@hr @nlout Q a g g t a Eb i . AND PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND ADVERTISER. » 1V CHARLOTTETOWN, SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 18423. TIE—:22": noose os- ASSEMBLY. DEBATE ON THE SQUATTERS’ BILL. (Concluded) gull , don for his improvements, 'mllon) l JOB. to be for 999 years. _ r. :- would be the greatest absurdity. 'I‘here ; ad uni lmum] at a time. their lease, would Mr. ties to the winds. gethis balance the best way he can. out the Island. would not long be many leaseholdch on the Island. ship their produce—for the more produce was markets, the more depreciated would its value become. of the tenant to pay rent. sterling per acre. country; such as is taken at the treasury. not in a state to pay in cash at present. the average rate. ofthe Imperial Government. bear it. tothe settler. members seem to have forgotten. “chase. “fund it is impossible to pay ? ill. think ‘ 0nd,. clause being read providing that the proprietor have the option of granting to the settler either com- or a lease of 999 years subject to one shilling sterling per acre rent— un puma]. considered that the rent of one shilling ster- mwu too high—the tenantry could not pay it. He would . that it be one shilling currency; and the lease Dons: said, ifthe rent were reduced to Halifax cur- lie was ofopinion it would be of great advantage to ‘ mm“, But as to the term of the lease, to leave it at ,, is a sort 1"ch to the teiiantry in the idea of becoming li'eeliolders, ofthetn have every facility of becoming so by the management which Lurk Selkirk gives them, by taking “purchase money in instalments, in sums as small as one Mr. Du.sz referred to the settlers on that part of Lord Selkirk’s property on the Murray Harbour road, where the mums 21 years only, With a liberty to purchase. Wore my liberally treated? Suppose they had paid their rents and Wofthe purchase money, but With all their economy and industry were unable to pay the balance at the expiration of Donna refund the sum advanced for t' thosaid purchase, and let them go free, they leaving their , . houses and improvements? If he 'would not, the liberality ofthe lion. gentleman, who acts as agent for Lord Selkirk, Mr. Dons: would answer, there is no money returned. It ’ was very likely that by the time the lease expired Lord Sel- kirk may have done with the land, and his successor left to Mr. SPEAKER was disposed to leave the amount ofrent as itat present stood ; he thought a less sum would not be just. In some countries land was worth 20 yenrs‘ purchase, but he did not think it was worth so much here. 'Heretot'ore, this sum has been the usual average oftlie term of rent through— He was ofopiniou that with regard to the term ofyears, one hundred years, with a right to purchase, was equivalent to the term 0199:) years without such aright. He highly approved of the plan of Lord Selkirk, in taking _ . the purchase money in small instalments; it would act like a savings’ bank, and he thought if all the tenants on the Island had the privilege of purchasing in that way, there Mr. COOPER objected to a. rent of one shilling sterling. We retard the settlement and improvement of the land by keeping up the price. In fact, money cannot be had iii any ofthe markets to which the inhabitants were accustomed to sent to those If we wish to do the squatters a service, let us nominate a rent ' vthey can, pay; but by this bill we bind the tenant to pay a shilling aniacre,,which we all agree they are unable to pay. We do them more harm than good by confirming the right How can he ever after deny it? The tenant will be told that his representatives proposed and carrird the bill by which they were bound. They were much be'ter off as‘they Were than this bill would make them; by it, although their improvements might be worth £500, they would lose them all, unless they consent- ed to receive the laiid burdened with a rent of one shilling Mr. Cones wished to have the rent and term of years fair and reasonable, in order that it may not be “ barked” else- where. Let the rent be payable in the currency of the He would more- over wish to see the rent fixed at one shilling, currency,aud taken in produce at a fair market price; for the country is Mr. PALMER said, ifit were in our power to fix a standard for rent, there would be some reasonableness in adopting the mode proposed; but the question is, have we any au- thority to prescribe to the proprietor what sum he will ac- cept of as rent, or for what term of years he must let his land? In this matter we have no more power than the squatters themselves ; and we must be guided by what is ex— pedient. It is well known that the rents are various through- out tbe Island ; but