A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF POL VOL. XVI. 3 COLONIAL LEGISLATURE, HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. TENANT LEAGUE. (Continued from our last No.) Hon. Sol. Gen, (Mr. HAVILAND.) What the ideas of ect to the constitationality of the Tenant League it was certainly very difficult to understand. According to the dictum of tha: hon. member, the League, at one wowent, was a perfeatly loyal and constitutional associarion ; and, the next, they had gone a litt!e too far — nay, had actually brought disgrace upon the couatry by the unwarra:table and illegal character of theie proceedings. Yes, the hon. mew- ber bad gone to far, even Whilst endeavouring to paltiate their open and violent infractions of law and order, as to de- nounce them as having struck at the very roots of public con- Gleave sad tranqality as well as of the rights aud security of property. Lf in that House. continued the hon. and Jearned member, un organization, so illegal, seditious, and dangerous, could meet with countenance aod support, we azight, at once, bid farewell to the peace, good order, aud adhesion of society, for the sovial fabric, deprived of all those constitutional supports by which it was upheld, would quickly collapse, and become an irreparable ruin. The key- sione of that organiza:ion was a determination to violate one of the most legal and binding of oblizations—an obligstion, assamed by leasebolders of their owa free will and accord, to pay the owner of their farms the rents set forth, s'ipa'at- ed aud agreed wpon by their ‘eases. And that determin- ation, it had been but too convincingly proved, was not in- | tended by them to be confined to mere passive resistance to | ithe legal demands of their laodlords, by simply withholding | the payment of their reuts until, by legal process, they ébould be compelled to pay them. No: it was intended to earried to the very verge of open rebellion; and was, in- deed, so carried out, by organ zed physical resistance to the officers of the law, in the diseharge of their official duties, snd by the most open and uudisguised contumacy to the pro- tective authority of the land. The statement made by the hon. leader of the Opposition touching the concessions which had been made, by reduction of rent, to the tenants on the Uanard property in the Murray Harbour District, was al- toyether wrong. No assertion indeed could be more un- founded than that these concessions were owing, either to any resistive demonstration, falsely alleged te have been made to the officers of the law, by the planting of a eannon snd otherwise, on Peters’s Road; or fer any political s'rat- agem for scaring, at the bust. ngs, the votes of the tenantry in favor of supporters of the Government. He could tell the hon. the leader of the OUppositivn that he (hon. Sol. Geo.) was the law agent both for Cunard’s and Sullivan's estates, and that, consequently, he was fully cognisant, not only of the reduction which had been made in the rents of those tenants from 1s 6d to 1- per acre, but also of the cause ot reasons which had induced the proprietor to autborise the making of that reduction. As to the resistance suid to have been made to the officers of the law oo Peters’s Load, be knew that no official complaint touching any such alleged resistanee had ever been made to the Government. Hoa. Mr. COLES. He had not said that any offizial complaint of the kind had been made to the Government, bat that the facis of the resi-\ance bad been fuliy detailed in the newspapers; and, cousequently, the Goveraweut could wot have been iguorant of them. Hon. SOL. GENERAL. Would the Government be justified in acting upoo vo better au bority than mere vews- paper reports? No; they would, a-suved'y, require some- thing more tangi'ie for the justification of any executive proceedings. The bon. the iewder of the Opposition had made an assertion, intended to criminate Government ; and, wheo asked for his proofs of the correctness of thit asser- tion, he had to con‘ess thut it was based upon no better wuthority thuu newspaper reports! He (Hou Sol. Geu ) Was the law agent for the estate (Sir K. Cunard’s) and uo comp'aiat bad been made to him of resistance having been made to the Sher ff or his offivers, by tbe tenan ry on that estate, as it was only reasvpate to conclude would have been dowe, had any such resistance been made. Aguia the hoo. the leader of the Oppo-iion iad asserted that the Tenant League o:izinated in King’s County ; and that assertion was also incorrect, The league origmated in Queen's Couuty, as was-clearly prove! by the evidence of ind ~put- awbie facts. Lf it had origtosted among tenantry io King’s County—if aoy body of teaaotry in that County bad been the fathers of the organ zation, was it sot most natural to Suppose that they would have giveu their support to the tnewbers of it ia Queen's County; bat it was very well koowu that in noue of the proceedings of the League in Queen's County, of ia any of the civil disturbances oc- casioned by them in that Cosnty, bad any of the tenaniry ot King’s County offurded them either ceugtenance or aid. In every Session of the L-yi-leatare sinee the passage of the Fifteen Years’ Purchsee Bill have the Opposition assailed tie Goveramest, oo the assuwed grounds tbat that Bill was gv boew to the tenantry, was unacceptable to a majority of them, aud could not by any possibility be made advancageous tuthem. He, however, coufidently maiutained that the Bill was @ handsome i:stalment of all the bencli a promised to | | ’ ¢he hon. member, the Leader of the Ooposition are with re- | } “This is true Liberty, when Erect! ~ CHARLOTTETOWN, 1 vernment was all good and tenanted land-—no part of it was in a wilderness state—and though, in the purchase of it, the Government had gone a