. that the debts due by Colonists tozthe

. tish, Coast

PUBLIC MEETWG W THE LAID QUISTIOI.

At a Meeting held on St. Peter's Road on the 3d of July inst., the following Reso- lutions and Addresses were unanimously agreed to: let. Movedb

by Mr. Ronald RESOLVID, That it is necessary to inform

Her Majesty the Queen, that the Land

Question is still unsettled; that the Colo-

nial authorities govern themselves on that

question by old despatclies, instead of the

Ordinances of the Sovereign; that such

Government is not for the honor of the

Sovereign; or the well-being of the inhabi-

tants, but to enable conspirators and impos-

tors to take a rent from the labouring class for forfeited lands. That the recent pur- chase of the \Vorrell Estates by the Go-

‘vernment, appears to have been it ﬂagrant

conspiracy to take the public money, to

conﬁrm forfeited grants, and compel the inhabitants to pay a high price for forfeited land to refund that money. That we pray

Her Majesty that such a transaction may

be investigated as a warning to others, for

the honor of Her Majesty, and the well- being of the community.

To the Queen's Host Excellent Majesty:

The Humble Petition of the Inhabitants of Prince

Edward Island: '

In forwarding their Petition to yoijr Ma- jesty, Petitioners beg leave most respect- fully to renew their assurance of Loyalty and attachment to your Majesty’s person and family; and their adherence to the British Constitution, and pray that your Majesty’s Government, throughout the earth, may be always administered with wisdom and purity of intentions, for the honor of your Majesty-—-the happiness of your people——and the prosperity of all your dominions.

On looking around, on the freedom and happiness enjoyed by your Majesty’s sub- jects in the sister Provinces, it is with sincere regret, that Petitioners have to mar the general harmony with complaints to your Majesty; but the people in the prtr

vinces hold us in derision, for submitting to

Mr. J. C. Campbell, seconded an M‘Donald:

HASZARD’S GAZETTE, JULY 18.,

to a few persons for their own emoluments, so that other subjects who required land, must of necessity receive the land through a Grantee upon such terms as he may chooe to dictate; consequently the Impe- rial Government had to coin romise with such Grantees and revoke their Grants.

ut the greatest care has been taken in the grantin this Island, to avoid such dif- ficulties. ' he Grants were made, that the Grantees were to defray the Colonial Civil List, and in such a manner that they ‘should not make Tenants of British subjects. Grants were made by order of the King in Council, for Grantees who were to pay :1 Quit Rent to defray the Colonial Civil List, and settle their Grants within four years with Foreign Protestants, or forfeit their Grants. Foreigners had no right to a share of the public lands the same as British subjects, and although ll. forfeiture is not declared in the Grants for the non- payment ofQuit Rent; yet a forfeiture is expressly declared for non-settlement with Foreign Protestants, which condition ap- pears to have been introduced into all the grants, for the express purpose that the Grantees should not be landlords over their fellow-subjects. As it is implied that ifthe land had been fully occupied with British subjects within the term of four years, the grants nuist have expired then for non-set- tlement with foreigners.

But the time for settlement expired, with- out the introduction of foreigners, and the land remained unoccupied, a snare for British subjects who believed that the for- feiture would be enforced, and that they would be settled without disparagemcnt, iu fee-simple. Petitions from the Island to that effect. were forwarded to the Home Government as early as the year 1787, and about the year 1802, the then Lieut. Gover- nor, hnd instructions to pass Acts for the regular payment of Quit Rent, and to revest the forfeited land in the Crown.

It appears, that there were only a party of the Grantees in the conspiracy to make Tenants of British subjects; and the inaiu objects for moving in such enactments at that time, were to induce the Grantees, who were in the conspiracy, to give up their grants to the Lieut. Governor and other speculators in the Island, (for nomi-

become Tenants for unimproved Land; and with humiliation and shame we must own it, that the monopoly of the Land in this Island, which has been so often complained of, for a period of nearly seventy years, remains still without any redress-—a hot- bed and nursery for corruption and oppres- aion.

Yet it is a great satisfaction to petitioners tohave it to say, that it is not from any undue exercise of the Royal Authority; it is of the servants ofthe Crown we have to eomplain;—-who have misunderstood the Royal intentions, and given encouragement to conspirators, to ensnare the labourin

class of British subjects; to deprive them of

their birth-right,—by placing them in the position of aliens, and reducing them to a state of bondage as Tenantry-to have them to reclaim wild lands, and pay rent for their own improvements; to enable conspirators to gain an improved Estate, by the labor and means oftheir fellow subjects. To explain the case more fully, it will be necessary to refer to the ﬂrst colonization of America, as handed down to us.

nal or triﬂing sums), who would join in the -conspiracy. For when the transfers were made, and the Oﬂicers of the Colonial Government, who were receiving their salaries from the Imperial Treasury, had either obtained grants for themselves, or were taken into the pay of Grantees as Land Agents, the Act to reveal the forfei- ted lands in the Crown, which had gone through the forms and received all the solemnities of law, was suppressed.

