Pet NEY py? FS = : an.%, om Legis a = i oe pes s ve all -Siianman tino ae re ee . ae 2 at Sane ~ nema : Sasi “Wicenen = eens “Db-ought withic their reach. SS SS Wor A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF POLITICS, LITERATURE AND NEWS. C= = RRC VOL, XXI1.1 ‘‘This is true Liberty, when Freeborn Men, having to advise the Public, may speak ftree.’---Zuripides eee eee SSS CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1871, C NO. 39, aD -_— Parliamentary. PALO ew HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, Important Railway Speeches, Hon. Arrorney Gengaat rose for the pur- of seconding the resolution ef the ho: the Leader of the Government, Th: amend meat which had been submitted, was as an- Omalous as was the course the opposition petreced when they voted against the para- graph in the address in, reply to j/e apecch of iie Honor the Lieut..Governor. If he, {How Att'y General) cfred sueh an opps- sition a3 that bon. asmber.and bis friends had given on that occasion, he » ould «n- deavor to beine position to fortify vis arru- meai® with proofs which woul! admit of examination, Lis Hovor, mw the speech with whieh ke opened the Legiclature, said, ‘1 aw of opinion that the facilities for the trans- rt and shipment of the productions of Beiees Edward fsiand are now me. iequate.”* io reply, they esd. “We concur with your Honer ia the cpinioa that the facrlities for the ehipment end treosporiatios ¢! the pra- ductions of ovr Ooleny are imeuficient,”’ which the opposition vored agains. Were hou. membere opposite prepared w say that the mea.s for the shipment aff ¢rahaport of aha preductions of the country were ufc n'? Ic was bandiy necessary for dim ty say that Hie, (Hon. Atty Gena al) tid. when a sobmit- Govern , Pay bus x having sbey would nut. thought no intelligent audience wi the facts and figures which had be sed by the how. the Leader oi th ment were [fairly pleced before the that there wasan urge: t secess ty thetr ficijities for the shipment of their pr.- d@actions improved by the construction of a basiway. Toe pablic debates of what took pase in those Meetings which in te ¢ountry ad ¥ -ted against the undertaking, wont to! show that the people were aot in reality op-| possd to a Baitway. Lhe extraordinary | reasea:ng and :eavivtion of the b).9, Leader. of tre Opposition, (Hon, Mr. .¥ ightwan) eply went to weaken his position, { Heer) anc | ta” prove that genié other motive underiaid tnair huetilty to! the undertaki.g. Just to ok of @ party of men saying to vis Honor She Lieutenant Governor, ‘* We wii noteven) conmder the matter!” Ba iwaye were not, new. The constrection or burl tins of one Was Hota work that was sever undertaken | deiore. They had the experience of other | cou:tries. aad he thouyhi their results were | too well Known for any ort to ¢ t up with ny show of reasoy, and say thut they had been ruinous to the people of any couniry. (Hear ) No hon. member could yet up and ray that they had. On the con'rary. they jnereased the value of evéry man’s yroperty | im the country, and opened an evenue by means of which the comforts of ¢:viliz d so-| ciety were brought within the reech of ali every An, while it equalised pric +s, and al- low sd men in wil perts of the cour try to par ticipete in the benefits areing irom heving the useful commodities of fife eben pened and | It would be the | ’ Notso in England and other coantries when they commenced theis. The first time he traveled on a railway was in England. [t was the bruad guage. Since that period trial bad been made of the relative merits of the diferent guages, and t'e narrow guage? was coming into general use in all places where they were intro tucing new lines. Envineers said they could be built for half the price of the broad guege, (liear, Hear.) one great advantage being that they were much more easily adapted to the contour of the country as was convincingly proved by a vajuable pampliet which be bed been reading, the per- usal of which he would recommend to their notice. He thought the opposition to the Railway scheme arose more from party feel- ings than hostility to the undertaking, and did not know that they should be too revere on kon, members, if by so doing they thought they could make political capital, perhaps he would do so himeelf, (Laughter). But stil they ought togive the matter an unbiass- ed consideration. and deal with it in a rea: sonable and properepirit, If a Rathroad paid im the other Provinces whee the pcpulation was so much less than it was in this Island, he could not see why at should not pay here also, It had been stated by pereous quite competent to form ax opinion that the work- ing oxpenses of the narrow guage would be but 40 per cént of the net earnings of th road) while that of the browd vuage was 72 peteeent. Hence if it couid be shewn that their road could be built for £),000 currency per mile, aod thatover 90 per cent of the tv fic on the read in a less densely sett ed Provimee was Jocal. Sure y on this Ieland moeu more profiable results would be at- tained... He was no statician, yet he would su oiort & few ficures which his hon. triend the Leader of the Opp sition mig it reture a! he Could, Thedjengih of toe roid from Ssediac to St. Jobn was 103 miles. Tre grossreesipts if wineh last year wae $188,5¢%. roid from Aiberton te Georgetown would be say 120 miles. which with a traffic equal to, A Hail-| perity. {Hear.