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The €

| Ch’town, January 5, 1874.

xamtiner,

DISSOLUTION |!

Tue Commons is dissolved. election is imminent E’er another month the constituents of nearly every couaty in the Dominion must “go the polls.”

On the Sth of Febrnary next, the people |

of Prince Edward Island will be called upon for an expression of their political The time is short. To arrive at 4 correct conclusion upon the relative merits of the Government and the Opposi- tion, and the relatis spective candidates, grave deliberation is

opinions.

necessary. to seriously discuss the questions at issue ; and to ask whethe:

Donald is beet qualified to govern the

Dominion ; and whether Laird, and his | followers, or Pope, ond those who work |

with him, are best uslified to represent Prince Edward Island in Parliament.

The first question to arise in the mind

of every man, is, why dissolve the Com- |

mous ? why at this juncture subject the coustry to the annoyance and expense of » general election ? The Opposition has uot proved facti us, every minister war re-e ected—all but two by acclamation ; the Government claims a good working majority of forty ; the country has tacitly expressed its willingness to give the Me- Kenzie Administration a fair trial. more- over, the people are so heartily sick of elections that, unless one is absolutely necessary, the Government which forces eleetors to the polls cannot but sink in popular estimation. These are some of the reasons which should deter George Brown, (who is at the head of the move- ment) MeKeuszie and their colleagues, from dissolving the Commons, The rea- eons for the dissolution are not so self- evident, but they msy be inferred.

lo the first place, the Cabinet is well assured that the Administration is more

popular now than it ever will be again |

In the next place, its members have not the calm confidence of men who kaow that they ere right, and that they have the ability to maintsin the right. They distrust themselves; they distrust the Parlizmeot ; they distrust the Governor General ; and they know that both Par- liament and the Governor General distrus; them. They would, however, have edopted a more manly, a more statesman. like course, if they had postponed disso- lution until after the next meeting of the peop'e’srepresentatives. In Parliament. they could have announeed their policy ; they could have proceeded with the in- vestigation of the Pacifie Railway Slan- dea; they could have tested their strength. Then, if their fears were realized, they might, with good reason, have appealed to the people for a fina! judgment. But to dissolve the House witheut announcing the policy they in- tend to pursue, without investigating the Pacific Railway Sionder, without testing their strength in Parliament—this is al together inexcusabl«.

It is pretended that the administration wish to stamp out political corruption, and to usher iu an era of political honesty ; and this, we are told, is the reason for dissolution. We have no fault to awd with such a wish. “Purity in polities” is a good watchword But from the lips of men who connived at the theft of Sir John A, Maedonald’s letter from the Montreal Post Office, who bought the “ Allon correspondence,” George W, Mac- Mulles, and place and power, with the price of their honor and patriotism—with the Canada Pacifie Railway,— who, when charged by Sir Joba A. Macdonald, with spending two dollirs in elections, to his one, dared not deny the fact—they will

sound somewhat strangely. The “ purity

dodge’ of the MeMallenites ought not to |

catch a single intelligent elector, and we believe that it will not. To say that the condemnation of political corruption and the upholding of political purity, are the reasons why Goverument dissolved the House, ia to say that which is not true. But, reasons for the dissolution apart, the questious which the electors of this Province should carefully weigh during the coming month, are whether Sir Johu A. Macdonald and the iaen whe helped him to build ap this Great Dominion, or George Brown, Blake, Melenzie, McMullen, and their followers, are the best men to rule the country ? and whether James ‘'. Pope, whose first work was to obtaia an order for the erection of eleven Lighthouses on our coast, or David Laird, whose first work was to obtain an office for himself, worth seven thousand dollars a year overthrowing a friendly administration, are the best men (o represent the inter-

__ ests of this Islandiu Parliament? These questions we comp.end to the careful con-

sideration of every elector.

