: i ¥ fj 154 THE EXAMINER. Pt Ser — - aan = aemety —_— arms ea i Mr. H. Haviland presented a petition from Alexander | Mr. MeINT¢ Sutherlond, Minister, and others, elders of the Free Church tendered to the partics, or that it was intimated to them that | right. Presbytery of P. E. Island, praying for the passing of alaw they would be paid. le thought their notion in coming before rrohibi » traffic im intoxicating li s. ‘ead and , 1) Sletten eee fimemnnncneae at hi Sati fre, the Sop caf . a” , ay appeared to a great difference of opimion Hon. Mr. a ightiman presented a petition from Weorge | among the untae He art ‘ue of awarding . the Poole, Archibald McKinnon, aud others, members ef St.! officers a reasonable portion of the penalty afier deducting David's Church at Georgetown, in comection with the | expenses, as there was no doubt that they had been instru- established Church of Scotland, praying for an Act of Incor- mental in obtaining £100 for the Government. poration. Read and referred to a spectal Committee tol. Mr. McDONALD did not agree with the hon. member, that Goveryment should give petitioners a portion of the £100. report thereon, aek - Hon. Mr. Mooney presented a petition from certain inhabi- aes a _— doubtfal it the Government would have received the : | L100 but for petifiqners, llis opinion was fayour of paying tants of Lot 36, setting forth that a portion of land oceupied ~o , ae ms olisiedae tie eae | their bill of expenses. : . er ; . 5 —- aie as| Mr. DOUSE agreed with Mr. MeDonald, that the parties part of the estate of the Rey. John McDonald, was jraudu-| should be reimbursed, and hoped Government would make leutly leased to unthinking emigrants, and prayiny that stens | thom a reasonable compensation. Without proper encourage- may be tuken to revest suid land in the (own, and then | ment, it was useless to expect that revenue officers would do SH understood that the expenses had been | nates said she could be, and the result she wed that the latter were | the House was to see how much they could get. There was} otlence, If the rights of the petitioners have their origin in ser- transfer it to the petitioners. Read and ‘aid on the table Hon. Mr, Palmer presented a petitio, from certain cli chants and others of Charlottetown, «,cainst the erection of a ferry wharf at the foot of Prince . subscriptions towards improyin, Street wherf. we 2 Sir, Metuiitl presented, two petitions from inhabitants of Fat-48, against the eLoction of the ferry wharf at the foot of Prineg S* eet, "ince Street, and offering - > 000 Oo - Wepnespay, March 19. Hlon, Mr. Wightman, from the special Committee appointed therefor, presented to the House the draft of an Address to Lis Excellency, requesting that he will carry into “tflect the recommendations contained in the report of the Committee on the Post Ofice department — and the said draft address was agreed to by the House. and ordered to be engrossed. Hou. Mr. Wightman, from the special Committee appointed therefor, presented a Bill to incorporate the Trustees of St, | David's Church at Georgetown, which was read, and referred to the Private Bill Committee. Mr. Whelan, as chairman of their duty. | Mr. CLARK said, that at the time of the seizare McKinnon ‘did not know that there was an ounce of powder on board. | He was willing to pay the expenses, but even that was setting }a bad example — parties might subject themselves to heavy RG the ferry lauding at Queen's | expenses, and then petition to be relieved of the consequences } troller, which was unconnected with the first seizure \of their own misconduct in having acted in opposition to the | laws of the land and the instructions of their superior officers. |The Government had taken a great deal of trouble to protect the petitioners in this matter. Writs had issued or were about | t» issue against the parties, and the Government had made the abandoning of the proceedings against them a condition of the settlement. As to the gun, it was true that no foreign vessel was allowed to carry guns on board, but it would be unreason- ‘able to say that a man should not have a musket or fowling- piece, which might often prove of most essential service. Let ‘that be as it might, however, there was no shadow of right in MeKinnon to retain the article. There was nothing to shew | that the Collector had seized the vessel. The fact was she had | been seized by the Controller under the Imperial statute— | previous Colonial officers had no such powers. The Colonial Act was defective. The legal seizure took place after the | discovery of the gunpowder, by virtue of the British Acts. | flon Mr. MONTGOMERY thought that the hon. member COT RENT PAE OS NE UN LPS empowered to do under the Imperial Act. He a : It would be discreditable for the Government to deny | the Hon. Mr. Lord, that if any person had cause o complaig /justice to individuals beeause they might have given them | it was the captain, between whom and the Government ‘ matter lay. the vices rendered to the Colony, it was incumbent on