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A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF POLITICS, LITERATURE AND NEWS.

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CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1859. No. 9.

Provincial Parliament. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS LN ANSWER TO THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

, Hon. Mr. LONG WORTH —I am amused, Mr. Chairman, at witnessing the various Opinions which have been expressed on this subject, some from hon. members whose views hare undergone great changes since last session. Without going over the ground so often traversed, by reviewing dhe past history of the question, LU will put the plain question, what does the paragraph mean? We but pledge ourselves to give

the subject the consideration which its importance demands, | While I readily admit that the report of the Hon. Mr. |

Thornton, which haa been referred to, is well drawn up, there is one important consideration omitted, without which it is impossible to arrive at a just conclusion. It contains no

estimate of the probable amount of the working eXpenses of | the Estate. I entertain a high respect for that hon. gnatleman, |

and by mo means attyibute to him any unworthy motives in

spar! that report; which, however, did justify lf. re Ne. Th ‘ pe : prepariog pe bh, however, not justify the | for a Commission, and appointed five proprietors and an |

purchase of the property, for it contained no estimate of the east of the staff of officials connected with the management, whose expenses are eating up the reccipts. As to the q:testion of Escheat, i: will be t'me euough to go into that question when the despatvhes are brought down. 1 shall, however, not allow to go abroad unconty adicted the assertion of the hon. member Mr. Coles, that the possession of a proprietor for any length of time, even 500 years, could not perfect his title. Now the law says that 28 years possession gives title. One argument of the hon. member, Mr. Thornton, for his support of the Loan Bill, was drawa from the cases of hardship and distress which he had known the tenantry to suffer. Without dis- puting the truth of this siatement, they afforded no reason tor supporting a measure which was based upon the Principle of taxing the freehulders and mechanies of Prince and Queen’s Counties for the purchase of farms for the people ia King’s. Such a principle carried into practice would enable men too indolent to acquire property by their own exertions, to do it at the expense of their more industrious neighbours.

Hon. Mr. WUELAN—The principal objection that bas

been urged against the amendment is that the agitation for |

Escheat is unwise because it has so often failed. Thero is

but little force in that argument, for British history, and in |

fact ail history is replete with instances of repeated failures being ultimately crowned with success. Lot hon. members bear in raind the old distich,

He who fights and runs away

May live to fight another day.

I can say with my hon. friend Mr. Tnorntou, that I have |

not been an Eschester, but last year 1 stated in my place, hat if tie Loan ani Reserves’ Bill were lost, [ should s ip- nort the estabtishment of a Court of Esehcat. The hon. member Mr. Longworth deprecated the discussion of Escheat.

untill the despatches shall be vrought dows ; bay the Govern--

ment hag not promised to introduces auy bill or measure

on the subject ; no allusion to such action is to be fouud in | the speech or address. This discussion might be omitred if |

the Govt. in the speech or address had promised any specific measure, but not having done so, the present is the proper time for the opinions of the minori'y to go before the Government and the country. As to the allusion to the failure of the

hon. member Mr. Cooper’s missions to England, it was easy | to account for the want of success. Our claim to the same | 1 + asse been repeated over and over again until patienge is exhausted. |

esree of liberty as our brethren in the mother country possesse | was not recognized ; the Colonial Office was go- verned by cliques interested in poisoning the mind of the

Colonia! Minister. What chance had Prince Edward Island

of succeeding at the Colonial Offics against such influence, at @ time, too, when the Legislative Council cf the Colony was crawmed with the mémbers of a faction opposed to the wishes of the people, and which looked upon all who were in favor of Escheat as little better than savages. It had

been alleged against the minority some 2 or J years ago, that | in opposing Escheat. they bad betrayed their party and for- |

feited their pledges—that they had in 1851 been returned to support Escheat. present Government who declared that the opposition had betrayed the people’s interests on the subject of the land question, and that the Government party were the only friends on whom the public could rely. The value they place 01 consistency will be tested by the vote to-night, when we sha]! see how far the prospectus of the Political Alliance —which insisted on a Court of Enquiry as 2 sine gua non, and to which many members owed ther seats—will be ad- hered to by those who have submitted to its dictation in other matters.

