Che Examiner,

“THIS IS RUE LIBERTY, WHEN FREEBORN MEN—HAVING TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC, MAY SPEAK FREE.” —Euripives.

Vor. 1] CHARLOTTETOWN, P. E. ISLAND, MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1848. [No. 37. HOSS OF ASSSMBEY. increase had been brought under their notice, by the; Messrs. Hugh McDonald and D. Montgomery spoke &- nope ———— === Colonial Minister, and consequently urged upon their!gainst any increase. The question being then put, the THE LAND TAX DEBATE. ‘consideration by His Excellency the Lieutenant Go- resolution was agreed to. On a subsequent day, when (Concluded.) vernor. It did, therefere, seema most favorable time the House went into committee on the Bill, the Tax on

Mr. LeLacheur would not give his support to the pro- to secure a great addition to the revenue, which would be wilderness land was fixed ata halfpenny, and that on cul- posal for any increase of the Assessment on cultivated S2ctioned by the Home Government. He did not ap- tivated, at a farthing per acre.

land; for he was perfectly satisfied that not only the Prove of the proposition, supported by some hon. members, ae

Leaseholder, but the small Freeholder, find a difficulty for mereesing the Tax on Wilderness Land only, and in paying the present Tax. Hon. gentlemen should re-2t 0” cultivated Land. Any such distinction should! WAYS AND MEANS.

member the many diffiiculties of the Agriculturists,/"°t have bis support. |_ On motion of Mr. Thornton the House again went g urists.

. . ° ° 1} . j Tay ° This was a rent-paying Country, naturally affording) Mr. Macintosh. Notwithstanding all that has been) the chain. on Ways and Means: Mr. LeLacheur

itt ; fori ert said of the advantages to be derive increased | i ; i but litile waren and offering very few resources for cae Sees Sorivad ‘from re seam qd) Wines.—Mr. Palmer moved a resolution to assimilate procuring it. Instead, therefore, of adding to the already 1'@X on land, and a consequent decrease of duties UPON the duties on Wines to the Nova Scotia scale. It was overburthened shoulders of the farmer, every opportunity articles of consumption, he was not of opinion that the | opposed by several members, on the ground that it

ought to be taken to relieve him from a part of his load. proposed alterations, if effected, would be found to have, a i aa ae part of + pret se tee a mae ‘that beneficial tendency, which some hon. members ex-|"09- Uitimately Air. eae moved an amendment that It was true, some few might be relieved by a repeal of ys embers €X-' he duties on those articles be not altered, which was

the duties-on tea and other articles of consumption; but Pected they would have. What those hon. members aS-| carried.

it Was grievous to contemplate the fact that, in the Serted seemed plausible enough at first sight; but they | Leather.—The Petition of the Mechanics of Char- neighbourhood of his residence, there were then hun- forgot: Or omitted to take into consideration, the extent /lottetown, praying for protection, having been read, Mr.

dreds that not only could not procure Tea or Molasses, ' Which barter prevailed in the transactions of the are pret a aaa the psc aC at at —— 1, and ’ \ cal flering a resolution to lessen the duty on

: +, try. The people often gave their labour in exchange for | CORT UGed Dy ofering a re . but were actually without food, and, of course, had no! hi p . me f ee, ‘sole and harness leather from 2d told per ]b.; and to seed for the ground. His hon. Colleague could vouch er things than money: for money could not at all)jessen also the duty upon upper and trimming leather

that he drew no overcoloured picture of the distress which U™eS be had. He very much questioned whether a man| from 4d to 3d. The resolution was agreed to.