little beyond the price per acre, which had been given by them for other lands purchased by them, there could be no doubt that alihough it-could not be expected to prove a profit-yielding purchase, hke the Sel- kirk estate, it wou'd be fully self-sustaining and entail no loss upon the country, With respect to the rise and pro- gress of the Tenant League, the hon. the leader of the Oppo- sition had maintained that, had the Government done their duty, they would have erushed it in the bud, in the very in- ception ; but he (hon. Sol. Gen) verily believed in his con- science that had the Government, at the time the existence of the organization first became knowa to them, taken any stringent measures for its suppress‘on, that gentleman, the hon, the leader of the Opposition, would have immedutely cried against their repressive action, aod accused them of tyrannically endeavouring to abrogate, resira:n, and repress the constitutional rights, liberties and privileges of the people. As for the Government's having seat for the troops, the emergeucy of the occasion fully justified their having done so; and for a recognition of that necessity they confidently depeaded upon the loyaliy, public spirit, and in- dependence of that House. As for the cannon of which the hon. the leader of the Opposition had spoken, it could have had no existence, suve in his own imagination or as a nightmare pressing upon his breast in bis sleep. He would ask the how. the leader of the Opposition if he bad ever seen that cannon ? Hon. Mr. COLES. No, I have not, nor you either; und neither do [ think you would have been very willing to march up to it, especially if it were loaded. Hon. SOL, GENERAL repiied he had no desire to in- fringe upoo parliawentary cour:esy by condescending to per- sonalities, buc he would wish the Hon. Leader of the Oppo- sition to understand that he would be found prepared to stand before a loaded cannon, or any other weapon of warfare whenever and wheresoever he (‘be Hon. Leader of the Op- position) pleased. Hon. Col. GRAY begged leave to remind hon. members that these were times of danger from abroad, and that such being tbe case, nothing was more needful than that we shuuld be at accord among ourse!ves. Hon. SUL. GENEKAL observed he had not commenced the altercation. The Hon. the Leader of the Opposition bad fired the first shot, and he (Hon. Sol. Gen.) bad merely re- turned the compliment by firing one in return, and he (the ‘Hon. Leader of the Opposition) was perfectly at liberty to take it in whatever way he thought proper. It was asserted by the Hon. the Leader of the Opposition that the Tenant League did not exist ia his district; but the incorrectoess of that assertion was proved by the dis'urbaness which took place at Tracadie. And about the Posse Comitatus, he beg- ged leave to inform the Lion, Leader of the Opposition that the Government had nothing to do with it. The power to ea!! out the Posse Comitatus was vesied in the Sheriff in every country in which the British law and civil regulations prevailed. {no the event of auy civil commotion or distur. bance involving resistance to the offivers of the law und their ordinary powers, the sheriff was in the first place to have recourse to the Posse Comitatus; and, if that failed, it then became his duty to call upon the Government for such assis- tance as they might deem it expedient to gravt him. | W? - ther the calling out of the Posse Comi/atus had been a pea- dent step or net, under all the circumstances of the case, it wus not for him to say; but the power to do so rested wholy with the Sheriff himself; and it was not the first tiase that it bud been bad recvurse to in this Islaud Hon Mr. WARBURTON. The Posse Comitatus, he beieved, tad never before been called out in this tsland. It was true, indeed. that, some years ag>, when Mr. Beuristo was Sheriff of Prince County, a large number of special con- » stables, of whom he was one, were sworn in, for the purpose the tenantry, by the party in power, through legislative | action with respect to the Land Question. By means of it | large arrears uf rent bave been expunged from the books of | proprietors, and deelured irrecoverab'e, as against al! ten ints who shall avail themselves of the provisious of the Bill for the purchase of the fee-simp ie of theie firms. Whilst the tenants’ improvemeuts were in cxistence they were a suf- ficient security for the revovery of all arrears of reat. On one-third of Lot 34. the property of Sir E. Cunard, the ten- ants by having availed them-elves of the advantages ex:eud- ed to them by thac Bul, bad had over £1,000 of arrears wiped off, every farthivg of which could have been recovered by the proprietor, beewuse the tenants were, in reali'y, men of wealth. It was the some on the Sullivan property. There were many tenants upou the estares affected by the | Fifteen Years’ Purchase Bill, to whom, before the passing of it, the proprietors woald not consent to sell the fee-simp'e of their farms, even at 20s, or 30s per sere; but those pro- prietors were now compelled to part with the fee simple of their leased lands at 15 years’ purchase. When pu: side by side with the Land Purchase Bill, the Fifteen Years’ Pur- chase Bill, in a tair comparisou of their respective merits, would net appear to be less directly calculatad to effect the ewsucipation of the tenantry from the lessebold system, than its elder brother, the otber Bill, if it Wére not indeed adwmitred that it was still better cateulated to effect that most desirabic object than the other. Of the great merits of the Laod Purchase Biil, be had, from the first, been fully aware; and although he was im opposition at the time of its being introduced by the bon. the leader of the Oppos#¥oo, at that time the leader of the Government, he (hon. Sol. Gen.) gave