RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT IN NOVA BCOTIA AND IN P. E. ISLAND.

It is with sincere ye that we — en our first Deny this opening to the people, and you may in vain

some extracts the speech o ot houses of Legislature yin Nova Scotia, on the opening of their Session. On's perusal of these, it will be seen that Responsible Government is conceded by the wisdom of Her Majesty’s Councils to the inhabitants of that Province. the Colonial Government is about to be reformed on this

; it has been alread scam :

plete the enjoyment of the British Constitution in its

entife and efficiept form, whilst its absence renders that| oy Constitution nugatory and deficient in its very elements;!Conroy signified his intention of voting with the party for the Constitution of Great Britain is composed of in-| opposed to Mr. Coles—and by his vote the question wus

jents and checks designed so to counterpoise each other, that it can hardly be said to exist at all where either estate of the realm falls short in its assigned au- thority and influence. Indeed, it may be well doubted whether a Colony under the British Crown, possessing a Legislature but not Responsible Government, is not in a worse condition than a Colony without a Legisla- ture—governed by the representative of the Crown, aided by a Council. In the latter case, a just Adminis- trator,and the fostering care of the paternal Government, may ensure to the people some of the advantages which result from being the subjects of a free Imperial! Govern- ment.

The Crown has its duties and the people know on whom they depend, but of all forms of Government, that is the most irksome where a long standing monopoly, in the hands of a few fortunate yet selfish individuals, con- trouls the patronage of the Crown, to the exclusion of every class of the people, except the passive tools of its own selection,—a state of things which is the natural growth of such a Legislature as ours, having the name

of a British Parliament, but wanting the only essential |of the Assembly is to prevail over them, we can’t see

which gives value to such a body, namely, the power of the people through their Representatives, of participating in the Government ; nor is thie a power at all approaching!

to Democracy, for to say nothing of the fact that expe-/of a General Election. Although we would regret that

rience and history contradict any such probability, how

ean it be apprehended when reference is had to the such @ measure, we would nevertheless be highly grati- in ee we Fa my has placedin the Crown | fied to hail the consummation of an event aa mane . i in the hands ma 7 a ed Branch of the Legislature.| aoe fail to bring about a better state of things, by bring- nid —_y Peg mer a ot and the Oligarchists to| ing tovether a more truly liberal and independent body

d out this bugbear. [tis but the dying effort—the|ormen, who would legislate for the general interests fruitless mancuvre ofa defeated party. But why should| of the country—and not be actuated by a desire to prop

@ principle so essentia! to our liberties be viewed as the material for a party contest ; the stake ia the stake of a whole people ; and we trust the efforts to check our rising

liberties, exhibited more or less by parties well known,| ous it in a

: - ; proper manner would require a calmer in proportion as they dare betray their constituents, are! spirit than we ean now bring to its consideration. We ow. Peo! may, however, be induced to make it the subject of some ple know who are their friends—and are neither blind| emarks in a future Paper. En passant, we cannot but por wanting in discrimination. If they are deficient in in- observe, that we have heard many debates in Colonial

well seen through and perfectly understood. The

formation, we refer them to the Journals of the Assem- bly, and the speakers of Jast Session. Let them look to it—the remedy is in their own hands; the matter con-

not long be deferred, and those who stand in the way, the s : peeches of those hon. members who support the and have stood in the way, must be got rid of at the) \-opogition adverse to the opinions of the Crown Officers

next General Election. How those who at the last pro- fessed to be the friends of Responsible Government! when they had obtained their seats, can never be for- gotten. They are the same who would exclude Messrs. Coles and Warburton, because they have been selected by the people, and appointed by the late Lieutenant unane to the Council, as a kind of first fruits of this system, which the Monopolists inwardly loath and cannot abide,and against which they have openly voted ; and fur- ther,they would get rid of these men because they belong toa Party in both Branches of the Legislature which wij| bring to light all (to use mild terms) which requires re- form in the administration of public affairs, and are ready to legislate and govern for the genera! interest, so distinguished from that of a few speculators. Our rea- ders may rely on it, that Responsible Government is at band—it is seen to be not only a gift of inestimable price to the Colonies, but one which can be safely con- eeded wherever the population is of British origin; but -it.is likewise recognised as the surest and safest bond

.of union between the Mother Country and her Depend- | His Honor the Speaker, still retains the Chair.

encies. It seems from the address of the Lieutenant Governor _of Nova Scotia that there are actually arrangeinents to be made respecting the Civil List and some other matters which are deemed necessary conditions to the attainment of this high privilege. We know not whe- ther this ia to be demanded of a Colony with means so -gmall as ours; but we deem no eacrifiee too great to ensure the enjoyment of a privilege so essential to the _ peace, happiness, and prosperity of our Island home. It w@ very well to exclaim that this isa struggle of one party endeavouring to obtain the places of others who eceupy them: Be it so; as we have often before said, the people will take care to continue and displace them er any others if they fail in the due administration of wiblic affairs. It is the fashion amongst the Oligarch- yats to insult the rest of the public by saying that there

There are inherent in them 4 corrective end a creative principle adequate to the supply of men in every way calculated to contend with any possible emergency.