existed in his neighbourhood: He (Mr. Thornton) w ejj/ Would get more Tea for a day’s work, after the duty on) Boots and Shoes.—Mr. Palmer called the notice of

knew that there were upwards of forty families then de- 1 &# Should be repealed, than he got then. To increase |the Committee to the low duties which is at present pending on the charity of others for subsistence ; and he|the Land ‘Tax, and at the same time to reduce the duties ovr On era cle eniw ell very handsome (Mr. Le Lacheur) had no doubt there existed similarly | YP" Tea, Sugar, and Molasses, would therefore amount | profits treats trade in them, he thought they could larmentabje cases in many other parts of the Island, where "° nothing more than demanding from the people a cer-| afford to pay a higher duty than what was now required the crops had been bad. Hon. Members residing in ‘®™ty for an uncertainty. He could mot support any of them ; and this increase would afford some protec-

- la | motion for an increase of the Tax. ition to the Home Manufacturer, whom the Legislature and near Charlottetown had litde, vey little idea of the’ Mr. Tho i vi lought to encourage. He concluded his remarks by state of the rural districts; but, uniess he were a false) ““t- Z4ornton. | recollect, Sir, the opposition made by ‘moving that the duty be increased ‘from “10 to “15 per prophet, he melancholy trath would be brought under the proprietors to the present Tax at the time when it) cent.

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their notice by complaints and petitions almost incalcu- YS imposed ; and it is, no doubt, also fresh in the re-| — age — 7 on me — Ps oe .

. . of Ss, principally ; i the boots lable bef ; collection of many others who are stil] members of this|®T C8585, principally, were the purchasers o . eT the close of the ws and —_ unsafe | en le Sa on “land shoes imported into this country, because they could would it be to turn a deaf ear to their prayers for relief, “OUS®- 4 *roprietors may not, it 1s true, have the | he obtained ata much lower price than what they could for what then would be the prospect of the succeeding S2™€ power now which they possessed then, though their/be made for in the Island; and were the duty to be in- year? it was needless to insist upon the truth, that jf ™clination may be unchanged. But be that as it may,'creased, the price of rae ete cart noi ome

they did F , ‘Iam not for treating their interest with the H .\creased likewise; and the burden would then fall upen y not plant neither could they reap. He would ° : ome Go ‘those who were the least able to bear it.

not therefore give his vote for any increase of the Tax | Vermment as of little importance ; and, therefore, I think Mr. Douse expressed his surprise at the complaints on cultivated land. ‘it best not to provoke their opposition by going too far’ made by the mechanics of Charlottetown. He alluded

Mr. J. Longworth would offer but a few remarks hed with the Tax. I fully agree with the hon. Member for to the prices charged by mechanics for their work in this

‘Island, and said that he could purchase a suit of clothes

fore uestion sh : : ‘Prince County, (Mr. Rae,) that first of ail, w . the question should be put; for,so much having been ys ( 9) » We ought Dl. London at 40 1002 price nearly as they would be made

said, it would be only wasting time to go at length into) know to what purposes the Tax is to be applied, Whether for in this Island. He (Mr. D.) thought that if they were the question again. He thought an increased Tax would | it May be at the old ora new rate. Then we may be alittle more industrions and attentive to their business

be beneficial to the people for many reasons. First, be- better able to judge whether or got it will help to light-|than they are at present, they would not be so ready to

; en the bur : (complain. cause if the duties on the necessaries of life should be tot Et sate ¢ eotirmncn.d in ant them. Ose) The hon. Speaker made some remarks to the saine mitted to a greater amount than the increase of the En, MA: eA ucation ° etter provided for surport. He censured the negligence of Mechanics and Land Tax, a greater number of the inhabitants would >Y aM increased Tax. Another says increase the Tax on particujarly the Shoemakers and ‘Tailors; who, if they

feel the benefit. Secondly, because if the Tax on lan a wilderness lands to punish the proprietors. But, if this|received en order for work, they were sure to delay it

} i] $ . yy hind hin) atic ‘be done, I think, with Mr. Macintosh, it will mak long after the time promised. ‘The charges made by 0 allowed to expire, the Quit Rent would no| ’ ; Css hea) | cleanbet he thought, in many instances, were enor-

donbt be revived; and, leaving out of consideration the Ore rigorous with the Tenantry. Taking all things iD. | mous. stringent means of collecting it, the whole amount of! to consideration, | am for acting with great caution; for| After some further remarks from other hon. members, that Tax would leave the shores of the Island; whereas! ust say I entertain many doubts on the subject of the Mr. Palmer’s resolution was put and negatived.

