158

THE SKAMINER.

ET) CEP

agreed to on the iows :—

Ayes—Messrs. Coles, Wagburton, Pope, Davies, Whelan, Lord, Jardine, Fraser, M‘Donald, Laird, Moo-| ney, Flynn, Clark,—14

Nars—Honbles. Messrs. Palmer, snd Thaten y Messrs. Longworth, Haviland, Yeo, and Montgomery |

o08 ea,

ee ee

— —_

asspouvs

WHAT THE PEOPLE EXPECT FROM RES- PONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.

TO EDWARD WHELAN, FSQ., M.P-P. No. 1. Sin—

Mr. Danean M'Lean has declared that the People off Prince Edward Island know not what is meant by Re- sponsible Government, and asserted that it9 establish- ment would not prove a means of effecting any thing for the public good; but wowid be made to work solely for the benefit of a few of the leading men amongst the Liberals and of their supporters in the Legislature,

These assertions, as put forth by Mr. M‘Lean, are left entirely unsusta ined by either arguments or proofs; and, in fact, they are so completely the reverse of truth,| as to be incapable of receiving any support from the one or from the other. They are, however, repeated again and again, with so much appsren! contidence in their justice, that, lest some, from having neither leisure nor inclination to enquire fully into the princi- ples of Responsible Government, and to calculate the probable results of its establishment in this Colony, should begin to give these assertions such credence ns is very often given to thoughilessly oft-repeated tales of falsehood, which are deemed vaworthy of refutation by those who are qualified to disprove them, t will now, Sir, with your permission, through the columns of your paper, give them a more direct denial than any by whicli they have as yet been honored.

The People, Sir, justly claim to have the Government administered in accordance with their own wishes ; and, taught by the grievous experience of many long years, they are fully convinced that, for such an administra- tion of the Government, there cannot be any sufficient guarantee but direct responsibility, on the part of the <xovernment, to the People. They have seen, and, un-

,

an) AN wr eR a “ee

division subsequently taken a3 fol-jly cloaking and aid

et CLO eee

ing each other’s misdeeds, 1 have admitteed tc be possible, but only barely possible. In doing so, | think, however, I have gone 2 little too far ;

for Preally cannot, by any means, persuade myself fully to believe that a set of men, having characters so fair— and possessing so much influence among the people, as to be chosen their Representatives in Parliament, could be at once so inherently vile and blindly stupid, as. to enter upon a career of public yillings the gains of which, @ven should they be able to secure them for the

sembly—could ‘not possibly compensat e them for, or sustain them against, their sacrifice of character and the lost confidence of the public. , ; Fully to believe in the possibility of such a case would be to embrace the most egregiously absurd idea that men, well qualified to transact Soot well as pri- vate business, in an efficient and creditable manner—men capable ofan artfully concealing their complete baseness of heart, as to enjoy a reputation for honor and probity — should, et the same time, be absolute fools, and unable to perceive that the possession, for four years, of public pow- er and emoluments—such as they are here—would be far overbalanced by the abandonment of private pursuits,

quent upon the receiving an official appointment; such would be the case, and that independently of the far grea- ter, because altogether irreparable, sacrifice of every claim to the future confidence and respect of his fellow- men which such a career of public villiny would inevita- bly cause. No! it is not possible for a reflective mind to entertain a belief'in the possibility of an association in any individua! of qualities so incongruous ; and, if not,! the supposition that a House of Assembly and a Go- vernment, composed of such characters might arise either here or any where else, under Responsible Government, must fall to the ground.

I shall for the present conciude this letter, and in my next I will take arational view of the changes which would in al] probability, be effected, with respect to thé composition of the Government and the filling of Government or Public Offices, on the introduction o the Responsible System. .

I am, Sir, yours reepecifully, A CHARLOTTETOWN LIBERAL.

