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VOL. XVI. 3

COLONIAL LEGISLATURE.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. TENANT LEAGUE.

(Continued from our last No.)

Mr SINCLMIR | Mr. Chairman. [ have listened attentively tothe many eloquent epeecies by hon. members of the Go- vernment on thie paragraph in the address; but they have failed to convince me that the Government were justified in importing U-r Msj-sty’s Troops from the other Provinces, to aid the civil power in carrying cut the laws of the Colony. is appeared to me, at the time, and f think it was the opinion of «2 good many of the people, that it was done ont of some- thing like a spirit of revenge ; that the Gov-rnment, believing that the Tenant League had @ great many svmp-.thizers throwghoat the Island, were determmed te make the peo- ss pay pretty dearly for the Tenant League follies In-

eéd, some of the Goternment declared, in « boasting way, last Session, that they would spend the last eiiling in the Preseurs to crush out the obnoxious organization. Now. [ do beliews such & course, for 3 Government placed and kept in power-by the people, to be the very best on+ to allay dis- content and disaff-ction among that people. I believe that counee! and advice, in the Grst instance, shewing the people the folly of seeking to redress their grievances by unconsti- tutional means, and also proving by theit action, that they were What they professed to be the friends of the tenantry, and were also keenly alive to the neecs«ty of having ther griev- ances femov-d. would have a far gr ater effect in quieting the minds of the people. and preventing destary ne -s, than bring- ing ia the aid of brute force against them Lido not, mary way. justify the conduct of the Lenant League: T think they ough) te have known that it was folly tor theas t> attempt to resist the lawa vt the lund; tha , Defore they could dogo they saaust be prepared to reset the power of Great Britain: bu I da see reasons which, in wy mind, would, te some extent, palliate ther off nce They have gricvances to complain of, and grievances which they have almost despured of seeing gemoved. Tne hon. member, Mr Longworth, sid he could nat tee how this organzatwa could have origi-at d0 [think lean account for its origin “Tie tenantry considered that they were deceived by successive Governments, that thy were deceived by the proprictore and even by the B itis Govern ment ‘They agreed to seaban the whole matter of dis; ut: between them and the proprietors to the deemion of mapartial and disci teret<d wen. The pro retors sgeed to the same, as sien the British Gow'rnwent. Toes: men gave ther ver dict: it was confirmed by thie Legisiarure oo behalf of the ‘tenantry ; but the proprietors refused to subsait to it, and the British Government, to ite discredit, bicked them out in their dishohorable conduct. The Govetoment then, and the Bri- tish Government passed a measure for settling the land ques-

~tion’in beu of ghe decruon of the Co ammssioners, 1a oppo

gition to the expressed wishes of the tevantry, and in oppoat- tion-te numereusly exgned petitions trom the tenantry to the Colonial M nister to have it disaHowed. Le it any wonder then, that the spirit of the poopie was aroused, tud tat they even exeeeded the buunds of moderation? [ce is poxsbte, sumetiines. to excite a loyal, but spiriied and independent- minded people to rash and unlaw‘ul deeds A pati-nt, docile, law-abiding. and peace-lovin. people is ‘all very well, and cer- tainly would-be easily governed: but the very fact of their alitwing teemeecly~s te be governed like slaves, would suffi- eientiy prove them to be fit sahjrc’s tu make slaves Of others I confess Iowould rather have a people who would even resist the law. than a people who would tamely submit to 4 mon. strous Wrong. I believe that had the Liberal party been in power, they would bave had no difficulty in allaying the ex- citemerit wf the people, without rea erty to the means taken by the present Governmrnt ‘Trey wouid have counselled and advised the people, instead of irritating and esciting them ; and, though out of power acd in opposition to the Govern- ment, they, in the most magnanimous and liberal manner, even at the riek of therrown popularity. gave the Government their wesistarce in allaying ale excitement. Lam afraid the Liberals would have receive! very diff-rent treatment. hud they been in the place of thé present Government. 1 was here lest Spring when a Tenant Leagne procession marched through the town Some or them. no donbe, had been drink- ing. and were somewhat excited; and what did [eee buta tovst imprudent and fool-hardy act, by an ofaver of the Go- vernment, the Deputy Sher. ff Ue was foolish enough to rush in to take a man out of that procession. Could anything else have been expreted than a resixtance to the lawful authorities ip such a cause?) That officer was most obnoxious tu the ten- entry, yet he was persistently eent throaghout the country to ezecute the writs en? carry out the laws; thus exciting the tenantry to acte of resistence. {believe thar if the Govern- ment had taken the trouble to advise the people, and bad sent prudent officers. men who had respect for themselves and were reapeeted hy the people. there would have bern po difhculty in executing the laws: therefore. I do not think the Govern- ment were justified in spending sv large an amount of the