he believed that one shilling sterling,r was Some hon. members seemed to think, that the fixing the rent depended on us; but let us take care that by graping at a shadow we do not lose the substance. N0)", although the rent is generally called sterling, yet he believed the current money was taken, unless that from Ionie misconduct ofthe tenant he would provoke his land- lord to insist upon its being paid in sterling. It is useless for us to make enactments that will not meet the approbation V Mr. Coarse said, the annual rental ofthe Island is about Twenty thousand Pounds, though there is not so much money in the country; and what can be more unreasonable, when we know the tenants cannot pay, than to insist on eni- I“Flylng it in the Bill, by which the Government is deceived with regard to the state of the Colony—for when Govern- llept see the representatives ofthe people, by an Act of the legislature, fixing the amount of rent at one shilling sterling, they will be induced to believe that the tenatitry are able to 'hir. THORNTON thought that some hon. members were losing sight of the nature of the Bill. The proprietor must lender compensation for the improvements, or give a lease Those people, called squatters, bad no right ‘othe soil, and yet we are recognizing that they have a right, and for their benefit we are now legislating. This hon. If we lose sight of mo- deration, the proprietors will, with the greater facility, be ‘ {Milled to upset everything We do. This bill he would con- ‘ltder as a stepping stone to something better ; but we ought “be very cautious how we peril it elsewhere. In discussing ' “fluorite of this Bill on a former occasion, he made an all inuoeto Lot 30, which he was happy to have it in his power '5 contradict; as he is informed that an authorised agent been appointed, who grants a lease of 61 years, at a rent ofone shilling, which is taken in produce. He was not aware of this circumstance when he made the allusion refer- "dlo- He(Mr. Thornton) agreed with the Hon. Speaker, “4 PW“ therefore propose that 999 years he struck out, “4 one hundred substituted in lieu thereof, with right of Mr. RA: said, whatever we do, let it be real. Hon. mem- ' '{hlve proved, on the floor of this house, that it was im- Oflluhle the rents could be collected, even from those who “minus settled—how then can the squatter pay what it is Ir. SHAKER said, the hon. member for Prince County ),it would seem, was sent here to reduce the route 1 due, and if he succeeds, he would give him credit for .9" {lgacity than ever be thought him possessed o£ ‘ W0 I‘ll is contrary to the spirit of the British Constitution " gulate on private property, and we have gone to till ,r)’ Verge of our authority. if not beyond it,in the present The squatter has no legal right to the soil, and he may. himself well ofl'to receive a compensation for his ' p i 0|“ a lease. Those hon. members who are loudest right to the soil was recoEUi'5d.by a" Gov'mmem bet". ,. . in their cry for extreme measures have never yet been able to carry any of them. He would really wish their consti- tuents were here to see them spending their time iii reading, and then, when any measure was brought forward by the hate from themselves. It was in vain to think we could alter all the rents of the Island; iitid suppose we were so ment, composed ofthe latid proprietors OfEiigland, for one moment to such a proposal? but he need not argue this point further. 'l‘liose squatters went upon the land Without the leave ofthe proprietor. and yet they must he consider themselves well offto get a lease and a settle- ment, or compensation for their in'iproveinents. Mr. D. MACLEAN said the people had little to hope for from the linperial Government, one way or other. He could not approve ofthe policy that would substitute so fluctuating a medium as currency for the rent. This was of a nature intrinsic value at any time. Mr. D. MACDONALD said on him. member (Mr. Thornton) had remarked that the present bill did not go to fix the rate“ Ofrent to be taken in the Island. Can any one say that the country is able to pay one shilling sterling? It is useless to expect it. Mr. RIONTGOMERY said if the Bill went to establish one shilling currency, the country would rrv out against it; and he himself, if he found such a clause in the bill, would vote against it in toto. He would sooner see the bill lost, than es- tablish such a precedent. Mr. SPEAKER. said the leases are generally filled with one shilling sterling, but the agents do not exact it, unless in cases of great provocation. We have nothing to do with the rate .ofexchange. The fact is, ifthe rent were paid in Halifax currency, as the rate of exchange now is, it would be more