x

te ee a tele A me a eae

iN HISTORICAL PARALLEL,

, |

4 SHORT CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF 4 LAND QUBSTION.

Sous little time ago, we brought before our readers the present state of our Land Question, and then promised to give an

sioners met, a seignorial court (composed of the judges of the Court of Appeal and of the Supreme Court) were to decide what | | really were the rights of the landlords, as

there were several in dispute. ‘This court met on the 4th September, 1855, under the presidency of Sir Louis Lafontaine. ‘torney General Drummond, on behalf of

}

A general |

e merits of their re- | Even now, it is not too soon |

McKenzie or Me—_

account of the abolition of the seignorial , rights and tenure in Lower Canada,—now the Province of Quebec. This account) may be interesting, as showing how a sister Colony overcame difficulties somewhat | ie ee and, pees, eens the hands of the Attorney General. Che pe 0 oon there come hints: to, sates ne in | pleadings were long, and judgment was one — ep uncompleted we | not given until May, 1856. The chief she ignne ques = ee | points decided were, that the landlord te ee aptly ae Riggs of Fuance must lease lands to settiers; that he could at the time of its colonisation by that couns not sell uncleared lands; that rent and | try. It was, to a great extent, a copy of corvee were matters of contract, not as the | the land tenure of the old country, 804 tenants contended fixed by law; and that as ours wes copled tom the English) all contracts between tenant and landlord = am ry mn mr ae must be maintained. Banalife was legal ; o pet dost cinnget oe: Soe Se | but tenants were proprietors of non-nayi- Although : wae intended to pene 7 gable waters in their property. The wood | eniention, * hed — defect | and other reserves should be abolished | and above all, it was an exotic wen to. without compensation, Jods et ventes and the soil to which it had been transplanted. — vetvait were not disputed.

Ai the time of the first settlement of the) 7... guided as to the real claims of the country, the King of France granted large | landlord, the commissioners went to work extents of the country, called seignories, | to fix these rights at a money value. The bordering on the St. Lawrence, to military | greater part of this was done in three years ; officers or others in favor at Court, mostly but some of it was not completed until those connected with the noblesse. The | 1862. conditions of the grants were that the | The Act of Parliament provided a fund

Seignor, or landlord, should do homage | of about a million and a half dollars,— es specia

the Government, submitted the questions in dispute to the court. The landlords ap- peared by their counsel, the tenants, thongh they might have done so, did not appeal by counsel, feeiing their interests safe in

i '

| to the Sovereign, pay the Crown a fifth of | greater part, but not all, from the price whenever the seignory was sold, | sources of revenue in Lower Canada,—by | fixed time, and | which the landlords might be indemnified

setile the land within a ‘ :' build grist mills for the use of the colonists. | ¢oy the loss of their rights, according to the Sut