June 14, 1850.

a> cll adaetimy allan A RE

Che Examiner.

fortunately, still continue to see that, however faithful-! -

ly they may be represented in *the Assembly, and)

whatever measures for their relief may be devised)

_-

there, they will experience no real redress of griev-| ances, so long as the Government shal] be composed of! individuals, whose private irterests’ are opposed to!

those of the People, and who, with the Governor, a8 a)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1850.

oe — en nd

DONKEY’S LAST BRAY AGAINST THE BRI- TISH CONSTITUTION.

period of four years—the full legal duration of ai “As-'

+ ! either professional, commercial, or agricultural,’ conse-)

ee ————

sciences for “the wages ¢ ity?” We trow not Donkey knows better, wh false notes of alarm ° may bray forth to affright the natives.” He we): knows that the People OFGrest Britain are far, very far indeed, from being weary of their constitu.ion; and that the last thing likely to alarm the good saaai of Prince Edward island, will be the prospect of being admitted to a full’ participation of he privileges and benefits of that glory ofthe Parent State. ~~" Donkey says, “if Walpole and Fox resorted to bribery to keep themselves in office, why shonld not, Coles, Swabey, Whelan, &c., follow such brilliant pre-

cedents, if the People be foolish enough to. arn then. with the means and power?” nen

If “Coles, Swabey, Whalen, &c.,” shonld get inio power, they will be advanced to it only, by-the farounof the peopie, and by the continuance of their favour alone will they be enabled to retain it. If, therefore, seeine that they must have recourse to bribery to render them- selves secure in their elevation, it is only rexsonable to suppose that, as men of merely common. sagacity and prudence, they will endeavor to secure the good wili and support of the people by bribing them. with that which they will value the most and which’ will cost’ themselves. the least—and that is cood eovrnxmenr, at once the most effective and the cheapest bribe,

Should they, however, foolishly:rely upon such bribery as that by which Donkey is ettachéd to the interests of the present officials, they would most certainly find, in

tool in their hands, have it in their power, by secret and| Donxer, in the last Jslander, has laboured hard. to! ekilfal misrepresentations to the Home Government, to shew that the constitution of Great Britain is an actual

defeat every measure of reform sought to be effected by ; : the House of Assembly. |curse to the people, and that it has been carried out by

The People, Sir, whilst they clearly understand that/nothing but bribery and corruption since the time of cood Government can result only from harmony of) William and Mary. We mean not to question the ex-|

‘ ' a ection Py tial ry Stay a gpa the Representa istence of the immense national debt of Great Britain; tives of the People, and that such harmony can only be) i olen chi 6 ensuréd by the ‘Gpveboient’s being dependent for the neither do we intend todefend the policy in which it

continuance of their power upon the confidence reposed originated, orto justify the subsequent courses which 10 them by the Representatives of the People, are also Jed to its amazing augmentation: but we will take leave well aware that, should they blindly and unfortunately to remind the oblivious Donkey that by the acquisition choose for their Representatives men so utterly devoi ‘of colonies and dependencies, and’ the extension of her

of foresight, as well es destitute of every principle of . se pens. Ae gre honor and probity, as to be ready to enter upon the|commerce, Great Britain, whilst increasing her debt,

cuties of Legislators, Administrators, and Officials with|has increased her resources to an extent so unbounded,

a view to nothing but their own private gain and ad-| if we may so speak, that the paymentiof the interest of vantage and utterly reckless of every other conse-|.).. debt, immense-as it is, does*not; in” any ‘way,

5 loperate to the diminution of her wealth and power.

coming to give an account of their.stewardship, that their occupation was forever gone ; and that the farmers, although they are merely tenants, would have it in their power to say with supreme authority, ‘‘ Begone! Give place to-honester men! Wehave done with you. You need never expect to receive our support or confidence again.” Yes, upon the farmer tenantry will it chiefly devolve to choose both the Legislature and the Govern- ment; although a certain Land Agent, now seeking to be fbseated in the Assembly, has said that the Colony is not ripe for Responsible Government, because the

‘majority of the electors are tenant farmers. But they

know—and they ought to mske him sensible that they know it—that, if they be thought capabie of choosing suitable legislators, they ought to be held equally capa- ble of choosing the form of their Government.

We should, indeed, like Donkey to shew on what grounds he supposes himself, John Ings, Sir Donald Campbell, James Yeo, J. S. Smith, T. H. Haviland, and a few others, more capable of choosing their form of Government, than the great body of the people. We know of no superiority which these individuals can claim over the peaceable, the industrious, the intelligent, and the independent veomen of this Island, save in the pre-eminence due to mercenary slavery, pompous ignor- ance, rabid ferocity, the impudence of innate Jowness, unseemly hauteur, bland insincerity, and the endless turnings of deception, all bound together, cemented and supported by rank corruption. In these, it must be con- fessed they stand ignobly pre-eminent ; but how immes- sureably are they beneath the true standard of dignity in man!