it his hearty concurrence and support through all its stages. The first purchase made ucder it, that of the Worrell Estate, had indeed been a rather unfortunate one ; but that of the Selkirk property had been, in every point of view, aa eminently successful one; and the large balance whieb bad acerued from it ia favor of the Goverument, would enable them to ward off the tax consequent upon the de- ficiensy of returns from the Worrell Estate. The remarks which bad lately been made by the editor of the Ezaminer, depreciative of the late purchase of a part of the Montgomery property by the Government, contrasied sirangely with re- warks which, some years ago, he made touching the pur- chase of the Suorficld Ksta'e. At that time, be characier- — ized that estate as little betrer than an extensive bog. and as fitted ouly to be the home of the toads and frogs by which it ®as Occupied. Now, however, still intent ujon the same Worthy design, tbat of daweging the Government through bis observations coucerning auy of their acts—even be they ever so much in accordaace with the principles by which his Party profess to have been actuated when they were in power—hbe coodewas thew for the purchase of the Moot- gomery property, and maintains that the Stansfield Estate Was @ much more advantageous purchase. Lt certainly was ® pity ae mea of acknowledged worth aud ability should so , as they certainly did, beitltle themselves by the groundiess nature aud inconsistency of the charges pre- Toat part ferred by thew against the r political opponents. uf the Moangone’s saaraleay purebased by the Uo- of quelling 8: me commotion which had arisen at sipnish, and ‘hey wearly made as great fuols of themselves as the Posse Comitatus bad done, Hon. SOL GENERAL observed that whether it was the Posse Comitatus that was called out on that occssion, or merely a large body of 8 evial constables, W. Clarke, Exq., formerly a member of this House, was prosecuted by the Crown Officers and heavi y fined beeaure he had refused 10 obey the cail or summons of the Sheriff. ‘Then again as to the Proclamation against the Tenaut League, which the hon, the Leader of the Oppost:ion had said ouzht to bave been is- sued so many mouths belore t« was, he (‘ion. Sol. Gen.) had to reply that the proper time for issuing it was when it was seen that the League had determined to carry their words into deeds; and whew, onthe 17th March, 1865, the Deputy Sheriff at- temp'ed to arrest a wan, and it was found that bis attempt was deteated by the active resistance of the congregated Lea,ucrs --v! whom that man was one—it was very clear that the time was come to issue an authorative warning to all per- sous to stand aloof from the illegal and seditious association, called the Tensnt League or Union. But that Proclamation was entirely disregarded. It was mocked and ridiculed. It was no more regarded than an idle blast of wind; and the Government were taunted as imbeciles for having supposed that it wou d have ony weight in res'ra:ming the action of the League. or in intimidating them in the least. They, on the contrary, grew bolder and bolder. ‘Lhey advanced trom one siep of resistance and contumacy to another, until at length the Deputy Sheriff had bis arm broken io his most justifiable endeavours to retain property which be had, by due process of law, taken in excention, and the property so seized was actually forcibly taken out of his pos-essiun. aud that by parties who had no interest in it, for the man whose property it was, was not there, and they would not allow him to sertle his own business. The intention of the leaguers, therefore, was, evidently, to resist by force whatever atiewpts should be made to levy distraints for rent, and to set both proprietors and the law at defiance, which—strong io their numbers— they imagined they could safely do so long as they had to resist nothing but the civil power in the form of Sber ff and and constables. So fur the Government trusted to tbe good sense, discretion, and loyalty of the people. But they soon became convinced that—law-abiding, peaceable, honest and industrious as, generally speaking, the people of this Colony most assuredly are—in order to maintain the supremacy of the law against so Oumerous, determined, and contumacious a body as the league, it would be neces-ary to have recourse to military aid. On the day on which it was known the man Dickieson, who had been arrested, and was held prisoner for his share in the commotion snd rescue of the distiained pro- perty at Curtisdale, was to be brought up for examination hy the magistrates, the members of the League had flocced into Charlottetowo by hundreds—yes, he said it emphatically, by buadreds—with the evident intention of rescuing the priso- ner, Seeing that, fitty or sixty special constables were sworn in by the Mayor for the p eservation of the peace on that day, and to prevent the intended rescue of the prisoner. In compliance with an urgent request of the Sheriff. the Go- verpment caused pistols to be issued trom the armory, for the service of the special constables on the occasion ; and, reluc- taut as the Government were thus to arm the civil foice, it soon appeared that, in doing so, they had acted wisely. He was present from the beginning to the eud of the emeute : brick bats and stones were throwe boldly and plentifully at the special constables and magistrates, and he felt that, as they approached the jail, had they had fifty yards further to go, the prisoner would have been rescued. Whea the Sheriff applied to his Honor the Chiet Justice, at that time the Ad- ministrator of the Government, he was given carte blanche upon the Treasury to enable him to employ as many special constables as he might require to enable him to carry out the processes of the law; but he could