Provingial [agislature. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. Debate on the Address. SatTurpay, March 24. House met at 10.50 a. m Mr. SreakeR iniormed the House that . : | he had received a communication trom the Governor-General thanking the Leeyisi - ture for the joint address presented to Her Majesty the Queen on the celebration of her Jubilee Mr. MecLevian was sworn by Mr. Clerk and introduced to the Speaker by, Messrs. Yeo and Matheson. Mer. A. A. McL&AN in moving House do now resolve itself into a Com- mittee of the Whole House to take into consideration the Draft Address in reply to that the the Lieutenant-Governor’s speech, said he wished t® make a few remarks on the subject matter of the address in reply. His Honor, in calling the House together at this time, had asked them to express gratitude to Divine Providence for themany blessings which the Province received dur- ing the past season. TI is, no doubt, it was his duty to do; for our people have been blessed in many ways. They were favored With a bountiful harvest, and al- though there was a slight depression in trade, yet prices in‘ vgeneral were very good. The country has made great pro- gress during the past ten years. This any one travelling through it must see. During the canvass, previots to the late electién in his district, he had travelled through sections of it that he ‘had not “seen for years ; and he was gratitied tosee how the people are progressing. The farmers ow raise plenty of wheat of their own and hate mills that give them good flour. Capitalists, also, are investing their money in this “f- dustry, and we have mills in this Province that can manufacture as good flour as can be imported. This shows that not only in agricultural but in mechanical pursuits the people are steadily progressing. The third paragraph of His Honor's speech re- fers to exhibitions. From the experience of the past we find that exhibitions are do- ing « great dea! to advance the interests of of the Province ; and the large assortment of vegetables, grain, fruit and other ex- hibits then shown are highly creditable to the Island. Exhibitions have also tendéd to improve the character of our horses. The farmers now rely upon themselves for securing the best stock to breed from in- stead of looking for animals from the Stock Farm ; and agreat ‘number of horses are now exported. Tohis mind the principal measure referred to in His Honor’s speech is that relating to the revision and consoli- dation of the Statutes, and he thought the Government deserved great credit ‘for hav- ing appointed a Commission for that pur- pose... Wehave not hada revision of the Statutes since 1368. In 1862 Commission- ers were appointed, including Messrs. W. H. Pope, Edward Palmer and John Long- worth. But they did mot go into the matter of revising the laws. They simply consoli- dated them, and the Government had to appoiat a commission to make them intelli- gible to the people. He had been one of the Commissioners; but owing to his elec- tion by his present constituency, it was necessary for him to retire. But he was confident that the present Commissioners, Messrs. Morson, McNei!l and McDonald, who are able men, will so discharge their duties, that their work will commend,itself. He understood that their labors were progressing satisfactorily. But owing to the wretched which many of our laws have been passed, they will be obliged to ask the Legislature to pass some laws to revise those on our statutes. . He thought that when the hon. members saw the Acts drawn up by the Commissioners that they would approve of them. With reference to the public ac- cougts) and the estimates of ex- naeatied for the current year which were questions on which he was not very well informed, he would wait until he had seen them before saying anything about them. Mr. H. L. McDowatp (Cardigan) in sevonding the :notion, said that no doubt it was unecessary he should make a few re- marks. The harvest of the past year had been successful and the high price paid for potatoes in his district had greatly en- couraged the farmers. He thought that although the price of oats had been some- what lower than in former years, the farm- ers were as well off; for greater quantities of wheat are now grown and less money is paid for imported flour. If the farmers make an effort to improve the cultivation of