the Houseto, [The resolution moved by Mr. W helan, and given watch that the personal claims of meritorious public servants | nae column, was then agreed to in Committee, and thy ‘should not be nevlected to gratify personal or political feelings. | Louse was resumed. ] ’ ‘He trusted there was sufficient independence in the House to) — Mr. HAVILAND had been silent hitherto, because he respond to an appeal for justice, and until the Government | of counsel for the captain of the schooner, when she wag goj should acknowledge that its conduct was illegal, he was war- He was amused at the different grounds of argument which is ranted in saying that the seizure by the petitioners was legal), and been used by the opponents of Mr. Long worth’s motion, that'the liability to forfeiture occurred in Tracadie Harbor. No | Hon. Col. Secretary had denounced the first seizure as icp) matter if the powder were discovered in Charlottetown, it was but justified the second as legal. The Hon. Mr. Lord, on board at Tracadie, consequently the plea of having twenty-| was, he supposed, — de facto or de jure a member of four hours in which to report was a mere subterfuge. yernment, had given the Government @ most violent castigati lion. Mr. WHELAN said—that the course pursued by the | and he agreed with him that it was a most high-hangs hon. member for Charlottetown on the matter under consider- | eens on their part to take £100 out of the ation, was prompted by the strong feelings of resentment he ket. Then the Hon. Mr. Wightman said the vesse] entertained towards the present Government, and he was im) have been seized in Tracadie—that it was never intended top, hopes of a division adverse to the Government, which could be ceed to the Labrador, while the Hon. Mr. Lord rests hisa men, bruited abroad as a strong censure on them, The views he of the fact of that intention, These differences veuial : (lion. Mr. W.) took of the case were based on admitted facts, of the pleas set up by the defendant in an action for the TecoveR namely, that the petitioners had acted in disobedience of orders, | of an iron lent. — Ife pleaded, first, that he never had the and that they had nothing to do with the seizure by the Con- pot; secont ly, that it was cracked when he borrowed js. by the | thirdly, that it was whole when he returned it. (Laughter,) Preventive Officers. As to the adyice about the division of the) Hon. COL. SECRETARY could assure the hon. ; spoil, he would inform the hon. member that to the victors that there was no difference of opinion among members of th, belongs the spoil, and that his argument had no weight, from | Government. The ilon. Mr. Lord, though now no longer jy the simple fact that the petitioners had done nothing to entitle | the Government, liked occasionally to have a fling at them to participation in the proceeds. He was somewhat sur- | “vane he sometimes indulged in while belonging to 4% prised at what had fallen from the Hon. Mr. Lord. That) Executive. Under the Imperial Act, the Governor solely, ny, gentleman had condemned the conduct of the officers, but said | the Government, ievied the £100 penalty. He did not Sar tha he would grant them a smallsum. Now, if their conduct had | the Council had not been consulted. The hon. member, Mr, been right, they should have a respectable remuneration—if Haviland, had mistaken or misrepresented the Hon. Mr. Wi otherwise, they were entitled to nothing. j man, who had not said that the vessel should have been Hon. Mr. LONGWORTIHL moved an amendment recognizing | in Tracadie, but asked why, if engaged in smuggling, she hag the claims of the petitioners, and in doing so, produced portions | not been? an a ; of two affidavits to prove that the subsequent seizure had been Hon. Mr. PALMER said, if anything shewed that tl, made by the Controller on behalf of the petitioners, and that | Government were ashamed of their conduct, it was this that oflicer had stated that he would do so. One thing was) to various expedients. Now they make His Excelleney the clear, that £100 had been gained by the seizure, and it was but | seapegoat, and when they are driven into ® corner, fair that the officers should receive a portion of it. acknowledge their illegality of their proceedings. They had Hon. COL. SECRETARY would have gone for paying the | indeed received a severe castigation at the hands of their forme t that ; ore shortly after presented a report, recommend- | had certainly made use of an extraordinary argument when he ing that the House siiould not exact fees on the Private Bill | said that the Government had fined a man £100 to get the above noticed. | petitioners ont of difficulty for illégal acts. On what grounds officers had they obeyed their orders; they refused to do so, and McKinnon said that he would retain the gun, which he had done, and therefore must be considered as haying been paid. | colleague, Hon. Mr. Lord. ; Hon. Mr. WHELAN.