} Sorry indeed would he, (Hon. Att'y General) be to plunge his loved native Island home into a course which waald eptail Jasting ruin uponits people. He mizht be rash at times, and perhaps, inconsiderate, but he hoped and trusted, he was neither go rash nor short-sighted as to pursue a course which would entail such a legacy on bis native land. He was prepared heartily to go for the construction of @ Railway on the terms sug gested, believing as be did, that such # course was one that would confer untold benefits upon Prince Edward Island, and would take the liberty of recommending to hon. members opposite the wisdom and propriety of follow. ing the course pursued by his hon. frend who submitted the resolution, and endeavor as he did to fortify their position by facta and, figures, which challenged scratiny aid inves-— ugation. To hear those outside who opposed the measure, eXpressing their views on the question, a Stranger would suppose they were the Rothechilds of the Island, and possessed the commercial wealth of the Colony, Amongst their leading merchants, farmers, mechanics, and capitalists, many were favor of a Ra Iway, while he admitted many other respectable men counsetled delay. But he, (Hom, Ait’y General) could see no reason for the opposition given to the undertaking bat that which resulted from selfishness. Those whe advocated a Railway, if it ruined the country,could not fail to injure themselves jalso. He would amerely add that every farm in the Colony was susceptible of | improved; that their | yet be cultivated | ke a garden, and of course | give employment to aRailway, Yet, if hor. | members Opposite could. by facts, fizures ard jreasonable argumerts based thereon, show bim that a Railway would bring ruin upo ithe bome of himeeif his ehildren, he vould give to i§ his decided oppoeition. (Oherrs.} A Ho». 8. Davirg —Tn rising to address the | Committee on this oceasion, Mr. Chairman, | my first duty is to protest against the unfair | eng much whole Isinnd woald and | be accurately posted up on the matter of the cost of a work of this nature, but we clam | | to be able to torm. an estimate of whatit may | atall. Now the hon. Attorney General is no ‘ernment has said that euch would be a pro- novice in matters of governmental or other | er source from which a contribution should business, and he knows full weil that thie} derived; I also would like to know what undertaking once entered into must be carried |. yg)tional percentage it is intended to ont. Hf. ep tevign senna Oe ner ‘and to the ad valorem and specific duties; } and made seme sma!) progress in it, 1t shoul ; : : be found that it will cost double that estimate, cand alterations are to he made with ioe does he mean to tell this committee that it euce to the articles at preseut admitted free will be abandoned? No, Sir! if once com-jof duty, It is not only desirablo—it is a menced, it will have to be completed at any / matter of simple justica to the minority that cost. I would, therefore, beg of the hon. such imformation should be giveo us, bu' gentlemen of the conservative party, Who | the tupporters of the Government, if uot . ‘ on > } y | i . ° . bave a revard for thomselves and the country ialready in possession of such information to pause before committing themselves to this | While vast and wild acheme. The action of the | OUgkt to be furnished with it atonce, Giovernmen: in proceeding as they have done | on my legs 1 will take the liberty of refer- io this matter may be compared to that of a ring to another remark made by the Hoo, merchant unacquainted with the ship build-) Arty. General, He said ia the most self- ing, Contracting with a party to build him a | eomplacent manner that the road would not ship worth £6 a ton for £4. He thinks he is ‘be built without **pickings;’? and the an- driving 4 good bargain, but such cases almost ‘nouncement appeared to be received with always turned out difereotly, for often the | | : : contractor had exhausted the contract price, | *@tisfaction by some of the occupants of the the merchant has to take the ship into his|red benches, Now | do bot, for a moment, own hands, discover to his sorrow that instead | wish to be understood as implying that the of bis vetsel gosting £4 per ton the price wil! | hon geutleman would bimself participate ia come nearer £8 and instead of gettinga cheap nyblie plunder, for I have no doubt that he and strong vessel he is the owner of a@ dear | would no: do anytbing of the kind, But ~ pamren y — ale - eee | while L bold this opinion of the hon. mem- 1e Government admitting them for : : . : 2Tsor “f r : i s of argument, to be honest and sincere in their ‘ber personally, I must express my surprise desire for the advancement of the prosperity |that a meinber of the Government would of the country, if they pereist in pressing | bo'd'y hold ou! to his supporters the fros- with undue and unbecoming haste this mea~) pest of pickings if this great railroad sure vpon the people. They have admitted |<eheme should be carried, This way of one after another that they have no personal | treating the subject isa return to the course knowledge of the details of euch ap under-| ¢ ie ascient regime aud bis eouneetion taking as this, but justify themselves by pro-| ; a Pac ig ieryayr a fessing unbounded confidence in the Engineer | with the party who Bourisbed under that and othere with whom they bave been in| S8ysiem, wil be accepted by his party as @ correspondence, who have alleged that the |justification, The hon. Attoruey General road can be built for £5,000 per mile. We, |has also stated his belief that the Oppo- on this side of the House do not pretend t0/ sition would vore against a resolution limit- }ing the Government to pay no more than |five hundred pounds per mile Certainly | we ehould. although he might bring cert 'fi- reasonabiy be expected to cost. We are| Eagiacers in Europe aud u t aware of the evet of Railroads in Great | cates from ali the ling to any one having our welfare at beart, 'draw upon the public revenues uf the country | éhat op the Shedrc line, wou'd yield a traffic treatment to which the minoritv have been of $209,497 or £66,467 16s. 3d. per annum, | subjected by thy majority. The Governuient Busing these calevlations on the read nearest | hasiaid down a rule for this side of the Hous, te themselves, with the working of which | Which they bave no idea of applyin: they were beet ucquainted, be thought he | themselves. Relying on the majority at their was not sidu!ginz ww any fights of fancy or| back, they refused the motion of the hon. ‘magmary caleu/ations in what he bad ad j|member from Souris, (ir. Mclean) for a vanced. Assuming that the road would eost | Committee to consider the present Education on an average £5,500 a nie. which would | system of the Col my. They burked that re- imelude band damag:e, Railway Commis. | Solution _by moving the previwus question. s onera, &c., for 120 miles, 1: wou 'd reves the | Phe sal ject matter of that resviution is one o sum of £660,000, the interest of which ateix | the