blic money to bring disered:t upon the Colony. I will vote or the amendment submitted by the Lon. the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr. HASLAM’. Mr. Chairman, I conceive it to be due both to the country aud the (jovernment, and to myself, that T should giv- some explanation of my own views touching the Tenaa: League novement. 1 am surprised, not at the strength, but the weakness of the arguments which have been advanced by mewhers in opposition. in s»pport of their e-nlemnation of the policy adopred by the Government for the suppression of the League, the prevention of civil dis-.

_turbances, and the protecsion of the sucred rights of pro- perty. And, I may say. | am a'so surprised at the dis-

agreement. as respects the grounds, on which different bon.

-members oo the other side of the House have, on this

oceasion, brought forward th-ir charges aguiust the Govern- ment. Some of those hon. members cha ge the Government with culpable remissness aod want. of determination in the discharge of their duty; invviauch as they maintain that no serious disturbances would have been ocqusioned by the League, and that there would, have been no necessity tor calling in the troops, had thes (‘he Government) at the first. eau-ed a due and «nergetic exercise of the evil power tor its suppression. Then, on the o-her hand, other hon. mem- bers in opposition charge therm (the Government) with bav- ing been a great deal too preci, itate; and urgue that the bea: poliey for the Government to have pursued would have been prudent, bu’ vigilant. fo: b-gt nee, gentieness, and good ahice. Sach different and con rediciory grounds, as-uined by hon. members in opporiti u tor the basis of their condemn- nation of the Government—tbeir having been too quick, with some; their bavios been’ toe slow with others—re- minds me very strong’y of ao anecdote wien | hive heard of a fellow who, on the road, was heard sol:loquizng iv a gory dvermined, although strangely, coutrad. tury ——. ~ Now, +2 Uhe a’oud. « if, whet 1 get ome, | find shar my wire is not gone to heft 1 will beat her for suring up so lace, and wast- tog Gre and candies" Aud, thea, having mae a reeling durch to the other wde of ke road, he re-amed bis solilog wy. and seid: * Aad, if she is gove to bed, L will bear ber for B9t hiviag sat up to get me my edpver.’ Tous, it seem d, the d unken feliow’s Uctermination was-to beat his wife at #!l eve: te, whether he found ber sitmg up. waitinz to give him his su per; or wherher, 10 eeousmze their coal and @aedies, the ghivu'd be tound, by him, to have gome to bed io ad time ; and, exactly ia she same contraviciory manuer, . Members iv Opposition eoud-mnel the Government, — one part for having been too quick, and another part for _ baring been too slow, in having revourse to ewergetic action the -uppre-sion of the fuonsh and uulawlal procecdings fthe Teasnt League; but sill, thouzh thus divided as to their ground-of eeasare, they were periec ly at accord in their ination to coodemn the Government at all events, It indeed, much to be regret ed, I tully adwit, that it has 85 been fuund possible to inflict legal punishment upon se misthiewous and designing leaders of the League, who 1 numbers of poor and uninformed acu to withhold the payment of their rent=, sud to organ Ze themselves for Purpose of resisting the lw, whilst, they, them-elves, @ the same time, touk care te pay their rents, although in a terret and covert manor. «1 have been told, by # gentle. = Town. that some of those leaders have entered his e¢ in the dusk of the evening, paid their rents, and then .9ff for the purpose of advising others, over wnom, by. Met eras sud plausibility, they had attained ap ascendancy, {6 tetist al! dewanda for rent. Such wnirehivvous and design- Mg men’were, undoubtedly, deserving of being Wb all therigur uf the law ; but they bad acted with so much aioe cot cunning, af respected their own individual in- ‘that it bad been impossible to lay bold of them, for ‘Ptishment, by say proeeedis gs at law. There bad, like- ® clique, in Chariowretown, who, for party politi had, not only by evil counsels, but by liberal

i ment to the League, aud 80 ia- et ne es agit uated members Yo be

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lieve, not only in the justice and propriety, but also in the

safety and efficiency, of the course they were pursning for } their emancipation from the bonds of the leasehold system.