In the year ISIS, the Lieut. Governor of that day, made roclainstion, that it was the pleasure of is Royal Highness the Prince Regent to release the roprietors from the obligation of settling their grants with Foreign Protestants, provided they settled their grants with other persons within ten years from 1816. This procla- mation received all the submission from the people in this Island and their representa- tives, as ifit had been a Royal Ordinance; when after many years, it was admitted, that it had no legal foundation, and conse- quently it was only a fabrication to deceive

‘When it became advisable to colonize “'9 P°°Pl°3 and th8 G°Y°"'° Paid 5° “W9 ‘America with Bi-itigh gubjectg, your Ma_ regard to his proclamation, that two Town- jssty’s ancestors thought it necgggary to ships were then revealed in the Crown.

rant extensive Territories to men of in. The inhabitants were settled in fee-simple, uence and property; who were to introduce 0" P'|7l"8 f°" “'9 8""“3 1"" "13 °b.l°¢‘ 0r . mligg’ and some gym‘; grant.’ and go that Escheat, a pears to have been to grant

enable the Grantees to soul. the maple land to his famiy and friends, to sell again and do justice, they were empowered as 10 ‘he P°°l’l° “'h° i“‘°“d°d '° '‘’'”° "P0" lords of the land, and governors‘ ofthe ‘ml lmP"°" ll‘

eople. Such Grants were a public benefit

The applications which have been made

or a time, for the transportation of fbmilies '0 ‘N HM“ G°"°"""°'“,v 'l“°° ll"? Y°*"' from Where they were strnitoned for mom, I832, to revest the forfeited land in the

to where they had full sco

_ pe for their exer- tions. '

t in process of time, it was found

grantee were never to be discharged, but table to be increased, through his inﬂuence over the Legislature and Grants which were a public boaefitat first, became a beneﬁt-only to the Proprietor and his ad- lereats, and a burthen and vsxation to the real ofthe conrinanity.

It is not an admitted principle in the Bri- lftttion, that the public lands in their wild natural state, should be granted

Crown, have been resisted by Ministers, upon the following grounds, viz: that the conditions were impracticable, and in-con- se uence of which, the Grantees had in- du ences, and the lands have never been for ited; that the Landlords have a right to recover rent, because the Tensntry had covenaatsd to pay NBC. and that the Tensntry should derive no benefit from the forfbiture, for in consequence of‘ such cove- nant the would have to. pay the same rent to the rown, and which last mentioned Act was passed in the year 1&3.

It would have been unnecessary to revertl to the former opinions of Ministers at this time; but the Colonial Government have brought such opinions forward, as decisions of authority, to overrule and supersede later instructions, and subvert the principle of an Act, which lately received the Royal asent, which required an Oﬂicer of Go- vernment to investigate the titles of land, and as there is no appeal from the decision of the Colonial Government, but to your Majesty; it is, therefore, necessary to sl.ow that such opinions of Ministers are not in accordance with Royal authority, and that your Petitioners desire no more than is consistent with reason, and for the honor of your Majesty to grant.

Grants of land are not made, but on the Petition of some person or party, and there are many unreasonable Peti- tioners, and on referring to the grants of this Island, where four years only are allowed to introduce and settle one- tliird ofeach grant with foreigners, and an annual Quit Rent of from three shillings to six shillings per hundred acres required to defray the Colonial Civil List, it leads to ii belief that, instead of the grants being rewarls for services, (as has been repre- sented in this Island), it has more the an- pearauce of a well merited rebuke from the Sovereign to unreasonable Petitioners, who had a desire to be landlords over their fel- low subjects; and many of them must have felt the rebuke, who never took up their grants. But when they or impostors in their stead, after many years, found the land occupied and improved by British subjects, and that they had the indulgence of Ministers, iind the authority of the Colonial Government to deprive such per- sors oftheir improvements, or compel them to pay rent, then the impostors followed the example ofthe conspirators.

Thus the order of the King in Council, which was intended to save Great Britiau from the expense ofthe Colonial Civil List, and to save British subjects from being imposed upon by the Grantees, was sub- verted by ministers to give indulgence to conspirators and impostors, to enable them to claim the land and improvements of British subjects—worth at least a million of pounds sterling,-—wliilc Great Britain has

8 0

List, about £300,000 sterling. reserved for Fisheries.

acknowledge a coiispirator or impostor as landlord, the Tenant could never afterwards dispute his title, and to commence improve- meuts upon laud without such acknowledg- iueiit, incurred an action of trespass, or ii \Vrit of Ejcctment. Such are the toils set against men, the scope of whose learning was to know their catechism, and say their prayers, and their education to be charita- ble, just in their dealings, obedient to the laws, and earn their bread by labour; con- sequently such men could not plead their own cause to the Sovereign against such inﬂuence opposed to them, or avoid being taken in the snares.