greutest per cent would am-unt to £39,600. Assum-|!sland, and no sirouzer proof of this can be ing then, as he had before votreed, that the | adduced than the fact that it caused the dis- working expenses of the 3 feet 6 inch guage |tuption of the jate Government, than that of the broad, and that the receipte | S°Tied their party, and crossed ihe tloer of the of earnings from all sourees would be £65,-| House, for the alleged reason that our Edu 467. the expenses at 40 per cen: «ould amount | ¢ational Act operated ustairiy against the in-| to £26,187, thus ieaving a balance in tavor of | terests f the:r church, would have giadiy the road cf £39,250,to meet the interes: of | ®Vailed themselves of the oppuriunity offered | the capita! or cost of the railway, which. ag| by the reso'ution of soing into Committes, | he betore stated, was £39,6°0, leeving a | when theiralezed grievasc* could be investi-! balance of £320 to pay the iniereet ia full; gated ad redresscd; But the sincerity of} end <urely the hon. member (the Leader of | their professions can be jadzed by the coarse | . is i w’ the nn ene > ro . Pe { tLe Opposition) would not allow such a trifling | they have pursued, for their action indicates | thai they have no gri vance to complain of, to frighten him cut of cepriving the Colony I protest against the arti rary conduc: of the | of a Railway. (Laughter). He fon. Atty. |b an Leader of the Gove rumsntand dus bitcen | Gen.) thoughts the arguments and figures | '0}}owers, in laying down, not a» hour ayo, | to} Importanee to the people of the | ] should would be but 40 per ceot or 30 per cent Jess have supposed that those gentlemen who d ~ | | Britais and her'Colonies. We know that no | | railroad has been built in these provi ces at | a cost less than from £11.000 to £15,009 per | mila, and [ believe that I am quite justified | in stating that this great undertaking cannot be completed at lees than £10,000 per mile True, a narrow gauge ie less expensive than a broad one, but I bave yet to learn that it is as safe, and that it will answer all purposes es well as tha other, TI assert without fear | of suceesstul contradiction it has not been sifficiently tried to just fy the opinions ex. | | press d by ifgadvocates. Scientific men differ | }in their opinions as to its merits, and some | Engineers of the highest standing tn their | ! ‘any man or body of men which are not io Bgali st America to the effect that such a price would be sufficient. I, for one, would not endorse absurditi-s, no matter by whom they may be uttered, or by what autbori‘y they may be sanetioned, The privciples of Liberalism are adverse to the reception of conformity with reason. The honorab'e At-| torney General made a further charge us that we bad raked up every question we could think of in opposition ts this Railroad. Well, Sir, if the seitlement | of the Land question and the Kaucationa! | prepared to reject the resoiution of the hon. } } ; ” Yin ‘ | profeesion have pronounced it a failure. In | question are, ag 1 believo them to be, o! | place somewhere in Wales, aud the rate of | so. | speed oyar the road is slow, even for that old | if to visit either locality to aseertamn the/an observation which fell from the hon. Great Britain, | believe, there are but about | more urgent importance than the Railroad, egbt w-les of this gauge in an oatof the way | we have the right, and it is our daty to do The Land question should be fivaliy | disposed of, before the question of a Rai'- : ’ rps , |road is entertained, 1 may be permisced, us that narrow gauge rai ways of cousiderable | Mr. Chaires: ee f f length ere ia operation in Sweden, I have | 4" Chatrmae, to trespass for a few mo” heard that such is the case and | have algo | Bents longer on your time and that of this heard of the man is secon, but I have no de- | bonorable Commitiee, in remarking gpoo tashioned country. The Government tells facts. We all know that it is the interest of | Building new Lunatic Asylum, | Dredging Machine, i eee £1 032.634 ‘Interest on above at 6 per cent, 61 922 | Less interest on present debt, 9 600 , £52 322 | Leaving according to their own statement, | £52,822, to be provided in addition to the ‘present revenue, Now, eveo this is alarm- 8 000 5,000 jand if exacted will infl ct a degree of disiress never before experienced by the people of the island, In making out the latter esti- mate I have assumed that the Government wil] only pay one balf the cost of the branch lines. This is the method practiced in Canada, and I have a right to assume that our Government will adopt the same course, {t would be in this wise,-—four or five or more Townships would be incorporated, they wou'd govern themselves iocally, providing money for the repairs of roads, bridges, &c, Suppose Rustico wanted a branch live. When that settlement was incorporated she would apply for say 8 miles at £6,006 per mile. That would cost £46,000, aud as soon as half (iat sum would be provided by the municipality of Rustico the Government would advance the remaioder, and thus branch lines would be built throughout the Island, With these views [ shall support (be amendment. Mr, Bees, —I wigh to ask the hou. member for Beltest what be meant by the expression that the wajority were drilled to put dowa the resolution of the hon, member frou | Souris? I can tel) bim thet I aw as inde- pendent as ths man who held on to cffice forty-vight hours after his colleagues in the government had resigned. 