Donkey has been continually harping about the ex-

the harmony, or rather reciprocal collusion, which would then exist between the Government and the Re-|Hiad it been ot preséntatives of the People, could not be ore ae maintained an overgrown population and have resisted | than highly prejudicial to the general interests: but), oiock which has overturned almost every dtlief|

they also wel] know that the remedy for this possible, this barely possible evil, so soon as it should be dis-|monarchy im the world, and involved nearly all the,

covered, would be in their own hands, and that it could continenia! nations of Europe in one conimon misery. not long exist save by their own pe hee Should Great Britain is like a man in business, although he not the Governor, seeing the corruption. hasten, OF AIS) nay be thousands in debt, yet can pay the interest and own accord, to destroy it by an i:nmediate dissolution’ wo

of the House, the people would not delay to petition | Secure the amount of tle principal upon real estate ; his Excellency to that effect; and should the Governor, | and such a one, whilst, by his own well-directed and even then, d-cline to exercise his prerogative at the! successful enterprise, le doubles his estate. in value, desire of the People, redress, would be found in an)),.. gg just a title ro be considered a benefactor to his

appeal to the Sovereign. ' j , Now, Sir, this is supposing an eatreme, and indeed |CoUmtry, as he who makes two blades of grass grow

almost impossible case ; but, granting the possibility of. where only one grew before. But to such a character, its occurcence, [ have I trust, shown the means by Donkey and “ the clique compact” bear not the: most

which the evil might be effeetually and constitutionally gi stant resomblance. They have run the country in| remedied ; that is the means by which a bad Govern-' ; coy " debt, not to improve or extend the public resources

cuence ; the effect of such fatuity on their part and of herwise, how could she at once have)

}

penses of the last two Sessions, But let us turn to the items of those of one Session, when Donkey and his party were in power, in 1849, and we shal! find that, incependently of bribes, they amounted to £2,236 9s 43d.; whereas the expenses of the two about which Donkey has brayed so Joud and long, did not much ex ceed £900.

As @ set-off to McLean’s steroty ped prediction, which everybody who reads the Islander must be sick and ured

oi, namely, thatthe Liberal: party would, were they possessed of the power, lavish and plunder the pubiic money —we wall just adduce two facts, which are worth ashipload of Duncan’s washy editorials. In 3847 the Liberals hed a majority in the House of Assembly--did they squander the Revenue and enrich themselves ° No—their legislation was creditable to themeeives and advantageous to the Colony in the highest degree; they

ment, ander the Responsible System, might be broken up and a corrupt Assembly destroyed. and their reverse called into existence, should the People so will it. Tha, whilst the People fee! that.under the present Irres- ) onsible System, they ore utterly powerless to effect a ‘nange inthe Government, how much soever it may doserve their- hate; they, at the same time, see that, cadera Responsible System, they would or might, at

al! ines, have the.Governnient administered secording

5 not only kept the public expenditure within th® revense.

but to buy offices for themselves; as witness the job, for securing the Solicitor Generalship effected by a} ‘bribe to the Governor. Does Donkey think that, for! the annual saving of a few thousands, or even a few millions, the people of Great Britain would relinquish

the power, which they now possess of managing their

but effetted a saving of £4,594, which went to defray so much of the public debi. In the following year the To- ries got a majority by the defection of one or two bal’ baked Liberals, and the arbitrary expulsion of Messrs. Coles and Warburton; and one of the first fruits of thet majority was an expenditure of £5,762 over the revenue of that year! thereby entailing an interest of upward? of £345, without taking into account their extravagance

to Rete own general wishes respecting it.

own affgirs, and besiow it mpon the Sovereign and a few

‘men sueh as Donkey. @lio would seli themselves at

lL, and barter thetrcom

Pifeeetet pee, ander the Responsible System, of ti th ety pieces of paper 3 lead,

genal Assembly und corfupt Government, reciprocal

?

the matter of the Governor's and the Judge’s salaries These tacts aay serve as a caution to Donkey ty be e- lent on the cubonot of extrevaeance