These individuals, equally with the more open and ostensible | leaders of she League, were certainly to blame for the ex- trewe length to which the organzation had proceeded, for the disturbance which had ensued; and fir the great outlay of public money which had been consequeut thereon, for the restoration of peace and good order in the community, and the due as-ertion of the supremacy of the law. The individuals who composed that eliqne — gentlemen of knowledge and education as they were—were, undoubicd y. morally guilry to as great an extent as any of the wore openly active lesders and encouragers of the League; but they had acted with so much se fish prudence and reserve th .t it was impo-sible to make them amenab eto the laws at the bar of public justice. There were vests of such design- ing crafty men—-uch instiga ors to rebellion aad res'stance to the law—in many parts of the country; aud, as they » eve ré uroing home, after they had been prevented, by the special cOnstab'es, from carrying ivto eff ct their inten ion of re- leasing Dickieson fr m the custody ot the law, a party of them Were met upon the road by a friend of mine, aud, referring to the exerting occurrences of the duy, ard the object of their visit to Casrlotretown, they toli him ‘he next time thes mide such an a tempt they would b+ prepared to carry it into effect by fo ce of arms: they would ot g: again un- arwed lor such a purpo-e When such was known tu be ‘he deter sination of scine of the mo-t ieflevtul and m st trusted leaders of the League. 1) was surel, bigh time to sh nk of call-

ling io the ad of Her Maj aty'e Troo,s or the KUppression of |

th organ z. two, aud ir tue preser vas tou of infe wid propory

Mr. HOWLAN Did you as it ws your duty wo do, make the goverument acq iain ed with your knew! dye of so warming wo intention ou the part of leaders of the Tenant Lieague ?

Mr. HASLAM. T admit that [ gave no direct infor. mation to the Guvernment conceruing uy ko wledge of this determina'iou on the part of such leaders of she League ; for, haviny pertect confidence in tue Vigi ance aud wisdom of the Government. L beveved ‘bey would not tail. by effecive precauliouary Measures to a ticipate and prevent apy su ‘bh usurrect Oaary proceedings on he purtof tbe Leagas. The bon, meabor then proceed d to Say? By inv tation, L at- ( Bted # certasn a etog which hid been called by some of the Tenant Leacue delegates and was het withia two miles of my own house, = The tenants assembled upon that veca- son =m née oO whom were wembers of the League——said to me, 1 sutsanre, Of MV ap veering amoug then: © You have alwa.s professed to be our frend, and have frequently declared your rea tiness tu lead your ant for the promotion of avy Just scheme, which may be devised for the lessening of Our yrievanees under the teasebold sy-tem ; and we wud bow te glad to kuow what you think of the Teuant League, aid Woeteer or uo you wou.d advise us to beeoma mem! ers of vt." Well, so order that, to my friends—the tena:ts there assem) ed—L might, ina way the m st ikely to be effectual, convince them ef the foliy aud il eyality of the League, aid of ‘he rutwous cons qienees which woud in- eviiatly artend, or foilow the carrying ot ther. disbunest and seditivns power: s into pract-ce, | proceeded, by means of direct questions, put by me to the League delegates who had eslled tue meeting to siew that waot they called their Con. stitution Was wholy b sed upon a seditious re-oluwon or

‘pledge, 10 Tesigt ** distiaint, coere on, se Zave, and sale for reat and arrears of reot, util their |ind:ords should con- senr te seli their farms 10 them, at such a valuano. as they (the Warton) should place upon them.” Liav pg elicited this L endeavoured tovvonvivee the assembled revaut-: of hed s- trict of the dishones'y of the principles of the Constiturioa by which the League was governe! and he'd toge he , and tu prove to them how utier:y wupo-sivle it would be by any such organization, to evate the just demands cf thar land. lords or to resist the authority of the iaw and escape the ruinous consequesers of sich dishonesty, folly, aod maduess ; and happily, so su-cesstul was Lin my endeavours to that end, that vot one of those for whose benefit my explanation avd counsel were e-pecia:ly intenJed. either gave in his ad. hesion to the principles of the League, or subscribed one farthing to its fuods. 1 have much sati-fuction in thinking that, on that oceasion, I was successful in my endeavours +0 defeat the mischwevous designs of the Ten.nt League dele- gates who calied the meeting ; but [ was sorry to find, afier- wards, that g.eater. success attended their mission in another quarter, vot tar distant, iu which they, soon after, held other mee ing; and. as an evidence of tie terrorism, by means of which, more than by the piau-ib:lity of their a’. guments, they succ-eded in increasing their vumb ‘rs and sup- piying their exchequer, | may mention that amongst others Who attended those meetings, was a po-r, illitérato man, a Scotch Hightander, who.bad the wif—indé than he was sus- pected t+ possess —to expose buth the disaomesty and mprae- nieabiiity of the-Teuant League pledge, with respect tu their intention of comperling pro, rictors 10 sell the tee simple oF theie lands at Levant League valustivn ; and this be did by putting to, one of the deiegates, this ‘simple Yuestion : * If 1 owed you £30, would you be willing to take from me 30s as full satistaction for the: whole debi?’ So indignant, however, Were the heaguers, at this exposition of ther: dis- bonest princip'es, aud so threat-ning, ‘towards thé poor min, were they ti their words aad looks, tat, through very ferr, he alivwed himself to be eurolled a member vf the associa'ion. iis having dae so, however, becoming ka own'to the agons of his lovdivrd, » writ was issued and served apoo him, aod be was mulcied in 5Us costs ;-and that. he saves, wes the only beneli; he gdesived. from hfs cotinection. wh the Tenant Leagué. © Tne case of :his‘poor man -¢ not, L believe; a soli tary one; for mariy—wethanica and others—-through ‘thd furee of the terrorism’ which .wag brought to bear against |