1 suppose that the government supporters have been drilled im caucus that they came intu the House member from Souris without agreement or diseussion, Hon. B. Davirs —I used the term ** drilled’? because on no other prinziple couid I understand the inconsistency of the majority in quashing the resolution of the hoo, member for Souris fer « Commi:tee on the iucation Act in the arbitrary manner in which they did, ad then going into this Committee on a subject in favor of which there were no petitions beforeus As to the reference to my remaming io office af- ter the late Government had resigned, | may say that I did so, because [ was afraid that the departmental offices would be filled up by Contederates. If the Hon, Mr, Haythorne, the Leader of the Jate Government, bad acted as was to have been expected of bim a Confederate would not have been cal'ed upon to forma government. When i us i : " | Leader of the Governmen: — lie thought ingineers and Contractors to taduce Govern- | preper to express his opinion relative to the submitted by the Hon Leader of the Govern-| the rule thac the House should not go into Ment, himeslf and others, clearly shewed that the P. EB. isiand Railway would at the medos ale» of increas: & the consumption o' | datiade articies, while 1t would open up the | mutee were given by the mover, and now, meane for their payment. It woud aleo in- Bi y , D preass this facilities for travelling, «cd add ty | °"4 of ten years begelf sustaming. That was, | Without any reason asyigned, going into Com- é { | going on the ogsumption that the local traffic | itte> on one of the most important questions those m7nns netessury ever’ for @ more gene | r , ' "ha sili adnate tid . } 1 pal education of the people. ¢ Applause.)| would be equel to that on the BE. aud N. A, | ¢¥er mooted in this Assembly, Tors condue . r wre Pr “| Railway. He inerely threw ont those hints to | Only proves the tyranny of the majority, io re- There was no class of people in tle country | but. what. would be benefited by the eosstruc-| ublic mectinus iu ihe country with such tion of a Railway. I[t bad been +o in other | dulorous arguments against a work to which countries, and would be 80 liere, too. One! fhe felt they themselves were not oproved. objection rawed was, that the Lar 1 Question | (fear, bear and laugh ev). He hoped, how. Should first be settled. As in suc!) reas MOP lever, bon, members Opposite would excure he ¢3% uo atgument, he woud oot pause to jhim (Hon. Attorney Generel) when he s,id seply to it, He understood that tuedistanee lhe thousht it would be much more creditable which the road would run through the pro | tethem. as the rep~ pertice of the arse landed proprie| ors, would | people, to get the matter fairly bef re there net exeved swenty miles, wiile cast of it | cepstituents, (LU rar) fie 1espected ti € Oppo= wou'd be through that already in the bands | sition of those who d fered from his opinion, ofthe Government, al! of which would be en- | gd would besorry to underate their judsment, enced in valve by a Raflway. Much of the bat when they had the assurance of the Hon. jand perhsps the whole, throegh which the | Loader of the Gover: ment, that if the railroad road would go, which belynged to large pro | wou!d cost more thap the sum he had named he rietors, waa let. in Jong fee :es, and as @ re-| would have nothing tu do with if, he was at aloes pult, the tenant, and not the landlord! whether to charve their hosttiity to their want would be benefited by the Railway. The | of candour ot credulity. He hud te honer fandiord could but claim bis ren. if thew jo represent one Wf the-most iteliigent con- road was going to cort from £9,000 to £15.- stituernmes on the Island, and was glad to be 600 « mile, he certain!y would admit the | chle to say the most of them were i: favor of Now, Sir, this scheme 13 practicable end re- réasonublenees of opposing the undertaking, | 4 Riilway, He could not but feel amuced to ‘des at first to be applied to the vicinity of bat ae it bad been proven by the Leader of | notice the hasie of the opposition ia intro- | the shipping-places and priucipal setilements, the Government that it gould be built for | ducing a Resolution as an amendment of that | 40d could be fully carriéd out in the course ot £5,000, cy, w mile, he felt perfec ly justitied | which they had prejudged woald ‘have been|# few years. ‘be fact is, M>. Chaiiman, in supporting the resolution. But if it eabmitted, rather than of what had. He _ that it i8 not the bad state of the roads thar wou @ cost mor? than that. he would oppo#? | hoped the opposition would assume a more, troubles the farmers, but the difficulty of ob- it, (lear, hear} and ebailenge) the oppo- dignified position, and produce figures and |t«ining as much produce ag they would wish tikica, to ehow that the calculations of his arguments to support the course they were | to bring to market. Any farmer in moderate hon, friend. the Leader of the ( wernment, | pursuing. 1 stead of rising to show that the |!y good circumstances, has good teams avd sere incorrect. Nor hid any boo, member | arge ments or figures of the hon. Leader of the | Carts, and bad as the state of the roads in the attempted to provs that the roa’ coe'd not) Government were ipcorrect, the bon, Leader | shipping Season may be, he thiuks mere about be bait forthatamoant The only objectian | of the Oppositi no arose and submitted a reso- | the price he 1s likely to obtain, than of a raised wae, that the question hed not been | [ution which, he supposed, had been writ:en, ifittle inconvenience 10 reaching the place stbmitted to the people. He admitted that) and re-written, aud engraved in eancus, hefore where be 3s to receive uu. No cvunt'y posses- they were not there to betray 156 peuple; it wae cdncluded to bring: it forward, and|8¢> finer roads than we do for ien asonths of bus their constituents expected them to pro-| when they did subarit it, the only argument | toe year, aud while I admit that for a few vide.tor the improvement of their reads, in| was <0. you have not snbmitced the ques. | Months tn the spring and fall the ruads in the order that means of travel and locomotion tion to the people at the polis!’ [Hear] neighborhued of Caarlottetown, and other migtt be made easier, and could not see but He, Chow. Att'y Genéral) had as much res that their aetion would be quite legitimate if spect tor pablie epiiioa as any man.cuald bave, | the coun'ry does not r quire this. gigantic titey met thatyby provicing fo: buildinz @ but he had no respect fur the inconsistent and | project of a railrodd: which will cost, betore it cheap railway. If, op all matiors affecting | and u \parliamentiry course which the hon |t8 completed, @ million and a quarter of the | wante of the country, they had to! member allowed himself to pursue when he pounds. I consider it to be ene of the moat consult their consticuents. they should have | submitted that amendment. Arid yet, with allj wild, recklese, and. uncalled for nudertakings eon - instead of qaadrenoi | eleotions | their vaunted regard, in words, for whe opinion ‘ever thought of ipa couDtry situate dus w: ar be Why, they might as well g% ack %0 the cof the people, there was vot.one word in that acd altogether beyond our tavavs, and whict: Son of Charles the Firsi, when Parliamenta amendment whith pledzed them to go to the |if ever carried out, will be an everlastiog 8a for 6H uplim:ted term, if th: represeBtae | pecp'e with that question, (Hear] Was that, charge ou the con munity, especially on the tives of the peoplé tad no autho rity to iezis- | eonsistent? Did it not show that, when on | farmers. It is so far beyand our means that late on matiers affecting the geveral mteresia, tue floor of that House, and at public meet-| 1 a convinced that the Government are fully ualess every, question had beep § pecially sub- ings they used such reasoning, that they used ; aware that they cannot accomp ish one-third mitted to the poop for app: wval at the it fora thodk wherewith to cover their political 'of the undertakisg withaut aid, aod that aid ar They went back to the people every scheming. | erth year to know whether they had coa- abic? wae it becoming the dignity of the re-j ‘heir friends in the Dominion, in exchange {oi fideuce in them or sor. They did so last presentatives of the people? [App!anse {rom | delivering the [stand into tlieir hands, Cone eer, and were evtrusted with their confi- Gov't members.} He would iell hon. mem-| federation is,ia my Opinion, the objeci sought, ence ; end in cousidering the question of a hers opposite, thit it would have been mac! |4o¢ not the pros;erity of the Island. It is Reviway, if hoo. members believed it would more beeoming the position ‘they’ had the | Confederation, Mr. Chairman ; it is the miser- goufer a general bencfit upoo the country, honor to occupy, bad they gone tb their cor. | able, yvrovelling, pecuaiary imtercs: of the their duty was to support the resolution. stituents, and truth{u.ly laid the matter before | Gyvernment aud its supporters, that is sought if a: the peoples representatives, they could them. (Hear j Such political shirking be- | to be advanced under the resoluuion now before not act thus certainly there was no dignity in| trived; not merely Lostility’to the Govern-}us, and not that of the people and this boiding the position they did, why uf tHey ment, but open d-cepton towarde those they | country by railroad. Mr. Chairman, neither were to have no mind of their own in disposing represented. Well did the hou, member, the {the Members of the Government nor their of matters whieh were to be dealt with. If Leader of the Opposition, know bow utterly |supporters in this House were returned to they were to be merely repeating-machines, impossible it would be to obtain a fair ex-|carry cut this scheme. It was not mooted corstituents might as well pick up men from pression of opinion at the polis on that 6re/ before the last Election, and it was by mere the street and give them their 1\.structions on question. He was wei! aware that Education, chance that the Government came into pow- every question upon whieh they were to yore. Coufederation, and other issues, would arise to! er, and they do not psssess the confidence of But be took q bigter, nobler, broader and divert attention from it. {Heay.] That the | (heir cougtituencres; and, ander these cir- more dignitied view of the por tios and ro- Oppositon wete insincere he felt constrained Cametances, nothing but the confidence o! Bpousiorlities of a Legislator. iiis duty was to S oieon or they woald not have tabled a their being retuned im power by the men who $0 promote the pubiio iuterests uf the people resolation which anti¢ipated a course which had deser ed their pariy and principies would fusing to this side of the House the rights they cla'm and exercise for themselves. I ad- | Vise young members who support the Goveri- ;}ment to be cautious in adopting the belief that they are sife in the future, because in he present the yare acting with the majority, Che soundness of the cause they support, nvi the party with which they associate, will justi fy them in the eyes of the people. Much stress had been laid on the bad state of ou roads, es affording an argument for this pro- posed railway. 1 deny that such is the case, Tbe complai:.t has originated with a few resi- (deats of the neighborhood of Uharlottetown. The great bulk of the farmers are willing to | pat the present roads in a substantial state cf repair as speedily as it can be done, and are hame those hop. mewbers who had gone to esentatives of antotelligent macadamising those voads.. I believe that , nine feet in the centre of a road could be ma- | cadamised for £700 a mile, or thereabouts. satistied with the setion of the Government in |) Wis that fra? was it honors| I have no doubt, they expect to obtaia from | ments and private associations to embark in sach undertakings, and that consequently | | Committee, unless elear reasons for such Com- overtures from such parties ought to be re- iio commeuting on his aets and the policy ot ceved with caution. Common prudence | | wouldseem to sugyest that such an undertaking | | a8 Is How proposed would even if carried out | | withia the cost as estimated by the Govern- | |}ment, involve us in an amount of taxation | | which the country cannot bear. This must | | be evident to any reasonable man and if! |such be the case the Government in bringing it forward must be actuated either by mot ves | of vanity or personal aggrandizement rather | than by a desire to advaoce the interests of | the people of the Island. And this will ae- | coant for the disinelination of the Government | to bave the question submitted to the people. | When I hear it stated thata hne of the gauge | of three feet eix inches can be laid down bere | at balf the cost of the line between Picton | and Halifax, because we have no mountains, | [ answer that if we have no mounta:ns yet | ve have po plains Var land is not jevel, it | ie undulating, and we can not point to any | part of the Is!and presesting such faci ities | tor a railroad as the firet twenty miles from Traro towards Halifax. We would baye to do a great deal of cutting down