| fle was not allowed to sell the lands,—that | ..aje fixed by the commissioners. | is, he could not sell part of his land, | this sum was not nearly sufficient. An ‘though he might sell the whole seig- | additional appropriation of two millions ' nory on the payment to the crown of a fifth | of dollars was made. On the whdle, calcu- ‘of the purchase money ; he could not res | jating the expenses of commissioners, etc., | fuse a lease of any unsettled lands on the | and the sums which were granted to Upper ‘usual terms, when one was demanded. | Canada as a set-off to the grants to the So strictly was he bound to this, that he | Lewer Provinces, the cost to the ceuntry _ could not even set apart for himself special | ef ‘settling the land question’ has been | desmesnes. | put down at $10,000,000. These were the duties of the Seignor;) It was not left optional with the landlord | his rights were — | to receive this commutation money. He Lods et ventes,—whenever a property | was required by the law to do so. The changed hands, as we should say, on the | value of the rights in each case was set sale of the leasehold, one-twelfth part down at so much, and, on this sum he of the purchase money was paid to the | was paid by Government 6 per cent per Landlord. annum. A subsequent amendment en- La Banalite—The Landlord alone could abled him to claim, if he wished to do so, Is, and was allowed a toll of immediate payment of the principal, less | ene-fourteenth on all the corn ground at | a discount of 25 per cent. Thus the state his mills. charged itself with abolishing all the, The right of retrait, or redemption— | feudal rights except the small money rents. whenever a leasehold was sold, the land hese were still left to ‘the tenant who lord could, within forty days,come in and might either continue paying them, or compel the purchaser to sell to him for | offer the landlord a sum in full, which, at the same price which he had paid the 6 per cent would yield an amount equal to tenant. This was to prevent sales, at ® the annual rent. This, when offered, the nominal price, by which the landiord might jandlord could not refuse; and thus the | be defrauded of the lods et ventes. ‘tenant had it in his power to become a The right of corvee,—statute labor is our | freeholder. As a matter of fact, the ma- nearest word for it; but it was for the | jority of them prefer continuing to pay the landlord. Then there was the privilege of rent. taking free from these tenants lands, tim- Now, there are just two or three facts of ber and stone for their ownor public builds this history to which we world call atten- ings. They claimed sole possession of the tion. rivers and the beach, and levied a tenth As we said in on ail fish taken in the waters of their | rights of property are not of such a nature domain; they claimed the exclusive that their possessors may not be required use of the water power for mills or manu- | to part with them on equitable terms factories. There was also asmall money But these terms must be just and equi- rent of about two cents an acre. table. A landlord must It will be seen from this, that in some Price for what is taken from him respects the French censitaires,as the tenants Canada spent $10,000,000 rather than act were called, were liable to a much heavier unjustly toward the landlord. | burden than our tenantry; and it may be, This settlement, a relief to the tenant supposed that a system so unsuited to a_ and just to the landlord, was effected by new country, would not be borne uncom~ the union of moderate men. Had the plainingly. Still the landlord influence little band of ultra~Conservatives, who was so strong,as again and again to defeat shrieked about the inviolable rights of pro, the efforts that were made for converting | perty, succeeded in defeating this meas | the censitaire into a freeholder. To detail) sure, nothing could have prevented the | the history of the struggle would be tedious | Extreme>Left from gaining a majority, and | and it is unnecessary. Change a few | settling matters in their own way, which was words and you have itall in what has been | togive the tenants fee land and the landlord | written and spoken on our own land quess| no compensation. It would have been | tion. For above a quarter of a century the | this, or another Canadian rebellion. The | question was agitated, and one solution | true friends of the landlord were those who after another offered to be rejected. We forced him to accept that reasonable com. pass these over to come to the final settle- promise. ment; merely pointi::g out, that so long | We think this Historicai Parallel is as Lower Canada was # separate province | without its lessous for us. | she could do nothing in the matter, and} recur to this subject, we shall try and | | that it was not until after the union, which point out to our own tenantry how best took place subsequently to the troubles | they may lawfully agitate in the matter of the | of 1837-38, that the Land Question was | complete conversion of the leasehold into a | satisfactorily settled. freehold tenure.

In the year 1854, the Hincks-Morin Ministry (supported by an alliance of the | clear-Grits with the old Liberals)wasdes ex feated by an amendment to the answer to | Tax | Sem stlair has been summarily | the speech, and appealed to the country. | settled. She is sunk of Cape Fear. Phe On the meeting of Parliament the Ministry | United States Government will now be ‘found itself in a minority, and, on its spared the hansiliation of delivering her resignation, the McNab-Morin Govern- oyer to the Spanish authorities. One res |

port is that the Virginivs was in a leaky

t was formed. This Government was | ar | condition when she left Bahia Honda; and

that] her foundering was the result. An» other report is that she was in good repair; that she must have been sunk by the | orders of the Ossippee’s Captain, who bad | | herin charge—and that the United States It is to |

erect grist mil

our preylous article, the

be paid a fair

We see

|

: ; '