than the shilling sterling. Mr. MONTGOMERY said, it is in the power of the proprie- tors to demand a shilling sterling; but he cannot conceive how a shilling sterling is less than a shilling Halifax curren- cy. It is not easy to tell when they may usurp this autho- rity. He would like to put it out oftheir power to do so. Mr. SPEAKER said it was easily explained. The amount in this currency is brought to sterling by adding one-ninth thereto; whereas, as the rate of exchange is between this Island and Nova Scotiu at present, he who pays rent in that currency, pays it at a considerable advance. Mr. MoNTGoainav thought the better way to prevent the proprietors li'om exacting sterling, would be to put it out of their power by law. He did not like to trust to their tender mercies, for we know not how soon they might think proper to exercise their authority, especially ifwe give them any excuse. Mr. Dons: observed that the proprietor for whom he acted had, on his representation, done away with sterling money in the lenses. But when‘the teiiniits act in the perverse inan- ner in which he had seen some ofthem act, they could not be too strictly handled. It was by such conduct that the proprietors were driven to adopt extreme measures, and the people’s greatest enemies are those who advocate extreme measures. They were talking of leaving the country; he thoughtthe sooner they did so the better for the country. The fact is, these persons come here, speqd their time in poring over newspapers, and when they go ionic, they can tell fine tales to their constituents in the cliiinney‘corner; while those who can use their pens, and do the labor of the House, receive no thanks for it. He would ask the agitators, what single measure they had carried out for the last four years? Let their constituents come here and judge for themselves. V Mr. MONTGOMERY said he would like to see the blame laid on the party who Opposed the good measures brought for— ward for'tlie relief oftlie oppressed tenuntry, by those who are now called the enemies of the people. He did wish that the constituency were at the bar of the House - they might then distinguish their friends from their foes; but be trusted the reporter would give a faithful account in his notes, and then the country could judge for itself. majority, for the benefit ofthe country, they fly at it, tooth l rent, while we are, at the same time, enacting a law that says mid “all, Illd lor no otherreason than because itdid not etua- l the WWW are able to pay one shilling sterling. I ' ' iimprovt-irueiits, it would be better for him than to impose Silly a. to Imagme we mum, would the pupal-m par|ia_]‘oiie shilling sterling for rent on him—the Bill was brought listenflorward lor the avowed purpose ofrelieving the squatters, . but he feared it would have a contrary efi‘ect. put on a par with leaseholders. He thought they might: lbut he failed. These who oppoe every measure brought so changeable, that there could be very little certainty of its. Mr. DALsz could not see how such a rent could be paid. If lion. tiiembers were aware of the distress in some of the districts with which he was acqiiaiuted—ifwe were to look at the poverty-struck appearance oftheir houses—the root- ing little better than the sky,and their beds little better than the snow—and those avaricious persons, who act as agents grasping at every thing they can—lie (Mr. Dalziel) lelt con- vinced that lion. members would see that iftliiugs are carried on in the some way a few years lpngerfijnarclry and confu— sion will ensue; The land that was formerly a wilderness, in now, by the labour oftbe settler, made a new creation; but us to what the hon. member for Georgetown (Mr. Macaulay) had said about the crop for two years paying for the clearing, that was a fallacy. Lord John Russell said the evil would cure itself; be (Mr. Dalziel) was afraid it would, btit not in the way he (Lord John Russell) contemplated. How could any one expect such persons as those mentioned could pay one shilling sterling per acre as rent? Mr, D. MACLEAN was impressed With the idea that the with some regard to decorum ; he was, therefore, much sur- prised at bearing the tirades he had listened to—such as some members wishing others out of the country, and simio lar expressions. Mr. SPEAKER said he had heard that Mr. Cooper intended to leave the Island. He (the Speaker), in common with many others, would wish the. hon. gentleman a happy de- parture; and he wuuld use his utmost influence with the Legislature to assist him, in a pecuniary way, to get off the Island. We are called to say ifthe tenants in this Island could pay a rentofOue shilling an acre. He maintained that they can, and he knew as much