fiud none who would con- sent to act in that espacity, upon so disagreable and ob- poxious a service for auy pay he could proffer, bow liberal soever. His Excellency the Administrator of the Govera- meut then, yielding to the paiatul necessity of the ease, sent for a detachment of Her Majesty's Troops from Halifax, and, very happily, they were promptly despatched, and fortunate. ly bad proved—wathout the occurrenee of a siogle mishap or the shedding of ove drop ot blood——a sufficient help and pro- tection in our hour of need Before the arrival of the Troops, the leaders of the Tenant League sedulously strove to re- ivspirit their somewhat discouraged dupes by assuring them that Her Majesty the Queea would never allow ber troops to be sent to the Island for tbe purpose of enabling the land- Jords to collect their rents. The troops, however, srrived ; RINCE EDWARD ISLAND, MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1866. } Ww SSO a —_— etl teteememe EN et but their presence in Charlottetown was not, at Grst, sufli- cient to divest the leaders of the League of confidence in their ability to resist the law, The troops bad been sent ! contrary to their assusances 10 their dupes that they would bot be sent; aud then a change came over the spirit of their dream. ‘They then confidently declored that neither the Sheriff nor even the Government had power to send the | troops trom their cantoument into the country for the purpose | and there was a difference of 420 0 between them. | of enabling the Sheriff either to serve writs or to levy dis- traints. Bat wheo the troops were actuaily employed upon that service at Bagnall’s and at the West River, they were forced to lower their tone, and to desist from active resis- tance to the authority of the law. Srill, however, although so far cotved into sullen submission—although they ceased to assemble for the purpose of repelling by force the officers of the law—they continued to be actuated by the same cou- tumucious spirit which they had previously manifested in acisof violeat insubordination ; and they then counselled their dupes patieatly to bide their tyme, assuring them that the troops wou'd be withdrawa from the Isiund before the clos- ing of the navigation, and that, then. they wight wresk their vengeance upon their oppressors. The Goverument then saw that it would be necessary to build Barracks for the accom- modation of the troops, as it could not have been expected that the Military authorisies would consent that they should be left bere under canvas during the severity of our winter. Hou. Mr. COLES. They might have rented accommo- dations for them. avd at no greater a cost than the interest o! the money which they hal expended in the erection of the Barracks, Hon. SOL. GENERAL. Where, be should like to know, could such aceommodation have beea procured io Chariotie- town, in which it was well known, that the populatioa was in excess of house accommodat 0n,so far that respectable persons wishing to rent houses could not obtain them, and tradesme.’s families, consisting of three or four individuals, were, in some instances, obliged to rest satisfied with the accommodation afforded by ouly one or two apartments—and that accommo- dation, scanty as it was, procured with much difficulty. He (Hon. Sol. Gen.) aud the Hoo. Mr, Longworth were aware of the fertile imagination of the Lion, the Leader of the Opposition, had—in order to be able to ward off any at- tacks of that hon. member, in the House. on that score~- actually tested the Town as to the possibility of renting ac- cewmodations for the troops. They first thought of the old Wesleyan Chapel, but, on application to the trustees of that property, they found they would vot let it for such a purpose as the accommodation of a body of soldiers; but even had they been willing to rent it to the Government for such a purpose, it would have been necess»ry to make 80 many 4l- terations in the building and additions toit, that the needful expendiiure for that purpose wou'd have amounted to a very eerious sum. Weil, then, when they found tbat al! their en- quiries to that end were uscless, they determined to take the bull by the borns, and purchased ground asa site for the barracks. One hal! of what was realiz d by the sale of the old barracks would meet that outlay, if the people, speaking throuzh their representatives, were satisfied, and the Home Government also, that it should be so = [t was late in Au- gust when the Government advertised fur tenders for the erection of the Barracks, Only two tenders were sent in, The Goverumeut accepted the lowest. Hon. Mr. COLES. That subject we had better not enter upon until we take up the next paragraph of the A ldress. fion. SOL. GENERAL No: he thought it wou'd be better to take it up at once, He disliked the drib-drab mode of di-cussion. The erection ot the barracks having been proceeded wit, wecur ding, to the pian and epevification for which the tender bad been made aud accepted, it was found that the plas and specification fell short of the proper Military requirements ; and, in order t seeure the reten- tion of the troops, it became necessary, in compliance with the established military regulations, to erect additional | buildings for hospi‘a!, quarters for non-commissioned officers, | quarters for martied ctheers. guard-house, Kc ; aud as when | erection of the additional buildings. this mecessily was pressed upon the Goverument, in the latter end of October or the begiuueng of November, it was too late to issue calls for tenders, and as only two architects in Prince Edward Island had been found to respond to the first cal), it was d-emed most advisable to aceede to the pro- posal made by Mr. Alley, the oviginal contractor, for the That proposal was, in every point of view, fair and