i

not When we next

THE

VIRGINIUS

} }

‘a coalition of the Conservatives and Liber. | als ;—the;elear-Grits and ronges, with a few | ultra-Tories, goingintoopposition. To use _ the convenient language of French politics, it was an alliance of the Right and Left ) sate tae eee rae a | Government connived at the act. Seen eer. oer pration, a | be hoped that the former report is the true | | amendment by which the previous Govern-_ ’ a . | one; for if the latter be correct, the United ment had been defeated, was one expressing | . cS ee | States has dealt unfairly, even perfidiously, regret that there should be so much delay| .. . : : ‘ ‘ , | with Spain, and cannot escape the con | te sbelling The questions of the Lend Yew | demnation of all right thinking men ure, and the Clergy Reserves; these subs . . jects were taken to the polls, and the new | Ministry found itself pledged to grapple | | with them at once. We may state that | Sir John Macdonald was Attorney General of the | of Upper Canada in this Administration. Lunenburg, on the morning of Tuesday, the ' Brown and Dorion were the respective 30th uit. In a despatch to a Halifax con- | | leaders of the Upper and Lower Canada| temporary, the execution is thus described : Opposition, john Sandfield Macdonald, ‘* Long before the hour of execution every Merrit, Galt and W. L. McKenzie, (not “Pot which commanded a view ef the plat- | ad . | form was covered. ‘The excitement ran t the present Premier) were with them. * |} such a height that the wall surrounding the McKenzie was not then in Parliament. | gallows was torn down by the crowd pre- Sir John Macdonald took charge of the | vious to the execution; about three thon- os | sand were present. mre for cocciorising the Segy re) After service and prayers in the pri meas me i After service and prayers ¢ prisoner's serves. With that we have nothing to do. cell, the Sheriff proceeded, accompanied by Mr. Droammond, Attorney General for | the prisoner. the clergy of the Preshyterian, Lower Canada, introduced the Bill for the | Episcopalian and Wesleyan Churches, and | ea f the Sei ial T. . the prisoner’s counsel, to the place of exe- | abolition of t 1e ignoria enure, which, | cution, The prisoner was dressed in black | after a long discussion and some amend, | trousers and white shirt. He waiked to; caffold with a firm and unwavering

ments, passed the third reading by a ma- | the s

+ oe >

THE MAILMAN MURDER

Peren Mawuaan, who murdered his wife, | | suffered the dread penalty

law at

j

‘

+e “ | step. He mounted the platform withont as- jority of 59, (the number of members was) cistance. ie never changed color or moved |

about 130); and after some further amends | ments by the Legislative Council received | the assent of the Governor General (Lord | | Elgin) at the close of the session.

a muscle while the executioner was pinion- ing his hands and legs; but with clasped | hands looked steadily to heaven. When | asked if he wished to say anything to the people, he replied: ‘I would rather not; I

ak ‘wish to keep my mind fixed on Heaven: The preamble of the Act is in these | and handed Rev. Mr. Owen a confession,

_terms: “ Whereas it is expedient to which he real. Kev. Mr. Qrren thes offered } | abolish all Feudal rights and duties in| UP een My It rain ail the exe: , Lower Canada, whether they press upon | cytioner did his last duty. ‘The prisoner | the tenant or landlord, and to assure the | faced death as a nan — oe ne to | compensation die and how to inect death. e did not! ne “ iy way Cheaie struggle. His muscles ceased to quiver and | & right which he now possesses, and which convulse in «a few minutes. The crowd he will lose by such abolition ; and, where~ | seemed paralyzed y the solemm scene. Si- : . er railed. Just as, in consideration of the great afwantages !cuee and orler prevailed. : leaving the cell the prisoner said to those which would result to the province from | j).cent: ‘I committed a great si : xl a great sin before the abolition of the said feudal rights and God and my country [repent and want to | ties. tution ee tenure | ay down my life for it. Llook up to Heaven o and thoputett ote - po see the Crucified Lamb of God. I love | for that under which the properties subject | to jook at him; le freely forgives me now | thereto have hitherto been held, it is ex -| and forever. He pays iny debt aud don't pedien tenant . want a cent from me; | am forgiven. 1 t toaid the in redeeming the am going to a holy, happy, and rich place, said charges, more especially in the case | where there is plenty for everyone and full of these charges which, while pressing most | partion for the greatest sinner.’ ~ heavily on industry and the spirit of enter. prise, cannot, from their very nature, be otherwise immediately commuted, without, in most cases, either oppression or injus- tice, for these reasons, be it enacted,” —&-.

