap- pearing befure the Conmissiou, end requesting tou know what he should doin the case. I told him if be bad his rent on hand, and Was sure he owed no more, his best course was, when the distraint

| came, to pay the money to the bailiff Very soon after, Sir, the

bailiff was sent te him with the distraint, and both of them came te my house, where the tenant paid the bailiff every peony he owed up to the previous May, and got the bailiffs receipt. But the next day, ihe agent despatched no less than three coustables te make a cleaa

imentin the matter, as they were not aware of his missicn. | Sweep of all that the tenaat possessed, who was then under the ne- cessity of procuring bail to double the value of bia stock, and of tra-

a

, Felling J7 or Is miles to retain a lawyer, and effect a replevin with

the sheriff of the County. But, Sir, when the next term of the Su- preme Court was approaching, the said agent, well knowing that if nis proceediays came before a jury his case would be dismissed with costs and his tyranny exposed, came to the attorney of the tenant aad told him that he would make a virtue of necessity and proceed av further. And I was sorry to hear the poor tenant lament that he