ot elevations and filing upof hollows = This together with the cost of right of way will raise the cost of the track to nearly, if not quite, that of the line T referto. The hon. Attorney General has stated that the party which carries this question will have a politica lease for life. Probably they will with the aid of the navyie® whom they will have to import into the coun- try, be able, at the next election, to swamp tbe ‘present electors. Two ‘thousand | navvies judiciously dispersed throughout the various polling divisions, which might otherwise be doubtful, will seeure the re- turn of the Railroad party, This opinion ,of the Hon. Atty. Geueral, in this respect, I believe to be correct. The great amoua: of patropag¢—the expenditure of so large | an amount of money~together with the | | Shipping-places, are bad, yet: 1 maintain that | votes of these navvies would, L allow. roads and bridges of that year, j probably enable the ruling power to retain | their positions for a long p.riod of time, } | Bat L doubt whether the Government wil | jhe couvtenancod by their eupporters in so | |outrageous a scheme. It is monstrous to! (contemplate such an idea, to think that the 'very men who have been placed here by the | people should eodeayor to suppress or out- |vote them, by bringing in a parcel of Ja- borers who will have no interest in the jcountry, This is an Act which I do not think the Hon, Atty. General would be | guilty of, especially when we know that the |uavwies are of the lowest class of society, ithat they have the characer of being borsterous and unroly; sud that mony of }themare the scum of the earch, If thi jrailroad is to be built, L trust that steps |will be taken to prevent strangers, un/ess jactual settlers partivipa‘e ip the elective jfranchize. I shouid think that a residence jim the island of five years shou'd be re- quired before such roving characters should |be allowed to vote at ae election, | How | will the vatives of the Island like to have , their votes nullified by these of the impors- , ed employees of the government? Members (on this side of the House have been advised ito consider their question calmly and | judges us to whether the press exceeds the to the extent of his power, and when he game | his hon. trievd on his right, (Hon Leader ot | to that Hodse had to exercise | g reason, and the Government] had not yet taker. That Puraue that course Of whieh hiv be ter jadg> sach was the course be had taken he could vot) mentapprowed in-dealing with all matters then deny, yet j:s-t fom the object the Op- which he bad to give au opinion, or re- position had in view, But, he would indignant- cord a vote. They did so on the Hustings, ly enquire, if that was the way so important a Id ‘do so there aleo. The public public question should ie dealt with? He into who truck léd to every wh m and funev, felt convinced thatif the hon. member would and -bowed to every clamor, «xerciang. mo but direct bis attention earnestly to the mate mind of bis ows, was to be despised and ter, and demonst-ate the enquiry by figures, Pion, “(Aprtaine He was no: an Engioeer, he would find that, instead of the undertaking ot he the ability to ZO into the matter Weing one which would bring ruin upon the with the exactness of bis: toa. friend the country, the very opposite would be the re- of the Government, but he know thie sult. [iear, and yes}. The general interests Ilse wes in a pecaliar position with respect and prospects of the country could nat be in- to undertakings, and woul dadd a favor- juted by such @ work, and the hon. member induce them to bring forward this undertak | and dispassionaiely, We shall do vo; and ing. If they were eon-cious that the people | take the liberty of recommending a simu approved their couduet, they would not ecorn lar course to the Government and its sup- to consult them before committing the coun! portera, _ Before enteriog &poo go siupeu- try. Sir, I consider if disereditable to any’ gous an undertaking it behoves government party. claiming a right to be reapected, to at- ., specify clearly andvprecisely the sources tempt, a8 the Government are vow doing, . without the consent of the people, to mori. {TOM which they propose to extract taxes gage every man’s farm, house and stock, to. S¥flicient to meet the yearly interest of the pay the interest on this raiiroud. On thie principal required for. the undertaking. branch of the subject 1 shall remurk presently. |'Phey cannot expect this side of the House 4 will now say @ few words in reply to the to support a measure requiring in round! little that bae bee, addused ip favor of tbis numbers £60 000 per annum, witbout first | tailroad scheme, The bon. and fearned At-| torney Genera! stated that he would support) 3 no measure which should not restrict the Gov- | abls one; for they had the experiences of the would find ‘that spending half a million of ernment to £5.000 per mile, and if the road Posed to raise a part of the tax from the world at large es to the beat guage to be ad- money amongst the. peopie, would lay the cou!d not be constructed for that ameunt, he lauds and goods, asd chatieis of our far- ppted ead need not go forwar! in the dark, | basie for their iereaged and increasiog prow | for one would not consent tg ite being built mers? A prowinent supporter of the Gov. | Purchase of Model Facey, showing bow that amount is to be provided. | (Sir, L demand to kuow whether it is pre-| liberty taken by some portion of the Press| his Government, Indeed L understood him to say that its liceutiousness mast be res- teained, or at least the ‘anguage be used conveyed to me the impression that such was bis idea. Well, Mr. Chairman, a great ditlerence of opinion bus exg’stéd and will certained that the present Leader had been called upon to form a government, 1 at once resigned. I did not rewain av hour io office after that, lion. Mr, Howtan.