liberal, Mr. Alley offered to make the additional erections required at the same rate and | scale of charges made by him uuder the principal contract ; and the Government, accedcd to bis terms, thinking they could not pos-itly do Letrer under all the circumstances of | | the reins down to the present, ever strove harder to redress the ca-e, Mr. Ailey must certsinly have made less by the latter than by the furmer coutract, for the days bad become much shorter than they were when he coinmenced the fulfil. ment of his origina) contract, and yet he hed to pay his workmen the full amount of daily wages at which he firt engaged them. The Hon. the Leader of the Opposition had said that the Sheriff Mr. Dodd bad told him that if the Go- vernwent bad grauted him the assistance of 20 or 30 special constables, there would have been no occasion to sevd for Troops. Lf Mr. Dodd bad said so—and he would not say he bad not—it was very strange that he had made uo such representation (0 the Government ; and he (Hoa. Sol, Gen.) was very certain that he had vot. ‘his however he would say—the Government, even before sending for the Troops, bad done all that lay in their. power to suppress the distur- bances eaused by the Tenant League movements; and he could, moreover, truly tell the hon. Jeader of the opposition, that the Government were quite as willing and anxious as he to redress the grievances of the tenantry as he ever had been. He, the hon. Jeader of the opposition had been very severe in his censure of the Government for having called in the Troops to assist in the suppression of Tenant League contumacy and commotions ; but he could assure that hon. member that our re- tention of our Constistation was wholly attributable to the action of the Goveroment in calling in the Troops; for, bad they not done so, it would have been impossible to execute laws and maintain the peace of the country; and the evi- dence of such inability wou!d necessarily have involved the suspension or withdrawal of our Constitution. Had he (Hon. Sol. Geul ) been as anxious for Coufederation as it was the pleasure of some to represent him, he would, in his place at the Executive Council Board, have objected to the proposal of sending for the Troops, great as the emergence was ; instead o! fully concurring, as be did, in the necessity, wi-dum, aud propriety of doing so. No stronger argument against the maintenance or existence of ane Respco- sible Government, in little Prince Edward Island, could be afforded, than that which might have beea derived fiom our ipabi‘ity to enforce a due observance of the law, and to pre- rerve inviolate the general peace and good order of the com- munity. Had he, then, been influenced by that unpatriotic desire of self-aggrandigement at the expense of his country, through the accumplishment of the Coutederation Scheme, which, by some, had been so unjustly attributed to bim, he would not have failed to argue, in Council, with all bis might against the proposal of seuding for Troops, and to deny the existence of any necessity for doing so. He, however, with respect to that question, took a much more correct view of his position and duty as a Prince Edward Islander, and no | member of the Government bad more unhesitatingly given his sanction to that step than he had done. He was not mean enough to seek for, or to desire any personal advan- tage whieh could be procured only through an injury to his country, and neither was he so base and craven minded as to hesitate to sanction, as a member of the Government, an extreme measure, however likely it might be to be unpopu- | lar, when he was fully persuaded that its adoption was im- peratively called fur by @ due regard for the best interests of the country. The respovsibility whieh attached to the Government on account of their having sent for Troops, he fully shared with his colleagues; and, on that score. he was willing to staud or fall with them according to the judgment or verdiet of the eouotry. [He wou'd die happy. provided it eould justly be engraved on his tomb that he bad been cou- demned only beeause, in opposition to contumacy ond sedi- tion, be had sustaiaed the laws, and upheld the authority of eonstitutional goveroment, through vo other incentive than that of a sinccre and patriotic regard for the good. of bis. country, ‘ Hoo. Ool: GRAY. Sir, I did sot iatend at this early | stage of our proeveding, to offer any observations respecting KS S ITICS, LITER .orm Men, baving to advise the Public, may speak free.” --~ Euripides. So i | | | j | | the matter now before the Committee but I deem it a duty ‘Lowe to myself, as well as to those of my late Colleagues with whom [ was associated at the time the Hon, member the Leader of the Opposition alludes to, not to to suffer one or two poin's in the Hon member's address to pass anno- ticed. The Hon, member is of opinion the Dake of New Casile should have sent back the Award to the Royal Com- missioners for their awendment, surcly [ need vot remind the Hon. member that no court of Arbitration dares pursue such a course witbout the consent of all parties; and it is well known the Proprietors woald not consent. As to the Sixteen Years’ Purchase Bill, with its sliding scale, the Pro- prietors from the first absolutely refused to even consider it, aud the Duke of New Castle declared without their conseat it must remain inoperative. The Hon. member stated that owing to the people of Murray Harbour p!acing a cannon on the road and baving recourse to other acts of iutimidation, the Agent of the Proprietor hastily went down to those aud lowered their rents from one shilling and sixpence and one shilliag and ninepence down to one shilling per acre. I can positively assure this Committee that this statement is al o- gether incorrectly reported to the Hon. member. Indeed