—The feeling of the hon. membg towards the Government had led him into error. It should }y Hon. Mr. Longworth, from the special Committee appointed therefor, presented a report oa the petitions af Jahn McKinnon | didthey take the £1002 ‘I'he vessel had been detained fourteen days, during which time she would probably have been in the He was not surprised at the course pursued by the opposition. ‘tt was usual with them to encourage subordinates to oppose ; present j u F } ¥ Z , “ >, re : ‘ ye ; » . % . ‘ . ° | ' iL and the representative of the late N. LePage, late Preventive | United States instead of Charlottetown. Ifshe were not liable, | the Government. He trusted there would not be found a Officers, which was read and is as follows :— “ Your Committee, to whom was referred the petition of | Mr. John McKinnon, late Preventive Officer for the port of | Uharlotietown ; also, a petition from the Administrator of the | Estate of Mr, Napoleon LePage, deceased, late Preventive | Officer for said port,—praying reimbuisement in the expenses | incurred by the said officers in seizing and detaining the American schooner Dragonet last summer, as well as pay- ment for their servie:s in the matter,—have to report, that the said J. McKinnon and the said late N. LePage did, on the l4th day of August last, in the execution of their duty as Preventive Officers, for a breach of the revenue Jaws, | seize and detain the said schooner with a variety of American | goods ow board; that they Janded a large quantity of gan- | powder and a gun (being contraband goods) from the vessel, | and deposited the powder in the Ordnance Magazine, by | order of Mr. Bremner, the Assistant Collector, and took an iuveutory of the remaining part of the cargo and placed it) with Mr. Clark, the Collectos —the gun remaining in Mr. | McKiunou’s possession. The vesse! and goods on board were | then advertised in the Royal Gazette, by McKinnon and | LePage, to be so!d at auction on the 29th of the current | month, as forfeited to the Government of the Island; that ont the 27th of the same mouth, Mr. Clark, the Collector, seized the vesse!, and took her cut of the Preventive Officers’ hands, together with the goods on board, and stated to them at the rame time that the Lieutenant Governor was going to fine the captain £100 sterling and give up the vessel. This | why take £100 from the captain? {fhe had acted in accordance with the Jaw of the land, the tribunals were open to afford him redress. Although the conduct of the petitioners might not have been strictly legal, it was the duty of the Government to protect their officers. He trusted that they would pay the expenses and remunerate the petitioners, as they had received from the captain funds to do it with. Mr. YEO thought it unfair to deprive the officers of their proper remuneration. Hon. Mr. WHELAN would offer a resolution which he thought would be expressive of the views of a majority of the Committee. Before doing so, he would refer to the repeated arguments urged by the several speakers in favour of the petition- ers, that the Government having received £100 should give a portion of jt to them as having been instrumental in obtaining that sum. Thishe emphatically denied. ‘The evidence of the hon. \majority to sanction such conduct. As to the doctrine that the vessel had incurred forfeiture in Tracadie harbor, it was not correct. He would ask the hon. member if he would for- feit a vessel because the captain or one of the crew should be detected in smuggling, it might be a pound of tobacco, without the knowledge of the owner? The clause of the Act protecting seizing officers had been partially abrogated by the Reciprocit Treaty. As to the motives which the hon. member had attri- buted to the Government, there existed no foundation for his insinuations. As one member of the Government, he could assure the House that he had taken more trouble to prevent the officers getting themselves into a false position than he had ever taken for his strongest supporters. The £100 had not been received through the instrumentality of the petitioners, who had acted illegally ; and the sanction of their conduct by the House would have the effect of inducing parties to defy member, Mr. Clark, went to shew quite the reverse. The vessel | their superior officers to disregard the orders of the Govern- could not beseized by the petitioners under a Colonial Act ; but she was seized by the Controller under an {inperial Statute. The hon, member for Charlottetown (Ion. Mr Palmer) had admitted that they had acted wrongly, aud the Government had told them they were wrong, It was necessary, in order to form a correct judgment on the matter, to keep two important facts separate and distinct from each other. Shey were the two seizures. The first, by McKinuon and the late Mr. LePage, was clearly unlawful. The second, by the Controller, was perfectly legal and correct, and with that the petitioners had tsad no connection, therefore it was that he considered that they were-not entitled to anything more, especially when it was borne in mind that they had acted in opposition to positive orders, He agreed with