Sir John Harvey | jook for statesmen.

It appears from another extract that/since the commencement of the Session in debating the oni iment | question of Privilege, arising out of the acceptance of a! new principle. Thie is, indeed, « boon of the highest| seat in the Executive Council by the Hon. Mr. Coles, granted to the Canadians,|and that gentieman’s subsequent election. ‘I'he House aded, nay, we know it will not long be/ has been very evenly divided on the question ; so much’ withheld from ourselves. This only is wanting to Com-/ go, that until Thursday, it was impossible to determine

THE EXAMINER.

THE DEBATE ON PRIVILEGE. The House of Assembly has been chiefly occupied

whether the issue of the question would be in favour of against Mr. Coles; but on that day Mr. Nicholas

yesterday decided against that gentleman. We have not room to give the several Resolutions which were introduced on both sides, bvi shall give them in our next No. The upshot of the whole debate has been, that the Hon. Mr. Coles has been excluded from holding, for the present, a seat in the House of Asseinbly, on the interpretation by the House, of an Act of Parliament which the Law Officers of the Crown have declared to be inoperative in the case of Mr. Coles. And thus have a majority—a small one to be sure—decided contrary to all constitutional practice—contrary to what we deem to be a just and equitable interpretation of the law. Whether His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor will issue anew Writ of Election for the seat thus declared vacant, remains to be seen. When His Excellency shall have come tos determination as to the course most proper to be pursued, we will be prepared to show the extraordinary position in which the opposing party have placed him. ‘The opinions of the Crown Utiicers ip reference to the Act 6th Will. 4th, cap. 24, are to be followed, or they are not to be fullowed. If the opinion

what necessity the Representative of the Crown has fur having lega! advisers at all. It has been surmised, (and very men 4 too) that thie decision will be the cause

the country should be put to the trouble and expense of

up a tottering Oligarchy. We candidly confess that we cannot trust ourselves to write upon the subject of this debate at any considerable length, because to dis-

Assemblies, but have never heard one which betrayed such paucity of argument—such startling disregard for all fairness, reason and right, as have been evident in

GREAT TRIUMPH OF LIBERAL PRINCIPLES.

By our adyices from Halifex, dated the 2d inst., we learn that the Liberals have engrossed the New Govern- ment; and that the following gentlemen have been sworn in as Executive Councillors, and to the offices set opposite to their names:

The Hon. James B. Uniacke, Attorney General,

The Hon. W. F, DesBarres, Solicitor General.

The Hon. Joseph Howe, Provincia! Secretary,

The Hon. H. Huntington, for which two, the offices

of the Excise and Trea- The Hon. James McNab. ) sury are reserved.) The Hon. Michael Tobin, The Hon. George R. Young, The Hon. Hugh Beli, The Hon. L. O’C. Doyle.

People of Prince Edward Island, behold the power

laced in your hands, and in this Colonial struggle for iberty, follow the example of Nova Scotia, and govern yourselves accordingly.

TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS. We issue this week, and shall probably be obliged to

suing a single sheet only. Although we will be bound to sustain considerable loss and expense by this disap- pointment; first, by limiting the circulation of our

to the present number of subscribers ; secondly, by pra- curing sufficient paper to last until the navigation be resumed. overa long and expensive land route; and thirdly, by the omission of a great portion of our adver- tizements ;—yet our subscribers wills sustain any v material Joss, for we shall give them the full complement of pages (416) before the year will have expired—~and besides, it will be remembered, there will be nearly as much reading matter of engrossing interest in the pre- sent single sieet, (for the matter will be more compressed) as there would be in the double shec*>, where seven or eight columns would be devoted to literary seleetions and advertizements.

MECHANIC'S INSTITUTE.

The Rev. Mr. Rhand delivered an interesting practical Lecture on Monday night week, on the subject—* The advantages and disadvantages of self education.” Oa Monday night last, Mr. Gainsford delivered the first of a series of lectures to be given by him on Natural Phi- losophy. Both lecturers drew large audiences, and gave very genera! satisfaction.