Hon. Mr. HAVILAND—I am glad that you admit its

r. Pe. Mr. WHELAN—I admit your subserviency to its dictation. ‘Two members of the Government, Hons, Messrs. Yeo and Laird, years ago voted with Mr. Cooper for Es- cheat. The latter had always, until his elevation to execu- tive honors, been a consistent Escheater ; aud the former, on the occasion to which he referred, had justified his vote by the necessity which existed for settling the matter by any means whatever. What has now induced such a change in that hon. member's opinions? Is it, that-now that be 1s a councillor, he has received an intimation from his leader that he now finds it convenient to characterise as a fudge a measure he supported a few years ago? Another member of the Government, Hon. Mr. Haviland, has argued that the British Government were not guilty of a breach of faith, be- cause a direct and unequivocal promise of the guarantee of the Loan had not been made. The despatch of Mr. Labou- chere, and the speech of Lord Stanley in the House of Commons, were saficient answer to that objection, The Go-.

-- | Yernment had asserted that His Excellency the Lieut. Governor had been misinformed by his late advisers on the | Subject of the finances of the Colony. That assertion makes his alleged ignorance bear the charge of his fidelity to his

public duties, for all the accounts were open to his inspection,

and it is unlikely that under such circumstances he would

be misled by any set of advisers, Had Canada, Nova |

| Scotia, or New Brunswick, been treated as we have been on the subject of the Loan, every town and hawlet would have resounded with denunciations of the partics who had

| beld out such promises only to break them; but here the | voice of remonstrance must be silenced amid the conflict of | passion. I have been told that if I advocated Escheat, I might ride into the House on the strength of it; but I have always stated that I would not support Escheat while there was a probavility of the remedial measures of the liberal | party being crowned with success. We are told to wait till the despatches are brought down. The despatches are here though not officially, and the minority are not to be blinded by such a quibble as that. The Colonial Minister is, I am aware, a brilliant novelist, but as a despatch writer is not admired by any class of politicians—but this despatch has probably been written by some understrapper at the Colonial Office. Suppose that (he Government acted on the suggestion

equal number of tenants, regular fire-eating Hecheators ? |

No report would be made, for the proprietors would not admit that their titles were bad; the others would not allow

7 ri c a 4 * ° ° { that they were good; a heavy expense would thus be frait- |

lessly incurred.

lion. Mr. PALMER—The position of the opposition is very peculiar, and, | believe, unprecedented in the annals of Colonial politics, IL have always understood that where

the object in debating the address was to damage the Go- | verament, some reason: ought to be adduced and arguments |

shown, that the Gove nment should not stand because their

policy did not commend itself to the geod will of the people, | fi is impossible that the Government could have matured | important measures in the short time since they came into power; during which they bave been oceupied in filling the |

‘ ° - offices and making other necessary arrangements. ‘The o9- pesition advance nothing to shew why the Gevernment should

forfeit thelr position; but their course resembled that ofa |

| party who, at his arraignment, pleaded guilty, and when

tending that he ought not to have admitted bis guilt, Whe: | tho late Government went out of ollice, they resigned only

ably that they could no longer bold on. His Excellency’s | speech says that certain measures mooted in the Colouy have been laid bafore Her Majesty's governinent, and that des- | patches on the subjects of them willbe laid before the House. Why then should it be sought to compel the Government at this period of their tenure of office, and at this early part of | the sess oa, t) disclose what measures they may have in con- templarzion? When the despatehes shali have been Inid be- fore the House, then it will be ample time to discuss the measures which may be proposed, Members of the op- position are so over-charged with their political steam that they are blowing it off rather prematurely, and each of them thinks himself victimised to a greater exteut than his neigh- bour. I regret that so much time has been consumed in the discussion of the Loan and Reserves Bills at this stage of the session, as the same ground will be gone over again when

| the despatches are before us ; and in the long discussion not |

|a single new idea has been- propounded, not a new principle , advocated—the debate on the part of the opposition bas been

