,,..,,a..'e,'uunneaii-nae .

igoloniarl Building; cene oi Many Stirring Events

-.-,

.- -Fathers Of Confederation E-..:':,:-,ce" ,. y . ogliiclcimlc I a m our And P amp on

lottetown was located h the tow-1

erofthe old Roman Catholiclold

Held First Meeting in 1864

Governor Dundee -and Mrs. Dun-

Tbeygware all found guilty. and

mm Pm". um mew” ,,m,, caurediiii. Placed there in 1856

I - sud upon every visitor to Ch:IIil)0lI:8t0WII is the historic sil- iiiiicance of the fine old Georgian

iiuiiding iitaiidlns in the wit" 0': I

Queen Square. Salt of l0Vffl' mental activities and place of the Legislative Assembly or the Province. it was herhu pyery visitor knows xi-llllt the Confederation Fathers bed their first conference ill 1W4- Ind "W chamber w h erein 'they . mat. originally the meetlnl P1305 M the Legislative Counclh retains its original furniture. including the massive mahollny "bl! WV" i-red with green baize around which the delegates gathered.

hlxcepiing only the Province House of Nova Scotia's capital. this is the oldest legislative build- ing in Canada. From the time of in. erection in 1547 it was known as the Colonial Building. and'lt still retains traces of our early ('uionilll past. Visitors enteritis the portion. tor anmple. will not: that the Idlllollli Wm! which the lower hall is paved are uni is A deeply sroovod pith to the is I relic (It the old days at laadlordlsm. when tenants mlh. lit tEBlllIl' visits to the Colonial. llld office with their felli-

GALA EVENT

The old building has been the wene of many gala events, the most brilliant. perhaps, being the rclebrated ball and banquet held there for the entertainment the visiting Confederation meeting delegates. The Council Chamber was used as a drawing room, uhere the guests assembled and were welcomed by Lieutenant

of Building was erected in 1347, the

dos. The bell was held in the As- sembly Room. and opened with set of quadrillee, . J According to a eontempor .v account, the room was "superbly decorated with hunting and ever- greens, feslooned and richly. ia- terwoven with flowers. A large transparency, representing the arms and motto of the island. was placed over the Speaker's canopy, splendid ml were placed round the room and fee- tive life beamed in every till!!- ter." The dancing was kept up till 5 o'clock the next morning.

The legislative Library was appropriated as a refreshment room. where tea, coffee and cake were served in abundance, while alien-y, port. champagne and other beverages were liberally supplied for those who preferred more exhilarating fluldl.

COUIIT TBIAIJ,

The Court Room below was the place selected for the supper room, to which the party repair- ed a little after midlllilli. when a rich repeat was abundantly provided. Touts were given and responded to. in brilliant speeches. From here the delegates tool: their departure and proceeded on board a steamer which sailed for Halifax.

Reference to the "Court Room" recalls the fact that for a quarter of a century after the Colonial

Supreme Court held its sittings there. Many noted suits were tried. Among them may be men- tioned the Tenant uague trials.

which were held in January. 156.

. ..,..- ... . .,,,. , - -

'. Vi i”

Market Building Early 19(lO's

Craswell ltudlo t Copy)

sentenced them to lmprisonm for two years. eighteen, months. and one year, -respectively, with a fine of fifty pounds b one case.

7 Henry Haszard,

ant

and twenty pounds is the other

cam.

Another important hearing. al- so conducted by Judge .Peters.

of George Dowle for the murder

was the trial in January, 1500. of John Cullen. The Crown was represented by the Hon. Joseph Hensley. Attorney General. Den- nis 0'Menra Reddin. Solicitor General, and the lion. Edward Palmer. fended by Charles Palmer, Mal- colm MacI.eod and Frederick de St. Crolx Brecken.

After a lengthy trial the pris- oner was convicted of wilful murder and sentenced to be hanged. on the Nth of March, lees, on Pownal Square. The aeo- tence w'as afterwards suspended for one week to give time for a reply from the Home authorities for commutation. This Her Ma- jesty refused and Dowle was ex- ecuted on the 7th ef April in the presence of many hundreds of people. The rope broke and the unfortunate man had to be hang- ed a second time. This occasion- ed a great deal of indignation. It was the last public execution ever held in the Province,

FIRST OFFICE!

The first offices in the Colonial Building were occupied by the Lieutenant Governor, the Judge of Probate. the Colonial Treasur- er. the Surveyor General, the Collector of import Duties. the Registrar in Chancery, and the Prothonotary.

The first sitting of the Supreme Court in the Colonial Building took place at Trinity Term, 1847. with Chief Justice Edward J. Jarvis presiding and a Grand Jury composed of Thomas Tre- main. foreman. Charles Welsh. James Purdle. C. D. Rankin, John McGill, Albert Gates. Wil- liam Longworth, L. W. Gaul. John Cox. Martin Dogherty, John Davis. Sr.. H. W. Lobbiry, John Becte. James Reddln. R. B. S t e w a r t, Kenneth Maclienzie. John Bovyer. Francis Antoine and John logs,

The Supreme Court was remov- ed in 187840 the court room in the Post Office building. which was destroyed by fire in 1884.