| them, Op'the Leazue, allowed thea-eives to be enrolicd as

mw mbers of it, and, contributed: to! ite funds, whist, at the same time, they luoked wit just detestarion upan. the dise hougst wud seditiogs principles by wach the orgau Zea was

verped, < ,

tion. Me. KELLY. The fon. memb:r as a justification for bringing the tnvops, says be heard i: sad im his negh- bourhoud by s*me'person that struiger resistance wou'd be made vga.nst the sheriff and constsbles the next time they. returved, althowzh be did not then advise the Government, thereo!, L might-atso ssy that L beard similar ill tales in my lovality, told by a persow Who eseaped trom the lanatie asy- luw some time previous, of which -however L did not taiuk ‘it worth while to ialorn the Government:

[low Mr. WHELAN. Mr. Coairman, as it seems to be the determination of the Committee shat we sheald oome to a deyision, at-Our present gi ting, conezrning the parsgrap'y having telerence tu.the Tenagt League, whic, toze/her wih the am-nimeut sudmitted.by the thon. the Leader of the Op- posi.ion, is wow the subject ot discussion, [ rise, though the hour ieda'e, wo! only tor the pu pose ef simply voring in favor ut the amendment, but also with the inteution of pub-

giving my su port to that emendiment, These reasons, I hope, it will be wen, as [ s'ate thew to the Committee, are such a8 ought not. by any means, td subject me to the churye of having taken a mere party view of the question. A om decided. y of opinive that bad dug diligence been -ex- erci-ed, in the begrnning by the Government, for: the eup-

have been carried tu the extreme beight of illegality and daager to which it attaived; nor would it have become ne- eessury to have recourse to military aid to sus'ain the off. cers of the law in the due performance of their duty, and to bring about the ro-estabiishiment of peace and gvod order in those quarters.of the Ieland in which they hud been #0 un- fortunately broken or gisturbed. L do not deny that, by the serious disturbances. whieh had arisen through the Ten- ant League movement, and the a'titude of determined de- fisnee of the law and the cofstivuti Na) aurhorities of the land,-the Government were periectly jus: ified in sending for a detachment of Her Majesty's Troops at the time they did so, six OF sceen mootis ago. But | maintsin they should have done eo at the time, when, confieat in the power which the bossted maguitude of their organisation gave them to resist the law, they boldly published, iw their organ, Ross's Weekly. that dishonest aud sedisious

by which they bound themselves, ‘* ind ly and col- lectively,” to withhold of their , aud to resist

| every legal measure which might be bad recourse to for (Ko

liely deeiaring the reasons by whieh 1 am fluenced in |

A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF POLITICS,

“This is true Liberty, when Erechb

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| purpose of compelling them to pay them. Io L864 the

| League formed their Constitution, taking for its basis that

| seditious pledge, which [ will now read. The Hon. mem- ber then read, as follows, the pledge to which he ailuded:

| *Rseolved, That we, the Tenantry of individually and | collectively, virtually and solemnly pledge our tionor and fi- | delity to each other to withhold the further liquidation of rent

and arrears of rent; and thus voluntarily enroll our respec- | tive names, a8 & tenant organization, to resist the distraint, coercion, ejection, seizure, and sale for rent and arrears of rent, until a compromise he eff-cted in conformity with resola-

| tions proposed and carried by the meetings of Lot 48, 49 and

50; and further understood that cach signature hereto an- nexed bear & proportionate share of expenses in connection with this organization,’’