But it was not from a want of spirit of inanliness that they did not resist their op- pressors, it was from the certainty, that such actions would be misrepresented to the Sovereign, and that any outburst of in- dignation would demoralize the inhiibitauts.

Applications to Colonial Ministers, for a settlement of the Land Question, have been resisted, until the year I8-5|, when Earl Grey instructed Sir Alexander Ban- nerman to use his influence to have the question settled in an equitable manner, by Legislative enactment; and an Act was passed for the Colonial Goveniment to buy up the land from the landlords, and sell it again to the tenants. But as such an Act could not become Law, without the Royal Assent, nor be presented for your Majest ’s confirmation, to allow of a purchase of ﬁr- failed lands for such it purpose. .But to ob- tain your Mc,-esty’s confirmation, the fol- lowing words were inserted in the Act without the intention of aetin upon them, via: " e vmmissioner of Public Lands shall investigate, or cause to bo investiga- ted the titles of such lands; and he shall make a report of the result of such exami-

nation and investigation to the Govern-l iiient."

this Act, the report _ ral’s investigation of the Titles is in thg following words, viz: “The conditions of settlement in all the Grants are the usual conditions, and bein known to the Govern. meat, I have deems it unnecessary to ad. vert to them, in the fore oiilg abstract;" and the usual conditions or settlement in the Grants referred to, are in the following words, viz: “and the said Grantees fur- ther bind and oblige themselves, their heirs and assigns, to settle the said Lot or Town. ship hereby granted within ten years from the date hereof, with Protestant settlers, in the proportions of one person to every two hundred acres—-said Protestant settlers to be introduced from such parts of. Europe

And fortle first purchase of land under of the Attorney Gene.

s are not within His Majesty’s dominious, r to be such persons as have resided with.

in His Majesty ‘s dominions of America two

cars antecedent to the date hereof; and if

the said Grantees, shall not settle one-third

f the said Lot or Township, in the pro.

portion aforesaid, within four years from the date hereof, then the whole of the said Lot or Township, shall become forfeited to his Majesty, his heirs and successors; and this Grant shiill be void and of none effect.”

And the following case ofa purchase of

Land, by the colonial Government, under the Land Purchase Act, is submitted to show that the clause introduced into that Act, viz: “ fnv-tlie investigation of the titles ofland,” has been introduced for the pur- pose of deceiving your Majesty, as it has not been acted upon, in the first purchase under the Act.

Certain Townships and tracts of land,

called the \Vorrell Estate,over S0,000acres, were offered last winter for the Government purchase. of trustees, and the Attorney General, their reputed law agent, the trustees had mort- gnged the Estate to satisfy themselves; but apparently to give a color to the validity of their titles, and Joseph Pope, together with his son and two others, purchased the Es- tates in London from V\'orrell, for £500 sterling—the mortgage of £9000 currency to be settled for in the Island—and the Go- vernment purchased the Estates from them for about £725,000, without iiircsligaling the titles. been taxed to defray the Colonial Civil Colony, 8 Member Of the EXWUHVG lmd Of the House of Assembly, when the Land

The conspirators and impostors claimed Purchase Act was passed,‘ and must have not only the land granted, but the lands known then, or have been informed of it by They had the his former colleagues in office, that the titles Colonial Ministers, Governors and Officers ofland were no! to be iitiiesligalcd, so that he to beset the land with their toils, so that to might safely forestall the Government and gain ii large profit, about £13,000; and the same applies to the mortgage of £9000. Such are the Acts, as far as they are known,

The Estates were in the hands

Joseph Pope was Treasurer of this

fa secret tribiinal—the Commissioner of

Public Lands and Attorney General being

iembers of the same body—to incesligalr

titles, to hiiy withthe public money, and sell, to the public, without any appeal fromtheir decision, but to your Majesty. And as the Act referred to received your Msjesty’s spe- cial contirmution, we pray that your Majes- ty will be graciously pleased to order the case to be investigated, for the Honor of

our Majesty, your crown and dignity. It appears the Executive had another ob-

juct in view, in making such a purchase without investigating the titles, viz: to con- ﬁrm for-ft-ifrd Grants by precedent, which could not be confirmed by law, to fix a price for land as a criterion for Landlord and Tenant, the average quality ofland, 30 miles from Market at lilo 6d per acre.

It was publicly reported, and has not

been denied, that the late Lieut. Governor, who was authorized to concede Respon- sible Government to this Colony, in the

ear It-I51, pledged his Council, before they

were allowed to take oﬂice, that they would maintain the forfeited Grants, and not seek or allow the titles to be investigated; and yet the same Governor. gave his assent to the Land Purchase Act, which required the titles to be investigated.

A motion was made in the House ofAs-

ssnibly, that a Court of competent Juris- diction be appointed to investigate the titles of land, according to the Act for authoris- ing the Govsrnntent to purchase land; but the motion was lost through the same influ-

nce as above. Such are the consequences

ofgrsntlng indulgence to one part , to da- prive others of their property: an it is Is- insinlable, that a power should exist is