MILITARY IUABD A feature ef the Colonial Build-

ing in early days was the mill-

The prisoner was de- '

arly Photo "Colonial Building"

glib. s..i

. ix.-Oi

Cralswell Studio (Copy)

in-y guard. posted there "for the protection of the public mon- ice and records." This in 10931011 was requested by the I-031111111" in an address to the Lllllltnlm Governor. Sir Donald CemPb011- dated Feb. II. 1048. "should Your " ceuency be of the opinion that the same cannot be drawn from the small numbe of militia It present on this Island." Ilid til! petition. "the House of Assembly bag Your Excellency to repre- sent the same to the Imperial Government. in' order to obtain aii additional number of military. so as to afford an additional se- curity to the public monies; 810-. of the Colony." '

To this address His Excellency complied. it does not appear how the guard was continued. in an account in an island newspaper of a very destructive fire which

stated that "the alarm was first given by the sentinel at the Colonial Building." This would be ten months after the application for the guard was made.

"WINGS OF A PENGUIN"

Not everyone was pleased with the Colonial Building when it was

Act; and the member. of the Council, the watchdogs of the proprietors. were anxious to keep down the cost to 1:10.000. the sum uiiginally voted, But the Assembly found that it would re- quire 522.000 more to execute the original design and made the ap- proprintion accordingly. Lieutenant Governor Huntley assented to the bill, but sympa- thised with the Council and ex- ” 4 his to the

broke out in the t of John Scott. Kent Street, on the 26th of November. 1048, it is

First Postmaster

Benjamin (Jnappeil was appoint- ed the islands first aster in lwii, and kept the ottice in his own house untii his death in 1825. Above the roof of the log billia- ing rose a vane in the shape of a huge wooden fish mounted on a pale, which creaked horribly in the wind. Mr. Chappell had a spec- ial kniie for opening the mail- has. and no other would do. but it was used also for household purposes; and frequently the waiting crowd at the door would hear roaring, "Betty, where is the black-handled knife?" and. clamor as they might. no bag was opened until the black knife was

Colonial Secretary in the follow- ing caustic way:

"The effect seems very dispro- portionate to the expense; the alteration made consists of a portico for the front entrance which is sufficiently in character with the building, and two abutt- ments very ostenlatiously called 'wlngs' and bearing about as much proportion to the body of the building as the wings of a penguin do to the body of the bird; but they are of no com- paratively relative uae. These wings are intended to serve for side entrances, for which purpose two porticos could have been erected at much less expense and would have been quite as useful." Huntley at the time (comments Dr. D. C. Harvey is an article on Old Charlottetown) was at loggerheads with the Speaker of

found.

the Assembly. Joseph POPI. and

constructed. The money wasl raised by a Land Assessment

n.-

may have " his passion for economy to kiumpb over his aesthetic appreciation:

than and since have been pleased that the Assembly executed the original design.

fT00 MUCII ECONOMI

From time to time. however. one notes complaints in the news- papers about the pinchbeck econ- omy exercised in maintaining the building. The following comment, from the Prince Edward island Magazine of April. 1899. is char- acteristic:

"Our Provincial Building is. as regards its interior. one of the shabbiest ' "ng places that can be imagined. it is floored with flagatones, ef which some are nearly worn through and others broken. It is dusty and sadly in need of paint. The windows let in little light - just enough to show that occasionally the corri- dors are used as a storehouse for road machines and government Paris Green. A musty political smell pervades all-coming from the vaults where repose the corp- ses of the Land Office, the Two- Thirds Bill, the Gerrymander, the plans for the Bridge and other decaying curiosities, Upon the staircase, in glass covered cab- inets, stuffed owls and other na- tive birds gase fixedly down. When the Government finally puts aside an appropriation to clean up the building these wide- eyed birds will surely blink with surprise.” " " One must judge, from this com- plaint, that the building interior- ially looks younger and fresher today Hian it did a half century

but all citizens of Charlottetown.

"its four black enameled dial plates. golden hands and num- bers. were seen from their high position a great distance. while the silvery tone of the bell an- nounced the hours."

It is recorded that in 1874, in addition to the many improve- ments Charlottetown had recently received. the local Government, at a cost of 31,700, placed "a very fine illuminated clock in the south-west cupola of the new Law Courts Building. the lighting and extlnslliahing of which is alto- gether self-acting. Being furnish- ed with aecessary means. at a set hour of the evening the dial-

so until a certain hour next morn- ing. its bell, too. is

ible a long way off."

Convened

it has been said that the first, meeting of the Legislature of the Province. in Will. was held in the Cross Keys Tavern in Charlotte- town with the Town Constable performing the dnube functions of sergeant-at-arms and door- keeper.