I myself had occasion to read in one of the local Newspapers an equally unfounded statement respecting this matter to the effet that this great. boon had been procured ** owing to the interference of the Lieut. Govervor,’’ 1 appeal to the Hon. members now sitting here for Murray Harbor, if they do not well know that the boon was altogether of a private nature ; aud that the person who procured that boon from Sir Samuel! Cunard wuold never have applied for it if he bad heard that any intimidation had been used. I can also positively de- clare that no report of an official or other mature ever reached me that the people of Murray Harbour had turaed out thus illegally ; on the contrary, | never heard the slightest com- plaint of such a character during my tenure of office and I owe it to this people thus publicly to declare it, for to them I am under no Jess an obligation than that they actually of- fered in a petition signed by the wealth and sinews of the whole distriet to elect me to the highest honor which any J’o ple can confer upon an entire stranzer, that of being chosen their representative in this chamber ; their district must ever be dear 10 me and I owe them far more than the little I have accomplished for them. With respect to the subject of the paragraph now before us, [ am of opinion it would have been better if it ha] come before us in any other shape, for L much regret that remarks have already been made sufficient possibly to induce some of our misguided people to imagine their late proceedings were not so totally unprofirabe us they were, I may here say that it was well for the peo- ple of this Colony that at that juncture the ‘seat of Govern- nent was oceupied by one whose dignified character irre- proachable life aud high attainmen's so emwently qualified him not only to administer the Government of this IJand but that of any of Her Majesty’s Provinces ; and I can safely declare having had the hovor of personal interviews wirh His Exeellency the Administrator, that it was only after a painful struggle, when further delay would have been oulpa- bie and disastrous, that he found himself able to do that which bis duty both as a ruler and Ciristain impelled him 10; as a ' ruler to shew fidelity to the trust committed to his hands by | hive en led in the folit erime of bloodshed or marder- his Sovereign, and asa Ckristian to use the only means left to preveut what no one among us can doubt would eventually Our | tainly this Colony presented @ curious spectacle when we | to wll aw and order, | say they were the lerders.) | of that singular organ zation which ave it stated thit highly recpectab'e men of sound sense are among those who so opeuly Jed our peop'e in resistance (Mr. Coles explained that he did not Well, then, if there were men of high atanding and sound sense umong them, | assume they would be the appoiuted leaders—but, on this head, | Way sey, I dare say, there ure men of sound sense among the !eaders has spread of jaté | throughout the neighbouring contiuent, but L have often / asked who were the leaders of the League and yet failed to discover them—in this the jeaders of the other organization | show a differeut sense of their duty to their misguided fol- | people expect us to do impossibilit.es. lowers. 1am of opivion Genera! Sweeney is a man of sense; I Leieve. in every revolut onary p'ot there are not only mea of sense but many of them sincere in their yiews aud efforts to effect redress of real or imaginary wrongs. The people of Lre'and have grievances, but L believe they are only to be redressed coustitutionally, as my namesake, the member for Kilkeuny, is now trying to do in the Imperial Parliament. ‘Lhe people of this island bave grivVances ever since the ori- ginal Gravts of our lands were issued vader impossible con- ditions; but I would say that every unprejadiced person must allow that no Legislature in Ler Majesty's Colonies, since the time the Hon. Leader of the Opposition assumed this grievance than the Legislature of this Island, but our The Hon. Leader of the Opposition makes the strange assertion tnat this is the ouly couatry in which Her Majesty's troops have been cali- bpou to perform a similar duty. Why, it is exactly thirty- six years ayo, iv this month of April, whea | myself, thea a subaltron iv the same Kegiment which is now here, was sent with thirty men on a similar duty, from the town of New- castle upon Tyne; and I need not refer to the hard times a subaltern iv the army has of it, performing the like duties in Ireland. Therefvre, after a calm and dispassionate consider- ation of all the circumstances attending this truly paivful question, [ am of opinion the Government had no other course to pursue than to call fer the aid of the Military power. The hon. mem. speaks of the Barracks as a mere rbell, and describes the sufferings of the officers from the cold. I do not believe that any of my old comrades in the line, ever consider cold or beat when doing their duty. I know what it is to have been in the open air on a range of moun- taius for weeks, with two feet of snow on the ground and only our cloaks to cover us, without fuel of any sort but that collected from the droppings of the animals. [was of opiuion at first that the Government might have hired temporary accommodations for the troops, such buildings as the Tempe- ravce Hall or o:herwise. Llis houor the Seliciter General bas assured us the Goveroment tried and failed in ali andea- vours of this kind, and nothing remained but to put the troops in barracks agaiust the severity of the weather ; for if they bad been left under canvas, I must doubt,even with plenty of fuel, if they would have escaped frost-bites and perhaps scrious injury. As, | believe, our people have now come to a right appreciation of their position, and the utter folly of attempting to violate the majesty of the law, it is likely the troops may be withdrawn, aud, if so, the buildings can be appropriated to an equally uscful purpose; otherwise, I would only object to the site upoo which they are built as being too near to the Town. all authorities of repute in these matters agreeing that no Barracks should be nearer than one or two miles from the town or village. There are many ond weighty reasons for this which | need not repeat. Allusion has been made to that ever memora»le Worre!l Estate avd Rigged Regimeat. 