about clearing land as any one in the House. Emigrants, on coming here, must not expect to become gentlemen at once—but they must have 100 or 200 acres set apart for them at once, otherwise, they are told by the agitators that they are oppressed. They have nothing on coming to the country ;tbey pay no rent, but they must all become freeholders. These poor peOple are led astray by agitators. What sympathy they express for the poor people, a they call them, just as if there were no poor in any other part of the world! He would inform them that the poor in England, Ireland and Scotland were much worse ofi'than they were here. What were those peeple who so excite the pity ofsome hon. members when they came here? Are they not much better off? Where would they be better in any other country ?—they haVe abundance to eat and drink; there is nothing of the squullid poverty and beggary we hear of in other countries—:the times are bad at present, but we may expect them to. improve. It is not in our power to alter the rents, and it is high time the people should be disabused ofthis error. .The "ill of agi- tation would long injure the country. The piles ofwarrants of attorney to be found in the prothonotary’s office is 8 Witness Ithe Revolution; while the claims ofthe people ofthis Island [ were rejected year after year. The accumulation of bonds :and warrants of attorney iii the public Offices was the best prool'tliat could be given that the people could not pay the Mr. RAE said, ifthe settler was paid liglftlie value of his . Mr. PALMER regretted the discussion that had this even- ing taken place, more than anything that had occurred in the House during the present session. If certain hon. mem- bers wish to full back into their old truck, well, so wouldjie. He had tried to make the House unanimous in this matter, forward for the teliefofthe people that does not originate With themselves, pretend to say, that because from the pre- sent depressed state ofthe country, a tenant is unable to pay one shilling rent, it follows that it never has been paid, and never can be. Let them go on as formerly, and they will see what will be the result. He deeply regretted the course that some lion. members thought proper to pursue. If they think they can get land for the squatter in a different way, let them disclose their intentions. Saturday, February 25. STATE OF THE COLONY. The House, according to order, iesolved itself into a Committee of the whole, to take into consideration the state 01 the Colony. Dr Macsxsooa look the Chair. Mr RAE said, he had certain Resolutions to submit to the con- sidel‘aliou of the Committee, and although he did not think that the truth of all, or any of them, would be disputed by any mem- ber of the Committee; yet be, (Mr. Rae.) would wish to put them past Contradiction,eiiher hcie or elsewhere, and in order to this, he held in his hand a llSI of the names of such persons as he would wish to have examined before the Committee, by who~e evidence the allcgations contained in the Resolutions would be borne out. The hon. member then read the followmg names: Viz.—'l‘he Honorables Thomas H Haviland. John S. Smith, R. Hodgscn, G. R Goodman. P. S M'Nutt; Charles Worrell, Thm. Fanrbuirn, Thomas Tod,\Vil|iam Forgan, Samuel Nelson, James Haszard. Thomas Oii‘en, John R. Bourke, Esquires; and Messrs H. D Murpeth, John llIucKenzie, New London, John Davis, Charlottetown, J. Purdie, Patrick Walker, and Peter M‘Gowan.— He would move that those persons may be examined before the Committee. Mr. COOPER, as yet, did her hear much reason for the evidence to be elicited fro”: those persons by the hon. mover. He, Mr. Cooper, could not see the necessuy of sending lor them ; he hoped the hon. mover would state his reasons for Sending for them, or what evidence he expected to obtain from the persons which he wished to summon. ' Mr. RAE exp‘ained. it was for the purpose of obtaining evi- dence to subs antiste the Resolulions; not that be supposed any member of the House could come forward to deny the existence of the state nftbiiigs embodied in the Resolutions; but the Res”- lutions on the state of the Colony, sent home last session, were denied on the representation of certain influential individuals here. Now what he wished was, to found his resolutions on such a mass of evidence as cannot be coutIOVerted. Mr. Tnoau'rou wanted to know of what possible utility could it be to collect the numerous persons mentioned in that list to the bar of this House, to examine them as to the Sllllalion ofthe Co. louy. when, we all know that. at the present time, the country is not so prosperous as it has been. Mr RAE said, \verbave been represented as having paSSed re- solutions in the last