This high official was lacking in the spirit of reverence for Legislative assemblies, and during the proceedings took occasion to remark in audible tones that ”thls was a damned queer Parlia- meot."

No doubt there was more truth

it logt him a day's pay of five good shillings and presumably lightened the provincial expendi- ture tu a like amount.

It is said that the House sat for but two days on the occasion the members r;:elving no indemn-

entire cost of the session was Eleven Pounds.

The Assembly was limited at ..m..:.m.gggg,ggg,

BEADED EARLY FIRM

LEMUEL CAMBRIDGE, died 1875. at 74; His firm L. In A. Cambridge was the principal one here during the early part of the nineteenth cenlhry. The store, later used by the Nicholson. tobacconlst. formerly stood on the site of Cnrvell Bros. Lemuel was elected to the As- sembly in 1324; was high Sheriff

plate becomes lit up, remaining After the

1773 First Legislatures

than courtesy in his remark. but i

ity, after the British fashion. The "

firm of D. &

in 1835.--P. E. 1. Magazine (Old

01' more III).

CHARLOTTETOWN CELEBRATES ITS HUNDRET H BIRTHDAY

This city owes its existence to the agricultural country of which it is the centre, and to the seas on which it rests. lis growth in the past century has been steady though not spectac- ular. but if has the stability and wholesomeness which reflects its agricultural background.

Cemetery". 0 all 73 V01. '-

li can take pride 'i'oo,fliaHl'iougl1liisihe smallest capital in the eonfederaied Canadian Provinces, it played no small part in the creation of this uniied nation.

iDAlRY PROD UCTS

We are preudihal our dairy products, bearing the name "Charlottetown" on every - label, je forth to -many parts ef Canada and beyond, These butter and milk products are fer the most part Inanufaefined in this hundred year eld city.

Charlottetown a community where city and eeuniry meet and mingle in happy ee-oper- ailen. The founder ef this Company. lied faith in the million acres of fertile sell of wlw-leli Char-

lgfjtgfgwg I. fly. gaplial, and from which this eeniury old city draws its sustenance. The feeedeeei sueeeeeers retain fbhf faith. and ieln heartily is eein-eomahg er belov- ed Qfs peat peer.-

I I . f . . X

l . .

ENTTRAL-'CRiEAME.RlE,S LIMITED

it CHARLOTTETOWN

SUMMERSIDE -

s

I The old Barracks Square. where

ttbe permanent military forces were quartered during the early and middle parts of the last cen- ltury. occupied a large expanse of ground tending south from Syd- iney Street -now covered and Sacred Heart Home. and the south end of Rochford Street now running between these two in- stitutions. It was flanked by rows of ofiicer.s' and men's quarters. The main entrance to the Bar- -racks was facing about the lower or west end of what is now on- naught Square. On public holidays the square was the scene of great glamour and military pomp. removal of the ini- Derial troops. the old Volunteer

large and Militia held their annual parades Welihly. IN V5011 ltfllllnl the here. Visiting naval forces occas- various hours of the day, k and ionally Joined in the manoeuvres

to the water front.. by the City Hospital3

mar this was the regular place for drill until the present Atm- ouries was erected. II wiatc Io drill was carried an h the Q- per iitnry of Popels warehouse. where the Canadian Legion home now stands.

in "Mfmfltmi of Long Ago” the late Mr. Benjamin Brenner recalls some of the membus d the old brigade of Ch-ilottctown Militia which exisited long before the establishment of the Volun- leer Militia. who turned out re- gularly for parade on the old Barracks Square when he was a boy. These stalwards includ-

ed Major Benj. Davies of Sir Louis Davies). Capt. Paul Mabey, Peter Macgowan (for

quite a time City Clerk) and lick. ard Fought.

Mr. Bremner also recalled Leb- ban's Band. with old Mr. Iobbnl

and sham battles. In the sum-

In Tavern

that time to eighteen members. this number being about all. in Governor Patterson's opinion.whol could make a respectable appear- MICE.

it was not until 1856 that the number of membe a was increas- ed to thirty. giving ten to each County, and requiring property qualification. The duration of each Assembly was made four years, subject to being sooner dissolv- ed by the Governor.

pi

Corner Queen tAnd Kent

1955

leading ”wlth an instrument ell- led a 'Sarpent'. "Then came In newly organized Calbraith's land. ti862r which was the first In plny the then newly-arrived tune, "Dixie Land."

FIRST HISTORIAN

.It)H::-' STEWART Esq.. ta fter whom Mt. Stewart is named). son of Chief Justice Peter Stewart. and the island's first historian tl006I. i He presided at the first public meeting, June 1825, for the erection of a place of worship for .- the established Church of Scotland i in Charlottetown. His portrait. by Harris. hangs h the Ledalattlva

Assembly room. Died 1334, aged Magazine (Old Ceme-

76. -P. E. I. tery) Vol. 1.

H Streets 187

f.'-rnawall Studio (Cay)

5 S (lather y,

-re . .,,..