wheat, inavery short time, they will be less dependent upon the growth of oats. The show of live stock at the Exhibition was highly creditable to the country, and the Government who had encouraged them should receive great praise. He was pleased to know that exhibits from King’s County that had been shown at the Char- lottetown Exhibition had captured a fair share of prize money. Respecting the fcurth paragraph, he wished to say that he thought it was high time that some provi- sion was made for paying the Sheriffs of the several Counties. The introduction of the County Court Act had done a great deal to do away with the fees of that office, and he hoped the Government would see their way clear to pay these officials in accordance with the responsibility of their office and the work they have to do. Hox. Mr. Yuxo, after congratulating the mover end seconder of the Address, com- plained that the speech of the Lieutenant- Governor at the opening of the Legislature contained very little. It did not refer to the (Juebec Conference, or the results of the recent delegation to Ottawa. In fact, one would infer from the speech that we have no grievances. Yet the Government have contended that the Island has not been we!l treated by the Dominion Govern- ment. Then, why did they not send a dele- gation to the Quebec Conference and act in unison with the Governments of the sister Provinces. - Has the question of Inter-Pro- vincial Communication been lost sight of ? Really there is uothing at all in the speech, In conclusion, the Leader of the Opposi- tion, referred to the lamented death of the late member for ‘Belfast, Mr. D. C. Mar- tin, and said that he felt sure that it was greatiy regretted by hon. members on both sides of the Hous. seid Gen - LLIVAN said that the lamene 1 hon. Leatler of the Opposition State in THE DAILY EXAMINER, - reminded him of the passage of another year, for he had again made his annual complaint concerning the speech of the Lieutenant-Governor. Hon. members are, however, aware] tliat it is not, in these days, the practice of the Queen or her representatives to deliver long speeches at the opening of the session. Her Majesty's speech at the opening of the present session of the Imperial Parliament was not longer than that of His Honor the Lieut.-Gover- uor, and the gubernatorial speeches on the opening of the Legislatures of New Bruns- wick and other Provinces, if longer, re- ferred to no more questions calling for legistative action. As to the Quebec Con- ference, the Legislature had not given the Government authority to send a dele- gation to it ; and the Government did not deem it expedient to do so, It was not apparent that the Conference was to take cognizance of the questions at issue between this Province and the Dominion Govern. ment ; and it was certain that delegates at the Conference had no authority or power whatever to settle any question. Under these circumstances the Government thought it would be idle to send a dele- gation from this Province. Concerning the resu'ts obtained by the recent deputation to Ottawa, the Leader of the Opposition and the House and country will be enlightened before the session is closed, to the satisfaction of all—unless they are very hard to please. ‘The loss of so in- dependent a member of the Legislattire as the late representative of Belfast was sincerely regretted. His place has, how- ever, been filled by a supporter of the Government, who has a high position at the bar,and who will,no doubt, by his industry, energy and ability win a high position in the Legislature. He rejoiced in the elec- tion at Tignish of a supporter of the Opposition; fer the Opposition need encouragement. The Government has gained a seat, or two votes on a division, and have sufficient proof that they continue to possess the confidence of a majority of the electors. In conclusion the Leader of the Government heartily congratulated the mover and seconder of the Address. Mr. FarRQuvuuarson regretted that he did not hear the opening remarks of the hon. member for “Belfast, and deplored the depression of trade from which the Province has suffered. We never exported less grain than we did last fall, and prices were exceptionally low. The potato crop was all we had to depend on, and if the United States had not wanted them, what would have become of P. E. Island? We have profited by other