Seon after this pledge was made public, I published in the Ezaminer wy opinion of it, as well as my sentiments touch- ing the propriety uf the ergan gution of the temantry into Su- ewes or Leagues, based upon law'ul and constitutional priuciples, wih a view to the acquini ion of that power Wiich they would derive from unity of action w their stre.- gies avainst the leasehold systew What 1 wrote at that time. concerning the p oprety and utiity of sucn Svc eties or Leagues, Lb wil now read. The hon, member then read as loiluws from the Examiner of 18:6 :

** The organization of the tenantry into Societies or Leagues ig very proper, and would, if managed with care aad judg- ment, be eminently useful to the tenantry in their consticu- tional siruggles against the leagehod system Leretotore they have been only remarkable for their distrust of eseh other—lor their national and religious antipathies—and for their disunion, where uniwn was most required, at election contests The Irishman and the Isle-of-okye man—taking these as types of the tenant population of the country— save felt the yoke of landlordiam more keenly than others ina like condition ; yet the sun of the Kwerald Isle and the sun of the Lieather seidum meet without scowling upon euch other, and without indulging in matusl taunts about religion and nation- al characteristics Tuese taunts prowpt them to pursue dif. ferent courses when they go tu the bustings; and we be old there the singular spectacle of two classes of men, both burn- ing tou break the shackles of the propretary system, in. fierce antayonisni—one clases voting dead againat the supporters of

pre-siou of the Tenani League movement, tt would never |

that system, and the other upholding it, as tar as they posaib- ly ean do, by voting for the creatures and nominees ol the pro- prietacy party 2)”. %in% 1 Fac?

* Give us, then, a Tenant League, subdivided into as many brancies as possible, that wil serve to remove national and religious prejudices, that will work harmoniwusly for the at- taintaeat of a common ohj-ct, and we shall most heartily en- courage it to the utmoet of our power Sach an institution would be a standing protest against the leasehold system as long aa it jasts—-ic would keep landlord tyranny and opprea sion tn casek—it would rebuke the petty tnsolenee and op- pression of Agents and Baiiiffs—and it would or should come to the reliet of unfortunate tenants when cruelly distressed by anteeling landlords. tn these respects a Tenant League or Union would be of great bencfit to the rent-paying portion of vur population,” ae tS

* We agree with them that itis very desirable to hava the tenantry united tn viving @ moral opposition to landlord op- pression— we will labour with theta tu have the leasehold ten- ure abolisiied, in the speediest and most honest way, by Go- vernment purchase—we will join heart aod soul with thew to have their views fairly and fully represented in Parliament— we will help tuem, as far as we can, to destroy the Fifteen Years’ Purehase Bull—we will encourage, to the extent of our ubrlity, the good work of charity in sheltermg tne bouseless and the helpless t.at may b+ singled out as the victims of landiord tyranny ; but we shall never advise any man to res pudiate his obligations, or to do what is still more {colish—to rebel against the constitution and the laws of the land in which ue lives.”

Such were my sentiments concerning Tenint League asso- eistions at the time ween | wrote what I have just read; avd such they continue td be Upon the Cuns itution winch they framed upon the ilegal and seditious plelyge whch [ have just read, the League contioued to act. as was weil known to the Gevernment, and, indeed, to the whole country, from Augus:, 13064, to August, LXG5, or thereabouts, when they made w singht alreration ia the bases of their un on, to the effect that it was permitted, to all such members of the League as le!r disposed to do so, to pay their rents How waguanimous! Now, Sir, L beg leave to ask why did the Government, as respects the Leazue, remain inactive all that time ? Why were no efforts mide by them te put it down? Was it because it bad its origin io two distriers— ove of which is represente], iy this Hous, by a member of the Goverument and tye other by another hon member of this branch of the Logi-lature, a qaondim saypo:ter of the Goveromest—L know not, tudeed, whether or vot he is so now ; but if not so at present, it 18 aot impossible he may be so again? Was it, L ask, beosuse of the existence of the Tenant League in these two districts, that the Government so long furbore to have recourse to proper and efficient means for its extinction? [| fear it was; nowy, indeed, [ ‘really believe it was the sole reason by which they were so long restrained from the adoption of stringent and energetic. -tneasures for the sappression of the Tenant League move- ment, When the improper pledge by which the members of: the Tenant League had bound themselves together, first ap- peared in their organ, Rosss Weekly, L did not besitate to condemn it in the columas of tae Ezaminer, and published my condemnation . without previously consulting ether wy hon friend. the beader of the Opposition, or any other mem- ber of the Liberal party. | took the whole responsibility of doing so upon myself, and there | am sa istied that it shall remain, ‘I have. indeed, been indirectly censured by my hon. friend on aiy Jett (Hon. Mr. Coles) for what he con- siders the rather unduesasperity of the language in which I conveyed my detestarion of the principles which the League . had lard down as their rule of action; ‘but considering the