1 ask how long is this to last ? It is well understood that several importaut measures await our action. The disputed seats, the Revenue and appropriation Bills, and others. 'Tbat portion of the discussion which referred to the Fishery ' Reserves is legitimate enough, because the paragraph re-

ferred to that question, but all the rest is irrelevant. The }amendment proposes to pledge the House to a certain course, and threatans a Vourt of Kscheat. Now, sir, how can the oOppcsition know the course which the Government may purpose to adopt, with reference to the questions which _bave been dragged into this discussion? Had the speech

*s Om Var >t} Y £ d I could name some members of the | recommended any particular measure, and the address had | g

'embodied an opinion on such measure, the oppositien would }then have had a fair opportunity of testing their strength | against the Government, which at present has to come down | to the House, with the remnants left in the Cabinet box of | the late Government, I have taken several pages of notes, of which, however, it is unnecessary that I should make an use, as the arguments and assertions of the minority have | been so well answered by my honorable colleagues. The Government wil! be prepared to submit certain measures for

j

them, they willbe able to jastify themselves to the country.

Afier a. few remarks from Hon. Mr. Coles.and Mr. Cooper, on the antecedents of the Escheat agitation, the amendment was lost and the origina! paragraph was cafried.

The next and fina) paragraph having been read —

Hon. Mr. WHELAN—In submitting the amendment which I have prepared, [ think it improper to allow the Comniittee to rise without’ the expression of en opinion as to the change in the conatitution of the Colony by the present Government. If they did so, their conduct might be considered as a tacit acqiiies- cence in the infraction of the constitution. The amendment states that the system recently inaugurated is contrary to the law of the land and the British constitution. The preamble of our Civil list Bill, in exchange for which we obtained the-concession of Re- sponsible Government, states that we had asked for a system similar to that in foree in Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. If we have such system, the amendment fails to the ground; if we have it not, the world should know it. If the present system shall be continued, it is better that the Act should be repealed than that the new doctrine dictated by the Political Alliance should be maintained in defiance of the law of the land. The late Government were twitted with having

brought up for sentence wished to withdraw the plea. pre- |

when the coamtry had pronounced against them so unmistake- |

but a reliash of the arguments and assertions which have |

| the adoption of the House; if they should fail in carrying.

—————

been unduly influenced by the possession of offic

ers on the floor of the House, which, their Opponents alleged, destroyed their independence. But what is the present condition of the House? At no previous time Were there more than six mem- bers of the Exeentive in the Tlouse, now there are no less than seven.

Hon, Mr. YEO—The House consists of 30 members now.

- Hon. Mr. WHELAN—That does not affect the question. lhe argument for the increase in the number of representatives was that it would neutralize the influence of the Government : but now we see nearly one fourth part of the House composed of members of the Government, and the popular control over | the office-holders removed. And what do we see with reference _ to the appointments to office? One prominent member of the | Government, ia every respect entitled to take office, was pre-

vented by the Alliance, and his cousin appointed. The hon. member for Charlottetown, Mr. Palmer, who has faithfully served his party for a uumber of years, and who was in every way entitled to, and qualified for it, has been by a secret association, prevented trom eecupying a position which was his due. Another councillor has not taken office, it is true, but dame rumour assigns to a brother of his the speedy assumption of an official character. When the late Government was in power, the then opposition harped upon the fact of the Road Correspondent and Mr. Pope Webh being connected with | the leader of that Government, as evidencing conclusively the | existence of a family compact. But now we see one councillor

) With his cousin in office, as Atto : ; brother still to be appointed | shied ledaen ae offie ; =i n office, and another with a brother in the Exeise office, and another related to nearly the whole of them. What reason is there to suppose that those offices would be better filled by those who &t present hold them, than they world be by members of the fTouse? It would be more constitutional and more satisfactory _ to the country if the officers referred to werehere. {t has been | said that the people sanctioned the change, and that the Govern- Ment majority was returned to.effect it. Mr. Chairman, I be- _fieve that if ledger influence and religions bigotry had not | beea active elements in the late elections, the result would have been very different. Besides these, the Political Alliance | hid dictated imperiously to their slaves, and had claimed to ex- press the well understood wishes of the people ; and their | homlinees were prepared ty give effect to their assumption, and prodably wonld do so, if they wished the stars and stripes to float over us. ‘This plan of appointing relatives and connections to office iy exciting bickermy and contention among the sup- porters of Goveroment, which could not exist under the former eu, as Wo omade those whom the people confided in the -fecipents ef office. Aad tits state of affairs has been oc- castoned by the violation of a law of the land, as is the case | also with the Registrar of Deeds, who is notte be found. That | Zentleman received his appointment in consideration of his being fable to bring A goacty nuniver of tits co-religientsts to the hust- igs to vole lore supp rier of ihe Government. Of a surety, the | Snatchers are on the other side now, : | Mr. DAVIES—They are not in the House, however. |