people’s misfortunes, but this cannot be expected in the, future. The price of our lands is going down. The richer farmers are buying up the poorer ones, and the lands are going into the hands of the money lenders. Ths Exhibi- tions last fall were creditable; but raore still should be done for the farmers. Light should, he thought, be afforded as to the question of Inter-Provincial Communica- tion and the result of the recent Delegation. Hon. D. Ferauson—voncurred in the remarks which had been made respecting the decease of the late Mr. D. C. Martin; but the House was to be congratulated on the acquisition of the present member (Mr. A. A. McLean) who moved the address. He contended that the state of Prince Ed- ward Island is not exceptional in respect to the prices of grain. Prices are lower thau ever before in free trade England ; and they have been low all over the world. As to potatoes, it was fortunate for the Province that there was a searcity in the United States last year, and he was free to admit that to profit by the misfortunes of others is not satisfactory, nor is it a basis of trade to be depended upon. But the lesson to. us is to raise more stock and better stock, It is now complained by Mr. Farquharson that the Government is not receiving more than an additional subsidy of $20,000.a year. But last year the Opposition raised a cry that che statement that the Govern- ment had obtained the additional $20,000a year was too good news to be true. This is consistent with the inconsistency of the Opposition. Its it quite evident,that those whe took part inthe Quebee Conference were actuated by party and_ political motives. They resolved in the first place that the subsidies to the Provinces should be largely increased, and then they passed a resolution in favor of unrestricted reci- procity which, if adopted, will necessitate the abolition of the subsidies which are now paid. The House resolved itself mittee of the Whole, Mr. chair. H ouse took recess. into a Com- Kelly in the Parliamentary Notes. The Hon. A. G. Jones, of Halifax, tells the country, through the House of Com- mons and Hansard, that the farmers of On- tario are on the eve of bankruptcy. Mr. Jones has caught this tone from his Oppo- sition brethren from Ontario; but how do Ontario farmers like to have themselves branded in this fashion, and the falsehood sent broadeast to the world? It.is only fair to Mr. Jones to say that he presented his own constituents in quite as bad a light. They were all impoverished, having noth- ing laid up for old age, although the official returns show that Nova Scotia has the greeter part of $20,000,000 deposited in the Government Savings Banks alone. Mr. Perry has given notice that he will move for an order of the House for a copy of Report of Engineers and Surveyors ap- pointed to survey the Straits of Northum- berland from Carleton Point, Prince Ed- ward Island, to Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, during the summer of 1887, with the view of ascertaining the practica- bility of building a Subway across the Straits ; also for an order of the House for a return showing the time the steamer Nor- thern Light commenced running between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia for the winter of 1887-88 ;-the number of trips made; the numberof passengers crossed ; the date of last trip made up to date. Hon. Mr. Howlan has given. notice that he will move in the Senate that an humble address be preseuted to His Excellency the Governor-General, praying that His Excel- lency will be pleased to cause to be laid before this House a copy of the plans and reports of the last survey concerning the proposed Subway between Cape Traverse, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Tormen- tine, New Brunswick. Mr. Denison has introduced a Bill to pro- tect the owners and manufacturers of soda water bottles, Varia. Russia has decidedly scored by getting Turkey formally to proncunce Prince Fer- dinand’s positiomin Bulgaria to be illegal, especially as it was done with the assent and consent of the German Ambassador. But a mere declaration by Turkey does not in itself mean much, unlesss steps are taken to send the princely adventurer about his business. And this is easier said than done; for the moment Turkey attempts to interfere with Bulgaria, she will cast off her chains and proclaim Ferdinand King, and defend herself by force of arms against all comers. Should Russia, on the other hand, attempt to depose the Prince, she will have to reckon with the jealousy of Austria, who is ever on the watch to guard her interests in the Balkan Peninsula. 