view dangerous and djslo\al—directly. calculated to |.osea the bond» of ‘society, inthe fervour of the abhorrence #hich - their aloption by the League éxeited in my mind, I believe [ was not over ‘nice in the choce of epithe's by -svhich to characterise the guilty leaders and instigators of the contue macivus atv] seditious movement; and. even now, I do not ‘regtet the langyaze which L used, ‘in condemnation of the Tenant League-leaders:aud of the principles which they in- stilled into-the minds of the misguided and ill-intormed. peo- ple whom they urged on to the commission uf breaches of the

m nds of their landiords, as have brought upén thém ineal-

eulable distress and misery, ‘Nevertheless, IL am very far

fro denying that the tenantry had many causes of complaint,

both agains? proprietors and the Goversinent, or trum saying

they had not very good and euf.nént reas ips for organiains

themselves into Leagues of Societies with, a view-to their

‘struggling move euccesssfuliy, by meazs of sncb organizaiiions,

‘than they cou'd do 8 nyly, to freo themselves trom the bur-

thens which weigh them dowa emder the’ leasehold tenure.

Ox the conrrary, | believe the non-fulli ment of the promises

made to them by the party now im power, on ther arsuming

the reing of Government, in }849. to have beew the primary

cause of all the disaffection which has larely been wauitested

by large bodies of the tenautry, 10 the Goverument ; aol also of all the civil distu-bane-s which lately took place io the

Colony. At that time, the party at present in power, dee nouncing. even through the mouh of His Excellency, tue previous’ acts of their predecessor, in, power ag illusory, assured the tenantry thut by means of their suyerior wis- dom, and through the efficacy of a measure which they were about to intr duce ond carry through the Legis lutare, complete redress of their grievances might be afforded in less than eight mouths; und even His Excel- leney the Lieutenant Governor him-e'f was not one whit behind the mowbers of bis Governweot and their sup-, porters in his dewunciations of the measures of the party

Wnich bad just gone eut of power, and io the exuberance of his promises of speedy and effectual relief to the tenantry ;

and in directly addiessing them, he bade ibew confidently rely upon Aim, and denounced the very best, the most equit- able, the most prictica le weasure which had ever beeu de- vived for their reliel—eihe laud Parctase bul-—as vistonary and delusive.

Hon. Vol GRAY. Mr. Chairman, I would wish to put this question to the hon. member: Didhe himself hear He Exveliency so express himaclf with refereuce to the Land Pureba-e Bill; or has be it under bis Excellenoy’s own Aandwriting that be so expressed himself 4 ;

Hon. Mr. WHELAN, I certainly did not myself hear His Hacellency so express bimself with reference to the

‘Land purchage Bill; and neither have 1 is under hip con

, 2OW@elewe we 4.

TETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, MONDAY, MAY 1, 1866.00

——

-Jong you bave been in that chair this evening.

adoption ‘of. those pringiples—principles in every pont of -}

peace. und to suc: a course of resistance to the luwfui de-

— ee ae ———————

orn Men, having to advise the Public, may speak free.” === Euripides. _

LITERATURE AND NEWS,

———SlSSE==—— = co

hand-writiag that he did se; but the worde to which 1 have alluded, as used by His Excellency, condemnatory of the Laod Purchase Bill, may be found, I think, in a reply of His Excellency to an address presented to him by the Belfast tevantry.

Hon. Col. GRAY. I accompanied [ia Excellency in his tour throigh my District and never heard him give utter- ance to any thing of the sort. Onthe contrary, | have nota shadow of a doubt, that his Excellency, nether in the reply uliuded to, nor at any other time, will be found to have ex- pressed such sentiments as that the Land Purebaxe Bull was ‘* visionary and delusive.” Siill [ will say without doubt- ing the hon. member's veracity, [ doubt very wach his source of infirmation, and L would now ask the hon mem- ber to produce the address alluded to aud His Excelleucy's reply.