sessmn of the late House which were not founded in fact, by the Government at home; and by evidence we can prove the actual Slate of the Colony. and that by evidence tlia: cannot be doubled If ll is deculed against me, that the dis. ll‘8\S of the country requires no notice. I shall have discharged myduiy 10 my consueuce and to my country in bringng it be- lore lllc‘ House. Mr. SrHAi-zsn expected reasons advanced by the lion. mover, for going into the state of the Colony ; but he heard none advanced llcic is also a long catalogue of persons to be summoned, and to prove what? to prove what no one will deny,—~that distress to a great amount at plL’SCfll eXlSlS. But, admittingthe present Resu— lutioiis to be true, what can we do? Our business here is to frame laws for the Welfare of lhOSe who sent us, not l0 enter intodis. qlllslliolis ofwhnt former Govrrnors thought of certain members of the lnle Hunt-'9. The lion. mover Wished to contradict whatthe Governor said of certain res unions. and the persons who passed them in a late House. ‘i'c have been siiflictenlly courteous to any member who brought forward any measure to ameliorate the condition of the country; but are we to undertake to alter the tents that people have agreed to pay? and. if iheV Cam")! PM, use we expected to dictate to the proprietors what terms they must give their lenantry? He wished it to go forth to the tenants, that they have been wrongly informed: ll is nut in our power to relieve them I do hope and trust the House will insist on know— ing the reasons and remedies of the mover. From what has nc- stands in a worse state than he was before called on to produce his reason for taking the step he proposed to the House. From the tenor of his Resolutions, he wished to prove that great dis- tress prevails. What need have we of evidence to prove what no one is prepared to deny? The examination of so many wit- nesses would be a very tedious process: he would always wish l0 see the tenants well represented in this House. lndeed,he thought the agricultural interest should always have a‘majority in the House. to redress any real grievance. We cannot take any matter for debate until we know its meaning, and he confes- sed he did not well understand the meaning of these Resolutions till he came to the last; that, be perceived, means agitation, if it goes forth to the country. He Mr. Palmer) did notlwish to throw obstacles in the way of the ommiltee to investigate every real grievance that may appear within our power to remedy.— The tenor of those Resolutions. with the exception of one or two of them, for any thing we know to the contrary, are per- fecdy true (reads Resolutions.) ‘4 The tenants cannot pay their rents in cash,” rise. This Colony 13 peculiar; the inhabitants have rent to pay, and he would Wish to see them we“ represented; and he thought the hon. members of the present House were Willing to redress any grievance under which the people may labour; but he could not see the utility of calling the attention of the House to a matter, the result of which cannot at present be foreseen. . [Here the hon. Gentleman read the last Resolution, which is as follows :] J' RESOLVED, That if no relief be granted, by altering the tenure, nor by making the tents under the present tenure payable in nierchantable produce, it Would in a great measure tend to relieve the distressed and do away with agitation, were the claimant of rent to pay the occupier of the land for the improvement made by such occupier-and others, to enable him to seek in another Country for land, under a tenure which should not expose him, after every reasonable exertion of indus- try and economy, to be deprived in his declining years of the fruits of the labours ofhis previous life. What is [his ReSnlniion put in for? For the purpose of going before the public. What good can we do even if we join in this Resolution ? He (lllr.Rae) should show that it could be carried into effect. If these Resolutions 00 before the public, sanctioned by us, it only prolongs agitation, and consequently prolongs their misery. Cundidly tive enactments. Will this Legislature, or the British Govern- ment, annul the leases, long since made by the consent of par- ties 7 Doc~~ the hon member think the British Parliament would interfere with the right ol'property? No! and even if the 700 members of which it consists were Joseph Humes, it would still have to go to the Lords, composed of the greatest land proprie- 101‘s of the Kingd rm. and does he think it would pass them? For those persons who do not come under this class of tenants, we have a Bill before the House for their relief; and this he would Ihlnk should satisfy those members who seem so peculiarly to