7% A good deal of interest has been called forth by the recent publication of General Gordon's letters to his sister, Prefaced to the volume are two autograph letters from the Queen to Miss Gordon. In the first of these, written when the news of Gordon’s death was received, Her Majesty says: ‘That the promises of support were not fulfilled—which I so frequently and con- stantly pressed on those who asked him to yo —is to me grief inexpressible /—indeed it has made me ill!” The Radical papers— with the exception of the Pall Mall Gazette, which consistently opposed the policy of procrastination—have received the publica- tion of this letter with a howl; and Mr. Gladstone has been called upon to deny that he ever promised help to Gordon, and that the latter, when starting, refused all offers of material support. What this has has todo with the subject it is hard to see. The facts remain that Gordon went out to the Soudan, that he asked for speedy relief, and that he did not receive it till too late. On a totally different ground the publication of the letters was hardly well advised—viz ; that it emphasizes that the Sovereign of Great Britain is so circumscribed that she cannot do what she conceives to be an act of simple justice and humanity. ** Those who heard the speeches in the Millman case will probably remember a yhrase used by Mr. Hodgson, ‘twelve ch iiees for a jury,and a Jeffreys for a judge.” I speak of this as a ‘*‘ phrase,” for it, or at least the former part, no doubt, was in allusion to the old, but now disused rule of forbidding butchers to be jurors in capital cases. There is another rule which I believe is still extant, that no clergyman. or no one in holy orders, can take part in a trial when the punishment may be death. dn that great trial, the impeachment of Warren Hastings before the House of Lords, the bishops of the Church of England, although members by reason of their baronies, were excluded. The Canons of the Church forbid Bishops being present at trials which might involve mutilation or death (see Kembles ** Saxons in England” ii. 393-4.) It was for this reason that the Inquisition, presided over by ecclesiastics, never condemned any one to death. This custom (the exclusion of ceclesias- tics) is perpetrated in a very striking way in the island of Man. This Island, as many of your readers are aware, preserves ’un- changed many of its ancient:customs. Its laws (except relating to customs and excise) are enacted by the ‘‘ House of Keys.” Sir James Gell, the Attorney-General, in his report to Lieut.-Governor Loch, on the Manx Constitution, dated 4th April, 1881, thus refers to the custom: ** Before leaving the subject of the Tynwald Court, I think it well to mention that from ancient time it had been the custom for the Couneil and Keys to attend the Court of General Gaol Delivery. It had been the ancient established usage that the ecclesiastical merabers of the Council should not be pre- sent on a verdict of guilty being returned, and therefore, when a jury were agreed as to their verdict, they were by a spokes- man asked in the Manx language, ‘ Vod y Jer carree suvie#’ (May the priest sit?) If the foreman answered ‘ Charod,’ (He can- not) the ecclesiastics retired, and a verdict of guilty was given ; but if the answer was * Fod,’ (He may,) the ecclesiastics remain- ed, and a verdict of not guilty was re- turned.” * * Everyone knows that a printer, especially when he unites to his art the profession of a journalist, forms one of a profession which is admittedly the most valuable as well as the most honest, truthful, over- worked and underpaid in the world. It was a brilliant idea of one of our profession which gave to the world the phrase ‘Dutch News.” It originated in this way. but first let me explain to outsiders that Pi is a con- fused mass of type mixed together before it is distributed into the cases,and now for my story. In hisyouth Sir Richard Phillips edited and published a paper at Leicester called the Herald. One day an article appeared in it headed ‘‘ Dutch Mail,” and added to it was an announcement that it had arrived too late