Hen. Mr. WHELAN. It is in the Royal Gazette, ! cannot lay my hand on it now. but can easily get it by to- mo:row. The hon. gentleman then continued his speech as foliows: IL wished only to shew that the expec- tations whiel were excited in the minds of the ten- antry by the large and confidest promises made to them by the Governm ot and their parliamentary supporters, ani the ge t and griev ous disappontment waich, in conees quence of the non-fulfiiment of those promises, has, for a length of time past, preyed upon the minds of the tenautry, have, together, caused the combination, the unlawful pro- ceedings of which, too long disregarded «od unrepressed by tue Government, have brought about the necessity of sending for troops. At the time the Tenant League Constitution made its appeurance in prin’, after having been signed by the }00r uurn'ormed men who bad b-ey duped into a recog- witiou of its principles ny the crafty organizers and prompte 8 of the League, L wrote the editorial article whieh [ bave jest reac The sentiments thereby expressed were my aenti- wens et otime; they are my sentiments stil; and by trem Tai. prepared so stand though good report and through evil report. Lf. as it is stared im the letter of the Shernff, Mr. Dodd, which was read a short time since, the aid of 2 or 3U cunstables would have been suffisieat to enable the Saer F—whe:her it may hove been Sheriff Mortia or Sheriff Dodd—to discharge his offisial duties among the tenantry, ure nor the Government very culpable in not having af- to-ded that aseisianee, and thereby worded off the necasity of sending for the troons? Aa for their having sanct oned the calling out of the Posse Comitatus by the Sheriff in doing so they exposed the wselves, the Sheriff, aud the whole Posse sirel! to riuiou'e ani eaxtempt; the greate-t share of Which was, however, due to the (2 verumeut ; eed well way they be.derisiveiy asked, * How coud they expect that the mun to bs apprevended by the Posse, would. atter having had three or tuur days’ not ce of their design, stupidly re- wai at home to Le arre-ted at bos ows fire-eide, or possibly it his bed?’ Lf. however. the Sheriff. Mr’ Morris, himself, accompanied by one or two respectahie men, weting 88 cun- siables, under tus direction, bad, in due time, gone quietly about the busues, there is little d ubt that it could exsly have been effected. Bart instead of reo mmending the 3 ver. riff (0 wcopt so prudent und easy a course, toey intimated to him bis power to call out the Posse Comitatus; und, Worst of al!, allowed humo put the whow under the guid- wuce aud direction of the mo-t obnox cus Coaraccer on the

coustry., Tie Hoa the Sol eitor Geacrs) had defended the Sheriff for having had recvarse to the ridiculous measure of ct lug out the Posse Coitatys, as a proceeding fuily wuthor- ised ind sanctioned by law in every cuuntry in which the Bri ish Constitution preva la Bart Ll would ask bim, is ie no', as a lawyer, Very Well «ware that there are sill extant upon the Sta ute Bovk of Great Britain, many absurd and antiquated flaws, wach thouzh anrepealed, have been render. cmp -etely obsviete, mere.y im cons: quence of their gross wbsurd ty? And will be pretend seriously to maintain that this statute whics empowers the Sheriff to ca/i out the Posse Comitatus, 13 not ove which ougis to come under the same ca eyory as mavy others which nave been silently allowed to becowie dead letters ia law, simply on «coount of their ab-urduy. And, besides, [ tniuk it very unfair on the part of the Government to throw the onus of having called out the Posse Comitatus wiolly upon the Sheriff. He wrote to ths Goverument, reqie-ting instructions as to the course which he ought to pursue, in the difficult position ia which be found homself; and, 1 reply, they referred him to the power of caliing out the Posse Comitatus, with ‘which he, in his «fic al capacity, was-alone vested. This reference he doubtless understood as u suggestivn trom them that the best course for bim to pursue would be to call out the Posse Comitatus ; and, therefore, L say that the Government, and nut the Sueriff, are fairly chargeable with the folly of having caused recourse 19 be bad to go abserd and antiqaated a practice.

fiun. ithe Solicitor General (Mr. NAVILAND) rose to a point of order, and exp!amed that the law empowering the Sheriff to call out the Posse Comitatus, is <0 far irom having become obsole‘e that when he (tbe Sheriff) finds himself un- able to execute a writ by ordinary means, the calling out of the’ Posse Comitatus is the ouly way by whicn he cin secure himse-f agains: the civil cousequences for having failed to effect its execution.

