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CHARLOTTETOWN, JANUARY 15, 1849.

THE CIVIL LIST.

T soyGH common rumour is well known to be a common liar, there is no doubt that she has told the truth for once, in stating that a Despatch has been received from the Colonial Office, commanding that provision be at ence made for paying our own public officers out of our own Revenue. The officials themselves credit the the story—they look fearfully grave and panic-stricken ; and weare told that they have either actually memo- rialized the Queen, or are about to do so, to postpone for some time longer the execution of the dread com- mand of her Colonial Minister. They have, no doubt, stated in their Memorial, or wil] state, that the Colony is too poor--too weak to take this burthen on its back ; bat the true secret of their chagrin may be interpreted thus: “Ifthe Civil List have to be paid out of the Is- Jand Revenue, our Salaries wil! be reduced in amount; our sinecures will be abolished ; we shal] be wholly de- pendant on the will of the House of Assembly ; we must be responsible to the people; we shall have no ex- ense for denying the right of the inhabitants of this Is- land to a system of Government the same as that which obtains in the neighbouring Provinces ; besides, we may be transplanted in our situations, if, after the next Ge- neral Election, there be a majority of our political op- ponents in the Legislature.”

Now, although Mr. Duncan Maclean and some others have abused and blackguarded us after the most a,- proved fashion, for hinting, that the day weuld shortly come when the Colony would be compelled to bear the expense of its Civil List-- we are neither ashamed nor afraid to express our hearty gratification that the day bas come; for in this decision of the Colonial Minister we note the prospect of a speedy abolition of -official irresponsibility and monopoly.—-it is, in short, the .be- ginning of Responsible Government. Nor are we 1n- clined to believe that the country is to be taxed and ruin- ed through the means ofthis Despateh. The Home Go- vernment proposes te pry the Governors Salary, which they have fixed at £1500 vot requiring the Colony to pay anything; w ‘© L500 Ly that, besides securing the freedom of the Govion > trom toeal influences. Let the Island Leeislature tion vrednee the salaries of some of the othe, Officer (to; and reasonable amount— lop off the @inecures—and «e shalt require about £500 or £600, inad ition to the £500 we are excused from pay- ing to the Lieut sont Governor to meet the entire de- mands of ow © on, the Imperial Govern-

ment will relingiis! vis coomto the Crown Lands, and ‘to the old Quit Rens. ootef which fund it was intended that the Civil List should be paid. Hf it be asked, how are we to raise he £500 or LEOO, in addition to the sum apt apart by ou focisiature forthe Lieutenant Gover- Bor, we ar / ft an incieased tax be put npon the

k:ndg of the abs afce |’roprieters. whether we were r

This should be done quired to pay the Civil List, or not. The country in fone thousand po

cd an Increase to its expenditure ids to make Mr. Palmer Solicitor General; this sun, with prudent and,economical ma- nagement, would pay,the Civil List, independently of the Governor's allowanee. We. were told that, by giv- ing the Governor the £500, we would “stave off” (this 13 the elegant phrase used by the Solicitor General) the ptyment of the Civil List: we now see how short- righted the honorable gentleman was in reference to this question. We do not hesitate to repeat the opinion expressed last week, that the attempt at “staving off” has beenthe means of bringing on the determination of Earl Grey in reference to the Civil List.

We cut the following article from an Irish Paper— the Leinster Express—received by the jast Packet. If the generous Proprietor, whoever he is, is serious, it is plain that he is shockingly ignorant about the state of. this Island, when he supposes that any man in his senses

2 LSE

would take land here on the conditions proposed by his

THE EXAMINER

for twenty years, at 2s. per acre.

the outlay and time required to bring wild land into cultivation is considered, and that the 20 years would be short enough, through the labour of the tenant, and the expenditure of his 400/.,to produce any return, it may easily be fancied for whom he would be toiling! At the end of the 20 years it should, of course, return to the owner; or at Jeast be paid forat a price, for which the capital and labour of the occupier might make it marketable.

This is monstrous, and cannot be tod promptly ex- posed. We are only surprised that the respectable Solicitor, whose name appears to the document, would identify himself with a project of that description—his being the only name that appears tothe prospectus. No migrant possessing 400/. or less, should invest his capital on such terms.