the hon. member, Mr. Douse, that it was the duty of the Government to protect its officers; but that duty could only attach while the appears to have been done shortly afterwards, and £100 | oficers were acting in accordance with their tastructions. He currency was accepted by the Governmentas the penalty, The! hoped that they might never see the time when a subordinate bills of expenses incurred by the Preventive Officers, amount- | officer should say to his superior—* I will act in defiance of your ing to about £17, were handed to Mr. Clark, at his own | orders, or without reference to your instructions, as the Legisla- request, but not since paid. That McKinnon has since been ‘ture will save me harmless.” The Government had acted liberally sued in the Suiall Debt Court for seven pounds of the amount ‘in offering to pay the expeuses incurred by the erroneous und judgment recorded against him, with expenses. ’| proceedings of the petitioners, and their generosity in making ie Ceaculiiien i id theref; i Malia a8 jthat offer had been misrepresented as evidence of their com- . uld thereiore, under all the circum-| jlicity with the misconduct of the officers. Such a line of stances, recommend to the Louse the necessity of providing | argument was unfair and ungenerous. The Government had a fur the payment of the expenses incurred, as well as a fiir! right to and did say to the captain, that instead of condemning remuneration to be paid to the proper parties for the services | his vessel they would accept a fine of £100, as an atonement performed by McKinnou and LePage, iu seizing aud detaining | for the violation of the law of which he had been guilty, on the schooner Dragoncet. | condition that he would abandon all proceedings nee the “ The minutes of evidenee taken before the Committee are | ae "nasa septa — —_— eens Tew) . itt ge 7? . = . t : 5 herewith submitted to the House. anata ec : eee , , . een RE Ag a= nas ‘¢ Whereas certain procecdings taken by the late Napoleon DEBATE ON THE LAI bE PREY ENTIVE OFFICERS’ | LePage and John Mehinnon, late Preventive Officers, with re- CLAIMS. |spect to the seizure of the American Schooner ‘* Dragonet,”’ After some irregular discussion relative to the foregoing were in direct opposition to the orders of the Collector of Ex- report, the House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole | eise and of the Government, and were entirely erroneous ; for the better consideration of the matters referred to therein— | but nevertheless the Government offered to discharge the Mr. Muirhead in the ehair. necessary expenses incurred by those proceedings, in order to The evidence taken before the special Committee having been | save the then Preventive Officers harmless; and whereas the read by the Clerk Assistant, the Hon. COL, SECRETARY | conduct of the late Napoleon LePage and John McKinnon, in ment. if Government were actuated by the feelings imputed ‘to them, would they have stipulated for the cessation of legal proceedings as they had done? Had the gun been given up, the parties would haye been paid for their trouble and reim- bursed their expenses. The seizure under which the £100 were received was made by the Controller. Hon. Mr. LORD would ask, did the Government allow the officer to keep possession of the gun? It might be the owner's only protection to life or property. Ile was astonished to hear a native of the Island admit that such conduct had been tolerated. Hon. Mr. LONG WORTH.—The officer had probaly received instructions from his principal. Mr, CLARK.—MceKinnon was ordered to give up the gun, which he declined. He (Mr. C.) might have said that ammu- nition and arms were liable to be seized. He was not aware that the gun had been seized until the — cleared out. It was then that McKinnon refused to obey the order to restore | it. ‘The order to restore the vessel authorized him to pay | expenses since she came into his hands, which was done. la. Mr. WIGHTMAN considered that the alleged intention | of the master to proceed to the Labrador was not the case. He lay for sometime in Georgetown; after leaving that port he | proceeded to Tracadie, and if he was trading there, why did | not the officers of the district do their duty? It appeared, | however, that he had been allowed to remain there and trade, and he afterwards came to this place. It is true that he had twenty-four hours to enter his vessel. The ae was that he was endeavouring to effect bargains before entering, and paying duties on his goods. Meanwhile, the officers seized the vessel against the opinion of the Attorney General, the official adviser of the Government. Under those considerations, the parties should reccive punishment instead of remuneration. The Goyernment was prepared to pay the expenses, but not compensate its officers for illegal conduct. The legal seizure | having been made under the Imperial Act, Government was | not bound to pay the petitioners, but notwithstanding that they had no claim, would defray the expenses. The party taking the gun had