interest themselves for the agriculturists. He (Mr. Palmer) was quite in the dark as to why be (Mr. Rae) wishes to examine those gentlemen : he did not like to have the time of the House taken up in so useless a proceeding, which would, at best, only tend to unsettle ihe minds of the people. Mr. Coorsa said, it was the practice ofthe Imperial Parliament to appoint select committees. to report when any particular cause of public distress requires such a procedure; now distress is show- ed to exist throughout the country; the tenaniry cannot pay the rent imposed on them in cash. Ii is generally for the purpose of obtaining information, that persons acquainted With the state ofihe colony are summoned; and then, the committee might form their own opinion afterward. It was observed, that. the tenantry were unable 10 pay their rents, and in consequence, were obliged to give their bonds and warrants to pay hereafter. He \Ir. Cooper)thought those who designed to leave the country should be paid for their improvements, in order that they might get away to some more favoured country. This. he thought. was the intention of the Resolution brought forward by Mr. Rae. Rents cannot be paid, them is not a sufficient quantity of circu- lating medium in the Island for the purpose. From the evidence we might find out where the best market was for produce, from the accounts given by those who import and export,and some plan might be devised to remedy the grievance complained of; if, for instance, the proprietors could be induced to take the rents in produce. it would be a great relief; if, instead of this, the poor seltlers who cannot pay the rent, as demanded, are ejected, they must become vagrants or robbers, or, at best, burthensome to other settlers. The inhabitants who first came here for the pur- ' pose of making a. settlement were neither the most intelligent our most industrious, but such as were easily imposed on by the proprietary agents—they agreed to pay any rent that was deman- ded, but which they now find they cannot pay; there are now no markets for produce. Let us get all the information we can from those persons designed to be summoned—Let us see what can be done. Mr. SPEAKER said the hon. mover stated his chief object was, that no misconstrueiion might be put on certain resolutions which he has brought forward, and that they may be borne out by eVi- deuce of facts. in order that the present House may escape the odium that was thrown on the last one. He ghlr. Speaker) thought it was the duty of every lion. member 0 this house to provide every remedy he could devise to obviate the distress and difficulty that are acknowledged to exist ; and the hon. mem- ber who has just sat down gives his remedy, which is to pay the tenaniry for their improvements, to enable them to emigrate. curred in the House lately, an erroneous opinion is gone forth, and the pctqilc, one and all, expect to be freeholders, and the sooner we can put an end to the delusion the better: if he can- not give us good reasons for calling those persons together, the House will not put the country to the expense of summon. ing them to its bar. It was the right of the Legislature lo reform abuses, but what practical benefit will result from discussions and debates ofthis House should be conducted 1 [hose resolunons' admin-mg me,“ u, be fads? Th,S House has no power to remedy the slate oftliings complained of. We can hold out no hope of relief to the lease-holder ; and it is for their espe- cial benefit that be (Mr. Speaker) wished to undeceive them. He might not be considered their friend ; but he Would not alloy»' the impression to g) abroad, that they would have free Aland—if we dial, it would but revive and encourage agitation, which has been the source of many of the evils complained of. The hon. mover should bring forward his plans, sotliat the House might judge of the necessity of sending or not sending for those persons. Mr. RAE observed, the Hon Speaker’s speech was out of place. How does he expect me to produce a plan of what may hereafter be elicited, by the examination of the persons proposed to be Sent for. Why call all me for a remedy? I have done my duty in ie- presenting the truth, and ifI have no remedy to submit just now, it may be in the power of others of the Committee to propose something; it is the duty of each ofthem to do what he can, and who can tell but something may be devised that had_ not hitherto been thought of. The hon. Speaker is not correct in saying we have no power to redress; it is true we have not the power to pass a law to grant redress, but we have the power of representing lacts to the Imperial Government. and if he (the hon. speaker) does not Wish to represent