Hon. Mr. WHELAN resumed. I will not, Mr. Chair- man, trespass upon your time much !ouger, considering how 1 support the Riso ution in amendment, becau-e it is nothing but a

‘simple propos tion affirmng what L believe to be s fact,

namely, that tbe alleged open and systematic defi.nee of the

Lew might bave been averted by @ more prompt and ener-

getic use of the civ.l authority when the danger of disturb-

auces first bevame manifest, and, therery, she necessity of

seading tor the Troops hive been avoided. That necessity

was, however, ul/dwed to arise; and L. for one, freely ac-

knowledge that such was the dangerous and inflammable state

Gf tbe ‘couutry, that the Troops were not sent fora mowent

too soon. Their presence has hid the desired eff-ct, that of reducing the disaffected awd con'umacious to obedience 10

the aw; and peace and orjer now happily again reign

wwhin ourborders. The presence of the military has the

effec: of iwparting to the community, socially aud individ-

ually, that seuse of security, as respects the possession aud

reteution of Waacever we highly priz: or bold dear, without

which we can know no real pleasure or happiness. Their

presence-imparts to the minds of the well disposed a feeling of satisfaction, arisiag from the conviction that, de erred by

it, the ‘most evil-disposed amongst us will make no ate t-mptsat rivtorcommotion—th ¢ hslaws w | not beset aside, nor the administrative power be con'emned, in-ulted, or de- fied. In another point of view also, | regard the presence of the Trvops as high'y benefival. Their officers are almost invariably found to be mon of ta'ent, education avd know- ledge -men actuated by a most scrupu ous sense of houor, aud possessed of all the accomplishments and graces of oiud aud body which are su acceptable and so highly prized in good society ; and [ teel certain that, in tue social inter- course accord-d to thein—and woich is always exended to their class in this commanity—they will, in every circle in which they move, be found the means of udding much to its refined and intellectual enjoyments, and of calling forth imso more expanded form and integreater activity ail its secial amen- ities —every grace, sovomplishment aud virtue, by whit it is adorned. 1 will now say no more, but that L shall vote for the ameudment, because | believe that, as set forth in that smendmeut, bad proper means been had recourse to, at first, to repess the insubordination of the Tenant League, there would have been no n ees-ity for havlug recourse to the ‘ex- trsordinary messuies”’ reierred to in [iis Excellency's ~ Mr. HOWAT soid, he felt himself placed in a very peou- liag position. relative to the question under discussion. Le could not support the paragraph in the address, which gave rise to that debate, and neiiher could he ovnscientiousiy vo @ for the amevdment submitted by the hon leader of the oppo- riiion. F:om the wording of that ameudment and the arga- mente advanced in support thereot, it would appear that the principal complaint agiaet the Government was, that aoriou had not been taken at gv ea:lier period than it, was to sup. press the tenant movemeut, by which, it was argued, much of the trouble that bad savsequent!y arisen might have beeo avowed. Qu ibat poiut he must differ with tbe supporters of the amendment, because he bud fulled to hear any argu-

ments advanced oa either side of the House, to « bis views op the matter—that no emergency had arisen to jus- on. 2 2 & 4 64 . 2 iia wt ge % “y

. si nr Me

{ NO. 27

tify the sending for troops, at any period ia the history of that movement from the time of its courmencement up #0 the present date. No people im the world could be more loyal and law-abidins than the large majority of the peopleof this Colony. In fuet, the main body of the Tenant League ore ganigstion were never guilty of the resistance to the laws, which bas been attributed to them. Those who were uafors tunately suffering imprisonment for an infraction of the lew, Were placed in that painful situation more through ignorance, than fom any wilful inteatiwn on their part to commit breaches of the peace. There were, in his opmion, sufficient means at the disposai of the Government within the [- land, for the suppression of any trouble that had arisen, and it was the duty ot the Government to bave tricd those means before they sent for troops. He had no desire to attribute improper motives 1o the Government, but be would oot ad- mit th.t they were infallible. The opposition censured the Goverument for pot having taken action sooner for the pression of the League movement; but be wae of the opimon that they took actiou too soon as respected the sending for the troops. The hoo. wember fur Murray Harbor (Mr. Dun- can) appeared to think that oo member of the majority should Offer any opposition to the action of the Government on aby ques: tion, He (Mr Howat) however would not bow with submis tion,and yield implicit ubed ence 10 ail the actionso! any party. He was sent to that House to guird the rights of the people and he wou'd vofiiuchiogly discharge she trust reposed ivhim by his Consti:uents regardless of the insinuations of that bon, member, Iu veya d to the quéstion before the’ Come mittee, a3 he conscientiously differed, not on!y from the op:n- ion set forth iu the draft Address, but likewme from that ex. pressed iu the amendment subsitted ty the Hon. the Leader of the Government, he evuld not vote for either. The Rere- lution in amendment whieh he then held in his hand briefly expres-€! bis own opin on relitive to the question andeg consideration, Watch, by permission, be would read, and then sub nit as an amendment to the amendment which bad beep rubwitted by the Hon. the Leader of the Opposition. The hen. sv mber then read and submitted his amendmeat, as fol- lows: