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HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. Saturpay, 27th April.

House 1x Commirtse oF Ways anp Means.— Mr. Fraser submitted the following resolution, which was agreed to without opposition.

Resolved, That the several rates and duties imposed and levied under the Act 12 Vic. C. 10, intitded “An Act for raising a Revenue” be amended and continued for one year from and after the first day of May next.

The House being resumed, the Resolution was re- ported, received, and adopted nem. con.

Revenve Binw.—-Mr. Fraser, Chairman of the Gommittee appointed to bring in a Bill in accordance with the foregoing Resolution, reported a Bill which Was read a first and second time, and ordered to be com- mitted.

House 1x CommItTEx OF THE WHOLE UPON THE Revenve Bivv.—Dvry crow Froun.—The first ques- Gén which occasioned any discussion, was that whch arose touching the propriety of imposing a duty upon imaported Flotir. Mr. Pope said it was the duty of the House to protect the agricultural interests as far as pos- sible; the farmers of P. E. Island were a large and in- duential body, and the promotion of their benefit ought tiways to be a paramount obligation upon the As-embly. Phe sale of flour was a}rmdst the only means by which chey could raise money, and Charlottetown was their only Casey tiarket for that article. It would, therefore, he thought, be very anjust towards the Island farmers to adinit either United States or Canadian flour duty-free, a mezsure which would, as far as the consumption of Char- lottetown went, entirely exclude island manufactured flour from that market. There was no reason to aopre- hend.a scarcity orevena deficiency of flour inthe !siand this year; in many parts of the Island, the wheat crops last year were, he believed, abundant; and, from per- sonal knowledge of the fact, he could say that in the western section of the [sland they were very good.

Mr. Spraxzr said he quite agreed with the hon. mem- ber from Bedeque, that to admit foreign flour duty free would be an act of injustice to the ‘sland farmers; be- cause if such an advantage were he'd out to the United States and Canadian wheat growers, it would be quite tmapossible for our farmers to compete with them in the flour market of the island. During the last two years, owing to unfavorable seasons ard a failure of crops, our farmers, generally speaking, had been running inio debt; aud were they to be, in a manner, excluded from their ouly cash market for flour, by the admission of foreiga flour, duty free, the exclusion would actnally deprive them of the only means whereby they could hope to. make any provision for the payment of cash debts.

Mr. Lonawoara, whilst admitting that, for the in- crease of our revenue, it might, perhaps, be weil to iuipose @ duty upor imported flour, equal to that paid upon flour imported into Nova Scotia, which he believed wag about 1s. 3d..per barrel, said he was decidedly of opinion that a duty of 8s..6d. per barrel—the duty which had been named=would be out of al! reason, and would amount to little less than a prohibitory duty.

Mr. Wienan proposed a duty of 6s. per barrel upon all flodr imported into the Island.

Mr. Yeo said there was plenty of flour in the country, and that, therefore, there could be no reason to appre- hend a searcity of it, either for consumption or in the market. Sach being his opinion, he would vote for a amy upon all imported flour, as requisite for the protec- tion of the agricultural inierests. The duty which he would propose would be 5s. per barrel.

Mr.Ceres ssid thatif four were admitted duty free from Canada, the Canadian exporters and the importers here would both be able to undersel! ovr farmers in our

own home market. Ele would not fee) disposed to er-,

courage exports ef flour duty free from Canada, because there was no production of ours, eifher manufactured or otherwise, which the Canadians required; and, conse- quently, it was not ia their power to reciprocate, on free trade principles, with this Caionv. If any foreign flour ®ere to be admitied duty free, be, would such rather exteud the privilege to the United Stases than to Cana- dt; because the opening of trade, duty free, to the United States, might periaps induce the Government of that cotctry to reciprocate with us, by adouiting our ous and potatoes dnty free, into theit,popts; and it would be Impossible for our merchants and our fariners to lind a better or mere coviain market for these articles of our Island prodave. than that which woald thereby

‘e.opexed tpetetivem. , Pie neighbouring Proviaces | » ta the apt eye-

were turning their attention decidedly : tigat of théie agriculture; end they now either grew,

- CHARLOTTETOWN, MAY 15, 1850.