the whole proceeds of the Land Tax would be kept within | 12% and would not put additional power in the hands of, Molasses.—Mr. Whelan rose to propose a resolution. the Colony. And, thirdly, because as the Titles stand, the proprietors ; for I think it will be difficult enough to He had delayed bringing it forward unti) that late hour,

eh eee ; Nail 4 .” obtain a renewal of the present Tax.—“No! no!” hoping that some hon. member-——having a more extensive t exaction—the Quit Rent—might be collected in P oEey ual nowlslee of the subject than he himself had—would

British Sterling. The hon. Member for Prince County |‘he hon. Speaker.—The hon. Member, in continuation ¢9}j the attention of the Committee to it before rising. (Mr. Clark) had said the peuple would be taxing them- Observed, the hon. Speaker may, from his having been The object of his resolution was to take the duty off Mo- selves. How could that proposition be maintained, if the | at head quarters in England, be better informed with lasses, in which he thought the House ought to concur,

duties—which all would admit were too high—on Tea, Tespect to the views of the Imperial Government on the °S such a measure would not fail to prove advantageous Molasses, Sugar,&c. were reduced? These artic] "| question than I am; but, as I said before, I entertain con- to a large portion of the population, who use the article , Sugar,&c. ’ hese articles were oe ? \very extensively, and who were suffering, as the House

become necessaries of life, and the people could not dis-|S!derable doubts on the subject, and, therefore, am for a well knew, from a visitation of Providence, which has pense with their every day use.—[.Mr. Le Lacheur begged renewel of the present rate, and no more. left them without the means ofsubsistence, He thought

the hon. member's pardon, but he did not hesitate to say) Mr. Rae reminded the hon. Member (Mr. Thornton,) th arenes on Molasses mae high, ane Pann ‘ sae . lary so in the circumstances of the country. In former that, in many parts of the Island, those articles were that his (Mr. R.’s) proposition was to put the increase icomn there was no Colonial p te the aiine and no

known only by name, and could not be procured by the 2 Separate Bill; a mode of proceeding which the hon. Imperial duty when imported from British plantations, people.} The hon. Member resumed. He was well aware|™ember must perceive would altogether do away with in order to give encouragement to the Fisheries, which

much distress had been caused among the people by a fai- the danger of which he seemed so apprehensive. I wanes of the ee cores 3 poser roe i : ae to the fostering care of the Legisiature. en, (con-

lure of the crops ; but he trusted they would not sufferfrom| Mr. J Longworth said, the revenue arising from the tinned he) the article was allowed to come in duty free @ succession of bad crops. Sorry, indeed, should he be duty on tea was very large, and it was useless to contend in former years, why not exemptit now? The revenue to have to legislate upon such an expectation. But not-| that a reduction of the duty would not be felt as a relief is larger—the wants of the country are greater—poverty withstanding the hon. member’s observations, he (Mr, >Y the farmers. ‘el ici extensive. wie ta he eee = ar ie : ‘sentiments expressed by hon. members while the House

Longworth) thought the people of this Island had great Mr. Mooney knew the merchants too well to think the shave been in Committee on Ways and Means, and the cause to be thankful, when they contrasted the most de- Country people would derive much benefit from a re-| anxiety expressed to alleviate the distress of the country,

lornble situation of other the: wail eridh dials uction of duties. Any advantage to the Tenantry of he could scarcely venture to anticipate a very decided

, i hich it might be productive, would be so trifling that j s< : Baas own. The House should 7 , g that it opposition to the resolution, and without further remarks bear in mind that the proposed | was not worth talking about. ‘he would submit it to the-consideration of the House:

Fripay, April 7.

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