Che Cxaminer,

THE SNOW.

The silvery snow !~-the silvery snow!—

Like a glory it falls on the fields below;

And the trees with their diamond branches appear Like the fairy growth of some magical sphere ; While soft as music, and wild and white,

It glitters and floats in the pale moonlight,

And spangles the river and fount as they flow; Oh! who has not loved the bright, beautiful snow!

The silvery snow, and the crinkling frost— How merry we go when the Earth seems lost; Like spirits that rise from the dust of Time,

To live in a purer and holier clime !

A new creation without a stain—

Lovely as Heaven’s own pure domain!

But, ah! like the many fair hopes of our years, it glitters awhile, and then melts into tears!

LORD GEORGE BENTINCK.

Lord George Bentinck’s character may be summed up in one word: he was a man of purpose. He was not a man of much talent; he was not eloquent—far from it, his manner was so unhappy that it was painful to hear him speak ; he was not possessed of any high powers of argument; he had no one faculty much above mediocrity, and he had deficiencies of considerable magnitude ; but to supply all that was wanting and al) that was weak, and to make the most of what was strong, he had earnestness, he had aim, he had constan- cy, he had indefatigable perseverance. He was not the man ever to know despair or discouragement. He seemed cast tc stand ina breach. He had, in rare per- fection, the uncensciousness of defeat assigned by Na- poleon to the English character. He knew when he was out-voted, but not when he was wersted in debate ; and he was consequently always fresh and full of con- fidence to begin the encounter again. He was not an adversary of much prowess; he wielded no mighty arms, and those which he did wield were wielded with no extraordinary dexterity or skill; but nevertheless he was a most harrassing foe, ever active and on the watch for exposed points. He was wrong nineteen times out of twenty, perhaps ; but he multiplied the number of at- tacks so as in the long run to make the hits tell out of the misses. How he rallied and headed the Protectionists after the conversion of Sir Robert Peel to Free Trade, is in

THIS: is TRUE LIBERTY, WHEN FREEBORN MEN —HAVING ‘TO ADVISE. THE PUBLIC, ‘MAY SPEAK FREE.” —Eoripres.

: _ CHARLOTTETOWN, P. E. ISLAND, MONDAY. NOVEMBER 13, 1848,

[No. 67.

had been a poor plebian instead of the rich son of a

condary place which Mr. Disraeli has occupied, he be- ing aman of genius, of acquireinents, and of brilliant talents for debate. In all the qualifications for public life, Mr. Disraeli incomparably surpassed Lord George Bentinck, but the aristocratic position placed the inferior man uppermost. One superiority, however, belonged to Lord George,—he was sincere; but for how much his sincerity would have told if he had not been a rich lord, we are not prepared to say.

We have too often had to observe on Lord George Bentinck’s fierce and unjust personal attacks, but we are disposed to ascribe much that has been placed to the account of rancour to confusion of understanding. He took a false view, and then raged against the error

it. His fancied forte was in grappling with facts; but fingering facts is not grappling them, nor is seeing a phase of them embracing their significance. Hence statistics were a quagmire in which Lord George was perpetually floundering. Often he perplexed himself, and then complained that he had been perplexed, the confusing account having been rendered according to his own express direction. The explanation is, that he took to public business rather late.in life, and that not having had the gradual initiation into details, he plung- ed into them, and was overwhelmed by them, as any one must be, so dealing with them.

The fault of Lord George, for which not a word of palliation can be offered, was insolence. He treated all who happened to be the objects of his displeasure, as criminals, divested of any claims to consideration or respect. The lord in his anger was not the gentleman.

The life of Lord George Bentinck, had it pleased Providence to lengthen it, would probably not have had the importance of his death in the circumstances in which it has happened. Living, his destined part was obstruction, nothing but obstruction, and everywhere obstruction. He impeded the career of free trade, and at the same time presented the great obstacle to the reconciliation of the protectionists and Peelites. He kept the protectionists in hope and heart, turning the difficulties in which natural aud extraneous events have placed the country to the advantage of their cause, by ascribing them to the working of free trade. ‘The fal- lacy should be transparent enough, but it would be dis- ingenuous to assert that it has been without some de-

recent recollection; it was a gallant service to an un- grateful cause. Lord George had his liberal views: apart from questions of commercial policy, and they made him distrusted and disliked by his party, which also found fault with the passionate sallies emanating from the very vehemence which constituted the strength of his character. They did not take him for better for worse; they had not the shrewdness to perceive that to reduce him to the prudences and proprieties would be to reduce him to zero, and that to have the advan- tage of his purpose and earnestness many excesses must be compounded for. ‘They were dissatisfied that he had not those qualities of a Peel, which, had he pos- sessed them, would in all human probability have caused him to train off with Peel.