1 am of opinion these subjects had bet- ter be forgotien. Mueh may be said on both sides; but I would rather drop the cousideration of them. Hon. Mr. HENSLEY. In the eentimente expressed by the Resolution in amendment, submitted by the hon. the leader of the Opposition, he fully concurred. With that bon. member, he was fully convinced that all the disturb- ances and infractions of law, which had proceeded from the Tenant League movement, were justiy attributable to the feebleness and indecision of the Goveroment ; for, had they, at the first, had recourse to judicious and energetic action for the suppression ef the movement, the country would have experienced none of the evils which had sprung from its progress, too long unchecked. If the Sher.ft had, at the ATURE AN —- a -- +--+ first, bee daly supported, by the Government, io bis eo- | deavours to fu fil his duty in the eerving of writs aud iu the levying of distraints, by a sufficient constabulary force, the Tenant Leagne would never have proceeded to those serious and tumultuary infractiors of the law, of which they had so unfortuuately beea guilty ; and neither, perhaps, wou'd they have risen to that nuwerical strength to which they had at- tained. From his professional, as well ae kis legislative, po- sition in the community, it became necessary for him, at differeat times, to bold intercourse, in beth those capacities, with members of the Tenant League, and others who were disposed to join them. Qn such cecasions, he endeavoured to ascertain, by closely questioning them, 6a what principles they, themselves, waderstood the to be based, and by what mode of action they boped to induce proprietors to | (Rayo. Bo ere ge es ae wont Ny QQ D NEWS, ee SEES 1 NO. 25 accede to their proposals, They with whom he first con- versed upon the subject, told him, in substanée, that the only obstruction they intended to put in the way of their laud- lords, as respected any legal measures which might be bed fecourse to fur the purpose of compelling them to pay their rents, Was passive resistance to their demands, by allowing . judgment to go against them ; and, "provided judgment should be followed up by execution, by depending upon the sym- pathy of their neighbours and others ; which, they calculated, would restrain them from bidding for any property taken io execution at the suit of their landlords; and, in that way, by, time after time. defeating or disappointing the intentions or expectations of their landlords, they expected they would be ab'e to weary them out of whatthey (the tenants) deemed legal persecution, avd so make them glad to accede to the terms of accommodation and purchase offered to them by their tenantry. In reply, he explained to them, and ems deavoured to make them comprehend, that even if they should so succeed in defeating the object of a sale of property taken in execution for rent, the loss would fall on!y on themselves. A valuable horse, for instance, he said, might, in that way, be knocked down to the Sheriff for £2; and although the landlord would not be able to recover an account of reut dus to him, the real value of the horse, yet the tenant, to whom the horse had belonged, would be the real joser, aad have the arrears of bis reat lessened only by the 22 or any other trifling sum for which the horse might be knocked dowa, When simple and uninformed men thus expressed to bim their scheme of passive resistance to the law, and the bopes which they eutertained that, by certain not clearly defined means, the members of the League would have it in their; power to defeat the object of distraiving for reat, he, at onee, , endeavored to convince them of the folly and absurdity of depeuding upon any scheme which might be concocted by the leaders of the League, or any other parties, for the purpose of defeating the law. ‘The Jaw, he told them, would have its course ; and, whether they attempted to evade its opere, ation by their passive resistance scheme, or by having recourss to a much mute objectionable and dangerous mode of resist- ance, that was by any threatening physical demonstration or actual offensive opposition, endeavouring to prevent the offiers of the law trom either serving writs or levying dis traints, they would draw dewa upon themselves ing but loss, distress, and perhaps legal punishment to boot. 1 em-_ phatically warned them against listening to, or giving heed to, any parties who sbouid recommend resistance to the law, as a means whereby they might obtain a redress of what tey cons.dered their grievances, or a release from the burthens of the leasehold tenure. He questioned much if any other member of the hon, House had as much know- ledge of the evils which numbers of the unfortunate mom who bad become members of the Tenant League, had brought upon themselves. Instead of having been able. by its meana, to advance their interests and improve their condition, ap they had vainly hoped they should, sheir persistent cou. pection with it had brought down upon them g2 much loss and distress, that pereevering industry aad ecoromy fop many years to come —provided they were so wise as to place their dependence upon those two best friends of the poor man— would, he feared, fail to enable them to redeem