IBERTY WHEN FREE-BORN MEN-—HAVING TO ADVISE, THE PUBbIC~MAY SPEAK PREE.’—Mitros’s Eoxipipes. _

TNTELLIGENCER.

Se : No. 30.

ocnentenenenggee-—nalfiingpenty

or would soon grow grain enough for their own internal demands. It was true that farmers and epeculators had shipped considerable quantities of oats and potatoes to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in former years, and would, most probably, do so this year; but he believed the returns had not been, and neither would be, found encouraging.

Mr. Pope replied to the argaments of Mr. Coles, that the most effectual way to prevent a departure on the part of the United States from their protective duties system, as respects this Colony, would be to admit their exports duty free into this Island. If they wanted our oats and potatoes, it was for them, by a remission of the duty they had imposed upon them, to op2n a free trade to us in those or any other products of the Island which they might want; and as there was already placed upon our Statute Book an Act authorizing Free Trade with the United States, so soon as their Government shall be ready to recigrocate with the Colony on free trade prin- ciples, it would, on their doing so, be quite time enough to make exceptions from our own protective policy in favor of the United States flour, or any of their other articles of export requved by us. To admit United States flour duty free would not benefit the people at large 3 for, except in unfavorable seasons, the farmers grew wheat enough for home consumption. The Cana- dian and United States flour, imported imto the island, was chiefly bought up by the Bakers, to whom it was sold at a credit ef to or three months, and for the use of those superfine cenilemen in and about Charlottetown who were net satisfied with that manufactured in the Island. if foreign flour were to be admitted duty free, it wonld be requisite to impose a duty upon some other article of import, in lea of that formeriy laid upon flour ; for it was certainly nesessary to secure, if possible, a revenue su ficient to. meet our annual expenditure. The quality of the flour manufactured in this Island was, he thought, quite good enough for the use of any individ- unl in the Colony; bot should any of the superfine gentlemen think nothine of the kind fit for their tables but the superfine flour of the United States er of €a- nada, he would say let them pay for it even ifthe duty were twice 8s. Gd. per barrel.

Mr. })avers said it would be impossible to build ships inthis Colony, at as cheap a rate as they were built in Nova Scotia, unless we could have bread as cheap as it was it that Province. The House might as well im- pose a duty-of 10s. a ton upou every vessel built in the Colony, as impose a dniy of 8s. 6d. a barrel upon flour. tle would oppoge the imposition of any duty, however small, upon imported flour. "

Mr. Monreomery was ia favor of a duty, both npon Canadian and United Stctes flour, as a necessary pro- tection to the interests of our farmers. He thought a duty of Gs. per barrel would answe: the required ends, both as respected the protection of the revenae and the orotection of the farmer.

Hon. Mr. Parmer thought a duty of 53. per barrel would be quite high enough, In a country in which the wheat crop is, above al! others, uncertain in its re- turn, the Legislature ought not to prevent the importation of the article, when, ».erhaps the necessities of the country really called for it. Although it might be ad- mitted that there was a suffictent supply in the market at present ; yet no one could venture to say what might be the success of the present year’s crop of wheat until next October. Fle had no desire to do what wonld in- jure the Island farmer in making market of his flour. The foreign ‘article was rarely imported to such an extent as to do that; but it was to be remembered that, without a little competition in the business, there would be no stimulation to the Isiand manufacturer to improve the article. Let him see the necessity of improving it, and, in course of time, the Island flour woald be so much improved that there would be no need to importa foreign article at all, at least so long as there shou!d be wheat in the Island to grind. When our wheat crop was good, he saw no reason why flour Of as yond a quality as that brought from the United Stated could not be manufactured here: Certainty it was acknow- ledeed that our own was always considered the sweetest ‘to the tasté and the most wholesome for consumption. tie was quite aware that, in the Freei Trade Bi] of Nova Scotia, flour-was not placed amongst the exe:np- tions, "Phe duty laid apou it in that Province was, how- ever, very trifling compared with what was proposed to be imposed here: and, whether or not, if that Povince

had not reciprocated in the-article of flour with the other Colonies, the. Legislature of. this. Colony ought not.to follow 60 Miheral an exanrple. Although the Legisla- ture should agree. to admit Canadian flour duty free, and should, at the same tithe, impose a tax upon the United Stotes article, etili, ne thought, a'preference would be

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given to the States four, because it was always found to be of a better quality than the Canadian: it was ge- nerally sweeter and kept better.