We believe that Lord George Bentinck was an ho- nest man according to his views, but very distorted and eonfused was the medium through which he surveyed objects. Seeing things exaggerated and discoloured, his mind inflamed upon them, chafing and heating up- en its own errors. He had as it were, hysteric fits of virtuous indignation, the subject matter of which was sheer misconception. But this was not without its suc- cess with the uninquiring part of the public, who seeing the much ado about nothing, sagely concluded that ‘there could not be so much smoke without some fire.”

if the honest question be asked, What would Lord

gree of success, a large proportion of people being al- ‘ways ready te confound the post hoc with the propter hoe, to mistake coincidence for consequence. Free trade not really having had a fair trial yet, either for the commercial or the landed interests, owing to failing crops and failing thrones, the Protectionists have had the benefit of extraordinory high prices, which are cal- culated to quiet their alarms and to soothe their resent- ments, if no one of influence be forthcoming in the place of Lord George Bentinck to blow the coals be- tween them and their former idol. Time and good market-days are likely totell for reconciliation in the absence of any one gifted or skilled to cultivate the discords. Lord George played his part in this respect with address. While the farmers were getting good prices, and the landlords good rent, notwithstanding the free trade in food, he harped on the manufacturing and trading distresses as proof of the failure of free trade, taking care not to advert to the condition of the agri-

ducal house ? the best answer is a_ reference to the fia

that was not in the object, but in his way of looking ou

field, we have yet tosee. Lord George Bentinck never wanted a batt e-horse for monopaly. The West Indies served for his charger when the markets were too high at home for mounting the old hack of the farmer’s ruin. We see no one in the Protectionists ranks who has the activity and perseveratice to keepa party in the field for protection without any pinch from Free Trade, and wanting this sort of agitation, we are likely to witness a mitigation of the il] feeling between the Protectionists and Peelites, and some return to the old division of parties with an acceptance of principles. Wanting any hard stuff in the Protectionist body, its fate will be ab- sorption between the Peelites and the Whigs.

Fourth English Mail for Octeber.

i

on Tuesday morning last, having been only 84 days coming from Liverpool. The Mail for Prince Edward Island reached Charlottetown on Thursday evening.

Uur papers inform us of the close of the State Trials at Clonmel. Mr. T. F. Meagher has been convicted of high treason, and with two others similarly convicted, (Messrs, McManus and O’Donoghue,) sentenced to be hung. It is, however, generally believed, and as gene- rally hoped, that the entence of the law will not be put into effect upon any of the prisoners.

The Daily News correspondent furnishes the follow- ing report of the proceedings on the last day of the Court at Clonmel.

MORE PROSECUTIONS FOR HIGH TREASON.

The Lord Chief Justice Blackburn, Lord Chief Jus- stice Doherty, and Mr. Justice Moore took their seats on the bench at half-past 10 o’clock this morning.

The Solicitor-General, Mr. Scott, Q. C., Mr. Sausge, and Mr. Lynch appeared as counsel for the crown.

Mr. Butt, Q. C, Sir C. O’Loghlen, Mr. O’Callaghan, and Mr. F. Meagher, were in attendance as counsel for the prisoners who had been tried and convicted.

The Solicitor-General applied to the court that James Orchard, Dennis Tyne, and Patrick O’Donnell should be brought to the bar to plead to an indictment for high treason. The prisoners were brought forward accord- ingly.

The Clerk of the Crown having read over the indict- ment, each of the prisoners pleaded * Not Guilty.’

Mr. O’callaghan tendered the same pleas as in the case of the former prisoners with respect to the list of witnesses, &c. not having been delivered to each ten days before trial, in order to establish their right in case of ulterior proceedings. ‘The pleas having been received, the prisoners were removed, and another batch placed at the bar. ‘These consisted of William Peart, Thomas Finane, J. Brennan, T. Stack, and J. Preston. Each pleaded ‘Not Guilty.’ They were re- moved as soon as similar pleas had been handed in on behalf of each of them.

SENTENCES OF DEATH PASSED ON THE CONVICT. ED PRISONERS—THEIR SPEECHES.

The Solicitor-General.--I have now to apply to your lordships that T. B. M‘Manus, Patrick O’Dorohoe, and Thomas Francis Meagher, may be brought to the bar to receive the judgment of the court.

In the interval which elapsed before the prisoners ap- peared,

Mr. Butt said that he might, perhaps, be permitted to ask the court whether their lordships would reserve

cultural classes, belying all the confident predictions of the points raised for Mr. Meagher in the course of his

what their fate would be. This occupied the agrest

restoration of monopoly, while the experience of the change would have tended, if not to curtailment, at) least to resicnation, no detriment to farmers or land- lords having been the consequence. What the effect!

trial ?

mind with the idea of the failure of free trade, and the! ‘to those points given the best consideration in our

will be, prices remaining high, farmers and landlords’

Lord Chief-Justice Blackburne.--We have, Mr. Butt,

power, and, as at present advised, we are not disposed Ito think them of sufficient substance to induce us to reserve them. But they are still under our considera- tion, and we shall further carefully consider them, and,

ieorge Bentinck’s position and repute have been if beat ease, and no great frundeur against free trade in the|if any doubt arises in our minds, we will reserve them.

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