In the evidence of Mr. Cunard,(who owns one-fifth of Prince Edward Island) before Lord Monteagle’s Committee, last year, he states that his terms of -Jetting are 2s, per acre, with a lease of 999 years—by expend- ing one-half the rent, for a given period, in making roads and other conveniences; while the tenant is se- cured the right at any time of purchasing the freehold atone pound per acre: yet, in the face of these facts, we have an attempt made at “ land-jobbing,” we believe, unexampled in any country in the universe. There would be some reason, and considerable inducement, if, emigrants willing to expend £400 each in the improve- ment of wild land, were offered it for the first 20 years without any rent, and at the 2s, per acre afterwards; but the absurdity of the scheme proposed is apparent when we consider the plan adopted by Mr. Cunard, who states he would be willing to give a tenant possess- ing £10 capital, (which he would consider sufficient to begin upon), fifty acres of land of the very best des- cription in the Island; reserving sufficient to be added at any futuretime, in the rere of the several holdings. The Canada Company offers land for ever at an upset price of from 2s 6d per acre in the Huron distrct; or by paying interest at the rate of 6 per cent. on the amount (about 14d to 8d an acre), with liberty within ten years of buying ont any quantity at the upset price. Various companies, too, in the United States, offer a- bundance of land at even a less cost, and convenient means of payment: in some instances, in lots of 25 acres at £10, to be paid for in four instalments, For instance, in the State of Georgia, superior inducements are offered.

We have no doubt but the respectable Solicitor merely acts in his professional capacity ; yet it is, never- theless, the duty of the public press to guard those who.are now leaving,our ill-fated country in thousands, against a much more precarious condition of life than that from which they fly. For our part, we are deter- mined to give our best attention te a subject of such importance at this eventful crisis; and having used the. best means of making ourselves acquainted with it in all its bearings, our countrymen may rest satisfied upon obtaining the full benefit of our inquiries.

Prince Edward Isiand is, doubtless, one of the most favourable for Emigration—possessing a fine climate, and excellent soil; but it is right that those who are disposed to avai! themselves of those inducements should also be protected against 2 project which would render their exertions valueless to themselves and their chil- dren.

HO! FOR CALIFORNIA.

It is more than probable that the Gold Fever. will extend to Nova Scotia. It is already known to our readers that thousands in the United States. have al- ready. been afflicted by this disease, which in. almost every case where the patient had nota strong constitu- tion to resist it, he has been forced to depart. An ad- vertisement appears in the Chronicle, offering opportu- nites for emigration to the Gold Region. We shall not attempt to persuade or dissuade our readers jn this matter, Whilst, however, we would remind the adven- turer in search of mineral wealth, that “it is not, all gold that glitters,” there is every reason to believe that the metal found in California is the pure article.

For the information of our readers interested in the subject, we append tae following from the New York Sun :—[Novascolian.}

“ "Phere is no longer any donbt that the golden El Do- rado for which philosophers, alchemists and adventurers have been searching for ages, is found. California is the spot, and Yankee enterprise the Aladdin’s lamp which has

thrown a startling ight upon the so long obscure_and al- most desert sands. For three hundred years the Spaniards

m met a

ward Island, to parties possessing not less than 400/ [persons employed on the vast mine would leave space _feapital each; the inducement held out being a lease Land, “at.2s. an!

acre,” may sound very well ata distance; but when|!'

forarmmihon more, and thousands of millions of dollars, i leave the sol an inexhaustible fountain of gold.

is not a crevice inthe rock, nor a vein deep down in ine earth, but a track broader than the State of New York, « very empire of gold, glittering froin the earth’s surface down into its dark bowels. The mire of the rivers is precious gold—the rocks are steeped with it to their lips, and far and wide, for three hundred miles in length by sixty in width, wherever the spade is struck, gold, gold, only gold! springs forth in perennial abund- ance. It is not the wash of the mountains, nor the peb- bly. plumes of isolated veins, but a solid earth of gold, reeking yellow, to every man’s hand.

We cannot speak of this less soberly. The South Sea Empire was a bubble, the tulip mania was a gigan- tic delusion, but the gold in California is a fact attes- ted by veritable proofs.”