what they had lost throngh the foolish course which they bad pur- sued. After his return from England, in October, he ad- dressed a letter on the subject to the tenantry on Lot 32, The tenantry on that Lot bad applied to him, by letter, when he was iu London, and in his reply, after. apprisiog them of the result of their appiication, through bia, to their lindlord, be cautioned them against being led into any re- gistence to the laws, and advised them to seek redress for any grievances under which they believed themselves to bé labouring, coly Ly constitutional means ; ‘hat was by petition. ing the Legislature, or Her Majesty, the Queen. As ree speeted the sendiag for the troops, he, speaking aod feeling as a British subject, must say that he rejoiced they were here; aad he hoped they would be kept bere. He, how- ever, regretted to say, be could not exonerate the Govern- ment frow the charge preferred against them by the hoa. - the leader of ‘he Opposition, to the cffeot that their owa dilitoriness, their own indecision, want of foresight, and timely energy, bad led to the civil disturbances alluded to in His Excellency’s Speech, and necessitated the calling in of the troops. ‘The Government, indeed, said they had done their best for the sappression of the Tenant League movement, belore they bad recourse to the aid of the troops. Perhaps they had; but if so, he was afraid that their best could only be rce garded as a proof of their administrative incapacity to deal with the emergence in which they were placed. The Guvern- ment ought to bave been alive to the fact that a very dissatisfied tecling pervaded the minds of a large portion of the Island tenantry, and was openly manifested on many occasiono. Cognisant of all that, as most undoub’edly they were, it was their duty to have placed resources suffivient at the command of the Sheriff to enable him to employ @ con:tabulary force sirong enough to overawe the League, aud compel submis- sion to the law. No mode of proceeding which, to that ead, they could possibly have adopted, could have been more absurd than their revival of the antiquated and barbarous re- source of calling out the Posse Comitatus. Nothiag, indeed, could have been more ridiculous than the appearange of the Posse on their way to what was intended to be the scene of their destined action—the seizingof one wan who bad eseaped from the grassp of the Deputy Sheriff, in open day in the public streets of Charicttetown, To sce the Posse, amouat- ing to one or two hundred men, floundering along the road, some on foot, some on horseback, some in carriages, but al! alike liable to have their progress arrested by the depth and tenacity of the mud; many of those on foot sticking fast io it; several of the horsemen thrown over the heads of their horses, and many of the wagoners capsized, must really have: been a most ridiculous sight ; und was, io fact, nothing but a perfect burlesqae upon the civil and administrative authority of the land. Many of the supporters of the Government thought so at the time, and be believed they thought sostitt. As to the alleged attempt, said to have been made to rescue the prisoncr Dickieson from the custody of the constables at the time be was beiag conveyed fron jail for examination ber fore the magistrates, cr as he was being reconveyed back te prison, he was not prepared to express any thing like @ posi- tive opinion in concerning it ; tor be was neither in Charlotte town, nor even in the Island at the time. Io his condem- nation of the Government, however, on tbe score of a want of promptitude aod due evergy on their part, at the commence- ment of the Tenant League movement, he was far from wish- ing it to be understood that he did not fully recognise the necessity which existei for calling ia military aid to enforee a due observance of the law, at the time the Government took that step. He was very far, indeed, from saying the Government were to blame for having sent for the Troops at the time they did. What he blamed thew for was not their havig sent for the Troops ; but for their baving given rise to the necessity for so doing by their own supineness at the first. He would, therefore, support the amendment of the Hon. the Leader of tbe Opposition. As to the questions arising out of a consideration of the mode in which public moneys bad been appropriated fer the erection of the sew Barracks, and other matters, connected therewith, he would say nothing at that time; but reserve whatever observations be mi have to make with referance thereto, until such time ss the subject should be more immediately before the House. Mr. BRECKEN reqaested the Chairman to tesd the amendment which was the evbdject of debate, The Chairman having complied with this reqaest, the bon, and learned member (Mr. Brecken) spoke to the following effeot : regretted that he was not present when the hon. the leader of the Opposition commenced his speech in opposition to the paragraph of the draft Address wiich was sideration ; but he did not suppose that, through his porary absence from his place, be bad lost an opportunity of hearing anything very novel or important from the lips of that hou. member; but, judging from what be had heard of that speeeb, he thought be would not be very far astray ia setting it Cown asa teeble attempt at reaewing his sonual onslaught on the Governmeut, wixiog up Many ments with matter entirely irrelevant, The Hoa. Leader of the Opposition bad said that the paragraph which he had moved - ea se ee RO. censure upon a portion ‘Ys as the civil disturbances which bed uafortuaately taken place in some parts tbe deceptions which bad been practised upon thew by the Gx : = i Se RRR ae ae Feith gee PEERS i PEO ou epi wee SETI D AE A Fe PLE OE TE EEO REE: Sh A eee eee es ae sethantes ei Se ee i # & ia ij