before |

a <> ia

Miiliners are in a fair way in carrying out | the abolition of polygamy in Utah, notwith- standing the missionaries have entirely failed in their efforts to effect a reform. They kave “ bonnetted ” the system with a vengeance, and now the husbands of plural are anathematizing the heavy bill as as the taste for fashionable attire which

i

| publie affairs

| focation ”’

| suffered.

| rights. | the rights of property. , as possible,be held sacred. ' times when private rights clash with the

| Strange lands.

“\ HERALD,” AND HON. Ww. OW, SULLIVAN.

It is quite evident that the ‘Herald’ makes random assertions, — not caring whether they are proven to be true or false. He seems to be quite delighted in making n some of the clergy and those who may happen to take & different view of political questions from them. Would it not be well if the editor of that exceeds ingly religions pape ¢arned over “a new leaf,’’ and sought to promote a good unders standing. where no misunderstanding should exist. The ‘Herald's’ knowledge Island men and politics is not very profound. He has “ poured the jals of his wrath” upon the head of nea very man who bas taken « prominent part in The inanner in which he now attacks Mr. Sullivan and other mem-~ bers of the Government is mild, indeed, contrasted with the way in which he for- merly denounced the very men with whom he is now so affectionately asseciated. Mr. Laird, in his estimation, was “vulgar ’’ and ‘‘jgnorant,’’ — the air he breathed was “sufs to the ‘Herald.’ All that is now changed. So much for his dealings with men. His writings on measures are not less inconsistent. He now says that Mr. Sullivan voted against the Branch Railway Bili, in June, 1872. He never made such an accusation at the time. The circum. stances were then so fresh in the public mind, that such an assertion as he now makes, would have been regarded as too absurd and ridiculous to reply to. But by distorting facts he hopes to injure Mr. Sullivan in the estimation in which that gentleman deserved to be held by the people of the eastern part of the country, for his efforts to get them the Branch Rail. At the formation of the Haythorne- Sinclair Government, Mr. Sullivan insisted on the speedy construction of the Branches as part of the Government policy. Were it not for the manly stand which he then took, it is quite probable that the people of St. Peter’s and Souris would have about as dim prospects of obtaining Branch Rail.

strife betwee

of our

way.

WINTER COMMUNICATION

ote +

SPAIN AND CUBA,

~ ae eine St. 0 00d WITH

—

} .

Cuba is divided into two grand Provinces

| __Rastern and Western Cuba; the Eastern

— Province being the seat of war, which has

Tms subject continues to engage stten- gtiracted so much attention during the

tion, The opinions expressed by the Ex-| past few months. According to the census

amixer appear to be gaining ground. That of 1853, the population may be divided as a steamer fitted to withstand ice, and keep fo)Jows -—

THE MAINLAND.

“ How To Do It.”

i

For Western Cuba.

aman ok

|

ial Ce

Comme

| WELSH & OWEN’S BI . Queen Strect. C}

ee rT a. aed

VEW ADVERTISEMENTS.

ce tt Al: A, Mt Mtl tL Ml Ml Nt tl tl tlt Lt ll tl

| AUCTION!

TRADE SALE

ia

up communication with the mainland dur-

well, is generally believed. Many gentle-~ men think that even two steamers might

They say that one might—as suggested by

boring Provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and this Island ; that the ether

packet to carry freight to outsports on our coast ; - and that both cou!d, when required, be employed in carrying mails, passengers, produce and merchandize to and from the mainland. If practical men think this scheme feasible,—And many do—we see no reason why it should not be carried into effect. There is capital enough in the colony—and we trust, enterprise enough — to build two steamers. Let our people but exert themselves in the development ot their own resources, and they wi// prosper.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

THE STMMERSIDE JOURNAL,

The eftort is being made to organize an-~ other Steam Navigation Company. ‘The unsatisfactory manner in which the present Company perform their duty, and their contemptuous disregard for public opinion, have been carried a little too far, as they will find. P.E.!slanders are not naturally impatient or exacting, but it wiil be admit- ted by all, that our Steam Navigation Com- pany have enjoyed their monopoly just long enough to make them insolent; and that they stand greatly in need of a snubs bing. than by the organization of a rival company.

No surer way could this be done

ways, as the people of Murray Harbor have

now. Mr. Laird had declared that, ‘ for

The Charlottetown people appear to be in real earnest in the matter, and our contem-

his part, he was opposed to the construes | porary the Examiner has an excellent ar- rs ; >} >) g - . PF « i . . . tion of either trunk or brauches,” and only | ticle, pointing out the advantages to be de.

that Mr. Sullivan used well his position, the interests of his constituents would uave But what the Haythorne Sinclair Goverument had to concede publicly, they attempted to destroy covertly,

'

The resins vestment clauses were introduced into the Branch Bill with the hope that the Bill would be disallowed by the Home Govern- ment. This is the reason that he voted ‘nay’? when the question came up, shall the report of the committee ’’—containing the re-investment clauses —‘' he agreed to.” Mad a majority voted “nay ’ with Mr, Sullivan and Mr. Pope, the * Bill would not have been consigned fo sblivion,”’ even for that session. The editor of the ‘ Herald’ exposes his gross ignorance of Parliamen- tary usage, when he makes such a state

ment. The friends of the Branch Railway 3ill sought to have the Bill amended; but when Mr. Sullivan could not succeed in effecting this, he voted for the Bill, even with the objectionable clauses, on its fAird reading. his is plainly recorded on the “ Journal of the House of Assembly” for i872, page 164. Yet in the ‘Herald’ is guilty of making one of the most deliberate falsehoods ever uttered, ‘Though the Branch Railway Bill did receive the Royal allowance, yet none were more

surprisea than some of the members of the | Haythorne-Sinclair Government. The views |

of Mr. Sullivan, and those who regarded the re-investment clauses in the same light, have been confirmed by His Honor the Master of the Rolls, in the case of Hunt cs. the Government. We understand that

| a despatch from Earl Kimberley is in ac-

cordance with the opinions of those who re~ garded the re-investment clauses as being unjust and arbitrary as they certainly were deceitful and treacherous.

i a a

THE LAND QUESTIONS

Mn. Rosexrt SHaw~—we are pieased to observe—supports the Ex«winer’s views respecting the final settlement of ‘‘ eur Land Question.” Mr. Shaw contersporary, as follows :—

writes to a

‘* Now that the Railway and Confederas tion questions have been settled and that the agitation consequent thereon has sub sided, it is time that the people and polis ticians of this Island should direct their

attention to matters of great, if not of The land question is, | . ; ; by far, the most entitled to immediate con- | 't deserves from the public; and that the |

equal importance.