avot sy 3s

Hon. Mr. WHEL AN —It is worse, now thatthe snatching is | for the benefit of cousins, brothers, and other relatives ; and it | 18 Hot ad Uolair inference, that pecuniary consideration has influenced some of the appointments.

Mr HOW AT—Mr. Chairman, if country members were aa

_ long-winded as town, Edo not know when we would get through | the business of the country. The hon gemleman, who has _justsat down talks ike an idiot, notwithstanding his very great eloquence. ile says that we are the slaves of a party—that we Gave vidlated the constitatcoun—annihilated Responsible Government. Now, Sir, what is Respon-ible Government ? 1 shall not attempt to define it. Me. Johnston, of Nova Scotia, was asked what it meanr, but felt himself unable to answer the qnestion ; bat lo! a greater than he is here in the pereou of the Hon, Mr. Whelan. Sir, my opinion is, that Re- sponsible Goverument is whatever the people choose to make it—hke a field, it can be ploughed lengthwise oracross. The hon, Member says we ere the slaves of the Political Alliance— that we must submit to its dictates—acknowledge its be- heots—vote that nght which we know ‘o be wrong, and thus

t |

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ran the race of Clark. No, Sir, it exerc'ses no power over me, it has po influence in our part of the country. The Liberals ' have told us that llis Excellency the Governor would not allow | us to sit in the House, without submitting to their mode of Re- sponsible Government. But, Sir, His Excellency has shown his wisdom in not interposing any obstacle to the formation of the Government. has, Sir, the gentlemen on the other side, and their friends, have proved themselves very bad authorities in this matter. herr principles are almost dead, and they themselves are dying very bard, and they must die—their policy must cease in future to afflict the country with its pernicious influence. We have pledged ourselves to our constituents to carry out the principles of wise and judicious reforms, and 1, | for one, am determined to do so.

Hon. Mr. COLt&S—Under the present mongrel system of overnment, every member of it is as much bound to support _it-as was any head of a department under the previous system, so that the argumenc about the greater freedo u from improper | influences fell to the ground. There should be threo or four heads of departments in the House, and I regret that the ieader of the Government has not accepted the office to which he was so fairly entitled; and I believe, that sooner than have allowed him to reuire ag a representative, had he taken offiee, a majority of his friends would have returned him here a8 an official. [ should like to see every member of the Executive holding office, and | would rather see their number reduced to five, with offices, than as at present. This Government is a disgrace to the Colony, and a jaughing stock to our neighbors. [ say not this in reference to the individuals composing it, but to the principle on which it is constituted. The people will not re- main jong satisfied with the system of dispensing the patronage among the relatives of members of the Executive. Such has not been the course pursued in the other Colontes ; and in Nova Scotia, Mr. Jonaston, to whom the hon. member has referred, did pot adopt it when he succeeded to power, but carried out the constitutional system, which is as near an approximation to the Briush as the difference between Imperial and Colonial iastitutions will admit, At present, a person coming from the country, having business with the Government, may be unable to see members of the Council; while, until recently, if tne Governor was in his offiee, a Council could be formed at once from the officers in the building ; but now the Governor cannot hold conidential coramunication with his principal officers,

because they are not his advisers.

porcelain

ment appears to be the hon. member, Mr. Howat, who is put. forward as a stalking-horse, when the members of the Executive do not wish to make themselves appear ridiculous. He said that the opposition were dying hard; if such be the case, they.

are dying in defence of the liberties of the people, which the

Hon. Mr, WWHELAN—The principal defender of the Govern- _

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