ENGLISH MAIL.

The Courier brought the English Mail last evening. The latest dates are to the 15th January: Commercial failures con- tinued to take place in England, but Scotland has been particu- larly unfortunate 2s respects this matter, since the last Mail, several very extensive houses having been compelled to yield to the pressure of the times. From freland the accounts were not of so gloomy a caaracter,—the Coercion Bill has been put in vigorous operation, and comparative tranquility prevailed, Amongst the foreign news, we notice that some disturbance had taken place in Rome. in consequence ofa refusal by His Heli- ness the Pope to accede to some extravagant demand for re- forms.—Abdel Kader, it is reported, had surrendered to the French, on the condition of his being permitted to retire to Palestine or Egypt.

BIRTHS. At Lot 1], on the 24th ult., the Lady of the Hon. James Wer- burton, of a daughter. At Souris, on the 26th ult., Lady of John Macgowan, Eaq., of a daughter. MARRIED. At Three Rivers, on the 27th January, by William Mackay, Esq., J. P., Mr. Donald re Merchant, Georgtown, to Jessie, second daughter of Mr. Donald Stewart, Montague. At Souris, on the 25th ult., by W. S. Macgowan. ksq., Mr. Thomas Mallard, to Mrs. Perkins, widow of the late Mr. Tho- mae Perkins.

DIED At St. Peter's Bay,on the 28th ult., Euphemia, third daughter of Mr. Philip McIssac, aged 19 years, much regretted by her friends and acquaintances. =

Leeistative Councit, CaamMBER, Tuesday, February Ist, 1848. RESOLVED, That the following standing

order of this House, be inserted three times in each of the Newspapers published in Charlottetown, for the information of

the public. 7 CHARLES DESBRISAY, D. C. L. C.

“That no Bill, Resolution, or other proceeding, founded upos any application, addressed to the House of Assembly, be sus- tained by the Coancil, unless application to the same efiect,

«

with such documents as may accompany the same, be also pre sented tothe Council in General Assembly.”

e In tHe House or AssemBcy, Friday, February 4th, 1848, RESOLVED, That no Petition praying aid for Roads, Bridges or Wharfs, or for any object of @ local or private nature, be received after Monvat the Twentr-E1GHT Of Faprvary, instant. Orperep, That the above Resolution be insert2d in

f the Newspapers published in Charlottetown. “_ SOHN MACNEILL, c. A. H. A.

MUTUAL INSURANCE AGAINST FIRE !! NOTICE.

HE Company now being about to be form- ed, a MEETING will take place at the Masonic Hatt, on Wednesday next, the 9th inst. Chair taker precisely at 8, P. M. By request, oe ak ES N. HARRIS, Secretary, pro. tem.

TO LET

FoR Two Years from the First of Novemprn last, SPRING PARK HOUSE, Outhoures and Garden. Also, the Farm, mostly in grass, which will be divided into lots to meet the wishes of parties desirous of renting smal] tenures. Apply atthe office ofthe Hon. W. W. InviNG, Charlottetowm

Feb. 5.

do so for one or two weeks to come, one instead of two shests. This we are constrained to do, in consequence of a disappointment in the procuring of our printing paper, which was to be brought from the two vessels now laid up there belonging to this Island, but which, owing to the lateness of the season when they were discharged, could not make their re- turn home. This being the case, we directed our

agent in Halifax, to forward the Paper by the land route) —

gre no other men fit to fill their offices. We do not re-jas far as Cape Tormentine, from which it would be

cognise in them all the talent—all the fitness; no, nor el] the trustworthiness which the Island affords or eon- -tsins, But if it were so, free institutions have always pete found te produce men fit for every szigency.

brought by the Ice Boat in convenient packages. But we regret to eay, the difficulty experienced in travelling, by the bad state of the roads, has prevented it as yet being brought farther than Amherst; and hence eur is

Sth Feb. 1848. Gaz. 2w STRAY HEIFER.

alifax by one of} A STRAY HEIFER has been on the pre-

mises of the Subscriber since July last, she is black, with white back. MARY COBBS. Union Road, Lot 33, Feb. 5, 18438. STRAY SHEEP. a A STRAY SHEEP (Ewe) has been tonne

: . : last. premises of the Subscriber since October last | 0 are marked—top off the right, and ® piece of WALSH.

Cervehesd Road, Feb. ath, 1948,

‘