sideration, and no effort should be sperad- to bring it to a speedy and satisfactory settlement. We are now in a better posi-

tion than ever, to grapple with it,and | | believe we will ne longer have to contend | | with the difficulties an

obstructions which formerly beset those who were interested

in the emancipation of the tenantry from |

leasehold bondage. As a part of the Dos

minion we can call to our assistance the |

Government of Canada, and we have had repeated assurances that that assistance will be cheerfully and effectually given. Backed up by the power and prestige of the Dominion Cabinet, we can bring a pressure to bear upon the proprietors which the most stubborn among them will be unable to resist. Our statesmen have only

to exercise some pluck and determination,

and tbe task is easily accomplished. Thovands of acres are still in the hands of absentee and resident Proprietors, who have hitherto declined to sell,—who stand upon what they consider their rights,— who have no interest in the tenantry, beyond the collection -of their rents and little sympathy for those who in a new country like this, are barely able to provide the means of subsistence. They say in effect that the land is their own pro-

| perty, that they can do with i’ what they

wish and that it would be an «wi of spoila- ation and wrong to interfere with private Now, sir, | have every respect for They should,as far But there are

pubiic interests, and in stich cases, [ mains tain, the public interests must be upheld. The proprietors should, of course, be paid » fair value for their lands, and if they are not satisfied to accept it, they should

| be compelled to do so by legislative enact-

ment, Who would think of stopping the construction of a railway, because some stubborn landholder may be unwilling that the line should pass through his farm? And why should the interests of thousands of hardworking tenants be sacrificed to gratify the whims and caprices of a few individuals? It is high time that the legislature should interpose to reot outa

| system which for years has been the curse

of this Island,—which has stifled the as~ pirations and cramped the energies of the people, rendering them unhappy and dis~ vontented at home, and too often driving them abroad to seek their fortunes in I trust that you, sir, as well as your contemporaries will agitate this matter till it is finally settled, and till the last vestige of vassalism shall have disappeared from our little Island.’’

_?e-

The Ottawa “ Citizen "’ says :—As we go to press, our Montreal t

telegraphs that it is as there that the fon, "AF. Anglin will take a seat in the Cabinet without portfolio. Rumor limits the coming number of nonportfolioed Ministers to thirty ! !

>.

Advyeritsing pays. The propietor of the London Telegraph is about to raise the price of advertisements to 2s. 6¢. per line. The number of them has become so large as to interfere with tbe news, and he expects by

increasing the price to make more room

appoint mate the yalue of the proprietary rights in

lately sprung up among the females of each Seignory; but before these commis-

FE

in his columns. The daily eirculation of the Telegraph is nowabout 170,000,

|

face of this fact, |

|rived from such an organization. The | great object in view is to keep up com- | munication with the Mainland just as long | as it is possible to do it in winter. For | this purpose an iron serew steamer, to | carry mails agi passengers from Souris, or | Georgetown, will be wanted. ft matters not to the Island, now that our Railway | will soen be completed to the east, what | point is selected for this purpose. There appears to be a determination among our

| people not to submit any longer to the state of things that have obtained here every Lwinter from time immorial, Steam com | munication we must have, and the only ‘way to have it is, as the Examiner justly /remarks, by the people taking the matter | in hand themselves. | contemporary that meetings should be held

The suggestion of our

| at Charlottetown, Georgetown and Summer. | side to get the people to express an opinion upon the matter, is an admirable one; and should be acted upon. The formation of a new Company would be exceedingly popu- | lary in this town, and we have many capitals ists here who would willingly take stock in

it let action be taken forthwith.

OPINIONS OF THE PEOPLE. To the Editor of the Examiner,

Dear Ste -—You deserve the thanks of tha whole community for the able manner in which you have exposed the ‘‘ now nor To porr’’ policy of the Steam Navigation Company. The public have for a long time felt the intolerable grievance of paying a

ring of selfish money grabbers a large sub- |

sidy for doing that which they failed to do whenever it was the least inconvenience to | the Company todoit. But your indepen- | dent journal is the only newspaper that has

treated the subject in a masterly and ef-

fective way.

your able articles will be that a Company | will be formed which will do the work the | present Company are paid for doing; but know so well “ now not To po."’ Really i | it were not for the serious inconvenience /and loss to our traders and others, there , would be something laughable in the idea | of the steamers employed to do our Mail | Service, lying snugly in dock, while small | schooners have to be engaged to do their

work. Hoping that your article showing | “how to do it,” will receive the attention

| present iniquitous monopoly will be con- | signed to the “Tomb of all the Capulets.” I remain, yours &c., TRAVELLER, Dec. 50th, 1873.