for translation, and so had been printed in the original. This wondrous article drove half of England crazy, and for years the best Dutch scholars squabbled and pored over it without being able to arrive at any idea of what it meant, This famous ‘** Dutch Mail” was, in reality, merely a column of pi. The story Sir Richard tells of the particular pi he had a whole hand in is this: ‘*One evening, before one of our publications, my men and a boy overturned two or three columns of the paper in type. We had to get ready in some way for the coaches, which, at four o'clock inthe morning, required four or five hundred papers. After every exer- tion we were short nearly a column ; but there stood on the galleys a tempting column of pi. It suddenly struck me that this might be thought Dutch. I made up the column, overcame the scruples of the foreman, and away the country edition went with its philological puzzle, to worry the honestagricultural reader’s head. There was plenty of time to set-up a column of plain English for the local edition.” Sir Richard tells of one man whom he met in Nottingham, who, for thirty-four years, prescrved a copy of the Leicester Herald, hoping that some day the matter would be explained. lars for spring - latest styles and very low prices at John McLeod & Co. pe —— Remember the sale of building lots on Mal- } peque Road and Upper Queen Street at 12, o clock on Monday.—G. M. Harris, Auction.’ eer, - SATURDAY. MARCH 24, 1888. The Last of the Druids. Tuer following exquisitely poetic lines were composed by Mr. J. J. Roche, editor of the Pilot (son of our venerable Librarian) and read at the St. Patrick’s Day celebra tion in Boston. The Chairman introduced Mr. Roche to the audience as * one of Ireland’s most gifted sons, whose name is distinguished throught the literary world :” THE LAST OF THE DRUIDS. Conal, last of the Druids, stood by the ancient shrine, And the ashes were cold on the altar and bitter and gray as brine; : The sacred grove wage deserted, and impious hands had raised The mystic sign of the stranger where the holy fires had blazed. He went to the home of his father, and a stranger bade him in 3 Who knew not the face of Conal nor came of his father’s kin, For the years were many and chanygeful since the Druid went afar From the peaceful land of L[erne to the stormy fields of war, He had battled with Pict aad Briton, Norsemen and Hun and Gaul, When Dathi’s glorious banner waved on the Alpine wall. f And now he was old, and weary of the splendid joy of strife, And he longed for the Druid cloister and the evening calm of life: “Tbe gods of the brave will bless me for the foes I have slain,” he said, And he turned tothe land of Terne—and they told him the gods were dead ! Then he cursed the gods of his fathers, the many who fled from one. Antioouees the peiest of the stranger for the thing that he had done, : “T will find this priest, 1 will slay him—let him bide on land or sea, : Though a thousand swords defend him+-and the gods shall be shamed by me!” He went to the Court of Tara where the king had housed the priest: He found him not at the palace, he found’*him not at the feast; But down in a lowly hovel,where a man with the Black Death lay, They toid him, ‘‘ the good priest, Patrick, watches by night and day ; For the man he serves was his foeman in the days of his power and pride, But the pride and the power have léft him, and the love of his friends has died ; Kith mo kin has he none—only one sdn, gone wild— And the Black Death’s hand, Christ save us! woul part the mother and child. The boldest soldier in Erin, I warrant fye, “would not dare To watch with old Conn the Druid, in the deadly pest-house there.” Never a word said Conal, but his face was set and gray, As he strode to the lonely cabin where the dying Druid lay. He knelt by the humble pallet, and the air was thick with death, Bat the lips of the stricken father smiled with his dying breath, And his feeble band was lifted to bless with the Christian’s sign The wayward son of his bosom—the last of the Druid line, Then the sinful wrath of Conal passed like a mist away, And he kissed the hem of the garment of the man he swore to slay. Whither Drifting. (The Empire.) Mr. L. H. Davies is finding it difficult to show that he is not about to vote for a com- mercial policy which not long since he de- clared ‘‘impracticable.” Correcting