“The country,” adds a Canadian contemporary, “where all this wealth is to be found, is said to be healthy in an extraordinary degree, and San Francisco to be one of the finest harbours in the world, capable of containing the Navies of al] Europe. The back cour- try, to the pinnacles of the Snowy Mountains, is re ported beautiful, and extremely rich in vegetable pro- ductions, not to speak of its underground riches. all these things be true—no wonder that so many ac- venturers are hurrying to California.”

McFapyan.—We perceive that the Eastern Chre- nicle is under the impression that Her Majesty formally confirmed the sentence of McFadyan. This ie not cor- rect. The Lieutenant Governor received no order for the execution. The Secretary of State declined to in- terfere, and His Excellency not being able to discover any mitigating circumstances in the case, the jaw was allowed to take its course.-—.Vovascotian.

NEW BRUNSWICK.

THe Rattway.—The Editor of the Mew Brunswick- er,in remarking upon the Report ef the Halifax and Quebec Railway, observes :—

The copy of the Report is said to be accompanied by a Despatch from Earl Grey, of a character, holding ovt the expectation that, Her Majesty’s Government will ad- vance to the three colonies Nova Scotia, NewBrunswick and Canada, a sonflicient sum to construct the whole line, upon their joint guarantee, and pledge of the pub- lic lands in each Colony, with certain conditions as te the employment of emigrants.

Exvecrric Treneerarn.—The Electric Telegraph ia

now ready for operation.—A beginning was made yes- terday, and the line was found perfect as far as Calais. Something, however, is wrong between Calais and Bar- gor, but, no doubt, ina day or two all will be made right. We noticed the Telegraph Office encircled a!! day yesterday hy a crowd of wondering observers, and this certainly, even. in an age of exciting marvels, is an invention to he wondered at. When we consider the facility with which business messages can now be transinitied, and the command of markets thereby attained, we cannot but think this one of the greatest, boons that cou'd be conferred on a com- mercial community. Without it, indeed, we would have been quite behind the age. We are gratified te learn that one of our own folks is to be Operator here —Mr. Mount, late Sergeant in the Royal Artillery, who has been for some time engaged at Quebec, ia te take charge of this Station.--St. John Courier.

Fire in. Porttann.— Between eleven and twelve o'clock last night, a fire broke out ina House on the east side of Simonds-street, Portland, owned by a Mr. Mealy, which was consumed, with four or five others, belonging, we are informed, to Messrs. Wark, Nelson, McCandless, and Baird, before the progress of the flames could be arrested. A house belonging to a Mr. McIntyre, adjoining those burned on the north, wes much injured. Several of the owners of the buildings are said to be insured, but some sixteen or twenty fatnilies have by this calamity been turned out of doors at an inclement season of the year, each losing more or less of their effects.—It was not until after much exer tion thata fire engine was got over from the City, through the deep snow which encumbers the streets. The Portland engine, however, was early on the epot, and, as usual, did much good service.

UNITED STATES. Tre Gotp Frver.—The great topic of excitement in this city, says the New York Albion, of the 16th in- stant, is the Gold Region of California, the emigration thither that the accounts received have stimulated, and the general results upon the commercial and monetary

thirsting for gald, had trodden the treasure without dis-' covering the bright, ductile spirit which lay there spark-|

afiairs of the country likely to ensue from the unexpect- ed influx of gold. The columns of the American papers are crowded with letters from California, all confirming

respectable Solicitor.” It is the grossest deception to !ing to the sunshine and storm, and the rude Indian the official report of Col. Mason, which report will be

propose such terms to intending emigrants.

|had reared his hut for ages on the yellow dust, at the re-| found at Jength on our ninth page. The majority hail icital of which men now. staring agape at the corners of the newly discovered treasure as amighty boon. The

LAND-JOBBING IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND our street, or running wild witigschemes for emigration|samples sent home to the Government have been as-

Our attention has heen directed to a printed docu-| ment, advertising the letting of lands in Prince. Ed-'

tothe land of gold. Ftis no fable, no myth!

Thon-|sayed atthe Philadelphia mint, and pronounced the ge-

sands of keen eyes and stout hands attest the reality/Muine article, giving an average of 894. parts out of a of all the imagination has conceived. A million of thousand, the mint standard for coin being 900, Sevem,