To the Editor of the Examiner.

| Siv:—T was very glad to see that you | called public attention to the present dis- graceful condition of our steam communis cation with the mainland. Now Georgetown and Souris harbors are both as free of ice as they are in summer time, our mails are being dragged across the straits in little boats ; and the steamboats of the Company, which is receiving $10,000 a year for carrying them, are lying com~ fortably in winter quarters. But, sir, I think you have-been scarcely fair in implys ing that the Company is to blame for the inefficiency of their boats. For carelessness about advertising; for neglect in notifying the public of their movements; for incons

they cannot be too severely censured, But, for their boats they are not to blame. They had a right to tender for the contract with such boats as they choose. The blame of this matter must rest with those who re- newed, for fen years, their contract, —with» out any stipulation fer a more suitable class of boats. And for this, the then Goy- ernment, though chiefly, are not alone in fault. For before the Government could renew the centraci, an act had to be passed, empowering them todo so; and that act was supported by both sides of the House. The bill was passed almost without debate, (though days were spent m wordy strife about matters of not one tenth the import- ance to the country) and what little was said was commendation of the excellent way in which the service was performed : Now, sir, do not be afraid to put the blame of this matter on the right shoulders ; for on the Government who are responsible for initiating all money votes, and then on the Opposition, who, ready enough to carp at the doings of their opponents, seemed to have been lulled into a fatal security when the interests of the country were being thus sacrificed. It is right to say that Mr. Sinclair mildly objected to the length of time for which the contract was to be ex- tended ; but not a question was raised as to the efficiency of boats which could not get beyond the harbor’s mouth, on such days as the 9th and 10th of last December. You asked gpme time ago, if there was not some condition made abeuta boat being laid up for the winter at Georgetown, so as to run after Charlettetown harbor has

closed. Have you ever got an answer to that question ? - An Occasional TRAVELLER,

POOR CopVv

ing the early spring and early winter months, | is required, is now admitted by all; that, under proper management, she would pay |

be employed with profit to their owners. © the Examuwer—be used, durin: summer, |

to carry freights between ports in the neigh- |

could obtain profitable employment as 2)

I have no doubt the result of

whien | ; ; ‘number no enmity exists between them, |

venient hours of running,—for these things, |

ie eis iccnsss 379,000 Coloured ............ 94,000 Negro Slaves .......305,000 | For Eastern Cuba : WI MIGOR, f.ociscosess0 196,000 Colored ......++-+. 143,0.0 Negro slaves ...... 429,000 Total, 1,450,000 |

This population is seattered throughout | the entire island, its only large city being | Havana, with a population of some 200,090. ''Then there is Matanzas, with a population | of 30,000; Puerto Principe, with 31,000, and | the now notorious Santiago whose popula- tion scmewhat exceeds 26,000, As in Pu-

_erto Principe, the only other island in the | | West Indies held by Spain, slavery exists | ‘here. Scarcely a fifth of the Cuban fertile |

| |The trade of England with Cuba exceeds | £6,000,000 sterling, annually, and consists | exports of iron ware and cotton stuffs. The smallness of the white population is attri~ buted to the obstacles the Spaniards have ‘thrown in the way of its increase. Num- bers of Cubans have, during the last fifty | years, endured pursecutions and exile, solely in consequence of their efforts to encourage white immigration in opposition to the Af- rican slave trade. The bulk of the popula-~ tion in Cuba consists of uneducated im- migrants, who go to the island with the sole object of making money, and have accumu- iated wealth by the slave trade and by the use of monopolies. So ignorant are they that 75 per cent of them can neither read nor write, whilst the native Cubans, known as the insurgents, number among them many mn of the highest intelligence and