a statement of the Minister of Marine, he admitted that what he said in aspeech be- fore the Charlottetown Board of Trade was this: ‘‘If Canada had one tariff and the States another, the importations for the country would come in at the ports having the lower tariff. Therefore Unrestricted Reciprocity was impracticable.” Now that Mr. Davies in the Commons declares Un- restricted Reciprocity practicable, it is a fair inference that he looks to the tariffs of the two countries being equalized under the scheme he is supporting. That this is really the Opposition scheme, first promul- gated by Mr. Wiman and recently adopted by Mr. Hitt, whose bill is now before Con- gress, is shown by Hon. Mr. Jones’ remark in yesterday’s debate when he said that ‘‘Mr. Wiman’s ideas are in accord with the policy announced in this House at the opening of the debate.” That is to say, that Sir Richard Cartwright’s re- solution, which the Opposition have adopt- ed as their policy, is really Mr. Wiman’s and that Unrestricted Reciprocity, as Mr. Goldwin Smith confessed, is, only another name for Commercial Union with the tariff- making power transferred to Washington. What Commercial Union really means, what the Opposition know it means, is clearly shown by Sir Richard Cartwright’s statement at Ingersoli, which Mr. McNeill recalled yesterday, namely, that ‘‘ Commer- cial Union would strengthen the hands of those who wished to,see our political sys- stem absorbed into that of the United States.” Of the truth of Sir Richard’s ad- mission there can be no question. Under all the «ircumstances, the debate which the Grit leaders have precipitated is most fortu- nate forthe country. It is showing exact- ly where the Grit leaders are gving, and where they would like Canadian Liberals to follow them. CONCERT! R. VINNICOMBE, assisted by his Pupils, also by some of the best vocal talent of the city, will give a Grand Orchestral —IN THE— Y. M. C. A. HALL, a; | aan TUESDAY, THE ord OF APRIL NEXT, Concert Programme in a few days. Admission, 35 cents. AUCTION SALE Furniture, Stoves, &e., fit ‘A. McNEILL’S ROOMS, QUEEN $7, BY AUCTION, on TUESDAY, April 3rd, J» at 11 o'clock ;—A lot of Furniture, com- rising Bedroom Sets, Dining Room Chairs, ining Room Tables, &., 1 large Extension Table, a lot of Stoves and sundry other 4 articles. | mch24—eod tl sle | White Cottons, Print Cottons, Grey Cottons, Pillow Cottons, | Sheeting Cottons, Shirting Cottons, Table Linens, Towels, Towelling, STANLEY —lie= ROS. Dress Goods, Cashme es, Merinoes, Plushes, Silks, ; Brocades, Gloves, Corsets, Hosiery, Embroideries, Collars and Cuffs, And a Well Assorted Stock of all kinds of DRY GOODS, VERY CHEAP, at STANLEY BROTHERS, BROW N’ Ch’town, March 9, 1888.—eod & wky. ey mer rme aw Ss BLOCK. Payer Hanoi TUS Sea j—-—es eo Our [Immense Stock of Room Paper is now ready for sale. WE HAVE OVER 30,000 ROLLS ON HAND, Bought ia England, Scotland, United States and Canada, Sbapie VERT Newest Patterns and Lowest Prices. 70: % ancy Dry Goods, Carpets & Oil Cloths, CHEAP. © PERKINS & STERNS’. Charlottetown, March 12, 1888. ere eee —_—— PR Leo S38 GE ay Spring Importations, 20° GREAT CLEARANCE SALE _ OF— Y G-0-0-D-5, , JANES PATON & CO. Must clear out Surplus Stock to make room for Large Bargains will be given in every Bepartment during this Month. Ladies and Children’s HOSIERY, ‘** KID GLOVES and MITTs, ULSTER and MANTLE CLOTHS, CORSETS, all sizes (from best makers), White and Cream LACES and EDGINGS, Wool and Tapestry TABLE COVERS, DRESS GOODS (in newest shades), SCOTCH TWEEDS—Nice patterns TRUNKS and VALISES, all sizes, March 1, 1888—dy & wky —-< ——AT J. BB. The Stock is nearly all New last Fall. February20—dy & wky 70; GREAT CLEARANCE SALE | Men’s Heavy OVERCOATS and REEFERS, | SILK and FELT HATS, | RUBBER CLOTHING, | LINDERS and DRAWERS, | CARDIGAN JACKETS, | SILK HANDKERCHIEFS and SCARES, | LINEN COLLARS and CUFF. » Selling very cheap, ‘ ee ‘ ROOM PAPER—The latest patterns, the largest assortment, the lowest prices. JAMES PATON & CO., MARKET SQUARE, THE -— Vominion Boot & Shoe Store. <== 0 During the Month of March, MACDONALD —WILL CLEAR OUT. HIS— Entire Stock of Boots and Shoes at a Discount of 20 per cent. off his usual low prices. Customers are sure to get the best value for their money at THE DOMINION BOOT AND SHOE STORE. J. B. McDUNALD, PRUPRIETOR. ee eet tas 4 ? had A St ae