been guilty of a trespass for which he should be punished ; and the Government, in his opinion, should withhold any payment until the gun should be restored. Hon. Mr. MOONEY said that the gun had probably been remarked on the contradictory nature of the statements befure | adopting a course at variance with the commands of their them—the petitioners stating that the seizure had been made | superior officers, would, if recognized and encouraged, be sub- by the orders of the Collector, Mr. Clark, while that officer | versive of that due subordination and regularity which should stated it was done on the responsibility of the petitioners them-| at all times prevail between superior and subordinate officers. selves. As to the gun, which itappears McKinnon had retained, Resolved, therefore, that it is inexpedient to entertain the he was guilty of most unjustifiable conduct. What would be | application now before the Committee for a grant of money thought in the United States of the Government and people of from this House, the Government having already, as above the Island, when it was known that a subordinate officer had | stated, offered to pay the necessary expenses attending the refused to restore that article to its owner, when ordered to do | unauthorized seizure, and the House in Committee of Supply so by the head of his department ? will make good the same.”’ Hon. Mr. PALMER.—The Hon. Col. Seeretary had asked lon. Mr. LORD thought that the only party having cause of what would be thought in the United States about the Govern- | ates ak the Conan. The Gessreiidal had no right to oe oe ee ask wees, aw be thought of the fine of | ne “ne What unlathe facts st ths case? A man leaves £100 which had been exacted from the captain? How could) g : . ct i ; the Government justify that? If the cat were seized x fees go aren ee - orn ate —_ : — ine to Jaw, it. was legal and necessary to detain her. As to| > % ae t ieee eee ae i nicl = oe a aT the discrepancy in the statements referred to by the Hon. Col jee “hag = Mea emp-yaalashadaey 18 2 gag pe see ely ey Sj : 7 . - Col. goes to see Mr. Dean, the American Consul. On his return, he Secretary, i was only to be found on the side of the opponents ‘finds two revenue officers on board, and is informed that bis Se alli Welle ths ihiore, which tin. Callodir ange wen vessel is seized. Such -stryathpes unlaw oe eras wae by him—thus admitting the legality of the act. This r ee trp ao cca a eek eo owe ote oe a the en had a ae claim. ‘The vessel had | aaa the side pretty quickly. He was of opinion that in fact been seized for some act done at Tracadie, which had | > ' ; . r » Yendered her liable to forfeiture. As to the story about her | 4° an cs rama 8 oe ee oe vou S° ‘having on board goods contraband of war, it was a ole - a ae wae eee tas oa oe afterthought, ® pretence dl nik: hlal to the petitioners’ retained possession, After she had been detained some py elaim. Ife would ask the Collector of Charlottetown if a! we ees ane pap ibe’: * ee ae eels vessel were not entitled to twenty-four hours in which to enter? | ponies ee a on : dine Sie so tdea thon 7 Such The only difference which existed between the Preventive | Po") ee ae ada ‘ ceded g Gticene, Tinh, Sie tiie this Mindidiandind, een. Shak toe Sennen | conduct is unjust and ungenerous towards a stranger arriving In might have thought that they can t the veasel up toauction jaarereee ante roan e-em nag wie pe gg and sell her as they would a cask cf spirits which might have | 2by party. What right had they to seize the nae mere been seized. He bad taken pains to set them right, and had | Mimours that she had been illicitly trading in Tracadie = W hile given them to understand that their enly course main Gi pruse- | officers should be protected in the discharge of their duties, such cute to condemnation in the Viee Admiralty Court. Had that proceedings as thass under consideration ees Sener course been pursued, she would have anh aiedemnsa tad sis tenanced. He was at first disposed to give both officers a re lion’s share ef the proceeds would have gone to the seizing | amouut, but he did not feel sure how he might be influenced y { CII | the consideration that the parties had acted in opposition to the officers, agreeably to law. Any dispute between the Collector | : : bm McKinnon should rot be eal’ pr poe Cortaaee Government in this matier and the advice of the Attorney General. true question to be considered was, did the vessel become liable | Hen. Mr. PALMER said that the hon. meinber had expressed to seizure at Tracadie? There was another question, who his opinion of the wrongs of the injured foreigner with con- discovered the gunpowder? The Government acknowledge siderable feeling, and had declaimed strongly on the illegality that the petitiozers shoald be paid certain fees, and they should of teking the £100. Waiving, for the sake of argument, the not shave too closely by refusing a fair remuneration for ser- propriety and right of receiving that amount, It was only comnion vices