—It is unfair in the hop. member to asperse the character of the Hoo Mr Haythorne, The reason he alleges | vorsary of the birth of Washington by » social glass, and they coald not let the 4th of July pass without a simmlar recognition, A third could dispense with his glass on either of these occasions, but the turkey of Toanksgiving Day required a fiuid accom. paviment, still another could resist tempta- tios on these several oceasions, but the thirst was imperative in the time of eh shearing. ‘Their several pleas were aliowed, but the next morsing the Jatter individual was seen staggering along the road, aad in answer to the enquiry of a meighbor as to whether he bad not joined the temperance band the previous evening, admitted the fact, but stated that it was sheep-shearing time just then, (Laughter), And as many and as varied would be the different reasone against building the railroad if it were subs mitted to the people at the polls, and mem. bers of the opposition had the suggéstioa of ail and every objection to it, no aiatter how irivolous aud unteoable they might be. Now what about the railway in Nova Scotia? | understood the bon, member from Belfast to say that the line from Pietou to Halifax cost £14 000 per mile, but instead of that sum it cost only £11,000. Hon, B. Davies.—I said from £11 000 to £14,009 or £15,090, Hon Mr. Howran.—The hon. member stated tbat tiecompaay which had contract. ed for building the live at £11,000 per mile had failed, and that the Government had theo stepped in and finished it a% a total cvs! of £14,00) per mile, and as he is de. sirous to have a company build our roxd, [ presume he would like to witness the same re-ulte here. We have had presented to us by the hou member a most deplorable picture of our fiaaneial condition, but not long since when the bon, member was in office [ heard biw make a wost elaborate speech, the pur- port of which was the prosperous condition of the Isiaud. What, I ask, bas caused ia so short a time 80 great a change in our cond:uon and prosperity, It is sirange in- deed to ses ao hoa. member who, but re cently in power, was loud in his praises of our prosperity, now in opposition, utter his mourniul forebodings over our financial con- dition, and assert that the Island. instead of prospering is retrograding, The public ac-ounts show that we are steadiiy advance ing ia prosperity. The new public build. ings in Charlottetown show it. The bietory of our banking iustitutions proclaim the same fact, A tew years ago the Bill to in eorpeate a B ank was rejected. The uext year it was passed. Since then its capital stock bas increased, and it is intended to augment it stiil further. Ls thisanm evideoce ‘hat the couatry is going torain# The re tueas of the Back for last year show de posits on eail amounting to £47,009, A lew years elapse, and another Bank is star + ed in utter disregard of the prophete who raised the croaking ery that ove Bank would be quite suffivient for ei] the business of the Isiand, Now we have the Union B»ok,of Charlotietown. the Farmers’ Bank, of Rastico the Summerside Bank,and they for remaining in the Government ig pot the true one, Le sometimes indulges in flights| exist as to what degree of freedom of ex-! pression will amount to licestiousness, {| do not admit that the opposition jouroals | deserve the approtrous term applied to! them Itis the duty of a free press to speak open'y and fearlses!y on all matters affecting the public interests, altoough t‘ ey may be dealing with men of high position, and before the hon. Leader calls fo: measures | in restraint of the freedom of the press he had better satisfy himself that be has cause to complain of tr, The people are the best fair bounds of criticism on public mev and | their acts It must be a bad cause indeed | when the presses in the employ of the Gov- erument canoot defend them agaiust’ our single press advocate It has been stated that the construction of 150 miles of rail road is, for this Island, an undertaking of bo greater magnitude than a work of equal extent in the other provinces, Now, I will, io answer to this take the example of Nova Scotia, We know that the construction of the road from Halifax to Windsor and Truro, exhausted her rcsources befure the work was compleied, atlhouzh ber finances were in a fl.urisaing condi‘ioa, and her population aud revenue were in comparison to ours as | four to ene; and the finungial secretary | staied on its completion that the means of the colony were so far pledged that but three or four pounds were available for the This proves conclusively thit the plan proposed for us is Uowise whd showy, that the proposition of this side of the Honse to enecurage a com- pany to undertake the work by granting subsidies is more feasibie. In tha’ manner the railrouds in Britain and the United States, as well as in Canada have been con- structed, and in no other way can we act without involviag the Colony in Backruptey. L understand that the hoo. leader of the Government is of opinion that a sum not execeding £46 000 a year will be sufficient to Meet the requirements of the scheme, but L believe that it will require the interest of nea'ly £1£00.000, which at 6 per cent wil amount to £0,000 a year. I have ‘aken the trouble to draw up an estimate of the probable cost of the new work now in contemplation, and another in accordance with that of the Government, whch IL shall wow read, My estimate is as follows: —~ 139 miles at £16 000 per mile £1,300 000 Debt of the Colony, 158.834 Vimsbiug new Vourt House, 6,000 Purchase of Model Farm, 4 500) Buildiag new Lunatic Asylym, 8,000. Dredging Machine aud Steamer, 5,006 | £1,582,034 | The interest on which at & per cent wouid be, 94,922 | Less interest on present debt, 9,600, | trusted but themse!ves, of fancy —Lt was but the other aight that | he stated that he knew wothing of certain | despatebes, whea in fact his nawe was sign-_ e] to them, Hon. B. Dayies,—{ had not read them, but as Seeretary, L had to sigan them, Hon. Mr, HowLay —That is no excuse, The Col. Secretary, the first office of the Government, whose dury it is to watch over tbe public interest from the rising of the suo to the going down of the same, should not affix his signature to documents of the contents of which he is ignorant. J never sign my name-to a paper until L know what it contains, The hoo. meaiber bas also told us that he did not resign his office because he was “afraid that the successive Govern- ment might. be confederates, That, Sir, was not the reason, ‘The fact was, the mau he had on the lookour told hiw that Sir