the grievances under which the Colo. nv labours, let him bear the blame before his constituents. The former House drew up Resolutions onihe state of the Colony, and by the Governor they were contradicted, and much Odllim was thrown 0n individual members. Now, these reSOIutions WhlL‘I) are now before us some Mr. So—and-so may take it into his head to contradict, but be (Mr. Rae) was determined they rhould not be contradicted, as they should be grounded on incontrover- tihle evidence, and upon this evidence the House may'act. > He (Mr. Rae) was not bound to bring forward a remedy, nor did he at. the preSent time know any plan—it is as much the duty of other members as it Was his (Mr. Rae’s.) ‘ Mr. PALMER was one of those anxious to hear a_remedy for the piesent state of the Colony, but before going imo it, he would Wish to hear some feaSible plan proposed, in order that the House Of’the blessed fruit of agitation. Persuasion is mueh_belll‘ with theproprietors than legilation. His own constituents were not in need of the Bill; they were not squatters, consequently have no occasion for it. Mr. Coons. observed, that seine of the Uttited States were convicted felons, and yet their of the original settlers I like a ConneCIed plan. or indeed any plan at all; might apply a remedv. He was anxious the hon. member would and devise some plan different from those aborlive schemes that have so often failed; but he could elicit nothing from the hon. member some members but it appeared ‘tni ht wish to (i into the state of the Colony, g g so that he now lthe mover is not prepared to give any. reason; Does he think we could get the sanction of the Home Govern- ment to such a measure? The last House went every length for the purpose ofremerlying those grievances. (Reads despatches,) We know pretty well the opinion of the present government. \Vliai need have we to enler into a useless examinmion, that would perhaps occupy the House a fortnight, to the deltiment of other business. It is our duty to do to the utmost in our power, in whatever way we may think will conduce to the benefit of the Colony, if any thing can be done with the proprietors by our representations. He thought a strong case could be made out, and the weight of this House may have a good effect With them. An hon. member (Mr. Palmer) has proposed some resolutions, which be. Mr. Speaker, hoped would be carried by a great ma. jority. This he considered to be a geod, indeed the only plan we can expect to avail us; let us not iake up any vague ideas—let common sense be our guide in our application. He was very san— guine, if they were unanimous, that their applicatiqnw'ould have the desired effect, and that the proprietors would take it into consi- deration—take otfthe arrears of rent, and in future receive it to produce. We should make the best of a had bargain,aiid go into its consideiation mildly ; and then he did not doubt the weight of the home government, would go with our recommen. dation; and we may then expect more good to result from it, than from any thing that has hitherto been devised. Let us use sound discretion, and if the proprietors study their own interest, they will listen to our representations, for were they to exact the rents in specie and to enforce the rigorous collectionbf the pr- rears due, as the people could not pay, it would ultimately in-‘ jute themselves. Mr. \Vtcn'rMAu said, there were some of the hon. member’s (Mr. Rae’s) resolutions of which be approved, but there were others of them of which he doubted the utility. How or we can interfere with the contracts between landlord and tenant, hecould not at present say; but he had been asked for a remedy. His (Mr. Wightman’s) remedy would be: Lettbe proprietors reduce their rents as they do at home, when the times are bad, outwith. standing the tenor of their leases. It has been lately doneto per. sons so circumstanced to a considerable extent : even a third has been deduaed by some landlords at the late audits. With us, V since the shipping trade has failed, we have nothing to bruig; 1-. money into the country, that might enable the tenant to pay his .. are to be in cash, and this House as no power rciit, except produce, and éven that was so depreciated in all tire markets with which the Island was accustomed to trade, that it , is impossible lorthe tenant to pay the rent in money, while such ’ a state of things exists. Mr. Douss had attentively listened to the observations that fell from the hon. gentleman, and he had concluded in his own mind that some ofthose Resolutions had a dangerous tendency. It is a well known fact that the ayments of rent bv the lelfiel tomorrow 4",“. - lell them we cannot benefit them by Legisia- v». “NU.