perfurmed, from which they had received £100. As to justice, now that they had received it, to make a fair division the observations about tie petizioners’ acting in opposition to of the spoil, Hon. members were wrong in atir:bating to him their. superior officer, suppose the Attorney anak sad prose- , the opinion that the officers acted unproperly in sevzing the vessel. euted the vessel t¢ eoydemnation ia the Courtof Vier Admiralty, ‘tle had given no such opinion. He had advised that she could and the Government had then given: “cr up, and the officers “not be sold without previous condemnation by the proper tribunal. had brought their case before the House, hey would be con- | She might be seized and held, till the question of her forfeiture sidered entitled to redress. The parties were in precisely a | were decided. {thad been attempted to be shown that there similar condition now. Would the House then say to the was no colonial law rendering her liable to forfeiture. It was oificers, although you have acted rightly we will condemn you | Bot necessary to Use express words to declare what is a natural im the costs of thé proceedings? It had heen admitted that the jand inevitable implication, He could not accord his support to vessel was legally forfeited, therefore she was legally seized ; | the resolution which denied justice to the officers ou the alleged and he would not hesitate to give the saizing aes all that ground of insubordination. Now, how stood the case? The sewainod after deducting the expenses. ‘superior said that the vessel could notbeseized. The subordi- kept by McKinnon as a kind of forlorn hope. It was most ‘unreasonable to deprive a man of an article which might be so | jessential to his safety in foggy weather, or in case he got) | aground. Subordinate officers were unjustifiable in opposing | the instructions of their superiors. Not content with the | | opinion of the Attorney General, they had applied, it appeared, | to another gentleman of the long robe, to ina it would be a | labor of love to set things in confusion. Mr. COOPER considered that the petitioners were not bound | by law to apply to the Attorney General. Their official duties | were prescribed by the law, and if they, not being men of legal education, had misconstrued the law, they should not be held strictly accountable for any unintentional deviation from its provisions. If their seizure led to the discovery of the powder, they were entitled to some part of the proceeds. Tion. Mr. PALMER said that the Act 6 Vic., cap. 14, declared the vessel forfeited. As to the implied censure on the Tracadie officers by Hon. Mr. Wightman, a good justification was to be found in the affidavit of Mr. Leitch, a landing waiter, which he read. He was sorry to see that hon. members were inclined to act as though convinced when really they were not so. A great noise had been made abouta gun. Ifa man was, justifiable in other respects, would they deny him justice on | account of a worthless rusty old gun? Members should be ashamed to avail themselves of such an excuse. Let them candidly say that the officers were opponents of the Government, and therefore justice and principle must be disregarded, because the Government is in danger That ery had been got up in many cases this session, and the drum had been beaten to call the supporters of the administration to quarters, lion. COL. SECRETARY was not surprised that the es were ustray when they received their version of the aw from the hon. member for Charlottetown. The law quoted by that hon. member only refers to goods being landed between sunset and sunrise. [lle read the section.] Mr. McDONALD said they were differing about a shadow. The general opinion was, that the parties should be paid the amount of expenses and for their time, in all about £17. There was no use in further discussion He would vote for the resolution, Mr. LAIRD would go for paying petitioners, as the seizure by them led to the discovery of the powder. ~ Hon. COL. SECRETARY.—The Government were willing to pay the expenses, but not pay for the time of the petitioners spent on board of other vessels, for which they received four shillings a day. Hon. the SPEAKER said that the legal questions relative to the revenue laws had been sufficiently discussed. There was no doubt on his mind that the officers had acted in a spirit of insubordination to their superior officers, and in opposition to the opinion of the Attorney General. He felt it to be his duty to maintain due subordination from inferiors towards their —e- By some means £100 had found its way into the pu lic purse, and this seemed to be an attempt to get some of it out. Je did not think the petitioners had established a claim. The seizure by them, in the first instance, was illegal. | j stated that the Governor, as Head of the Customs department had exercised his discretion in taking the £100. , Hon. Mr. Longworth moved to amend the resolution reported from the Committee, by substituting the following :— ‘* Resolved that the late Napoleon LePage and John McKin. non, late Preventive Officers, were entitled to be reimburse in the expenses incurred by them about the seizure and detep. tion of the schooner ‘‘ Dragonet,’’ as well as a fair remuneration for their services in that seizure.”’ The House divided. For the amendment—IIons. Messy, Longworth, Montgomery, Palmer, Yeo, McDonald, Cooper, Douse, Laird—s. | Against it—Hons. Messrs. Whelan, Col. Secretary, Wi 'mam, Clark, McGill, Lord, Mooney, Munro, Muirhead, MclIntosh—10. | ‘The original resolution was then agreed to, end the Hous adjourned. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuurspay, March 6. The Bill relating to Buoys and Beacons was read a third time and passed. ~ The following petitions were presented :— By the Hon. Attorney General, from William Mugford, of Charlottetown Royalty, a helpless eripple, praying relief; from inhabitants of Townships Nos. 54 and 55, for aid improve their road communications; from inhabitants of Trout River, for sare object; from inhabitants of Cascumper, ‘for aid towards cutting road from Kildare river to the sea; from the same, for grant to build a Court House for Gm. missioners of Small Debts. By the Hon. Mr. Walker, from inhabitants of Caseumpee, Kildare and adjacent places, for the erection of a Light House on the North Cape; from inhabitants of Caseumper, | Kildare, Tignish, Nail Pond and adjacent settlements, for grant towards completion of wharf at Cascumpec. By Hon. Mr. Craswell, from inhabitants of Tgwnships Nos, 17 and 1, severally praying aid to improve their road com munications; from Patrick Power, postmaster, Summerside, for increase of salary; from Thomas Mansfield’, teacher, Nail Pond, Lot 1, for remuneration for twelve months services. By Hon. Mr. Wright, from William Wright, for compen sation for care and maintenance of Joha Rice, an aged und infirm person. By the Hon. Col. Swabey, from John Mackieson, as Chairman of the Prince Edward Island Medica! Association, praying for an enactment which will place the medical pre fession in as advantageous a position as in other countries, und meet the wants cf the Colony, in the suppression of the practice of ignorant and unqualified pretenders to medical knowledge; from inhabitants of Amherst and North Shor of the County of Cumberland, in Nova Seotia, praying that such measures way be adopted in conjunction with tie other North American Colonies, as will encourage the placing of Fog Bells on Cape Traverse and Cape Tormentine and the erection of a Light House on Cape Tormentine. By Hon. Mr. Haythorne, a petition of inhabitants of Village Green and Monaghan settlements, Lot 49, praying aid to extend Village Green road; from Sarah McDonald, - St. Peter's River, Township 34, widow of the late Alexandet F | McDonald, praying relief; from inhabitants of New Glasgow: and Princetown Koad, for new line of road; from inhabitaul# of Townships Nos. 34 and 35, for a sum sufficient to extead the wharf at Appletree Farm. By his Honor the President, from William Heard, Esgr., of Charlottetown, Merchant, for aid in behalf of the siesmer “ Rosebud ;” from divers inhabitants of Charlottetown, recommending the prayer of the preceding petition. These petitions having been read, the Hon. Col. SWABEY said—that while he had no desire to press hardly upon gentleman who had lost money by a speculation, particularly where that speculation was the result of Island enterprise, yet he felt it to be his duty, as a member of the Governmest, to repudiate the idea that the Government had been actuated by any desire to injure Mr. Heard. On the contrary, much pressed on the subject, and though their conduct t Mr. Heard had been animadverted on, they had not maie public the report which compelled them to decline the employ Ff ment of Mr. Heard’s boat, to a greater extent than their own justification before the country required. No one read that report and believe that the Government could hav acted otherwise than as they had, without incurring serious responsibility and grave censure, more especially after the sad accident which oceurred a short time ago. Lf, howere® it were thought necessary, the report might be laid before the House. It might be matter of consideration as to how it might be just to the public contractor to give public mone] to a boat to run in opposition, and thereby deduct from the receipts of the Boat in the Government service. But stili be thought there would be a desire to assist Mr. Heard, had been so unfortunate or ill-advised in his speculation. mg above several petitions were ordered to lie on the table. The Hon. Attorney General introduced “ a Bill to author ize the Government to prevent the exportation of and other Chemical Salts,” which was read a first time. eR A ee Fray, March 7. The Hon Col. Secretary brought from the House of A® sembly a Bill entitled “an Act to facilitate mere before Justices of the Peace, in cases of-persons with indictable offences.” The Government afterwards seized the veseel, as they were The fyllowing petitions were presented :—~