Robert Hodgson was not to be played with, that he knew his duty and wouid perform it- What possible eff ct in retarding or ac. celerating coufederates coud the retention of office by the bop. member have had? Nor wasit froma desire to protect the interes's of the Colony that ke clung) tevacivusly to office; and yet we are told’ by men of this stamp that none are to be Wherever the hon member got his iofsrmation I know not, but he must have been the only one who saw confederation mystercously hidden in a shange of government, The rule I have always understood is that the defeat of the commanding offiver involved the resignation of the subordinates, That hon member said that he resigned in consequence of the Adwinistrator having sent for the present Leader to form a government I would ask ‘hat hon. member this question. Would be bave resigned if he sould have held on longer? = It is all very well for that hon Member w assert his scruples about con- federation, as inducing him to retain. office after his colleagues had resigned; but I can tell him that he was obliged to yield the reins unto other hands; and if be canto: give a more satisfactory reason than that be has now offered, he had better let the mate ter pass into oblivion, without note or com- ment, The hon, member adduced certain figures to shew the"amount of interest we should have to pay yearly on the ce st of a railway. LI bave taken his figures down, and | Gnd that one of his caleulations fixes the interest at £52 090 a year, while the other makes it £94,000. If the fatter be the correet amount, I am at a loas to know bow the former estimate can be correct. Hon. B. Davirs.—Let us have your owa statement of it, Hon. Mr Howtax —1 gill give you some of my figures directly. After laboring | acme me to show the embara*sed state ot | our floanees, how does the hon. member | wind up bis arguuent, what is the conclusion | —— ————. 0 which he has arrived? Simply this, he, Leaving to beanaually provided, Now, Mr. Chairman, I shall read over another estimate, made out from the state ments offered by the Government, which is as follows :-— 120 miles at £5 000 per mile, Goverament to pay half eost of Branch lines, say 100 miles, £600 000 | £2,500 per mile, 250 000 | Debt of Colony at present, 158,634 | Finishing Court Louse, 6,000 4,000 85,822 | ing of farmers met one |@ temperance society, ' S80clation, but several says 1 em not against a railroad if i san be. built by a priyate company. I do not be-. lieve thet thore is one man in the ranks of the opposition who is opposed to a railroad, | but they find it convenient to obje | plan proposed by the mest. Teer Government, Their & teinperauce meet-— evening to organize | couduct reminds me of Uoanimous in favor of were claiming exewp- OD On special occasions, commemorated the gnu tion from its obligati Que bad always |reeeiving the savings ot industry. are ail doiog a uealthy aad legitimate busi. ness, Our Savings’ Bank has reached the limite of deposits allowed by law, and it is intended to ewlarge the sphere of its vsefal- vess by giving it ivereased capabilities of The Union Bank returns show £37,000 deposits. Do these statements show that the country is impoverished, or io a state of prosperity? The trath is, money never was so plentiful in town or country, end so far from there being a scarcity of money, we find that the prinsipal diffizulty for the last few years has been to find projiable investment for realia- ed capital, Tbe poor men has money to bis credit in the Saviogs’ Bauk, and the state of public credit is vouched for by the fact that every Treasury Warrant up to July last has been called in, What nioney the poorer classes do not require for im- mediate ase, bas been deposited on interest in the Savings’ Bank thus showing the confidence they repose in that institution, and that they wouid rather let the Governe meévt take charge of their savings, tLea keep it laid up im their own possession. assert that we are financially in a better position than the Dominion of Canada or State of Maine ocsupied whea they coa- menced the cunstructioa of Railroads. It is true that the Grand Trunk Rarlway was at first uofortynate, Lt wasearried threugh ® comparatively large tract of uuinbabited country, but it is now doing.» large amount of busiaeas. We propose a line of 130 iniles in length, over a country which offers less engineering difficulties thaa any line of equal iength of which L ever heard. The neighboring Dominion and the State of Maine had many obstacles to contead with, yot with all their difficulties they have secured for themselves thousands of miles of Railway, But what ace we trying to do# Only asking for 180 miles, through country ike which you eannot find anotber for easy cutting or evenness of surfacc, no part of it being rocky or mouutanious as is the case in the Dowinioe and in Maine. I have under my haud o statement of the principal Railroads ic Cangda Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, aud the State of Maine, showing the number of miles owned by each. This etatement showing the length, gross and pet earaings, is as ipilows:—— Milca. Earnings. et do Great Western of - naan Canada, 324 $il770 $6,448 Grand Trunk, Canada, 13-0 6,180 —J,165, N. Railway of Canada. 95 7,064 1,778 E.N.R.W.ofMaine, 45 2,862 1,249 Boston aod Maine, 146° 12,810 3766 Maine Central, 110 5 354 1,637 Portland, 8aco & Porte- mouth, Sl 13.265 83,442 Atlantic & St.) awrence, 130 7,270 ~—-1,324 E.N. R.R.St.John, 158 1,700 524 Nova Seotia Gort R. R, 145 1,938 no acel. N. B. and Canada R. R, LIQ b50 " Total mileage, 2,683 Gross earnings, $16,530,117 rr earnings, bs 3% Perage of gross earnin rt mile 6,! Do A vr ai ; : 2,120 Quebec and NB. estunated gross earnings, 3.290 My answer to the statements about the cost oi fencing the road, and of lawyers bills is very brief. Al! costs, save those of right of way, are to be included in the contract, A very eminent engineer has written 0? here to the effect that a road such as we Those present were | propose to build will not cost more thas establishing the as- £4000 per sule, Mr. Boyd estimates that it can be duilt for about £4,600 wile, and we have MeDerby’s statement thatit can be built tor $12,000 per mise, ead itty