Mr. Speaker ridiculed the idea which seemed to.be entertained by an honorable member who had spoken to the question, that any thing that could be done by this Colony, on free trade principles, towards an encourage- ment or extension of the export trade of the United States, would be accounted, by the people of that coun- try, a. sufficient boon to induce them to depart with re- spect.to us, from their protective policy to which have so long adhered, in spite of ail that has been advanced by the advocates of free trade, both amongst themselves and in other countries. When the people of the United States should change their policy in that respect and practically adopt free trade principles with respect to this Colony, it would, said the honorable Speaker, be soon enough for this Colony to practise the same towards hem.

Mr. Conms waa anxious to carry out as far as possible the principles of free trade, as their adoption had been recommended to the Legislature, and as they were about te be carried into practice by the neighbouring Provinces. Ifan importation of flour were needed, it would be most required by the poor man; therefore « duty of 5s. per barre] would be quite high enough ; and, if there should be no scarcity; no great quantity would be imported: 80 that if it wére for the purpose of pro- tecting the farmer, be was of opinion that what he might lose at one time, he would have an opportunity to gain at another. A duty of 5s. might improve cur revenue, and at the same time afford just protection to the interesta of the farmer; but a duty of Bs. 6d. par barrel would amount to a prohibition of the import. of the article, and could not, therefore, either improve the one or benefit the other. If it were agreed that the Colony shoul@ reciprocate with all the Provinces, it would, however, be of little use to impose any duty at all; and this he hoped would be the case, for, he believed, the present liberal and enlightened principles of free trade were fast gaining ground in every commercial country, and would be fully carried into operation in the neighbouring Provinces.

Mr. Mooney would, at any time, be very unwillieg to give his consent to a tax upon bread; for, most as- suredly, if a man would work, he shou'd eat. But, at the present time, he was most reluctant to consent to the imposition of any such tax, knowing as he did that, owing to the scarcity of hay and straw, the generality of our farmers had been obliged to keep their cattle alive by feeding them with grain, which, otherwise, would have been converted into bread for themselves ; and, as since the snow was still upon the ground and the fields could not be expected to afford pasture for some weeks yet, to keep the cattle alive it would be necessary to continue fecding them, partially at least, with grain, so,much longer; so that not only would inany farmers be left without grain sufficient to supply them with bread until the coming harvest, vut many would not, he feared, .have sufficient left to sow the ground. ‘fhere was, therefore, sufficient reason, he thought, to apprehend a scarcity again this year, and he feared an porta of flour fromthe States would be as much needed this year as in the two previous ones,

Mr. Fraser Said that superfine flour was not con- sumed by the mass of the people. It was only those who were in easy circumstances, and who could, conses quently, afford to pay for it, that made use of it; and the couatry could not afford to lose, for their sakes, so large a sum of money as the duty on imported superfine flour would amount to. It would be better to let in corn meal duty free, then te allow flour to be imported at 80 low a duty as was proposed. Five shillings per barrel was, hic thought, arate of duty quite as low. as the House could at all be justified inimposing. It was well known that corn meal had been of more service in times of scarcity than superfine flour, Ife could not consent te

} let in Canadian flour duty free; becanse that wodld be

na arrangement of which all the sdvantiges would be on one side, for the Island lrad nothin? to send to Ce- nada in return. . ’ ed Mr. Davirs. characterized the proposed tax as the most ridiculous and unjustifiable he had ever ‘heard of. He helieved there would be as_great a searcity of flour in the Island this year as ever had been experienced in it. The oats and the potatoes had been eaten up by the

cattle; and flour would be absolutely necessary for the

people to snbsist upon. © Inipoverished as they already are, would it not then be® most ener unjust, and eruel, said the honorable member, to place it beyond

the rexch of the generality of them, as would be done,

niost effectually, by impoting a dety upom the imported

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